This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

The next day, Kain was called upon again by Professor Lume, but this time to give him a tour of his new lab provided by the school, which the school didn't know is actually his second lab.

He brought him to a metal sliding door with a scanner and key pad next to it. He instructed Kain to scan his student ID, and then coached him through the process of setting up a pin that only he'd know.

"Once this is all set up, you can add access to your lab for others as well so that they can enter using their IDs and the pin. I know it's a bit of a hassle, but this two-step security measure is necessary to protect the research results of those affiliated with the college—I'm sure you understand. What if a rival tries to steal your results?

In fact, some of the more secret labs at the college require to clear several security checks before being granted entry."

Once Kain set up the code, the thick metal door slid to the side to allow them entry.

Although smaller than the space in the System's Laboratory, it was a decent size—around 1000 square feet. Interestingly, a third of the room was isolated by a thick glass that only allowed one point of entry. It also had several pieces of machinery—although nothing even close to being as advanced as what was provided by the System.

"Every researcher's lab will be slightly different depending on their individual needs," Professor Lume said. "Equipment you can apply for is in the package I had delivered to your dorm room this morning. However, for not the most basic equipment has been provided."

Kain followed him over to a corner of the room, and he gestured to several machines lined up in a row.

"These machines are basic must have for any planner. They will give you a precise reading of the levels of spiritual power and elemental energy in a certain material. Similarly, this one is used to read the spiritual power of a creature."

"And I'm sure you noticed the observation area set up. Typically, it is used to house spiritual creatures you are currently working with, which is why the wall separating you from it is completely glass—so that you can observe. The glass is a new and improved product capable of withstanding the blows of spiritual creatures at and below green grade.

Not to mention that the observation area is tightly sealed. Nothing will be able to escape once it enters. In fact, the observation area even operates on its own air filtration system so that spiritual creatures that produce poisonous gases won't be able to affect the entire lab.

"Currently, your authorization level only allows you a lab of this size, but after a few more achievements you should be able to apply for a much larger one. Professor Virell has an entire building on the outskirts of the campus built as his personal laboratory."

Kain's mind began to wander with fantasies of his own high-tech research building with his name stamped on the front.

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"Ha ha ha! Of course, you are an extremely long way from being anywhere close to that level," Lume quickly put Kain's fantasies to a grinding halt. "But it's a good goal to look forward to."

After the brief tour, Kain then returned back to his dorm. There was something he had been putting off due to how time-consuming it may be and with having to continuously complete evolutionary planner requests to fund his new business, and prepare for the re-ranking, he hadn't yet had time to complete—breaking through to 3-stars.

It took a couple of days for him to break through to being a 2-star beast-tamer. Becoming a 3-star beast-tamer can take anywhere from a single day, to a week. Therefore, although it was still early on a Saturday, Kain still requested for a leave of absence for the next week of classes as well.

The timing couldn't work out better because, since many students with gifts often need to miss classes the first couple of days of classes after entering the Enchanted Spring to get their abilities under control, no crucial topics were lectured on and notes for those lectures were made available to students.

However, this period of leniency was only granted during this time, and afterwards attendance, unless approved by the professor, is mandatory.

Kain returned to his dorm room to begin the process of forming his third star.

Due to the much more powerful spiritual power compared to when forming his second star, Kain could already tell that it'd be an extremely arduous process.

However, it was a step that all beast-tamers needed to go through unless content with remaining at their current level. Or unless they were to scared to attempt continuing to advance—after all the price of failing to breakthrough at each level increases exponentially.

While breaking through to the third level is very low risk for Kain due to him having the feedback of two talents spiritual creatures who were already a level above him, if he were to fail the prices would most likely be severe, but temporary, damage to his soul and mental strength.

However, should he fail when forming the fourth star, it'd likely result in permanent damage to mental strength and the soul—a consequence of which is a reduced lifespan. The amount of lifespan lost when failing also continues to increase from the fourth to sixth stars.

However, when attempting to become a high-level beast-tamer with seven or more stars, the only result for failure would be an immediate painful death due to severe damage at a soul level.

As time went on, Kain's previously nonchalant attitude became increasingly more solemn.

Kain was expecting it to be harder to control the spiritual power and form a stable star, however the spiritual was much more difficult to control than he'd anticipated. Not to mention there was an unfamiliar resistance when he tried to move the spiritual power as it seemed to be sucked somewhere else.

'Something is very wrong…'