Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!

"Brandon? He graduated a while ago, but he's still here," Bridget explained as they continued to walk. She and Nox were walking several steps ahead of the others, so they weren't able to hear the content of their conversation.

A few of the students who hadn't seen Nox fighting before scowled, shooting daggers at his back.

Their eyes were literally burning with jealousy, and of course, Nox could sense this as well, but he didn't mind. All his attention was fixed on what the headmistress was saying.

"That's a relief." Nox sighed. Awakened were adventurers, and they hardly stayed in one place; they always traveled around the world seeking ways to grow their strength.

As a special student, Brandon was bound to leave the Vermilion Kingdom, travel to the other five kingdoms, or even the non-human continent where the other races dwell to gather more resources and grow stronger.

Nox didn't want to waste his time searching for someone; he'd rather use that time to grow stronger. So, hearing that the person he was looking for was still present in the academy was a very big relief.

But this did make him a bit curious, and with furrowed brows, he asked, "What do you mean, graduated but still here?"

Bridget explained, "Many graduates choose to remain at the academy as instructors. It's common here. They can live their lives as Awakened, take quests from the Adventurers' Guild, and still teach here on the side."

"Really?" Nox asked, intrigued.

"Yes," Bridget replied, and with a smugness in her voice, she added, "Being an instructor here is a prestigious position. The academy pays handsomely—much more than most quests do. For many graduates, it's an easy way to earn money while maintaining their status."

"So the academy uses its reputation to keep their best students and turn them into tutors? What a shady business strategy."

Bridget chuckled softly, her melodious voice echoing through the streets of the academy, and Nox earned a couple more murderous glares that were capable of piercing holes through his body.

A majority, however, felt respect for him. To make someone in the higher echelons of the Vermilion Kingdom laugh like this was impressive, and he wasn't even trying.

While the others were either envious or bewildered, Nox had a thoughtful expression on his face.

'Like a side hustle, a very lucrative one at that,' Nox thought. If it weren't for his grand goals, he would've definitely considered doing the same as well, but unfortunately, he was not someone meant to stay in one place in the first place.

To spread the pantheon of beast taming, he would need to travel around the human domain and the non-human continent. Nox had heard a lot of rumors that the people there didn't despise humans because of their weaker constitution; however, they were known to hold deep grudges and distrust toward humans due to past conflicts and betrayals.

"You said mostly?" Nox then asked again. "What does that mean?"

"Yes, some Special Class students fail to pass their final exams," Bridget said, her tone turning serious. "Those students are allowed to remain in the academy, but not as instructors. Instead, they train to retake the exams. Most of them never leave."

"Is the exam that hard?"

"Definitely. The exams for the Beta and Alpha classes are much easier compared to the Special Class. All the Special Class students that passed the exam went on to become generals, high-level adventurers, and some even started their own guilds."

"Interesting," Nox murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly. He couldn't imagine himself failing like that. The usual academy duration was three years, but for Special Class students, it was two years.

Nox didn't want to spend any extra years here.

---

A while later, they arrived at the Special Class dormitory.

The building for the Special Class students was massive—almost like a small palace. Compared to the standard dorms he had seen earlier, this one was on a completely different level. A few cleaning staff were even attending to the garden and wiping the windows, despite the place already looking spotless.

"I can get used to this," a student whispered, his eyes shining in excitement.

"Rumor has it that some of the remaining Special Class students deliberately gained weight just to enjoy this luxury."

"That, that doesn't make sense."

When Bridget opened the door, all the Special Class students rushed in to select their dorm rooms. Although most of them wanted to take the top floor, Bridget sternly warned them not to go to the top floor, as it was occupied by a group of unfriendly people.

As Nox went to look for his room, little did he know that Glen, the full-bodied armored swordwoman, was silently trailing him from behind.

Soon, Nox stopped at a door marked "Room 200" and pushed it open. The first thing that struck him was a delicate, refreshing fragrance.

The room was enormous. There was a luxurious bed with silk sheets, a polished wooden desk with a lamp, and even a small seating area with cushioned chairs. A window at the far end gave him a clear view of the academy grounds.

"Alright, everyone, come outside," Nox said as several portals popped out. One after another, all his pets stepped out, and upon seeing the spacious room—which was countless times better than the one in the barony—they became excited.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, two newly admitted Special Class students were discussing among themselves, with visible bruises on their faces and other body parts.

"Dammit, how is that masked guy so strong?" one of them cursed under his breath. "For a moment, I thought he wanted to rob me. Who would have thought all he wanted was to swap the room card?"

"Yes, the same thing happened to me, but I only saw a blur of that person before I was knocked out." The students looked at his room key card, which showed Room 100. It had been Room 201, while his friend's Room 2003 was replaced by Room 101.

"Do you think we should report?" one of them suggested.

The other scowled and said in disdain, "And tell them we Special Class students were attacked and we didn't even see the faces of our attackers? To save face, let's just keep quiet."

Back in the dorm, while Nox was trying to make himself feel at home, a knock soon sounded on his door. When he opened it, he found...