Chapter 358

Chapter 358

The successful test flight of the flying broomstick marked the completion of the final piece of the Golden Wing Chase. The next day, Lorant quickly announced a temporary addition to the Beast Taming class schedule at the Knight Academy.

Currently, Beast Taming classes are still held regularly at the Knight Academy. If Lorant has time, he personally teaches the class. If he's tied up, a professional instructor from the Beast Taming Shop steps in.

However, the content of the classes at the Knight Academy differs from those aimed at all Beast Tamers. Firstly, students get to work with a broader range of beasts compared to those who only acquire a single type of beast. This helps them better understand and connect the traits of different beasts.

Lorant also intentionally strengthens the students' abilities in this area.

Moreover, in the classes at the Knight Academy, Lorant focuses more on combat strategies involving beasts, emphasizing how students can achieve a synergistic effect where one plus one is greater than two with the help of their beasts.

After transferring the vacant park land in the city center to the Beast Taming Shop for the construction of their 'Beast Nest' stadium, the Knight Academy has become much more generous in terms of beasts.

Not only can every graduate obtain a Windbreaking Horse upon completing all their studies, earning enough credits, and scoring well in Beast Taming courses, but if they have already purchased a Windbreaking Horse, they can also receive food vouchers equivalent to the price of the Windbreaking Horse. Additionally, students within the academy now enjoy special discounts when purchasing beasts.

The deducted portion of the price is naturally covered by the Knight Academy itself.

At the time, when Lorant agreed to these conditions for the vacant land in Mauplan, he felt he was at a disadvantage. However, the Beast Nest location was too good to pass up, and upon closer inspection, he realized that the number of graduates from the Knight Academy annually was quite limited.

Although the number of students at the Knight Academy seems substantial, the conditions for graduation are quite stringent.

Firstly, a sixth-level knight rank is required, and most students can't reach that rank in the required timeframe. Most of these students become the new recruits of knight orders, while a small portion choose to become free adventurers.

Students who graduate from the Knight Academy represent exceptional talent and the ability to realize that talent, making them in high demand by knight orders and military branches.

Naturally, their numbers are quite limited.

Therefore, the Beast Taming Shop's costs stay manageable.

However, precisely because of this, the students at the Knight Academy are paying increasing attention to Beast Taming classes.

After all, who wouldn't jump at the chance for discounts on beasts?

But if one fails the Beast Taming class, this perk can be temporarily suspended!

Thus, in such an atmosphere, when Lorant announced this temporarily added class on campus, it quickly sparked plenty of chatter.

"Wingless Flywheel practical course? Fun?" Green stood among the crowd in front of the notice board, scratching his head in confusion as he read the class announcement.

All students, regardless of their grade, have already completed the course content on the Wingless Flywheel. These flying beasts are not strong in combat but are agile and small, capable of playing significant roles in many terrains with special features. Students from any grade can achieve things they couldn't before with their help.

Moreover, due to their affordable price and abundant supply, it's common to see clusters of small, dark creatures darting around in the air on campus.

Normally, Lorant avoids rehashing old material, except for the newly enrolled first-year students who need to start fresh with new courses.

Starting from the second-year students, their Beast Taming classes have followed the development progress of the Beast Taming Shop since its inception, and so far, there's been little to no overlap.

This is the first time a separate class has been dedicated to revisiting old material.

"Didn't the Wingless Flywheel course already end?" A student who saw the announcement was also surprised. He turned to look at the small 'dark cloud' flying above the campus to double-check he wasn't seeing things.

"Yeah, I figured our next class would introduce a brand-new beast!"

"Which new one are you talking about? The Wulu Shell, the Meat Mountain, or that unnamed flying beast?" Another person nearby asked curiously. These Beast Taming classes haven't started yet, and it's safe to say that how fast the Beast Taming Shop rolls out new beasts is not only surprising to outsiders but also somewhat overwhelming for the Beast Taming classes.

"...I was talking about that flying beast, but you're right, there are quite a few beasts we might encounter in our next class."

"Never mind, Mr. Lorant must have his reasons." A student nearby shook his head and pushed his way through the crowd: "I need to go back and prepare." It's been a while since the Wingless Flywheel content was covered, and some basics that are easy to forget need a refresher.

After all, teachers often ask questions in the Beast Pet Class, and answering them can bring a significant boost to one's academic credits!

The remaining crowd quickly dispersed, and another wave of students who had just finished their class gathered around.

......

"In this class, we're going to play a little game with the Wingless Flywheel," Lorant said to the fourth-year students with a relaxed expression. "It's a completely new game, and the rules aren't complicated. I think you'll understand quickly once I explain. I assume everyone knows about the sport called 'football'?"

The students nodded silently. Football is currently the hottest sport, and this trend has naturally influenced the students at the Knight Academy. They have drawn a somewhat makeshift football field on the large lawn at school and often gather to play during their free time.

The knights play this sport more intensely and entertainingly than ordinary people, making the football team members from the student organizations 'Lion's Roar Club' and 'Knight's League' especially popular among the students.

They are considered the school's celebrities.

Hearing Lorant's words, the students perked up with interest. Everyone knows that football originated from the beast pet shop, and the first official football team, 'Starlight FC,' is also under the beast pet shop. So, when Lorant mentioned an interesting activity, the students naturally became very excited.

"Today's game is similar to football but with a twist," Lorant said with a smile as he crouched down and opened a suitcase half as tall as a person beside him. "Oh, sorry, can someone help me? This thing's a bit heavy."

After two students spread the suitcase on the lawn, people saw four balls of different sizes, which made the students even more excited.

Indeed! It's definitely a sport as fun as football!

"Golden Wing Chase, this is a sport played by teams of seven. Each team has seven players: two goalkeepers, two 'Golden Chasers,' and also Chasers and Beaters."

"Quaffle," Lorant patted the largest metal ball in the center of the suitcase and said to the students, "This is the name of this ball. You score ten points by hitting it into the opponent's goal hoop using a bat, which is the main way to score in the game."

"These three balls are called 'Bludgers.' They roam freely around the field and are the only legitimate means to attack opposing players," Lorant said, seeing the sparkle in the students' eyes, knowing that this highly aggressive game was just what the knights were looking for.

The practitioners, with their bloodlust, always felt that the rules of football were too 'unreasonable.'

Why can't you just tackle the opposing attacker during a collision? Or directly knock down those who try to dazzle you with fancy moves?

This game is clearly the teacher's improvement on football's 'flaws.' This is more like it! How can you score peacefully without knocking the opponent out of the field?

Lorant certainly knew what these little violent minds were thinking, but he didn't mind. Although Bludgers are used to attack opposing players, there are still some restrictions.

At least, he had the mages set up plenty of safety spells on the Bludgers. A hard hit on the arm might bruise for two days or risk a fracture, or even a break, but if the Bludger is aimed at the head, it will automatically recognize and reduce the force, trying not to crack the skull.

Lorant continued to explain the rules: "If hit by a Bludger, the player is temporarily out of the game. During this time, they cannot touch any flying balls, and any hitting actions will not count. They must return to their own half and touch the goal hoop before they can re-enter the game."

"And the most important prop in 'Golden Wing Chase' will be played by the Wingless Flywheel," Lorant said, waving his hand towards the sky.

Three or five small Wingless Flywheels, dyed in light colors, buzzed over to his hand, rubbing their soft fur against his palm.

"After the game starts, a Wingless Flywheel will rise into the air along with the Quidditch balls. For the first fifteen minutes or so, the Wingless Flywheel will be in an invisible state and will only appear after that time."

"Each team has a dedicated 'Wing Chaser.' They don't need to attack the opposing players or score the Quaffle into the opponent's goal hoop. They only need to do one thing: catch the Wingless Flywheel before the opposing Seeker does."

"The team that catches the Wingless Flywheel scores one hundred points and ends the game. Conversely, if neither team's Wing Chaser finds the Wingless Flywheel, the game will not end until one team wins."

Lorant then explained in detail the responsibilities of the seven players, such as what a goalkeeper does, what a Chaser does, and what a Beater does, and so on.

The sport of Golden Wing Chase is itself derived from football, so the students quickly understood Lorant's meaning. They were all eager and ready to go.

Everyone was fully pumped up!