Chapter 72: Hawk's Concerns

Karl didn't let that little bit of judgment change his plans for the evening, though. Hawk wanted to show off to Dana now that he was so much bigger, and she wanted to get a decent night's sleep while the other students were going even more crazy with their training regimen. They had all gotten a bump in power and skills today, and that had renewed their flagging faith that they would be able to progress to Awakened before the end of semester exams, when the ranks would all be reviewed. As soon as they were back on the balcony, Hawk popped out of his space and landed on the table, being careful not to damage it with his claws. "Holy crap, is that Hawk? What happened to you, buddy? You're massive." Dana gasped before pulling the bird into a hug. "One of the treatments caused an extreme growth reaction. It took him a lot of food to recover, and he's still working on filling in the muscles, but he's an impressive beast now." Karl explained. "Well, now he's going to need a lot more food, but I'm sure that the Academy can keep his belly full." Dana laughed. That would be another issue after he graduated, Karl realized. The Elites got a stipend, but he would be spending a massive amount on food if he couldn't regularly hunt for powerful monsters to keep Hawk fed. Then there would likely be a second monster as well, since the Beast Space had split. That meant two ravenous beasts looking for sustenance, and it would have to be suitable to their rank, which would not be easy once they were much more powerful. It wasn't like any grocery store had Overlord Rank meat in stock, or even Commander Rank for that matter. Once you got past Ascended Rank, the monsters became incredibly dangerous to even larger towns, so their population was controlled in the inhabited regions, meaning that Karl would have to go looking for them if his energy wasn't enough to sustain his team. Hawk squawked happily as he tried to explain the new things that he had learned, so Karl translated for him while the bird had a deep conversation with the mage. "I also got plenty of gains, though not in quite the same way. Look at this." Dana announced, then cast the Golem spell, which created two copies of the stone Golem, both as impressive as the first had been. "One of the treatments gave me the insight to multicast spells that I know. So, two Golems, or six magic missiles. It doesn't do much for Fog unless I want to make two layers, but it's powerful, even if it is a bit hard on mana. I have more of it now, and I recover much faster as well. Those pills were a miracle." She sighed. "We went through a round of pills as well, then there were injections of physical enhancement potions. The idea was that I needed the mental abilities for Hawk's space and the strength to fight. There might be a second beast coming soon as well, but I'm not sure when the Academy is going to set that up. I will be holding out for something good, a beast that can fight and get along with Hawk." Karl informed her. "That shouldn't be too hard. Hawk is easy to get along with." The bird flapped his wings in annoyance, and Dana began to laugh. "Oh, I see the problem; you don't want to share, is that it?" Hawk nodded and took a piece of meat out of the Beast Space. He threw it in the air and swallowed it whole, trying to explain the issue to Dana in a way she would understand. "Oh, they might try to steal your food. Yes, that would be annoying." She agreed. They both sat and meditated for a few hours before turning in for the night. They knew that they would be getting up early, but when the knock sounded at the door promptly as the sun came up, neither of them was ready. Karl slid his pants on and answered the door, finding Jill and Rita both waiting outside. "Give me a few minutes to freshen up and eat, then I will be ready. Isn't it a bit early?" He asked. "It is. But we have a big day again today, and this is Dana's first day with Jill as her tutor. She is here, right?" Rita asked. "Yeah, in the hammock on the balcony, probably still sleeping, since the area is soundproof. Jill can go wake her up, but be careful; Hawk and a Golem or two are likely both active in there." Jill laughed. She was a Commander Rank mage; she wasn't particularly concerned about the Golem, but Hawk could be an issue if he didn't want to let her near Dana. She couldn't afford to hurt the bird, but even with a magical shield protecting her, it would be challenging to get around an angry Hawk. She came out a few minutes later, laughing and cursing, with her hair all messed up. "Did you know that Hawk is completely miserable if you wake him up? But what did they do to him? That bird is massive," she asked, her curiosity piqued. "I mean, he looks so majestic perched up there, but the moment you disturb his sleep, it's like a switch flips. It’s as if he’s been transformed from a regal creature into a grumpy giant. What could make him so irritable, especially for a bird of his stature?" Sergeant Rita gave Karl a curious look. She had gotten the summary from Daniel and Alice, but they had been on their way out and hadn't filled in the official report yet. "One of the treatments made him grow," Karl explained as Hawk waddled into the room, barely able to fit through the patio door unless he tucked his wings tight to his body. "Are we sure that's even still a Windspeed Hawk? I doubt that there is a mouse that could feed his appetite anymore; he will be hunting deer and wolves soon enough." Rita asked. Hawk panicked for a moment, then remembered something that he had seen Karl reading. There are the Giant Swamp Rats, the size of dogs. They are a kind of mice.] He suggested hopefully. "Hawk says Giant Swamp Rats still count." Karl relayed while the women laughed. The Giant Swamp Rats were an Awakened Rank monster, so he could hunt them already, but Rita was more excited to see if his power had grown proportionally to his body. If either his stamina or raw power had leveled up by a significant amount, he would be a menace in combat at the Awakened Rank. If it were both, he would be pushing the limits of what could be called an Awakened Monster. With each step he took, she envisioned the sheer force he could unleash, turning the tide of battle in their favor and instilling fear in their enemies. The potential for greatness was within reach, and she couldn’t wait to see how he would rise to the challenge.