As they moved towards Zone Seven, Lyra reached out towards the cage and opened it. The Whisperwing Finch flew out and landed on Lyra's finger. It was small and delicate-looking, its feathers shifted from its original red and white color to a mosaic of browns and greens, allowing it to blend seamlessly with natural environments.

"Alright, partner," Lyra said, her focus sharpening. "I'll take point and manage the finch. You'll handle the relay and annotation of any findings."

Reaching their designated zone, Lyra released the finch with a soft command. The bird launched into the air, its movements fluid and silent. It circled the perimeter of Zone Seven, its form occasionally blurring as it utilized its camouflage.

Lyra held her breath, her eyes fixed on the finch. Beside her, Aston held a small datapad, ready to record any information. Gray, sensing the shift in focus, gaze at the distance. Mirage remained perched on his shoulder. Chill was guarding Lyra's side.

"Anything?" Aston whispered after a minute of tense silence.

Lyra shook her head slightly. "Not yet. It's doing a wide scan first."

Suddenly, the finch dipped sharply, its silent flight broken by a series of rapid, high-pitched chirps that were barely audible to human ears.

Lyra's eyes widened. "Anomaly detected. Sector G4. Small heat signatures, clustered together, moving erratically."

"Relaying now," Aston said, his fingers flying across the datapad. "Multiple small heat signatures, erratic movement, sector G4." He tagged the location on the zone map displayed on his screen.

The finch continued its surveillance, its chirps conveying more information. "Now dispersing… moving towards the western edge of the zone… approximately five individuals."

Aston jotted these in his datapad. "Dispersing, heading west. Approximately five entities."

The twenty minutes felt like an eternity. The finch continued to relay information—the entities movement patterns, their faint energy signatures, the way they interacted with the environment. Lyra translated each chirp and flutter with remarkable accuracy, while Aston meticulously recorded and annotated everything.

Finally, the crystalline interface at the center table chimed, transmitting a signal to each datapad, signaling the end of the exercise. A moment later, the instructor's voice rang through the datapad. "Time's up. All teams, return to Recon Wing B and submit your scan reports."

Aston then said to Lyra, "Let's go back. The activity is done."

Lyra called the finch back and gently placed it inside the holding cage, tweeting joyfully as the cage closed.

As they walked back, Lyra turned to Aston. "Not bad for our first try, partner." A hint of genuine smile now touched her lips.

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Aston felt a surge of unexpected satisfaction. "Yeah," he said, a small smile mirroring hers. "Not bad at all."

—

Aston and Lyra traded the finch back with the staff and gave back their card. They rejoined the rest of the class, who were settling back into their seats, a buzz of excited chatter filling the room. Instructor Ilyen stood at the front, her gaze sweeping across the students, silencing them with a single look.

"Settle down." I've reviewed the preliminary scan reports. Overall, the class showed a decent grasp of the basic principles. However, there are crucial points we need to address," she said, her voice sharp and clear.

She activated the crystalline interface, and a holographic display of Zone One appeared, highlighting various points. "Zone One, Klein Isengarde and Moreo Ostos. Your team lacked precision in your report…"

The instructor listed points for improvements for each team. Each pair looked down, nodding between each other.

"Zone Seven, Aston Rhyner and Lyra Yves. Your team demonstrated commendable speed in identifying the anomalies. Your relay was clear and concise. However, your report lacked detail regarding the entities' behavior patterns. While you noted their erratic movement, you failed to adequately describe their interactions with the environment. Did they leave any trace? Were they aggressive? Did they follow a pattern?"

Aston and Lyra exchanged a quick glance. They had been so focused on the real-time relay that they hadn't delved deeply into the behavioral analysis/

Instructor Ilyen continued, "Remember, in reconnaissance, information is paramount. It's not just about what is there, but how it behaves, why it's there, and what it might do next. Think like a scout. A scout doesn't just report the presence of an enemy; they analyze their formations, their movements, their potential strategies."

She gestured towards the holographic display.

"The Whisperwing Finch is the perfect beast among the choices for Zone Seven, but that ends there. You must learn to interpret the raw data your beast provides. Don't just see heat signatures; see a story. Look for the subtle clues, the inconsistencies, the patterns that reveal the bigger picture."

Then, she continued with criticizing the results of the other teams. When she was done with the final pair, her gaze softened slightly, though her tone remained firm.

"This is not about passing or failing. This is about survival. In the field, incomplete information can lead to disastrous consequences. Your ability to accurately assess a situation can be the difference between a successful mission and a deadly ambush."

"Some of you relied too heavily on your spirit beasts, neglecting your own observational skills. Remember that this class is Spirit Beast Integration for Recon. Integration. Your beasts are extensions of your senses, not replacements for them. Train your eyes, sharpen your instincts, and learn to trust your own judgement alongside your beast's abilities."

"Furthermore," she added, "coordination is key. Effective reconnaissance requires seamless communication and trust between partners. You must learn to anticipate each other's actions, to divide tasks efficiently, and to relay information without hesitation. Yes, there are times you may be alone in missions, but the majority of the time, you will be in teams. Scouting is not an individual endeavor; it's a team effort."

Instructor Ilyen deactivated the holographic display. "Consider this a learning experience. Review your reports, analyze your mistakes, and strive to improve. The next exercise will be more challenging, and the stakes will be higher. Dismissed."

As the class began to file out, Aston felt a mix of humility and determination. He understood the instructor's words. It was not enough to simply spot something; he needed to understand it. He glanced at Lyra, and saw a similar expression on her face.

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