As Qiao Sang was lost in thought, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Fang Sisi.
Qiao Sang quickly gathered her expression and opened the message, only to notice her deskmate had sent her eight or nine messages since yesterday.
"Why didn’t you come to class today?"
"I just heard someone say the homeroom teacher called your mom over yesterday. Is it true!!!"
"Did your mom find out you got a zero on your exam?"
"Why aren’t you replying to me?"
"Are you there?"
"Why didn’t you come to class today?"
"Why is your mom back at school? Did something happen to you?!"
The last message was just sent.
"Have you vanished from the human world?"
Qiao Sang typed a quick reply. "I’m still alive."
Not long after, she received a response. "Wow, you’re really alive!"
"Why haven’t you come to school these past two days? You have no idea how dark the homeroom teacher’s face has been."
Qiao Sang thought for a moment. "It’s summer. Are you sure he hasn’t just gotten tanned?"
After exchanging a few more messages, Qiao Sang finally told Fang Sisi why she was absent.
Fang Sisi couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t that she looked down on Qiao Sang, but self-awakening was something that only happened to those with extraordinary talent. Typically, it happened to the top students in school. Even the rare few who didn’t care much for studying excelled in other areas. As for Qiao Sang, her grades were worse than Fang Sisi’s, so it was impossible.
Qiao Sang didn’t argue and simply took a photo of her self-awakening certificate and sent it to Fang Sisi.
There was silence on the other side for a long while. It took more than ten minutes before Fang Sisi replied.
Qiao Sang looked down at her phone, her lips twitching. "In wealth, do not forget your old friends."
Qiao Sang hadn’t forgotten about the Plump Dove. After fetching its special food from the cupboard and placing it in front of it, she thought of herself. She simply made a bowl of egg fried rice to satisfy her hunger, and the time was already 2:07 PM.
Perhaps it was because she had been busy all morning, but the Fire Tooth Dog was curled up on the sofa, sleeping peacefully.
Qiao Sang didn’t want to disturb it. Initially, she planned to take her certificate to the Beastmaster Center in the afternoon, but seeing how soundly the Fire Tooth Dog was sleeping, she changed her mind.
Walking softly to her room, Qiao Sang picked up a book titled "Extraordinary Creature Analysis: Grade Nine, Volume Two" and leaned against her bed to read.
After checking the Beastmaster Codex and information about self-awakening, she realized that the High School Entrance Exam was not as simple as her deskmate had said.
The exam tested knowledge from the textbooks. If you awakened under the influence of magnetic waves, you would gain additional points for brain domain development—20 points for 1% development and 40 points for 2%. With a maximum score of 650 points, this really didn’t account for much.
The Ministry of Education did take self-awakening seriously; every year, they would issue a series of policies to recruit self-awakened students. However, none of these policies stated that one could enter Beastmaster High School with a zero score.
Vocational high schools might accept her, but Qiao Sang wasn’t interested.
Self-awakened students could enter Beastmaster High School through two pathways: recommendations and special admissions. Recommendations depended not only on available slots but also relied on the student's three-year middle school performance, with the school sending the necessary student information to the desired Beastmaster High School for admission qualification checks.
With Qiao Sang’s usual poor grades, being among the bottom third of her class, even if she was a self-awakened student, she doubted any school would want to recommend her.
That left her with special admissions. Each of Hanggang City's 108 Beastmaster High Schools offered special admissions policies annually, allowing each student to apply to two schools. Once the data was verified, they could take the corresponding examinations.
Those who passed the special admissions tests still had to take the High School Entrance Exam.
To enroll in Beastmaster High School, one must achieve a designated score on the exam. Although each school had different required scores, one thing was clear—everyone had to take the entrance exam.
Qiao Sang felt helpless; in the end, she still had to tackle the entrance exam.
As dusk fell, she heard the Fire Tooth Dog bark from the living room.
Putting down her book, Qiao Sang stepped out of her room.
"Ya!"
The Fire Tooth Dog leaped into Qiao Sang’s arms.
Qiao Sang reached out to pet its head, feeling her heart soften.
She had chosen the Fire Tooth Dog because it had caught her eye, but she didn’t expect it to be so well-behaved. Perhaps this was fate.
The two of them settled on the sofa to watch television, while the Plump Dove sat on the floor, taking up space.
The Fire Tooth Dog had never seen such a fascinating object before, its eyes brimming with excitement. If it weren’t for Qiao Sang holding it, it would have rushed to the television and pressed its face against the screen.
The television was showing the weather report.
A capable-looking woman in a suit announced in standard Mandarin, "According to the weather detection, tomorrow Pantai City will transition from sunny to partly cloudy, with temperatures ranging from 30 to 36 degrees Celsius. It is recommended to wear…"
The Fire Tooth Dog widened its eyes. Why was there a person inside the box?
Qiao Sang changed the channel.
To gain high ratings in the Beastmaster society, the combination of Beast Masters and extraordinary creatures was the key to success.
All major television stations understood this well; changing channels would yield shows related to Beast Masters.
"Mr. Wang Dianao, is your romance with Ms. Luo Tang real?" A reporter nearly thrust their microphone into the young man’s face.
"It’s real," the young man admitted generously.
"Both of you will be participating in the grand competition in the Yuhua region next. If you meet in the competition, will you hold back?" another reporter asked.
"I won’t. Luo Tang is an excellent Beast Master, and if I face her, I can’t say I’d come out with a hundred percent confidence," the young man replied with a smile.
"May I ask about your armored bear…"
Qiao Sang switched the channel again, and the screen showed a deep blue Lightning Horn Rhinoceros, right in front of the Fire Tooth Dog.
Its gaze was fierce, and powerful hind legs plowed the ground, with purple arcs dancing across its body, making a crackling noise as if it might leap out of the television at any moment.
The Fire Tooth Dog stiffened, its fur slowly standing on end.
"The Lightning Horn Rhinoceros has stood firm against the Black Wind Wolf’s tornado! It hasn’t backed down! It looks like it’s about to unleash a special move; we’ll have to see what contestant Xu Zhou does next!" the commentator excitedly reported.
This was a replay; various competitions were held in different regions every year, and the channel Qiao Sang was watching specifically aired the competitions of Beast Masters from Hanggang City.
The camera shifted to reveal the all-black Black Wind Wolf.
With a ferocious glint in its blue eyes, the Black Wind Wolf was bloodied and panting heavily. Due to its dark fur, the wounds were not obvious, but a few droplets of blood on the ground showed it had been injured.
The Fire Tooth Dog relaxed a bit.
"After using the tornado, the Black Wind Wolf’s stamina has clearly diminished..."
Before the commentator could finish, the scene shifted back to the Lightning Horn Rhinoceros.
Its purple arcs intensified, and finally, when the energy surrounded it within a two-meter range, it charged forward.
"Bang!"
The television erupted with a loud explosion, rendering it useless...
The air felt heavy, almost as if time had stopped.
Qiao Sang mechanically turned to the Fire Tooth Dog, her expression dazed, opening her mouth to say something, but no words came out.
"Ya!" The Fire Tooth Dog turned and snuggled into Qiao Sang’s embrace.
It had been terrified by the giant creature inside the box!
(End of Chapter)