It was 5:30 PM on July 16, 2024.
The classes at the Hanggang Beast Master High School had just ended.
At 5:33 PM, groups of students, chatting and laughing, were pouring out of the school gate.
"Are we battling here?" A voice that was slightly deep spoke up.
Qiao Sang had been reading for nearly an hour, and finally, someone had come to ask her.
She looked up to see a tall, sturdy boy standing in front of her. A thick, earthy yellow serpent-like beast was coiled around his waist, its triangular head peeking out from behind his neck.
It was a Long-tailed Snake, an evolved form of the Short-tailed Snake.
Qiao Sang took a glance, then reached into her backpack and quietly scribbled something on a piece of paper.
[For beginner beasts only.]
The tall boy clicked his tongue and didn’t say much before turning to leave.
Once the first had come, the second was quick to follow. Soon, another person approached.
This time, it was a sunny-looking boy. He scratched his head awkwardly and said, “I won’t ask for money. Can I get your contact information instead?”
Qiao Sang replied cheerfully, “Sure.”
Not having to deal with payment was better; her entire savings hardly amounted to 532 Alliance Coins, just enough for a few rounds and a bit left for her journey back.
The boy was accompanied by a friend with a spiky haircut, who wore an expression that showed he was eager to watch the unfolding scene.
"Let’s battle over there." The spiky-haired friend pointed to a white poplar tree in Nanhe Park.
They were at the entrance of the park, where kids were coming and going, not exactly a suitable place for a duel.
Qiao Sang nodded and followed his gaze.
The three of them moved under the poplar tree, which stood in a relatively secluded area with about 20 meters of open space around them, free of distraction.
“I’ll be the referee,” announced the spiky-haired friend with enthusiasm.
Qiao Sang had no objections to this.
The boy made a summoning gesture with his hands, and a small, plump dove, about 80 cm tall, appeared beneath the white magic circle. The dove, all brown and round, looked well-cared for.
Ordinary plump doves were about 60 cm tall, but this one was clearly bred to be superior.
"Jiang Liu, is it okay if the girl attacks first?" The spiky-haired friend asked.
Different battles had different rules; some decided who would strike first beforehand, while others didn't mind who attacked first.
“Of course,” Jiang Liu shrugged in agreement.
With the spiky-haired friend designating Qiao Sang to attack first, she wasted no time to announce, “Fire Tooth Dog, use Spark!”
“Yar!”
The Fire Tooth Dog jumped out of Qiao Sang’s arms, its eyes sharp as it released a jet of reddish-orange flame the size of a baby’s fist right from its mouth.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Liu didn’t give a command. The plump dove, composed as ever, swiftly jumped to the left to avoid the fire just before it reached it.
Plump doves were known for being slow, but this one had clearly been trained for its impressive reflexes, managing to dodge the attack with minimal movement.
Qiao Sang assessed the situation but didn’t hesitate to shout out another command, “Charge!”
The Fire Tooth Dog dashed forward with all its might.
“Fly up and use howling!” Jiang Liu commanded.
The plump dove flapped its short wings and took to the air.
Having not been trained, the Fire Tooth Dog wasn’t very fast, meaning by the time it reached halfway, the dove was already in the air.
“Dove!”
Howling was a common skill that didn’t directly deal damage but could affect the opponent for a moment.
To Qiao Sang, the noise was merely annoying, but the Fire Tooth Dog hesitated, slowing down slightly at the sound.
“Air Strike,” Jiang Liu ordered immediately.
Air Strike was a skill unique to flying beasts, similar to charging but utilizing air currents for added power beyond what ground beasts could muster.
The plump dove pulled its wings back, swirls of air creating a whistling sound as it shot toward the Fire Tooth Dog. At the sight of the incoming dove, the Fire Tooth Dog unconsciously tried to dodge.
“Don’t move!” Qiao Sang commanded.
If hit by an Air Strike, the Fire Tooth Dog would surely be injured, but upon hearing her order, the beast stiffened its body, choosing to obey Qiao Sang.
This was quite absurd!
The spiky-haired friend was wide-eyed, unable to look away from the scene.
Whether it was Qiao Sang’s command or the Fire Tooth Dog’s obedience, it all felt extraordinary to him.
Not talking about the command, but was this Fire Tooth Dog truly so obedient?!
If it were the second or third contracted beast, it would be one thing, but this was clearly a rookie Beast Master’s very first contracted beast.
Out of a thousand novice Beast Masters, it would be rare to find even one who has contracted a Fire-type beast. In their school with over 3,000 students, only two dared to contract a Fire-type as their first beast.
Fire-type beasts were notoriously headstrong and difficult to train.
How on earth was she keeping this Fire-type beast calm and standing still to take a hit?!
If it wasn’t for the ongoing battle, the spiky-haired friend would have rushed over to earnestly inquire from this young girl.
“Now, jump!”
Qiao Sang kept her cool, watching as the plump dove prepared to collide with the Fire Tooth Dog and issued her command.
The Fire Tooth Dog didn’t hesitate and leapt into action the moment she commanded.
Jiang Liu stared, frozen in shock.
How did the Fire Tooth Dog…
How did it get on the back of the plump dove?!
“Fire Tooth, attack its wings!” Seizing the moment while Jiang Liu was still in disbelief, Qiao Sang delivered her next command.
With its sharp teeth, Fire Tooth Dog unleashed fiery flames aimed right at the plump dove's right wing.
“Dove!!!”
The plump dove let out a heart-wrenching cry, and after this scream, its body fell heavily to the ground.
Silence reigned in the surroundings.
About five seconds later.
“Girl… classmate, what’s your name?” the spiky-haired friend asked awkwardly.
“My name is Qiao Sang,” she replied.
“Qiao Sang wins,” the spiky-haired friend declared the final result.
Jiang Liu silently withdrew the plump dove back into his Beastmaster Codex.
“How did you time it just right for the Fire Tooth Dog to jump onto the dove’s back?” Jiang Liu approached her with a complex expression.
The girl looked younger than him, yet her battle instinct was remarkably strong.
Calculating the timing for the jump wasn’t a simple task.
If the dove rushed in too fast, there wouldn’t be enough time to jump. The speed of the dove’s advance had to be taken into account.
And the Fire Tooth Dog couldn’t hesitate for even half a second; otherwise, it wouldn’t have made it onto the dove’s back.
Everything depended upon their trust and the commands given by the Beast Master.
Qiao Sang replied earnestly, “It was intuition.”
Jiang Liu: "..."
(End of Chapter)