"Mom, why did you hit the back of my head?"
Ye Xiangting ground her teeth. "So you awoke successfully! What are you sighing about?"
"The nurse said my brain domain fluctuation is significant and that I should rest well. But the High School Entrance Exam is only twenty days away! Isn’t this delaying my studies?" Qiao Sang looked innocent.
Ye Xiangting sighed. "…"
"Mom, what are you doing?"
"What are you up to?"
"Mom!"
What happened to the strong woman she wanted to be?
It seemed only the cute little fruit that came out with Qiao Sang remained, slightly swaying in the wind.
"Qiaoli!"
No running or shouting allowed in the Beastmaster Center!
Once she got home, Qiao Sang locked herself in her room and turned on her computer.
Originally, according to her mother, she was supposed to go to the Hanggang Beast Pet Base in the afternoon to pick out her contract beast, but Qiao Sang refused.
In this world, being a Beast Master was essential, and the type of contract beast one chose was vital because most people could only contract one beast for their entire life.
The ranks of Beast Masters ranged from F to SSS, with F being the lowest. A basic Beast Master only needed to awaken the Beastmaster Codex and contract a beast by the age of fifteen to certify at the Beastmaster Center.
To become an E-ranked Beast Master, one needed to develop their brain domain by ten percent to contract a second beast. Two stage one evolved beasts, marking them as intermediate beasts, also had to be raised. Then, a 1V1 battle under a notary from the Beastmaster Alliance was required. Winning was the only way to officially upgrade to E rank.
Some people, eager to foster intermediate beasts quickly, chose shorter-evolving extraordinary creatures like bug types. Yet, stage one bug-type beasts were weak, and only those with superior battle strategies could win with them—most couldn’t manage.
As someone not particularly good in school, Qiao Sang's knowledge was hardly enough; she only remembered the beasts that looked good.
What good was appearance if they couldn’t win in a fight? If she couldn’t win, how could she rise to a higher rank as a Beast Master?
Choosing a beast was all about selecting those with high potential and strong battle ability.
If she went to the Hanggang Beast Pet Base that afternoon, she wouldn’t even recognize their names or attributes, let alone how they evolved. How could she possibly make a choice?
Qiao Sang felt there was no rush; she had to do her homework first.
She logged onto a forum and entered her account, “Genius Again and Again.”
This ID was proof that every struggling student had a dream of a comeback.
Qiao Sang didn’t post anything new; the understanding of contract beasts in this world was already well-developed, with thousands of new Beast Masters awakening every year.
A quick glance revealed numerous posts all about contract beasts.
“I’ve been poisoned by the Little Multi-Scorpion!”
“Is it just me, or does the new form of the Cotton Bug look ugly?”
“A B-class Beast Master shares tips on how to get into Nan Sheng Beastmaster University.”
“A newbie Beast Master asks if it’s okay to contract a Little Scaled Dragon as their first beast?”
She paused at the last post.
How could someone be so reckless? Thinking of contracting a dragon-type as their first beast and then asking others for approval?
The power of dragon-type beasts was well known, and aside from a few rare beasts, dragon-types were the most expensive in terms of attributes.
Only those wealthy enough could afford them; those who squeezed out the funds to buy one often couldn’t sustain it. Dragon-type beasts had long evolution cycles and could require years of feeding and care just to evolve into an intermediate beast.
If Qiao Sang had to answer, it would obviously be, “No. Absolutely not!”
But if a dragon-type beast were right in front of her, waiting for her to contract it…it might not be so absolute…
Qiao Sang scrolled down, pushing the disheartening post from her mind.
“Newbie Beast Masters highly recommend Sand Borrowing Mice!”
The comments were lively.
“The original poster probably never let the Sand Borrowing Mouse out at night; just a friendly reminder, it grinds its teeth!”
“Don’t forget to mention what else it does while grinding its teeth?”
“I, the White Sand Fox, refuse to accept that!”
“Deep-fur Turtle requests to battle!”
The Beastmaster civilization had evolved to where the most suitable contract beasts for newbies were well summarized.
Little Plump Doves, White Sand Foxes, Short-tailed Snakes, Sand Borrowing Mice, and Deep-fur Turtles were the five most recommended.
These beasts were affordable, with most families able to manage their costs, and they had gentle temperaments.
With proper nurturing, evolving them to rank three, becoming elite beasts, was definitely achievable.
Most posts by new Beast Masters asking about contract beasts were about these five.
The first beast her mother contracted was the Little Plump Dove, which evolves into the Plump Dove.
Being a flying-type beast, its plump figure made it slower than other flying-type beasts.
It became the top choice for newbie Beast Masters because it could evolve into the Mighty Eagle Owl, an elite beast.
The White Sand Fox had strong attack power but could be easily taken down if hit.
The Sand Borrowing Mouse had a natural talent for digging holes and preferred to avoid direct conflict.
The Deep-fur Turtle, while not like normal turtles that could swim, had excellent defense.
The White Sand Fox, Sand Borrowing Mouse, and Deep-fur Turtle were all earth-type beasts and often compared.
However, the White Sand Fox’s beauty overshadowed the other two, making it almost a universal favorite among female newbie Beast Masters.
The Short-tailed Snake, being a poison-type, had poisonous fangs and a stinger on its tail, providing considerable battle strength from the start.
However, any Beast Master contracting it would likely end up in the hospital. Without strong physical health, no newbie dared to contract it.
Qiao Sang debated for a long time but couldn’t settle on which beast to choose. All five had their shortcomings, but their reasonable prices and safe evolution paths were undeniable advantages.
In the end, it all came down to money.
She stood up and left her room.
Her mother was sitting on the sofa, watching TV.
Qiao Sang asked, “Mom, do we have a million Alliance Coins? I want to buy a Bubble Bell.”
“Go away.”
“Okay!”
Returning to her room, Qiao Sang continued browsing the forum.
“Is it safe for a D-class Beast Master to go to Qipang Forest?”
“The second bet on beasts has also seen the Green Cat Meow; everyone, come and absorb its luck!”
In fact, aside from purchasing beasts at the Beast Pet Base, one could obtain them through black markets, beast gambling, or exploring the wild.
Beasts obtained from black markets have uncertain origins; if you can afford it, they will find any beast you need.
Beast gambling depends on luck; one wrong move could lead to losing everything, even your underwear.
Searching for contract beasts in the wild was only something D-class Beast Masters would attempt.
After all, the chances of encountering danger outdoors were high, and extraordinary animals were hard to tame. Even if one managed to contract them, raising them to be obedient wasn't as easy as it sounded.
None of these options were suitable for her at the moment.
Qiao Sang sighed; though her ideas were numerous, her choices were limited.
At 8:26 PM,
Qiao Sang shut her computer and was a little surprised when she noticed the time.
Her mother hadn’t called her for dinner yet; could she really be angry?
She prepared to check the living room but hesitated. Grabbing a copy of "Beastmaster Chronicles II" from the shelf, she opened the door.
The living room was dim, no lights on.
To her surprise, her mother was not there.
After pondering briefly, Qiao Sang confirmed her mother was also nowhere to be found in the bedroom.
She turned on the living room light, tossed the "Beastmaster Chronicles II" onto the nearby sofa, and retrieved a box of matcha ice cream from the fridge.
Just as she sat down with the TV on and her legs crossed, the door creaked open.
Qiao Sang turned her head, locking eyes with her mother.
"…"
A brief silence hung in the air.
“Come eat dinner.” Her mother raised an eyebrow, placing the food she brought onto the table.
So she had gone out to buy food…
“Coming.” Qiao Sang glanced at the half-eaten matcha ice cream in her hands and, adhering to her principle of not wasting food, took another bite.
“Mom, why’d you go out to buy food today?” Qiao Sang asked as she approached the dinner table.
“I had things to do and there was no time to cook,” her mother replied.
“What things?” Qiao Sang inquired.
After a moment of silence, her mother said, “Sang Sang, let’s move houses.”
Qiao Sang froze, her eating halted, confused. “Why change houses?”
As the capital city of Zhehai Province, Hanggang City had outrageous housing prices.
They had bought this house when prices were lower as a wedding gift from her father’s family.
Their current residence in Qingcheng Gardens, while not the priciest district, was in a great location, close to schools and the subway. Even so, it cost over 50,000 per square meter.
Her mother took a bite of her dish, swallowed, and looked at Qiao Sang. After a moment, she continued, “I just asked the agent. Our house is 133 square meters, and the market price is about 53,000 per square meter right now. We could sell it for over 7 million Alliance Coins.”
“I’ve thought it through. We could buy a smaller house, pay the down payment, and have enough left over to buy you a Bubble Bell, plus save quite a bit.”
“And I can still earn money. Aside from moving to a smaller house, there won’t be many other changes.”
Qiao Sang was in shock.
Just a few hours later, her mother had made such a huge decision silently.
“Mom…” she mumbled, wanting to say something.
Her mother interrupted, “Though your grades aren’t great, you awakened on your own, and your talent is there.”
“Our family isn’t rich, but I can still get you the type of contract beast you want.”
“As long as you promise me not to slack off like in school, and actually nurture it well.”
Though Ye Xiangting hadn’t thought about this beforehand, her daughter’s wish for a superpower-type beast caught her off guard.
Her daughter struggled academically, yet achieving self-awakening indicated her genuine talent for Beast Mastery.
In their family, they had never had a self-awakening child before.
Given that, there was nothing wrong with buying an expensive yet high-potential beast that her daughter liked.
It was her duty as a mother.
Qiao Sang felt an indescribable emotion. She just knew she wanted to finish that half-eaten matcha ice cream to calm the heat building in her chest.
She looked into her mother’s eyes and smiled. “Mom, you said I’m self-awakened with talent, so I can raise whatever beast I want.”
“I was just joking; I don’t really want to contract a Bubble Bell. You definitely shouldn’t sell the house.”
Her mother stood up to pour herself a glass of water, pausing for a moment. “I know you want the Bubble Bell; you’re self-…”
Qiao Sang interrupted her. “I researched all afternoon and evening, and I think the Fire Tooth Dog is great. I want it.”
The Bubble Bell is a superpower-type beast and is naturally appealing.
Dragon-type, fairy-type, and ghost-type beasts are also fantastic.
But Qiao Sang merely found them rare and strong; it didn’t mean she needed to have them.
It’s like how some folks dream of having a divine beast right from the start.
Having a beast of her own within her capabilities—that was what she wanted.
(End of Chapter)