On the morning of July 16, 2024, Qiao Sang's mother paused for a moment, “Isn’t the Fire Tooth Dog a bit too aggressive?”
When it comes to choosing a Companion Beast, a Beast Master definitely considers attributes, talent, and potential. However, for a newcomer Beast Master, the most important factor is the temperament of the beast.
Small Plump Doves, White Sand Foxes, Short-tailed Snakes, Sand Borrowing Mice, and Deep-fur Turtles are among the top choices for beginners, largely because of their friendly natures. Not all beasts cultivated at the Companion Beast Base are gentle and non-aggressive. If an inexperienced Beast Master contracts a fiercely temperamental beast as their first, they would struggle not only to command it in battle but even to train it.
Last year, a young boy from Nan City, who had just completed the High School Entrance Exam, contracted an Ember Sparrow. However, within a few days, the Ember Sparrow chose to break the contract, even at the cost of backlash. The boy suffered severe damage to his Brain Domain, and when he finally returned to school six months later, he had fallen far behind his peers. It turned out the incident began because he simply wanted the Ember Sparrow to pose for a photo for social media, a story that briefly trended online.
Fire-type beasts are generally known to be rough and headstrong, and the Fire Tooth Dog is no exception. Yet, Qiao Sang did not agree. “It’s impossible for all Fire Tooth Dogs to be aggressive; there must be a few with different temperaments. After all, if a whole species had the same personality, how boring that would be.”
“Mom, didn’t you say I have the talent for being a Beast Master? I think a Fire Tooth Dog would suit me well,” Qiao Sang insisted.
The Fire Tooth Dog, being a fire-type beast, has strong attack capabilities. Once it evolves, it would certainly ensure her qualification as an E-grade Beast Master. Although the Fire Tooth Dog is not as expensive as super-powered beasts like the Bubble Bell, it costs more than the Small Plump Dove. A Small Plump Dove is around 30,000 Alliance Coins, while a Fire Tooth Dog would be about 100,000.
Understanding her family’s situation, Qiao Sang knew that this amount was still manageable.
“Alright, then. I’ll take you to the Companion Beast Base tomorrow morning,” her mother agreed, without saying any more.
The next day at dawn, Qiao Sang was awakened by her mother. With her mother's urging, she quickly got ready and had breakfast in just ten minutes, leaving the house at exactly 7:06 AM.
Throughout the morning, Qiao Sang struggled to keep her eyes open, looking as if she hadn’t had enough sleep.
They arrived at the Hanggang Companion Beast Base, located over 40 kilometers outside the city center, at 8:31 AM, just in time for the base to open.
Due to the early hour, there were only the two of them there to buy a beast. No reservation was needed, and there wasn’t a line.
A female staff member in her thirties approached them with a professional smile. “How can I help you today?”
“We’d like to buy a Fire Tooth Dog,” her mother stated directly.
“Alright, please follow me,” the staff member said as she led the way.
Clearly experienced, the staff member kept talking to create a friendly atmosphere as they walked. “We have 27 Fire Tooth Dogs here, all well-developed. Two of them are even at the brink of evolution. Out of the other 25, 19 have already learned Sparks, and among them, seven have even learned Fire Ball. They are a few centimeters taller than their peers, and five more…”
While she was talking, they arrived at the area designated for the Fire Tooth Dogs.
Before Qiao Sang could get closer, a loud blast surprised her. A flame struck about five meters away from her. Startled, she turned toward the source of the fire.
Two Fire Tooth Dogs, noticeably taller than the others, were locked in a standoff, their sharp teeth covered in flames, a skill known as Fire Bite that most Fire Tooth Dogs inherit.
The staff member remained calm and explained, “These two are about to evolve. They always fight to prove they are the strongest, but none ever gets hurt badly.”
As she spoke, another flame flew past, hitting just four meters away from Qiao Sang. She felt a shiver down her spine.
“That last spark was released by that Fire Tooth Dog over there,” the staff member pointed towards the left at some bushes. “It shows considerable power.”
Qiao Sang looked in the direction and saw one Fire Tooth Dog standing defiantly in front of another, sensing the tense atmosphere.
Sure enough, in the next moment, they began to bite each other.
“They are rivals, fighting over a female Fire Tooth Dog’s affection. But there’s no chance for either of them since she likes another,” the staff explained.
Qiao Sang was silent for a moment before asking, “Where is that female Fire Tooth Dog?”
It must have a better temperament than the males, she thought.
The staff member chuckled, “It was the one cheering them on while they were fighting.”
Qiao Sang was taken aback. Sure enough, among the bushes was a cleaner and softer-coated Fire Tooth Dog excitedly barking away.
“Yah!”
“Yah!”
“She seems to be saying ‘fight on,’” the staff translated. “Though she doesn’t like either of them, she enjoys watching them fight for her.”
Qiao Sang was utterly confused. Seeing her mother remained quiet, the staff asked, “Do you have a Fire Tooth Dog in mind? I can bring it over for a closer look.”
Her mother shook her head. “I’m just here with my daughter; she wants to contract the Fire Tooth Dog.”
The staff seemed to understand. “Ah, that makes sense. Your daughter has undergone a Self Awakening, hasn’t she?”
Her mother looked pleased, “How did you know?”
The staff explained, “Today is Friday, and your daughter is still in her Wencheng Middle School uniform. She should be in her third year. It’s not yet time for the annual Beastmaster Alliance's unified awakening period. If she hasn't experienced Self Awakening, she wouldn’t come here to contract a beast. Especially not during such an important time when school leaves are hard to come by.”
All this was just guesswork. She had recently hosted a girl from Wencheng Middle School with a Self Awakening, who was brought in by her parents to contract a beast, and it just happened to be her turn. But really, how extraordinary it was for the same school to produce two Self Awakened students in the same year.
When she got home, she would definitely have to discuss with her husband about getting a house in that area; her son was already in the fourth grade of elementary school.
However, the smile on her mother’s face began to fade.
Coming back to reality, Qiao Sang asked softly, “Mom, did you call my homeroom teacher to ask for a leave today?”
Her mother gave an awkward laugh. “Haha, how could I forget?”
“I remember you asked for one yesterday, but today…” Qiao Sang questioned.
“I got you two days off straight!” her mother’s voice unintentionally grew louder.
“That’s good to know,” Qiao Sang replied, letting out a quiet sigh.
She wondered if her mother had noticed that her voice always got louder when she was lying.
(End of Chapter)