This must be a relative of the investor, right?
Everyone quickly dismissed their thoughts. Investors are usually rich and powerful; it wouldn't make sense for a relative to contract a mere Cotton Bug…
Qiao Sang felt relieved.
Whether this was the first battle or not was uncertain, but this should be the first official match between Fang Sisi and the Cotton Bug. As long as nothing went wrong, it was a good start.
“Fire Tooth Dog, who do you think will win?” Qiao Sang asked.
Contestant number 12 had a Sand Borrowing Mouse, which excelled at self-defense and dodging.
On the other hand, the Cotton Bug was synonymous with weakness. Before it evolved, it was one of the weakest among the entry-level beasts. Unless something unexpected happened, Fang Sisi had little chance of winning.
Qiao Sang asked Fire Tooth Dog just to have it observe the situation and develop an ability to gauge their strengths.
“Yah.”
Fire Tooth Dog pointed towards Fang Sisi.
Qiao Sang: “…”
Was Fire Tooth Dog's eyesight that poor?!
“Why?” Qiao Sang couldn’t help but ask.
“Yah yah.”
Fire Tooth Dog explained with its slightly hoarse voice.
That person had just praised it for being handsome.
Qiao Sang breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it wasn't a matter of poor eyesight…
“Contestant number 12, Zhang Shuo, is 16 years old and has a year of experience as a Beast Master. His opponent, Fang Sisi, recently just became a Beast Master. Sha Duo, what do you think the outcome of this match will be?” The middle-aged host with slicked-back hair inquired of a young man beside him who looked quite handsome.
In typical beast battles, commentary is divided into primary and secondary roles. The main commentator usually has sharp eyesight and eloquent speech, providing a frenzy of real-time updates on the match. The secondary commentator is often some popular guest invited by the organizers, responsible for analyzing strategies and helping the audience understand the match better.
This time, the guest invited was the quite popular Sha Duo, known for his handsome looks and unyielding spirit until the last moment in a recent regional competition. Although he eventually reached only the top 24, he was still more popular than some of the top 10 players.
“I think…”
Before Sha Duo could express his opinion, the match was already over.
He continued, “Seems like I don’t need to say anything.”
At the start of the match, the Sand Borrowing Mouse quickly burrowed underground, leaving the Cotton Bug bewilderedly standing there, only to be ambushed and knocked out from below.
Qiao Sang retrieved her phone, which had just recorded the match, and glanced at the time.
21 seconds.
Not surprising at all…
Fang Sisi returned to her seat with the Cotton Bug, letting out a long sigh, “I lost so badly.”
Qiao Sang nodded, “It was a bit harsh.”
Fire Tooth Dog remained silent, but nodded a few times in agreement.
Fang Sisi: “…”
As her good friend, wasn’t she supposed to comfort her?!
“But at this stage, the Cotton Bug is at a disadvantage right from the start. Once you raise it to become a Cotton Butterfly, that opponent shouldn’t stand a chance,” Qiao Sang said.
Fang Sisi looked at her round Cotton Bug and managed a smile of consolation. She hadn’t expected to go far in this competition—she just wanted to join in for the excitement and gain some experience.
Soon, Fang Sisi adjusted her mindset. She pointed at the match in Group Seven, breaking into laughter, “Hahaha, that Deep-fur Turtle is so silly, just standing there and letting it get hit.”
Qiao Sang: “…”
Had she forgotten the Cotton Bug had also been taken out while standing still just moments ago?
The competition had little excitement to it. Most of the audience were friends and family of the contestants. As numbers dwindled, the audience began to thin out.
But soon, some of the spectators who hadn’t wandered far returned to their seats upon hearing a discussion.
“Oh my, it’s a Little Dragon!”
“Which wealthy young master came to play?”
“Didn’t the host mention him? He’s called Lu You.”
“Which family in Hanggang has the surname Lu besides that Lu Group that’s so rich?”
“The Lu Group is one of the investors this time, right? Perhaps they invested just for their young master?”
The F-grade Beast Master battles didn’t attract them, but a yet-to-evolve dragon-type beast drew them back.
Qiao Sang focused intently on the Little Dragon in the arena.
It was her first time seeing a dragon-type beast in real life.
Those scales…
Those sharp claws…
Those dragon horns…
Everything about it screamed of wealth…
As expected, the match went on without surprise—the Little Dragon won with an overwhelming advantage.
It wasn’t without reason that dragons were regarded as the strongest attribute by most people. Both their defense and attack power far exceeded normal beasts. Fortunately, they were rare and took a long time to evolve; otherwise, ordinary Beast Masters wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Contestant number 67, Lu You, just created an impressive victory. It seems he is the seed player of this competition,” the commentator praised Lu You.
Qiao Sang agreed with the latter half of the statement, though the first half had little weight to it.
Though the Little Dragon was a dragon-type beast, it was still a low-level beast. It was clear that it hadn’t undergone thorough training yet; after two rounds-exchange of signature moves, it ultimately defeated its opponent using a powerful dragon claw skill.
In comparison to previous matches, it was exciting but not exceptionally memorable.
Qiao Sang put aside her phone and reviewed the video she had just recorded. If they both continued to win in the upcoming matches, chances were high they would be opponents later on.
As a qualified Beast Master, analyzing opponents and formulating strategies was also part of the curriculum.
“Qiao Sang, send me the video you just recorded. I was so focused on the match that I didn’t record anything,” Fang Sisi suddenly said.
“You like the Little Dragon too?” Qiao Sang asked.
Her question wasn’t without reason. There had already been over thirty matches, yet Fang Sisi hadn’t shown interest in recording anything until now.
“What are you talking about? The Little Dragon is so ugly; of course, I don’t like it! Did you not notice the little Apricot Mushroom? So cute! Especially when it fell and let out that little cry after being defeated! It was adorable! You have to give it to me; I need to watch it again!” Fang Sisi exclaimed excitedly.
Qiao Sang: “…”
How could she forget Fang Sisi was so obsessed with looks…
Time went on with several more matches, and at last, the first F-grade Beast Master with a mid-level beast appeared—Contestant number 99, Guo Yiqi.
Now this was a truly crushing battle.
Guo Yiqi's Poison Butterfly flapped its wings, scattering toxic powder that knocked out the opposing White Sand Fox.
Qiao Sang was watching the recorded video while jotting notes in her memo.
“What do you think of the Poison Butterfly?” Fang Sisi asked from beside her.
Qiao Sang was taken aback; she hadn’t expected Fang Sisi to want to discuss this with her. After some thought, she replied earnestly, “Fire-type beasts are strong against insect types but not against poison types. Fortunately, the Poison Butterfly's toxicity isn’t too strong; Fire Tooth Dog can decompose the toxic powder with high temperatures. But in this match, the Poison Butterfly only used toxic powder without utilizing other skills. If we were to meet, I think it’s best to strike first and control the pace of the battle.”
Fang Sisi: “…”
“I wasn’t asking about that; I meant what do you think of how the Poison Butterfly looks.”
Qiao Sang: “…”
(End of this chapter)