Proficiency

Attribute counters were common knowledge. Of course Chen Tongtong knew that.

But it was true that he had never fought a fire-type pet beast before. In their entire school, there were only two bold souls who had dared to contract a fire-type pet beast as their very first pet beast.

Both of them were second-years. There was not a single one in his year.

Was attribute suppression really this strong? Chen Tongtong grew depressed.

After paying in a daze, he did not even notice when she left, until Jiang Liu patted him on the shoulder.

"Why didn't you add her contact information before transferring the money? Then you could've forwarded her contact information to me too."

Chen Tongtong: "...Get lost!"

After Qiao Sang finished her third battle, her mother called.

"Why aren't you home yet?"

Qiao Sang checked the time. It was 18:17.

Wencheng Middle School let out at 17:00. Their home was close to the school, and it only took a little over ten minutes by bus. Even if she dawdled, she would usually be home by 17:30.

"I took Fire Fang Dog out to train," Qiao Sang answered.

There was a brief silence on the other end before her mother said, "Come back early. The food's getting cold."

"Got it."

After hanging up, Qiao Sang tore off the paper stuck to her backpack.

She was very dissatisfied with today's results. The after-school rush only lasted so long, and by the time she had finished three battles, nearly everyone had already left.

It was far too inefficient.

Qiao Sang felt that coming to another school and waiting around like this was not a viable method either.

After thinking for a moment, she directed her consciousness into the Pet Beast Codex.

Name: Fire Fang Dog

Attribute: Fire

Level: Beginner (115/1000)+

Skills: Bite (Beginner 74/100)+, Take Down (Proficient 138/500)+, Fire Fang (Beginner 5/100)+, Spark (Beginner 5/100)+

Points: 55

The values for all its skills had increased more or less, but why were the points not a multiple of three? Could it be that defeating different pet beasts yielded different numbers of points?

She had fought three times today: a Little Chubby Dove, a Cotton Segment Worm, and a White Sand Fox. They were all beginner pet beasts. The only difference was that, aside from the Cotton Segment Worm being instantly defeated in one hit, the others had fought for several rounds.

Had the Cotton Segment Worm lowered the points she received?

Qiao Sang stared at the data before her and suddenly thought of something.

"Fire Fang Dog, use Fire Fang," Qiao Sang suddenly said.

"Fang."

Although Fire Fang Dog did not understand Qiao Sang's intention, it obediently used Fire Fang. With no target to attack, the fiery fangs quickly disappeared.

Qiao Sang checked the Pet Beast Codex again.

Name: Fire Fang Dog

Attribute: Fire

Level: Beginner (115/1000)+

Skills: Bite (Beginner 73/100)+, Take Down (Proficient 135/500)+, Fire Fang (Beginner 6/100)+, Spark (Beginner 3/100)+

Points: 55

The value after Fire Fang had increased!

Did that mean that if it practiced on its own, even without a target, its skill proficiency could still increase?

She had been thinking about it the wrong way. Skill proficiency came from practice; it did not necessarily require an attack target to increase.

But if releasing a skill once could increase proficiency, would that not mean everyone's pet beasts could train their skills to the realm of perfection?

Qiao Sang did not know how other people's skill proficiencies worked, but hers really did seem to increase every time a skill was used.

To verify her theory, Qiao Sang had Fire Fang Dog use Fire Fang once more.

Sure enough, after Fire Fang Dog used it, Fire Fang's value changed from 6 to 7.

Qiao Sang fell silent for a moment, then withdrew her consciousness from the Pet Beast Codex and immediately had Fire Fang Dog try using Fire Fang a hundred times.

Fire Fang Dog nodded, looking as though it had everything under control.

But reality was cruel. After Fire Fang Dog used Fire Fang for the fourth consecutive time, it became... listless.

Fire Fang's value stopped at 10.

Using skills also required energy and stamina. Clearly, Fire Fang Dog could only use Fire Fang several times in its current state.

Fire Fang Dog had already fought three battles in a row, consuming a considerable amount of stamina and energy.

Qiao Sang judged that, if it were in peak condition, using Fire Fang ten times consecutively should not be a problem.

If it used it ten times in the morning and ten times at night, would Fire Fang not reach Proficient in five days?!

Could pet beast skills really advance from Beginner to Proficient that quickly?

Qiao Sang reviewed her limited knowledge of pet beasts.

No.

Even a Low-Level Skill required nearly a month of daily practice to advance from Beginner to Proficient. The next stage after Proficient was Minor Mastery, which increased its power severalfold and required at least half a year.

Fire Fang was a Mid-Level Skill. Going from Beginner to Proficient alone should take five to seven months.

Yet Fire Fang Dog could do it in five days.

This was obviously the power of the Golden Finger!

With this Golden Finger, did she still have to worry about failing to take first place in Saint Water High School's special admissions? By then, she would train every skill to the Proficient level. What would they have to fight her with?

When that time came...

"Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog's cry pulled Qiao Sang out of her fantasy.

Coming back to her senses, Qiao Sang saw several people around her looking at her strangely. She subconsciously adjusted her expression.

When she lowered the corners of her mouth, the movement tugged at her muscles, and they actually felt a little sore.

Only then did Qiao Sang realize that she had smiled herself numb...

"Ahem, let's go home," Qiao Sang said, picking up Fire Fang Dog.

"Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog pointed with its tiny paw at the barbecue stall in the distance.

Qiao Sang glanced over and realized that she was hungry too. Otherwise, how could she smell the cumin from so far away?

"No, the food at home is already ready." Qiao Sang turned away and resisted the temptation.

"Fang..." Fire Fang Dog looked up at Qiao Sang with its watery eyes.

This little fellow had actually learned how to act cute...

"You can only have two skewers," Qiao Sang compromised.

Fire Fang Dog nodded happily.

When they arrived at the barbecue stall—

"Student, you still haven't gone home?" Auntie running the stall recognized Qiao Sang.

"Yeah," Qiao Sang replied. She sniffed the scent of the barbecue. "Auntie, twenty lamb skewers."

In the end, Qiao Sang ate five skewers, while Fire Fang Dog ate fifteen.

On the way back, Qiao Sang earnestly told it, "When we have dinner later, you must pretend you're still hungry and finish your food, understand?"

"Fang."

Fire Fang Dog answered, then let out a full belch.

Qiao Sang: "..."

Qiao Sang consoled herself. It would take more than half an hour to ride from the nearby bus stop at 37th Pet Beast High School. It should digest by then...

Pet beasts could usually eat human food, but if they wanted to develop properly and receive good nutrition, they had to eat specially made food containing energy.

Her mother prepared the pet beast food separately, which took quite a bit of time. If Fire Fang Dog ended up too full from eating lamb skewers to eat what her mother had made...

Qiao Sang shook her head, not daring to think further.

Taking the subway from here would only take a little over ten minutes, but for Fire Fang Dog's sake, Qiao Sang still chose the bus.

On Bus No. 66, perhaps because it had exhausted all its energy and eaten its fill, Fire Fang Dog was unusually quiet as it lay by the window and watched the scenery outside.