Little Thunder Dragon vs. Electric Mad Dog

Qiao Sang froze for a moment. "Mei Chou Ni entered the competition too?"

"Xun Xun~" Little Treasure nodded.

"There's nothing strange about that," Teacher Mikala said. "Both Wild Pet Beasts and already contracted Pet Beasts can participate in this competition. The eventual champion receives a high degree of public recognition, along with generous prizes. Any Pet Beast that meets the level requirements basically wants to enter."

Wild Pet Beasts were even registering across cities to compete. This competition really was quite popular... Qiao Sang gathered her thoughts and looked at Qingbao. "Compete well today too. If your match is in the afternoon, I'll come over once Little Thunder Dragon's morning match is over."

"Qing Qing~"

Without the unpleasant smell, Qingbao was in a much better mood and nodded.

Little Treasure's eyelid twitched as it shot Qingbao a look that said, What are we supposed to do when the Beast Tamer comes?

Qingbao's expression did not change as it replied with its eyes: If the match is really in the afternoon, we can just go play in the morning.

Little Treasure wore an expression of How did I not think of that? and secretly gave it a thumbs-up.

Qingbao happily accepted it.

After using Space Movement to reach Quicksand Seat and personally seeing Little Treasure and Qingbao leave, Qiao Sang and Teacher Mikala arrived at the entrance of Mu League Arena through Penjia Mei's Space Movement.

Almost the instant they appeared, the people and Pet Beasts around them all turned to look.

Even when Little Treasure, that attention magnet, had been around, I never got this many looks. Looks like everyone watched yesterday's match... Qiao Sang thought as she headed for the fast passage to the Contestant Area.

Suddenly, a Bipedal Lizard-type Pet Beast holding a microphone and a man carrying a camera hurried over.

"Dudu?" the Bipedal Lizard-type Pet Beast asked, then held out the microphone.

Do I look like I understand you...? Qiao Sang fell silent.

Just as Ya Bao and Gang Bao were about to translate, the Bipedal Lizard-type Pet Beast made an expression like it had just remembered something. It turned and took the camera, then handed the microphone in its hand to the man.

The man accepted it naturally and asked, "I'm a reporter from the Pet Tamer Wind and Cloud Channel. May I ask you and Little Thunder Dragon a few questions?"

Wasn't he the cameraman? How did he become a reporter too...? Qiao Sang grumbled inwardly before saying, "Sure."

"Little Thunder Dragon defeated the Fire Shell Snail despite being at a lower level yesterday. Do you have anything to say about that?" the man asked.

"No." Qiao Sang shook her head.

The man said, "...Didn't you say I could ask questions?"

Qiao Sang replied sincerely, "I genuinely have nothing to say about the question you just asked."

The man fell silent.

"Dudu." The Bipedal Lizard-type Pet Beast called out while carrying the camera.

After listening, the man pointed the microphone at Little Thunder Dragon and asked, "You defeated the Fire Shell Snail yesterday despite being at a lower level. Do you have anything to say about that?"

Little Thunder Dragon glanced at him, then turned its head away with an expression of disdainful refusal.

"Tingbao," Qiao Sang called.

"Ting Ting." Only then did Little Thunder Dragon turn back, reluctantly calling out that it had nothing to say either. That match had already been yesterday's match.

"Dudu."

The Bipedal Lizard-type Pet Beast translated.

The man wore an awkward expression and asked again, "How did the two of you meet?"

"Ting Ting." Little Thunder Dragon called out without even thinking.

She chose me before I was even born.

It clearly did not want to answer, yet because of Qiao Sang, it patiently answered other people's questions... Watching this scene from the side, Teacher Mikala recalled how, when she had been young and accepted interviews, Debt Collecting Dragon had looked utterly impatient before turning and walking away. For a moment, her emotions were indescribably mixed.

Then her phone began vibrating repeatedly.

Teacher Mikala took it out and saw that Debt Collecting Dragon had sent her a string of voice messages. The corner of her mouth twitched.

She did not listen to them. Instead, she directly transferred some money over and put her phone back into her bag.

Yet this time, the phone continued vibrating.

Teacher Mikala took it out again.

It was a call.

Caller ID: Debt Collecting Dragon.

Teacher Mikala fell silent for a moment, then moved farther away from Qiao Sang before answering. "Dragon Overlord?"

Half an hour later.

Inside Mu League Arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Competition Venue of the Contract Compatibility Competition!" the host announced loudly from the field. "After four days of intense competition, we have determined our Top 16 contestants!"

"Over the past few days, we have witnessed the compatibility between people and Pet Beasts, and we have also seen that some people and Pet Beasts are not quite so compatible. I believe that once the competition is over, everyone will reconsider their contractual relationships. However, compatibility can be cultivated through time together. That is one of the goals of this competition: to help everyone discover the problems between themselves and their Pet Beasts..."

The host rambled on and on, clearly saying much more than he had during the earlier rounds.

About ten minutes later, he said, "For today's Top 16 to Top 8 matches, we will no longer use simultaneous battles. Instead, contestants will take the field one by one to determine the Top 8."

Put simply, there were too few contestants.

Battles between Beginner and Intermediate Pet Beasts were short. If every contestant competed simultaneously, then even if each battle field had its own camera, it would not take much time. Thus, to extend the livestream's duration, having contestants go on stage one group at a time was the best choice.

The following rounds would be handled the same way.

The on-site staff had already explained this to all contestants when they entered.

Qiao Sang went to wait in the front-row Contestant Area.

The matchup list was decided through a guest drawing lots.

Fu Jian drew "Qiao Sang, Little Thunder Dragon," while Tie Daoyi drew "Yu Shike, Electric Mad Dog."

Electric Mad Dog, an Intermediate Electric-type Pet Beast. It had a habit of being intensely attracted to rapidly moving objects, so it often chased after vehicles or Pet Beasts on the road... Information on her opponent's Pet Beast flashed through Qiao Sang's mind, and she sighed inwardly.

Another Intermediate Pet Beast...

Little Thunder Dragon had been lucky in the previous match. It had triggered its Multiple Scales trait, and the opponent had also taken the initiative to cast Flame Wall around itself, increasing the attack's power and allowing it to win.

All the remaining contestants probably knew by now that Little Thunder Dragon possessed the Multiple Scales trait. They likely would not be so lucky in this match.

There were only so many Intermediate Pet Beasts. How could their luck be this bad? They had run into two in a row before even reaching the Top 10...

Little Thunder Dragon hung around Qiao Sang's neck, showing little interest in its opponent. It seemingly had not realized the seriousness of the situation yet.

The competition proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Battles between Beginner and Intermediate Pet Beasts went quickly, with most ending within five minutes.

Qiao Sang watched with great interest.

Though the battling Pet Beasts were low-level and the Beast Tamers' commands had little worth learning from, these were all Pet Beasts she had never seen on Blue Star or Superstar Planet. They were quite novel.

Soon, after a green monkey-type Pet Beast fell to the ground, the host announced, "Next up are contestant Qiao Sang and Little Thunder Dragon, versus contestant Yu Shike and Electric Mad Dog!"

Under the eyes of the crowd, Qiao Sang led Little Thunder Dragon onto the field and took her position.

A black-haired, black-eyed man who looked to be around twenty stepped onto the other side with a canine Pet Beast roughly eighty centimeters tall. Its body was mostly yellow, its limbs were short, and its tail was shaped like a lightning bolt.

The audience immediately began discussing it.

"Why did Little Thunder Dragon get matched against an Intermediate Pet Beast again?"

"Just bad luck, I guess. But it might not necessarily lose. Didn't Little Thunder Dragon defeat the Fire Shell Snail under Qiao Sang's command yesterday?"

"Electric Mad Dog seems stronger than Fire Shell Snail, though."

"Contestant Qiao Sang is seriously unlucky. Dragon-type Pet Beasts are generally arrogant. Wasn't there a news story about a genius Beast Tamer who contracted a Dragon-type Pet Beast, then lost a battle competition? That Dragon-type Pet Beast didn't terminate the contract, but it moved away and began living alone. During mediation, it outright said its Beast Tamer was too lousy and didn't deserve it. Do you think Little Thunder Dragon will still contract with Qiao Sang if she loses this match?"

"Definitely. Qiao Sang looks like a genius too. Otherwise, Little Thunder Dragon couldn't have beaten the Fire Shell Snail yesterday. And judging from her bearing, she's obviously from a wealthy family. When Dragon-type Pet Beasts choose Beast Tamers, they look at wealth first and talent second. She has both."

"Not necessarily. Didn't that genius Beast Tamer in the news meet all the requirements too?"

"Don't forget, this Little Thunder Dragon is a Pet Beast from Blue Star. Its temperament might be better than the Dragon-type Pet Beasts here."

Amid the discussion, a luminous "3" appeared on the field.

It changed continuously along with a mechanical voice.

"3, 2, 1, begin!"

Yellow electric arcs emerged around Little Thunder Dragon and Electric Mad Dog almost simultaneously, converging into bolts that struck forward.

Qiao Sang gauged the force of Electric Mad Dog's Discharge and made a snap decision. "Dodge."

Hearing that, Little Thunder Dragon instinctively darted aside.

The two yellow lightning bolts, one thick and one thin, collided in midair. The thicker bolt quickly overwhelmed the thinner one and struck at the spot where Little Thunder Dragon had been standing.

Bang!

The lightning struck empty ground.

"Electric Flash," Yu Shike ordered.

"Discharge around yourself," Qiao Sang commanded almost 0.1 seconds after he gave his order.

Electric Flash had explosive power. Little Thunder Dragon could not possibly dodge it with its speed. The best option was to release lightning once the opponent got close.

Electric Mad Dog pushed off hard with all four limbs. White light abruptly enveloped its body as it shot forward like a streak of white lightning.

At the same time, yellow electric arcs emerged around Little Thunder Dragon.

When the "white lightning" was only about three meters from Little Thunder Dragon, it suddenly leaped upward. The white light vanished, revealing Electric Mad Dog.

At the same time, yellow electric arcs rapidly gathered around its body.

Qiao Sang's pupils shrank. "Move!"

Little Thunder Dragon shifted its body, trying to move.

But lightning was simply too fast.

Little Thunder Dragon had only just moved when yellow lightning shot from Electric Mad Dog's body. With a bang, it struck Little Thunder Dragon.

"Ting Ting!"

Little Thunder Dragon cried out in pain.

A look of surprise flashed across Yu Shike's face.

"Electric Mad Dog."

Electric Mad Dog showed a smug expression that said, Didn't I hit you anyway?

It actually forcibly switched Electric Flash into Discharge halfway through... Qiao Sang felt a strange thrill.

This was something she had not experienced in the previous rounds.

Her gaze fell on Yu Shike's face, and she became even more certain.

The sudden switch in moves just now had been Electric Mad Dog's own idea!

In the Guest Area.

"Electric Mad Dog leaped into the air while using Electric Flash and forcibly converted the move into Discharge, successfully striking Little Thunder Dragon. I wonder whether this was a plan contestant Yu Shike had decided on beforehand or whether Electric Mad Dog came up with it on the spot," Fu Jian said with feeling. "No matter whose idea it was, I can only say: beautifully done."

"Tie Tie."

Tie Daoyi nodded.

Feodor said, "I think it was Electric Mad Dog's own idea. It probably saw the electric arcs appearing around Little Thunder Dragon and understood contestant Qiao Sang's intentions, so it changed its close-range attack into a long-range attack."

On Flame Sky Star, many Pet Beasts in battles between Professional Pet Tamers would temporarily alter their attack methods based on the circumstances of the match. The results were often very good.

Qiao Sang had finally encountered a Pet Beast like that... Teacher Mikala thought.

In Interstellar Competitions, the Professional Pet Tamers of Flame Sky Star were the most troublesome.

And what made them troublesome usually lay with their Pet Beasts.

Whether on Blue Star or other planets, when Pet Beasts did not follow their Beast Tamers' commands, the result was usually failure.

But Flame Sky Star was different.

The Pet Beasts here grew up immersed in battle competitions. They possessed keen combat instincts and reactions, and they could alter their original actions the moment they saw an opponent move.

This could create unexpected outcomes in matches.

And those outcomes were almost always positive.

On the field.

"Electric Mad Dog..."

Electric Mad Dog's smug expression faded as it frowned at its distant opponent.

Little Thunder Dragon, which had been crying out in pain, suddenly stopped. Amid the lightning, it blinked as though it had encountered something it could not understand.

The yellow lightning faded, and it was completely unharmed.

"Ting Ting!"

Little Thunder Dragon first froze, then yellow electric arcs swiftly emerged around its body. They converged into a bolt and struck toward Electric Mad Dog.

The lightning actually looked somewhat stronger than before.

This... Yu Shike sensed that something was wrong.

Lightning Rod trait! Qiao Sang's eyes lit up.

Pet Beasts with the Lightning Rod trait were immune to Electric-type moves, and when struck by Electric-type skills, their Special Attack power would increase!

She had not expected Little Thunder Dragon to possess this trait too.

In that case, what was there to fear from an Electric-type Electric Mad Dog?

As the thought flashed through her mind, Electric Mad Dog swiftly dodged the lightning attack.

"Keep using Discharge!" Qiao Sang ordered.

"Ting Ting!"

Yellow arcs of electricity flashed across Little Thunder Dragon's body, continuously striking at Electric Mad Dog.

Electric Mad Dog realized Little Thunder Dragon's ability and did not counterattack immediately, dodging in a bedraggled manner.

Little Thunder Dragon actually had the Lightning Rod ability. Could it be that it would succeed in a Challenge Above Level again this match... Everyone stared intently at the arena.

"Electric Flash!" Yu Shike shouted.

"Electric Mad!"

Electric Mad Dog turned into a streak of white lightning, weaving left and right as it swiftly avoided the yellow bolts raining down upon it and charged toward Little Thunder Dragon.

Guest Area.

"Little Thunder Dragon has the Lightning Rod ability. Electric Mad Dog's Electric-type moves are ineffective against it and will instead increase Little Thunder Dragon's Special Attack," Fu Jian said.

"Electric Mad Dog's current Electric Flash is a Normal-type move. It can use High-Speed Movement to evade attacks while also launching an attack when the opportunity arises. Contestant Yu Shike's command is very appropriate."