Cheering On

Same venue, same day, discussing the same person, yet the conversation was completely different.

"How long do you think he can last?"

He hadn't specified whether he meant a girl or a boy, but the people beside him knew exactly who he was talking about.

"Three minutes."

"I think two."

"After gaining experience from the first time, he should last five minutes at least."

"Is there no chance he could win?" one of the examinees Lu Liangye had defeated asked.

"You're still here?" The person who had said five minutes turned around in surprise.

The defeated examinee said, "...I'm waiting for you guys to finish so I can challenge a Black Beak Sparrow before heading back."

"Water Bubble!"

As Sun Boyi announced the start of the match, Lu Liangye's expression turned grave as he gave the first command.

Water Ring Fish raised its forelimbs, and dozens of crystal-clear spherical bubbles immediately appeared in the air. They formed a dense barrier between Water Ring Fish and Fire Fang Dog, reflecting blue and red... afterimages across their transparent surfaces.

"What is up with that Fire Fang Dog?!" cries of surprise rang out from the stands.

In fact, Fire Fang Dog had launched the attack first. Before the bubbles had even appeared in the air, it had pushed off with all four limbs and shot forward at astonishing speed.

The bubbles surrounded Fire Fang Dog moments later.

Fire was afraid of water. Some fire-type pet beasts had never taken a bath in their entire lives simply because they hated water and didn't want it touching them.

Yet Fire Fang Dog did not slow down in the slightest. It charged straight into the cluster of bubbles without hesitation.

It kept moving forward at high speed, its footwork absurdly nimble. Despite there being dozens of bubbles, not one touched its fur.

Qiao Sang wasn't surprised. Over this period, Fire Fang Dog's speed and explosive power had improved significantly. Under the fourth setting of the automatic baseball pitching machine, it could already make the balls barely touch it. These slowly drifting bubbles in the air were nothing by comparison.

What use was sheer quantity? At most, they were obstacles that looked stationary.

Water Ring Fish was still holding up its forelimbs to control its energy output. The bubbles not only blocked Fire Fang Dog from sight, but also obscured part of Water Ring Fish's view.

"Dodge!"

Its Beast Master's urgent command suddenly rang in its ears. Water Ring Fish was just about to obey and evade when, before it could lower its forelimbs, a violent impact slammed into it and sent it flying backward.

"Ring!!"

As Water Ring Fish flew backward, it was both in pain and utterly baffled.

Why had it suddenly been sent flying?

"Finish it." Qiao Sang spoke for the first time in the match.

Scorching flames condensed into a fist the size of an adult's and ruthlessly smashed toward the still-wailing Water Ring Fish.

Water Ring Fish struggled for two seconds, then went still.

"Water Ring Fish!"

Lu Liangye rushed toward his pet beast in a single stride. Seeing that Water Ring Fish didn't react, he cried anxiously, "Teacher! Teacher!"

Qin Wen walked over to Water Ring Fish and calmly said, "It's fine. One lick and it'll be better."

With that, she summoned Tongue Tongue Drop...

"Holy shit, did you guys see that just now?"

"I saw it. Lu Liangye was done in under two minutes."

"That Fire Fang Dog is incredible."

"No, it was the Beast Master! She didn't even give a command at the start, and that Fire Fang Dog still attacked!"

Generally speaking, rookie Beast Masters like them relied on the opponent's commands to decide their next move during a battle.

For example, if the other side said Spark, they would know whether to have their pet beast defend, evade, or launch some skill to counterattack.

But that girl hadn't given any command at the start, and Fire Fang Dog had used Take Down. Judging by its subsequent coordination and the outcome, it clearly wasn't that Fire Fang Dog had disobeyed her and acted on its own. It had attacked with her tacit approval.

That kind of situation only appeared in high-level matches.

High-level Beast Masters would study their opponents' pet beasts before a match and formulate a series of special combinations, all so their opponents couldn't figure out what they were planning during the battle.

This was also a major reason why most large competitions now didn't stipulate who attacked first.

It was all for excitement.

Some advanced Beast Masters did not devise tactics because they had studied their opponents. Instead, they trusted their pet beasts completely and let them fight freely, only speaking up to command them when something unexpected happened or at a critical moment.

But both of those situations were things only high-level Beast Masters did.

And yet the girl before them was a rookie...

"What's her name?" Liu Yao asked.

"Qiao Sang, from Wencheng Middle School." Sun Boyi glanced at the examinee file in his hands.

"I remember Wencheng Middle School has a student who was recommended to our school this year," Zheng Guoping said.

"There is one. Her name is Dai Shushu. Her parents are both ordinary people, so she left quite an impression on me," Sun Boyi replied.

"Ordinary people?! There are really self-awakened children born to ordinary people these days? What's her Brain Domain Development level?" Zheng Guoping looked astonished.

"Five percent," Sun Boyi said.

"This child is quite good. If there are no issues with her High School Entrance Exam results, let her enter the Pet Heavy Class," Liu Yao said.

"Isn't that inappropriate? Even if she's a self-awakened Beast Master born to ordinary people, her brain domain is only at five percent. Our Pet Heavy Class was established to contend with Li Tan. We need to consider every aspect—what kind of pet beast she contracted, how capable she is in battle, and also her..." Zheng Guoping trailed off halfway through.

Because Sun Boyi was looking at him as though he were an idiot.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" Zheng Guoping glared back at him, dissatisfied.

Sun Boyi slowly said, "The Vice Principal said if there are no issues with her High School Entrance Exam results. Do you think someone who has been recommended still needs to take the High School Entrance Exam?"

Zheng Guoping said, "..."

Oh, he had meant that Qiao Sang girl...

Whether it was Fire Fang Dog or her own battle performance, she seemed more than qualified to enter the Pet Heavy Class...

But he had been looked down on...

So irritating...

At that moment, Qiao Sang, the center of the discussion, was taking out some Qi Yuan Milk from her backpack for Fire Fang Dog.

After two matches, she had securely claimed one of Saint Water High School's five special admission slots.

But her goal wasn't merely to be one of the five. She wanted first place.

Second through fifth place still needed to score fifty points above the minimum High School Entrance Exam score, while first place only needed to reach the minimum score.

She knew the difference perfectly well.

Fifty points!

How many practice questions would she have to do after going home to raise her score that much?!

And now, she was only one step away from those fifty points!

Fire Fang Dog wore triangular sunglasses as it leaned back in its seat, holding the milk in its paws and drinking contentedly.

The second match had just begun on the field. The pet beasts were Little Chubby Dove and Long Ear Cat.

"Fang!"

"Fang Fang!"

"Fang Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog sat upright. It held the milk in one paw and waved the other in encouragement.

After cheering for a while, it took a sip of milk before continuing to cheer.

It was cheering for Little Chubby Dove.

The Fat Domestic Pigeon at home had a good relationship with it. Every time Fire Fang Dog finished the food on its own plate, Fat Domestic Pigeon would see it and push over its own Energy Meal for Fire Fang Dog to eat.

As a fellow member of Fat Domestic Pigeon's species, Little Chubby Dove naturally had to receive Fire Fang Dog's cheers and encouragement.

"Fang!"

"Fang Fang!"

"Fang Fang!"

Ten minutes later.

Under Fire Fang Dog's enthusiastic cheering, Little Chubby Dove lost...