Sucky Ghost Baby

As the news anchor spoke, the corresponding surveillance footage appeared in the upper-left corner.→

The camera was some distance from the alley entrance and had only caught a figure from afar. Zooming in made the image blurry.

Still, it was possible to make out a girl and a red pet beast.

Her mother narrowed her eyes at the television. "Why does that person look a bit like you?"

Qiao Sang forced herself to stay calm. "Good-looking people probably all look alike."

Her mother: "..."

Fire Fang Dog gulped down the water in its cup. When it looked up, it saw the footage.

"Fang Fang!"

"Fang Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog pointed at the television with its paw, its face full of wonder.

How did I get on TV?!

Her mother asked, "What's Fire Fang Dog saying?"

Qiao Sang replied, "It says the person on TV looks good."

"Fang Fang!"

"Fang Fang!"

"Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog frantically tried to explain in its still-hoarse voice.

That's not what I mean!

My Beast Tamer and I are on TV!

Her mother looked over.

Qiao Sang translated, "It says I'm right."

Fire Fang Dog: "..."

Back in her room, Qiao Sang counted the money she had left.

4,663 Alliance Coins.

After winning her second bet on the Interstellar Betting Website, Qiao Sang had withdrawn all her money, afraid she might lose control and place another bet.

That should be enough to rebuild a wall...

Qiao Sang calculated it in her head. Fire Fang Dog had only damaged the middle section of the wall, so they would only need to repair that part.

With that thought, she casually set aside 1,000 Alliance Coins from the 4,663 on her desk.

After estimating the compensation, Qiao Sang took out paper and pen and spent more than half an hour writing an apology of about five hundred words.

She put the apology and 3,500 Alliance Coins in an envelope, then picked up her phone and called Didi Speed Delivery.

Didi Speed Delivery was a fast, efficient way to send things within the city.

Whether it was food or other items, deliveries arrived quickly.

Unlike the professional couriers in her previous life, the people who signed up for Didi Speed Delivery were Beast Tamers with time to spare.

Some Beast Tamers took orders in their free time to earn a little extra money.

Of course, their pet beasts usually handled the deliveries. The Beast Tamers themselves did not have to go.

If she got lucky and the Beast Tamer who took her order had a Psychic Type pet beast, the package might arrive at its exact destination within ten seconds.

Two minutes later.

"Fang!!!"

"What is it?" Qiao Sang jumped.

Fire Fang Dog pointed a trembling paw at the bedroom window.

Qiao Sang followed its gaze.

A black pet beast the size of a ball was perched outside the window, its dark-red eyes fixed on her.

When it saw her looking, it grinned, revealing a pair of snow-white fangs.

Then a hand with only two fingers suddenly sprouted from its limbless body and knocked on the window.

Qiao Sang steadied herself. It was just a Sucky Ghost Baby.

A Ghost-type pet beast appearing out of nowhere was frightening, but Fire Fang Dog seemed to be overreacting.

Surely Fire Fang Dog was not that timid.

Qiao Sang opened the window.

"Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog darted to the side of the bed, peeking out with only its head to watch Sucky Ghost Baby.

Sucky Ghost Baby floated in and bared its fangs again. Then it reached its two-fingered hand into its own body and felt around.

It soon pulled out a phone.

After a couple of taps, a notification appeared in Qiao Sang's app: the Didi Speed Delivery courier had arrived.

Qiao Sang handed over the envelope and 150 Alliance Coins.

Didi Speed Delivery required users to set a service fee. Couriers accepted the order if they agreed to the amount, and Qiao Sang had offered 150 Alliance Coins.

The destination was the Street Office on Jiangyi Street, not very far from her home.

Sucky Ghost Baby took the envelope and Alliance Coins and stuffed them into its body.

It politely flashed its fangs once more, then floated away.

"Fang!"

"Fang Fang!"

Only after Sucky Ghost Baby left did Fire Fang Dog come out of hiding and bombard its Beast Tamer with questions.

Why was that scary thing here?!

Qiao Sang fell into thought as she listened to Fire Fang Dog.

She remembered now. Wasn't Sucky Ghost Baby a character in that horror movie she had shown Fire Fang Dog?

Had Fire Fang Dog been afraid of it this whole time?

Fire Fang Dog did seem rather timid...

How would it fight Ghost-type pet beasts in the future?

Maybe she should show Fire Fang Dog more horror movies to toughen it up, or take it to a haunted house...

Fire Fang Dog suddenly felt a chill and shivered.

Early the next morning.

Qiao Sang woke to Fire Fang Dog's cries.

"Fang Fang!"

"Fang Fang!"

Fire Fang Dog called out energetically. It looked nothing like the weak, frightened creature from the night before.

Qiao Sang rolled over. "Let me sleep a little longer."

The High School Entrance Exam was finally over, and she had a holiday. What was the point of living if she still couldn't sleep until she woke up naturally?

"Fang Fang!"

Seeing that its Beast Tamer was still asleep, Fire Fang Dog grabbed the blanket in its mouth and pulled it off.

After all that commotion, Qiao Sang never got to enjoy that little pleasure in life.

They returned to yesterday's open training ground for pet beasts.

After eating a bite of Super Invincible Perverted Spicy Grilled Wings, Fire Fang Dog practiced breathing fire.

Qiao Sang watched from the side, overcome with guilt. Any irritation she had felt at being woken up vanished.

Her pet beast had gotten up at dawn to train and had woken her, too. It was even enduring that punishing spice to learn Spark Rain, a skill she had made up on the spot.

As its Beast Tamer, she felt ashamed.

Qiao Sang could not think of a solution.

Fire Fang Dog was clearly determined to learn Spark Rain, but it was almost impossible for a Basic-level Pet Beast to learn a High-Level Skill.

Learning a new skill was different from raising proficiency. She had no Golden Finger for that.

It could only rely on its own efforts.

Fire Fang Dog had nearly exhausted its energy. Tongue lolling, it came over to its Beast Tamer.

Qiao Sang handed it a bottle of Qi Yuan Milk at just the right moment.

She had bought only three bottles of Qi Yuan Milk today. After paying 3,500 Alliance Coins in compensation, she had only 1,013 Alliance Coins left.

After buying the Super Invincible Perverted Spicy Grilled Wings and Qi Yuan Milk, she was down to 689 Alliance Coins.

That would last two days at most.

Qiao Sang could only pin her hopes on the upcoming Hundred New Tournament.

It was a tournament held on June 30 that only F-rank Pet Tamers could enter.

Qiao Sang had registered on her computer the night before. After reading the entry requirements and rules, she held out little hope of taking first place.

Any Beast Tamer still at F-rank could enter the Hundred New Tournament.

That meant even Beast Tamers whose Brain Domain had awakened a second time and whose two pet beasts had both evolved into Intermediate Pet Beasts were eligible, as long as they had not taken the Alliance's E-Rank Beast Tamer assessment.

Seen that way, graduates who had only just awakened as Beast Tamers would be there to make up the numbers if they entered.

Most likely, they just helped drum up interest in the Hundred New Tournament.

Qiao Sang had no hopes of first place, but she was determined to make the top ten.

After all, below tenth place, there was no Evolution Stone or motorcycle—not even a single Alliance Coin...