Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

Qiao Sang: …

What had to come would eventually come.

Qiao Sang took a deep breath, pushed herself up from the table, and admitted, “Mine.”

Li Yi squinted at the girl sitting in the corner, feeling that she looked somewhat familiar.

To be sure, he put his glasses back on and took a closer look, his whole body suddenly freezing.

Goodness, wasn’t this the student that the Vice Principal, Qin Wen, Luo Qian, and Zheng Guoping had all been talking about?

He remembered how, just before the school year started, the Vice Principal had contacted him, saying there was a student named Qiao Sang in his class.

If he ever saw her on her phone, he should turn a blind eye.

Then Qin Wen had called, saying that if this new student, Qiao Sang, couldn’t keep up in academic subjects, not to pressure her, as she was likely focused on her beast-taming training.

Luo Qian had advised him to subtly mention the benefits of coordination competitions in front of Qiao Sang.

As for Zheng Guoping…

Li Yi remembered that moment clearly. Zheng Guoping had specifically come to his office early in the morning, patted him on the shoulder, and sighed, “You’re lucky to have Qiao Sang in your class.”

Lucky? Lucky for what? To sacrifice a pair of glasses on the first day of school?

After a long pause, Li Yi finally asked, “Why did you choose to sit in the back of the classroom? Aren’t you worried about not being able to see the front?”

Qiao Sang: ???

---

September 1st was always a day the older students looked forward to, it was a day to watch the fun.

Many of the new students who were already familiar with Shengshui High School’s traditions eagerly awaited their chance to become the talk of the school.

It was time for the school team’s strength showcase.

To put it nicely, it was a demonstration of abilities; in less polite terms, it was a chance to embarrass oneself.

With the entire school watching, a single misstep could make you the subject of gossip until graduation, and might even directly disqualify you from the chance of dating early.

After all, they had all just become beast tamers. Why were you chosen for the school team while I wasn’t? Many freshmen harbored this thought.

The Shengshui Hall, the school’s largest arena, hosted major competitions and events.

The circular, tiered seating area was packed with students and teachers from all grades.

In each class, students discussed the upcoming opening ceremony.

“Did you hear? Apparently, anyone can go up and challenge the school team today. If you win, don’t you get to replace the losing member on the team?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“My cousin has a friend who’s a senior here, and that’s what she said.”

“No way, how would that even work? If everyone goes up and challenges them in succession, the school team members are bound to lose.”

“Supposedly, the school’s doctors are waiting backstage, ready to heal them after each match.”

“Well, I don’t stand a chance. I’ve only got a Cotton Bug.”

---

“I got some insider info. Three of the school team members this year are especially powerful.” Said a boy with a mushroom-cut hairstyle, holding a sheet of paper as he shared the details with the curious students around him.

“First, there’s Wang Jihang, who has a Bubble Bell. You know how powerful psychic beasts are.”

“Then there’s Lu You, whose family is loaded. He’s got a Young Dragon. I don’t need to tell you how terrifying dragon-type beasts are. If you want to win, avoid challenging him.”

“The last one’s a girl named Qiao Sang. She’s contracted with a Fire Fang Dog.”

Lowering his voice, the mushroom-cut boy added, “Reliable sources say the Flame Hound that caused a stir in our city recently is actually her beast.”

“No way!” The boy on his right gasped.

“She’s our age, isn’t she? She only became a beast tamer two months ago, right?”

“She’s an awakener, so it might have been a bit longer than that.” The mushroom-cut boy replied.

“That’s insane.” The boy on the right marveled.

“Our school really is impressive, with talent like that here.”

Just then, a boy who had been silent on the left spoke in a nasally voice, “How many Flame Hounds are there in our city now?”

The mushroom-cut boy rolled his eyes. “How many do you think? In our entire city, no, globally, there’s only one Flame Hound.”

Wang Yiding was stunned, realizing that the girl who had once helped him find his lost Crowned Meow was indeed his age…

“If you want to win, avoid challenging those three.” The mushroom-cut boy advised, then smirked.

“But if you want to make a name for yourself, wait until the students ahead of you exhaust their pet’s stamina before you jump in. Besides Qiao Sang’s Flame Hound, you might just have a shot against the other two.”

Long battles tested more than just energy and stamina; they tested endurance.

Endurance meant a pet beast’s ability to fight continuously over a long period, its resistance to fatigue.

While energy and stamina could be restored with healing skills or potions, endurance couldn’t.

Once a pet beast’s endurance was spent, those without strong willpower would become increasingly vulnerable in battle.

---

“Good morning, everyone. On behalf of the school leadership, I would like to warmly congratulate and extend a sincere welcome to all our new first-year students.” A man dressed in a white shirt, around six feet tall with a scholarly air and appearing about 24 years old, took the stage to speak.

“Welcome to the path of becoming a glorious beast tamer. But this is only the beginning! The world may be finite, but the pursuit of beast taming is boundless!”

Behind the curtain, all the special recruits peeked through a small opening, watching the scene outside.

Qiao Sang looked at the man speaking on stage and hesitated, “Is our principal really that young?”

“He’s not that young.” Lu You laughed.

“Guess how old he is?”

Qiao Sang thought for a moment, “Twenty-six?”

“Nope.” Lu You replied.

“Thirty-six?”

“Think big. Really big.”

“Ninety-six?”

Lu You: …

“I said think big, not think dead.” He sighed.

“He’s 48. He became a D-level beast tamer at 20, and thanks to the rebounding effects of his beast, he’s aged a bit slower.”

Qiao Sang was stunned.

She had always lived in a small circle, either at school or at home. Although she’d heard that the rejuvenating effects of beast companionship could keep tamers youthful, she’d only ever seen it online.

This was her first time witnessing it in person.

Of course, maybe she had met others like him before, but if they didn’t mention it, how would she know?

“Are you nervous?” Lu You asked as he glanced at the thousands of students seated outside.

“Nervous!”

Wang Jihang said as he clutched his chest, “I think my heart rate is at 180 right now.”

“Who asked you?” Lu You shot him a look.

“I was asking Qiao Sang.”

Wang Jihang: …

Qiao Sang paused before replying with excitement, “Nervous? No way! I can’t wait to get out there.”

Not only was she looking forward to the battle, but also the points waiting for her!