Just as Qiao Sang was grinning foolishly, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Fang Sisi.
Qiao Sang quickly wiped the smile off her face and tapped it open, only then noticing that her deskmate had sent her eight or nine messages intermittently since yesterday.
[Why didn't you come to class today?]
[I just heard someone say that homeroom teacher called your mom to school yesterday— is it true!!!]
[Did your mom find out you got zero points on the exam?]
[Why aren't you replying to me]
[Are you there are you there]
[You didn't come to school today either!]
[Why did your mom come to school again? You're not in trouble, are you?!]
The last one had just come in.
[Did you evaporate from the face of the earth?]
Qiao Sang typed a reply.
[Still alive]
She got a response almost immediately.
[Waaah, so you're still alive]
[You haven't come to school these past two days, you have no idea how dark the homeroom teacher's face has been]
Qiao Sang thought for a moment.
[It's summer. Are you sure he didn't just get tanned?]
...
After chatting idly for a bit, Qiao Sang told Fang Sisi the reason she'd taken leave.
Fang Sisi didn't believe her at all.
It wasn't that she was looking down on Qiao Sang—it was just that self-awakening had always only happened to exceptionally gifted people.
Basically, it was always the top students in school. Even the extremely rare ones who didn't like studying would still be outstanding in other areas.
As for Qiao Sang—her grades were even worse than Fang Sisi's. Absolutely impossible.
Qiao Sang didn't argue. She simply went to her room, took a photo of the self-awakening certification, and sent it over.
There was no response from the other side.
More than ten minutes passed before Fang Sisi finally sent a message.
Qiao Sang looked down at her phone, the corner of her mouth twitching.
[If you get rich, don't forget me]
...
...
Qiao Sang didn't forget about Plump Pigeon. She went to the cupboard, took out the food specially prepared for it, and set it in front of the bird before finally remembering herself.
She simply made a bowl of egg fried rice to fill her stomach. By the time she finished eating, it was already 14:07 in the afternoon.
Probably from all the tossing about in the morning, Fire Fang Dog was curled up on the sofa, sleeping quietly.
Qiao Sang didn't disturb it.
She'd originally planned to take the certification and go to the Beast Taming Center again in the afternoon, but seeing how soundly Fire Fang Dog was sleeping, she changed her mind.
Moving quietly, Qiao Sang went into her room, picked up Extraordinary Creatures Analysis: Grade 9, Volume Two, leaned against the bed, and started reading.
It was only when she'd just checked information about the Beast Taming Codex and self-awakeners on her phone that she realized the high school entrance exam wasn't as simple as her deskmate had said.
The exam itself only tested written knowledge. After awakening through magnetic wave stimulation, an additional brain domain development score would be added—20 points for every 1%, 40 points for 2%.
Out of a total score of 650, that proportion really wasn't much.
The Ministry of Education did indeed place great importance on self-awakeners. Every year, they introduced a series of enrollment policies for them, but not a single one allowed someone who scored zero to enter a Beast Taming High School.
Vocational high schools were an option, but Qiao Sang didn't want that.
Self-awakeners could enter Beast Taming High Schools through two routes: recommendation admission and special recruitment.
Recommendation admission required not only a quota recommendation but also a review of one's academic performance over the three years of junior high. The student's school would send the relevant materials to the target Beast Taming High School for eligibility review.
With Qiao Sang's long-standing record of ranking third from last in her class, even if she were a self-awakener, her school probably wouldn't have the nerve to recommend her.
That left special recruitment—Qiao Sang's choice.
Every year, each of Hangang City's 108 Beast Taming High Schools released special recruitment policies. Each person could apply to at most two schools. Once the document review was approved, they could participate in the corresponding exams.
Those who passed the special recruitment exam would still have to take the high school entrance exam.
Only if their exam score reached the designated cutoff could they enter a Beast Taming High School.
Although each Beast Taming High School set a different cutoff score, one thing was the same—
The high school entrance exam.
Qiao Sang felt a bit helpless. In the end, it all still came down to the exam.
...
...
As dusk fell, Fire Fang Dog's cries came from the living room.
Qiao Sang put down her book and walked out of her room.
"Ya!"
Fire Fang Dog leaped up and jumped straight into Qiao Sang's arms.
Qiao Sang stroked its head, her heart melting into a puddle.
She'd only picked Fire Fang Dog because she had no choice and it happened to catch her eye. Who would've thought it'd be so well-behaved? This must be fate.
One person and one beast sat on the sofa and started watching TV.
Plump Pigeon was too big and sat on the floor.
Fire Fang Dog had never seen something so novel before—its eyes shone with excitement.
If it weren't for Qiao Sang holding it, it probably would've already run over and stuck itself right up against the TV screen.
The television was broadcasting the weather forecast.
A capable-looking woman in a suit spoke fluent Standard Mandarin. "According to detection by the Celestial Phenomenon Doll, Pantai City will be sunny turning cloudy tomorrow, with temperatures ranging from 30°C to 36°C. It's recommended to wear—"
Fire Fang Dog's eyes went wide.
Why was there a person trapped inside the box?!
Qiao Sang switched channels.
In a beast-taming society, if you wanted high ratings, beast tamers and extraordinary creatures were the real traffic magnets.
The major TV stations clearly understood this well. No matter which channel she switched to, it was all related coverage about beast tamers.
"Mr. Wang Dian'ao, is your relationship with Ms. Luo Tang real?" The reporter's microphone was almost shoved into the young man's face.
"It is," the young man admitted openly.
"You'll both be participating in the Yuhua Region Tournament next. If you encounter each other in the competition, will you go easy on her?" another reporter asked.
"No. Luo Tang is an outstanding beast tamer. If I face her, I don't have a hundred percent confidence of winning," the young man replied with a smile.
"May I ask about your Armored Treading Sharp Bear—"
Qiao Sang switched channels again. The image changed, and a dark navy-blue Thunderhorn Rhino appeared before Fire Fang Dog.
Its gaze was fierce. Its thick hind legs continuously plowed into the ground, while purple electric arcs crackled all over its body, making sizzling sounds, as though it would charge straight out of the TV in the next second.
Fire Fang Dog stiffened. Its fur slowly stood on end.
"The Thunderhorn Rhino held on under the Black Wind Wolf's Tornado! It didn't retreat! Judging by its posture, it seems like it's about to unleash a big move—what will contestant Xu Zhou do next?!" the commentator exclaimed excitedly.
This was a replay. Every region held various competitions each year, and the channel Qiao Sang was watching specialized in rebroadcasting Hangang City's beast tamer tournaments.
The camera cut to the Black Wind Wolf.
Its entire body was pitch black. Blue light filled its eyes with killing intent, blood staining its body. It panted heavily, and because its fur was black, the wounds weren't obvious—only the small amount of blood dripping onto the ground revealed that it was injured.
Fire Fang Dog relaxed.
"After using Tornado, the Black Wind Wolf's stamina has clearly declined—"
Before the commentator could finish, the shot switched back to the Thunderhorn Rhino.
Purple arcs of lightning surged more and more intensely across its body. When the electricity spread to about two meters beyond it, the beast finally charged forward.
"Boom!"
The TV let out a violent explosion sound—
—and died.
The air seemed to freeze.
Qiao Sang mechanically turned her head toward Fire Fang Dog, her gaze blank. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but before she could—
"Ya!"
Fire Fang Dog turned around and buried itself in Qiao Sang's arms.
That huge thing inside the box just now had scared it to death!