Qiao Sang was heartbroken.
So this is why you suddenly attacked the TV?!
She lifted Fire Fang Dog's head, ready to give it a proper lecture—
"Ka."
The door opened.
Qiao Sang slowly turned her head and forced a stiff smile. "Mom, you're back."
"Coo!"
Plump Pigeon immediately waddled over to her mother and rubbed against her affectionately.
Her mother looked at the wreckage in the living room and fell silent for a few seconds. Then she tilted her head, looked at Qiao Sang, and asked gently, "Do you have anything you'd like to say?"
Qiao Sang instantly hoisted Fire Fang Dog up in front of herself. "It was all him!"
Fire Fang Dog blinked its big, innocent eyes.
After locking gazes with the dog for a moment, her mother said, "We'll deduct it from your allowance."
Qiao Sang shot her an aggrieved look.
"Any objections?" her mother asked.
"No," Qiao Sang replied against her conscience.
Her monthly allowance was only 1,000 Alliance Credits. The TV had cost at least 4,000—losing four months' worth of allowance, of course she had objections.
"I went to your school today," her mother said, walking over and sitting down on the single sofa nearby. Plump Pigeon followed along.
"Was there something wrong?" Qiao Sang asked.
Fang Sisi had briefly mentioned it in her messages.
Instead of answering, her mother asked, "Do you have any high school you want to attend?"
Qiao Sang froze for a moment, then thought about it. "Hangang No. 6 Beast Taming High School."
Hangang No. 6 Beast Taming High School wasn't ranked sixth in the city—it was just called that. Among all the Beast Taming High Schools in Hangang City, its overall strength was considered mid-tier.
She chose it purely because it was close to home.
With Qiao Sang's previous grades, getting into a school like that would've been impossible. But now that she was a self-awakener, she could at least try through special recruitment.
Her mother took an admissions brochure out of her bag and placed it in front of Qiao Sang. "I think you should try applying to this school."
Qiao Sang picked it up, and her eyelid twitched.
"Hangang Shengshui High School?"
Her mother's expression didn't change. "Yes."
"Mom, aren't you overestimating me a bit?" Qiao Sang said helplessly.
She placed the brochure back on the coffee table.
Shengshui High School—ranked first among Hangang City's 108 Beast Taming High Schools and second in the entire Zhehai Province. With an advancement rate of 98.73%, it was a top-tier elite school.
Naturally, only the very best students of Hangang City could get in.
If there were still half a year until the high school entrance exam, Qiao Sang might've been willing to fight for it. But counting today, there were only nineteen days left.
There was absolutely no chance.
Since that was the case, why waste time squeezing out an opportunity to take Shengshui High School's special recruitment exam?
Qiao Sang didn't understand. Even if she was a self-awakener, wasn't her mother's expectation far too unrealistic?
Her mother looked at Qiao Sang calmly. "Sign up. You don't have to get in. As long as you try your best, I won't deduct your allowance."
Qiao Sang immediately grabbed the brochure from the table. "This has nothing to do with allowance. I just want to give it a try."
Her mother's mouth twitched. "Then go register online now."
"Coming right up." Qiao Sang picked up Fire Fang Dog and headed off.
Ye Xiangting watched her daughter's retreating figure, a smile flickering in her eyes. But when she recalled what had happened at the school that afternoon, her expression darkened again.
...
Qiao Sang returned to her room, turned on the computer, and signed up for both Hangang No. 6 Beast Taming High School and Shengshui High School.
The two schools were worlds apart in ranking, and their special recruitment requirements were very different as well.
Qiao Sang focused mainly on the self-awakener special recruitment sections.
Hangang No. 6 Beast Taming High School's conditions were fairly simple. After uploading proof of self-awakening and passing the review, the admission score would be reduced based on the degree of brain domain development. A 5% development granted a 100-point reduction from the city's minimum cutoff score; 6% granted a 200-point reduction.
Last year, Hangang City's minimum cutoff score was 332. If Qiao Sang's brain domain development reached 6%, she'd only need to score 132 on the entrance exam to be admitted through special recruitment.
Given her current academic level, that wasn't a problem.
Shengshui High School, on the other hand, was much more troublesome. The self-awakener special recruitment only accepted five students. After registration and document review, candidates had to participate in a pet beast battle at a designated time and place.
Students ranked second through fifth would still need to score 50 points above the city's minimum cutoff score in the entrance exam to be admitted.
Only the first-place winner enjoyed relaxed conditions—scoring the city's minimum cutoff would be enough.
Although self-awakeners were one in ten thousand, when considering the entire Zhehai Province together, there were still forty to fifty each year.
After excluding those recommended directly or choosing other schools' special recruitment, Shengshui High School still received over a dozen self-awakener applicants every year. After all, it was Hangang City's top-ranked school—this level of prestige was only natural.
Qiao Sang checked the details. Shengshui High School's special recruitment exam was scheduled for June 10th, one week before the entrance exam—twelve days from now.
Pet beast battles…
Qiao Sang pondered for a moment. Everyone participating in special recruitment would have awakened only this year, meaning their pet beasts would all be beginner-level. She had contracted a fire-type pet beast—she wasn't without an advantage.
Thinking of Fire Fang Dog, Qiao Sang paused, then let her consciousness enter the Beast Taming Codex.
[Name: Fire Fang Dog]
[Attribute: Fire]
[Level: Beginner (115/1000)+]
[Skills: Bite (Beginner 73/100)+, Tackle (Proficient 135/500)+, Fire Fang (Beginner 2/100)+, Ember (Beginner 3/100)]
[Points: 0]
Qiao Sang withdrew her consciousness and stared at Fire Fang Dog with a strange expression.
You got scared just watching TV and awakened an Ember skill?!
Was trading 4,000-plus Alliance Credits for a skill worth it?
…Honestly, it really was.
A pet beast's potential was limited. You couldn't judge its aptitude just by appearance. Beasts with good aptitude learned skills and underwent secondary awakenings far faster than ordinary ones.
If you were unlucky and contracted a mediocre beast, even spending an entire year might not result in learning a single skill.
Qiao Sang looked at Fire Fang Dog and fell into deep thought.
Her Fire Fang Dog had pretty good aptitude. Should she take it to watch a horror movie next time?
Fire Fang Dog shuddered involuntarily.
Why did it suddenly feel a little cold?
...
...
22:12 at night.
The world was quiet, utterly still.
Qiao Sang lay on her bed with both hands behind her head. A restless glint flickered deep in her eyes. After tossing and turning for a long time, she sat up and looked at Fire Fang Dog beside her, who was still full of energy.
After being stared at for so long, Fire Fang Dog looked confused.
"Ya?"
Qiao Sang spoke softly, gently. "I don't blame you for what happened this morning. Do you want to watch TV again?"
Fire Fang Dog remembered the morning incident and knew it had been at fault—the things inside that box wouldn't actually come out.
"Ya."
It nodded, saying it wanted to watch.
Qiao Sang picked up her phone from beside the bed, searched for the hottest recent horror movie, and placed it in front of Fire Fang Dog.
Fire Fang Dog watched intently.
A forest shrouded in thick fog. A girl dressed in white walking through it. From her perspective, a black shadow faintly appeared, floating in midair…
Qiao Sang didn't watch along. Her right hand rested on the phone as she carefully observed Fire Fang Dog's reaction, ready to pull it away at any moment
—-----==============
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