Qian Yun stood on the playground, skewering a meatball with a stick and popping it into his mouth.
His best friend Zhao Lang stepped in and blocked him.
"Dude, d'you think I'll awaken an S-Rank Beast Spirit in the power test today?"
"S-Rank? You'd be lucky to get a B."
Qian Yun skewered another meatball, nudged him aside, and the two laughed and jostled each other.
A hundred years ago, the core of Blue Star erupted, releasing an unknown substance. All life on Earth—plants and animals alike—began mutating wildly.
Under the assault of ferocious beasts, humanity's population plummeted, and civilization teetered on the brink of collapse.
It was not until the Awakening Pod was invented that humans finally gained control of a martial power called Beast Spirit, gradually regaining a foothold.
Powerful Beast Spirit Masters were eagerly recruited by top martial arts universities. After graduation, they were guaranteed fame, wealth, and status.
That was why every teenager dreamed of standing out at the Awakening Ceremony.
"The Beast Spirit Awakening Ceremony—begins now!"
"First, Bai Ling!"
A delicate young girl stepped into the silvery-white Awakening Pod.
The machine hummed to life. Seconds later, a burst of cyan light shot straight into the sky.
Within the pillar of light, a blue bird circled gracefully before merging into the girl's body.
"Bai Ling, C-Rank Beast Spirit—Blue Eagle!"
When she stepped out, a pair of translucent cyan wings unfolded gently behind her.
Yet her expression made it clear she was far from satisfied.
A C-Rank Beast Spirit meant her future martial arts cultivation would lag far behind those with higher ranks.
Zhao Lang grinned at Qian Yun and muttered, "Terrible for training… but great for food delivery."
"Next, Zhang San!"
"D-Rank—Shar Pei!"
"Li Si!"
"C-Rank—Husky!"
One animal name after another rang out. The scene was like a zoo convention, with barks and chirps echoing around—it was almost comical.
"Next, Qian Yun!"
"Go get 'em, bro! Don't forget to treat me if you make it big!" Zhao Lang called out.
Qian Yun snapped back to his senses, rubbed his stiff face, and walked onto the stage.
"Relax. Focus your mind," the proctor teacher instructed.
Qian Yun nodded and stepped into the pod. Nerves coiled tight in his chest.
This moment would decide whether he could give his parents a better life, whether he could earn enough to cure his little sister's illness.
Buzz—
A pitch-black pillar of light erupted violently above his head, imposing yet eerie beyond words.
"What color is that?"
"I've never seen black light during an awakening…"
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
One second. Two seconds.
From the black light, a tiny goat as dark as ink slowly drifted down and melted gently into Qian Yun's body.
A pair of curved tiny horns immediately appeared on his forehead.
"What… is this?" He was dumbfounded.
"Qian Yun, F-Rank Beast Spirit. Species unrecorded!"
Silence hung for a moment, then erupted into roaring laughter.
"F-Rank?! Hahaha, even that Shar Pei was D-Rank!"
"Unrecorded? Just a useless Beast Spirit not even worth documenting!"
Qian Yun stood frozen, listening to the mockery from all sides. His face didn't burn, but his chest ached.
He tried touching the little black goat in his consciousness. The creature stared back with round, innocent eyes.
He sighed softly. It was fate, he supposed. He walked off the stage quietly.
Zhao Lang clapped him on the shoulder.
"Next, Wu Xin!"
Qian Yun's head shot up instinctively. Wu Xin was his girlfriend.
Qian Yun was smart, good-looking, and had almost no flaws besides his ordinary family background.
Lately, their relationship had grown dull. They chatted occasionally, copied homework together, and the spark between them was fading fast.
Wu Xin stepped steadily onto the stage and into the Awakening Pod.
In an instant, red light exploded!
A snow-white demon fox stepped elegantly from the pillar of light, nine tails swaying softly, eyes like glazed crystal.
"Wu Xin, A-Rank Beast Spirit—Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!"
The entire arena erupted. A-Rank! It meant her life would change completely—her future was limitless.
As Wu Xin walked offstage, her gaze swept the crowd, paused for a split second on Qian Yun, her lips twitching as if she wanted to say something. In the end, she quickly looked away.
Watching her being surrounded by envious classmates, Qian Yun felt an even deeper emptiness in his heart.
"I'm home."
Pushing open the door, Qian Yun tried to look relaxed, but the gloom in his eyes betrayed him.
"Son's back! Xiao Xing, come eat!" His father Qian Miao carried a steaming dish from the kitchen, his smile a little forced.
Rarely, a plate of mutant wolf meat sat on the table. The deep-red chunks glistened with oil, the aroma rich and inviting. A meal like this was a once-a-year luxury for their family.
The four of them sat around the old wooden table. The quiet felt heavy.
"Xiao Yun," his mother Chen Lan said softly, "Your head teacher called me… It's okay. Even without a strong Beast Spirit, we can still live a good life."
Qian Yun nodded and looked down to eat.
"Big brother! Don't be sad! I'll make lots of money and support you when I grow up!" His little sister Qian Xing blinked and smiled, revealing two tiny tiger fangs.
But the dark purple poison patches spreading from her neck up to her cheek stabbed Qian Yun's heart.
The doctor said she had at most five years left. This was already the third.
Treatment cost hundreds of thousands every year, crushing the family under debt.
If only he could become a high-rank Beast Spirit Master… If only…
Qian Yun picked up a piece of mutant wolf meat, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed mechanically.
Suddenly, he froze.
A few lines of small characters appeared before his eyes, out of nowhere.
[Congratulations! You have awakened the Taotie Beast Spirit!][Rank: F-Rank][You have devoured mutant wolf meat.][Strength +0.1, Taotie EXP 0.1/100]
Qian Yun stared for two seconds, then his eyes slowly widened.
He grabbed a big forkful of vegetables and ate them too.
[Strength +0.2, Taotie EXP 0.2/100]
"Haha… hahaha…"
A low, uncontrollable laugh escaped his throat.
"Hehe… hehehehe…"
"Mom, is big brother okay? Did he snap?" Qian Xing tugged at Chen Lan's sleeve worriedly.
Chen Lan touched Qian Yun's forehead. His temperature was normal.
Qian Yun waved her off, a grin spreading wildly across his face, laughing louder and freer by the second.
That little black goat wasn't a goat at all—it was the legendary ancient ferocious beast, the Taotie!
Heaven never cuts off all paths. From today on, would he rise to greatness… by eating?
He still wasn't sure what Taotie EXP was for. Could this thing even evolve?
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Qian Yun grinned, grabbing another huge chunk of meat. "I just suddenly… have a really good appetite."
The other three watched him eat like a storm, assuming he was turning his frustration into food. They exchanged glances and smiled softly.
In the small room, under warm yellow light, another ordinary, warm dinner unfolded.
Qian Yun had only one thought now.
The college entrance exam was in one month. If he ate like crazy, trained hard, and leveled up in that time—his future was still full of hope!
Just as he thought this, his phone buzzed.
[Wu Xin: Let's break up.]