Dreams of Spirit Beasts

This was because each individual on Gaia had a different innate spiritual energy.

And in Montis, the country with the strictest Beast Master regulations, even a genius with exceptional talent would need to wait at least a year after they make a contract with their first Spirit Beast before they could form a contract for the second one.

Given Ash's own innate spiritual energy, as revealed by her spiritual energy tests, it would at least take four or five years of accumulation before she could consider contracting a second Spirit Beast.

This meant that her first Spirit Beast would have to meet all her needs for the next four or five years.

In such a situation, choosing her first Spirit Beast was a decision that would require careful thought and planning.

Of course, these concerns were currently irrelevant to Ash.

She didn't have the money to even entertain the idea.

What was she supposed to do—venture into the wild like a stupid protagonist, challenge a wild Spirit Beast barehand, and force it to make a contract with her?

Setting aside whether her combat skills were up to the task, the sheer size of some wild Spirit Beasts that were unrestricted by regulations was enough to send a shiver down her spine.

Ash had learned this the hard way when she first arrived in this world.

Back then, she naively assumed that the adorable, pet-sized Spirit Beasts she saw in the Town were all there was to them.

But these creatures were extraordinary beings with power comparable to modern firearms.

If not for the lack of spatial storage technology for Spirit Beasts and the habit of Beast Masters to keep them in their mini form for convenience, as well as strict urban regulations to maintain public safety, there was no way they'd look so harmless and cute.

Ash had even witnessed the Scorchupial that had just delivered her payment transform into its true form—a two-meter-tall, muscle-bound creature—while unloading goods for Mr. Gospodin when no one else was around.

Treating these little fluffballs as harmless mascots would be a fatal mistake.

So, cherish your life and keep your distance from Spirit Beasts.

This was the lesson Ash had learned during her two months living on Gaia.

Her current goal was to diligently study knowledge related to Spirit Beasts, striving to obtain certifications like a caretaker's or breeder's license in the future, so she could pursue work involving Spirit Beasts—a career with promising financial prospects.

As for going to college... it wasn't particularly necessary for Ash right now.

Unlike Earth, Gaia didn't place extreme importance on academic degrees.

If one didn't plan to become a professional Beast Master, it was better to learn a practical skill and start earning money sooner rather than burden an already difficult life with unnecessary student loans.

Most university majors on Gaia were closely tied to Spirit Beasts.

Without contracting one, even getting into such a program would be pointless.

Meanwhile, Ash knew she didn't have the brain for academic fields like culture or research that were unrelated to Spirit Beasts.