Chapter 15: Just Seeking One Defeat

But this competition takes place after the middle school exams, and the registration period hasn't even started yet; it's impossible to participate now.

There are restrictions at other battle training facilities of all sizes as well.

Places like the underground beast black contests, which are meant for gambling and entertainment, don't require beast tamers to be of any particular rank.

These types of competitions have a low threshold for entry; an E-rank beast tamer can participate, but those who join these underground contests are usually a motley crew.

Before the contest, participants must sign an agreement, not holding the organizers accountable for the life or death of their pet beasts during the battle.

In official competitions, if a pet beast loses the capability to fight, a referee will step in to stop the match in time, and there are medical teams standing by to treat the pet beasts.

But it's not like that in the underground beast black contests; these matches only end when a beast tamer concedes defeat voluntarily.

Those who come to these competitions are tough types and gamblers.

Some participate because they no longer care about the life of their pet beasts, which have little potential; some are in it for quick money, while others are purely seeking the thrill of violent excitement.

In short, this is not a place for middle school students like Qiao Sang.

The Fire-Toothed Dog is still too young, and Qiao Sang isn't ready to expose it to such cruel competitions all at once.

According to Qiao Sang's initial plan, she would train the Fire-Toothed Dog's speed and stamina after the middle school exams, then proceed to practice controlling its special moves once the basics were down.

Golden Finger could give the Fire-Toothed Dog a temporary boost in points through battle, but if its physical condition couldn't keep up and it couldn't control its own energy, it wouldn't be able to exhibit the combat power expected of a pet beast of its level.

If she wanted to make progress quickly, she couldn't afford to take it slow.

Only fighting could rapidly enhance the Fire-Toothed Dog's combat power.

Qiao Sang wanted controlled fights with limits, not fights to the death.

Besides official beast taming competitions and underground beast black contests, there are gyms, clubs, and exchange meetings in various areas where pet beasts can battle.

Gyms accept new members only twice a year and specialize in training beast tamers' pet beasts to master specific special moves; it's not the time for enrollment now.

Clubs simply require money, and Qiao Sang does not have the funds.

Exchange meetings are only for those who have appeared in official competitions and have been invited through invitation letters.

Most people usually have pet beast battles with friends around them for practice, but the people Qiao Sang knows haven't even awakened their brain domains, let alone engage in pet beast battles.

After summing it all up, there really is no place in Hangkang City where the Fire-Toothed Dog can fight properly.

Can she just randomly approach someone on the street and propose a pet beast battle?

If she happened to pick an E-rank beast tamer or higher, she wouldn't even know how she died.

Qiao Sang paced back and forth on the street, thinking hard.

Five minutes later, she carried the Fire-Toothed Dog and headed towards home.

Once home, Qiao Sang took off her school uniform and changed into her everyday clothes. Then she went to her room, wrote a few words on a piece of paper, tore it off, and put some tape in her pocket along with the note.

After that, she picked up her backpack and left the house.

…

Next to the thirty-seventh Beast Taming High School in Hangkang, South River Park.

"Hey, student, would you like some barbecue?" called out the auntie from her stall at the entrance to the park.

Qiao Sang checked the time, 4:27 PM, about an hour before the thirty-seventh Beast Taming High School would dismiss classes.

"I'll take 10 skewers of lamb," Qiao Sang said as she approached the barbecue stand.

"Do you want it spicy?" asked the auntie with a broad smile as new business arrived.

"No, thank you," Qiao Sang shook her head.

"Are you from this school? I don't think I've seen you before," said the auntie as she busied herself with the food but still found time for small talk.

"No, I'm here waiting for someone," Qiao Sang replied.

"I thought so, I would've remembered such a pretty girl if I'd seen her before," the auntie said with a laugh.

Qiao Sang smiled politely.

Having been praised for her looks since she was little, she used to be shy about it, but as she grew older, she became desensitized.

Five minutes later, Qiao Sang took the skewers of lamb, giving one to the Fire-Toothed Dog, which was almost drooling.

"Woof!"

The Fire-Toothed Dog barked joyfully, took the skewer with both paws, and started eating eagerly.

"What's the name of this pet beast? I've never seen it around here before," the aunt asked, unable to resist her curiosity as she stared at the Fire-Toothed Dog.

There's a chasm between Beast Tamers and ordinary people, dividing them into two separate worlds.

The situation they face after nine years of compulsory education is starkly different.

Although Beast Tamers hold a higher status than ordinary people in this society, ordinary people are also stratified.

Those with power, those without, the wealthy, the impoverished, those who run their own small businesses, those who work for others...

All of these statuses are determined at birth.

If one isn't born with these privileges, it's difficult for an ordinary person to access information about extraordinary creatures after the nine years of compulsory education.

Even though information is widely disseminated and all channels broadcast it, ordinary people don't have the time or energy to learn about it.

Just scraping by to support their family is hard enough for them.

The aunt in front of him evidently belonged to the lower echelons of ordinary people.

"It's called a Fire-Toothed Dog," Qiao Sang replied.

"Tooth." The Fire-Toothed Dog made a timely bark upon hearing its Beast Tamer introduce it.

The aunt smiled and said, "It looks so well-behaved. My son is also in junior high. When he graduates, I'll buy him one of these too."

Qiao Sang hesitated to speak.

Actually, what the aunt said wasn't wrong; aside from being a bit stubborn, her Fire-Toothed Dog was quite obedient...

"Tooth."

The Fire-Toothed Dog lifted its head to look at Qiao Sang.

Qiao Sang passed another skewer of lamb to it.

The Fire-Toothed Dog happily accepted it.

In the end, out of the ten skewers of lamb, they split them seventy-thirty, with Qiao Sang getting three and the Fire-Toothed Dog seven.

Qiao Sang walked over and sat down on a leisure chair nearby.

From here, she had a perfect view of the main gate of Beast Taming High School No. 37, and the location was ideal—any students passing through South River Park after school would be able to see her.

Qiao Sang put her backpack down and used tape to attach a piece of paper from her pocket onto it.

[Beast Taming Battle, Eager for Defeat]

There was also a small line of text in the bottom right corner.

[50 Alliance Currency per match]

This had been Qiao Sang's strategy after much thought.

If you were to ask where F-rank Beast Tamers were most abundant, the answer would definitely be high school beast taming institutions.

To cultivate a mid-level pet beast takes at least 1–2 years, so essentially all pets of first and second-year high school students remain at the initial stage.

The figure of 50 Alliance Currency was purely for amusement; Qiao Sang didn't really expect anyone to battle her for such a small sum.

Qiao Sang simply hoped to attract their attention. For high school students who had just become Beast Tamers, it would be seen as a form of entertainment, and there would always be some willing to compare their skills with hers.

She chose Beast Taming High School No. 37 because it was the nearest to her home outside her district.

Changing into a different school uniform before venturing outside her district was to avoid encountering acquaintances.

After all, standing outside someone else's school with a sign that reads "Eager for Defeat" was quite embarrassing...

Qiao Sang sat quietly on the leisure chair, holding her Fire-Toothed Dog.

Although Beast Taming High School No. 37 hadn't let out yet, there were still other people in South River Park.

As they passed by Qiao Sang, they couldn't help but turn their heads to look.

The message on the backpack seemed somewhat out of sync with the image of the young girl.

"Tooth!"

The Fire-Toothed Dog, seeing others glance over, bared its teeth and barked.

Well.

With the addition of the Fire-Toothed Dog, the image now fit...