Chapter 41: Read More Books and Newspapers

"Defense Assessment begins now!" Director Liu announced from above.

The Gatling gun in the examination arena underwent a transformation, and a faint blue light appeared at the muzzle.

The rubber bullets were replaced with special projectiles.

The first to undergo the assessment was Xue Xuyu's Flame Bird.

Director Liu reminded, "If the contracted spirit encounters an unbearable situation, retract it immediately!"

However, such a situation was unlikely to occur. Once the contracted spirit's defense was breached, the assessment would be considered over, and the Gatling gun would cease firing.

Xue Xuyu nodded slightly, and the other students also retreated to a distance of one hundred meters.

"Da-da-da!"

The Gatling gun's muzzle began to rotate, emitting continuous bursts of blue light, displaying an awe-inspiring momentum.

The Flame Bird stood firmly on the ground, its eyes slightly closed, exuding a sense of tranquility.

Clearly, this level of attack posed no threat to it.

The Gatling gun's muzzle accelerated once again, and the intensity of the bullets seemed to have increased as well.

The difficulty continued to rise layer by layer, and the Flame Bird's expression gradually transformed from calmness to seriousness. In the end, it let out a screech, and a bullet hole appeared on its chest.

"Assessment concluded! Defense level: B!" the invigilating teacher shouted, recording Xue Xuyu's score.

One by one, the contracted spirits stepped forward to undergo the defense assessment.

Compared to the previous two tests, the scores for defense were generally lower. Apart from Xue Xuyu, only two individuals achieved a B level, and many received only an E level evaluation.

As each student took their turn, Chen Shu remained in last place until all the students had completed the test, and it was finally his turn.

The golden Slime resembled a large sphere, and as soon as it appeared, its eyes tightly shut. It even drooled a little, clearly immersed in a deep sleep.

Fang Ke said, "Chen Shu, awaken your contracted spirit."

The defense assessment was crucial now, and there was no room for mistakes.

If he received another F grade evaluation, Chen Shu would be out for sure.

"No need, let's start like this," Chen Shu shook his head, directly refusing.

The golden Slime possessed the talent Thick Armor, and its defensive capabilities tripled in its sleep. Its inherent talent, Sleepyhead, also increased its defense to some extent.

In other words, the Slime in its sleep state was the toughest.

"Let's begin," Director Liu nodded.

The rest of the students also turned their gaze and focused on Chen Shu's Slime.

In this final exam, Chen Shu could undoubtedly be called a dark horse. Whether it was his attack strength or his Beast Tamer level, he ranked at the top of the grade.

In fact, many students had never heard of Chen Shu's name before.

After all, just a month ago, he was still sleeping in the regular class and only recently transferred to the Beast Tamer class for sleeping.

"Da-da-da!"

The Gatling gun rotated again, and the muzzle shimmered with blue light, but the golden Slime remained motionless.

The thunderous snoring and gunshots intertwined, composing a strange melody.

"Ah...!"

Everyone was dumbfounded, stunned by this scene.

The intensity of the Gatling gun gradually increased, quickly reaching B level from the lowest F level.

Unlike the Flame Bird, the golden Slime's defense was not instantly broken; it continued to sleep soundly.

"Gurgle..."

Suddenly, the Slime opened its mouth wide and let out a yawn.

Some bullets even entered its mouth, and the Slime smacked its lips, swallowing them directly.

Many people widened their eyes, incredulously watching this scene. "Is this really the supposedly weakest Slime?"

Although it belonged to the special type of contracted spirit, the Slime was by no means rare.

Among F grade contracted spirits, Slimes accounted for at least 30%, not limited to golden color but appearing in various colors.

How could such a weak contracted spirit display such outstanding performance?

A group of people found it hard to accept this reality.

The B-grade assault lasted for nearly a minute, but the Slime's defense remained unbroken.

"Is there going to be a contracted spirit with A-grade defense?" Director Liu squinted his eyes, unable to help but wonder.

But just as the Gatling gun was about to escalate its attack level, the golden Slime vanished in an instant.

"Huh? What's going on?" Everyone turned their attention to Chen Shu, confused for a moment.

At this moment, options appeared before Chen Shu again.

[Option 1: Honestly admit that the Slime can no longer hold on. Reward upon completion: +5% Slime Defense]

[Option 2: Act cool and maintain a sense of mystery. Reward upon completion: Unlock new potion compendium: Defense Potion]

[Option 3: Leave the Beast Tamer Hall in a grand and cool manner, leaving behind a carefree silhouette. Reward upon completion: Swiftness Potion]

Was there even a need to hesitate?

The first and third options only provided temporary enhancements, while the potion compendium offered a long-lasting benefit.

Chen Shu looked at the others with a calm gaze and said, "Is this B-grade attack all you've got? Is this it? I don't think even an A-grade attack would be enough!"

"Teacher, record the score. With this A-grade attack, there's no need for me, the King of Tough Skin, to try!"

"..."

The onlookers were speechless. Was this guy really that pretentious?

However, they were genuinely unsure if the Slime could withstand an A-grade attack.

"Defense level: B!" The invigilating teacher finally recorded his defense level.

Although it was the same as Xu Xiaoyu's level, the teacher would naturally consider his defense score to be higher during the overall assessment.

"The exams for the Beast Tamer department conclude today, and the results will be sent to your phones," Director Liu announced. "I hope all students have a pleasant summer vacation!"

In the end, he gave Chen Shu a deep look, as his impression of this student had become incredibly profound.

Contracted spirits were peculiar, and their masters were even more unconventional, making it impossible not to remember them.

The people in the exam hall were in a pleasant mood. Although the exam results might not have been ideal, they felt relieved knowing that summer vacation was about to begin.

Of course, most people were still discussing Chen Shu and his Slime.

Some even approached him specifically to seek advice.

"Chen Ge, Chen Ge," a girl with a ponytail ran over.

"No need to be so polite, just call me 'Uncle,'" Chen Shu waved his hand.

The girl didn't catch on and asked, "I want to ask you how you cultivate your contracted spirit to make it so powerful."

Chen Shu rubbed his chin and earnestly replied, "Read more books, read newspapers, eat fewer snacks, and sleep more."

"Chen Shu, come with me!" Fang Ke called out.

Chen Shu was about to continue his deception, but Fang Ke suddenly stopped him.

"Remember, you must make your contracted spirit read more books and awaken its intelligence. My Slime can use a smartphone now," Fang Ke said.

The girl looked bewildered. Was she supposed to make her contracted spirit read books and newspapers?

Chen Shu and Fang Ke left the exam hall and arrived at the school's playground.

"Do you have confidence in getting into the special training class this time?" Fang Ke asked.

"One part effort, nine parts destiny. I'll only know the result when it's announced," Chen Shu replied, crossing his arms and resting his head, looking incredibly relaxed.

He couldn't feel any pressure at all. In just one month, he had become a Level 5 Beast Tamer. What heights would he reach in the coming year?

"You're really calm," Fang Ke's mouth twitched, then sighed, "I underestimated you before. I never expected your talent to be this strong."

"Talent is important, but it's not the most crucial factor." Chen Shu suddenly grinned, looking up at the sky.

"Oh? Do you think it's about effort?" Fang Ke was puzzled.

How could it be about effort? It must be some kind of cheat!

Chen Shu laughed but didn't respond, leisurely leaving the playground.

The lingering sunset cast his shadow long, very long.

Fang Ke's eyes had a dazed look, as if he saw a future great Beast Tamer.

...