Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

As Qiao Sang was grinning foolishly, her phone buzzed with a message from Fang Sisi.

Qiao Sang composed herself and opened the message. She noticed that her deskmate had sent eight or nine messages since yesterday.

【Why didn’t you come to class today?】

【I just heard that the old teacher called your mom yesterday. Is it true!!!】

【Did your mom find out you got a zero on the exam?】

【Why aren’t you replying to me?】

【Are you there?】

【Why didn’t you come to class today either?】

【Why is your mom at school again? Did something happen to you?】

【Have you vanished from the face of the Earth?】

Qiao Sang typed a response on her phone.

【I’m still alive.】

She quickly received a reply.

【Wow, so you’re still alive?】

【Why haven’t you been to school these past few days? You don’t know how angry the old teacher has been.】

Qiao Sang pondered for a moment.

【It’s summer now. Are you sure he isn’t just sunburned?】

……

After some small talk, Qiao Sang explained why she was absent.

Fang Sisi didn’t believe her at all.

It wasn’t that she looked down on Qiao Sang, but self-awakening only happened to those with exceptional talent.

It was usually the top students in school, and even the few who didn’t like studying were outstanding in other areas.

As for Qiao Sang, her grades were worse than Fang Sisi’s, so it was absolutely impossible.

Qiao Sang didn’t argue; She just took a photo of her self-awakening proof and sent it.

There was no response from the other side.

After about ten minutes, Fang Sisi finally replied.

Qiao Sang looked down and twitched her mouth.

【Forget not to remember your humble origins.】

……

Qiao Sang hadn’t forgotten about Fat Dove. After placing the food specifically for Fat Dove in front of it, she remembered herself.

She quickly made a simple bowl of egg fried rice to solve her hunger, and it was already 2:07 PM.

Perhaps due to the morning's activities, Fire Fang Dog was curled up on the sofa, sleeping soundly.

Qiao Sang didn’t disturb it.

She had originally planned to go to the Beast Tamer Center in the afternoon with the proof, but seeing how well Fire Fang Dog was sleeping, she changed her mind.

Qiao Sang quietly went to her room, picked up the book "Analysis of Extraordinary Creatures, Ninth Grade, Part 2," and settled on the bed to read.

She had just discovered, while checking the Beast Tamer Codex and information on self-awakened individuals, that the high school entrance exam (Zhongkao) was not as simple as her deskmate had said.

The Zhongkao covers only paper-based content.

Once awakened by magnetic waves, an additional brain domain development score is added, with 1% development adding 20 points, and 2% adding 40 points.

In a total score of 650, this additional score is relatively minor.

The Ministry of Education does value self-awakened individuals, and they release a series of policies for enrolling them each year.

However, none of the policies allow for admission to the Beast Tamer High School with a zero on the exam.

While vocational high schools might accept her, Qiao Sang wasn’t interested.

Self-awakened individuals can enter Beast Tamer High School through recommendation or special admission.

For recommendation, besides quotas, it also depends on the grades from the three years of middle school.

The student's information is sent by their school to the Beast Tamer High School they wish to be recommended to for qualification review.

Given Qiao Sang’s consistently poor grades, even if she were self-awakened, the school might be too embarrassed to recommend her.

The remaining option was special admission.

Each year, the 108 Beast Tamer High Schools in Hanggang City offer special admission policies. Each person can apply to two Beast Tamer High Schools for special admission.

Once their materials are reviewed and approved, they can take the corresponding exam.

Those who pass the special admission exam must also take the Zhongkao.

Only with a Zhongkao score that meets the specified standard can they enter Beast Tamer High School.

Although the required score varies among Beast Tamer High Schools, one thing is the same— the Zhongkao.

Qiao Sang felt a bit resigned. In the end, she still had to take the Zhongkao.

---

As the sun set, Fire Fang Dog's barking echoed in the living room.

Qiao Sang put down her book and left her room.

"Yap!"

Fire Fang Dog leaped into Qiao Sang’s arms.

Qiao Sang patted Fire Fang Dog’s head, her heart melting.

She had chosen Fire Fang Dog because it caught her eye, and she hadn’t expected it to be so well-behaved. Perhaps this was fate.

The two of them settled on the sofa and started watching TV.

Fat Dove, with its large size, settled on the floor.

Fire Fang Dog had never seen such a novel thing and looked on with excitement.

If not for being in Qiao Sang’s arms, it might have already darted to the TV and pressed its nose against the screen.

The TV was showing the weather forecast.

A neatly dressed woman spoke in standard Mandarin, "According to the weather doll's detection, tomorrow in Pantai City, the weather will be partly cloudy with temperatures ranging from 30°C to 36°C. It is recommended to wear..."

Fire Fang Dog’s eyes widened. Why was there a person inside the screen?

Qiao Sang changed the channel.

In the Beast Tamer Society, high ratings are achieved with Beast Tamers and extraordinary creatures.

Major TV stations clearly understood this, as every channel she flipped to featured reports related to Beast Tamers.

“Mr. Wang Dianao, is your relationship with Ms. Luo Tang real?” A reporter’s microphone almost poked the young man’s face.

“It’s real,” The young man admitted candidly.

“You both are going to participate in the major competition in the Yuhua region. If you face each other in the competition, will you go easy on her?” Another reporter asked.

“No, Luo Tang is an excellent Beast Tamer. If I face her, I don’t have a hundred percent confidence,” The young man answered with a smile.

“May I ask about your Armor-Treaded Bear…”

Qiao Sang changed the channel again. The screen shifted to a dark blue Thunder Horn Rhinoceros.

It had a fierce gaze, and its sturdy hind legs plowed the ground. Purple electric arcs covered its body, crackling with a sizzling sound, as if it might leap out of the TV at any moment.

Fire Fang Dog tensed up, its fur slowly bristling.

“The Thunder Horn Rhinoceros held its ground against the Black Wind Wolf’s Tornado! It didn’t retreat! It looks like it’s about to launch a special move. I wonder what Player Xu Zhou will do next!” The commentator excitedly narrated.

This was a replay. Various regions hold competitions every year, and the channel Qiao Sang was watching was dedicated to broadcasting Hanggang City’s Beast Tamer competitions.

The camera shifted to the Black Wind Wolf.

The Black Wind Wolf’s blue eyes held a murderous glint. It was covered in blood and panting heavily.

Its dark fur made the wounds less noticeable, except for the few drops of blood on the ground showing its injuries.

Fire Fang Dog relaxed.

“The Black Wind Wolf’s stamina has clearly decreased after using the Tornado…”

Before the commentator could finish, the screen switched back to the Thunder Horn Rhinoceros.

Its purple arcs intensified until it erupted outward, stretching about two meters.

“Bang!”

The TV emitted a loud explosion sound and shut off…

The air seemed to freeze.

Qiao Sang stared at Fire Fang Dog with a dazed expression, opening her mouth to say something but unable to speak.

“Yap!” Fire Fang Dog turned and burrowed into Qiao Sang’s embrace.

The big fellow from just now had frightened it!