Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

"Ziiiing!!!"

The Magnemouse suddenly dashed into the corner of its cage, squealing in terror.

The person in the inner room merely rolled over in bed, continuing to sleep without reacting.

The Magnemouse had been causing a racket for the past two days, and while it initially annoyed the people inside, they had grown used to it by now.

These individuals had specifically purchased newly captured pet beasts to use as fresh ingredients, valuing the health and liveliness of the creatures.

In fact, they welcomed the noise, if there was noise, it meant the Magnemouse was still energetic. If it were listless, it would be rejected by customers.

Cowering in the corner, the Magnemouse trembled. It recalled its mother's warning that ghost-type creatures were even more terrifying than the Thorn-Tail Lizard on the mountain.

Its great-great-grandfather had been cursed by a ghost-type pet, transforming into a female Magnemouse, and it had spent its days in deep sorrow, eventually leaving its homeland.

Would it change genders too? Even if it returned to the mountain, no one would recognize it anymore!

The Magnemouse barely had time to feel relieved before the milk bottle reappeared inside the cage.

"Ziiing!!!"

"Xuun."

The little Treasure-Seeking Ghost quickly revealed itself.

The Magnemouse's screams abruptly stopped as it stared, dumbfounded, at the small ghostly creature before it.

It didn't seem as terrifying as its mother had described...

"Xuuun xuuun."

"Xun."

"Xun Xun, xuun."

The Treasure-Seeking Ghost tried his best to explain his intentions.

The Magnerat stared in confusion for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Ziii?"

"Ziii ziii?!"

The Treasure-Seeking Ghost nodded.

"Ziii!"

The Magnemouse cried out in excitement, nodding earnestly to show its full cooperation.

But in the next second, it deflated, looking despondent.

It pointed to the cage, then at itself.

"Ziii ziii."

"Xuun."

At that moment, the Treasure-Seeking Ghost removed its ring and placed the milk inside it.

The Magnemouse froze in astonishment.

It looked again at the little ghost, its eyes filled with admiration.

"Xun xun."

The Treasure-Seeking Ghost pointed at the ring, then at the Magnemouse.

"Ziii!"

Without hesitation, the Magnemouse jumped into the ring.

Once the ring was back on the Treasure-Seeking Ghost’s head, its figure vanished.

The dark room fell silent once more.

The people in the inner room, sensing nothing amiss, felt a calm satisfaction as the racket ceased.

---

Outside the complex.

"Why were you looking for Barbicon Grass on the mountain? Couldn’t you just order it online?"

"I wanted to save some money."

With nothing else to do, the two girls began to chat idly.

"What about you? Why did you come back to your hometown for the summer?" Ye Jingwen asked.

"I wanted to help Fire Fang Dog evolve." Qiao Sang replied.

Ye Jingwen was stunned, almost wanting to say something sarcastic.

You remember you’ve just graduated middle school, right?

If pet beasts could evolve so easily, the mountains of Qitang Town would be considered a hazardous zone by now!

But then she thought about everything Qiao Sang had accomplished recently and bit back her words.

Who am I to judge others? She thought.

I can’t even go up a mountain without risking a trip to the hospital, and here I am asking my cousin to save a Magnemouse that once saved me.

If she were a Beastmaster, would Zhang Huai have dared to bring his father along to catch the Magnemouse right in front of her?

In the end, they just don’t take me seriously.

While Ye Jingwen was lost in thought, Qiao Sang suddenly asked, "I heard from Third Aunt that you want to become a Spirit Plant Master?"

Ye Jingwen nodded shyly. "For independent admissions, 60% of the score is based on the Spirit Plant specialty, 20% on academic grades, and the remaining 20% on pet beasts. I want to give it a shot."

"You’re the biggest bookworm of our generation, other than me. I have high hopes for you." Qiao Sang said with a smile.

You? A bookworm?

Ye Jingwen was speechless. Still, Qiao Sang’s words lightened her mood considerably.

She was about to respond when Qiao Sang suddenly got on her bike.

"It’s done. Let’s go." Qiao Sang said, pedaling off.

Already?!

Ye Jingwen was stunned for a moment, then quickly suppressed her excitement, hopping on her bike and racing after her cousin.

They rode to a secluded spot, free of surveillance cameras, and finally stopped.

Under the dim streetlight.

"Xuuun~"

The Treasure-Seeking Ghost appeared and removed the ring from his head.

Reaching inside, it pulled out a small yellow figure that slowly appeared before Qiao Sang.

The Magnemouse gasped for air.

There wasn’t much oxygen in that ring, and it felt like it was about to suffocate inside.

After catching its breath, the Magnemouse looked around.

There was moonlight, a cool breeze, and the ghostly creature that had rescued it.

And...

"Ziii!"

The Magnemouse bristled in alarm, its body tensing up as its tail stood on end, weak sparks of electricity crackling around it.

Humans!

The Treasure-Seeking Ghost hurriedly stepped in front of Qiao Sang to explain.

"Xun!"

"Xun Xuuun!"

"Xun!"

Ye Jingwen: ...You didn’t notice the Magnemouse was about to attack me?

It really sucks not having a pet beast...

After the Treasure-Seeking Ghost’s explanation, the Magnemouse relaxed, but as soon as it did, it passed out from exhaustion.

---

The next morning.

Qiao Sang woke to find the Magnemouse and the Treasure-Seeking Ghost in her room, both drinking milk.

It had been too late last night, so Ye Jingwen suggested letting the Magnemouse sleep at her house, with plans to return it to the mountains in the morning.

Naturally, the Magnemouse ended up in Qiao Sang’s room.

If it had stayed at Ye Jingwen’s place, it would’ve likely electrocuted her at dawn without the Treasure-Seeking Ghost to translate.

Qiao Sang glanced at the time.

9:12 AM.

Still groggy from sleep, she was surprised.

This late? Normally, Yabao would’ve woken me by now...

Yabao?

Yabao!

In an instant, Qiao Sang fully woke up and formed a hand seal.

"Yap."

The Fire Fang Dog appeared in the star array, glaring at his Beastmaster with a wounded look.

Qiao Sang felt a bit guilty.

She had put Yabao into the Beastmaster Record last night to keep him safe but had been too tired to let it out later.

"Xun!"

The Treasure-Seeking Ghost greeted Yabao happily.

Yabao turned his head and saw the Magnemouse staring at it from beside the little ghost.

In rural towns, wild fire-type creatures were heavily monitored, and even in their primary form, they could easily cause wildfires.

Because of this, the Magnemouse had never seen a fire-type creature in the mountains.

"Yap?"

Yabao tilted his head.

Has my master already gotten a new pet while I was in the Beastmaster Codex?

---

10:20 AM.

At the foot of Huangming Mountain.

Since Ye Jingwen had to attend tutoring, Qiao Sang went alone to return the Magnemouse.

Huangming Mountain wasn’t far from Shuimao Road, just an eight- or nine-minute bike ride away.

"Ziii."

The Magnemouse cried out gratefully.

Though it had been dreaming of returning home for days, now that it was back, it all felt surreal.

After expressing its thanks, the Magnemouse hurriedly began running up the mountain.

But after a few steps, it turned around, noticing that the human who had sent the ghostly creature to rescue it was following behind.

"Ziii?"

"I need to go up the mountain anyway. Let’s go together." Qiao Sang said.