Beast Taming: I Can Add Points

”Today is the first quiz. It’s a chance to display and check the results of our prior training.”

”At the end of this month is the Huai City Beast Taming High School Freshmen League. Students with outstanding overall scores can be recommended for the first-year group, so please take every quiz seriously!”

”However, friendship comes first and competition second. The most important thing is to use the feedback from these battles to help your respective Pet Beasts identify and shore up their weaknesses...”

At the entrance to the school’s Battle Hall, Zhou Shengfa, the homeroom teacher for Class 1410, once again emphasized the key points.

The students were all listening attentively, and Teacher Zhou was very satisfied.

But when he saw Su Zhi spacing out again, Zhou Shengfa’s smile faded, and a trace of disappointment flickered across his face.

In truth, he felt that Su Zhi didn’t need to be here.

His Pet Beast hadn’t even mastered the most basic Entry-level Skill, so how could there be any talk of shoring up weaknesses?

’No obstacle is insurmountable, but once you choose to give up, there’s absolutely no turning back.’

’Hopefully, today’s quiz will be a wake-up call for him.’

As their homeroom teacher, Zhou Shengfa himself was looking forward to seeing Su Zhi learn to turn back from the brink after getting knocked down a peg.

At this moment, Teacher Zhou had yet to realize the gravity of the situation.

Not only did Su Zhi have no intention of turning back from the brink, he was about to usher in the Great Age of Discovery...

·

”#13 Su Zhi & Yu Bao (Yu Dian Dog) vs. #26 Liu Yuhang & Xue Li (Hao Waterfowl)”

The text slowly scrolled across the large screen in the hall.

Yu Bao was thrilled. ”Woof woof! Woof woof!” ’It’s our turn!’

”Yep, let’s go!” Su Zhi also wanted to see the effects of adding those points.

In contrast to the energetic Envoy’s Pet, it was Su Zhi’s opponent who seemed a little disappointed.

”Brother Shu, how’d I end up against you? How am I supposed to fight this?”

Su Zhi blinked. ”Friendship comes first, competition second, right?”

”Uh, that’s not what I meant... I’ll just be honest.”

Liu Yuhang scratched his head. ”We trained really hard this week. Xue Li’s Real-time Energy Value has already broken 170. I thought I’d get matched with an evenly-matched opponent... didn’t expect to get the guy at the bottom of the ranks.”

Xue Li let out a taunting quack, ”Quaaack~” ’Weakling~’

Yu Bao wanted to snap back, but it looked at its master first.

”We’ll see if we’re evenly matched after we fight,” Su Zhi said calmly.

Yu Bao had an epiphany.

’As expected of a Beast Tamer.’

’One whose heart rages like a thunderstorm but whose face remains as calm as a placid lake can be a great general!’

And so, Yu Bao also gave a calm smile: ⌓‿⌓​

Xue Li: (艹⊝艹)?

’What is this?’

’I’m ranked second in the class, and I’m being looked down on by the dumb little dog who’s dead last?!’

Although the two Beast Tamers were classmates on good terms, their two Pet Beasts had already started a silent rivalry.

The Tamer may endure, but the duck cannot!

The referee teacher walked to the observation post and pressed the Race Bell.

The match began!

”Xue Li, start with Flowing Shield!”

Liu Yuhang issued the command to Xue Li through his Beast Taming Space.

With a ”QUACK,” streams of water continuously gathered in front of Xue Li, forming a shield-like surface as they spun at high speed.

This was the third week since forming their contracts, and most Pet Beasts had only learned one skill. Their Racial Skills had also mostly not been awakened yet.

Following the curriculum, he had Xue Li train in Flowing Shield first.

This was the Hao Waterfowl’s Entry-level Skill. It was primarily defensive, but could also be used for a defensive counterattack by manipulating the Water Shield to fly forward and create an impact.

In contrast, the Yu Dian Dog’s first skill was Rock-Breaking Teeth, which used Earth Element Energy from within its body to strengthen its bite. It was a close-quarters offensive skill and was, to some extent, countered by Flowing Shield.

And this was Su Zhi’s Yu Dian Dog, no less.

’It probably doesn’t even know how to use Rock-Breaking Teeth!’

His Hao Waterfowl had already trained Flowing Shield to Tier One or higher, mastering both its uses. It could attack and defend with equal ease.

Liu Yuhang’s Beast Taming Talent wasn’t bad either—Ocean Affinity, which gave his Ocean Pet Beasts a certain bonus to all attributes.

Although the Hao Waterfowl was a freshwater Pet Beast... that wasn’t important! It still got a bonus!

’I haven’t heard what Su Zhi’s talent is, but with a Pet Beast that lame, his talent doesn’t matter anyway.’

’No matter how you look at it, the advantage is mine in this fight.’

In the audience, the other students were also murmuring amongst themselves:

”The academic rep’s ducky is so amazing! It can already use Flowing Shield so smoothly?”

”The academic rep and Xue Li are both so diligent. They finish all their training every day. Old Ban even praised them.”

”But Su Zhi looks so cool and calm...”

”Sob, the silly little doggo is going to get beaten up.”

However...

Liu Yuhang: ”???”

When he saw Yu Bao use Earth Force Field, he was completely dumbfounded.

’Wait, aren’t you a Yu Dian Dog?’

’Since when does a Yu Dian Dog learn Earth Force Field?!’

And what’s more... Yu Bao’s Earth Force Field actually looked pretty legit!

There was a Stone Armor Rhinoceros in the next class that learned Earth Force Field according to the exam curriculum, and even it wasn’t this smooth!

Liu Yuhang suddenly felt like this was a big problem.

To better simulate a real battle, the arena randomly mimicked a natural environment. Aside from a pure-water environment, almost any natural setting would have earth!

Under Yu Bao’s control, more and more particles of earth attached themselves to the Flowing Shield.

The water currents were continuously absorbed by the earth particles, and the entire shield was rapidly shrinking.

’At this rate, the Flowing Shield will be sucked dry by Yu Bao!’

”Xue Li, throw the shield and counterattack! Maintain your positioning!”

As a hardworking model student, Liu Yuhang wasn’t a pushover. After a brief moment of panic, he quickly formulated a new strategy based on the curriculum.

Generally speaking, the ones that mastered Earth Force Field were large, Earth Element Pet Beasts like the Stone Armor Rhinoceros.

They weren’t very agile.

’Su Zhi’s dumb little dog falls over just from chasing its own tail. Nothing to be afraid of.’

’According to the tactical advice in the exam curriculum, I just need to keep my distance and wear it down by exploiting its lack of agility!’

’Not a big problem.’

And then—

Liu Yuhang was dumbfounded for the second time.

The instant Xue Li moved, Yu Bao moved too, and at an even faster speed, it began to reverse-kite Xue Li!

Following its master’s command, Xue Li continuously counterattacked with its Flowing Shield.

However, Yu Bao was always able to dodge in advance, not even getting hit by a single drop of water.

What she could see was that the silly little dog was just too good at dodging, its agility was unbelievable.

What she couldn’t see was that under the cover of the Earth Force Field, Yu Bao could roughly predict her attack trajectory by sensing the changes in the earth particles near the ground...

The situation quickly turned into a one-sided steamroll.

Relying on the dual advantages of its overt and hidden cards, Yu Bao quickly surrounded Xue Li, spinning and spinning and spinning—

Tail-Chasing, Li Style: Tornado Destroys the Parking Lot!

Liu Yuhang couldn’t take it anymore.

’Who am I? Where am I?’

’Why did I have to run into such a bizarre opponent?’

Xue Li couldn’t take it anymore either.

She really... didn’t have a single drop left...

Unable to form a Flowing Shield, a panicked Xue Li tried to take flight and escape.

This was exactly what Yu Bao was waiting for. It leaped into the air and landed a skillful Skybound Strike right on her duck butt.

”QAQ QUAAAAACK~~~~”

SPLAT.

Xue Li was kicked out of the arena. It flopped around twice like a salted fish, unable to get up again.

”...”

”...”

The referee’s expression was frozen. He stared blankly for a good while before he finally reacted and announced the result of the quiz—

Number thirteen, Su Zhi’s Envoy’s Pet, wins!

”Woof woof!”

”Nice one!”

Su Zhi was also beaming with joy.

It wasn’t because he had won, but because he’d discovered that his Free Attribute Points had risen to 0.04!

In this battle, Yu Bao had adapted to the situation and made combined use of Earth Force Field and Skybound Strike. The improvement in its practical skill proficiency was definitely much greater than what could be gained from simple training.

’Looks like I’ll have to find more opportunities for real battles from now on.’

As for victory or defeat itself, Su Zhi didn’t care that much. As long as there was progress, it was a good thing.

Of course, winning was even better.

Su Zhi walked off the arena, contemplating how to allocate his new points.

After a poke from Yu Bao, he finally noticed his classmates were looking at him in a whole new light.

Especially Old Ban, whose eyes were wide as saucers, completely oblivious to his crooked wig.

Su Zhi blinked, a little embarrassed.

’How strange. Why is everyone looking at me like that?’

’It’s just a quiz. Isn’t it normal for there to be winners and losers?’