Chapter 15: Seeking Defeat
Chapter 15: Seeking Defeat
However, this competition is after the High School Entrance Exam, and the registration period hasn't even started yet, so there's no way to participate now.
Other large and small combat training venues also have their own restrictions.
Places like the Underground Familiar Black Market, which are specifically for gambling and entertainment, don't have any requirements for Beastmasters to reach a certain level.
These types of matches have low entry barriers, and even E-Rank Beastmasters can participate. However, the participants in these underground matches are often a mix of roughnecks and gamblers.
Before the match, participants have to sign a waiver, agreeing that the fate of their familiars in combat is their own responsibility.
In official matches, if a familiar loses its fighting ability, a referee will promptly end the match, and there are dedicated medical teams on standby to treat the familiars.
The Underground Familiar Black Market is different. These matches only end when one Beastmaster concedes defeat.
The participants here are all tough individuals and gamblers.
Some don't care about their familiars' well-being because their familiars have little potential, some are after quick money, and others are purely seeking the thrill of violent stimulation.
In short, this is not a place for a middle school student like Qiao Sang.
Fangflare is still too young, and Qiao Sang doesn't want to expose it to such brutal matches right away.
Originally, Qiao Sang planned to focus on training Fangflare's speed and stamina after the High School Entrance Exam, and then work on controlling its Signature Move once the basics were solid.
The Golden Finger can give Fangflare a Points boost through short-term battles, but if its physical attributes can't keep up, it won't be able to control its energy and won't be able to perform at the level of a familiar of the same rank.
To improve quickly in a short time, she can't take it slow.
Only combat can rapidly enhance Fangflare's fighting ability.
Qiao Sang wants controlled sparring, not death matches.
Apart from official Beastmaster competitions and the Underground Familiar Black Market, there are Training Halls, Clubs, and Exchange Meets in various regions where familiars can battle.
Training Halls recruit every six months and specialize in helping Beastmasters train their familiars' Signature Moves, but it's not the registration period now, so she can't enter.
Clubs are purely for money, and Qiao Sang doesn't have any.
Exchange Meets are invitation-only, and only those who have made a name in official matches are invited.
Most people usually spar with their friends, but Qiao Sang doesn't know anyone whose brain domain has awakened, let alone someone who can engage in familiar battles.
After summarizing everything, she realized that there was no place in the entire Hanggang City where Fangflare could have a proper battle.
Should she just randomly approach someone on the street and ask for a familiar battle?
If she picked a D-Rank or higher Beastmaster, she might not even know how she died.
Qiao Sang paced back and forth on the street, thinking seriously.
Five minutes later, she picked up Fangflare and headed home.
Qiao Sang got home, changed out of her school uniform into casual clothes, and then went to her room. She wrote a few words on a piece of paper, tore it off, and took a roll of tape with her.
Then she put on her backpack and left.
...
Next to Hanggang No. 37 Beastmaster High School, South River Park.
"Classmate, would you like some barbecue?" An auntie at a stall by the park entrance called out.
Qiao Sang checked the time: 4:27 PM, about an hour before the third-seventh Beastmaster High School let out.
"Ten skewers of lamb, please." Qiao Sang approached the barbecue stall.
"Would you like it spicy?" The auntie asked with a smile, happy to have a customer.
"No, thank you." Qiao Sang shook her head.
"Are you a student here? I don't think I've seen you before." The auntie chatted while working on her skewers.
"No, I'm here to wait for someone", Qiao Sang replied.
"I thought so. A girl as pretty as you, I wouldn't forget if I had seen you before", Aunt laughed.
Qiao Sang gave a polite smile.
She had been complimented frequently from a young age. As a child, she would blush, but as she grew older, she became numb to it.
Five minutes later, Qiao Sang took the skewers and handed one to Fangflare, who was almost drooling.
"Tooth!"
Fangflare let out a cheerful bark, took the skewer with both paws, and started eating.
"What's your familiar's name? I've never seen one like this before", Aunt asked, her eyes fixed on Fangflare.
There was a vast gap between Beastmasters and ordinary people, dividing them into two entirely different worlds.
After nine years of compulsory education, their paths diverged drastically.
However, in this society, while Beastmasters held a higher status than ordinary people, there were still different levels among ordinary people.
Those with power and those without, the wealthy and the poor, small business owners, and employees...
These distinctions were often determined by birth.
Without being born into such circumstances, it was difficult for ordinary people to gain access to information about supernatural creatures after their compulsory education.
Even with the widespread dissemination of information, ordinary people had neither the time nor the energy to delve into it.
They struggled enough just to make ends meet.
The Aunt in front of Qiao Sang was clearly from the lower rungs of ordinary society.
"It's called Fangflare", Qiao Sang replied.
"Tooth." Fangflare barked when it heard its Beastmaster introduce it.
Aunt laughed, "It's so well-behaved. My son is in middle school now. When he graduates, I'll buy him one of these."
Qiao Sang hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Actually, her Fangflare was quite well-behaved, except for being a bit mischievous...
"Tooth."
Fangflare looked up at Qiao Sang.
Qiao Sang handed another skewer to Fangflare.
Fangflare happily accepted it.
In the end, the ten skewers were split three for Qiao Sang and seven for Fangflare.
Qiao Sang sat down on the nearby lounge chair.
From here, she had a clear view of the entrance to the Thirty-Seventh Beastmaster High School. The location was perfect; students passing through South River Park after school would see her.
Qiao Sang took out a piece of paper from her bag, taped it to her backpack, and wrote:
[Familiar Battle, Seeking Defeat]
In the bottom right corner, she added:
[50 Union Coins per match]
This was the plan Qiao Sang had thought of after much consideration.
If there was one place where F-class Beastmasters were most common, it was the high schools for Beastmasters.
Cultivating an intermediate familiar took at least one to two years, so most first and second-year students' familiars were still at the junior stage.
The 50 Union Coins was purely for fun; Qiao Sang didn't expect anyone to challenge her just for the money.
She just wanted to attract their attention. For these newly minted Beastmaster high school students, it would be a form of entertainment, and someone would surely be willing to challenge her.
She chose the Thirty-Seventh Beastmaster High School because it was the closest school to her home district.
Changing into her school uniform before leaving her district was to avoid running into anyone she knew.
After all, standing outside someone else's school with a sign that read "Seeking Defeat" was quite embarrassing...
Qiao Sang sat quietly on the lounge chair with Fangflare.
Although the Thirty-Seventh Beastmaster High School hadn't dismissed yet, there were still other people in South River Park.
As they passed by Qiao Sang, they couldn't help but turn and look.
The content on the backpack seemed out of place with the image of this young girl.
"Tooth!"
Fangflare growled at the onlookers.
Well, with Fangflare around, it fit perfectly...
(End of Chapter)
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