Chapter 4: Taking a Leave
Chapter 4: Taking a Leave
Mother paused, "Isn't Fangflare too aggressive?"
When choosing a familiar, a Beastmaster undoubtedly considers attributes, talent, and potential.
However, for a new Beastmaster, the most important factor is the familiar's temperament.
Puffbirds, Sandfoxes, Shorttail Snakes, Sandgophers, and Deepfur Turtles are often the top choices for novice Beastmasters, primarily due to their gentle dispositions.
Familiars bred at the Familiar Base are not all docile and non-aggressive towards humans.
If an inexperienced Beastmaster bonds with a temperamental familiar right from the start, they won't be able to command it in battle, let alone train it.
Last year, a teenager who had just finished his high school entrance exam bonded with a Flame Finch. Within a few days, the Flame Finch preferred to suffer the backlash rather than remain bonded.
The teenager's brain domain was severely damaged, and it took him half a year to recover enough to start high school, falling far behind his peers.
Later, during an interview, it was revealed that the incident started because the teenager wanted the Flame Finch to pose for some photos to post on social media.
This news briefly trended for a few minutes.
Fire-type familiars are often rude and capricious, and Fangflare is no exception.
However, Qiao Sang didn't agree. It was impossible for all members of a species to have the same temperament; there were always a few with different personalities.
Otherwise, if every individual in a species had the same personality, how boring would that be?
"Mom, didn't you say I have the talent to control beasts? I think Fangflare would be a good fit for me", Qiao Sang said.
Fangflare is a fire-type familiar with strong offensive capabilities. After its first evolution, it would easily qualify her as an E-rank Beastmaster.
While Fangflare isn't as expensive as psychic-type familiars like the Bubble Chime, it still costs more than familiars like the Puffbird.
A Puffbird, a popular choice for new Beastmasters, costs around 30,000, while a Fangflare costs around 100,000.
Qiao Sang understood her family's financial situation and knew they could afford it.
"Alright, I'll take you to the Familiar Base tomorrow morning", her mother agreed, saying no more.
...
...
The next morning, Qiao Sang was woken up by her mother at dawn.
Under her mother's urging, she managed to get ready and have breakfast in just 10 minutes, and they were out the door by 7:06 AM.
Qiao Sang's eyes remained half-closed, clearly still groggy from sleep.
It wasn't until they were in the air that she started to wake up.
Hanggang Familiar Base is located in the suburbs, about 40 kilometers from the city center.
By the time the Fat Home Pigeon brought them to the Hanggang Familiar Base, it was already 8:31 AM, just in time for the base to open.
Due to the early hour, they were the only customers at the Hanggang Familiar Base.
There was no need for an appointment or to wait in line.
A female staff member, who looked to be in her thirties, greeted them with a professional smile.
"Can I assist you with anything?" she asked.
"We'd like to buy a Fangflare", her mother stated directly.
"Sure, please follow me", the staff member said, leading the way.
She was clearly experienced, keeping the conversation going to avoid any awkward silences.
"We currently have 27 Fangflares in the base, all of which are well-developed. Two are nearly ready to evolve, and 19 of the other 25 have already learned Spark.
"Seven of them have even mastered Fireball, standing a few centimeters taller than their peers. There are also five more..."
While they were being introduced, they had already arrived at the designated area for raising Fangflares.
Before Josang could get closer,
“Boom!”
An explosion suddenly sounded, and a flame struck a spot about five meters away from her.
Josang was startled.
She looked in the direction the flame came from.
Two Fangflares, clearly taller than the others, were baring their teeth, which were covered in flames, facing each other.
The teeth, enveloped in burning flames, were a skill almost all Fangflares inherited—Flame Fang.
The staff member, calm and collected, explained, “These two are about to evolve. They keep fighting to prove who is the strongest, but they always end up in a draw.”
As he spoke, flames flew around, and another one hit a spot about four meters from Josang.
Josang's scalp tingled.
The staff member pointed to a nearby bush, “The Spark just now was released by that Fangflare. It's quite powerful.”
Josang looked over and saw another Fangflare standing in front of it, the atmosphere not looking good.
Sure enough, the next second, the two started to tear at each other.
The staff member provided a live commentary, “They are rivals, fighting to win the heart of a female Fangflare. But it won't end in anything, because that female Fangflare likes another one.”
Josang: “...”
She thought for a moment and asked, “Where is the female Fangflare?”
The female Fangflare must have a better temperament than the males.
The staff member laughed, “That's the one cheering them on while they fight.”
Josang was taken aback. She looked again and saw a Fangflare with cleaner and smoother fur, standing by the bush, barking excitedly.
“Fight!”
“Fight!”
The staff member translated, “It's probably cheering them on. Even though it doesn't like them, it enjoys watching them fight for it.”
Josang: “...”
Josang was thrown into confusion, and the staff member, noticing that the mother hadn't spoken, asked, “Do you have a particular Fangflare in mind? I can bring it over for a closer look.”
The mother shook her head, “I’m here to accompany my daughter. She’s the one who wants to bond with a Fangflare.”
The staff member suddenly understood, “No wonder. Your daughter must have awakened on her own, right?”
The mother looked pleased, “How did you know?”
The staff member explained, “Today is Friday, and your daughter is still wearing her Wencheng Junior High School uniform, so she should be in her third year of junior high. It’s not yet the time for the annual Beastmaster League to awaken the brain domain. If she hadn’t awakened on her own, she wouldn’t be here to bond with a familiar. Besides, it’s not easy to get a leave from school at such a crucial time.”
All of that was just a guess.
She had just seen a girl from Wencheng Junior High School who had also awakened on her own, and her parents had brought her to bond with a familiar, which she had handled three days ago.
But what was it about Wencheng Junior High School that produced two children who awakened on their own in the same year?
She definitely had to discuss with her husband about taking a loan to buy a house in that school district. Her son was already in the fourth grade of elementary school.
The mother's smile gradually froze.
Josang came back to her senses and asked softly, “Mom, did you call my homeroom teacher to ask for leave today?”
The mother gave an awkward laugh, “Ha ha, how could I forget?”
“I remember you asked for leave yesterday, but today...” Josang raised a question.
“I asked for two days off yesterday!” The mother's voice involuntarily rose.
Josang said, “That’s good.”
She sighed inwardly.
She didn’t know if her mother had noticed, but her voice always got louder when she lied.
(End of Chapter)
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