Qiao Sang was casually scrolling through her phone when a thought crossed her mind. Without hesitation, she hopped off the bed, put on her shoes, and declared, "Alright, let’s go!"
"Yap!"
Yabao lit up with excitent. His eyes glead blue as he glanced at the window, which promptly swung open under his control.
Qiao Sang nimbly swung onto Yabao's back. Turning to Xu Yixuan, she said, "I’m just heading out for a quick stroll. I’ll be back before dinner."
"Yap!"
The mont his Beastmaster gave the word, Yabao leaped out of the window without hesitation.
A gust of wind blew through the room, causing the curtains to sway gently.
Xu Yixuan stared in disbelief at the now-empty window.
"Using the door was an option! Why jump out of the window?"
Her friend’s dramatic flair was almost too much to bear.
Shaking her head, Xu Yixuan summoned her Blaze Dog with a few practiced hand gestures.
"Want to go out and play?" She asked hopefully.
"Yap." It responded with a sidelong glance before closing its eyes and lying down.
Play? How childish.
Xu Yixuan: ...
---
Riding on her pet beast and soaring through the sky was an experience unlike any other. Airplanes couldn’t compare to the thrill of such freedom.
Qiao Sang sat comfortably on Yabao’s back, enjoying the view below.
"The wind is too strong." She said, adjusting her posture.
"Slower."
"Yap!"
"Lower."
"Yap!"
This was the joy of flying with a pet beast, adjusting speed and altitude at will, indulging in the sheer romance of flight.
Qiao Sang mused that even without pursuing a career as a professional Beastmaster, she could live a comfortable life offering joyrides with Yabao. Her thoughts were interrupted when sothing below caught her attention.
A boy was walking with a dium-sized dark blue bird-like beast by his side.
The sight of the bird intrigued her, as it wasn’t a species she recognized. However, what truly piqued her interest was the boy’s peculiar behavior. Every few steps, he bent down as if picking sothing up.
Initially, Qiao Sang admired his apparent commitnt to environntal protection. But as she focused, she realized he wasn’t picking up trash, he was picking up money.
"Yabao, slow down!" She said, patting his back.
"Yap!"
Yabao obeyed, reducing his speed.
Qiao Sang squinted, zeroing in on the boy’s hands. Sure enough, his palms were filled with coins.
Her jaw dropped. What kind of insane luck is this?
Just then, the boy bent down again, this ti picking up a red, hundred-credit bill emblazoned with the Alliance emblem.
Qiao Sang: !!!
If she had been rely envious before, now she was outright stunned.
Her gaze shifted to where the bill had lain monts ago.
Was I blind? How did I miss that?
It took a mont of self-doubt before Qiao Sang managed to compose herself.
So people are just luckier than others.
She comforted herself with the thought, recalling her own fortunate encounters. With a shrug, she redirected her attention.
A nearby high-rise caught her eye. On one of its balconies, a man and a woman appeared to be arguing.
Qiao Sang’s enhanced vision allowed her to discern their movents clearly. After a heated exchange, the man angrily removed his wig, pulling a 20-credit bill from underneath it and slamming it on the table.
The woman snatched the money with a cold sneer, tossing it into the air with a dramatic flick of her wrist.
The bill floated down, landing on a tree branch, where it was promptly snatched by a passing bird.
Monts later, a larger bird swooped in, startling the first into dropping the bill. The wind carried it further until it landed directly at the feet of a familiar boy.
He bent down to pick it up, and Qiao Sang’s gaze followed him upward.
Her heart sank.
It’s him again!
---
The next morning, Hui City Beastmaster High School was buzzing with activity. The chatter of students and parents filled the air as the competition day began.
"Which schools are competing today?"
"Apparently, there’s a livestream. Do you think I’ll get on cara?"
"I can’t believe it! I set my alarm for 7:30, and there’s already no room in the stands!"
"I heard that Shengshui High’s Beastmaster with the Fla Hound is competing here today!"
"Not just them. The Shengshui High team captain is here too!"
"And don’t forget Liu Zeru from Bear Peak High! He’s also competing!"
"Wow, with such strong contenders, how is Wu Chang from our school going to fare?"
"Relax. Half the participants advance to the next round. With Wu Chang’s luck, he’s a shoo-in."
In the front row of the stands, Xu Yixuan nudged Qiao Sang.
"What’s up with you? You’ve been zoning out since yesterday."
"Nothing." Qiao Sang replied after a pause. Then, after so hesitation, she asked, "Do you believe in favored children of fortune?"
"Of course." Xu Yixuan said with a shrug.
"So people are just blessed. You’re one of them, aren’t you?"
"Not exactly." Qiao Sang clarified.
"I an the kind who finds money every few steps, where bills practically fly into their hands."
Xu Yixuan thought for a mont before replying seriously, "Actually, I do know soone like that."
Qiao Sang perked up, taking a deep breath.
"Who?"
"The protagonist of The Fall of Calis."
Qiao Sang: ...
---
As the main competition began, the battle arenas were set to transform randomly for each match.
Although Hui City Beastmaster High was a small-town school, a governnt grant last year allowed it to upgrade its facilities, making it one of the few schools in Hanggang City capable of hosting such high-profile events.
This upgrade was the primary reason it was chosen as the venue.
Reviews
All reviews (0)