Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1

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On the battlefield, all the water droplets splashed by the Water Gun were now suspended midair under the influence of Psychic power.

The opponent wanted to force Lubao out… With just a glance, Qiao Sang saw through the plan.

The trait Melting water wasn’t unbeatable. As long as the water it had merged into was disturbed, the beast using Melting water would be forced out.

In the past, Lubao’s Melting water seemed invincible mainly because her opponents weren’t skilled enough to figure out which puddle she had merged into.

But now that Big-mouth Ai was controlling every drop of water, there was no way to hide.

Qiao Sang’s mind raced, strategizing the next move.

The biggest issue right now was Defensive Swap.

Big-mouth Ai had never used Defensive Swap in previous matches. It was unlikely that they had been hiding it all this time, more likely, it had only recently learned the move.

If that was the case, then its proficiency was probably still at a beginner level, meaning the duration of the swap would be limited.

Wait... How long was the duration for a beginner-level Defensive Swap again…? Never mind. Change the approach.

If the duration was uncertain, then the safest move was to ensure that Lubao was in a place completely unaffected by Ice Flower Seal.

There wasn’t time for a long command, and if she spoke too precisely, the opponent would catch on and counter. This was a test of Qiao Sang's synchronization with Lubao.

“Smash!” Tian Xiaoyun commanded, her expression eager.

Defensive Swap was a skill Big-mouth Ai had only learned two days ago. Its success rate was just 60%.

Using an unreliable skill in a match was a gamble, but at that moment, it had been the best option.

Otherwise, she would’ve had to fend off Ice Flower Seal while also dealing with Ice Xilu’s attacks, which would’ve been impossible to maintain for long.

She hadn’t expected it to work on the first try, and the effect was so significant!

Ice Xilu’s biggest threats were Healing Light and Ice Flower Seal.

Big-mouth Ai didn’t have any moves strong enough to one-shot Ice Xilu, but now, with Defensive Swap, Ice Xilu was vulnerable to its own Ice Flower Seal! ℞₳ꞐÒВƐṢ

As long as Ice Xilu was forced out before the swap ended, this battle was over!

“Big!”

Big-mouth Ai’s eyes glowed blue as it looked down.

All the suspended water droplets instantly dropped straight down.

At that moment, Qiao Sang commanded, “Jump. Toward the opponent.”

Jump toward the opponent? Big-mouth Ai?

Tian Xiaoyun wasn’t concerned.

Even if Ice Xilu approached Big-mouth Ai, what could it do? The falling Ice Flower Seal would slow it down, and getting too close would trigger its headache.

Did Qiao Sang think she’d make Big-mouth Ai stop using Psychic and teleport away just because of that command?

Not happening.

The water droplets fell.

One of them suddenly trembled violently.

Big-mouth Ai’s Psychic could’ve held Lubao in place for a while, but it was currently spread too thin controlling all the water droplets. A bit of struggling was all it took for Lubao to break free.

The trembling droplet moved forward in an unnatural arc before hitting the ground.

The moment it landed, two Ice Flower Seal blossomed on Lubao.

“Lu!”

Lubao gritted her teeth, her body glowing blue. She then leaped sharply, reaching a still-descending water droplet ahead.

At that moment, the Ice Flower Seals on Lubao disappeared for a second.

In that instant, Lubao melted into the new water droplet.

That works? Tian Xiaoyun froze, struggling to process it.

Healing Light and Melting water could be used like that?

She exhaled slowly. No problem! The advantage was still on her side.

Now that Ice Xilu’s new location was clear, she just needed to tighten the Psychic control. If it tried the same trick again, she’d strike the moment it reappeared!

Just as that thought formed, Lubao had already completed her second jump.

Now, it was one leap away from Big-mouth Ai.

“Big!”

Big-mouth Ai, a seasoned fighter, acted instinctively before its trainer even spoke. Its Psychic power focused, trying to hold the opponent in place.

“Big?”

But the moment it focused its Psychic, Big-mouth Ai froze.

Where was the opponent?

The battlefield fell silent.

From the audience’s perspective, Ice Xilu had jumped toward Big-Mouth Ai and then disappeared.

Tian Xiaoyun frowned.

“Again!”

“Big!”

Big-mouth Ai floated higher, its eyes glowing blue.

The area it had just been in, three meters in diameter, saw every water droplet lifted again and slammed down.

Still no sign of Ice Xilu.

The spectators from both regions held their breath.

The expected moment where Ice Xilu would be slammed out of hiding never came.

Where was Ice Xilu?

If she couldn’t find it soon, Defensive Swap would expire…

Tian Xiaoyun steadied herself.

“Expand the area!”

“Big!”

Big-mouth Ai floated even higher.

In an instant, a six-meter radius of water droplets levitated and then crashed down.

Still no Ice Xilu.

Then, Big-mouth Ai felt an icy chill.

An Ice Flower Seal had appeared on its head.

Defensive Swap’s effect had ended!

Tian Xiaoyun panicked.

“Barrier!”

Barrier was only a low-tier skill, but Ice Flower Seal had been active for a long time, its power was weakening. Maybe Barrier could hold out.

Just as she thought that, Qiao Sang spoke.

“Ice Claw!”

“Dodge!” Tian Xiaoyun reacted instinctively.

Even though Ice Xilu hadn’t appeared yet, at this crucial moment, Big-mouth Ai could not take damage!

Hearing its trainer’s command, Big-mouth Ai immediately canceled its Barrier and teleported five meters away.

By now, three Ice Flower Seals had bloomed on its body.

Big-mouth Ai gritted its teeth through the cold, raising its claw to try again-

At that moment, a single water droplet on its body twisted.

The next second, Ice Xilu emerged, raising an icy claw condensed from frost.

Big-mouth Ai looked up, its pupils reflecting Ice Xilu’s form.

Slash!

The sharp, chilling claws struck without hesitation.

Big-mouth Ai, being a Psychic-type beast, had no defense against a close-range attack like this.

Bang!

It was sent crashing downward.

“Lu.”

Lubao landed gracefully, her expression cold and composed.

Snowflakes drifted down.

Soon, Big-mouth Ai was covered in delicate, intricate Ice Flower Seals.

At this point, there was no more doubt.

Ice Xilu had been hiding on Big-mouth Ai the whole time! (T/n: That was so damn smart on Qiao Sang and Lubao's part.)

It felt like getting hit in the head with a hammer and Tian Xiaoyun was completely stunned.

How could Qiao Sang think of something like that in such a short time?

What’s even more baffling is that Qiao Sang’s command was simply, “Jump to the opponent’s side.” It was so vague, yet Ice Xilu seemed to understand perfectly.

On the other side, Qiao Sang couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from curling up.

Big-mouth Ai had been hit by a Water Gun earlier and was still wet.

If there was a safe place in the arena, nowhere was safer than Big-mouth Ai’s body.

To be fair, her bond with Lubao was getting stronger. Lubao understood that she meant for her to jump onto the water droplets on Big-mouth Ai’s body rather than just following the literal meaning of the command.

“Lu.”

Lubao flicked her tail, showing no change in expression as she turned and walked toward her Beast Tamer.

But in the next second, she suddenly staggered.

Seeing this, Qiao Sang immediately called out, “Use Healing Light, quick!”

Lubao had been staying close to Big-mouth Ai the entire time. She must have been enduring the headache so she wouldn’t give herself away.

“Lu.”

A warm feeling surged in Lubao’s heart, she knew her Beast Tamer had been paying attention to her all along.

A blue glow appeared around her.

“Qu!”

At the same time, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match.

The audience fell silent for two seconds before erupting in an overwhelming wave of cheers.

“What just happened? Why did Ice Xilu suddenly appear in front of Big-mouth Ai at the end?!”

“Are you serious? You didn’t get it? Ice Xilu jumped into the water on Big-mouth Ai’s body!”

“What water?”

“Are you dumb? Didn’t Ice Xilu hit it with a Water Gun at the beginning?”

“Damn, Qiao Sang’s mind is something else.”

“Ice Xilu, I love you!”

“Holy crap, did you guys notice how Ice Xilu was casting Healing Light while hopping through the snow, blending into the water at the perfect moment? That was insane!”

“Yeah, it was seriously amazing! Healing Light looked like an instant cast, and it timed the moment when the ice on its body melted perfectly to merge into the water. If any part of that had gone wrong, Ice Xilu would have lost!”

“Aaaaah! I knew Ice Xilu would win!”

“Wait, does no one else find the bond between Qiao Sang and Ice Xilu unbelievable? If I were in her place, and I told my Needlebug to ‘jump to the opponent’s side,’ it would just stupidly jump right in front of them.”

“You can’t treat Qiao Sang like a normal person. Forget her skill, just the idea of having Ice Xilu merge into the water on Big-mouth Ai’s body… Who else would come up with that in such a short time?”

“…When you put it that way, I get it now.”

The students from Shengshui High School shouted Qiao Sang and Ice Xilu’s names wildly, feeling immensely proud to be in the same school as her.

At that moment, a boy sitting next to Jin Feifan leaned in and asked, “You guys go to the same school as Qiao Sang?”

Jin Feifan, usually socially anxious, was still caught up in the excitement and didn’t feel her usual nervousness when a stranger talked to her.

She nodded firmly.

“Mm!”

“I heard her grades are bad, that she even got a zero once. Is that true?” The boy asked.

Jin Feifan glared at him.

“Who told you that?! Our school is the best high school in the city, and Qiao Sang is in the best class in our grade. She’s also the smartest student in the class!”

The boy looked a little embarrassed.

“I read it online…”

Jin Feifan huffed.

“The internet is full of fake news! How can you believe that?”

“…Got it.”

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Front row of the audience.

“Ahh!” Minister Lan suddenly jumped out of her seat in excitement.

“Minister Lan?” A man around her age looked at her in confusion.

Minister Lan quickly sat back down but couldn’t help turning to ask, “Wait, are none of you reacting to such an amazing match?!”

It was exciting, sure, but not to the point of jumping up. We’ve seen plenty of incredible battles in our lifetime… The man internally grumbled but chose his words carefully.

“It was great, but considering this is a national live broadcast with cameras zooming in on us, and we’re here representing our region, I figured I should hold back.”

…Minister Lan fell silent.

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That night, 15th floor of the Moting Hotel.

Yabao and Little Treasure sat in front of a computer, watching Lubao’s match from earlier.

Qiao Sang sat nearby, reviewing the battle with them.

“Information isn’t always reliable. We can’t just stick to pre-planned strategies. Lubao made great decisions today.”

"Lu."

Lubao flicked her tail, as if to say, That was just basic stuff.

Yabao stared at the video, growing more and more excited. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned to look at Lubao, eyes full of fighting spirit.

Qiao Sang immediately knew what he was thinking.

It had taken a lot of effort to make Yabao forget about fighting Lubao, and now just watching a video had brought the idea back…

Before he could issue a challenge, Qiao Sang quickly said, “The next matches are only going to get tougher. The remaining opponents are all strong. The next battle is in two days, so tomorrow, we’ll train as usual, but no extra battles. We need to rest well to be in top form.”

“Yap!”

Yabao’s eyes lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically, dropping the idea of fighting Lubao.

He could battle Lubao anytime, but matches like this weren’t an everyday thing.

Seeing this, Qiao Sang smiled in satisfaction.

Good job, Yabao! Learning quickly and thinking smart.

“Xun?”

Just then, Little Treasure called out curiously.

Only one of them could compete in each match. If he wasn’t going to be chosen for the next one, did that mean he could do something else tomorrow?

As soon as he spoke, Yabao and Lubao both turned to look at Qiao Sang.

Qiao Sang: …

After a moment of silence, she said, “We don’t know who the next opponent is yet, so we all have to be ready at any time. I can’t say for sure who will be competing next.”

“Xun~” Little Treasure nodded in understanding.

So that’s how it was.

Yabao and Lubao exchanged identical expressions of realization.

A thought suddenly flashed through Qiao Sang’s mind: Little Treasure was asking more and more questions. He was so eager to learn… What a shame he wasn’t in school.

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