"So, beastmasters have to learn to use their skills themselves before fully mastering them?"
"That's right."
Limao was a bit disappointed. It wasn't quite what she had imagined at first.
But she quickly pulled herself together. With the Evolution Atlas, she clearly had an advantage over other beastmasters. Just the ability to allocate stat points was enough to outpace ninety percent of her peers, not to mention her ability to upgrade the quality of her beasts.
But...
"Instructor, are you sure I've really caught the attention of the Celestial Society?"
She hesitated for a few seconds. "Erha and I just started using skills not long ago."
If they were already being targeted, the Celestial Society's intel network must be incredibly fast.
The thought made Limao uneasy. Even Erha sensed her worry and instinctively nuzzled against her calf to comfort her.
"You don't have to worry too much," Chen Bin said. "As long as you stay inside this base, the Celestial Society won't be able to do anything to you."
But eventually she'd have to leave the base to search for materials outside, wouldn't she?
Before Limao could say anything, Chen Bin stubbed out his freshly lit cigarette. "If you're really that concerned, focus on building a solid foundation for your beast. Once its stats average around 20 points, it'll be ready to level up."
"When that happens, bring it straight to me."
Limao's eyes lit up.
"Instructor, are you planning to give me special treatment?"
Chen Bin's face twitched. "Could you phrase that more subtly?"
"Fine, let me rephrase: Are you planning to take me on as your final disciple?"
Chen Bin: "...Get lost."
Limao, unceremoniously shoved back into the training group, sighed in disappointment.
"Erha, did you hear that?"
Erha looked utterly clueless. "Awoo?"
Huh?
"The instructor said we've been targeted," Limao whispered as she crouched down. "If you don't step up your game, you'll get snatched and turned into braised dog meat, soy-sauce dog, spicy dog stew..."
Erha shot her a sideways glance. "Awoooooo!"
That's not what the instructor said! You're lying!
Limao put on her most sincere face. "I swear I'm not lying. That's what beast traffickers do. Even if they don't turn you into dog meat, they'll force you to wear little skirts and dance cutely on *Douyin*, then make you pose for suggestive clips!"
Erha's butt clenched in horror.
"A-awwoo?"
R-really?
"Cross my heart, absolutely true!"
Convinced, Erha steeled itself.
It would work hard.
It would strive.
It would give it its all.
With newfound determination, Erha let out a mighty howl.
**No! I gotta train like my life depends on it!**
Satisfied, Limao watched as Erha marched onto the training platform with fiery determination. Just as she was about to cheer—
*Clonk!*
Erha slipped, face-planted, and smacked its chin loudly against the floor.
Though it scrambled up immediately, its heroic momentum was gone.
Limao: "..."
She covered her face, deeply questioning whether betting on Erha was the right move.
With its IQ, could it even protect *itself*?
Wouldn't it just happily trot off with anyone who offered it treats?
Completely oblivious to its master's doubts, Erha radiated aggression.
It fought multiple beasts in a row—each time, the other creatures had just wanted to play, only to be smacked aside by a fierce *big slap*. After a few rounds, the other beasts gave it a wide berth.
Erha strutted around the platform, confirmed no challengers remained, and eagerly turned to Limao for praise.
"Awoo."
Then, a shadow loomed over it.
The beast before it was five times its size.
Black and sleek, it radiated elegance and cold arrogance.
**"Awoo!"** (Come on, let's duel.)
Erha: ?
It stared, stunned.
Ayo, you good?
Picking on the little guy? That's your idea of fun?
**Master, SAVE ME!!!**
***SMACK!***
Erha was sent flying.
Limao quietly picked it up. "Don't be scared, Erha. I believe in you."
Erha clung to her like a lifeline. **"Awooo!!"** (Nope nope NOPE!)
"You can do it."
**"AWOOO!"** (I CAN'T!!)
Limao raised an eyebrow. "So you're admitting defeat?"
Erha froze.
"In that case... when we get back, we'll—"
**"AWOO!"**
***I CAN DO IT!!!***
With a determined kick, Erha flipped mid-air and lunged back onto the platform.
Limao, who had just been accidentally trampled: **"..."**
That stomp nearly broke her kneecap.
Rubbing her leg, she sighed.
Why was Erha so against wearing skirts? They looked adorable, didn't they?
*Thud.*
Erha got smacked down again.
Erha growled, stubbornly scrambling back up.
*Whack!*
Tumbling off once more, Erha shook its head, dazed.
But today, it was hell-bent on proving itself.
By the time training ended, Erha had been knocked off the platform **21 times.** It even had to get patched up by a vine-type beast, just so the bruises wouldn't look too pitiful.
Exhausted, Erha collapsed the moment they got back to their dorm.
Limao gently wiped it down, tucked it into its dog bed, and watched as it snored like thunder.
A tired Husky was a well-behaved Husky.
Looked pretty cute now, didn't it?
She pinched Erha's cheeks, tucked it in with a blanket, then entered the **Beast Space** to check its stats.
**[Beast: Erha
Race: Siberian Husky
Attribute: Ice
Quality: Bronze (Evolvable)
Level: 1
Temperament: Energetic, Playful
Condition: Exhausted, Deep Sleep
Passive Skill: Boundless Energy (Gold+)
Active Skills:
- Bite (Basic 10/500)
- Paw Strike (Basic 1/500)
- Judgmental Stare (Novice 66/100)
Base Stats:
- Speed: 18 (+)
- Physique: 23 (+)
- Attack: 12 (+)
- Defense: 25 (+)
Training Points: 48
]**
**"Huh?!"**
That was **way** more points than usual!
Then it hit her.
**Combat was the fastest way to farm training points!**
Not only that, but Erha's stats had skyrocketed—especially **Defense** and **Physique.**
This was insane.
She rubbed her eyes, double-checked, then realized:
**A few more days, and Erha could level up!**
Holy—
This was faster than a rocket!
Ecstatic, Limao recalculated Chen Bin's advice—**once average stats hit around 20, level-up was possible.**
Erha was already there.
So now… how *did* she make it evolve?