Beast Taming Begins with the Inner Circle of Pets

Chapter 23 Sparring

Fang Yaqi arrived quickly, in less than twenty minutes, her eyes still a little red and swollen.

Lin Manman sighed. It's just a competition, why does she care so much?

"You said you'd tell me how to find teammates when I got here. Now that I'm here, tell me." Fang Yaqi sniffed and looked enviously at the three little ones who were training diligently.

Lin Manman showed Fang Yaqi the post she had made, and Fang Yaqi looked confused. Lin Manman could only explain.

"I left a message requesting level 2, just in case someone wants to participate in the competition but is short of teammates."

"What if all the participants are very old? Although the organizers haven't set an age limit, how many older people would be willing to participate in the junior professional competition?" Let others say that adults are competing with children.

"There's still a month left, we'll find someone eventually. You just stay here and watch, so if Honey Badger and the others get injured during practice, you can get treatment. Go back to school tomorrow, and after the big exams, come back and train with us every day."

Fang Yaqi's eyes gradually brightened, and she nodded vigorously.

Lin Manman's bracelet also triggered a communication notification; the level 2 shield warrior she had arranged to meet had arrived. Lin Manman hurried to the gate to greet him.

The man appeared to be about 1.8 meters tall, with dark skin, a muscular build, and a very short buzz cut. His features were plain, making it difficult to determine his exact age. He carried a black sword and a black shield on his back.

"Hello, my name is Liu Ping, and I'm a freshman at Hannan University," the boy greeted shyly.

"Hello, my name is Lin Manman, and I'm taking the professional exam this year."

"Isn't the exam coming up soon? Why are you training here?" Liu Ping was stunned, a little confused by the young girl in front of him.

"There are special circumstances, so I've asked for leave. I'll go directly to the exam in a couple of days." Lin Manman didn't want to explain too much and simply turned around and beckoned Liu Ping to follow her inside.

Liu Ping looked honest and simple, but he was actually shrewd and meticulous. Seeing that she didn't want to talk much, he wisely followed her silently.

Upon entering Lin Manman's training room, Liu Ping stared wide-eyed at the crew of men with buzz cuts training. So she was a beast tamer? Was she going to spar with this black bear that was over two meters tall? This looked like it could kill someone.

"Her name is Fang Yaqi, a newly awakened pastor."

The pastor is all ready? Is this a deliberate attempt to lure people in for torture? Liu Ping felt like crying at this moment.

"You've never fought against a spirit pet before?" Lin Manman mistakenly thought the other person's surprise was due to shock at her identity as a beast tamer.

"Yes... but no level two spirit pet this big..." Liu Ping said with a mournful face.

Lin Manman's eyes lit up. "You rarely see a level-two spirit pet of this size, do you?"

"It's not that I rarely see them, it's that level two spirit pets as big as you are very rare." Spirit beasts grow much faster in their early stages than humans, and most level one, two, and three spirit pets are cubs.

Lin Manman chuckled, feeling a bit more confident. "Then you can practice with my Rainbow Jade and Ah Dai first, even though they're only level one yet."

Liu Ping looked at the two pets, who were practically tiny compared to the honey badger. The contrast was quite stark, but it seemed there was no other choice; something was better than nothing. At most, he would restrain himself and not hurt her spirit pet.

But unexpectedly, he was the first one to be hit...

Lin Manman called over Hongyu and Adai, and briefly introduced Liu Ping. Considering that he was only at level two, which was a level higher than the two little ones, she let them do the work.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Lin Manman shouted "Start," Liu Ping unleashed a protective skill, using his shield to block in front of him. Ah Dai immediately used his Storm Manipulation talent to blow him into the air, and Hong Yu, in conjunction with a spatial teleportation and a tail strike, sent Liu Ping, who was unable to control his body while being blown into the air, flying away.

Lin Manman: ……

"Stop staring with your mouth open, go check if he needs treatment." Lin Manman slapped her forehead and reminded Fang Yaqi, who was staring blankly beside her.

Fang Yaqi then remembered that she was a priest, and newly awakened priests would automatically learn healing skills.

"Are you... alright? Do you need treatment?" Fang Yaqi squatted down and asked.

Liu Ping wasn't really hurt. He was a shield warrior known for his defense, and he had used a protective skill before being attacked. It was just that as a level two warrior, he couldn't withstand the attacks of two level one spirit pets, which was rather embarrassing.

"Um...hehe, sorry, I didn't expect this situation either. Should I tell them not to unleash their talents and try again?" Lin Manman also came over and squatted down on the other side of Liu Ping.

"Your spirit pet has talent? It has talent at such a young age?" Liu Ping looked miserable. Sure enough, he had been deceived. He had been tricked into becoming a clown.

Lin Manman scratched her head awkwardly. But to her surprise, the two little ones cooperated surprisingly well.

"Chirp." Are humans all this weak?

"Hiss." Why isn't this person getting up? Did I hit him too hard?

Lin Manman looked at the two tiny children who barely reached her knees on the ground, then at Liu Ping. Was Liu Ping really too weak?

"Has your spirit pet comprehended a catastrophic-level talent? This sparring is not allowed, it's too unfair." Liu Ping wiped his face and sat up.

"What is a catastrophic level?" Lin Manman was intrigued by the new term. She had previously only studied general subjects, and her understanding of professionals was limited to the same basic knowledge as the general public. She didn't have a deeper understanding of professionals, partly because she wanted to remain aloof and deliberately avoided related topics.

Liu Ping also remembered that this was a recent graduate who hadn't attended a professional high school, so he gave a general explanation. "Generally, based on the range of talent and skill damage, they are divided into single-target, group, catastrophe-level, and domain-level. Catastrophe-level, as the name suggests, has a damage range like a natural disaster. A well-known example is the talent Blizzard Domain of the level nine professional Xiang Yuan, which can cover hundreds of kilometers when activated, making it practically indistinguishable from a real natural disaster."

Liu Ping spoke simply, but his face was full of admiration and longing. "Although the power of your spirit pet's talent is limited now, I am sure that it will grow into a disaster-level pet in the future."

Lin Manman and Fang Yaqi both stared at Adai in astonishment. Good heavens, she had thought Adai's talent was quite good, but she hadn't expected to have greatly underestimated him.

"Chirp." Huh? Are they praising me for being amazing?

"Hiss." That seems to be true. I'm pretty good too, so why don't you praise me?

Rainbow Jade was a little unhappy; it seemed to be the weakest one right now.

"Is your snake a space-type snake?" Liu Ping asked, looking at Hong Yu.

"Yes, I guess so..." Lin Manman stammered, as she didn't actually know much about spirit beasts. Hongyu's current talent was related to space, and it had even mastered space-based skills, so it should be considered a space-type spirit beast?

"Space-type spirit beasts are extremely rare, and yours is a snake. It might even learn water-type skills in the future. Although the probability is not high, if that happens, it will be a dual-type spirit pet... Wow, each of your three spirit pets has very good potential, and you actually have three." Liu Ping was filled with envy and jealousy.

"Hehe, I appreciate your kind words. I hope I can raise them so well." Lin Manman thought of the level two water-type spirit beast crystal core that Hongyu had swallowed, and a hint of anticipation flashed in her heart.

(End of this chapter)