The First Beastmaster

Chapter 01 "Last night, Qingfeng City was struck by a massive tsunami, suspected to have been caused by a water-type magical beast. Residents are urged to stay vigilant." "Amazing! Ye Shuangning, a prodigy from Blue Dragon Academy, has advanced two levels at once, becoming the youngest Rank Five Beast Master!" "Recently, a royal expedition discovered shadow dragon droppings in the Dragon Valley volcano, confirming that dragon-type magical beasts are not yet extinct!" "In three days, the annual national exam will begin. Stay tuned for more details." Xiangnan High School, Boys' Dormitory. After skimming through these news reports, Xiao Xingyu set down his phone and sighed deeply, his tired eyes showing signs of extreme exhaustion. The date on the lock screen read: August 29, 2323. "It seems I've crossed through time." Thanks to his newly merged memories, Xiao Xingyu was certain he now found himself in an entirely new world. Three hundred years ago, a natural catastrophe plunged this world into an apocalyptic nightmare. The Earth was invaded by magical beasts, reducing the global population from 7 billion to 1 billion in a single night! In the days that followed, armies of magical beasts trampled every inch of land, mercilessly slaughtering the surviving humans who were fleeing. Fortunately, just as human civilization was on the brink of extinction, some geniuses awakened the profession of beast master, triggering a counterattack that salvaged humanity’s honor. This struggle continues to this day, 300 years later. Thanks to the relentless battles fought by beast masters, humanity was able to turn the tide, preserving a small patch of unspoiled land and creating a mature system of beast mastery. Xiao Xingyu now understood his situation thanks to his memories. Dragon Kingdom. Qingfeng City. This was Xiao Xingyu’s hometown, a small coastal city often plagued by water-type magical beasts, forcing the residents to live in constant fear. This year, Xiao Xingyu was 18 and in his final year at Xiangnan High School, preparing for his final exam. "In three days, it's the national exam." The national exam is the first trial young people must pass to walk the path of a beast master. The enrollment conditions are simple: one must form a contract with a beast to apply to any beast master academy. Whether one succeeds depends on their talent. "I've just crossed over, and while I've fully merged with my new memories, I still feel like something's missing..." In the next second, a mechanical sound echoed in Xiao Xingyu's mind. "Ding~" "Congratulations to the host! You have awakened the Divine Beast Master System." "System binding in progress…" "Binding successful!" Xiao Xingyu looked at his refined and handsome face in the mirror, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "As expected, an additional power is a must for a traveler. It might arrive late, but it always arrives." The system's voice echoed again. "Ding~" "Receiving Starter Pack." "Please check your rewards." With a mere thought, Xiao Xingyu made a holographic screen visible only to him appear. This was the system's main interface. With another thought, Xiao Xingyu accessed his personal inventory. Inside the inventory was a package marked with a "?" "Opening a surprise pack, interesting." Xiao Xingyu opened the starter pack, and the system's voice rang out once more. "The pack has been unwrapped." "You have obtained Demon Eye and a Bloodline Awakening Stone!" "Demon Eye is automatically fusing, fusion progress: 10%, 20%, 50%..." "Fusion complete at 100%!" Xiao Xingyu rubbed his tired eyes and looked at his reflection in the mirror. In the mirror, Xiao Xingyu's pupils had turned scarlet red, surrounded by occult symbols rotating counterclockwise. Xiao Xingyu opened the system interface and checked the detailed description of Demon Eye. Name: Demon Eye Origin: According to legend, after the fall of the Demon who ruled over all beings, two drops of his blood transformed into a pair of divine eyes. Function: Can discern the characteristics, evolutionary paths, hidden bloodlines, habits, strengths, and weaknesses of beasts and monsters. Passive: By absorbing negative emotions (such as anger, envy, sadness, etc.), it can increase spiritual energy concentration. Xiao Xingyu took a deep breath, and his pupils temporarily returned to normal. "It seems these eyes work like a big data system, capable of revealing all visible and hidden information about beasts and monsters." In any world, mastering the "information advantage" is a key element in becoming a powerful leader. In addition to Demon Eye, Xiao Xingyu also obtained a Bloodline Awakening Stone. This stone had a very simple function: it could activate the hidden bloodline of a beast. "The national exam is approaching, and I need to form a contract with a beast as soon as possible to participate…" The ringing of his phone interrupted his thoughts. "Hello, big sister?" In this world, Xiao Xingyu had neither father nor mother, but he had a sister, Xiao Ruoxue, with whom he shared a close bond. "Xiaoyu, tomorrow is the weekend. Don’t stay up all night playing video games in the school dormitory. Come home, and I’ll make you something delicious." "Big sister, I…” "I need to prepare for the national exam in three days, so I won’t be coming home this weekend." "What? You want to take the national exam? You want to become a beast master?" Normally, Xiao Xingyu's sister, Xiao Ruoxue, spoke in a gentle and soothing voice, the epitome of a caring older sister. But this time, her voice rose several octaves, betraying her worry. "Big sister, once I pass the national exam, I’ll come home to celebrate with you. Talk to you later!" "Xiaoyu, this profession is far too dangerous... That kid actually hung up on me." Xiao Ruoxue put down her phone, an odd glint in her eyes, before sighing in resignation. "Ah, poor boy, with the spiritual essence seal of the Dragon King, how could you ever become a beast master..." At noon, Xiao Xingyu left the campus. On the streets, there were both ordinary citizens and beast masters of various kinds. These beast masters were accompanied by creatures with a variety of characteristics. For example, a three-eyed monkey beast, towering over the traffic lights. Or an ice lizard, whose mere saliva turned to ice upon contact with the ground. And then there was a silver hedgehog, its spikes as sharp as blades. Xiao Xingyu couldn’t help but watch them with envy. "I really itch to form a pact with a beast of my own..." There are essentially three ways to acquire a beast. The first is to buy one from a specialized shop. The second is to capture a wild monster and subdue it before signing a blood contract. The third is to receive a special beast as a reward for military exploits. Obviously, for a beginner, only the first option is feasible. At that moment, Xiao Xingyu happened to be passing by a beast shop. At the entrance, a prominently displayed price list caught his eye. The price of a beast depended on its level, characteristics, and bloodline quality. Xiao Xingyu glanced at the price list and nearly choked. "Even the cheapest beast costs 12,000 gold coins?" He turned back, discouraged. He knew that his sister, Xiao Ruoxue, worked three jobs to support them. With a monthly salary of 3,000 gold coins, she barely managed to pay their rent and cover their basic expenses, with nothing left over. "Well, it seems that in this world too, everything depends on your parents’ wealth..." "Hey, isn’t that the pretty boy from Xiangnan High, Xiao Xingyu?" Xiao Xingyu turned to see a young man with a simian face, dressed in branded clothes, approaching him with two frivolous-looking young women hanging on his arms. It was Su Zhe, one of Xiao Xingyu’s classmates, also known as one of Qingfeng's most prominent rich kids. "Xiao Xingyu, what are you doing at a beast shop?" "Planning to buy a beast to take the national exam in three days?" "But… Your sister can’t even afford your school fees, so how could she buy you a beast?" Su Zhe mocked Xiao Xingyu in a sarcastic tone before pulling out a bank card from his pocket. "This is the money my father gave me. There are 300,000 gold coins on it." "This amount is more than enough to buy a initial-level beast with a superior bloodline!" Su Zhe waved the card arrogantly in front of Xiao Xingyu, displaying a smug smile. Beasts follow a hierarchy of ten levels, from weakest to strongest: Initial Level - Mature Level - Complete Level - Transcendent Level - Beast King Level - Beast Emperor Level - Divine Level - God-Slayer Level - Star-Destroyer Level - Chaotic Level Candidates for the national exam are all beginners with limited spiritual energy, allowing them to only form a pact with an initial-level beast. What sets them apart is primarily the quality of their beasts’ bloodlines. Bloodline quality is classified into nine categories: Inferior - Ordinary - Superior - Elite - Epic - Legendary - Mythical - Phantasmal - Creation With his 300,000 gold coins, Su Zhe could afford to buy an initial-levelbeast with a superior bloodline. In contrast, Xiao Xingyu couldn’t even afford a beast with an inferior bloodline. Su Zhe brushed past Xiao Xingyu, sneering, "The profession of beast master is for the rich. The poor have no place here." With that, Su Zhe, still flanked by his two companions, entered the shop. "I’ll have to find another solution... Maybe this world accepts installment payments?" As he was about to leave, the shop owner stormed out, looking furious. The shopkeeper, visibly exasperated, was holding a canine beast that resembled a husky by the scruff of its neck. "You, you worthless beast with your low-quality blood!" "You eat more than I do and are even filthier!" "No customer wants to buy you!" "Go fend for yourself!" Xiao Xingyu looked up and met the beast’s gaze, his pupils taking on a supernatural reddish tint. Demon Eye activated. "This beast… it has a hidden bloodline!" "An infernal bloodline of epic quality!”