Curled up in the arms of its Beastmaster, the Fire fang Dog felt a sense of safety. It mustered the courage to turn and look back in the direction it had just been.

"Yap!"

At that glance, the Fire fang Dog’s fur stood on end.

It was gone!

Realizing what the Fire fang Dog was thinking, Qiao Sang was speechless.

Is it really scared of its own shadow clone?

But the Fire fang Dog probably hadn’t realized yet that it was looking at its own shadow clone.

Research shows that many beast pets can unconsciously learn skills without noticing.

Some learn through accumulated experience over time, while others suddenly gain skills triggered by external stimuli that activate latent energy within them.

Just a few days ago, a civil compensation case arose in Lianbo District during a competition, caused by a pet suddenly learning and releasing a skill.

Mr. Wang from Yuecheng was watching the match in seat 16, row 21, of Zone B with his Raye Seed.

The match must have been too exciting, and the Raye Seed, in its excitement, tapped into its internal energy and unconsciously learned the Sleep Powder skill, releasing it and causing several spectators in rows 20, 21, and 22 of Zone B to fall asleep, missing the entire match.

Afterward, Mr. Wang was only willing to compensate them for their ticket costs, but some spectators had traveled from other areas specifically to attend the event and demanded additional compensation for emotional distress, travel expenses, and lodging.

Mr. Wang naturally refused, and the dispute made the news.

The Fire fang Dog also belongs to this category of pets that unconsciously learn new skills due to external influences. It learned the Ember skill in a similar way.

Now, the Fire fang Dog, startled, experienced an imbalance of internal energy, causing the shadow clone it had just learned and was still unskilled at using to disappear.

However, the Fire fang Dog misunderstood the situation, thinking it was a paranormal event. The horror movie it watched recently left a deep impression.

"Yap! Yip Yip!"

"Yap Yap, Yap Yap!"

"Yip!"

The Fire fang Dog pointed its paw in the direction where the shadow clone had just vanished, frantically signaling to Qiao Sang.

"That was your own shadow clone." Qiao Sang explained helplessly.

"Yap?"

The Fire fang Dog’s movements suddenly halted, its dark eyes filled with confusion.

"Congratulations, you’ve learned a new skill." Qiao Sang said with a smile.

The Fire fang Dog understood.

It was stunned for a moment, then began to sense and adjust its internal energy.

In an instant, another Fire fang Dog, identical in every way, appeared at the feet of its Beastmaster.

Even the fur that had been ruffled from dodging balls earlier looked exactly the same.

"Yap!"

The Fire fang Dog was thrilled. It leaped out of Qiao Sang’s arms and circled its shadow clone excitedly, examining it closely.

Having learned a new skill, the Fire fang Dog forgot all about continuing its dodgeball practice, and Qiao Sang naturally didn’t remind it.

As they walked out of the baseball training center, Qiao Sang felt a twinge of regret as they passed by the pet rehabilitation center.

If it weren’t for losing 5,000 Alliance coins last night, she would have taken the Fire fang Dog in for a nice, relaxing session today.

Back home, Qiao Sang opened her computer and searched for a livestreamer known for their pet massage techniques.

After randomly clicking on a live stream, Qiao Sang called over the Fire fang Dog and began massaging it, mimicking the techniques demonstrated by the streamer.

We may not have the money for a pet rehabilitation center, but we can do it ourselves!

"Does that feel good?" Qiao Sang asked softly.

"Yap."

The Fire fang Dog reluctantly replied.

It was lying on its side, its head facing the livestream. On the screen, a burly man was massaging a thick-skinned Boarspine. The Boarspine occasionally let out satisfied grunts.

The Fire fang Dog looked at the screen, then felt the pressure of its Beastmaster’s massage on its own body, and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off...

The next morning.

6:10 AM.

Qiao Sang, with dark circles under her eyes, appeared in the living room. She glanced around and saw that her mother was still sleeping in her room.

Well, it was still quite early...

Last night was the day of the other Star Cup match she had bet on.

Thinking about how she had lost sleep after losing the previous match, she decided not to watch it last night to avoid losing sleep again, which might affect her mood for today’s Shengshui High School special recruitment exam.

But the more she tried to sleep, the harder it became...

She kept wondering how the Star Cup match was going, then started thinking about the special recruitment exam the next day, and ended up staying awake until 2 AM.

Because her mind was preoccupied, she woke up early even though the alarm hadn’t gone off.

Qiao Sang listlessly prepared breakfast, while the Fire fang Dog wagged its tail happily, waiting to eat.

This little guy seemed full of energy...

Not bad, all that massaging yesterday wasn’t in vain.

After breakfast, Qiao Sang left a portion for her mother in the pot and headed out to the subway station.

Shengshui High School is located in the Beidian District of Hanggang City, quite far from Qiao Sang’s area.

If she took the bus, she’d have to transfer four or five times, but taking the subway, Line 2 would take her straight there.

Shengshui High School.

By the outdoor field, a few scattered people sat on the row of benches.

"Qin Wen, hasn’t Luo Qian arrived yet?" Asked a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a large belly.

It’s said that middle-aged men with big bellies give off a greasy vibe, but this man, with his slicked-back hair revealing his facial features, exuded a calm demeanor that made one think he might have been quite handsome in his youth.

"Not yet. I’ve already called to urge him, and he said he’s stuck in traffic." Replied a woman in a business suit next to him.

"Nonsense, he was clearly out partying at some bar until late last night and couldn’t get up. He even posted it on his social media—doesn’t act like a teacher at all." Zheng Guoping sneered.

"You’re the one who hired him for this school." The man who was slowly flipping through a stack of papers said.

"Sun Boyi, you shouldn’t blame me. Didn’t you also vote in favor?" Zheng Guoping retorted.

"That’s because you begged me with a Water Condensation Pearl." Sun Boyi replied flatly.

"You—!" Zheng Guoping was so angry he couldn’t speak.

"Alright, alright, let’s stop arguing. We have important matters to attend to. Are there any promising students among the special recruits this time?" The middle-aged man with the slicked-back hair tried to mediate, changing the subject.

"Any truly promising students would have been recommended already." Zheng Guoping said, still annoyed.

"Actually, there is one." Sun Boyi’s gaze lingered on a line in the papers.

"You’ve heard of Lu Liangye from Taidan Middle School, right? He was in the news over half a year ago."

"The kid who awakened on his own just after starting the third year of middle school?" Qin Wen asked.

"Yes, that’s him." Sun Boyi replied.

Most children who awaken on their own do so around age 15, but Lu Liangye awakened shortly after turning 14 and starting the third year of middle school.

If it weren’t for the fact that the high school entrance exams had already ended and all the admission spots were allocated, Lu Liangye might have been allowed to skip grades and enter a Beastmaster High School.

"Why wasn’t he recommended?" Qin Wen asked.

"Apparently, after he awakened, he rarely attended school, so his academic scores dropped." Sun Boyi explained.

Qin Wen understood.

He probably found studying dull after forming a contract with a pet.

If that’s the case, he really is promising. Lu Liangye has had his contracted pet for over half a year, so he’s likely stronger than his peers.

Outside Shengshui High School.

Qiao Sang sat by a flower bed, daydreaming.

She had arrived too early.

The gates weren’t even open yet...