Chapter 5: The Beast Master Codex

A minute passed.

Mother's voice was a bit louder than usual, but her facial expression was calm: "I'm going to the restroom."

The staff member said, "Turn left at the front and go to the end, then turn right and you'll see it."

Mother nodded and started walking to the right.

"Lady, it's to the left," the staff member reminded her.

Mother's back stiffened for a moment, then she turned left as if nothing had happened.

This made Qiaosang a bit amused, and she controlled the corners of her mouth from curling up.

Mom, your strong and independent woman persona is crumbling.

She turned her head to look at the Firefang Dogs, her thoughts returning to them.

Qiaosang noticed that the Firefang Dogs were very active and energetic, and not a single one was quietly staying still.

There was a reason why new Beast Masters often chose the Pigeon Puff as their first pet beast…

Qiaosang couldn't help but ask, "Are there any Firefang Dogs with a calmer temperament?"

The staff member tactfully replied, "Actually, our base has many other pet beasts."

Qiaosang understood immediately.

After all, her soul was that of an adult, and even without experience in taming beasts, she didn't think she would be as helpless as a 15-year-old with an unruly pet beast.

Since that was the case, she decided to ignore the temperament and simply choose a Firefang Dog that she felt a connection with.

"Can I see that one?"

Qiaosang noticed that one Firefang Dog was continuously ramming into a tree, not in a reckless manner but with purpose and force.

Qiaosang felt that its target wasn't the tree, but itself.

After all, who would foolishly ram into a tree without a purpose?

"Of course," the staff member replied.

"Beep beep!" She picked up the iron whistle hanging from her neck and blew it, producing a shrill sound.

All the Firefang Dogs stopped their actions, their gazes focusing over, and they ceased their destructive behavior.

A few Firefang Dogs tilted their heads.

"Tooth?"

Is it feeding time?

Without the obstruction of flames, the staff member walked into the Firefang Dog base and picked up the chosen Firefang Dog.

"Tooth?"

The Firefang Dog blinked its confused eyes, and its flame-like ears twitched.

The Firefang Dog was placed in front of Qiaosang.

The Firefang Dog is a small canine pet beast with fiery red fur, accompanied by a few black stripes, and a tuft of orange hair on its head.

The Firefang Dog in front of her was about 60 centimeters tall, noticeably smaller than the others, with a bruise on its forehead from the recent collision. Its black eyes gazed at her with a wet, appealing look, making her want to pet it.

It didn't seem as fiery as the other Firefang Dogs, but rather a bit pitiful.

Qiaosang's mind automatically filled in the gaps, imagining a small Firefang Dog being bullied, its food stolen, and suffering from malnutrition, only to train hard and become strong.

The collision with the tree must have been to practice some special skill.

Like a Flame Impact or something.

The staff member introduced, "This Firefang Dog is the youngest in our base, just under a month old."

So it's not weak, it's just young…

However, being young is good. Many Beast Masters choose to raise their pet beasts from the egg stage, which often helps build a strong bond and rapport with the pet beast.

Qiaosang had considered buying a young beast egg, but quickly dismissed the idea.

After all, she still had to go to school and couldn't bring an egg with her, which would be both conspicuous and unsafe.

If she left it at home, her mother would be out working, and she wouldn't feel comfortable leaving it unattended.

Qiaosang squatted down and reached out to pet the Firefang Dog's head.

The Firefang Dog closed its eyes in comfort, and its red tail swayed involuntarily.

It seemed quite well-behaved.

Qiaosang felt the soft fur in her hand and became increasingly satisfied.

She stared into the Firefang Dog's eyes and smiled, "Do you want to come with me?"

The staff member's expression was a bit odd. This Firefang Dog had a bad temper and often took advantage of its youth to fight with other Firefang Dogs without restraint.

The older Firefang Dogs, seeing that it was just a newborn, couldn't even produce a spark and had blunt claws, found the fights painless and let it wreak havoc.

Sometimes they even played along, pretending to be defeated, making it think it was unbeatable and becoming even more arrogant.

As a professional receptionist, she could tell what kind of pet beast the customer wanted and what their needs were.

This girl was clearly looking for a Firefang Dog with a calmer temperament.

Should she remind her…

This base doesn't have any Firefang Dogs with a good temper.

She thought about the commission from a Firefang Dog and then about her son's school district house, and ultimately decided to remain silent.

Leave?

The Firefang Dog naturally understood what it meant.

Leave or stay?

Of course, it wanted to leave. It had no more opponents here, and this human's touch felt very comfortable…

It was time to go out and find new opponents!

"Tooth!"

The Firefang Dog nodded solemnly and extended its pudgy paw.

Qiaosang was slightly taken aback but then shook it.

This was smoother than she had expected…

Thus, a pact was formed between the human and the dog.

…

The contract between humans and extraordinary beings is established through the Beast Master Codex.

The Codex acts as a medium, tightly connecting the relationship between the two. Generally, for a contract to be successful, both parties must consent voluntarily.

However, it can also be formed by thoroughly defeating an extraordinary being and then binding it when it is defenseless.

The latter method has many hidden dangers; without sufficient intimacy, the pet beast can easily become disobedient, and only high-level Beast Masters need not worry about this.

As long as the Beast Master's brain domain is sufficiently developed, the Codex becomes more powerful, and even if the pet beast tries to rebel, it cannot break the contract.

Qiaosang was now connecting her consciousness to her brain domain.

In her brain domain, the Codex was quietly lying still. Although it was called the Codex, it was extremely thin, like an envelope, with only a blank page inside.

Qiaosang had read in books that when the Codex first awakens, it is white, and it only has one contract space for a pet beast.

When the brain domain is developed to 10%, the Codex awakens to gray, and the contract space increases to two.

Following the gesture she remembered for activating the Codex, Qiaosang made a seal in front of her.

Soon, the Codex in her brain domain activated, slowly flipping to the only page.

A white light slowly gathered from all directions, forming a small circular star array above the Firefang Dog's head.

Actually, there is a simple way to determine a Beast Master's level: whether it's a contract or a summon, the color of the light on the pet beast reveals the level.

Just like the Codex, the color of the light is the same as the Codex's color.

However, this is only a reference, as even if the Codex awakens again, without a corresponding level of strength, one cannot pass the Beast Master level examination by the Beast Master Alliance.

The light from the star array covered the Firefang Dog's head, and it looked up at the star array with curiosity, without any resistance.