Chapter 4

Peng~ Peng~

An elderly man with a straight posture walked up to the podium and tapped the microphone.

"Quiet down!"

The old principal's voice, amplified by the microphone, quickly reached the ears of the noisy teenagers below.

Seeing the eager looks in the students' eyes, the old principal's eyes sparkled even more.

"Students, welcome to the start of the school year."

"I'm sure many of you have been waiting for this exciting moment. Before we begin, I have a lot to say to all of you."

"Students, do you know why you want to become Beast Masters?"

"Regardless of what kind of Beast Master you become in the future, or what kind of pet beast you obtain, never forget the mission of a Beast Master..."

"To protect humanity, to defend the nation!"

"..."

The old principal spoke at length, though it was somewhat tedious, his heartfelt words left a deep impression on the students. Many of them gained their first understanding of the term "Beast Master."

"Finally, I have a parting word for you: there are no useless pet beasts, only unqualified Beast Masters."

"Alright, now everyone please board the buses in an orderly manner and head to the Beast House to claim your pet beasts!"

As soon as the old principal finished speaking, the students on the playground could hardly contain their joy. Their hearts were already soaring in the Beast House.

Who wouldn't want to ride a giant dragon and soar through the sky?

Who wouldn't want to control a firebird to destroy evil?

In countless stories, videos, and movies, they had seen too many heroic Beast Masters.

Now, with the chance to become one of them and start their own legendary careers, how could these young and ambitious students not be excited?

Excitement, however, cannot turn into wings, and the students still had to take the bus to reach the Beast House.

The Beast House is located in the suburbs. Despite being called a "house," it occupies a vast area, comparable to a small wildlife reserve in the original timeline. The area where high school students receive their young pet beasts is just a small part of the Beast House.

In fact, the Beast House is affiliated with the National Beast Master Association, funded and controlled by the state. It is a training base for pet beasts, with the important responsibility of breeding and researching new types of pet beasts.

Therefore, the claim on Zhihu that the free pet beasts provided by the Beast House have poor talents is completely incorrect.

With top talent, cutting-edge technology, and advanced equipment, the pet beasts bred in the Beast House, while not necessarily the most talented, generally have better qualities than wild pet beasts.

Each Beast House can be considered a significant asset and foundation of the nation, so the security is extremely strict. It is said that each Beast House is guarded by powerful Beast Masters and well-trained military forces.

After more than an hour, the bus finally stopped, and the students eagerly jumped off.

Seeing the towering walls and the grand gate in front of them, Chen Wen couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

There was a specially designed checkpoint at the gate. After verifying everyone's identities, the students entered the Beast House under the guidance of their teachers.

"Welcome to the Young Beast House, my name is Zhu Wu, and I am a staff member of the Beast House!"

As soon as the students from Qinghe No. 1 High School entered the gate, a young man in a white coat with glasses came forward and led them to stand aside.

"I'm sure you are all eager to contract your pet beasts, but I need to take a little of your time before that."

"This building is the Young Beast House. According to national policy, each student who has awakened a Beast Master talent has the right to contract any pet beast here for free."

"The rule is first come, first served, but you only have three chances to choose freely. Once you successfully contract a pet beast, your chances are reset. If you fail three times, we will assign a suitable pet beast to you."

"Therefore, please cherish your three free contract opportunities."

"Now, if you have any questions, you can stay and consult me. If not, you can go and find the pet beast you want to contract!"

As soon as the young man in glasses finished speaking, many students couldn't contain their impatience and rushed into the Young Beast House with burning eyes.

Being able to contract a pet beast with outstanding potential would give them a head start, making them eager to do so.

He Xiong was also somewhat restless, but he stayed with Chen Wen, who didn't move.

Chen Wen stepped forward and greeted the young man in glasses: "Big Brother Zhu Wu, hello!"

Zhu Wu nodded slightly and smiled when he heard Chen Wen's address.

Earlier, even if everyone listened to the lecture, they wouldn't pay attention to his name, but this young man remembered it, which made him feel some goodwill.

Zhu Wu said gently, "Hello, is there anything I can help you with?"

Chen Wen said frankly, "Big Brother Zhu Wu, I don't know much about Beast Masters. I want to ask what kind of pet beasts our Beast House is good at breeding, and which ones are suitable for beginners like me?"

Zhu Wu pondered for a moment and then slowly began to introduce the pet beasts to Chen Wen.

"Our Qinghe City Beast House breeds a wide variety of pet beasts, but we are mainly skilled in breeding animal-type pet beasts."

"In the breeding of Fire Crows, Howling Wind Tigers, and Fire Apes, our Qinghe City Beast House has reached a national first-class level. We also have considerable expertise in breeding Golden Monkeys, Violent Bears, and Purple-eyed Ferrets."

He paused and continued, "Although we have brought in plant-type and elemental-type pet beasts from other Beast Houses, I cannot guarantee their talents and qualities. After all, the funding for the Beast House is related to the local Beast Master college entrance exam results..."

Zhu Wu left it at that, and Chen Wen and He Xiong immediately understood his meaning.

Better pet beasts can help Beast Master apprentices improve faster, thus improving the local Beast Master college entrance exam results and securing more funding for the local Beast House.

Therefore, under such a policy, each local Beast House naturally would not sell or exchange their excellent pet beasts to other Beast Houses.

The pet beasts brought in from other Beast Houses might not be of poor quality, but they definitely are not the best. So, unless you have a specific preference, the pet beasts bred by the local Beast House are a better choice.

Zhu Wu continued, "The number of pet beasts a Beast Master can contract is limited, and it is difficult to dissolve a contract, which can also harm the Beast Master's soul. Each pet beast is crucial to a Beast Master."

"Therefore, your first pet beast should ideally be one with outstanding potential or one that has a clear evolutionary path."

"Otherwise, your first pet beast may become a pet in the later stages, unable to help you in battles or in your growth."

He paused and continued, "Additionally, when contracting a pet beast, you should choose one that suits your Beast Master talent."

"If you have a talent for enhancing strength, it's best to choose a strength-type pet beast. Violent Bears, Golden Tigers, and Arm Apes are all good choices, as they can further enhance their already advantageous strength."

"When contracting a pet beast, the pet beast will sense your Beast Master talent. If your talent can promote its growth, the success rate of the contract will increase significantly."

The talent test at the end of the first year of high school can only determine whether you have a talent. Apart from Beast Masters, no one knows the specific abilities of the talent.

So, Zhu Wu only gave a rough introduction to the two of them.

Chen Wen and He Xiong nodded in agreement.

Seeing their novice appearance, Zhu Wu guessed that they might not be very familiar with pet beast information, so he handed them a book.

"Here, borrow this book. It contains the illustrated guide of the pet beasts bred by our Qinghe City Beast House!"

Chen Wen took the book and hurriedly thanked him, "Thank you, Big Brother Zhu Wu!"

He Xiong also said, "Thank you, Big Brother Zhu Wu!"

"You don't need to thank me. I am here to guide you, and when I first became a Beast Master, I knew nothing, but fortunately, I had seniors to guide me."

He smiled and recalled, "Alright, go find the pet beast you like. I don't have more experience to share with you!"

Chen Wen and He Xiong thanked Zhu Wu again and then walked into the Young Beast House.

Upon entering the building, they were greeted by a large floor map.

He Xiong glanced at the map and asked Chen Wen, "Where should we go first?"

Chen Wen scanned the map and pointed to the west, "Let's go this way. The Violent Bear you've been dreaming of is over there!"

"Great!" He Xiong agreed enthusiastically.

Unlike Chen Wen, he had already decided on the pet beast he wanted to contract.