am-books Chapter 8
Chapter 8
C8 – The Stone Tablet of Origin
Every year, new evolutionary paths for pets are discovered, but typically they involve new species. Little Snowball, a pet with a century of domestication, shouldn’t have had any new evolutionary routes. Yet, against all odds, it happened—and they all bore witness to it. The experience left them feeling as though they were in a dream.
It took some time before they snapped out of it, their faces lighting up with sheer astonishment. “Bro, this is a huge discovery!” one exclaimed. “Imagine the shock when others find out Little Snowball has an evolutionary form!” another added.
“Xie Yang, you’re incredible!” they all agreed, their conversation bubbling over with excitement and amazement. Bai Tian, in particular, was genuinely thrilled for Xie Yang. Previously, with only Little Snowball by his side, Xie Yang’s chances of becoming an apprentice beastmaster, much less getting into the Beastmaster Academy, were slim.
Now, the situation had changed dramatically. The evolved Ice Crystal Soul was undeniably formidable. Even if it couldn’t evolve further, its mature strength would be formidable. Xie Yang had easily secured his qualifications to be a beastmaster.
“So that’s why you were eager to take the assessment—you were ready all along,” Bai Tian said, playfully chiding Xie Yang. Moo Shuqin and Zou Xinrui exchanged glances, feeling sheepish. They had doubted him, thinking his efforts were in vain. Clearly, Xie Yang had full confidence in his success.
After all, Little Snowball was a second-rank pet. Xie Yang passing the Apprentice Assessment was a foregone conclusion, and even the higher-level challenges seemed well within his reach. This realization cast Xie Yang in a new light for them.
Before, he was simply their friend’s brother, nothing more. But now, as a high school student with a second-rank pet, Xie Yang had earned the title of genius in their eyes. A young, promising genius is always seen differently, and at eighteen, with his tall and handsome stature, Xie Yang was no exception.
From any perspective, he met the aesthetic standards of young girls to a tee.
At that moment, their fondness for Xie Yang could be said to have reached its zenith.
On the return journey, Xie Yang acutely sensed that Moo Shuqin and Zou Xinrui had warmed up considerably in their demeanor toward him.
Zou Xinrui remained somewhat bashful.
Moo Shuqin, on the other hand, was far bolder, brushing against his arm in what seemed like a mix of deliberate and accidental touches.
Xie Yang felt rather helpless about the situation.
But he quickly put it out of his mind. Midway, he took a moment to review his list of achievements.
He had just unlocked a new one:
First Victory: You’ve triumphed in your inaugural pet battle. Completing this achievement earns you 100 achievement points and a Soul Crystal (Achievement completed, reward pending collection).
Moo Shuqin leaned in and whispered, “So that’s the Stone Tablet of Origin? It looks rather unassuming.” Bai Tian gestured for silence. “Someone’s approaching.” A group of five or six individuals clad in the Beastmaster Association’s uniform entered the room. Leading them were two middle-aged men, each adorned with a silver badge on their chest—a mark of the silver Beastmaster rank. The hierarchy of Beastmasters ascended from apprentice to bronze, silver, gold, and finally, legend.
The higher the rank of a Beastmaster, the closer one gets to the legendary king level.
In the small city of Lakeshell, being a silver-ranked Beastmaster made you quite the notable figure.
People gazed at them with a mix of awe and envy.
“Welcome to today’s Apprentice Beastmaster Qualification Assessment.”
The tall, slender middle-aged man announced confidently, “My name is Qin Ai, and I serve as a deacon for the Lakeshell branch of the Beastmaster Association.”
His counterpart, with a more subdued demeanor, introduced himself, “I’m Shui Zhongzhen, also a deacon at the Lakeshell branch.”
While they spoke, staff members behind them moved through the crowd, distributing items to the participants.
Xie Yang promptly received a small, intricately designed bronze plate.
The plate was sectioned into four quadrants by three horizontal lines, each engraved with the levels: “low,” “medium,” “higher,” and “superior grade.”
“The item you now hold is the key to the Void Realm of the Stone Tablet of Origin, where you will undergo your next evaluation,” Qin Ai explained, surveying the room with a measured gaze.
“Before we begin, you must select the difficulty level of the challenge you wish to undertake.”
“The screen will display the rewards, or ‘baptisms,’ you’ll receive upon passing each difficulty level.”
Following his words, a large screen embedded in the right wall flickered to life, revealing several lines of text.
[Low Difficulty: Pass and ascend to apprentice Beastmaster. Gain +1 Soul, +5% Growth Point for your designated pet.]
[Medium Difficulty: Pass and become an apprentice Beastmaster. Gain +2 Soul, +1 Constitution, +10% Growth Point for your designated pet.]
[High Difficulty: Pass and you’ll rise to apprentice Beastmaster. Gain +3 Soul, +2 Constitution, +20% Growth Point for your designated pet, and earn the right to a second pet beast.]
[Superior Grade Difficulty: Pass and you’ll be promoted to apprentice Beastmaster. Gain +5 Soul, +3 Constitution, +30% Growth Point for your designated pet, and qualify for a second pet.]