Chapter 35: Remember to be Gentle
"Yaa..." Fire fang Dog let out a frustrated whine, slumping back into its seat and taking a big gulp of milk to soothe the sting of its defeat.
When it finished, Qiao Sang, perceptive as ever, handed it another bottle and offered some comfort: "It's okay, we'll be up against the Long-Eared Cat soon. You can avenge Little Fat Dove then."
Although the Long-Eared Cat looked so cute it almost melted her heart, Qiao Sang didn't soften. After all, she turned steely at the thought of those 50 points.
"Yap!" Fire fang Dog perked up at her words, sitting up straight again and nodding vigorously. It would do just that!
The third match was quick and decisive, though the outcome was a bit unexpected for Qiao Sang.
The Stingtail Bee, a poison and flying type beast, had toxic stingers in both its mouth and tail.
The mouth stinger required close contact to inject poison, while the tail stinger could be fired from a distance.
In theory, the Stingtail Bee should have been able to wear down the Short-Tailed Snake by attacking from afar, slowly poisoning it. But instead, the Stingtail Bee used its mouth stinger up close.
The Short-Tailed Snake's venom was far more potent than that of the Stingtail Bee.
As soon as the bee's stinger pierced the snake, the snake remained unharmed, while the Stingtail Bee passed out from its own venom.
You could say the Stingtail Bee was stupid, but it was just following its Beastmaster's command.
The Beastmaster had ordered it to use Poison Sting. Both the mouth and tail stingers were poison stings, but the Beastmaster didn't specify, proving their status as a novice.
Qiao Sang was speechless.
After the six-to-three match ended, the three losing contestants had to battle to eliminate one and leave two.
Perhaps due to frustration from losing so quickly, Qiao Sang noticed that Lu Liangye seemed to let his emotions affect his judgment during his match.
When his opponent was nearly exhausted, instead of using a powerful attack like Water Gun to finish the fight, he had his Water Ring Carp create a veil of bubbles to block vision and then ordered a Charge.
Qiao Sang didn't understand. If the opponent was already down, what was the point of blocking their vision?
Besides, Water Ring Carp had no legs, only a tail. How was it supposed to generate any real power on land?
The attack was barely a charge, let alone a full-on charge...
Aside from Lu Liangye, a boy named Hu Cheng also made it to the top five.
The final round for the top spot would be decided among the winners of the six-to-three matches.
"Qiao Sang, Zheng Yining, and Li Yang, the three of you will take turns battling. The first to win two matches will be the top recruit." Sun Boyi announced.
Qin Wen brought out that familiar wooden box again, "Inside are slips of paper. Two have numbers, the one who draws a blank slip gets a bye for this round."
Qiao Sang was fortunate not to get a bye, unfolding her slip to reveal the number 1 once again.
Drawing three consecutive 1s—it must be a sign that she was destined to be number one!
Qiao Sang was brimming with fighting spirit, while Zheng Yining, who drew the other 1, was already resigned.
Her scores usually hovered around 560 points. Without this special recruitment, she wouldn't stand a chance at getting into Shengshui High purely on her academic performance.
Now that she was guaranteed a spot, she didn't need to be first to secure her place.
"Qiao Da, go easy on me, will you?" Zheng Yining said with a grin.
She knew she couldn't win, so she might as well lighten the mood before she lost.
Qiao Sang glanced at Fire fang Dog, who was warming up by stretching its limbs.
"I'll try." She replied.
Lu Liangye, who overheard their conversation, wasn't happy. He approached Qiao Sang, his expression twisted like he was in pain.
"I... I believe you can win, but you shouldn't get complacent. You have to attack with everything you've got from the start, so nothing unexpected happens."
He had lost so badly to Qiao Sang that he hadn't lasted even two rounds. If she went easy on Zheng Yining and they traded blows for several rounds, where would that leave him?
Qiao Sang looked at his awkward, slightly arrogant face and smiled, "Thanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mind."
Zheng Yining: ...?
The two took their designated positions.
The Long-Eared Cat licked its paw gracefully.
Fire fang Dog, on the other hand, fixed its eyes on the Long-Eared Cat, its hind legs pawing at the ground as if it were about to pounce.
This posture seemed familiar...
Qiao Sang suddenly remembered.
Wasn't this the same stance that Fire fang Dog had copied from the Thunderhorn Rhino it had seen on TV, the time it got so scared it learned to use Ember?
Before she could think further, Sun Boyi gave the command to begin.
Qiao Sang quickly refocused, commanding, "Charge."
Fire fang Dog had been ready to charge from the start, so Qiao Sang simply followed its lead.
It seemed that Zheng Yining's pre-match flattery had worked.
Zheng Yining was pleased with Qiao Sang's command. Charge was a basic move that rarely succeeded right off the bat.
Qiao Sang was clearly going easy on her. If she had started the way she did against Lu Liangye, what chance would she have?
"Dodge." Zheng Yining ordered.
Dodge was a versatile command. Unless the opponent used a locking or area-of-effect attack, it was always a safe bet, something Zheng Yining had picked up from TV.
The Long-Eared Cat gracefully sidestepped, only to be knocked off its feet and sent flying.
It couldn't dodge...
"That Fire fang Dog seems faster than before." Zheng Guoping remarked in surprise.
"It's likely holding back in the earlier rounds," Qin Wen replied.
Liu Yao watched the match in silence, focused on the battle.
"Long Ears!" Zheng Yining cried out to her pet.
The Long-Eared Cat, a normal-type beast, was known for its agility and looks among entry-level pets.
The area was wide open, and the Long-Eared Cat hadn't even taken a hit. Yet it was still struck by a simple Charge?!
Though it was a bit shaken, the Long-Eared Cat managed to get up gracefully, only to be sent flying again.
"Long Ears!"
Qiao Sang felt a twinge of guilt.
Fire fang Dog didn't let up. Each time the Long-Eared Cat tried to stand, it was knocked down again, over and over, like a bull charging a red cape...
"I forfeit!" Zheng Yining shouted after the Long-Eared Cat was sent flying for the fifth time.
"I declare the winner—Qiao Sang," Sun Boyi announced.
Little Fat Dove and its Beastmaster hadn't left yet. Fire fang Dog happily ran over to Little Fat Dobe, hoping to celebrate together, but Little Fat Dove, startled, flapped its wings and flew onto its master's shoulder.
That was terrifying!
Fire fang Dog was heartbroken. Its budding friendship had shattered just like that.
It approached Qiao Sang.
"Yap..."
Qiao Sang knelt down and picked it up.
Fire fang Dog snuggled into her, feeling much better.
"This Fire fang Dog has great potential. When you get back, bathe it daily in a mix of three sprigs of vitality grass, two pounds of heat-soothing powder, seven ounces of fiery crystal, and six ounces of red honey. Do this for half a month, and you might see some impressive results." A deep voice suddenly said nearby.
Qiao Sang turned to see one of the four teachers.
"This is our vice principal at Shengshui High. He's an A-level Breeder, so you can trust his advice." Zheng Guoping explained.