34: Targeted training

The seven Beasts ran on the playground, and the results of their tests quickly came out.

The fastest was undoubtedly the Light Shadow Cat, which took only 18 seconds to run one lap around the 400-meter track, followed by the Guimian Mastiff at 26 seconds.

The Raging Flame Monkey was third at 35 seconds, and the Armored Rhino was fourth at 49 seconds. Wang Bing’s Armored Rhino was still in its growth phase, and its speed and burst power would greatly increase after it matured.

Fifth place was the Drought Land Turtle, taking 8 seconds. Considering its massive size, this speed was quite good.

The last two places, theCrouching Dragon and Phoenix Chick (Hidden Dragon and Phoenix), were taken by two Saltwater Crocodiles.

They finished sixth and seventh with times of 152 seconds and 203 seconds for the 400-meter run, respectively.

Zhou Hao hugged his Beast dearly; after the 400-meter run, his Beast's paws were bleeding from being abraded.

Chen Xing also checked Taotie. Taotie’s claws and abdominal scales showed slight signs of abrasion, but fortunately, there was no bleeding.

"Now you understand the advantages your Beasts have on land compared to other Beasts. Your Beasts haven't matured yet. After they mature and their size increases, their speed can improve a bit, but it's limited."

Teacher Kuang paused, "Alright, let's go test their speed in the water. You all need to go too."

The last sentence was directed at the four senior students.

"Ah? We're testing too?"

"You need to test. The terrain of a battle will never accommodate you. You also need to test your Beasts' speed in the water." At this point, Teacher Kuang gave the Raging Flame Monkey and Guimian Mastiff a meaningful look.

The two Beasts frowned, sensing that things were not simple.

"Woof woof woof ~"

As soon as the Guimian Mastiff entered the water, it acted as if it had been electrocuted. Its fluffy fur stood on end, and it instantly jumped up and ran far away.

No matter how Tian Xuechuan called it, it was useless. It just stood far away, looking at its owner with a bitter face and vigilance.

"Come here, I'm not going to hurt you, just come here quickly." Tian Xuechuan waved.

"Woof woof woof!!!" The Guimian Mastiff howled loudly.

Chen Xing tried hard to suppress the rising corners of his mouth. He understood the Guimian Mastiff's barks; it was cursing very foully.

Seeing the Guimian Mastiff's miserable state, the Raging Flame Monkey sat restlessly by the pool, occasionally looking up and giving its owner a polite smile.

"Tong Xuhua, get your Beast ready." Teacher Kuang's voice came.

"Get ready to go into the water." Tong Xuhua gave the Raging Flame Monkey the command.

The smile on the Raging Flame Monkey's face gradually disappeared. It sat by the pool like a monkey, as if it had mentally prepared itself for its upcoming fate.

Splash!

Gurgle gurgle gurgle.

Having received prior instructions, Taotie reacted quickly, dragging the Raging Flame Monkey out of the water from the bottom.

"It's not good that both of your Beasts are afraid of water," Teacher Kuang said.

"Ahem, Teacher, it's not really afraid of water-type skills. It's mainly afraid of large pools like this; it has thalassophobia."

Teacher Kuang heard this and said irritably, "But is this the sea?! It's just a small pool."

Actually, he was still very optimistic about this year's School Team. If they performed well, they had a chance to enter the top eight of the Shuzhou Cup. If they could overcome their weaknesses and get lucky with their grouping, they might even make it to the top four.

But these two fire-type Beasts were both afraid of water!

He had encountered Beasts afraid of water before. It was normal for fire-type Beasts not to like water, but being afraid to this extent was rare.

And he encountered two at once! Both were on his team!

This was a clear weakness. If targeted by an enemy, just one above-average water-type Beast could cause them a great loss.

Compared to these two water-fearing fire-type Beasts, the Light Shadow Cat and Drought Land Turtle performed much better.

Although the Light Shadow Cat also disliked water, it still easily swam back and forth after its owner commanded it, taking 32 seconds to complete 100 meters there and back.

The Drought Land Turtle's performance was quite impressive. Although its name contained the word 'dry,' it was not a 'landlubber.' It took 64 seconds to swim 100 meters back and forth in the water.

The Armored Rhino was slightly faster than the Drought Land Turtle, also taking 57 seconds to swim 100 meters back and forth.

Chen Xing felt that those who named these creatures had problems. What 'Dryland,' what 'Land Rhino.'

Their names sounded like they were landlubbers, but they swam in the water with ease, completely contrary to their clumsy bodies.

Wang Bing coughed, "It's normal for a land tank to swim, right? What kind of tank can't go into the water?"

Zhou Hao rolled his eyes, "Stop humblebragging."

A hint of surprise appeared in Chen Xing's eyes. The Armored Rhino was not afraid of water, which was unexpected.

Next, it was his turn. Chen Xing said "Go into the water," and Taotie, who was standing diagonally by the pool, slid into the water in a flash, diving underwater and turning into a sharp arrow, shooting forward. After reaching the opposite side of the pool, it made a flexible turn.

A black shadow broke through the water, splashing a large amount of water. Taotie emerged mostly from the water, its crocodile snout raised high, like a puppy asking for a reward.

"So powerful!" Chen Xing did notstingy (hold back) his praise.

Taotie, encouraged, looked very happy.

"Sixteen seconds, not bad. An adult Saltwater Crocodile's 100-meter speed in water is usually 7 seconds." Teacher Kuang nodded, quite satisfied with this result.

It only took 16 seconds for 100 meters; its speed in water was significantly faster than on land, and its movements were agile. Through the rippling water, only a black shadow could be seen flashing by underwater.

Zhou Hao's Saltwater Crocodile was a bit slower, taking 19 seconds, but it still surpassed the Light Shadow Cat, ranking second.

"Every Beast has its strengths. This test is just to tell you which aspects you should focus on training. Of course, weaknesses shouldn't be too obvious. In two months, you will train by sparring with Chen Xing and Zhou Hao's Beasts."

Zhou Hao turned pale with fright, "Ah? Me?"

Their development time difference was two years!

"Of course, it will be in the water." Teacher Kuang's mouth curved upwards as he added.

"Ah? This!" This time, it was Tian Xuechuan and Tong Xuhua's turn to change their expressions dramatically.

Teacher Kuang, however, felt a bit regretful, "It's a pity that Chen Xing and they are two years apart from you. The Beast gap is too large, otherwise, the practical combat effect would be better."

The energy level difference was too great, making it difficult to create pressure. They could only barely fight in an extreme, all-water environment like a swimming pool.

Moreover, if their Saltwater Crocodiles and Armored Rhinos could be a bit larger, it would be great. Not necessarily adult size, but even 70-80% of an adult's size would be good. It could also train them on how to deal with large-tonnage opponents.

However, speaking of it, Chen Xing's Saltwater Crocodile was indeed a size larger than Zhou Hao's.

He glanced at Chen Xing's Saltwater Crocodile. Its size was almost two meters, right? Its development speed was quite fast; its physical talent was truly excellent.

"Teacher Kuang, didn't you say we'd have targeted training? When are we training?" Zhou Hao asked boldly.

Teacher Kuang stood with his hands behind his back, watching the two crocodiles swimming in the pool, "Are you in a hurry?"

Zhou Hao was stunned for a moment, unsure of the teacher's attitude. He felt that his words might have challenged the teacher's authority and was about to apologize when Teacher Kuang continued, "Before training, I also need to see the level of your Beasts to prescribe the right remedy, and for you novices, how much targeted training can you really do?"

At this point, Teacher Kuang looked at Zhou Hao with a half-smile, "I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush yet."

That evening, when the School Team disbanded, Zhou Hao understood the meaning of Teacher Kuang's words.

Looking at the book in front of him, which was about the same size as a primary school Chinese textbook, especially when he heard that they had to memorize all the content in the book within a month, his face turned a sickly green.

"You are the brains that command the Beasts. The brain needs to remember more knowledge. This book contains all common low and mid-level four-element skills, as well as the habits and attack patterns of common creatures in the Nightmare Ghost Swamp. Take it back and memorize it well. I will check it then."