25: locking

The instructors relaxed, but the homeroom teachers, who had gathered together, got a headache.

They had originally planned to let these newcomers battle each other to find motivation.

Now that the monster in the crowd had been found, could the students still have proper battles?

"Should the battles still be held?"

"Yes, why not? Otherwise, how will they understand that their compatibility with their Beast is not yet enough?"

"How about we don't let them participate in the competition?"

This made them angry; the original arrangement was one ace student per class, which would liven up the atmosphere.

As a result, one took leave, and another, even more abnormal, appeared.

"How could those three be willing? How about we just give them the rewards directly, and then offer other rewards to continue the event?"

"That makes sense, I agree. Anyway, the original rewards were theirs to begin with."

"Then let's do that. This way, no one will have any complaints."

...

Inside the office, the three stood side by side.

"We have all witnessed your strength, so we are preparing to distribute the training match rewards to you in advance."

"Training match? There's such a thing?" The teacher's words immediately excited Chen Ping.

The previous battle hadn't been satisfying for him, and Li Wen and the other person had firmly rejected his request for a private sparring session.

But the next sentence immediately dampened his spirits.

"The three of you should not participate. Arrange your own time and do not slack off in training your Beasts."

"Don't think that being one step ahead means you can always stay ahead."

"Teacher, I... Mmm..." Chen Ping still wanted to struggle for his desire to battle, but Li Wen and Lu Chen had their own plans.

How could they let him have his way? Covering his mouth, they both looked at him with threatening eyes.

With the other two united, his struggles were futile, so he could only nod in agreement.

"Damn it, those two rascals ruined my plans." Chen Ping only dared to say this secretly in his heart.

"Alright, one second-tier Beast Core for each of you. As for the attribute, you can choose yourselves."

Good, it wasn't for nothing.

This reward was exactly what Li Wen wanted. Although the price of a Beast Core is not the main part of evolution materials, receiving such a reward for a training match is already excellent.

It seems they are spending a lot this year because of last year's poor performance.

Don't think that the price of a second-tier Fire attribute Beast Core isn't expensive; that's because there are many Fire attribute Beasts.

Only at the Commander level will a Beast Core appear after a Beast's death, so second-tier is the lowest level.

If it were a second-tier Lightning attribute Beast Core, it would cost at least 200,000, and Light and Dark attributes are even more outrageous.

So Li Wen planned to get a Lightning attribute Beast Core to save himself a significant amount.

After choosing the Beast Cores, he walked out and saw everyone training.

Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Li Wen said the most annoying thing, "Brothers, see you tomorrow."

Lu Chen, beside him, clearly didn't understand Li Wen's meaning, thinking he was saying goodbye to him.

"See you tomorrow."

"Get your Beginner Breeder certification soon. I'm curious how many points someone like you can score."

Upon hearing this, Li Wen thought, 'Good heavens, if he hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten.' Now his mind was completely filled with evolution materials.

He had almost forgotten about this, but fortunately, he was almost ready, only needing one final review.

So, next up was mission time, but doing missions alone seemed a bit too monotonous. Therefore, to compensate Chen Ping, he decided to take him out to do missions.

As for Lu Chen, even if he invited him, he would probably refuse. He felt this way not because of their relationship, but because that guy was a complete research fanatic.

Chen Ping also didn't refuse, as he had no plans and would only be bored at home. It would be better to go out and do missions with Li Wen. After all, isn't doing missions a kind of challenge?

...

Upon arriving at the Beastmaster Association, they were first led into a spacious and bright hall.

In the center of the hall was a huge electronic screen, displaying detailed information about various missions in a scrolling fashion.

Li Wen and Chen Ping stood in front of the screen, carefully browsing each mission, trying to find one suitable for them.

"How about this one?" Chen Ping pointed to a mission on the screen and said, "Capture [Flying Locusts]. It is said that they are extremely fast and can fly. The mission price is 400 per one."

Li Wen shook his head, his brows slightly furrowed: "Although it sounds good, Flying Locusts are numerous and their whereabouts are unpredictable, so capturing them would likely be quite troublesome."

"Moreover, we came out this time mainly to hone our abilities, absolutely not to make money." Although he said this, he emphasized the words 'make money'.

So, was 'absolutely not' the real intention?

"But actually, it's not impossible. The question is, can your Beast fly?"

Chen Ping nodded upon hearing this, remaining silent and continuing to browse the screen.

Soon, his gaze was drawn to another mission.

"How about intercepting [Mudkip]? It is said that these guys like to be active near water bodies. Although their strength is not great, their speed is extremely fast, and they are good at jumping. They are a good opponent."

Upon hearing this, a flicker of interest flashed in Li Wen's eyes.

Mudkip seemed to possess the Skill he needed. After developing the combo of [Revive] fatal blow, Li Wen completely understood what Skill Ya Bao was lacking now.

Rather than reconnaissance, it was a Skill to improve the Skill hit rate.

As one of the representatives of 'useless' Beasts, its Skills were only two: [Lock-On] and [Leaping Dragon Gate].

It could be said that it had no offensive capabilities at all. Only a few special individuals, or after evolution, would be contracted.

So, like the Flying Locusts, they were unrealistic missions for collecting ingredients.

"Mudkip? Sounds interesting. Moreover, the aquatic environment is relatively familiar to us, making it easier to leverage our advantages."

Thus, the two decided to take on the mission of intercepting [Mudkip].

Under the guidance of the staff, they arrived at the mission release window and received the necessary equipment and map for the mission.

The map marked the aquatic areas where Mudkip might appear, as well as the specific requirements and rewards of the mission.

Li Wen and Chen Ping walked out of the Beastmaster Association and, following the directions on the map, headed towards the target aquatic area.

Along the way, they discussed possible tactics and strategies, and how to deal with potential emergencies.

When the two finally arrived at the edge of the water, a shimmering lake surface came into view.

The lake water was clear to the bottom, and occasionally a few fish would leap out of the water, creating ripples.

There were also many others, like them, who had taken on missions and were diligently intercepting.

Soon, a rapid splashing sound came, and a Mudkip leaped out of the water, rushing towards the shore.

[Mudkip]

[attribute: Water]

[Species: Agile Low-Tier]

[growth level: Entry-Level Beginner]

[Skill ①: Lock-On] (+)

... [Successfully recorded]

"Hooray, new Skill get!"