Beast Taming: Slaughter Atlas

"Your son's calling you."

Amidst the sudden, urgent ringing of a cellphone, a young man, who had been sound asleep, suddenly sat up as if jolted awake.

His first reaction was to pick up the phone and check the time.

Eight o'clock sharp.

He stared at the phone, his eyes filled with disbelief, which then turned into a look of regret.

Seeing the caller ID displayed on the phone, he couldn't help but smile and mumble to himself, "It really is my son calling."

"Hello..."

"Chu Chen, what's going on with you? It's already eight. Where are you?"

Hearing this, Chu Chen quickly moved the phone away a bit awkwardly said, "I was too excited yesterday and slept a little late."

"What? You can't be telling me you just woke up?"

"Uh, Wang Lu, don't get worked up. Has the awakening ceremony started?"

"Not yet, we just gathered at the playground. I estimate the principal is going to give a speech soon. I'm stalling for you with our class teacher for now, but you better get here within ten minutes, or else you know what'll happen."

Hearing this, Chu Chen hurriedly replied, "Good son, your dad will treat you to kebabs tonight." With that, he decisively hung up the phone.

"Get lost..."

"Wang Lu, who are you telling to get lost? Come to my office after the awakening ceremony."

Wang Lu quickly put away his phone and grinned at the nearby woman, "Teacher, you misunderstood, I wasn't talking about you."

This woman was indeed Chen Qian, the homeroom teacher for class three and four of the senior year.

Chen Qian just gave Wang Lu a cold glance and turned away.

Wang Lu breathed a sigh of relief, mentally cursing Chu Chen a hundred times.

By then, Chu Chen had already dashed out of his house, quickly reaching the roadside; he looked up at the sky as if searching for something.

The next second, a black dot appeared in the sky and started enlarging visibly. Within seconds, a giant eagle appeared in front of Chu Chen.

The entire body of the giant eagle was gray-white, with a wingspan reaching ten meters. Its beak and claws were light yellow, resembling cast metal, and its sharp eagle eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings.

Chu Chen looked at the giant eagle before him without a change in expression, as if he had expected it.

Indeed, this was a world of extraordinary powers, where everyone being a Beast Master had long been the norm.

However, five hundred years ago, this world was similar to Earth, a technological planet, but the calamity five hundred years ago changed the world order, knocking humans off the top of the food chain and into a temple of survival, allowing them to breathe in peace after five hundred years of war.

"Honorable guest, the Swift Eagle Ride is at your service," smiled a middle-aged man.

Upon hearing this, Chu Chen nodded quickly and climbed onto the back of the giant eagle.

"Fasten your seatbelt. We depart immediately."

Chu Chen complied quickly, nodding to the middle-aged man to indicate he was ready to go.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man patted the eagle beneath him and laughed, "Old buddy, let's go." With that, he raised his hand, and a transparent soul shield enveloped the two of them.

As the middle-aged man finished speaking, the giant eagle flapped its wings strongly, bringing a sudden, strong pushback sensation.

In the next moment, the giant eagle flew into the sky, swiftly heading into the distance.

Chu Chen felt the ongoing pushback sensation, his eyes flickering with excitement.

But the next moment, it was replaced by a look of financial pain.

The Swift Eagle's departure worked similarly to Earth's ride-hailing apps, needing only a phone order, and Chu Chen had chosen the extreme speed version, which was naturally expensive.

However, its price matched its value; the gale eagle beneath him was an elite quality Guardian Beast, and judging by its aura, its power was around War General Level Three-Star, boasting remarkable combat power, and its speed was outstanding among beasts of the same rank.

Minutes later, the gale eagle landed at the entrance of Guardian Beast Senior High in Celestial Star City.

Guardian Beast Senior High was a key high school in Celestial Star City, where the focus was on cultural subjects, while Beast Master talent was determined only in the senior year.

Chu Chen quickly pulled out a hundred yuan bill to cover the fare, then rushed toward the campus.

At this moment, the middle-aged man watched Chu Chen's slightly disheveled figure, shaking his head, "This kid is so laid-back, even on such an important day, he can be late." With that, he directed the gale eagle to leave.

Minutes later, a figure sneaked timidly into the back row of class three, four of the senior year.

This figure was indeed Chu Chen, who had hurried there, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the principal giving a high-spirited speech.

Just as Chu Chen was secretly rejoicing, a concerned voice came from behind, "Chu Chen, are you okay?"

Surprised, Chu Chen quickly turned around to see that it was Chen Qian, standing at the back of class three, with the homeroom teacher Hu Man, who appeared to be exchanging management tips.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Chu Chen scratched his head awkwardly, "I'm fine, ma'am,"

"Hmm, that's good. Wang Lu said you had a stomachache, and I was planning to ask the principal to delay your awakening time."

Moved by her words, Chu Chen gratefully said, "Thank you, ma'am, I've taken some medicine, and I'm better now."

Chen Qian nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.

Wang Lu, seeing this, muttered enviously, "Ma'am is really biased. Grades do make a difference."

And indeed, it was true. Being a Reincarnator, Chu Chen's precocity contributed to his excellent grades. Another reason was his understanding of the importance of knowledge, having missed out on it in a past life and having become a corporate drone early on.

He learned from his past mistakes and was determined not to repeat them in this life.

Chu Chen's grades consistently stayed in the top three of the entire school, naturally earning the teacher's favor.

"The nine-layered tower starts with a heap of earth, and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Cultivation is a gradual process, and to reach further and see more beautiful landscapes, every step is crucial. Everyone should aim high and gather small success into great success, becoming strong. Finally, I wish everyone could awaken with satisfactory Cultivation Talent. Next, please welcome Director Zhang from the Beastmaster Association to guide us in awakening our soul power."

Amidst a round of enthusiastic applause, the principal finally concluded his speech.

The originally drowsy students suddenly became spirited, and for a moment, the applause seemed all the more fervent.

Shortly after the principal stepped down from the podium, several members of the association in black suits ascended the stage.

Leading them was a sturdy middle-aged man, followed by several members carrying a metal box one meter square.

Judging by their somewhat cumbersome steps, the metal box must have weighed over a thousand pounds.

After forming a contract with their Guardian Beasts, a Beast Master's physique would continually improve, not only freeing them from illness but also extending their lifespan significantly. With their Guardian Beasts gaining strength, this enhancement would also increase.

It was said that some high-ranking Beast Masters could live to three or four hundred years old, even managing to kill Star Beasts using sheer bodily strength without their Guardian Beasts.

Speaking of Star Beasts, it was inevitable to mention the great catastrophe five hundred years ago, when many spatial rifts suddenly appeared around the world, and a large amount of Star Power flowed into Blue Star through the rifts, causing great changes in Blue Star. Native plants and animals began an evolution journey, and even Blue Star expanded about five times its size, while humans seemed to be mercilessly forsaken, with no sign of evolution. It was years later that humans accidentally found a way to become Beast Masters, marking the beginning of centuries of war.

However, the results were not ideal, and the situation on the human side remained precarious. Several cities fell each year, but similarly, humans also expanded territory and established new cities each year, or the human race would have long been wiped out by the Star Beasts.