NOVEL NEXT Chapter One: Awakening of the God-level Beast Master System
"Last night, Qingfeng City was struck by a massive tsunami, suspected to be caused by a Beast King-level Water-type magical beast. Citizens are advised to be cautious."
"Shock! Ye Shuangning, the genius girl from Qinglong Academy, has advanced two levels to become the youngest five-star Beast Master!"
"Recently, the Royal Inspection Team discovered the droppings of a Shadow Dragon in the Long Valley Volcano, preliminarily confirming that dragon-type magical beasts have not gone extinct!"
"In three days, the annual national examination will commence. Please look forward to further reports."
In the boys' dormitory of Xiangnan High School, Xiao Xingyu scrolled through the trending news, put down his phone, and exhaled a breath of frustration, with a hint of bloodshot in his sour eyes.
The phone's lock screen showed the date: August 29, 2323.
"It seems I've crossed over."
Based on the newly fused memories, Xiao Xingyu confirmed that he had arrived in a completely new world.
Three hundred years ago, calamities struck, bringing a nightmarish apocalypse to this world.
Earth was invaded by magical beasts, and the population of seven billion was reduced to one billion overnight!
In the days that followed, the beast army trampled every inch of land, mercilessly slaughtering the survivors fleeing in all directions.
Fortunately, just when human civilization was on the brink of collapse, a group of geniuses awakened the profession of Beast Master, igniting a counterattack for the dignity of humanity.
This struggle has continued for a full 300 years.
Thanks to the desperate battles fought by the Beast Masters, the human faction managed to regain some ground, barely holding onto a piece of safe land and establishing a mature Beast Master civilization system.
Xiao Xingyu was aware of his situation based on the fused memories.
Dragon Kingdom.
Qingfeng City.
This was Xiao Xingyu's hometown, an unremarkable coastal city that frequently suffered invasions by Water-type magical beasts, where citizens lived in constant fear.
This year, Xiao Xingyu turned 18 and was a senior at Xiangnan High School, nearing graduation.
"In three days, the national examination will take place."
The national examination is the first test for boys and girls to embark on the path of becoming Beast Masters.
The qualification to participate is simple; as long as one contracts a magical beast, they can apply to any Beast Master academy.
Whether they can get in depends on their talent.
"I just crossed over, and although I've fully integrated the new memories, I still feel like something is missing..."
In the next moment, a mechanized system notification echoed in Xiao Xingyu's mind.
"Ding~"
"Congratulations, host! You have awakened the [God-level Beast Master System]."
"Binding system..."
"Binding successful!"
Xiao Xingyu looked at his handsome face in the mirror, a wicked smile curling at the corners of his lips.
"As expected, a cheat is standard for a cross-refer. It may be late, but it won’t be absent."
The system notification sounded again.
"Ding~"
"Distributing [Beginner Gift Pack]."
"Please check the host's inventory."
Xiao Xingyu focused his thoughts, and a holographic projection visible only to him appeared before him.
This was the system's main interface.
With just a thought, Xiao Xingyu could switch to his personal inventory.
In the inventory, there was a gift pack labeled with a "?" mark.
"Opening a mystery box, huh? Sounds interesting."
Xiao Xingyu opened the beginner gift pack, and the system notification chimed in.
"The gift pack has been unpacked."
"Obtained [Demon God’s Eye] + 1 [Bloodline Awakening Crystal]!"
"[Demon God’s Eye] is auto-fusing, fusion progress 10%, 20%, 50%..."
"Fusion progress 100%!"
Xiao Xingyu rubbed his aching eyes and looked at himself in the mirror.
In the reflection, his pupils had turned crimson, surrounded by eerie forbidden spell symbols that rotated counterclockwise.
Xiao Xingyu opened the system interface to check the detailed description of the [Demon God’s Eye].
**Name:** [Demon God’s Eye]
**Background:** Legend has it that after the fall of the Demon God who ruled all beings, two drops of his blood transformed into a pair of divine eyes.
**Function:** Can see through the attribute panels, evolution paths, hidden bloodlines, habits, strengths, and weaknesses of magical beasts and beasts...
**Passive Ability:** By absorbing negative emotions (such as anger, jealousy, sadness, etc.), it can enhance spiritual power concentration.
Xiao Xingyu took a deep breath, temporarily restoring his pupils to normal.
"It seems this pair of eyes is equivalent to a big data system, able to see through all information and hidden details of magical beasts and beasts."
In any world, mastering the "information gap" is an essential element on the path to becoming strong.
In addition to the Demon God’s Eye, Xiao Xingyu also received a Bloodline Awakening Crystal.
The function of this crystal was straightforward; it could activate the hidden bloodlines within magical beasts.
"With the national examination coming up, I need to contract a magical beast as soon as possible to participate in the exam..."
His phone rang, interrupting Xiao Xingyu's thoughts.
"Hello, sis~"
In this world, Xiao Xingyu had no parents but relied on his sister, Xiao Ruoxue.
"Xiao Yu, tomorrow is the weekend. Don't stay up late gaming in the school dormitory, come home. I'll make you something delicious."
"Sis, I need to prepare for the national exam in three days, so I won't be going back this weekend."
"Huh? What? You're participating in the national exam? You want to—""To become a Beast Master?"
Xiao Ruoxue's voice, usually gentle and soft, rose several octaves, and her tone was somewhat off.
"Sis, after I pass the national examination, I'll come home and celebrate with you. I have to hang up now!"
"Xiao Yu, the profession of Beast Master is too dangerous... This little rascal actually hung up on me."
Xiao Ruoxue put down her phone, a flicker of unusual color flashing in her beautiful eyes, followed by a helpless sigh.
"Alas, silly boy, with the Dragon King's spirit seal in place, how could you possibly become a Beast Master..."
During the lunch break, Xiao Xingyu stepped out of the school.
On the streets, amidst ordinary citizens, there were also various Beast Masters.
Each Beast Master was accompanied by magical beasts of different attributes.
For example, there was a three-eyed blood ape beast that towered over the traffic lights.
Or the Frost Lizard, which could freeze anything just by spitting on it.
Or perhaps the Silver Needle Hedgehog, covered in sharp blades.
Xiao Xingyu looked around, feeling envious.
"It makes my heart itch; I really want to contract a magical beast of my own~"
There were generally three ways to obtain a magical beast.
The first was to purchase one from a Beast Master shop.
The second was to capture a magical beast in the wild, tame it, and then sign a blood contract.
The third was to achieve military merit and receive a country-awarded exclusive magical beast.
Clearly, for a newbie like him, the only option was the first.
At that moment, Xiao Xingyu happened to pass by a Beast Master shop.
Outside the shop hung a conspicuous price list.
The price of magical beasts depended on their level, attributes, and bloodline quality.
Xiao Xingyu glanced at the price list and nearly spat out blood.
"The cheapest magical beast costs 12,000 gold coins?!"
He hesitated, feeling discouraged.
To put things into perspective, his sister Xiao Ruoxue worked three jobs, and her monthly salary was only 3,000 gold coins, barely enough to cover rent and basic living expenses for both of them, with no savings left over.
"Looks like this world really is about connections and family background~"
"Hey, isn't that the campus heartthrob, Xiao Xingyu?"
Xiao Xingyu turned to see a monkey-faced guy in designer clothes approaching, with two flirtatious girls clinging to him.
This was Su Zhe, his classmate and a well-known rich second generation in Qingfeng City.
"Xiao Xingyu, what are you doing at the Beast Master shop?"
"Don't tell me you're planning to buy a magical beast to participate in the national examination in three days?"
"But... your sister can barely afford your high school tuition, how could she possibly fund a magical beast purchase?"
Su Zhe deliberately mocked and insulted Xiao Xingyu, then pulled out a bank card from his pocket.
"This is the allowance my dad gave me; there’s 3 million on this card."
"With this money, I could buy a [Initial Form · High Bloodline] magical beast!"
Su Zhe flaunted his wealth, his expression arrogant.
The Beast Master system is divided into ten levels, from low to high:
Initial Form - Mature Form - Complete Form - Extraordinary Form - Beast King Form - Beast Emperor Form - Beast God Form - God-Slaying Form - Star-Slaying Form - Chaos Form.
Participants in the national examination were all newbies with thin spiritual energy, and they could only contract "Initial Form" level magical beasts.
The primary factor that widened the gap between candidates was the bloodline quality of the magical beasts.
Bloodline quality is divided into nine categories:
Inferior - Ordinary - High - Elite - Epic - Legendary - Mythical - Phantom God - Creator.
With 3 million gold coins, Su Zhe could afford to buy an Initial Form magical beast with High Bloodline quality.
Meanwhile, Xiao Xingyu's pockets were as empty as his face, and he couldn't even afford a beast with an Inferior Bloodline.
As Su Zhe walked by Xiao Xingyu, he sneered, "Beast Masters are a profession for the rich; poor folks should stay away."
After saying that, Su Zhe walked into the Beast Master shop, arm in arm with the two girls.
"It seems I need to think of another way. I wonder if I can use Huabei or installment plans in this world..."
Just as Xiao Xingyu was about to leave, the shop owner stormed out angrily.
The owner had a look of disdain on his face, holding a dog-like magical beast that resembled a Husky.
"You piece of trash with an inferior bloodline."
"You eat more than I do and stink worse!"
"No customer would ever want to buy you!"
"Just fend for yourself!"
Xiao Xingyu raised his gaze, his pupils glowing with a seductive red light, locking eyes with the magical beast.
The Demon God’s Eye activated.
"This dog... has a hidden bloodline!"
"And it's a Hell Bloodline with Epic quality!"