Chapter 1: don’t blame her

Hanggang City, Zhehai Province.

Class 9, Wencheng Middle School.

“Everyone’s progress in this mock exam is evident, especially Qin Shou, who scored second in the entire grade, only 2 points shy of a perfect score. You should all learn from him.”

“Most students did well, but a few individuals, lacking ambition, scored zero, dragging down the class average.”

“I won’t name names here, but I hope this student will reflect on themselves. There are only 21 days left until the high school entrance exam. With such a score, forget about Li Tan Royal Pet High School; you won’t even get into a regular vocational high school.”

Lao Ban, with his receding hairline, swept his gaze towards the third-to-last seat by the window on the far right. The girl with the ponytail in that seat was sitting upright, her back straight, looking like a model student.

His mouth twitched involuntarily. “What’s with the act! I’m talking about you!”

Qiao Sang, of course, knew Lao Ban was talking about her, but she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t the Qiao Sang of this world.

She had only transmigrated two days ago and hadn’t even adjusted before the mock exam.

However, it was just a middle school mock exam, so she wasn’t afraid. In her previous life, she had been a top student who got into a 985 university.

But as soon as the test paper was in her hands, she was bewildered.

“What is formed when human brain domains awaken?”

“What kind of extraordinary creatures are attracted to Heart Scales, and what effect do they have?”

“What is the final evolved form of Stinky Mud Fish called?”

“Which planets have humans already colonized?”

These… what are these questions?!

Finally, she had no choice but to choose the shortest option for three long, one short multiple-choice questions, the longest option for three short, one long multiple-choice questions, fill in the blanks randomly, and leave the essay questions blank.

In the past two days, Qiao Sang had adjusted to her body, and the original owner’s memories also surged forth, giving her a general understanding of this world.

This is a world centered on Yu Beast Masters. From the time humans discovered they could be Yu Beast Masters until now, 32.05 million years have passed, and an absolutely mature Yu Beast Master social system has formed.

Although it’s called the Yu Beast Master Era, it’s not a world where everyone is a Yu Beast Master. When humans reach 15 years old, their brain domains can be stimulated by magnetic waves to awaken the yu beast codex.

This yu beast codex is both a contract and a space, perfectly connecting the relationship between humans and extraordinary creatures.

If one’s brain domain cannot awaken by the age of 15, then there’s a high probability they will have no connection with Yu Beast Masters for the rest of their life.

Although the Yu Beast Master Era has developed for tens of millions of years, humans still cannot 100% awaken the yu beast codex.

Last year, for example, only 73% of candidates nationwide successfully awakened the yu beast codex during the unified high school entrance exam. 27% of candidates did not awaken, and even if some of them were academic geniuses, they were destined not to be able to enter Li Tan Royal Pet High School.

And those who cannot be Yu Beast Masters can only become ordinary, spending their entire lives in the lower strata of society.

This is a very realistic problem: if you can’t be a Yu Beast Master, you might not even be able to carry bricks.

With extraordinary creatures capable of carrying hundreds or even thousands of kilograms of bricks in one go with their bare hands, who would still use human labor, which is time-consuming and laborious?

The same goes for serving dishes.

Even if the salary is several times higher than a human’s, restaurants would rather hire extraordinary creatures to serve, because this attracts more customers.

In such a world, completely different from previous social norms, Qiao Sang, as a middle school student nearing the high school entrance exam, was incredibly anxious!

Before, knowledge changed destiny; now, being a Yu Beast Master changes life.

Although she had the original owner’s memories, the original owner was an academic slacker!

Her grades consistently hovered around third to last in the class. Last month’s mock exam, she actually improved, scoring fourth to last in the class.

However, that was because the previous fourth-to-last student had diarrhea on the day of the exam and skipped two subjects.

The high school entrance exam was in 21 days. She didn’t expect to get into a key high school; now, being able to get into any high school would be a blessing.

Qiao Sang listened attentively to the teacher, took notes, and continued to read her textbook even after class, showing the same dedicated attitude she had when cramming for her college entrance exam.

“Qiao Sang, Lao Ban was talking about your zero, right?” Her deskmate, Fang Sisi, leaned over, lowering her voice.

This wasn’t a question but a confirmation. Although Lao Ban hadn’t specifically named anyone, Qiao Sang was openly taking notes on her zero-score paper without even bothering to cover up the score.

Qiao Sang nodded.

In Qiao Sang’s memories, her deskmate had a good relationship with her; they would always eat and go out together.

The most important reason for their good relationship was that this person was also an academic slacker.

Fang Sisi was the one who, due to diarrhea during last month’s mock exam, took her place as the fourth-to-last, replacing the third-to-last in the class.

“Wow, you even wrote down the multiple-choice answers, but you didn’t get a single point. That’s as hard as someone getting a perfect score!” Fang Sisi gave a thumbs-up in admiration.

Qiao Sang choked, unable to speak. Could she be blamed? Blame that “three long, one short, choose short” rule!

“What did you score?” Qiao Sang asked.

“263, an improvement of 98 points from last time,” Fang Sisi said with some pride.

As expected of an academic slacker, only 98 more points even after taking two more subjects.

However, Qiao Sang only grumbled this internally. After all, they were both academic slackers, so there was no need to hurt each other.

“That’s not bad.”

Qiao Sang wasn’t speaking against her conscience. Although her deskmate’s grades seemed a bit low to her, compared to her previous level of around 200 points, it was indeed clear that she had improved during this period.

“Of course! My mom has been watching me every day…”

Before she could finish, the person sitting in front of Fang Sisi turned around and said conspiratorially, “You guys, is the rumor about Dai Shushu from Class 9 being recommended to Li Tan Royal Pet High School true or false?”

Fang Sisi sighed, “Since it’s being spread like this, it must be true.”

Qiao Sang was flipping through her textbook beside them.

Dai Shushu, whom they were talking about, was the top scorer in this mock exam. To Qiao Sang, there was nothing to gossip about regarding the top scorer being recommended to high school. Her most urgent task now was to read books and memorize knowledge points.

“I heard she was recommended because she self-awakened,” the student sitting in front of Qiao Sang also turned around and joined the discussion.

At this, Qiao Sang looked up.

Li Tan Royal Pet High School recruits future Yu Beast Masters, so whether one’s brain domain can awaken is naturally paramount. People who can self-awaken successfully often achieve greater things in the future than those who awaken through magnetic wave stimulation.

The first batch of Yu Beast Masters who awakened over 30 million years ago all self-awakened. At that time, Yu Beast Masters only accounted for 0.01% of the population, truly one in ten thousand.

It wasn’t until 2563 years ago, when a researcher named Chen Leshen discovered that human brain domains could awaken the yu beast codex through magnetic wave stimulation, that humanity truly entered the Great Yu Beast Master Era.

However, those who can self-awaken successfully are still among the elite.

“Self-awakened, huh?” Fang Sisi fell into thought. “Do you think it’s still not too late for me to cling to her leg now?”

The student sitting in front of Fang Sisi shook her head. “Don’t even think about it. If someone is successfully recommended, they definitely won’t stay at school. If you knew you could get into high school early, would you still come to school?”

Fang Sisi concurred deeply.

“If I self-awaken successfully, can I still be recommended even if my academic scores are failing?” Qiao Sang took a deep breath, her expression very serious.

This question successfully made all three pairs of eyes turn to her.

“Forget failing, even if you score a zero, schools will want you,” the student sitting in front of Qiao Sang teased.

“Don’t dream. Those who can self-awaken successfully have always been academic geniuses, no place for slackers.” Fang Sisi patted Qiao Sang’s shoulder. “I just had a dream like that two days ago.”

Qiao Sang lowered her head and said nothing.

The three of them thought she was disheartened and stopped discussing self-awakening.

Who knew how much effort Qiao Sang had to exert to restrain her urge to laugh wildly up to the sky.

Self-awakening!

She had successfully self-awakened the moment she transmigrated!

It was just that she didn’t know what it was at the time, thinking it was some Gold Finger. Only after her memories merged did she realize it was the yu beast codex that awakens at 15.

Since most people awaken at 15, she didn’t take it seriously, never expecting such a huge difference!

No wonder Qiao Sang’s original body was an academic slacker; even after her memories merged, she didn’t know the huge difference between self-awakening and awakening stimulated by magnetic waves.

…

…

Without the pressure of the high school entrance exam, Qiao Sang felt much more relaxed while reading. When she saw some knowledge points, she wasn’t just rote memorizing them like before.

“Shen Mao Turtle belongs to the Earth-type, often inhabits deserts and tropical regions, has black eye rings, and is not good at swimming.”

You’re a turtle, and you’re not good at swimming?

If you can’t swim, why are you a turtle?

Why are you an Earth-type and not a Water-type, being a turtle?

“Steel-Hard Mouse should not get wet because its body rusts easily and it likes sunlight.”

Why would an extraordinary creature rust?

If its attribute is steel and it rusts like steel when wet, then why does it like sunlight?

Aren’t you afraid of oxidation and rusting?

Too many common sense things she saw made her want to complain.

But because of this, Qiao Sang didn’t find reading these painful; instead, she found it quite interesting, and she didn’t need to memorize them hard; they just stuck.

Soon, school was dismissed.

Qiao Sang packed her things but hadn’t left her seat when a girl wearing black-rimmed glasses walked over. “Qiao Sang, Lao Ban wants you to go to the office.”

Qiao Sang paused. “I understand.”

The girl with glasses, Ma Xiao, was the class’s study representative. She was used to Lao Ban calling Qiao Sang to the office.

As the class’s perennial third-to-last, this was Qiao Sang’s daily routine.

The original Qiao Sang was used to it, but the current Qiao Sang was not.

Especially when Lao Ban’s spit flew onto her face.

“What’s wrong with you! The high school entrance exam is coming up, and you scored like this! How can you explain this to yourself! How can you explain this to your parents!”

Qiao Sang quietly took a step back. “Tea…Teacher, calm down.”

That was close, almost called him Lao Ban…

“Calm down! How can you tell me to calm down! I’ve taught so many generations of students, and I’ve never seen anyone as bad as you!” Lao Ban intensified, continuing his spit attack.

As the “academic genius” in everyone’s eyes in her previous life, this was the first time Qiao Sang had experienced such treatment. She quietly took another step back. “There’s a reason I scored like this.”

Lao Ban said coldly, “What reason?”

“Actually, I self-awakened, and my brain hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

At this moment, Qiao Sang felt a bit impressed by her own quick thinking.

“Heh.” Lao Ban sneered. “It seems I’ve been too kind to you usually.”

Qiao Sang was full of confusion. What does this have to do with whether you’ve been kind to me or not?

Lao Ban took out a contact book from his drawer, opened it, and dialed a number.

Before long, the call connected.

“Hello, is this Qiao Sang’s parent? I’m Qiao Sang’s Lao Ban. Do you have time to come to school now?”

Qiao Sang: “…”