Chapter 6: Only Children Make Choices
Opening his eyes and detaching from the Awakening Ceremony, Lin Chuan gasped for air, feeling mentally exhausted, fatigued, and wanting to go to Sleeping!
However, he couldn't go to Sleeping yet. Rubbing his temples, Lin Chuan roused himself and looked around.
By this time, many of his classmates had also completed their awakening, just like him.
The Professional Beastmaster named Zhao Tong had already left, whereabouts unknown. Only Liu Qi Zheng and the clerical assistant called Xiao Yu remained in the class. Lin Chuan glanced at them before retracting his gaze and closing his eyes to rest.
Half an hour later, the last student in Class Three, Seven, also completed their awakening.
The clerical assistant, Xiao Yu, collected the Mental Guidance Cards one by one and handed out a form to everyone, asking them to fill in the Beast Master Talent Tier they had awakened and its specific abilities. This was for data statistics for the year, or rather, more for collecting and recording information.
If it were before, Lin Chuan might not have thought much about it or understood it well, but after clearly and completely absorbing the fragmented memories of his past life from a god's-eye view during the Awakening Ceremony, Lin Chuan more or less understood the reasons behind the Beastmaster Association or the Federal Government's actions.
On Azure Star in his previous life, there was no supernatural power, yet even then, wars and conflicts were constant.
But in this life, on Azure Star, which possesses Beast Master civilization and extraordinary power, individual might can sometimes truly overturn the heavens.
In such an extraordinary world, how difficult it is to build a nation and provide a stable and safe environment for its people.
Therefore, collecting information on every Beast Master as much as possible is proper, or rather, necessary!
Directly and forcibly making people hand over relevant information would ultimately lead to dissatisfaction, and Beast Masters with extraordinary abilities might cause unexpected trouble.
There have been countless precedents, so now, the Beastmaster Association mostly uses more subtle methods to collect this information.
For example, through incentives. The Beastmaster Association has such a regulation:
Whether Professional or amateur Beast Master, they need to regularly check in at the association each year to update their own and their Beast's information.
It's voluntary; they don't have to go!
But if they go to update their information, they can receive a substantial sum of money. The amount of money received varies according to their specific strength. For the most ordinary amateur Beast Master who has only contracted one Spiritual Beast or even hasn't cultivated it but raised it as an ordinary pet, it's roughly equivalent to two months' salary from a normal job.
It's the same now. The Beastmaster Association will later issue a targeted newcomer gift package to everyone based on the Beast Master Talent Tier filled in by the students and their initial contracted Spiritual Beasts, as support and encouragement for embarking on the path of a Beast Master. The items in the package are not many, but they are enough for a newcomer to take a qualified first step.
Of course, filling it out or not is also voluntary; students can choose to keep it confidential and not fill it out.
False reporting?
As long as one is willing to bear the consequences, then go ahead!
Keeping it confidential and not filling it out means giving up the newcomer gift package.
If you fill in a lower tier, like Tier 2 as Tier 1, then don't complain if the items in the gift package are unsuitable, and don't envy others' packages. That's fine.
However, filling in a higher tier, like Tier 1 as Tier 2 or even Tier 3, has serious consequences.
Whatever abilities and tiers are filled in, the Beastmaster Association will record them. Then, based on this data and the condition of the contracted Spiritual Beasts, they will roughly estimate how well the students can cultivate their Spiritual Beasts by the time of the entrance examination three months later.
If the cultivation results at that time do not meet the standards, it proves that the student is not qualified to embark on the path of a Beast Master. In the future, unless there is a major opportunity or significant change, it is basically impossible to become a Professional Beastmaster.
And if the gap to the standard cultivation level is too large, then the false reporting will be immediately apparent.
At that time, whether the resources in the beginner's gift package are recovered depends on the specific situation. For example, if Tier 1 is filled as Tier 5, the value of the Tier 5 beginner's gift package is too great, so it will be recovered. If Tier 1 is filled as Tier 2, the value is not high, so it will not be recovered. But even if it is not recovered, the Beastmaster Association will still list the person who falsely reported on the untrustworthy list. This person's future life will be subject to various restrictions, unable to enjoy various benefits, and many public facilities will also be restricted from use, even affecting family members and friends.
Given countless past precedents and tragic cases, hardly anyone would falsely report a higher tier now; sacrificing one's entire life for a few resources in a beginner's gift package is truly not worth it.
Lin Chuan thought for a moment and truthfully filled in Tier 2 Spiritual Wood Heart.
After a moment of hesitation, he also wrote down his second Beast Master Talent, adding the words ‘Tier 1 Skill Master’ next to it. The specific effect was to improve the efficiency of Spiritual Beasts learning skills and training proficiency, which was roughly a weakened version of Reincarnation of Inheritance.
As for Reincarnation of Rebirth, Lin Chuan planned to keep it a secret and tell no one, not even his family!
It's not that he doesn't trust his family, but sometimes it's hard to avoid letting slip. The more people who know, the easier it is to be exposed. If it's exposed, who knows what kind of trouble it might cause, after all, the ability of Reincarnation of Rebirth is truly astonishing.
Hmm, it's best to keep such cheat-like abilities to oneself and hide them! If he were to show off and boast, and get reported and banned, he'd have nowhere to cry.
Making a fortune in silence is the hard truth!
He would develop stealthily and discreetly. Once he developed to the point where no one could ban his account, then he could jump out and act arrogantly, beating up nursing homes and kicking kindergartens.
He finished filling out the form and checked it once, confirming there were no issues.
He blew on the form and flicked it, then put it into the envelope that had already been prepared next to him, and handed it to the clerical assistant, Xiao Yu.
The other classmates in the class had also more or less finished filling out their forms, sealing them in envelopes, and submitting them by this time.
Then, the students began to chat and talk to each other, discussing their awakened Beast Master Talents. Everyone's expressions varied; some smiled like blooming chrysanthemums, some were silent with downcast eyes, and a few emotionally weaker girls even cried directly. Hmm, the top student Huang Shuya was currently crying on her desk. Lin Chuan estimated she must have awakened a Tier 1 Beast Master Talent with poor effects.
After chatting with a few familiar and close classmates, and exchanging words of care and encouragement, Lin Chuan walked over to Liu Qi Zheng and explained his situation, planning to go straight home.
“Have you already decided on your initial contracted Spiritual Beast?”
Liu Qi Zheng asked, and Lin Chuan nodded.
“Fatty, you know my family’s situation. I didn’t awaken a Beast Master Talent that conflicts with the Wood Attribute, so I plan to directly choose the Flower Leaf Leaf cultivated at home on our farm.”
“Hmm, a very good choice. Congratulations to you.”
Knowing Lin Chuan's family situation, as long as Lin Chuan didn't awaken a talent that conflicted with the Wood Attribute, then Flower Leaf Leaf was the best choice. Liu Qi Zheng smiled and offered his blessings.
“Go.” Liu Qi Zheng patted Lin Chuan’s shoulder.
“I’ll come back to see you when I become a Professional Beastmaster. I’ll bring you a thank-you banner then, and take you to show off and fly.” Lin Chuan said.
“Haha, that would be great.” Liu Qi Zheng’s smile grew even brighter. “I’ll be waiting for your banner.”
At the end of their conversation, Lin Chuan and Liu Qi Zheng shared a big hug, then Lin Chuan grabbed his single-shoulder backpack and left the classroom, hurrying home.
The other students in the class also gradually finished their discussions and came to bid farewell to Liu Qi Zheng before leaving.
Some of them had already decided on their chosen Spiritual Beast, while others needed to go back and discuss it further with their families.
Only a minority of students, like Lin Chuan, had Spiritual Beasts already prepared at home. Most students took their graduation certificates and the certification documents issued by the Beastmaster Association to the cultivation base in Tianshang Town to receive their Spiritual Beasts. If they went too late, Spiritual Beasts with good aptitude and temperament might be chosen by others first.
Hmm, if they were not satisfied with the Spiritual Beasts at the town's cultivation base, they could also choose to go to the neighboring town or a larger city, to a higher-level cultivation base. However, that would not be free; they would have to pay a substantial cross-district supplementary sponsorship fee.
Even for Lin Chuan's middle-class, well-off family, this expense would sting a bit.
For ordinary families, it might be the savings of parents and elders over more than ten years.
Therefore, without accidents or other special circumstances, new Beast Masters would choose their initial Spiritual Pet in their registered household area.
...
Lin's Farm.
Just returning and not yet entering the main gate, Lin Chuan saw Lin Xuédòng from a distance, waiting at the farm entrance with two Flower Leaf Leaf.
Seeing Lin Chuan return, Lin Xuédòng gave the two Flower Leaf Leaf beside him a meaningful look.
The two Flower Leaf Leaf seemed very nervous, but they both mustered their courage.
At this moment, they no longer regarded each other with hostility and competition; they simply ran towards Lin Chuan on their short legs, like sisters welcoming their brother home. The two Flower Leaf Leaves ran over and plopped into Lin Chuan's embrace with a soft thud.
They chirped and whimpered.
Lin Chuan couldn't understand the Flower Leaf Leaves' words, but since he had personally raised them, he could sense their emotions and roughly guess what they wanted to express.
The two Flower Leaf Leaves were not saying 'pick me, pick me' in a bid for favoritism; instead, they were purely expressing a welcome home and congratulations on becoming a Beast Master.
"Whimper, whimper~"
Just as Guoguo was rubbing her small face against Lin Chuan's chest, Sakura made an affectionate sound and used one of her leaves to wipe away Lin Chuan's sweat.
Sakura's action made Lin Chuan freeze for a moment, as if he had hallucinated a tiny, sweet voice saying, 'Brother~ you worked hard~'.
Lin Chuan stared at Sakura, whom he was holding in his right hand. Sakura half-wrapped her body with another leaf, looking shy.
Good heavens, where did this little green tea come from?! She's already learned to play mind games!
Lin Chuan's gaze fixed on Lin Lao Deng, who was standing two meters away. Lin Lao Deng's eyes drifted.
There was no need to even look for evidence; the culprit was him. This old man must have taught the Flower Leaf Leaves something strange while he was at school for the awakening ceremony!
However, I like it! More please! Don't stop.
Lin Chuan decided not to bother with Lin Lao Deng this time. This was a one-time exception! He was not allowed to teach his Flower Leaf Leaves any more strange knowledge.
Seeing that Lin Chuan had no intention of dwelling on the matter, Lin Lao Deng chuckled and moved closer.
"How was it?" Lin Xuédòng asked.
Lin Chuan chuckled and nodded, making an OK gesture.
"Very good, and I even awakened a second Beast Master talent, the Tier 2 Spiritual Wood Heart."
Lin Lao Deng was startled at that moment, and his glasses on the bridge of his nose became crooked.
He naturally awakened before, and now he has awakened a second Beast Master talent!
A Tier 2 Spiritual Wood Heart?
Could it be that my Lin family's third young master is the Son of Destiny?
Spiritual Wood Heart, Lin Lao Deng suddenly became excited again.
Even if his family wasn't wealthy, and was like most ordinary families, with this Beast Master talent, Lin Chuan's initial spirit beast choice should still be the Flower Leaf Leaf.
Within the scope of Tianshang Town's spirit beast breeding bases, even adding in the breeding bases of several surrounding towns, there was no initial spirit beast more suitable for Lin Chuan than the Flower Leaf Leaf.
The effect of the Spiritual Wood Heart is only effective for Wood Attribute and Illusion Attribute spirit beasts. The Flower Leaf Leaf itself is Wood Attribute, and after evolution, the Flower Spirit and even the third-stage evolved Flower Spirit Immortal are both Wood and Illusion Dual Attribute! It perfectly matches the Spiritual Wood Heart.
Therefore, if Lin Chuan didn't choose the Flower Leaf Leaf as his initial spirit beast, it would simply be an unforgivable crime!
To be more realistic, if Lin Chuan chose other initial spirit beasts instead of the Flower Leaf Leaf, although nothing would be explicitly said, the Beastmaster Association would definitely put a bad review in his information file. If he doesn't even understand his own Beast Master talent, and can't even choose the correct initial spirit pet, lacking self-awareness, what else would they give but a bad review?
That's right, Lin Chuan is the legendary Innate Flower Leaf Leaf Saint Body!
"Hmm, let's put other matters aside for now."
Lin Chuan still wanted to tell Lin Xuédòng about his naturally awakened first Beast Master talent, Reincarnation, in the form of 'Tier 1 Skill Master,' but he was stopped by a raised hand.
"Come on! Choose! Is it Guoguo, or Sakura?"
Lin Xuédòng was even more impatient than Lin Chuan, revealing an expression of anticipation, curiosity, and a hint of wanting to watch a good show.
He wanted to know whether his silly son would choose Guoguo or Sakura, he wanted to see if the unchosen Flower Leaf Leaf would burst into tears, and he wanted to see how Lin Chuan would comfort the unchosen one afterward.
Although he felt sorry for the Flower Leaf Leaf that was about to be eliminated, the opportunity to observe the extreme emotional changes of the Flower Leaf Leaf was truly rare, and the changes in its state had high research value. After all, normally he wouldn't bear to do anything that would harm the Flower Leaf Leaf to conduct experiments, observe, and collect data.
Lin Xuédòng had made all the preparations. Today, all the employees of the farm were given paid leave by him, and other idle personnel in this area were also driven away. Furthermore, 'no entry' signs were placed at the farm road entrance. Now, this area, especially around it, was filled with high-definition cameras for observation and experimentation, and even infrared sensors, used to collect various data.
Lin Chuan smiled, a meaningful smile.
Being able to guess Lin Lao Deng's thoughts and plans, Lin Chuan indicated that he would probably disappoint Lin Lao Deng this time.
"Only children make choices. As an adult, I want them all!"
While Lin Xuédòng's mind was temporarily stunned and unable to react, Lin Chuan held both Flower Leaf Leaves, one in each hand, supporting them from below, and lifted them high.
He quickly brought them back down, holding both Flower Leaf Leaves tightly in his embrace as he had before.
"I've decided to contract both of them together."
New Beast Masters usually only choose and contract one spirit beast as the starting point of their Beast Master journey.
However, in reality, it is not impossible to contract two or more; there is no upper limit to the number of contracts. It's just that various conditions such as resources and energy limit new Beast Masters from contracting more, otherwise it would be more trouble than it's worth. In fact, contracting too many spirit beasts can even drag each other down, making it difficult for the Beast Master himself to grow and progress.
The disadvantages of new Beast Masters contracting too many spirit beasts.
Firstly, initial resources are difficult to allocate. While children from wealthy families are an exception, ordinary new Beast Masters are usually not affluent, and fully supporting one spirit beast's growth is already their limit.
Secondly, they can't take care of them all, making it impossible to train each spirit beast's skills to standard.
Finally, and most crucially, emotional bonds can also be dispersed. Emotional bonds are the key to the contract between a Beast Master and a spirit beast. Only when the emotional bond is strong enough can the Beast Master and spirit beast better promote each other, and the feedback from the spirit beast's growth and breakthroughs will be greater, allowing the Beast Master to improve.
For these reasons, new Beast Masters often only choose one initial spirit beast.
Therefore, conversely, as long as these problems can be solved, contracting two or three initial spirit beasts is possible, and even beneficial. After all, except for some public competitions or assessments that strictly require 1v1, at other times, such as in the wild or in secret realms, a Beast Master can deploy as many spirit beasts as he wants.
For Lin Chuan, the problem of difficult initial resource allocation does not exist.
The Flower Leaf Leaves on the farm are cultivated for daily life, while a Beast Master's spirit pets are usually cultivated for combat. The two cannot be compared.
The Flower Leaf Leaves on the farm only need to be fed, watered, and sunbathed daily to ensure the production of high-quality fruits, at most cooperating with some observation experiments.
As a Beast Master's spirit pet and combat pet, it needs to be developed comprehensively. Basic attributes like physique, stamina, strength, and elemental energy need to be improved by consuming large amounts of nutrients, and skill learning and training also require various resources and materials.
The resource consumption of the two is completely on a different level.
Given his family's middle-class financial situation, simultaneously cultivating four or five combat pets would be difficult, as it would affect the farm's operating capital chain and lead to many problems, potentially even causing other Flower Leaf Leaves on the farm to go hungry. However, supporting him in the initial cultivation of two Flower Leaf Leaves is completely manageable. After all, his family's farm specializes in raising Flower Leaf Leaves, and many cultivation resources specifically for Flower Leaf Leaves can be obtained relatively cheaply and easily.
Then there's the emotional issue. This goes without saying; both Flower Leaf Leaves were raised by Lin Chuan himself. It's no exaggeration to say they are his beloved daughters and thoughtful little darlings.
Finally, there's the skill training issue, which was also a problem that had previously troubled Lin Chuan.
But now, Lin Chuan knows the effects of Reincarnation through the awakening ceremony. Leaving aside Reincarnation of Rebirth for now, Reincarnation of Inheritance perfectly solves the problem of skill training.
As long as he has suitable spirit beast remains and other materials, he can use Reincarnation of Inheritance to allow both Flower Leaf Leaves to learn relevant skills and quickly improve their proficiency.
He can completely train both Flower Leaf Leaves' skills to standard or even surpass it simultaneously. At that time, one would deal damage and the other would provide healing. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
If he encountered a troublesome opponent, he could directly activate the 'double cream' mode, wearing down the opponent until they were defeated.
Thus, Lin Chuan met all the conditions for an initial dual-wielding setup!
So...
Lin Lao Deng, time to pay up!