You've got the nerve to eat my snacks but not the guts to admit it, huh?
In the end, Li Miao and the husky failed to complete the run.
The two collapsed at the one-third mark of the second lap and were picked up by a vine branch.
The other students weren't doing much better either.
But what impressed Li Miao the most was their financial backer, Xiao Chen.
He actually managed to keep up with his beast companion and finished the entire run.
Even Chen Bin couldn't help but glance at him a few extra times and openly praised him in front of all the students: "Not bad."
Xiao Chen lay on the ground, giving Chen Bin a sheepish smile.
In truth, he had been dragged back by his beast, Yu.
The real hero, Yu, was now lying flat on the ground, tongue lolling out, utterly spent—just short of foaming at the mouth and rolling its eyes.
Chen Bin looked at the pile of students gathered by the vines and let out a deep sigh.
"You're the worst batch I've ever trained," he said with his hands behind his back.
"Next up, we'll be training in climbing, crawling, and obstacle running.
But your performance has disappointed me too much, so today's afternoon training is canceled."
The students didn't care about being "the worst."
All they cared about was getting a break.
Hearing that the afternoon session was canceled, they were so thrilled they almost jumped up from the ground.
But the next moment, Chen Bin added, "Although the afternoon training is canceled, your foundational lessons can't be skipped.
Especially meditation class!
Spiritual awareness is the most crucial part of being a Beast Tamer. Without it, you can't awaken—and without awakening, you can't form contracts with beasts.
So, for the rest of the afternoon, everyone, prepare for meditation."
The group collectively sighed in relief.
After all, meditation was far easier than physical training.
Li Miao also relaxed.
As someone who had spent the past decade as a homebody, today's abrupt and excessive exercise had already pushed her beyond her limits.
Her husky had exhausted every last ounce of its energy just to barely keep up with her.
After resting for a while and eating lunch, the girl and her dog returned to the field to prepare for meditation.
"Mianmian."
Yao Chen waved at Li Miao, jogging over. "I just bought some beast snacks. Want some?"
Li Miao opened her eyes.
"What kind?"
"This."
Yao Chen pulled out a packaged snack.
Li Miao took a closer look—
[*Beast-Exclusive Buddha Jumps Over the Wall*
*Note: Only beasts can appreciate its deliciousness!*]
Li Miao: "…"
Humans don't even get to eat Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, yet her dog gets to.
She glanced at the husky, whose face was full of longing, and for a moment, didn't know whether to feel sorry for herself or the dog.
"How about giving me one?" Li Miao said. "Let me try."
Yao Chen didn't question it and handed the snack over. While she was unwrapping it to feed her own beast, Huohuo, she heard the husky let out an indignant howl.
Yao Chen looked up—
Li Miao was peeling the snack off her mouth, coughing awkwardly to cover up. "Look how impatient this kid is."
The husky barked angrily:
[*Bad human! Bad human! That's mine! MINE!*
*You've got the nerve to eat my snacks but not the guts to admit it, huh?!*]
Furious, the dog kept yapping until Li Miao shoved the snack into its mouth. "Shut up, you stupid husky!"
With the snack in its mouth, the dog snarled:
[*Grrmmph!*
*Stupid Tamer!*]
Yao Chen nearly laughed but managed to hold it in. Clearing her throat, she patiently explained, "Mianmian, beast snacks aren't the same as human food. They contain energy that beasts need to grow. The more energy, the more delicious it is for them."
Li Miao blinked innocently. "Really? I didn't know that.
When I took a bite, I thought it tasted like chicken."
Yao Chen: "…"
Completely unaware that she'd just exposed herself as someone who fights her dog for food, Li Miao shrugged. "The packaging and flavor really were just like snacks I've had before."
"Uh…"
"Oh, by the way, where did you buy these? I didn't see any convenience stores when we entered the base."
"They exist, just unmarked. You have to watch for signs—if you see people coming out of places like the first floor of dorms or security rooms, that's where you can buy stuff. It's super convenient."
Li Miao looked amazed. "You know so much, Chenchen. What else are you hiding from me?"
Yao Chen blushed slightly. "N-Not much, just… tiny things."
"Are you sure it's *tiny* things and not *enormous* things?"
Flustered, Yao Chen glared at her.
"They really are just small things."
Li Miao reached out and pinched Yao Chen's cheek playfully. "I don't believe you. Let me touch, and then I will!"
Seeing the girl's face turn even redder, Li Miao relented, sighing. "You're way too easy to tease.
Chenchen, this won't do. You'll get bullied like this."
Yao Chen exhaled, relieved.
"I won't. I'm a Beast Tamer."
Li Miao scoffed. "That's exactly who I'm talking about."
Yao Chen didn't know how to respond.
In the wild, relationships between Beast Tamers weren't exactly friendly.
Though it rarely escalated to violence, subtle power struggles were common—Yao Chen just hadn't experienced them yet.
Li Miao stretched.
The husky also stretched.
Somehow, their movements were perfectly synchronized, making them seem freakily in sync.
Yao Chen swallowed back the words, *You and your beast are so alike…*
*Whistle!*
Chen Bin's sharp whistle made Li Miao feel like she was back in high school military training.
"Listen up! Shorter folks in front, taller in the back!
Space yourselves out at arm's length. Prepare—we're starting meditation now."
Chen Bin directed them into formation.
The field was large, with several other instructors leading their own groups of 30-40 students. Each student had a canine beast, resulting in a chorus of barks that made meditation nearly impossible.
No one understood why Chen Bin had chosen such a noisy place for meditation. Whispers spread as the students sluggishly adjusted their positions.
Then, someone raised their hand.
"Instructor! Shouldn't meditation be done somewhere quiet? Why hold it in a crowded, noisy field?"
Chen Bin stared at the boy.
"What's your name?"
"Reporting, Instructor—Zhou Yuanyi."
Chen Bin's expression softened slightly. "Good question.
But have you ever thought about where you live?"
Zhou Yuanyi frowned. "Sir, we don't understand. What about where we live?"
"Let me be blunt. Are your homes in busy cities or the suburbs?"
Chen Bin arched a brow.
"If it's the city… how do you expect to meditate quietly there?"
Zhou Yuanyi shut his mouth.
They were starting to realize the point.
"Is your home in the city too?" The tall boy next to Li Miao, Gao Yuanzhi, leaned over to ask.
Li Miao thought for a moment—then nodded. "Yep. Noise 24/7. There's no sound you *won't* hear—except the ones you don't expect."
(Although her room's soundproofing was decent, so it wasn't *that* bad.)
Chen Bin continued, "Let me ask you this:
When you're inside a spatial rift, and your comrades and beasts are holding the line so you can meditate and recover… at that moment, will you still care about the noise?"