The test consisted of a set of comprehensive questions, divided into four main parts: history, geography, biology, and materials.
Of course, unlike the knowledge Chen Shu used to study, these were all related to beast taming.
For example, history covered events from the nine hundred years of the Revival Era, including wars, changes, reforms, and so on.
Geography involved the locations of dimensional gates around the world, as well as the climatic characteristics inside those alternate dimensions.
Biology studied the habits and combat characteristics of fierce beasts within the dimensional realms.
As for materials, it focused on the appearance, properties, and value of rare resources from those alternate spaces.
The scope of knowledge in high school was broad, but it mostly covered the basics—only in university could one pursue deeper study.
In this aspect, it was similar to the world he had known.
The afternoon passed, and the pleasant sound of the dismissal bell rang out.
Chen Shu was writing furiously and finally finished all the multiple-choice questions.
...
...
"If nothing goes wrong, my score should at least hit double digits…"
He sighed. The content of this test felt like a completely foreign language to him.
"Alright, hand in your test papers. You can go home now," Fang Ke stood up and said.
Unlike regular students, beast taming students didn't have evening self-study but instead used that time to cultivate their beast taming power.
The improvement of beast taming power required humans to absorb the spiritual energy in nature.
And the so-called Revival Era was actually short for the Spiritual Energy Revival Era.
Nine hundred and eighty years ago, spiritual energy began to emerge on the planet, which led to the birth of beast tamers among humans.
To increase one's strength, one had to persistently cultivate beast taming power.
This was true for both ordinary families and prominent clans alike.
Of course, students with background would use various medicinal liquids and train in environments rich in spiritual energy to enhance their cultivation speed.
The students handed in their papers and left the classroom one after another.
Just as Chen Shu was about to leave, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Chen Shu, stop right there!"
"Hm?"
Chen Shu turned his head and saw a male student in a black T-shirt crossing his arms, looking at him.
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Wang Meng!"
Wang Meng walked over slowly, his eyes unfriendly.
Several other boys also surrounded him, rolling up their sleeves—immediately creating a sense of pressure.
School bullying?
That's the first thing that popped into Chen Shu's mind, and he was already preparing for different escape routes.
Should I shout and run?
Or just bolt immediately?
"This is Beast Taming Class Five. I hope you won't act like a troublemaker and affect everyone's studies. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."
Wang Meng approached Chen Shu, his expression fierce.
"What? Affect everyone's studies?"
Chen Shu was instantly stunned.
He was completely dumbfounded.
He was actually being warned not to disrupt the class's academic focus—what kind of situation was this?
Were beast taming students really this serious about studying?
"Do you understand?"
Wang Meng frowned and repeated his words.
"Got it, I totally got it." Chen Shu nodded quickly, extremely obedient.
"Good. I'm the class monitor of Beast Taming Class Five. If anyone from other classes bullies you, just let me know."
Wang Meng nodded and switched to a chivalrous tone.
Clearly, acting tough was tiring for him.
What started out looking like a school brawl turned out to be encouragement from a top student.
Chen Shu shook his head and got ready to go home and cultivate beast taming power.
Evening cultivation time was free—students weren't forced to train by the school.
But regardless of their background, every student would obediently cultivate.
Beast Taming students could have weak academic scores, but their beast taming level must not be low—this was the most important metric for the college entrance exam.
Every year, the tuition fees for Beast Taming classes amounted to tens of thousands, not including various additional expenses.
Students from ordinary families naturally had to train desperately, hoping to make a name for themselves in the future and live up to their family's sacrifices.
Students from powerful families only trained harder, aiming to bring glory to their family and smoothly inherit its assets.
Chen Shu rode a shared bike, wobbling his way back home.
He hastily ate a few bites of food and then couldn't wait to begin cultivating beast taming power.
The cultivation method was well known across the country, but whether one had talent depended entirely on the individual.
"This kid…" Chen Shu's mother shook her head, surprised at how excited her son was.
Chen Shu sat in his bedroom, clearing his mind, trying to sense the spiritual energy in the world around him.
Two hours passed.
He was still sitting there, muttering something under his breath.
"Heaven and Earth's spiritual energy, come to me… Heaven and Earth's spiritual energy, come to me…"
In the end, he gave up and completely collapsed onto the bed.
"Cultivating is just way too hard."
Chen Shu sighed. No wonder high-level beast tamers had such a high social status.
Not everyone could endure the patience required for cultivation.
"Since I don't have the talent for cultivation, I can only rely on the system."
With just a few choices, he had become a Level 1 Beast Tamer—equivalent to six months of hard training for others.
Having tasted the benefits, he no longer had the patience for traditional cultivation.
"Mom, I'm heading out for a bit."
"Where to?"
"To do some multiple-choice questions."
"???"
Chen Shu ignored his mother's confusion and eagerly left the house.
"If I use basic beast tamer potion while training, my speed will increase a lot. Might as well go take a look—and maybe I'll get lucky."
Chen Shu rode his bike toward the city center.
At night, the center of Nanjiang City was brightly lit, full of people, and looked no different from the world he remembered.
Though it was just a small city, it still felt bustling and prosperous.
"Beast Tamer Department Store."
Chen Shu arrived at a large department store that sold all kinds of beast tamer supplies.
Low-grade Ice Potion: Slightly enhances the ice attribute of a contract beast. Only effective for Level 1 to Level 3 contract beasts. Price: 5,000!
Low-grade Fire Potion: ...
Low-grade Strength Potion: ...
"Hello, sir. Can I help you with something?" A salesperson approached.
Even though Chen Shu was only a Level 1 Beast Tamer, his potential was still immense.
Just as Chen Shu was about to speak, three choices once again appeared in front of his eyes.
[Option 1: Tell the salesperson you have no money and are just browsing. Reward: Slime's weight +1%.]
[Option 2: Boldly say, "I'll take them all!" Reward: Two bottles of Low-grade Strength Potion. Note: Has a certain risk!]
[Option 3: Ask the salesperson if there's a way to learn potion-making. Reward: Slime's defense +1%.]
Chen Shu didn't expect even shopping could trigger choices.
Most people would obviously pick the first option—safe and uneventful.
If Option 2 hadn't included a danger warning, he would've chosen it in a heartbeat.
After all, two bottles of strength potion were worth ten thousand yuan.
In the end, Chen Shu took a step back and chose the third option.