Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 2: A Beating

Qingcheng Jiayuan.

Building C, Unit 606.

Qiao Sang felt like she was in a trance as she walked back home with her mother.

The feeling was understandable, considering she had just endured two hours of relentless scolding at school. The old teacher probably would have kept lecturing her indefinitely if his stomach hadn't started growling.

Inside the bathroom, Qiao Sang splashed water on her face twice.

Staring into the mirror, she saw a delicate face that was identical to her previous life's appearance.

The only difference was her youth; she still retained a hint of soft baby fat on her cheeks.

"Dinner is ready, come out," her mother called from the main room.

"I'm coming."

After responding, Qiao Sang gave her face one final, silent rinse.

As she walked into the living room, Ye Xiangting gave her a sharp, piercing look. "The food got cold, so I had to warm it back up. Sit down and eat quickly."

In truth, Qiao Sang’s family situation here mirrored her old life. Not only were her parents' faces the same, but they were also a single-parent household.

Her father, Qiao Wangyang, hadn't passed away or vanished; they had simply split up.

The divorce happened when Qiao Sang was only three. That same year, her father married someone else and had another daughter, who would be fourteen by now.

It was a rather curious situation…

Perhaps out of a sense of remorse toward her mother, he had surrendered both the house and custody of the child during the split.

Ye Xiangting had remained single ever since, working tirelessly to provide for Qiao Sang as a solo parent.

Fortunately, her mother was an E-level Beast Tamer who owned a Faithful Owl and a Fat Dove.

She earned a respectable living by providing aerial sightseeing tours, which kept their household fairly comfortable.

The hardships of life hadn't broken her mother; instead, they had forged her into a resilient woman who appeared gentle but possessed a core of iron.

Qiao Sang was acutely aware of this strength.

Despite standing by her side through two hours of the teacher's wrath, her mother hadn't even tried to hit her once they got home.

But Qiao Sang knew she wasn't actually at fault. Because she couldn't project the Beast Taming codex from her mind and hadn't yet formed a contract with a supernatural creature, she had no way to prove her spontaneous awakening without a professional evaluation at the Beast Taming Center.

Qiao Sang ate her meal quietly.

Even though her mother was a tough woman, there was no telling how long her patience would last.

"Don't go to school tomorrow. I'm taking you to the Beast Taming Center," her mother stated, fixing her gaze on Qiao Sang.

Qiao Sang paused, startled. "Why are we going there?"

"You claimed you awakened on your own, didn't you? We have to get you tested and certified before we can visit the pet base to pick out a companion," her mother clarified.

If the awakening was real, the sooner she obtained a pet, the better.

Qiao Sang was stunned. "Wait, you actually believe me?"

A flicker of amusement danced in her mother's eyes.

"You're my daughter. I know your character better than anyone. You might be a bit dim-witted at times, but you wouldn't make up a lie like this at such a vital turning point."

A wave of complex emotions washed over Qiao Sang. Her mother in this world didn't just look like her original mother—the personalities were nearly identical too.

"Mom, if you believed me all along, why did you let me get yelled at for two hours without defending me?"

Her mother offered a smile, though this one had a slightly chilling edge to it.

"Awakening is one thing, but getting a zero on your test is quite another. I haven't even begun to interrogate you about that score yet."

Qiao Sang: "..."

---

The Following Morning.

At the gates of the Hanggang Beast Taming Center.

A massive, brown, three-meter-long supernatural creature with vibrant red tail feathers descended from the clouds.

Qiao Sang hopped off the Fat Dove’s back, her heart racing with excitement.

This was her first time experiencing flight so intimately, and the thrill was intoxicating.

She made a silent vow: she definitely needed to contract a flying-type pet in the future!

"Thank you for the lift, Fat Dove," her mother said, patting the creature.

"Dove-Bee~"

The Fat Dove ruffled its feathers and affectionately rubbed its large head against her mother.

With a simple wave of her hand, a beam of light enveloped the Fat Dove, and it vanished into thin air an instant later.

Qiao Sang found the sight mesmerizing, no matter how many times she witnessed it.

Such phenomena defied all the scientific laws of her previous world.

They walked into the Hanggang Beast Taming Center, where her mother headed straight for Service Desk 37.

Before the clerk could greet them, her mother spoke up: "Hello, we are here for a brain domain examination."

She gestured for Qiao Sang to hand over her ID card.

Qiao Sang complied immediately.

The staff member scanned the card and said, "That will be 500 Alliance Coins, please."

Utilizing their beast-taming talents, humanity had expanded beyond Blue Star to colonize three other habitable worlds.

The Alliance Coin served as the standardized currency across all four planets.

Once the payment was processed, the clerk finished the paperwork and returned the ID. "Follow the Cialiguo inside."

A small, green creature standing less than a meter tall stepped out from behind the desk.

It had a round head topped with green antennae and yellow tips, and a staff ID badge hung around its neck.

As plant-type pets, Cialiguo were known for their gentle nature and were particularly popular among women.

"Cialiguo."

The creature approached Qiao Sang and used its three-fingered hand to gesture forward with professional grace.

Being the capital of Zhehai Province, Hanggang City possessed the most advanced beast-taming facility in the region.

Qiao Sang followed the Cialiguo for ten minutes until they reached the brain domain testing wing.

The Cialiguo swiped its badge against the electronic reader on the door.

"Cialiguo."

As the door slid open, it chirped at Qiao Sang.

Mother Ye looked at her daughter and said calmly, "Go on in."

Despite her composed exterior, a flash of hope was visible in her eyes.

It was obvious that even though she trusted her daughter, she wouldn't be truly at peace until the official results were in her hands.

Qiao Sang stepped into the room.

She was met by a short-haired researcher in a white coat and a hovering Bubbles Bell.

Having just studied Bubbles Bell the day before, Qiao Sang was surprised to encounter one so quickly.

Bubbles Bell was a genderless, psychic-type supernatural creature, making it quite a rare find.

Psychic types were generally scarce.

Pet bases usually only saw a handful of them each year, and their prices started in the millions of Alliance Coins. They were far beyond the reach of the average family.

Qiao Sang instantly categorized the researcher as someone very wealthy.

The researcher was focused on her computer, her fingers flying across the keys.

She didn't look up when the duo entered, having likely received Qiao Sang's data electronically.

"Take a seat over there," she instructed, nodding toward a lone sofa.

Qiao Sang sat down as told.

The sofa seemed perfectly ordinary.

“Bubbles Bell,” the researcher called out to her partner, her eyes never leaving the screen.

“Bell.”

The Bubbles Bell began to radiate a soft blue light.

Before Qiao Sang could react, a silver helmet trailing various cables lifted off a table several meters away and floated through the air to settle onto her head.

Qiao Sang watched in fascination.

This power was incredibly practical—the ultimate tool for someone who hated moving!

“Keep still.”

The researcher’s gaze remained on her monitor, but Qiao Sang knew the command was for her.

The helmet didn't block her view, allowing her to see the researcher’s brow furrow as she analyzed the incoming data and images.

Qiao Sang’s body went rigid.

The researcher’s expression turned stern, reminding Qiao Sang of a strict school official. Given the circumstances, it made her heart pound with worry.

“You claim to have awakened naturally?” the researcher suddenly inquired.

“Yes... is something wrong, Miss?” Qiao Sang asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“No, don't be alarmed.” Noticing the girl's fear, the researcher offered a forced, somewhat awkward smile to calm her down.

Qiao Sang only felt more nervous.

“Only six children have naturally awakened this year, including yourself. Your academic performance must be quite exceptional, right?” the researcher asked.

While being a straight-A student didn't guarantee a natural awakening, those who did awaken early were almost always top-tier students.

Qiao Sang: “…”

She realized the researcher was trying to make small talk to soothe her, but the forced conversation was having the opposite effect.

“I'm usually third in my class,” Qiao Sang replied, keeping her face neutral.

“Third in the school is very impressive. Plenty of first and second-place students never manage to awaken on their own,” the researcher said, her voice soft despite her stiff smile.

“I actually took first place in the latest mock exam,” Qiao Sang added, feeling her nerves finally steadying.

“A typical awakening expands the brain domain by 2%. Those who awaken naturally often see a 5% development, so a sudden jump in performance is perfectly logical,” the researcher explained, nodding at Qiao Sang's achievement.

Qiao Sang: ...

After a few more minutes, the researcher looked up and called, “Bubbles Bell.”

“Bell.”

The Bubbles Bell used its psychic power to return the helmet to its rack.

“Congratulations, your awakening is confirmed. Your brain domain is healthy, though there are some slight fluctuations. Make sure to get plenty of sleep and eat more nuts and dried fruits,” the researcher said, handing over a signed and stamped certificate.

“Thank you very much.”

Qiao Sang gripped the paper, feeling an immense sense of relief.

"Well? What's the verdict?"

The moment they exited the room, her mother rushed over, her voice thick with anxiety.

Qiao Sang let out a long sigh and held out the results.

Her mother’s face paled, and she seemed afraid to even touch the paper.

“Mom, just look at it,” Qiao Sang urged, nudging the certificate forward.

Ye Xiangting felt a cold dread. She feared that her daughter hadn't awakened and had also lied about the zero on her exam…

Even without the zero, her daughter's usual grades wouldn't have been enough to get into a beast-taming high school.

To qualify, a student needed to first manifest a Beast Taming Manual through magnetic stimulation and then hit the required academic score.

The middle school entrance exam was out of 650 points, and the cutoff last year had been 332.

If her daughter had failed despite trying, she could accept it. But failing and then lying about a natural awakening was a different matter entirely…

Ye Xiangting began to question if she had been too soft as a parent.

This girl needs some real discipline, she thought.

As her mother finally took the certificate and looked down at the text, Qiao Sang stood tall, pulling her shoulders back with pride.

*.*

Qiao Sang was stunned.