69 - I’m Surrounded by My Own Pets!

This beaker was practically begging to be stolen... Watching Lian Xing unabashedly take the spotlight on stage, many students couldn't help but muse to themselves. With Dongxi having left, the position of team captain naturally fell to Lian Xing. Anyone who witnessed that exhibition match would have no doubts. In this season's preliminary league, any ordinary academy team facing Lian Xing would undoubtedly face a merciless slaughter... A single attack that could split an island, rivaling a commander! Publicly, Lian Xing scanned the entire room, and without much hesitation, announced her team's lineup. First was the girl with a fish tail standing alone in an empty area, water dripping constantly, the second-ranked among the supernovas, Yubo. Next was the girl with long, peach-colored curls standing with the second team, wearing black stockings—the fifth supernova, Taoxuan. Finally, there was the red-haired girl with twin ponytails, eagerly watching Lian Xing—Chi Yan. Arranging for the dean’s daughter, Chi Yan, to be in Lian Xing’s team was the only condition given by the academy head. Lian Xing didn’t mind at all; she wouldn't care even if it was a dog. So, for the fifth team member, she figured, why not just bring an actual dog... "Yubo, Taoxuan, Chi Yan, and the one wearing the VR gear~~~" Lian Xing quickly recited the names of her team. Yubo, standing alone in her corner, initially wore an expression as though she was on the brink of a depressive episode. Upon hearing her name, her eyes widened in disbelief. Taoxuan wasn’t surprised in the slightest; she already knew Lian Xing was a free spirit and was mentally prepared to be plucked from the second team. However, when the girl with the VR headset was named, the crowd collectively displayed expressions of shock and confusion. Because this was the dog of the former captain, Dongxi... Back when they encountered rare species in the Ghost Creek Valley, it was this girl who frantically decoded the information and intelligence on the star sand. Moreover, her pet beast was only a mid-tier intelligence-type mechanical species; surely there were better choices out there? Like the two top-rank beastmasters, Ye Zhuzhi and Hei Lan... If they joined, wouldn't the Youlan Academy have a fully top-tier luxury lineup this year? However, Lian Xing was unconcerned with luxury lineups; she simply thought of a dog and decided on a whim to include the girl for the sake of making up the numbers. Soon, five individuals with varied expressions stood in a row. After taking photos and registering, the dean of Youlan Academy opened the official draw system for the league. "Lian Xing, we're the ones drawing lots today. As captain, you should do it..." "I trust your luck~~~~" After a moment of operation, the dean placed the draw screen in front of Lian Xing. Since the top ten academies from last year don't have to participate in the preliminaries, as long as they don’t face any of the top 16 from last year, they have a 100% chance of advancing. If my luck isn’t up to par, how about using some foot luck? Hearing this, Lian Xing almost used her white-silk-clad foot to press the screen, but the focused gaze of the audience below dissuaded her. Lian Xing disinterestedly tapped the screen, which then started to spin wildly. After several seconds, the words settled. 【Round One Opponent:】 【White Maple Academy's Second Team】 At the same time, in White Maple Academy's training room—the team selected—it was nearly silent. All members were awaiting the reveal of tomorrow's opponents. Noticing the tense atmosphere, Xiao Kui, who was livestreaming, playfully patted the second team captain’s shoulder. "Relax, there are only a few strong teams in the preliminaries. With hundreds of academies, we aren't going to lose~~~" But the moment Xiao Kui’s words of comfort ended, a line of clear text appeared on the matchup list. 【Round One Opponent:】 【Youlan Academy’s A-Team】 At that instant, the atmosphere in White Maple Academy's training room turned into that of a funeral. The second team captain's face especially turned ashen on the spot. In last season's academy league, both Youlan Academy's first and second teams were eliminated by White Maple Academy's main team. Given that fact, their opponents definitely wouldn't hold back in competing for a qualifying spot. Moreover, she'd heard that Xiao Kui had once been harshly defeated by Youlan Academy’s strongest Moonlight Rabbit, and that was during the rabbit’s mid-tier phase! Now that the opponent's golden circle has evolved, it stands to reason that the main battling pet, Moonlight Rabbit, would have evolved to a high-tier even sooner, right? Her own strength likely ranked fourth among White Maple’s main members, on par with Xiao Kui. It was surely impossible to face off against that island-splitting red solstice weapon... Noticing everyone looking so dejected, Xiao Kui blinked thoughtfully before laughing heartily and offering more useless reassurance. "Hey now, don't look so glum. What if something happens to the other side tomorrow~~~" "What could happen that's more important than the league?" The second team captain shook his head with resignation. "Come on, things like pregnancies, diarrheas, or sudden crises happen all the time—way more important stuff..." Before Xiao Kui could finish her nonsense, a pair of hands landed on her head. Turning around, ready to fire off in annoyance, she promptly bowed her head upon seeing the shadow behind her. "V-Vice Captain..." Behind her, the woman referred to as the vice captain by Xiao Kui had waterfall-like light ink-colored hair cascading down her back, possessing a graceful and classical allure with her cold, striking features. She gently pressed down on Xiao Kui, whose face was now slightly red, and turned to face the quietly observing auburn-haired girl with braided hair in the corner. "Captain, switch me to the second team..." "If it’s a solo pet match or a speed run, I have a 90% chance of winning!!" "…" "…" “Think carefully; each team only has one substitution slot.” After a few silent seconds, the dull auburn-haired girl, one of the ten great luminaries, replied unemotionally. Throughout the entire academy league, each team has only one substitution chance. Meaning that even if the second team captain doesn’t pass the preliminaries, the first team could directly switch her into their ranks when the league starts. However, if the vice captain insists on switching before the roster is confirmed, should the second team lose, only one substitution would be allowed, leading to a permanent loss of the other position. "What are your thoughts?" Facing this, the vice captain turned and questioned the second team captain, rather than answering directly. "I..." "I don’t want to surrender just because there's an opportunity to switch between teams. Should we admit defeat simply because of this option?" "Aren't we one of the top ten institutions? Fearing another academy's team before even competing is disgraceful!!!" Hearing the second team captain's words, the vice captain nodded warmly. Indeed, they're a dominant institution among the top ten; how could they shrink back in fear before competing? "In my opinion, the strongest Moonlight Rabbit's weakness must be in solo pet matches. Without its solar disk, it can’t fight alone effectively, and without a controller, it can only defeat lesser opponents through a singular, linear attack—like the ones from Qingliu Academy. It won't work against us, experienced beastmasters!!" “If the mode for a solo pet battle is selected tomorrow, my chance of victory is over 90%…” "Captain, switch me to the second team..." Under the colleagues’ intense gaze, the girl with braided auburn hair nodded approvingly after a long silence. Witnessing this, the expressions of the team members lit up with excitement. Finally, the second team had a star player joining, which meant they could possibly contend with the formidable Moonlight Rabbit. Indeed, White Maple Academy is set to carve its name in the academy league’s annals, and they won't fall unexpectedly in the preliminary round!!! --- --- On the day of the preliminaries, three hours remained before the first round. In Youlan Academy’s dormitory, amidst strands of golden hair cascading like a waterfall, a starry-eyed girl, wearing nothing but two pieces of white silk, lay in a reverent, worshipful posture on the bed. At this moment, Lian Xing was facing the most challenging decision of her life. 【Crescent Moon Hammer → Sky Sweep Curtain—Commander Level Evolution Conditions】 【1. Equip a gold-ranked throwing skill】 【2. Consume a total of three Commander-level Crystals】 【3. Must possess a highly compatible weapon-type beast】 【4. Unlock a throwing talent in the second talent tree】 【5. All equipped battle skills must be of the throwing type, with a minimum of two skills, and no lower in quality than purple】