Chapter 1, Divine-level Beastmaster System, SSS-grade Nine-tailed Celestial Fox
Blue Star, Dragon Country, Wilderness Base City.
Center plaza of Third High School.
Hundreds of students from the ten classes of the Awakening Class were lining up under their instructors' guidance to step onto the Awakening Platform and awaken their Fierce Beast Templates.
At this moment, a round-faced girl with delicate features stood on the Awakening Platform, in the process of awakening.
Buzz! A three-meter-tall projection of a Wolf King appeared, its body powerful and strong, those cold eyes enough to send chills down anyone's spine.
"Xie Mengxuan, S-grade Wolf King Template!" came a cold, mechanical voice echoing from the massive Awakening Platform in the plaza's center.
A flash of white light swept over—the round-faced girl's ears turned into wolf ears, a black wolf tail appeared behind her, and her gaze became razor-sharp.
She had fully transformed into a Beast Girl, a fluffy Beast-Eared Girl!
This was the Beast-Eared Girl form!
"Whoa!"
"An S-grade? She's definitely the strongest in this year's Third High—no contest!"
"As expected from an S-grade template that can turn into a Beast-Eared Girl, she's gone straight to the top! I'm so jealous!"
"I heard she's got a high-looks boyfriend, too! A human and a Beast-Eared Girl—I'm seriously jealous of him!"
The lined-up students exploded into noisy chatter, gossiping away.
Xiao Ye, in Awakening Class 1, listened to everyone's praise and couldn't help but look at the Awakening Platform as well.
The round-faced girl, Xie Mengxuan, was his girlfriend.
No matter their background, classmates from nearby classes swarmed around Xiao Ye. All of them were buzzing with excitement, congratulating him,
"Xiao Ye, S-grade template girlfriend! Once you contract, you'll both transform into the Wolf King. You're set for life, man."
"Xiao Ye, come to lunch with us and bring Xie Mengxuan. It's on me."
"Xiao Ye, I think I still owe you money from last time. I'll pay you now."
Xiao Ye said, "One hundred thirty-nine yuan and fifty cents, four days, eight hours, seven minutes, and four seconds overdue. Hurry up already."
Xiao Ye had transmigrated to this Blue Star, a post-apocalyptic world transformed by demon beast invasions, for eighteen years now. Maybe it was the mystery of the womb, but he only awakened his memories from Earth a week ago.
*After merging with his memories, Xiao Ye didn't know whether to be thrilled or depressed.*
*On the plus side, before transmigrating, he had deleted all his browser history and study materials back on Earth, so he remained as innocent as could be.*
*But he was also bummed, since this world was plagued by demon beasts, and humanity hovered at the brink of extinction. Attacks from monster swarms outside the city could happen any time—death was always a step away.*
Ever since a millennium ago, human predecessors started awakening Fierce Beast Templates, transforming into beasts after making contracts, unleashing earth-shattering power. Humanity gradually fought back against demon beasts and built fortress base cities where people could survive and thrive.
Human girls would awaken Fierce Beast Templates on their eighteenth birthdays, while boys awakened their Beastmaster talents. After forming a contract, they could both transform into fierce beasts and fight demon beasts together.
Fierce Beast Templates ranged from D, C, B, A, S, SS, to SSS grades. Girls who awakened S-grade and higher templates could become Beast-Eared Girls, inheriting some attributes from the beast. The higher the grade, the more attributes carried over.
After Xiao Ye woke up his past-life memories, he also awakened a system called the Divine-level Beastmaster System, currently with three functions.
[Fierce Beast Template Detection Function]
[Quest Function: Activates after Beastmaster Awakening]
[Summoned Beast Form Upgrade Function: Activates after contracting a Beast-Eared Girl]
Xiao Ye glanced at his best bro and desk-mate, the "devilish" campus belle Cheng Bingxi up front: [SSS-grade Nine-tailed Celestial Fox Template: Awaiting Awakening]
Suddenly, the crowd of students around him parted, opening a path. The petite, round-faced Xie Mengxuan strode in with her chin held high, looking down her nose as she said,
"Xiao Ye! Let's break up."
"From now on, we're not from the same world. You really ought to know your place!"
"You're just not good enough for me anymore!"
At that moment, Xie Mengxuan looked like a proud white swan, throwing away the Xiao Ye who had stayed by her side for three years with no hesitation at all.
The nearby students, hearing this, instantly backed away from Xiao Ye.
Just seconds ago, everyone was super friendly. Now, they acted like they didn't know him at all—cold as ice.
"Did I owe him money? I borrowed that on my own skills—why give it back? Screw paying him back!"
"An S-grade Fierce Beast Template is the highest ever awakened in Third High, isn't it? Xiao Ye's not worthy of her."
"Judging by the stats from previous years, Xiao Ye will be considered blessed by the Goddess of Fortune if he even awakens an A-grade Beastmaster talent. S-grade is really pushing it!"
Xiao Ye's fists trembled as he stared at the petite Xie Mengxuan, then he suddenly laughed.
"S-grade Fierce Beast Template, huh? Fine, we break up. Just don't regret it later."
Xie Mengxuan snorted, "As if I'd regret it? I..."
Before Xie Mengxuan could finish, the "devilish" campus belle Cheng Bingxi did a backflip right in front of Xiao Ye, her face slightly flushed as she said,
"Xiao Ye, be my boyfriend."
Xiao Ye unclenched his fists and flashed a bright smile, "Sure."
"Oh yeah!" Cheng Bingxi jumped up and cheered.
Cheng Bingxi had been Xiao Ye's desk-mate for three years. The two got along great, better than brothers. This time, she must have jumped in to help her bro out of a tough spot. Be her boyfriend? No way that was for real.
*As for why they were "brothers"...*
"Tch, what trash. They really think she's a treasure? That 'devilish' campus belle sure thinks highly of herself, heh heh heh, it's hilarious!" Xie Mengxuan clutched her stomach, pretending to laugh, her face full of mockery.
Cheng Bingxi was tall with a perfect figure, her body in golden proportions, and a pair of long, pretty legs. The left side of her goose-egg face was smooth as cream, so delicate it seemed it could drip water.
But on her right cheek, a huge scar split from her forehead all the way down to her chin—it was gruesome and terrifying, enough to make anyone look away.
When the other students glanced at Cheng Bingxi, they immediately averted their eyes, too shocked to keep looking!
If it hadn't been for the massive, permanent scar left by a demon beast attack, ruining her face, Cheng Bingxi would've easily been the undisputed campus belle of Third High. But ever since that horrible wound during the first year, the nickname "devilish campus belle" had stuck to her, and everyone but her desk-mate Xiao Ye had started to avoid her.
Cheng Bingxi ignored their stares. She lifted that terrifying, stubborn face, swept her gaze stubbornly around the crowd, and when she looked at Xie Mengxuan, she even snorted with contempt.
"Cheng Bingxi, get ready to awaken!"
Cheng Bingxi was called up to the Awakening Platform to begin her awakening, and Xie Mengxuan let out a mocking smile.
As Cheng Bingxi awakened, the sunlight above dimmed, and a wave of profound, noble aura surged up from her, radiating out for ten kilometers. Ethereal heavenly music drifted through the air, and blossoms of immortal flowers appeared, floating all around.
"Buzz!" From Cheng Bingxi's body, a colossal Nine-tailed Fox, one hundred meters tall, was projected—the flowers all seemed to freeze in that instant.
"Cheng Bingxi, SSS-grade Nine-tailed Celestial Fox Template!" the platform announced with its cold, mechanical voice.
"SSS-grade?" The smug smile froze on Xie Mengxuan's round face. She stood rooted in place. Her fluffy wolf ears drooped down.
*So it really was the SSS-grade Nine-tailed Celestial Fox Template—just as the system said!* Xiao Ye muttered.
"Xiao Ye! Contract with me."
In her Beast-Eared Girl form, Cheng Bingxi headed straight from the Awakening Platform toward Xiao Ye, trailing a faint, fragrant scent.
Holy and noble aura radiated from her. Two fluffy fox ears peeked out of her pretty little head, and her beautiful, pure white tail wagged in excitement.
The frightening scar on her right cheek had completely vanished, replaced by flawless skin as smooth as white jade.
The "devilish" campus belle had retaken her throne as top campus belle!
(Please add this to your collection and keep reading!)