Chapter 242 - 188: Respective Progress
"Thanks!"
Su Zhi took the yogurt drink from Shao Ya like an idiot.
He had actually refused to drink this stuff at first, always feeling it was too childish. But then he kept drinking it and found he couldn’t quit, because it was just so... good.
Zhou Shengfa couldn’t help but tap on the table. "We need to talk about something serious. Can we save the drinks for later?"
Shao Ya handed Zhou Shengfa a bottle too.
So Zhou Shengfa poked it open with a straw and began to speak as he drank. "The High School Team Tournament will officially begin in three weeks. The training camp starts next week, which means we have to hold our school’s selection match this week.
"Of course, the three of you were in the top four of the City League, so don’t be nervous. As long as you perform at your usual level, you’ll be fine. The training camp has lenient entry requirements, so there are plenty of spots. The real competition is during the final selection matches to determine who actually gets to compete."
Su Zhi raised his hand. "Will there be a limit on the number of Pet Beasts we can use?"
Zhou Shengfa shook his head. "No. Being able to contract a second Pet Beast is a testament to your own strength."
Su Zhi’s eyes lit up. "Then can uncontracted Pet Beasts fight too?"
Zhou Shengfa shot him a look. "You and I don’t have a contract either. Does that mean I can make you go out there and fight?"
Pet Beast: Su Zhi (Terrifying Upright Ape)
Su Zhi scratched his head with a sheepish laugh, and Shao Ya gave him a solid punch on the arm.
"However, there are smaller-scale competitions that allow enthusiasts without a Beast Taming Space to register. If you have a way into those, you can go have some fun, but be careful."
Su Zhi nodded. ’He’s probably talking about the Fengyun Arena. Maybe I can take Wu Bao there to show off when I have time?’
"Ahem, let’s get back to the team tournament."
Zhou Shengfa’s expression turned serious. "You’re actually already familiar with the team tournament format. Your ’Size-Off’ against Class 9 last semester was a type of team battle.
"Unlike the individual-focused City League, the glory from the team tournament goes to the school and the city. The rewards and resources for individual participants aren’t as substantial.
"But my original intention in recommending you participate wasn’t for you to bring glory to the school.
"Huai City is too small, and the world is too big.
"Compared to the City League, which is contained within our city, the team tournament is a clash between cities. You’ll face off against students from Xin First Middle School, Shanda University Affiliated School, and even powerhouses from other provinces.
"Only by clashing with stronger opponents can you learn to be humble and patient, discover your own shortcomings, and then become even stronger."
’And fleece them for all they’re worth...’ Su Zhi silently added in his head.
At this point, Zhou Shengfa took a long slurp of his yogurt drink. "This also has something to do with Liu Yuhang."
Liu Yuhang asked in surprise, "It involves me?"
"Xue Li’s evolution is imminent, and the first stop for the training camp happens to be Pearl Harbor, which is near the Storm Strait. You can head straight to the camp right after it evolves—it’ll be a seamless transition.
"If you all go together, you can look out for each other, get familiar with the environment ahead of time, and learn about the rarely seen Ocean Pet Beasts. You might even have a fateful encounter."
"Got it!" The three of them nodded.
"Speaking of which, I haven’t seen Cao Mingyu around recently, have I?"
Su Zhi asked curiously, "Where is he?"
Zhou Shengfa gave him a peculiar look. "Missing your little friend?"
Shao Ya’s mouth fell slightly open as she mouthed the word "wow."
"...It’s just that he’s suddenly gone quiet. It feels a little strange," Su Zhi explained, embarrassed.
"He took leave a while ago to go evolve Wave White. By the time you see him at the training camp in a couple of days, he’ll probably be completely transformed."
Zhou Shengfa smiled wistfully and looked at the three of them.
"Everyone is a traveler on their own path, but you’re all aiming for the same summit. Work hard, kids. The future is yours."
「Meanwhile...」
Wudu New Village, in the parking garage under Building 6.
Wu Bao had just finished practicing Doubling. With nothing else to do, it started typing for a while. Since it couldn’t use the touchscreen directly, it had to use a stylus, which was a bit slow.
After writing a few hundred words on and off, Wu Bao got a little tired, stopped, and sighed.
’If only I had a treasure called a ’keyboard,’’ it thought. It had seen Su Mao use a keyboard to write, and it sounded super satisfying.
’But it seemed you needed a resource called ’money’ to get a keyboard.
’But I only know how to fight. How am I supposed to get money?’
Wu Bao was lost in thought.
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A huge thank you to the great Unremarkable Protium Deuterium Tritium for becoming this book’s first Alliance Leader! This is the first Alliance Leader I’ve ever had in my life!!
I ran a 5k at a sports meet yesterday and was so exhausted when I got back that I didn’t even see it. I only found out when someone mentioned it in the group chat. I’m completely overwhelmed by the support...
I’ve been slacking off a lot lately, but for my new Alliance Leader, I’m definitely releasing two extra Chapters today! I already wrote them overnight, and they’ll be published automatically at 12:00 and 12:15.
Writing a book is like running a 5k. Even if you’re in dead last, seeing someone on the sidelines cheering for you suddenly gives you the strength to keep going.
I also want to thank every reader who has followed the story this far!