Beast Taming: Starting From Zero-Chapter 746: Appearance

"The opening ceremony is just starting,why are you so excited? Is your favorite celebrity attending?" One of the students asked.

"Of course!" The blonde boy who brought up the topic replied, excitedly.

"Apollon! Have you seen The Strongest Summoner? He played the male lead. He was amazing in it! A total underdog who climbed up from the lower tenth district to the upper tenth, became the reigning champion of the A-rank Beastmaster Tournament, and then returned to the lower tenth with his teammates to solve the wild beast problem and protect the ordinary people. You have to watch it, it's epic!"

The spiky-haired student waved dismissively.

"That’s just acting. It’s not real."

The blonde boy’s face instantly darkened.

"Like you could act that well even if you tried."

Spiky-head gave a snort.

"I wouldn’t be an actor even if you paid me."

"Alright, alright, stop it." Dorothy quickly interjected.

The two boys turned their heads toward Dorothy, and their eyes inadvertently drifted to Qiao Sang, who was sitting next to her. They exchanged a look, gave a cold huff, and turned away, considering it giving Dorothy some face.

"Seriously, a simple chat turns into an argument."

Dorothy complained, then turned to Qiao Sang and lowered her voice, "Wanna go see the Beast Tamer Star Tournament tonight? I got us two tickets."

Qiao Sang gave her a strange look.

"You’re that interested in the Beast Tamer Star Tournament?"

Dorothy hesitated for a moment before replying, "It’s alright, I guess. It's the most hyped event lately. All the artifact specialists and rune masters are promoting it, boasting about how amazing their celebrity reps are. As a professional beast master myself, I feel like I should show some support in person."

Qiao Sang listened attentively but was actually thinking about something else: The Beast Tamer Star Tournament wasn’t solely for professional beast masters. Many of the famous participants were actually known for their work as artificer or rune masters. Facing them without knowing their full strategies in advance could bring unpredictability.

After all, items and runes could be swapped out before the match, unlike beasts, whose level, attributes, and profiles were all visible...

Looks like I can’t rely too much on intel. On-the-spot adaptability is still crucial...

"You wanna come watch?" Dorothy asked again.

"I’ll pass." Qiao Sang said.

"I have a match tonight with a senior escorting me."

If it were just her and Dorothy, it wouldn’t be a problem. But with a teacher from the Imperial Beast University tagging along, it’d be a bit inconvenient.

"What match?" Dorothy asked curiously.

Qiao Sang coughed and lowered her voice.

"The Beast Tamer Star Tournament."

Dorothy: ???

At that moment, the entire class turned to stare.

I even lowered my voice, how are they all hearing this…? Qiao Sang silently complained in her heart while maintaining a calm expression.

Having experienced psychic feedback from her beast, she could tell these people had been eavesdropping all along, hence their sharp reactions.

"You’re entering the Beast Tamer Star Tournament?"

"For real?"

"I thought only celebrities were allowed?"

"What kind of talk is that? You saying Qiao Sang isn’t better than a celeb?"

"That’s not what I meant! I mean… Qiao Sang isn’t technically a celebrity!"

Voices exploded in discussion around her.

Qiao Sang cleared her throat: "Um…"

Everyone fell silent and stared again.

Being in the spotlight sure is a pain… Qiao Sang recited the explanation Perite had given her: "I once had Ghost Ring King film a promo clip, and it even cameoed in a movie. So I barely qualified for registration."

If anyone else had said this, the class would’ve torn them apart.

A promo video and a tiny movie cameo? That makes you a celebrity?

Everyone knew contestants in the Star Tournament were big names, people the public could instantly recognize, not just some minor ad model or extra.

But since it came from Prodigy Qiao’s mouth, it somehow sounded perfectly reasonable.

"Oh, so that’s how."

"Ghost Ring King was in a movie?! What movie? I need to watch it now!"

"A promo? How have I never seen it?"

"Damn it! A Blue Star variant beast starred in an ad and a movie and I didn’t hear a word?!"

"Someone clearly tried to suppress the trending post. They’re scared Qiao Sang will blow up!"

"Exactly! I think so too!"

Seriously… it’s not that deep… Qiao Sang’s mouth twitched slightly as she listened to their chatter.

"Qiao Sang, I’ll totally be there to support you!" Dorothy finally processed everything and said earnestly.

"Thanks..."

That very day, a post titled #Beastmaster Division’s Strongest Freshman Qiao Sang to Compete in the Star Tournament# made it to the top of the Yulianton University forum.

---

6:00 PM.

At a futuristic, curvilinear building…

Flying-type beasts of all kinds zipped through the night sky, lit up by glowing equipment like streams of light.

Interlacing beams and neon colors filled the streets in a dazzling display.

At the very center stood a massive open-air beast battle arena.

Nearly everyone was riding beasts toward the venue.

"Yap!"

Yabao barked excitedly, taking in the lively surroundings.

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure appeared, teleporting to every unfamiliar sight and holographic ad.

"Lu Ai…"

Lubao peeked her head out of the backpack, equally curious about the view.

Ever since arriving in 1st District, Qiao Sang had been staying in a quiet villa near Yulianton University with little foot traffic. The only place she regularly went to was a nearby training facility.

After a while, Little Treasure got used to the route and just teleported back and forth between the university and villa, never once venturing to such a bustling area at night.

Qiao Sang and Yabao both looked up simultaneously, their faces full of wonder at a large, mechanically-equipped avian beast flying overhead.

"You two haven’t been out much, huh?" Pirite remarked tactfully.

Qiao Sang turned back.

"Mm. I’ve been booked every night since I got here. Haven’t had the chance to explore."

"Sometimes it’s good to look around." Pirite said.

"You can get textbook knowledge at the Imperial Beast University, but once you return to Blue Star, who knows when you’ll ever get to come back to Chaosu Star again."

That made sense to Qiao Sang.

"I’ll try to get out more."

After a bit of small talk, the two passed the ID check and entered the open-air beast battle arena.

The audience seats were packed, everyone waving glowsticks and chatting excitedly about their favorite celebrities.

A massive virtual screen displayed highlight reels from past Star Tournaments.

Qiao Sang, holding Yabao, followed Pirite to the player area.

Voices nearby floated into her ears: "Ahhh! Medea! She’s so pretty in person! I wonder when she’s going on!"

"Biltie’s here too! The lineup this year’s insane, every single one of my faves is here!"

"If you could only support one, who would it be?"

"Medea, of course. She’s an Artificer specialist like me. Artificer specialists FTW!"

"They don’t stand a good chance though, too arrogant. They only show off their gear and never draw runes during matches."

"Same with rune masters. They refuse to use items."

"Come on, we’re adults. Everyone knows the ones who win use both. The sponsors behind them won’t allow anything less."

"Don’t be so cynical. This is the Star Tournament, it’s streamed on a dozen platforms. Everyone’s out here to show off their real skills."

"Wait, who’s that kid? Why is she sitting in the player section?"

Kid? Qiao Sang looked around instinctively. She didn’t see any child.

Then, the same voice said, "What kind of red dog is she holding? I’ve never seen it before."

"Ugh, so jealous. Rich kids even get to sit next to celebs just to watch a match."

Red dog…? Qiao Sang glanced down at Yabao, lips twitching slightly.

So I’m the 'kid' they were talking about…

Suddenly, Pirite said, "Head to the back, contestant introductions are starting soon."

"Okay." Qiao Sang nodded and carried Yabao backstage.

Unlike regular tournaments, the Star Tournament began with a grand entrance for each contestant. The commentators would introduce everyone one by one.

When Qiao Sang arrived backstage, it was already crowded with fashionable, impeccably dressed people.

"Everyone, please line up." A staff member instructed.

The line quickly formed, and Qiao Sang joined it.

"Where’s your guardian?" Asked a blonde woman behind her, tapping Qiao Sang’s shoulder.

Recalling what she overheard earlier, Qiao Sang realized what was happening and patiently explained: "I’m a contestant."

The woman frowned.

Hearing the exchange, the others turned to look.

A red-haired man wearing silver earrings flashed a charming smile from ahead in line.

"Hey, little girl, who do you want an autograph from? I’ll help you out. We’re about to enter, you can go watch us from the stands."

Qiao Sang: …

"Staff!" Snapped a short-ponytailed man behind the blonde, his tone impatient.

"Yes? What’s the issue?" A staffer approached.

"You let a kid sneak into the contestant area?"

The staffers had all been briefed on the contestants.

The staffer looked at Qiao Sang and Yabao, then smiled politely.

"This young lady is one of our official participants."

Silence fell.

A contestant? A kid? Everyone blanked out for a second.

I said I was a contestant… Qiao Sang kept a straight face under the stunned stares.

As dozens of shocked eyes landed on her, Yabao subtly straightened up, suddenly aware of his image.

After a few seconds, the red-haired man gave an apologetic smile.

"My bad. Mind if I ask, what’s your profession?"

Qiao Sang paused for a moment.

"Student."

Still a student and already trying to shortcut into this level of competition? Bit too eager, aren’t you… The redhead turned away, not continuing the conversation.

Dozens of skeptical and confused gazes landed on Qiao Sang.

She could clearly sense their judgment, but she only kept her polite smile.

Because... she did get into the backdoor.

---

Open-Air Beastmaster Arena.

The announcer's passionate voice echoed throughout the arena: “This will be her final time participating in the Beast Tamer Star Tournament! She is none other than Medea Hill, who once placed third in the C-rank Item Master Challenge Cup at the age of 26, and single-handedly sparked a wave of interest in item-based battles!”

As his words fell, the woman stepping onto the stage in a red cinched-waist gown extended her right hand toward the bear-type pet beast beside her, which stood around five meters tall.

Thump-thump.

The bear-type pet extended its left paw. A human-like, palm-sized mechanical claw emerged from the silver device on it, gently grasping Medea’s hand and lifting her up.

Medea landed steadily on the beast's shoulder, raised her hand, and waved at the surrounding audience.

The bear-type pet beast began walking toward the contestant area.

As another figure appeared, the announcer's voice rang out once more: “He has competed in a total of four Beast Battle Tournaments! F-rank Beastmaster Tournament, E-rank Beastmaster Tournament, D-rank Beastmaster Tournament, and C-rank Beastmaster Tournament, and became the champion in all of them!”

“He is your four-time Beast Battle Tournament champion!”

“From 2nd District! Standing at 1.88 meters tall, Apollon Nowitzki!”

A red-haired man wearing silver earrings waved to the crowd as he walked to the center.

Beside him was a fox-type pet beast, about six meters tall, with red fur on its face, hands, neck, and chest, yellow fur on its forehead, ears, and tail. It walked upright on two legs. The beast tossed a coin-like item into the air with its paw.

Then it puckered its lips upward, and a thin flame, only about one centimeter in diameter, shot out and hit the coin.

Boom!

The coin exploded in mid-air, turning into a dazzling red firework that rained down.

The crowd went wild, screams echoing nonstop.

The atmosphere hit its peak.

At that moment, a slender figure walked out from the passageway.

Upholding his professional passion, the announcer continued: “She’s from Blue Star! Her pet’s uniqueness got her selected for a promo shoot at first glance! She even appeared in a movie!”

“Only 16 years old! The youngest contestant in this year’s Beast Tamer Star Tournament, Qiao Sang!”

The screams abruptly ceased, and the atmosphere seemed to drop to freezing point. (T/n: I don't know why but the second-hand embarrassment is strong in this one.)

The audience murmured: “Who’s that?”

“Never heard of her.”

“From Blue Star? Maybe she’s some local celeb trying to break into the interstellar market.”

“She must’ve pulled strings. How else could a 16-year-old join a tournament at this level?”

“Unbelievable. Even Olim didn’t get selected. What makes her so special?”

Damn, this is awkward... Qiao Sang waved and stepped out.

“Xun xun~”

Little Treasure appeared, energetically waving his paw at the audience.

Qiao Sang, with Little Treasure, walked straight toward the contestant area.

That was it for her debut? Some of the audience members who were initially intrigued by the Blue Star pair couldn’t hide their disappointment.

Sensing the quiet around her, Qiao Sang whispered to her teacher, Pirite: “Teacher, why didn’t you tell me we had to do some performance for the debut? I didn’t prepare anything.”

Pirite calmly responded: “You entered this competition to hone your actual combat skills. These surface-level things don’t matter.”

Qiao Sang: …

Alright then.