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As soon as the school bell rang, Chen Xing hoisted his bag and hurriedly left the school.
Jincheng No. 8 Middle School was the top-ranked public middle school in the new district of Jincheng, located in the bustling central section of the area.
The wide road was teeming with cars. However, even more striking were the sidewalks on either side of the highway, even wider than the road itself.
Looking around, one could see Beast Tamers of various forms and species walking side by side with people, weaving a unique landscape in this concrete jungle.
He remembered that there were even larger tamed beasts, but those that were too large weren't allowed to be summoned in public spaces; they could only be summoned in specific areas.
Chen Xing walked for about thirty minutes and finally arrived home.
Upon opening the door, he was greeted by a strong smell of traditional medicine.
On the sofa, his father, Chen Guohai, was coughing. His health had been deteriorating since being diagnosed with Black Marrow Disease six years ago. Despite having sold all they had, including their large house in the city, the exorbitant cost of treatment remained an insurmountable mountain for the family.
Chen Xing knew that curing his father required the help of a healer from the Transcendence Stage, which would cost at least a hundred million—an astronomical figure for his family. Though a healer from the Evolution Stage could alleviate his father's symptoms, each treatment was also costly. Over the years, his mother had taken two jobs every day, tirelessly supporting their family just to gather enough money for medical expenses.
One hundred million—Chen Xing, standing behind his mother then, remembered that figure well.
Chen Xing approached his father, picked up an orange and broke it in half, handing one half to his father.
Chen Guohai took the orange, smiled, and chewed slowly. He softly told Chen Xing that their mother would be done cooking soon and they would eat then.
Chen Xing nodded but found his gaze involuntarily drifting back to his father.
Memories of the dream he had that afternoon sparked an indescribable emotion within him.
"Hmm." Chen Xing nodded because the dream from the afternoon felt too real, and he couldn't help but take another look at his dad sitting on the sofa, seeming so gentle and peaceful.
He turned and went to the second bedroom, which belonged to his sister, Chen Lingya.
Chen Lingya had always been a stellar student, topping her classes and admired by everyone.
Chen Xing knocked softly and entered after receiving his sister's permission.
"Come in." His sister's voice emanated from the room.
After turning the doorknob, Chen Xing entered to see a desk piled high with books, while Chen Lingya sat at it, writing furiously. Seen from the side, her high-bridged nose, drooping eyelids, and slightly pursed lips made Chen Xing glance at the exercise on the desk, which seemed to be about senior high school subjects.
His eyes unconsciously landed on the white big cat lying next to the desk—it was his sister's Beast Taming pet, Chi Yu.
He noticed that a patch of Chi Yu's fur around its neck had been shaved off, revealing a wound covered with a thin gauze pad. Chi Yu opened its eyes to look at him, then closed them again and remained still.
Chen Xing gently stroked Chi Yu's mane, a wave of pity welling up inside him.
"Chi Yu is injured again," Chen Xing said softly. Although Chi Yu was his sister's Beast Taming pet, he had watched it grow up. Ever since his sister went to a private high school, Chi Yu would occasionally come home with injuries. He remembered once while bathing Chi Yu, as he lifted its fluffy, loose fur, he found the skin underneath was covered with scars, as if they were drawn there.
Chen Lingya paused in her writing, acknowledging with a hum, and the sound of scratching continued at the tip of her pen.
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A draft blew in through the window that wasn't quite closed, lifting Chen Lingya's long hair beside her ear.
A few centimeters behind her tender cheeks, a fresh wound was especially conspicuous.
As Chen Xing rose to his feet, he caught sight of this scene and fiercely stared at the wound on his sister's face, a flare of anger sparking within him, "Are they bullying you at school again?"
Chen Lingya gripped the pen in her hand, stood up to close the window, then turned her head to look at Chen Xing, her eyes curving into crescents, "It's nothing, I can handle it."
"That's what you say every time."
"Don't worry, I really can handle it this time, and nobody will bother me again," Chen Lingya spoke lightly.
Chen Xing, looking into his sister's eyes, felt his anger gradually subside. He knew she was always strong and independent, and didn't want to make him worry.
"If only I were older than you."
Chen Xing's voice was somewhat low. He knew his sister didn't want to talk more about it and didn't press her, simply crouching down to extend both hands toward Chi Yu's cheeks, the soft, fluffy fur spilling through the gaps between his fingers as he rubbed its large head.
He casually took out a stick of dried meat, hard like a piece of wood, from the nearby drawer and handed it to Chi Yu. Chi Yu, not really appetite, opened its mouth to grab the meat stick, then rolled up its tongue to swallow the rest of it.
Hearing Chen Xing's words, a ripple appeared in Chen Lingya's eyes. She watched her brother's back for a moment and then took out a black box from the drawer. "Take this."
Chen Xing turned around, eyeing the box in his sister's hand with confusion, "What's this?"
"A universal nourishment reagent, it's good for your Beast Taming."
Chen Xing immediately refused, "Keep the one the school gave you for yourself."
He was aware of the family's financial situation; his sister couldn't possibly afford to buy it, so it must have been something she saved from her own scholarship.
But for his sister who wanted to continue receiving scholarships at school, it would seem grades were also a requirement. Although he had never been to a private high school, he had heard that the students there were mostly rich or noble, and their Beast Taming was not the free kind issued by the state; they would certainly not be lacking things like nourishment reagents. The pressure on his sister there must have been immense.
Chen Lingya wanted to say something, but Chen Xing waved his hand and left the room.
If he couldn't help his sister when she was being bullied, the least he could do was not to be a burden...
After leaving his sister's room, Chen Xing went back to his own small room.
He had just felt that the Shi Ban had changed, as if something had caused it to react.
Pulling the curtains closed, he lay on the bed, and the Shi Ban only he could see appeared...
Under his gaze, a line of text surfaced on the cover page of the Shi Ban: You have fed your Beast Tamer once, with an intimacy value higher than 80, resulting in gaining 1 Skill Point Fragment.
In the upper right corner of the page, a symbol resembling a gem appeared, next to which was a shattered gem. There was a '0' behind the intact gem icon, and a '1' behind the shattered one.
The exact number of Skill Point Fragments needed to form a complete Skill Point was unclear, as indicated by a grey "+" symbol next to the icon for Skill Points. Considering it was grey, it likely meant that there were not enough Skill Point Fragments to constitute a complete Skill Point.