"Look, look! Isn't that Evan, the top scorer in Blue River Middle School's entrance exams? And he got assigned to the regular class."
"Top scorer or not, his Beastmaster Talent was rated barely a D-level. He's lucky to even make it to high school here."
"What a pity. I'd heard about him before. They say the principal once said he'd become a powerful Beastmaster in the future!"
"Hmph, what's the use of theory if you lack talent? Without talent, you're nothing as a Beastmaster. Who knows if he'll even get into college?"
…
At Blue River High School, Evan walked through the corridor, heading toward the classroom at the far end of the hall. He could clearly hear the chatter around him, but he didn't bother to respond.
In Blue River City—or even the whole world—Beastmaster Talent was of utmost importance. Ever since thousands of years ago, when mysterious energy appeared on Earth and monstrous creatures replaced the old wildlife, Beastmasters had held a renowned status.
At the age of 15, everyone undergoes a process known as the Awakening. This process opens up a Beast Space within their body, enabling them to form contracts with various creatures and command them. After Awakening, everyone is granted a unique Beastmaster Talent, usually a power that enhances a specific aspect of their contracted creatures. Beastmaster Talents are ranked from D to A, based on the strength of the enhancement.
D-level isn't the lowest, but reaching D-level means you're just barely qualified to be a Beastmaster. Over time, this ranking system became a universal standard for judging someone's capabilities—just like Evan's case.
Before high school, he was the top student in Blue River City in terms of Beastmaster theory. But his D-level talent still landed him in the regular class.
"Then again, who said D-level will always be D-level?"
Evan paused at the entrance to the regular class, glanced at the room number on the door, and let a faint smile appear on his face.
This place—he knew it all too well. In fact, this classroom was the starting point of his past life.
The "Light of Blue River City"—that's what they once called him.
He brought countless honors to Blue River City!
In his last life, despite his D-level Talent, he swept through every genius in his class and made his name far beyond Blue River City. Even without talent, he proved that one could still become a powerful figure. Decades later, he rose to become a king-level Beastmaster, ranked among the top ten in all of the Eastern Nation!
But in the end, he was betrayed. On a mission to locate a legendary Beastmaster Artifact, he entered an ancient secret realm with his closest allies. To his shock, his own sworn brother betrayed him, awakening the mythical Emperor-ranked Beast—the Time-Space Dragon.
He fought desperately but ultimately couldn't match the legendary creature. As he lay dying, watching his former friend's treacherous smile, he clutched the Beastmaster Artifact and self-destructed, killing the Time-Space Dragon in a single explosion. Yet, the traitor survived.
Perhaps it was the unique power of the Artifact, or maybe it was the combined resentment of the Time-Space Dragon and himself, but he found himself reborn back to his teenage years.
This was the beginning of his Beastmaster journey. His Talent hadn't changed, but this time, everything would be different.
"Is this a chance to start over?"
Murmuring to himself, Evan glanced at his wrist, where a dragon-shaped mark now lay. The Time-Space Dragon—his rebirth was almost certainly connected to it.
After a moment, as if remembering something, Evan turned to look down the corridor in the opposite direction.
There was the Elite Class, where Blue River City's top talents were gathered. His traitorous former "friend" was there too. Only at the end of his life had he discovered the depths of this person's hatred, concealed by an impeccably friendly facade.
"Last time, it took me three years to dominate Blue River High School. This time, it'll be even faster."
"You, wait for me."
With a deep and determined tone, Evan turned his gaze back, entering the regular class.
"Evan, you're finally here! Come over."
In the corner, a chubby boy waved to him in a low voice.
Seeing the boy, a smile flashed in Evan's eyes as he quickly took a seat beside him. This boy was his childhood friend and longtime buddy, named Yates.
"I can't believe we're in the same class again in high school," Yates commented, sensing that Evan seemed a bit down. "But hey, so what if it's D-level? Look at the Four Young Masters of the Capital—they all have D-level talents, but each of them has an Eternal-ranked beast!"
"I'm fine." Feeling the sincere comfort from Yates, Evan responded with a smile, but his gaze remained contemplative.
"Hey, Fatty, when are we supposed to pick our beasts today?" After a pause, he looked around at his classmates, then glanced back at Yates, as if casually asking.
"Should be in a little while!" Yates replied, visibly excited. "Evan, have you thought about which beast you're going to pick?"
"They're all low-grade beasts; it doesn't really matter," Evan replied casually.
"All low-grade? No way." Yates didn't seem convinced. "I heard that this year Blue River High will be offering some high-potential beasts to the students."
"That's for the Elite and Honors Classes, not for us," Evan replied with a smirk.
Beasts, like humans, are divided by potential. When a beast reaches the limit of its potential, it can no longer grow stronger. Low-bloodline beasts generally can only reach the Bronze level, and it's a matter of luck if they can even reach Silver. Silver level is only the entry point of real strength.
Beasts' power ranks start from Black Iron, followed by Bronze, Silver, Gold, Eternal, Star, Glory, and beyond. Each rank represents a massive leap in power.
"Ah, so we don't get anything special." Yates sounded disappointed. "If it's all low-grade, it's like the same ones sold on the streets."
"At least they're free, and beasts aren't something you can just buy freely; there are quotas," Evan remarked seriously. "Low-grade doesn't matter; even they can become powerful beasts."
"Low-grade beasts are too tough to train. It's hard enough just to reach Elite…" Yates sighed, but he nodded in agreement.
Just then, a stern voice echoed over the classroom speakers.
"Everyone, stay quiet. All students proceed to the field to choose your beasts!"
The classroom immediately burst into excitement. Yates pulled Evan along, visibly excited once more.
"Come on, come on! Even if they're low-grade, they're free! Maybe we'll get lucky."
Evan stood up, his eyes narrowing slightly at Yates's words.
"You never know."
…
Soon, the students arrived at the field. Their class was the only one there for the current selection round to avoid chaos.
On the Beast Platform, various creatures stood, all low-grade, yet they still looked fierce and powerful—far stronger than an ordinary human.
"Evan, Evan! Which one are you going to pick?" Yates whispered eagerly, pointing at a particular creature with excitement. "Look at that crocodile-like beast; it looks tough. I think I'll pick that one."
"That's not a crocodile-type beast; it's a savage lizard," Evan replied, glancing at the beast. "It looks strong, but it's actually slow and lacks defense."
"A lizard-type beast? Really?" Yates's excitement deflated. Given that the advice came from his "theory expert" buddy, he knew it was correct.
"I recommend you choose the Blazing Sun Snake," Evan said, glancing at Yates. "Among the low-grade beasts, it has decent attributes overall, and it's born with venom. With your poison-enhancement talent, it could easily reach Silver level."
"Silver level? Really?" Yates's eyes lit up. "Then I'll go with that one!"
Evan nodded without a word, a smile in his eyes.
In his previous life, his buddy had indeed picked that worthless savage lizard and never reached Silver level, even failing to get into a decent college.
Now, with this second chance, Evan figured he might as well help his friend along the way—even if he still had old scores to settle.
Before long, the selection began. Yates eagerly chose the Blazing Sun Snake and called to Evan with excitement.
Evan, meanwhile, scanned the beasts carefully before locking onto his own choice.
"Evan, why did you pick that beast?" Yates asked, frowning as he approached. "I even know about that one—it's a Fire Hound, and besides a high body temperature, it has no other skills. It's practically the weakest among the low-grade beasts."
"I know," Evan replied with a nod.
"If you know, then why…?"
"Shh." Evan raised a finger, looking at Yates with a deep gaze as he spoke with a solemn tone:
"Fatty, there's no such thing as the weakest beast—only the weakest Beastmaster."