Most countries in Gaia had Legendary Spirit Beast that guarded their country and most of them looked similar to some mythical beast on Earth.
Montis's three Legendary Spirit Beast—Terraphiros, Flarepheon, and Fangoryx—always felt a bit incomplete to Ash.
But what could she do?
On Gaia, Dragon-type Spirit Beasts leaned more toward Western dragon appearance.
Since there were no Dragon-type Spirit Beasts resembling the Eastern dragon in Ash's memories, where could Montis find a serpent-like dragon to complete the Four Auspicious Beast setup?
Thinking about this, Ash couldn't help but feel regret.
Her wandering thoughts were abruptly pulled back by the old man's voice.
"If the only reward was that first-place benefit, the Beast Master Department Practical Exam wouldn't attract millions of applicants each year. Aren't you curious why I called this exam an opportunity for young people like you to change your fate?"
Ash blinked in surprise and hesitantly offered, "Is it because students who graduate from the Beast Master Department find it easier to qualify as professional Beast Master compared to ordinary Beast Master in society?"
The old man shook his head but didn't dismiss her answer outright. "That's part of it."
"Normally, you'd only learn about this after getting into the Beast Master Department, but it doesn't hurt to tell you now." The old man gave her a small smile before continuing, "The cost of raising a powerful Spirit Beast from scratch is astronomical. Spending hundreds of thousands—or even millions—is common. Take the Four Pillar, for example, which represents Montis's pinnacle of combat strength. Each of their Spirit Beasts cost at least a billion beastdollar to raise."
"What kind of family do you think could afford such expenses?"
Ash couldn't help but mutter inwardly, Not even billionaires could handle that!
The old man seemed to catch onto her thoughts and responded with an enigmatic smile.
"If you calculated the cost of raising a Spirit Beast purely in monetary terms, it's indeed terrifyingly high. But in the Beast Master Department, you can use a currency called 'credits' to exchange for everything you need to raise your Spirit Beast."
"Even the Spirit Beasts themselves. As long as you have enough credits, you could exchange for rare Spirit Beasts in the school's breeding facilities that would cost millions in the outside world."
"And earning credits is quite simple."
The old man appeared well-acquainted with the Beast Master Department's workings.
He paused deliberately, allowing Ash to digest the information before continuing.
"In addition to the various activities and Spirit Beast competitions held by the school, you can earn 200 credits each semester just by attending classes and passing your exams."
"For example, a Spirit Fruit like the Ripple Fruit has a standard exchange rate of 1 credit in the Beast Master Department."
"In other words, as long as you attend classes diligently and don't skip or fail exams, you can earn at least 200 Spirit Fruits each semester—either to cultivate your Spirit Beast or to sell."
"Sell?"
Ash was startled by the last word from the old man.