The old man's words carried a firm tone, as if he had absolute confidence in Ash.
Ash didn't respond.
She simply looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I've told you before—although the rise of university leagues in recent years has tainted the Beast Master Department Practical Exam, it's still an important opportunity for ordinary people from ordinary backgrounds to change their fate."
"If this were a completely hopeless exam, do you think I would keep encouraging you to participate?"
As he spoke, the old man's expression suddenly turned serious, and his gaze carried an unexplainable gravity.
"People nowadays, in their pursuit of strength, blindly seek shortcuts, thinking that contracting a rare Spirit Beast and mastering powerful evolution paths will make them strong Beast Master. They fail to realize that this is a completely misguided notion and a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a 'Beast Master.'"
"'Beast Master,' 'Beast Master'... No matter the time or circumstance, the most important part is always to be the 'Master,' not the 'Beast.'"
The old man looked at Ash with a "disappointed" expression and asked, "Are you like everyone else, thinking that the Beast Master Department Practical Exam is all about who has the more powerful contracted Spirit Beast?"
"That's wrong!"
Without waiting for Ash to respond, he immediately denied this notion.
"In truth, at this stage—before entering the Beast Master Department—it has never been about who comes from a wealthier family or who has contracted the rarest, most powerful Spirit Beast. Instead, it's about how novice Beast Master, just stepping into this field, understands the essence of 'Beast Master!'"
"People today have completely lost sight of what truly matters. They've forgotten why Beast Master are strong in the first place..." His voice, heavy with disappointment and regret, carried a deep sense of discontent with the current era.
He glanced at Ash before continuing, "Go back and look through your textbooks. See if any of them teach you anything about Beast Master."
"I'm guessing you won't find anything. That's because, during high school, the nation has always emphasized building a solid foundation. All the knowledge and skills related to Beast Master are left for after you're accepted into the Beast Master Department, where specialized courses and professional Beast Master teach them."
"But now…" The old man paused briefly, shaking his head with a sigh, "It's all just a bunch of kids trying to run before they've learned to walk."
Ash's lips twitched, but she said nothing.
In a way, she felt like she was also one of those kids the old man was talking about—those who hadn't yet learned to walk but were already trying to sprint.
"All right, enough of this nonsense."
The old man didn't care what Ash was thinking as he changed the subject back to the Beast Master Department Practical Exam.
"The reason I'm encouraging you to take the Beast Master Department Practical Exam is because of this," the old man said, his gaze fixed intently on Ash.