Everything was slowly but steadily moving in a positive direction.
Maybe it wouldn't be long before she could take the first step toward her dream—contracting a Spirit Beast she truly connected with and embarking on her journey as a Beast Master.
"It's decided!"
The expression on Ash's face gradually became resolute.
She was going to take the Spirit Beast Department Practical Exam!
Now that the opportunity was right in front of her, doing nothing would be a waste of her second chance in this world.
Although Ash had already decided to take the practical exam for the Beast Master Department, she still found herself grappling with a major headache.
"Why is it so hard to choose the right Spirit Beast?" she groaned, flopping back into her chair with no regard for her posture. She leaned heavily against the backrest, her eyes staring at the ceiling with a frustrated expression.
Her desk was cluttered with stacks of printed papers that were contained with the adoption profiles for Spirit Beasts in the Spirit Beast Reserve that her Teacher Naveen had given her a few days ago.
Each paper detailed the species, attributes, age, discovery location, physical condition, and skills of the Spirit Beasts up for adoption.
At the bottom of the paper, there was even a section outlining the requirements for adoption and the deposit fee to be paid to the Spirit Beast Reserve.
The level of the detail made it almost effortless to grasp each Spirit Beast's growth potential at a glance.
And yet, this very thoroughness was the reason for Ash's current dilemma.
Her original plan had been to select her initial Spirit Beast with Lignum-type or Aqua-type Spirit Beast since these were widely regarded as the easiest type of Spirit Beast to care for.
Lignum-type Spirit Beasts, in particular, were especially low-maintenance.
As long as they had access to clean water and sufficient sunlight, they could thrive.
Additionally, the Lignum-type Spirit Beast's unique skills—[ Venom Dust ], [ Stun Spores ], and [ Drowsy Mist ]—were infamously annoying in battles.
While Spirit Beasts in this world lacked skills that can change weather or terrain, Lignum-type Spirit Beast's exclusive recovery skill, such as [ Leech Bloom. ], combined with recovery moves like [ Photodrain ], made them strong contenders.
Unless they faced a Fire-type Spirit Beast or a battle with a big power gap, they usually had a fair chance of winning.
Unfortunately, while Ash's ideas were ideal, the reality was much harsher.
She had pored through every single card featuring Lignum-type Spirit Beasts, only to find disappointment at every turn.
Some of them didn't even have a single debuff skill like Venum Dust, Stun Spores, and Drowsy Mist.
The others knew these skills but lacked critical recovery skills like [ Leech Bloom ] or [ Photodrain ].
In the end, none of them met her expectations.
"Ugh!" Ash let out a long sigh while picking up a random paper from the pile on her desk and holding it up to eye level.
It wasn't as though there weren't any outstanding candidates among the adoptable Spirit Beasts.