He flipped a few more pages of his handwritten notebook, revealing the volume of data he had gathered.
"I've got records of everyone from zones A to D who's made it to the public rankings board. Whatever you need, just let me know!"
The young girl's gaze lingered on the handwritten notes in Alexander's hand for a few seconds before lifting her eyes to meet his eyes.
"Two hundred bucks?" he asked.
"Exactly!" Alexander nodded his head emphatically.
Then, he heard the girl ask, "Do you have anything for Zone E?"
Alexander was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered. "Yes, yes, I do!"
The pages in his hands rustled as he flipped through them at lightning speed.
Glancing up at the girl, he asked, "What's your opponent's number? Let me check for you."
The girl, without hesitation, recited a series of numbers.
Alexander quickly found her opponent's data near the back of his notes.
"David Balfour, right?" Alexander read it aloud the name of the girl's opponent.
However, he didn't immediately reveal the contracted Spirit Beast or its attributes.
Instead, he extended his empty hand toward him and said, "Money first, info later."
The girl didn't refuse.
She reached into his pocket and pulled out two crumpled 200 bucks, handing them over to Alexander.
Since the practical exam was conducted in a fully sealed-off environment, all candidates' phones were confiscated upon entering Duel Stadium.
During the exam period, everyone could only use cash for purchases.
Alexander didn't mind the crumpled bills.
He happily accepted them and then handed her over the requested information.
"Candidate 112750, David Balfour. Contracted Spirit Beast: Owlvine. Primary attribute: Aqua-type, secondary attribute: Aer-type..." Alexander paused briefly, his voice suddenly tinged with surprise. "Your opponent is pretty formidable—he's already won 13 matches as of yesterday."
Although the practical exam's matchups were entirely randomized by computer, there were still patterns to the assignments.
For example, candidates with 10 wins would typically be matched against others with 10 wins.
Unless there were no candidates left with the same number of wins, it was rare for them to face opponents with significantly more or fewer victories.
According to Alexander's records, David Balfour had already racked up 13 wins as of his last update yesterday.
Counting today's morning matches, his win count could only have increased.
This meant that the girl in front of him must also be someone with at least 13 wins.
She's also a strong contender!
Alexander's curiosity skyrocketed.
It was only the third day of the practical exam, and most candidates were still stuck around 8 or 9 wins.
Even the top-tier prodigies, based on the intel Alexander had gathered, wouldn't have more than 16 wins at this point.
With 13 wins at this stage, the girl was undoubtedly a seed candidate capable of breaking into the top 1,000 in the Verdantia region rankings.
Who was this girl?
Did he have her information in his records?
This thought consumed Alexander's mind.
Unfortunately, after receiving the information she paid for, the girl simply picked up her belongings and left, giving Alexander no chance to engage further.
"What a waste!" Alexander couldn't help but sigh.
Such a golden opportunity to build connections had slipped through his fingers—it was truly a shame!
After all, a seed candidate with the potential to break into the top 1,000 in the Verdantia region rankings was bound for great things as long as they kept winning through the seventh day.
Whether or not they ended up attending the same school, it was always beneficial to establish connections early.
Who knew?
With a little bit of luck, he might stumble upon a future champion in his peer group and claim his spot as a witness to history.
With this thought in mind, Alexander flipped open his handwritten notebook and began scanning the list of Zone E candidates, hoping to identify the girl.
And with just a quick glance, he was hit by a realization he had missed earlier in his busyness—a shock that left him speechless.
[ Zone E Candidate 31143: Ash Bloom ]
[ Contracted Spirit Beast: Larvanine ]
[ Win Count: 14 ]
...
Inside the Zone E candidate dormitory, Ash who is dressed in a black T-shirt, returned to her room carrying two lunches.
Hearing the sound of the door, her Larvanine, practicing backspins on the carpet, immediately stopped and crawled over to her.
It lifting its tiny head and chirping in greeting.
"Good job with the training," Ash said with a smile as she crouched down to pat Larvanine's head. "I went to the cafeteria in Zone D today and brought back some nectar made specifically for Insectum Spirit Beasts. Let's see if you like it."
Ash pulled a specialized Spirit Beast lunchbox from her plastic bag, opened it, and placed it in front of Larvanine.
"Larvanine~!"
Unable to resist the allure of food, Larvanine eagerly crawled to the bowl and began drinking with gusto.
Looking at this scene, Ash chuckled.
She then sitting cross-legged on the floor to enjoy her own lunch from the other container in the bag.
Thankfully, the Beast Master Association covered all meals and accommodations during the exam.
Otherwise, given the "high-end" prices posted by the shops in Duel Stadium City, Ash might have had to demonstrate what "sleeping on the streets" looked like in front of tens of thousands of people.
"Take a little break, and then we'll head to the arena," she said after finishing her meal.
Taking out a notebook, she turned to a blank page and began jotting down notes while addressing Larvanine, who had resumed practicing backspins on the floor.
"Today's opponent might be tough. It's an Owlvine, your natural predator on the food chain."
"Larvanine~!"
At the mention of "Owlvine," Larvanine paused.
It then lifted its head to look at Ash without the slightest hint of fear.
It wasn't the same Larvavine as it was six months ago!
After undergoing grueling training with Ash for half a year, it was confident it could defeat not just one Owlvine, but ten of them if needed.