Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

“This… isn’t really appropriate, is it…” Yuan Jiewen was dumbfounded by what the bigshot just said.
“Can you tell us why?” Mikayla steadied herself, still managing to ask calmly.
She believed Qiao Sang wouldn’t suggest something like this without reason.
“It’s like this. I just had Yabao use Perception Touch to view the scene of when you rested here earlier…”
Qiao Sang kept it short, briefly recounting what she had seen, then summarized:
“I discovered that over the past week, everyone who came to rest here never disappeared without reason. At most, they were attacked by wild beasts, just like when we came, everyone was attacked. But only he was taken away alone. The beast that took him didn’t even touch the people sleeping nearby.”
She turned to Yuan Jiewen.
“So I want you to do the same, to lure that beast into showing itself.”
Yuan Jiewen tried to digest all this. A thought suddenly flashed across his mind:
At this moment, Mikayla spoke slowly:
“Most water-type beasts like cleanliness. The Water-Leap Fruit trees usually don’t need fertilizer, instead, they grow best when watered with energy-rich water of the water element. If the person you’re searching for really was targeted for peeing near the tree, then yes, it’s very possible.”
Yuan Jiewen fell silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth.
“I understand!”
With that, he walked under the tree and prepared to unzip his pants.
There was a bigshot here, after all. They had already come this far.
Qiao Sang and Mikayla tactfully turned their backs.
Soon, the sound of trickling water followed.
“How advanced is your Fire Qilu’s Perception Touch?” Mikayla glanced at Yabao and asked.
Qiao Sang blinked.
“You know he’s a Fire Qilu?”
Few could recognize Yabao’s species without a beast scanner.
“Of course. I only approached you for a team-up after identifying it from afar.” Mikayla answered calmly.
at the time, her focus had been on contacting Yuan Jiewen. Missing the faint sound of a scanner in the distance was normal. Qiao Sang believed her and said, “He’s already reached the Mastery level.”
Hearing that, Mikayla couldn’t help but give Yabao another look.
She’d seen talented beasts before, but usually that talent was concentrated in one elemental branch, allowing quick progress in skills of that type.
The Fire Qilu’s main attribute was fire, and she knew Yabao had already mastered many fire skills to Mastery level, even awakening a super-tier fire skill.
She had thought his gift was only in fire. She hadn’t expected his secondary psychic branch to be this strong too.
“I’m done.” Yuan Jiewen zipped up and walked back.
“Did you see any strange beast in the pool?” Qiao Sang asked Gangbao through her mind.
Most wild beasts targeted humans first, paying little attention to their pets.
While Yuan Jiewen had relieved himself, Qiao Sang had instructed Gangbao via telepathy to watch the pool from above.
. Gangbao replied in her mind:
“
.” Gangbao nodded.
Qiao Sang turned to Yuan Jiewen.
“Then let’s rest now. We’ll need you on watch.”
Yuan Jiewen hesitated.
“So soon? I’m not ready yet…”
“Then take a moment to prepare.” Qiao Sang said considerately.
Five minutes later, she asked, “Ready now?”
Yuan Jiewen: …
“Bigshot, you’re sure you won’t actually fall asleep?” He asked nervously.
“Don’t worry. What I saw with Perception Touch was that the beast used a faint blue mist to put you into deep sleep.” Qiao Sang reassured him.
“If I’m not mistaken, that should be Water-Sleep Mist. My Ghost Ring King knows Lick, the perfect counter.”
Water-Sleep Mist, a mid-tier water skill, induced deep slumber. Its mist had a faint blue hue, making it easy to recognize.
Yuan Jiewen still looked uneasy.
“But what if your Ghost Ring King gets affected too?”
“My Ice Aipalu knows Healing Light.” Qiao Sang explained.
“And Water-Sleep Mist doesn’t cause instant unconsciousness, even at high proficiency, it takes at least a second or two. That’s enough time for us.”
… Yuan Jiewen finally relaxed, nodding firmly.
“Alright, I’m ready.”
Qiao Sang gave a small nod, then lay down.
“Yap yap…”
Yabao stood watchfully.
“Yabao, lie down too.” Qiao Sang instructed.
“Yap…”
Though Yabao was uneasy about the place, he obeyed his beast master, lay down beside her, and closed his eyes.
As his breathing steadied, Qiao Sang reminded with some exasperation: “Don’t actually fall asleep.”
“Yap!”
Yabao jerked awake, eyes wide, looking shaken.
“Xun~”
Little Treasure, having listened to the whole exchange, silently concealed his presence.
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao glanced at the pool, then spread her wings, settling down beside Qiao Sang. She shut her eyes, feigning sleep.
Qiao Sang knew Gangbao wasn’t really asleep.
She gave Yuan Jiewen a look, '
, before turning her head back and closing her eyes.
At that moment, a shadow stirred faintly in the pool.
Mikayla caught it from the corner of her eye, then smiled calmly at Yuan Jiewen.
“We’ll leave the watch to you.”
She lay down next to Qiao Sang, closing her eyes.
The Silent Croaker Frog stood stiffly like a background piece.
Mikayla suddenly opened her eyes and gave it a cool glance.
“Croak…”
The frog froze, then instantly flipped belly-up, legs splayed, feigning sleep.
Yuan Jiewen sighed inwardly. He glanced at the Shellblade Behemoth beside him.
“Don’t you sleep.”
“Shellblade.”
The beast nodded, its look assuring him.
Meanwhile, the pool’s shadow vanished.
Time passed slowly.
About half an hour later, the shadow reappeared in the pool.
Moments later, a faint blue mist drifted outward.