“The Snow Joy Cat versus the Snake Vine Tree. The winner is the Snow Joy Cat!”
Nuobai had sliced through the opposition like she was chopping vegetables, triggering the contract protection and securing another victory.
Watching the blue light of the protection field flash, Bai Luxin’s eyes twitched violently.
“How is it, Master? Are you happy? We’ve made it into the top sixteen.”
Bai Luxin walked off the field with a vacant expression while carrying Nuobai. Already, she could hear the endless exclamations from the surrounding crowd.
“Wow, how did she train a Snow Joy Cat to be so ferocious?”
“That girl looks so quiet and refined, but she’s actually so violent.”
“Contrast! This is definitely the charm of contrast! I love it, I love it!”
“I am the Snow Joy Cat’s dog!”
……
Wait, something strange seemed to have slipped into the middle of those cheers.
Nuobai looked up sharply and saw a young girl in a school uniform holding a light-up sign and screaming at her.
Upon realizing Nuobai was looking her way, the girl let out a piercing shriek and fainted.
Nuobai hooked a lock of Bai Luxin’s hair with her tail and toyed with it. ‘Since you’re so excited, I’ll forgive your insolence.’
Still, it was best not to meet such strange children.
“Nuobai, over these past few days, I’ve come to realize that I have many shortcomings when it comes to commanding a Beast Mastery battle,” Bai Luxin said slowly once they returned to the contestants’ seating area. “But I will work hard. I’ll strive to stand by your side and fight with you in the future.”
Nuobai looked at her suspiciously. ‘Master, you’re not planning to dessert me right before the battle, are you?’
Faced with Nuobai’s questioning gaze, Bai Luxin’s expression remained unchanged, though her tone softened slightly. “It’s not like that. It’s just that this tournament is very important. We must achieve a good result. To that end, we should eliminate all factors that might negatively affect our performance.”
“I see.”
As Nuobai fell into thought, Bai Luxin’s breathing slowed. It felt as if she were waiting for a final judgment.
She really didn’t want to go up on that stage anymore!
Originally, no one had paid her any attention. Even after she became Nuobai’s Beast Master, she was a “nobody” in the eyes of the public.
But now? They had only been on the field twice, and titles like “Devil Breeder,” “Revenge Princess,” and “Yuhua’s Number One Ruthless Person” were already flying everywhere.
Such intense attention was hard for her to handle. She felt like she was dying inside despite appearing perfectly fine on the outside.
Nuobai narrowed her eyes, enjoying Bai Luxin’s head pats for a moment.
“Fine, Master. Next, please… watch closely as I seize the Laurel Crown for you.”
Nuobai’s obedience made Bai Luxin feel both joyful and a bit guilty. She made a silent vow to work even harder in the future.
……
The following day, Lily was warming up the crowd at the commentary desk. She noticed that Bai Luxin had not taken the field today.
“Two rounds will be held today: the round of sixteen and the quarter-finals to determine the top four,” Lily announced. “The Snow Joy Cat Nuobai, who everyone has been following closely, is already on the field preparing. We’ve received word from backstage that the cat will be competing alone from now on.”
“Dr. Qin, everyone is very concerned. Will this have an impact on the upcoming matches?”
Qin Rui looked at Nuobai with eyes full of affection as he answered Lily’s question. “I believe the first time everyone saw a Snow Joy Cat was at the Survival Tournament one year ago. Nuobai created a miracle back then while she was still just a cub.”
He continued, “The Snow Joy Cat earned the title of Dragon Sleep City’s mascot. This represents not only the glory of the Snow Joy Cat but also the pride of every resident of Dragon Sleep City. Today, I also believe that even though Nuobai is the only one on the field, her Master is with her in spirit. We are all with her.”
Qin Rui’s words triggered a wave of cheers from the audience. Lily picked up the topic.
“It’s clear that Dr. Qin is also very fond of the Snow Joy Cat. However, her opponent today is not simple. It’s an Evil-type rare Beast Pet ranked in the top three of Yulan Academy—the Cursed Doll.”
“As we all know, Evil-type Beast Pets are inherently rare, and among them, the Cursed Doll is the rarest of the rare. They only appear randomly within the dolls of young girls. So, what kind of fierce battle will these two extremely rare Beast Pets bring us?”
On the field, Nuobai’s tail was held high, displaying her confidence.
The Cursed Doll flew down from its Master’s arms. Its doll-like body was crafted exquisitely, and the black lace trim made Nuobai want to test it with her claws.
“Snow Joy Cat versus Cursed Doll… begin!”
Before the words had even finished echoing, Nuobai entered her hunting state.
“Doll, use [Weakness Curse]!”
The Cursed Doll raised a hand toward Nuobai. Nuobai, who was in the middle of a sprint, stumbled and nearly fell.
She reacted quickly, lowering her center of gravity to stabilize herself.
Seeing that Nuobai wasn’t heavily affected, the opponent continued the command. “Doll, [Blindness Curse]!”
As she saw the Cursed Doll raise its hand, Nuobai quickly observed her surroundings. She then proactively closed her eyes to avoid the shock of suddenly losing her senses.
A wave of energy enveloped her eyes. Nuobai tried to open them, but everything remained pitch black.
However, this didn’t stump her. Following her memory of the layout, Nuobai tentatively swung a claw.
“Dodge it!”
Sensing a faint touch on her claws, Nuobai swung repeatedly in that direction.
“Doll, [Flash]!”
Her consecutive attacks failed to land. Nuobai stopped her assault, and for a moment, the two sides were at a stalemate.
The shift in the battle on the field was unpredictable, leaving the audience breathless with suspense.
“Dr. Qin, the Snow Joy Cat has lost her vision and is currently suffering from a weakness state that is constantly draining her physical strength. Do you think she still has a chance to turn the tide?”
Qin Rui didn’t answer Lily directly. Instead, he began to introduce the Cursed Doll.
“The Cursed Doll’s talent, [Curse], allows it to reduce energy consumption and increase the power of curse-type skills. Curses are its primary method of attack, and the number of curse skills a Cursed Doll possesses is a major indicator of its strength.”
“A Tier 1 Beast Pet usually only has two to three skills. This Cursed Doll has already used two curses and used a rare skill to dodge an attack. Currently, the Snow Joy Cat has lost her target, while the Cursed Doll doesn’t dare to attack recklessly. It’s still too early to declare defeat.”
“I see. Thank you for the explanation, Dr. Qin.”
“Indeed, the real contest has just begun. Will the Snow Joy Cat find the Cursed Doll first, or will she run out of stamina?”
On the stage, Nuobai took a tentative step forward. Her ears stood tall and twitched slightly before she began walking in a figure-eight pattern.
Seeing Nuobai move, the audience grew excited.
“The Snow Joy Cat is moving! Is she planning to use a trial-and-error method to search every inch of the stage?”
“Does she really have the time to slowly test her way through?”
As Lily provided the commentary, the atmosphere became even more intense. Everyone was waiting to see if Nuobai could find the Cursed Doll.
Whenever Nuobai moved closer to the Cursed Doll’s direction, the crowd would erupt in cheers. ]
Whenever she moved away, they would groan in disappointment, appearing even more anxious than the contestants themselves.
Fortunately, the arena used a one-way soundproofing ritual, so the noise didn’t affect the players.
Sensing her stamina steadily draining, Nuobai didn’t panic. Her [Rebellion] talent had strengthened her constitution; she wouldn’t lose all her strength anytime soon.
She continued to perk up her ears and listen. She wasn’t listening for the Cursed Doll, but rather for the breathing of a certain person on the stage.
Whenever she got close to a certain direction, the opponent’s breathing would turn tense. Slowly, Nuobai confirmed the opponent’s position in her mind.
She didn’t rush to attack. Instead, she continued to mislead her opponent by making random probes across the stage.
The Cursed Doll watched as Nuobai drifted closer and then further away. It didn’t dare to move even an inch, fearing that any sound would alert the cat.
Nuobai’s attacks were too sharp; it couldn’t withstand a single hit. After using [Flash], its remaining energy was only enough to maintain the two curses.
As long as it could stall until her stamina ran out, it would win.
‘Don’t find me, don’t find me, don’t find me…’
‘!’
‘Turn around, turn around…’
The opponent on the stage began to pray frantically. The Cursed Doll watched Nuobai approach and prayed in sync that the cat would change directions.
And so, with her gold and red heterochromatic eyes dimmed, Nuobai walked forward one step at a time, facing the doll directly.
If its skill weren’t still active, the doll would have thought Nuobai had recovered her sight.
She was close…
Even closer…
She walked past!
Watching Nuobai brush past its side, the Cursed Doll let out a massive sigh of relief.
‘Thank goodness…’
‘!!!’
Just as it was about to relax, Nuobai suddenly stopped mid-step and turned her head. Her eyes were fixed straight on the Cursed Doll.
The Cursed Doll stared at Nuobai. They were face-to-face, less than ten centimeters apart.
‘What kind of ghost story is this?!’
It finally broke. It turned to fly away, but the airflow it created guided Nuobai to her target. She reached out and pinned the Cursed Doll beneath her claw.
Before she even applied pressure, the curses on her body dissipated. A blue light flashed beneath her paw.
Its defensive power was far too low.
“Snow Joy Cat versus Cursed Doll. The winner is the Snow Joy Cat!”
“Ohhh!!!”
Having toyed with the hearts of both her opponent and the audience, Nuobai walked back toward Bai Luxin amidst the cheers.
“Nuobai, you’re amazing!” Zhou Huimin’s face was flushed with excitement as she looked at Nuobai with adoration.
Beside her, Bai Luxin was slightly suspicious. “You didn’t do that on purpose, did you?”
She had noticed that when Nuobai walked toward the Cursed Doll, her tail had been held high and was twitching slightly. That was a clear sign of excitement.
“Hahaha, how could that be?” Nuobai chirped. ‘It was all luck.’
Nuobai jumped onto Bai Luxin’s shoulder and rubbed her head against her Master’s face.
‘Master is too observant. If she finds out I wasn’t being serious, I’m going to get a lecture tonight.’
That cursed Bai Luxin… she really didn’t treat her like a normal cat at all.