Sunlight mottled the ground.
Yesterday, Nuobai fell unconscious and missed the award ceremony, so now Bai Luxin carried her to find the Dean of Students to collect the prize.
“Nuobai, what do tears taste like?”
“Bitter!”
Nuobai turned her head away in anger, her tail still tightly wrapped around her wrist.
‘Bad Beast Master.’
‘Don’t you dare tease me!’
Stealing a glance at her, Nuobai lay against her arm.
Actually, it wasn’t bitter.
It was sweet; her heart felt very sweet.
Inside the office, the Dean of Students groomed his hair, combing it strand by distinct strand, his face rosy as he hummed a little tune.
Good fortune brings a bright spirit, after all; who would have thought that the Nuobai he invited would make such a comeback at the very last moment.
If he hadn’t had the foresight, Yuhua Academy would have lost to his old rival this time.
The education funding for the entire coming year would have been lost to the opponent.
Actually, the funding itself wasn’t important; what mattered was that he absolutely could not let the enemy thrive.
With one falling and the other rising, Yuhua’s future was at stake, and he had saved the building from collapse, turning the tide on his own.
Looking at it this way, the position of Principal was not entirely out of his reach.
As the Dean of Students dreamed of the future, he noticed Bai Luxin entering the office and quickly regained his composure.
He greeted her warmly, “Student Bai Luxin, please, sit.” As he spoke, he lowered his status to pour her tea.
“Has Student Nuobai recovered? If you need anything, just say the word; the academy will never refuse.”
“Nuobai is fine now.”
“We are here to collect the champion’s reward.”
The Dean of Students pulled out a credit card, “This is the first-place prize money, three million total, and the academy has added two million as a bonus, making it five million for you.”
“You can make requests for custom equipment, and the academy will help fulfill them.”
“However, basic equipment won’t be of much help to you; your class this year is just too impressive.”
The Dean of Students shook his head as he spoke; he had taught for many years and had never seen an Academy Tournament play out like this.
Two rare Beast Pets fighting until they were both near exhaustion was truly rare.
“I personally suggest you choose this: the Storage Button.”
A silver-white button was placed on the table by him; logically, this wasn’t on the custom list, but he was feeling bold and full of spirit right now.
No one would gossip about taking a small shortcut; it was all about encouraging excellent students.
Bai Luxin looked a bit puzzled.
“This?”
“Use your Contract Power to bind it; it contains a 50×50×50cm space inside.”
Nuobai’s eyes lit up; what a great item.
“Beast Master, I want this one!”
With the equipment chosen, Bai Luxin practiced for a moment and was soon using it skillfully.
The button was pinned to the front of her clothes, and Nuobai covered it with her tail, looking nervous and protective of her new treasure.
It was a pity this style was meant for a Beast Master; if only she could use it herself.
“I have also specifically requested an extra reward for you: three items of your choice from the Academy Treasury.”
The Dean of Students said, holding up three fingers, looking quite pleased with himself.
Nuobai felt listless upon hearing this; there were never any good things, so why was he acting so excited?
Bai Luxin followed the Dean of Students closely; being thrifty, she was still looking forward to this treasure hunt.
“Tsk, tsk.”
Nuobai looked at the Dean of Students with an unfriendly expression; he was definitely blowing her off last time, as this place was clearly different from where they went before.
“Do not take offense, Student Nuobai.”
“It has not been easy for me either; this is the true Academy Treasury, containing a hundred years of accumulation, and it will definitely satisfy you.”
The Dean of Students verified his credentials and opened a door leading underground.
As they walked down the passage, Nuobai keenly noticed that the walls beside them had something strange about them.
The Dean of Students took out a stone emitting a yellow glow to envelop everyone.
It took a full 5 minutes to reach the end.
He opened a metal door engraved with complex rituals and handed Bai Luxin a jade pendant.
“Just go in; use this to open the barrier, but remember, you can only take three items.”
Inside the treasury, items were displayed individually on stone platforms, protected by barriers formed from rituals.
Each item even thoughtfully came with a brief introduction.
“Beast Master, let’s take a look around.”
The treasury wasn’t large, holding a few hundred items, all within Tier 1.
Nuobai finally realized that the academy likely had other treasuries.
The students remaining at the academy were within Tier 1, while those who reached Tier 2 could choose to travel, challenge opponents, or adventure in secret realms.
When she broke through to Tier 2 in the future, she would also choose to travel, as the resources available at school simply wouldn’t support her continued growth.
Hundred-year banyan tree sap, Fire Essence Stone, hypnotic incense, mermaid tears…
Pondering, Nuobai picked the first item: a Secret Realm Token, which allowed free entry to the Tier 1 secret realm of Dragon Sleep City.
Entry and exit to secret realms required qualifications, and it cost money to build large rituals in Dragon Sleep City to maintain the realms.
Having this would make things much more convenient and save a significant amount of money.
Snow Velvet Flower?
A plant that only grew on the peaks of Longmian Mountain, containing large amounts of pure energy; it was the favorite of ice-type Beast Pets.
‘I kind of want to eat it…’
‘Forget it, I’ll give that up for now; as long as it is energy, my Rebellion Golden Eyes can absorb it, so there is no need to pick this and waste a slot.’
“Beast Master, let’s look at the next one.”
Noticing that Nuobai had been looking at the Snow Velvet Flower for a long time, Bai Luxin silently remembered it.
[Best Form], a universal transformation skill.
It could adjust body size to save energy or strengthen a battle form.
This was the one; large-sized opponents had always been a headache for Nuobai, and if she had this skill, she should be able to compensate for that disadvantage.
“Beast Master, you choose the last item; see what you need.”
This treasure hunt made Nuobai very satisfied, and she lay on Bai Luxin’s shoulder, wagging her tail happily.
“Let’s go with this one.”
Bai Luxin stopped in front of the Snow Velvet Flower.
“Beast Master, are you picking this for me?”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; don’t you want to pick something for yourself?”
“I am picking it for myself; this flower looks nice, so I plan to take it back and raise it.”
“You better not ruin it for me.”
Nuobai, originally stubborn and tsundere, widened her eyes. Even through the barrier, she felt her mouth watering; if it were raised at home and she could only look but not eat, that would be too cruel!
She licked her lips and subconsciously swallowed; in the empty treasury, the sound of her swallowing was unusually distinct.
Bai Luxin took the Snow Velvet Flower and teased her.
“You’re quite the glutton, aren’t you?”
The Snow Velvet Flower was handed into her arms, and a burst of fragrance wafted over.
“You can’t eat it yet; wait until we go outside.”
Nuobai held the Snow Velvet Flower and licked it.
‘Was I teased by the Beast Master again?’
‘It doesn’t matter; it smells so good.’
“Hurry, let’s get out of here!”
Nuobai wagged her tail at Bai Luxin, her drool staining the stamen. She buried her whole face inside, her ears poking out and twitching, looking extremely excited.
Bai Luxin pampered her, refusing to stay even a second longer; teasing her occasionally was fine, but she would never intentionally make things difficult for her.
After confirming the three items with the Dean of Students, Nuobai swallowed the Snow Velvet Flower in one gulp.
“Ooh~”
The cold, fresh, and fragrant texture exploded in her mouth, and she let out a satisfied purr.
The period of weakness would be greatly alleviated for some time, and she felt even more strength in her tail.
Persistent purring sounds followed, and Nuobai stopped holding back; there were no outsiders anyway.
“Student Bai Luxin!”
…