The day of the Beast Tamer Qualification Exam arrived.
Lin Ke woke up early, his mind sharper and more focused than ever before. He performed one last check of his equipment: his exam admission ticket, his identification, and a few high-energy nutrient bars. Everything was in order.
"Ji!" The Rock Vole, sensing the unusual gravity of the day, did not play around as it usually would. It stood quietly by Lin Ke's side, its small eyes filled with a serious and trusting light.
"Let's go," Lin Ke said, giving his pet a reassuring pat. "Time to show them what we're made of."
The exam site was located in the central district of Mo City, at the towering headquarters of the Beast Tamer Guild. The massive, modern building was buzzing with activity, a stark contrast to its usual solemnity. Thousands of young, aspiring Beast Tamers, accompanied by their parents and their initial battle pets, crowded the plaza in front of the building.
The air was thick with a mixture of excitement, anxiety, and youthful ambition.
Lin Ke navigated through the crowd. He saw a dazzling variety of initial battle pets. There were "Flame-mane Cubs" with fiery manes, "Aqua Sprites" hovering in small bubbles of water, and "Gale Sparrows" perched on their masters' shoulders. These were all popular, C-rank potential pets, the standard choice for families who could afford them.
When some of these candidates noticed the humble Rock Vole trotting faithfully by Lin Ke's side, their gazes were filled with either pity or unconcealed disdain.
"Look, a Rock Vole. Is that guy serious?"
"He must be from the welfare district. Poor kid, he's just here to try his luck."
"His exam journey is probably over before it even begins."
Lin Ke heard the whispers, but his expression remained unchanged. He paid them no mind. Their ignorance was his greatest advantage. He knew the true power that slept within the small creature beside him, and that was all that mattered.
He entered the designated exam hall, a vast, amphitheater-like room filled with thousands of individual desks. The atmosphere immediately became tense and silent. Proctors with stern faces patrolled the aisles.
The first part of the assessment was the written exam.
As the exam papers were distributed, a wave of nervous sighs swept through the hall. Lin Ke scanned the questions.
[Question 34: Describe the three primary stages of cellular energy conversion in a fire-attribute battle pet's body.]
[Question 78: What are the primary symptoms of 'Abyssal Corruption' in a plant-type pet, and what are the standard quarantine protocols?]
[Question 112: Analyze the tactical advantages and disadvantages of a 'Boulder Vole' in a temperate forest environment.]
For many of the sixteen-year-old candidates, these were incredibly difficult questions that required extensive memorization and understanding.
But for Lin Ke, a former graduate student of biology, they were child's play.
His pen flew across the paper. His knowledge from two worlds fused together, allowing him to answer not just what the textbooks said, but to add his own deeper, more incisive analysis. He wrote about metabolic pathways, ecological niches, and tactical formations with an ease and depth that would have stunned the professors who wrote the exam.
In less than half the allotted time, he had completed the entire paper. He performed a quick review, found no issues, and submitted it ahead of everyone else.
As he walked out of the silent exam hall, he left behind a room full of struggling candidates. The proctors looked at him with surprise, but said nothing.
Lin Ke took a deep breath of the outside air, his mind clear. The first hurdle had been crossed with effortless ease.
Now, for the real challenge. The practical assessment. The battle.
This was where he and his Rock Vole would truly begin their ascent.