Here, every strange beast had its own dedicated manager, and humans and beasts seemed to coexist in harmony—it felt somewhat unusual.
Seeing this, A Jun thought of his kitten. If his home were here, the kitten would surely be freer and safer. After all, once upon a time, the kitten had nearly been taken away by the Beast Management Bureau. Only through his family's full efforts was A Jun able to keep her, though at the cost of much of her freedom.
Just as he was lost in thought, he was suddenly pulled away—Xiao Xi and Little Sweet Girl each grabbed his arm, dragging their brother off in search of dinner. Food was Xiao Xi's greatest motivation, though still not as great as the joy of gaming.
After filling his stomach, Xiao Xi quieted down, following A Jun and Little Sweet Girl as they strolled around, taking in the unique architecture and features of the town—things rarely seen elsewhere.
A Jun had read in books that this town and its characteristics had existed and taken shape long ago. Most of the people here were guardians, some local residents, others outsiders.
The locals were families who had lived in the town for generations. They loved strange beasts, enjoyed living alongside them, and treated them as friends. As for outsiders, in the past only a few like-minded individuals had joined sporadically. But over the past decade, people from all over had gradually come to this beautiful and unusual town. Some chose to settle down and build lives here, while others stayed only briefly for training. Each carried different dreams, but most shared one goal—to become members of the Beast Management Bureau.
You see, more than ten years ago, thanks to the talents and contributions of a new director, the Bureau had suddenly become a coveted institution within the Guardian Alliance. Young people scrambled to secure this "golden rice bowl." Under the director's recommendation and new policies, Strange Beast Town was designated as the first training base, gradually gaining public recognition and attention.
This was the reason for the town's soaring popularity in recent years. Visitors came in endless streams, and it naturally became a trendy tourist destination. Yet all this had drifted far from the town's original founding purpose. It seemed one could not have both fish and bear's paw.
As the three children wandered the streets, they drew great attention from many different types of strange beasts—likely because of A Jun. Some cute little ones even broke away from their masters, running over on their own, eager to befriend him.
This put A Jun in a difficult spot. With so many olive branches extended, he didn't know how to refuse. And here, all strange beasts were under the Bureau's jurisdiction, each already bonded to a master. Beasts could only be chosen, never choose for themselves. They could be abandoned, but not switch owners—changing masters was seen as an insult.
Looking up, A Jun immediately noticed the reactions. Some of the neglected onlookers cast him strange looks. A few even yanked their pets away angrily, cursing as they left.
As for the remaining small animals, A Jun couldn't decide what to do. Most of the other onlookers were friendly and not looking for trouble. The little creatures together expressed such warm welcome that A Jun had no choice but to stay and politely greet them.
—Well, enough is enough. Time to cut this short!
Xiao Xi knew his brother's weakness. Seeing the situation, after a brief exchange with A Jun, he quickly pulled away Little Sweet Girl—who was still sparring with hostile onlookers—and their bewildered brother, seizing the chance to slip away.
The children ran for a short while and hid in a small alley. Xiao Xi knew his brother's body couldn't take too much strain. Considering A Jun's unusual attraction to beasts, they decided to find a hotel immediately to avoid further encounters. Food could wait.
They chose the Yue Lai Inn—a retro-style establishment and the only hotel in town. Most visitors came here for training, not tourism, so guests like A Jun and Xiao Xi were rare. The inn faithfully recreated the feel of an ancient guesthouse, but with greater refinement and comfort, discreetly enhanced by modern technology. They settled in happily, especially since the inn prohibited beasts from entering.
After dinner, A Jun continued to plan the next day's route, aiming for speed, safety, and stability. But Xiao Xi and Little Sweet Girl kept proposing changes. They wanted to leave after lunch instead, so they could enjoy more food and watch the Beast Manager Selection Tournament.
A Jun could resist his younger brother's pestering, but not Little Sweet Girl's pleading. He had no choice but to agree. Contestants who performed well in the tournament could not only earn the qualification of trainee manager, but also receive a secret tool of the Bureau once mentioned by his brother-in-law—a weapon to restrain unruly beasts, also useful for daily management. It was a cube, and when not in use, it was fun to play with, a way to pass time and train the mind. A Jun was eager to see it with his own eyes. The finals would be held the very next day.
Nowadays, Strange Beast Town was in name only. In reality, it had become a training base for the Bureau, supplying large numbers of talents for its development. After all, beasts were no longer as easy to manage as before. Abnormal evolutions occurred frequently, increasing both the workload and the demand for personnel. On the other hand, this also elevated the Bureau's status within the Alliance, and the new director had become a favorite at the royal court.
The next morning, Xiao Xi and A Jun ate the inn's breakfast, then dragged the still-drowsy Little Sweet Girl out the door, eager to go. They even disguised themselves to avoid drawing attention like the day before, sneaking toward the main venue of the competition. It was a large circular arena, resembling a soccer stadium seen on TV.
But such disguises were useless. Beasts could easily sense A Jun's presence through instinct or smell. So the children changed tactics, hurrying along. The competition was open to all the town's people, but beasts were not allowed inside. The exterior of the arena contrasted sharply with the harmonious style of the town gate—it radiated a sense of competition.
The children found a relatively secluded spot to sit, waiting for the finals to begin. The competition had three stages, with three slots available. The opening event featured nine contestants who had advanced from the semifinals, each commanding their trained beasts in one-on-one elimination matches to fight for the first slot—the "Little Champion."
This was a test of the contestants' training results. Everyone was eager, brimming with fighting spirit. It was the most brutal stage, but also the easiest. Contestants skillfully commanded their beasts with voice and gestures, while the animals cooperated in duels to bring glory to their masters. The cheers of the audience rose and fell in waves. Soon, the first winner was decided.
Next came the group competition: two contestants working together to tame a wild strange beast. The judges would award the second slot—the "Second Place Scholar"—to the individual who showed the best performance from the fastest team. This round tested the contestants' cooperation and technical skill, requiring solid fundamentals and adaptability.
A Jun and Xiao Xi watched with great interest, while Little Sweet Girl, still hugging A Jun, continued her sweet dreams. Unnoticed, the competition neared its end. The final trial began—the last chance remaining, and of course, the most difficult and dangerous. The remaining contestants could cooperate with each other and their beasts to battle against the Bureau's specially bred exam creature—a beast born on Jurassic Island, modified by the new director, trained harshly from a young age, capable of abnormal evolution and self-recovery, designed specifically for the finals.
Jurassic Island, also called Dinosaur Island, lay in the sea at the center of the continent of the Five Counties. It nurtured many creatures that had once dominated the planet during the Jurassic era—dinosaurs. Originally, it was an unremarkable island, a natural museum with only fossils and mysteries, and some rare resources no one could harness. But in recent years, under the new director's reforms, the island had become world-famous, a park, tourist attraction, and protected reserve filled with living fossils. Guardians had the chance to visit once in spring and once in autumn, freely forming teams. A Jun looked forward to it, especially after Lan'er's graduation. At that time, he rarely saw her. He missed her deeply, though he didn't know why; she missed him too, though she was self-aware of her feelings. Apart from holidays, only the spring and autumn trips allowed them to meet, since the island was also open to ordinary people. Of course, Pudding and later Xiao Xi would join too. As for Little Sweet Girl, it wasn't that she didn't want to go—she just always missed the timing. The reason? Well… hehe!
Returning to the arena, a small dinosaur was brought out, tightly bound, escorted by several administrators. After enduring cruel treatment, its eyes flashed crimson, its gaze shifting from pitiful to fierce and desperate. The small dinosaur gradually transformed into a rampaging giant, easily breaking its restraints. From his books, A Jun knew this state was abnormal evolution, as terrifying as the Lich Clan described in legends. This competition format seemed justified—the remaining contestants uniting against a common enemy would not be accused of animal abuse.
Facing such a terrifying foe, each contestant was given a special tool: a custom cube designed to subdue the monster, the Tyrannosaur Beast. Most striking was the brand on its neck, resembling an ancient spell. Once freed, the monster roared skyward, then bellowed at the contestants, scanning the field as it prepared to fight. At that moment, the long-waiting contestants sprang into action, commanding their beasts from a distance to attack. But these beasts were only "Qi Beasts," a category of lower-level combat creatures. Their combined strength was insufficient against the Tyrannosaur, and one by one they were knocked down—though not injured, still able to move.
Qi Beast was a general term for a class of selected creatures, trained primarily for combat, with greater potential to evolve into higher-level "Ling Beasts."
After tasting victory, the dinosaur did not stop. It immediately unleashed a shockwave at the contestants behind the scenes. Panic spread among them. At that moment, a large eagle-type Qi Beast, just back on its feet, rushed forward, spreading its wings to shield its handler and the others, blocking the shockwave. With a thunderous crash, the brave beast collapsed, unable to move. Its handler merely glanced at it, snorted coldly, and turned back to focus on the competition—after all, only one slot remained.
The contestants, following their agreed tactics, wasted no time. They used their abilities to launch a coordinated assault, directing the remaining beasts to join the fight.
Because the Tyrannosaur Beast had been extraordinarily gifted from birth, the new director had restricted at least 69% of its power through special means. Though it had grown, evolved, and grown stronger, the torture it endured had greatly weakened its stamina and abilities. Its combat power was not high. For the contestants, this was a safety mechanism.
Gradually, under the combined assault, the monster grew tired and weakened. Seeing this, the contestants scrambled to activate their cubes, hoping to capture it and claim the last slot. But they all struggled—some failed to activate, others only managed to awaken the device. Xiao Xi grew impatient watching.
Then, one cube, in the hands of an unremarkable contestant who had often shrunk back during the fight, suddenly shone brilliantly and began the capture process smoothly. Unlike the others, this student treated his beast with unusual care and caution. From his techniques, A Jun could tell—if he had been less hesitant, he could have won in the first round.
The Tyrannosaur roared in pain as it was bound again. The audience erupted in applause and cheers—except for Xiao Xi and A Jun. They were still upset about the beast that had sacrificed itself to protect the contestants. A Jun kept his thoughts to himself, but Xiao Xi couldn't help complaining, until A Jun hushed him.
The cube gradually bound the monster. The giant dinosaur shrank back into its smaller form, then was absorbed into a mechanism—a core modified with formation arts, capable of suppressing and imprisoning beasts. A Jun looked at the pitiful little dinosaur with compassion, recalling how his kitten had nearly been captured—thankfully, his family had protected her.
Then, his eyes met the beast's. At that moment, the Tyrannosaur's eyes flashed crimson again, this time strangely different. In the blink of an eye, with another furious roar, the monster broke free of the cube's power. Some unknown energy fueled it, sending it into another rampage, growing larger, charging straight toward A Jun.
At that instant, alarms blared across the arena. Panic erupted, chaos everywhere. On the judges' stand, a man and woman exchanged a glance. The woman vanished instantly, while the man announced over the broadcast that danger was imminent, ordering administrators to control the scene and evacuate the crowd. Clearly, the Tyrannosaur had gone out of control, breaking through its restraints. It was no longer something the contestants could handle. The arena was no longer safe.
Xiao Xi and A Jun were a little stunned, but fortunately they were far enough away, and the exit was right beside them. Yet the two brothers did not rush to escape. Instead, they chose to observe, hoping they might help somehow. But the man, the woman, and the monster clearly had other ideas—after the man shouted, he charged straight toward the center of the arena. Meanwhile, the Tyrannosaur Beast did not pause. It unleashed a terrifying fire-attribute shockwave directly toward A Jun and Xiao Xi—a massive fireball flying at the two children.