"Everyone prepare the stretchers today. Even if we have to carry him, we're bringing him back!"
Every single student wore an expression like they were about to head into battlefield.
If it had been anyone else daring to provoke Black Whirlwind like that, they'd definitely be suspected of having some kind of mental breakdown.
But with Chen Shu... occasionally acting abnormal was pretty normal for him. The vise versa would be troubling… Chen Shu acting normal, Zheng shuddered at the thought.
"So, talk. What's going on?"
Li Yuan settled into his office chair and lit up a Huazi cigarette.
"Teacher Li, I might be having some mental issues lately."
"I’ve heard that one…” he looked up as if remembering, ”twenty one times just from you. Try a new one."
Chen Shu started, "I..."
Li Yuan took a light drag from his cigarette, eyes narrowing as he observed Chen Shu.
Li Yuan took a light drag from his cigarette, squinting through the smoke as he studied Chen Shu with the practiced gaze of a teacher who'd seen it all.
"That problem on the blackboard today—you really don't know how to solve it?"
Despite his rough appearance, Li Yuan was surprisingly perceptive and had caught the genuine bewilderment in Chen Shu's expression earlier. That problem was the most basic of the basics, something any elementary student could handle with their eyes closed.
"Teacher, I really don't know. Right now I don't even know what a Beast Tamer is."
He'd just taken a nap in class, and the entire world had completely changed.
The familiar Chinese, math, and English were gone, replaced by all this chaotic beast taming knowledge. And on top of that, he'd even awakened some inexplicable system.
"It just so happens that today's Saturday, and tomorrow's the weekend. Go home and rest for a day. Lucky for you I don’t plan on using my day off."
Unexpectedly, Li Yuan didn't make things difficult for Chen Shu.
He might seem hot-tempered on the surface, but he had a knife mouth and tofu heart¹—not to mention he was acquainted with Chen Shu's father.
"Thank you, Teacher Li."
Chen Shu picked up the leave slip from the desk and turned to leave.
He really did need time to adjust.
In the span of a single nap, he felt like his entire worldview had... collapsed.
......
"Today's a good day—everything I wish for will come true~"
Chen Shu whistled as he looked at the empty school grounds.
It was class time, so naturally there wouldn't be any students around.
Though the world had changed, all the familiar people were still the same. Chen Shu figured he might as well roll with it—and besides, he'd awakened a system, which was clearly a good thing.
"Student! It's class time right now—why are you wandering around campus!" A school teacher spotted the loitering Chen Shu.
"I'm sick."
"......"
Watching his spirited, confident back as he walked away, still filled with a bizarre sense of pride.
Fang Ke muttered to himself: "Looks like he's seriously ill."
Chen Shu hopped on a shared bicycle and quickly made his way home.
"Son, is everything alright?"
The moment he got home, Chen Shu's mother asked with a face full of concern.
Clearly homeroom teacher Li Yuan had already called home ahead of time.
Mom, I'm fine. Just a hundred-million-tiny-bit² confused.
After returning home, Chen Shu suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right, Mom—is it 2021 right now?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? It's Revival Era year 980."
"Looks like I haven't fully recovered yet."
Chen Shu rubbed his temples and turned back to his own room.
Although the world had changed, technology remained the same. If he wanted to understand this new reality, the internet was obviously his best option.
Chen Shu skillfully turned on his computer and brewed himself a steaming cup of coffee.
"Let me see just what the hell kind of world this has become."
Chen Shu began scrolling through online news.
He'd thought he was mentally prepared, but he still couldn't quite hold it together.
"Shocking! A Certain Celebrity Beast Tamer Actually Exposed in Jaw-Dropping Scandal—Now Embarking on Pure Prison-Style Career Path!"
"Beast Taming Glory³ Has Opened Its New Season—Come Join the Battle!"
"Beili City's Mount Qingyuan Has Spawned a New Alternate Dimension Gate—Creatures Inside Primarily Wind-Attribute Fierce Beasts—All Beast Tamers Welcome!"
"Breaking News!! Feixun Corporation's CEO Breaks Through to King-Rank Beast Tamer—New Contract Spirit is Actually SS-Rank Extreme Ice Emperor Penguin!"
Chen Shu's right hand moved the mouse while his left hand continuously rubbed his temples.
My head is freaking killing me!
Over the next several hours, Chen Shu's worldview repeatedly collapsed and rebuilt itself until he finally gained a basic understanding of this new reality.
The current world had completely transformed. Alternate Dimension gates would randomly appear in various cities.
Just within China's borders alone, there were several hundred Alternate Dimension gates, each containing all kinds of fierce beasts. The danger level was, quite literally, maxed out.
But humanity naturally had ways to deal with them—and that was Beast Tamers.
Everyone could undergo an awakening ceremony at age fifteen.
If they could awaken their Beast Taming talent and simultaneously form a contract with an otherworldly creature, then they'd have hope of becoming a Beast Tamer.
Powerful Beast Tamers could control their Contract Spirits in battle, guard the Alternate Dimension gates, and protect all of humanity.
This naturally gave Beast Tamers extremely high social status.
"Son, come out and eat!"
Chen Shu carried his coffee and wandered out in a daze.
"This child... what's wrong with him?"
His mother touched his forehead and asked with concern.
Just then, his father Chen Ping walked through the doors..
"Son, I heard you were sick? I especially bought you a big gift pack—caught the pharmacy's promotion just in time."
With that, a huge bag of miscellaneous medicines was tossed onto the sofa.
"Dad, could you be any more reliable? What is this, buying snacks?"
Chen Shu's mouth twitched. That pile of medicine could treat all kinds of illnesses—just not the one he actually had.
"By the way, Mom and Dad—are you Beast Tamers?"
He suddenly thought of something.
After several hours of internet browsing, the three words "Beast Tamer" had left the deepest impression on him.
"Obviously. Your old man works at a Beast Taming company."
Father Chen Ping wore a completely proud expression as he pulled out a red gift box.
"Just so happens, this is a reward from work—a Low-Grade Flame Potion."
Chen Shu looked at the red liquid in that exquisite bottle, then glanced at the red coffee in his own hand.
"Is this potion very valuable?" He swallowed nervously and asked quietly.
"Of course! Flame Potion can permanently increase a Contract Spirit's fire attribute. This one bottle is probably worth several thousand yuan."
Chen Ping carefully stored the potion away.
"Of course, our family can't use it anyway. I'll sell it later to help with household expenses."
"Son, what's that red stuff you're drinking?"
Chen Ping suddenly noticed the red coffee in Chen Shu's hand.
"It's nothing, nothing."
Chen Shu downed the entire cup of coffee in one gulp.
He hadn't expected the Low-Grade Flame Potion rewarded by the system to be worth so much—he'd just made a single choice and gotten rewarded with several thousand yuan.
Too bad there was no boiled water at home that afternoon, so he'd used it to brew coffee...
No wonder Chen Shu had been feeling warm all over.
"Dad, people can drink that stuff without problems, right?"
Why would a person drink that? Wouldn't that be purely sick⁴?
"......"
Chen Shu's face was completely speechless, but aside from feeling warm, his body had no other side effects, so he stopped worrying about it.
"Dad, since you're a Beast Tamer, you must have a Contract Spirit, right?"
"Of course. That's my Contract Spirit right there."
With that, his father pointed at the fish tank in the living room.
Inside, a little red fish was continuously swimming back and forth.
Chen Shu stared at the creature ......
The fish their family had been raising for so many years was actually his father's Contract Spirit?!