Chapter 27: Click Clack

“The next event will be the official match of the Longning First Beast Master High School’s internal selection competition. Each participant may use only one beast, and the match will conclude when one side can no longer fight.”

Standing in the center of the arena, the referee read the rules aloud to the two competitors. “You are allowed to use your beast master talents, but your beasts cannot carry or use any special items or resources. Do you understand?”

After receiving affirmative responses from both participants, the referee raised his arms in an X shape and then swung them down dramatically. “Then, let the battle begin—!”

“Mischa, Fire Wheel!” Mu Yixia immediately commanded, her voice cutting through the air.

The Fire Wheel was a C-level fire skill, capable of launching a fierce charge while enhancing its user’s speed—a highly effective attack. Typically, only fire-element beasts could master this skill. However, since the Solar Flame Wolf also had fire attributes, it wasn’t surprising for a Little Cloud Dog to learn it at this stage.

The luminous Little Cloud Dog leapt high into the air, transforming into a blazing fire wheel that shot toward its target, moving so swiftly that evasion was impossible.

Mu Huiyue had no intention of dodging either.

“Baiya, catch it!”

The dark-element Little Cloud Dog held its ground, lowering its body and spreading its smoky tail wide, bracing itself to withstand the oncoming fire wheel head-on.

“Ice Fangs!” Mu Huiyue called out again.

Frost enveloped Baiya’s fangs as the outline of massive canines materialized in front of it, biting down forcefully on Mischa before the fiery assault could conclude.

C-level ice skill: Ice Fangs, hit!

The collision of ice and fire sent wisps of vapor rising into the arena. The two Little Cloud Dogs sprang apart, Baiya looking relatively unharmed, while Mischa’s fur displayed scattered icy spots.

Shaking its coat in discomfort proved ineffective.

The Fire Wheel was a signature move of the Red Flame Fighting Wolf. After two months of intensive training, Baiya had become intimately familiar with the technique.

Thanks to the passive effect of 【Body Strengthening】, Baiya could catch even a fully unleashed Fire Wheel of the Red Flame Fighting Wolf, let alone a less experienced version at the same level.

Mu Yixia clenched her wrist. Her beast master talent, 【Light Heal】, could heal her beast’s injuries and dispel any abnormal states, but it could only be used once during a match.

At that moment, Mischa was only slightly frozen, and she hesitated over whether to use her talent here.

Mu Huiyue seized the opportunity, instantly shifting the tide of the battle.

“Baiya, Dark—”

“Shadow Sphere!”

The dark-element Little Cloud Dog opened its mouth and gathered a sphere of dark energy, launching it toward its opponent.

“Light Flame!”

In response, Mischa conjured a blazing white sphere, blocking Baiya’s assault just before the shadow sphere could hit.

The clash of these opposing energy spheres resulted in a spectacular explosion, sending shockwaves that pinned Mischa in place while dust and debris obscured her vision.

Mu Huiyue smirked slightly. “Dark Strike!”

Having practiced this scenario countless times in the training grounds, Baiya was primed and ready. The moment the command was given, it leaped out from the explosion’s aftermath, executing the Dark Strike with pinpoint accuracy!

Mischa let out a pained yelp as she was sent flying. The clash of light and dark attributes was a potent counter; the Dark Strike inflicted significant damage on her.

“Mischa!” Mu Yixia no longer hesitated. A soft, shimmering light glinted in her eyes.

Activating her beast master talent, warmth surged through the bond, channeling healing energy to Mischa. Slowly, the light-element Little Cloud Dog stood back up, its wounds gradually mending under the effects of the talent.

“Woof—!” With renewed determination, Mischa roared, fixing her gaze on the dark-element Little Cloud Dog.

“Use Sunbeam!” Mu Yixia commanded with a swift motion.

C-level light skill: Sunbeam—a powerful attack skill, revered as one of the top C-level offensive techniques.

Even though Baiya had the Body Strengthening skill, being hit directly by the Sunbeam, which countered its element, could result in fatal damage, rendering it unable to fight.

Mischa lowered her center of gravity, her tail standing tall. The fluffy tip glimmered with sunlight as she summoned numerous slender beams of light, shooting them out like arrows.

“Dodge, Baiya!” Mu Huiyue’s expression remained calm.

The dark-element Little Cloud Dog sprinted to the side, but the Sunbeam was not a concentrated attack like the Fire Wheel; its dispersed nature made complete evasion impossible.

Anticipating this, Baiya had a plan. It concentrated icy energy on its sharp claws, striking the ground with its Frost Claw. The dust kicked up formed a barrier that blocked some of the light beams, while the Frost Claw froze the beams mid-air, creating an excellent shield.

“Now, howl!”

“Awoooo—!” Baiya lifted its head and let out a long, resonant howl.

This was its core talent skill—the howling increased Baiya’s physical prowess while briefly suppressing its opponent’s movements, creating a perfect opportunity for attack.

“Dark Strike!” Mu Huiyue confidently called out, opting for Baiya’s most adept offensive skill.

The dark-element Little Cloud Dog transformed into a shadow, swiftly lunging at the light-element Little Cloud Dog, which was momentarily suppressed by its howl.

“Light Flame!” Mu Yixia blurted out.

Mischa summoned a blazing white sphere in her mouth, but the Dark Strike was a skill that easily seized the initiative. Before the light sphere could land, Baiya’s attack had already struck its target.

With precision, Baiya executed another Dark Strike, gracefully leaping back and narrowly avoiding the deadly light sphere, landing smoothly on the ground.

After two rounds of combat, whether in offensive or defensive maneuvers, Mu Huiyue and Baiya clearly held the advantage.

“Why does it seem like Mu Yixia’s commands are always half a beat too slow?”

Students watching from the sidelines began to discuss the dynamics of the battle.

The two Little Cloud Dogs had opposing elemental attributes and equal physical capabilities. In fact, the light-element Little Cloud Dog appeared slightly stronger because its core talent was the powerful attack skill, Light Flame.

Most beast masters who had previously faced Mu Yixia had fallen victim to this very move. Coupled with her healing talent, she could recover most of the damage she sustained, while her opponents struggled to withstand the might of Light Flame. Even with equal exchanges of damage, Mu Yixia typically emerged victorious.

However, Mu Huiyue had rendered this strategy ineffective. Regardless of whether it was the Fire Wheel or Light Flame, the dark-element Little Cloud Dog skillfully countered both, turning each attack into an opportunity for its own offense.

“It’s the gap between beast masters,” a gentle voice rose from the crowd. It was Lin Fei, who had appeared in the viewing area without anyone noticing.

“Lin Shen!” The surrounding students jumped in surprise.

Thanks to Lin Fei’s mind-based beast master talent, he often went unnoticed even when standing among the crowd, giving him an almost ghostly presence.

He maintained his usual warm smile, and the students were eager to hear his analysis at this moment.

“Lin Shen, are you talking about the gap in beast master talents? But Mu Huiyue hasn’t even used her talent yet…”

“It’s about battlefield control, the bond with one’s beast, and understanding the opponent,” Lin Fei replied slowly.

“Mu Yixia’s perception of combat is still stuck at the stage where powerful skills equate to strength. That light-element Little Cloud Dog has the core talent Light Flame, yet it also learned Sunbeam and Fire Wheel—purely offensive skills.

Among these, Fire Wheel even offers a slight boost in speed for an initial strike, while Sunbeam, in terms of attributes and skill potency, completely overlaps with the role of Light Flame.”

Perhaps in most of the battles at the high school level, Mu Yixia could steamroll through with Light Flame. But when faced with opponents of similar strength, the effectiveness of relying solely on powerful attack skills becomes questionable.

In contrast, Mu Huiyue’s Little Cloud Dog clearly demonstrated a well-thought-out combination of skills.

With the core talent Howl, which enhances all-around stats, the melee skill Dark Strike, the ranged skill Shadow Ball, and the ice-type skill Ice Fang, which can inflict freezing effects, her strategy was versatile. She also possessed Frost Claw, which could be used defensively. The functions of her skills hardly overlapped.

There’s no limit to the skills a beast can learn, but both the beast and the beast master have limited stamina. Knowing how to pair combat techniques within their mastery range is an advanced course in beast battles.

Moreover, the synergy between Mu Huiyue and her Little Cloud Dog was exceptionally high. She knew and trusted that her Little Cloud Dog could withstand the Fire Wheel and could dodge the Sunbeam at the right moment.

The commands between a beast master and their beast had virtually no delay; it wasn’t a matter of the Little Cloud Dog acting after hearing the command, but rather it acted when it wanted to and simply heard the command at that moment.

Mu Huiyue didn’t even order the use of Howl at the start. She accurately anticipated the combat power of the light-element Little Cloud Dog and assessed that her side didn’t need to use Howl to boost their stats to withstand the Fire Wheel.

It was as if she and Baiya stood together on the battlefield, facing the enemy’s onslaught, while Mu Yixia appeared to be the only one still in the command seat. This made her commands seem consistently half a beat too slow, resulting in ineffective attacks and forced dodges.

Lin Fei, having observed Mu Huiyue’s previous battles, noted that her tactical style was completely different when she used the little skeleton. Back then, her approach was more unpredictable and varied, adjusting the battle rhythm according to her beast’s temperament.

This adaptability was likely one of the sources of their strong rapport.

As he witnessed the dark-element Little Cloud Dog launch yet another attack, Lin Fei’s smile widened.

Mu Huiyue… was indeed fascinating.

However, because of her keen insight into the battlefield, he realized that until her beast evolved into its mature stage, she would never initiate a challenge against him.

Realizing this made Lin Fei feel a twinge of regret.

In the midst of the battlefield, Mu Huiyue’s voice rang out.

“Baiya, jump and use Shadow Ball—!”

The dark-element Little Cloud Dog leaped high into the air, gathering a dense concentration of dark energy. At the same time, a dark ripple flashed in Mu Huiyue’s eyes as she activated her beast master talent at the critical moment of the battle.

The dark-element enhancement talent—Combat Resonance!

Baiya gathered layers of energy around her, which surged into the Shadow Ball, swelling it to an enormous size—almost larger than the Little Cloud Dog itself. With a determined tilt of her head, she launched the massive Shadow Ball forward.

Boom!

The impact created a massive crater in the battleground, and Misha lay helplessly at the center, unable to rise.

“The Little Cloud Dog has lost its fighting capability; the other Little Cloud Dog is victorious!” The referee promptly announced the outcome, raising a hand towards Mu Huiyue. “The winner of this match is Mu Huiyue!”

The crowd erupted in a flurry of excitement. Mu Yixia and her Little Cloud Dog had been the talk of the school during the recent selection matches. From their first challenge onward, this duo had bulldozed through their opponents with overwhelming strength, quickly ascending to the seventh rank in the tournament.

No one expected them to lose so decisively against Mu Huiyue, ranked fifth.

Despite the powerful Light Flame, it never truly landed a hit on the dark-element Little Cloud Dog. And even when Fire Wheel and Sunbeam connected, they failed to incapacitate it.

In contrast, Mu Huiyue’s final strike with the Shadow Ball also didn’t knock out the light-element Little Cloud Dog outright. If it had been given a chance to recover, the match could have turned. But she decisively utilized her enhancement talent, landing the blow that defeated the light-element dog with pinpoint precision.

Every command and decision she made during the battle was executed flawlessly.

Lin Fei was right: this highlighted the gap between beast masters.

Upon hearing the victory announcement, Baiya rushed back, leaping into Mu Huiyue’s arms.

“Wang woo~” The once fierce little dog was now all sweetness, its tail wagging like a tiny fan, eyes sparkling with anticipation as it gazed at Mu Huiyue.

Mu Huiyue chuckled as she caught it, giving its thick, soft neck fur a gentle rub and showering it with praise.

“You were amazing, Baiya! You’re the best and most incredible Little Cloud Dog!”

Baiya, satisfied, licked her chin before jumping down, pawing at the shadow cast by Mu Huiyue.

“Wang woo, wang woo~” The little dog was clearly feeling puffed up; the compliments from its beast master wEllen’t enough. It wanted to hear some praise from Senior Ellen too.

“Clack…” Ellen emerged from the shadow, his half-skull face appearing just as he was about to scold the inflated little pup. But he was met with the dog’s bright, expectant eyes and its wagging, fluffy tail, leaving him momentarily speechless.

“Clack!” (Well done, Baiya!)

He quickly clicked in approval before retreating back into Mu Huiyue’s shadow.

In the battlefield’s other corner…

Meanwhile, Mu Yixia took a few steps forward and gently picked up the half-conscious light-element Little Cloud Dog, activating her talent to heal its wounds.

“Misha…” She hung her head, her body trembling slightly, struggling to find the words to express her feelings.

Slowly, the light-element Little Cloud Dog opened its eyes, its pink tongue reaching out to lick Mu Yixia’s arm, as if silently comforting her.

It wasn’t Misha’s fault that she couldn’t defeat Mu Huiyue. The truth was that as a beast master, Mu Yixia was still outmatched by Mu Huiyue.

Though they were “sisters,” sharing the same innate talent and family background, Mu Yixia had awakened her powers even before Mu Huiyue and had contracted a pet with even greater potential.

Yet, despite all of that, this battle had turned out just like the previous ones.

No matter what she did, she always found herself trailing behind Mu Huiyue. Every failure she experienced felt like a painful reminder of a blurry truth deep within her memories.

Mu Yixia was not Mu Huiyue.

…

Mu Huiyue held Baiya and looked across the battlefield at Mu Yixia.

Even though it had been two months since they last saw each other, and despite just having engaged in an intense battle, she still felt uncertain about what to say to this so-called “younger sister.”

To be honest, Mu Huiyue didn’t particularly like Mu Yixia now, but she also didn’t harbor the same hatred she had in her memories.

Both Mu Tong and Mu Yixia had once drawn out Mu Huiyue’s intense emotions due to her strong expectations and feelings toward family.

Now, however, she no longer sought her father’s approval, nor did she direct her resentment over losing her mother at the Mu Yixia that Aisha had rescued.

Though she disagreed with Mu Tong’s philosophy on beast taming, she was determined to prove herself through her own achievements. If she wanted to uncover the truth behind her mother’s disappearance, she would do so in her own way.

At least Mu Yixia hadn’t fully inherited Mu Tong’s mindset.

The Little Cloud Dog, Misha, had been raised well. Even after losing the match, Mu Yixia didn’t lash out or blame her dog; instead, she immediately used her talent to heal it.

Just as Mu Huiyue was contemplating this, Mu Yixia approached her, cradling the Little Cloud Dog in her arms.

“Maybe Baiya was stronger during the Little Cloud Dog stage, but after evolving, my Misha will definitely not lose again,” Mu Yixia declared, looking confidently at Mu Huiyue.

“Wang woo!” Misha barked energetically in her embrace.

It was rare for her not to address Mu Huiyue as “sister,” and instead of putting on an act to provoke her in public, she seemed far more agreeable than before.

Baiya also barked loudly from her arms, adding to the momentum.

What the future held was uncertain, but they couldn’t afford to lose this moment!

Mu Huiyue shrugged noncommittally, realizing she didn’t need to say anything more.