Chapter 48 — Keep Spending, Keep Winning
The Beast-Taming Craftsman Page 2 of 2
That felt right… A beast tamer ought to grow together with their pet beast.
Otherwise, by the time Eleven reached the extraordinary level while his beast tamer level was still trainee, that would be awkward.
"Awooo—"
After Shi Jin finished explaining the skill, Eleven opened its eyes.
This skill was good!
"Not only that — once this skill's proficiency is high, it can be used in battle as well."
Absolute Sleep at low proficiency restored stamina relatively slowly and with poor efficiency, but at high proficiency, perhaps a short nap was all it took to recover a great deal of stamina.
"When you run into an enemy, just open with Gigantification, Harden, and Thunder Palm and charge right in."
"If you get hurt, use Rapid Healing to patch yourself up."
"When you're out of stamina, shrink down fast and go to sleep, then keep fighting once you're smacked awake. Got it?"
Eleven nodded frantically, grasping it in an instant.
Got it, got it. This tactic was genuinely good.
That day, Shi Jin snacked on Divine Beans and drank Happy Water while watching Eleven train on its own, resting and recuperating.
And he summed up a life lesson: keep spending money, keep feeling great.
...
With money in hand, both Shi Yu and his two pet beasts were clearly living much better.
Two high-tier skills taught in two days, plus another round of Bug Silk every night — something Shi Jin would never have dared imagine before.
By August 3rd, Shi Jin had meant to repeat yesterday's routine and go on to teach Intimidation, but despite the supplements, two days straight of wrecking his body like that was a bit more than Shi Cen could take.
A psychological factor.
"Forget it. Let's take a day to recover today and teach a low-tier skill to relax."
Besides, he'd promised to visit Bamboo Stone Dojo when he had time, and two days had passed without him making a move. It was about time to go.
After all, the dojo seemed to have training resources prepared for the Iron-eating Beast — free for the taking.
Bamboo Stone Dojo was also in Pingcheng, reachable by taxi in under half an hour, but before heading over, Shi Jin first looked up the dojo's phone number.
He planned to make an appointment before visiting, lest he arrive and find the person in charge absent, which would be a waste of a trip...
...
Bamboo Stone Dojo.
This was one of the main strongholds of the Iron-eating Beast in the ancient nation of Donghuang.
The dojo master, Lin Yu, was one of the few Master-level beast tamers in Icefield City.
Though he had not earned his Master-level title through the Iron-eating Beast, and his strongest pet beast was not an Iron-eating Beast either, his signature pet beast was, without question, the Iron-eating Beast.
The Iron-eating Beast was the first pet beast Lin Yu had ever contracted, and because of that bond, he had always hoped to find better methods of raising and even evolving it.
Unfortunately, constrained by its racial limits, the Iron-eating Beast had always struggled to break through a certain bottleneck.
Even though he had researched two out-of-race skills exceptionally well suited for the Iron-eating Beast to learn, it made no difference.
Over time, even after contracting stronger pet beasts, Lin Yu could never let go of that idea.
In the end, Lin Yu did not give up. On the foundation of the family's Iron Bamboo breeding base, he chose to open Bamboo Stone Dojo and recruit disciples far and wide.
Any beast tamer who had contracted an Iron-eating Beast was welcome to join Bamboo Stone Dojo and study.
Disciples of outstanding talent might even gain access to the skill manuals for Thunder Palm and Cannon Fist.
He hoped that in this way, he could cultivate more formidable Iron-eating Beast tamers. With more people raising Iron-eating Beasts, perhaps someone more gifted than himself might find a better path for raising them.
In the training grounds of Bamboo Stone Dojo, ten disciples of varying ages were at that moment training with their Iron-eating Beasts.
Bamboo Stone Dojo accepted only Apprentice-level disciples and provided basic training.
Once one became a professional beast tamer, one was considered more or less graduated — though there were also disciples like Little Bear Yan Qi, who had failed the professional examination and given up halfway.
That, of course, applied to ordinary disciples. For gifted ones, Dojo Master Lin Yu would take them on as personal disciples and teach them earnestly, holding nothing back.
Unfortunately, to date, apart from his own daughter, not a single Iron-eating Beast tamer had enjoyed the instruction of a personal disciple.
He had produced a whole batch of professional beast tamers, yet Lin Yu still had not found a single disciple worth teaching with all his might.
Until Lu Heng came to him, asking him to look after someone.
Having accepted the request, Lin Yu would certainly teach that person with all his might regardless of their talent. After all, his two mid-tier skill manuals were nothing at all compared to someone like Dr. Lu.
And then, right after that, Lin Yu heard from Little Bear Yan Qi about Shi Ying's situation.
Mastery-level Harden in under a month.
A genius!
And connected to a prodigy like Dr. Lu, with a future beyond measure — it was entirely possible to raise an Iron-eating Beast to Monarch level.
Such a genius beast tamer — even without the Lu Heng connection, he would have to teach with all his might.
That was how Lin Yu had thought at first.
Yet when Little Bear Yan Qi told him that Shi Jin and the others had mastered Lightning Palm in a single day, Lin Yu was enlightened.
Sorry, but he didn't deserve it.
He wanted to know, too, how one could master Lightning Palm in a day using an Electric Slime and electric ore.
"Father."
On the raised platform of the training ground, Lin Zhuo looked at his father, who was gazing down at the training field below, and said in a low voice: "Let's eat out at noon. The Dragon Palace Fish House."
Lin Yu's brows drew together. "Have you finished your daily training?"
"Ah..." Lin Zhuo was speechless.
Lin Yu looked at this disobedient daughter of his and felt a wave of regret.
Originally, under his tutelage, Lin Zhuo had passed the professional Beast Tamer examination at the age of eighteen and had possessed a splendid future; there was even a chance she might surpass him and raise an Iron-eating Beast to Monarch level.
Yet who could have known that Lin Zhuo would actually choose the Breeding major, and even take Evolution Studies as an elective, wanting to research methods of Iron-eating Beast evolution.
Back then, heaven knew what had possessed him to agree. And the outcome? Lin Zhuo pleased no one on either front; her strength fell behind, and her evolution research produced nothing.
"Wait until you've finished your training." Lin Yu's manner was meticulous, his tone stern.
"But it's my mom who wants to eat fish," Lin Zhuo said. "Not me."
Lin Yu fell silent for a moment.
"This is the last exception. From now on, no more neglecting training."
Lin Zhuo: "..."
Just as father and daughter were discussing what to eat at noon, an apprentice from the martial hall came running over in haste.
"Master Lin, a beast tamer named Shi Ying says she may visit today, and asks whether you have any Shi Yun."