Player Area.
Qiao Sang sat in her seat, holding her phone and reviewing the profiles of the remaining contestants.
Aside from herself, only three contestants remained.
She actually remembered the relevant information, but she wanted to double-check it.
【Ancient Mist Region, Ma Zongji. One high-level Water and Fighting-type pet, Qiandao Water Bear. It prefers to attack opponents relentlessly with striking moves like a flowing stream. High-tier skills: True Qi Punch and Waterfall Climb.】
【Ability: Water Absorb. When hit by Water-type moves, it takes no damage and instead recovers health.】
【One mid-level Grass-type pet, Yekesoulo. The spikes on its head and back are usually soft, but once energy is injected, they become sharp and hard enough to pierce through rock. Exercise caution when engaging in close combat.】
Meanwhile, in the contestant seating, a boy wearing a blue headband kept glancing at Qiao Sang's back.
"Ma Zongji, why do you keep staring at others? Nervous?" a middle-aged man beside him asked.
"A little," Ma Zongji admitted honestly.
The middle-aged man laughed. "You've already made it to the top four and you're still nervous."
Ma Zongji sighed. "Whether I win the semi-finals or not doesn't really matter. I'm confident that even if I lose this match, I can still make it into the top three based on the next round. What I'm nervous about is, if I face Qiao Sang in the semi-finals, what happens if she doesn't summon Ice Crixyl?"
"As you know, my Qiandao Water Bear has the Water Absorb ability; it's nearly immune to Water-type skills."
The middle-aged man paused, then his expression turned serious. He said earnestly, "That probably won't happen. After all, Ice Crixyl still has Ice-type skills..."
At this point, he found himself unable to continue.
Because he realized that, based purely on attributes, the probability of Qiao Sang deploying Ice Crixyl was indeed low.
"Sigh..." Ma Zongji and the middle-aged man looked at each other and let out a loud, simultaneous sigh.
On Qiao Sang's side, she continued reading the data.
【Ancient Mist Region, Hu Fan. One high-level Water-type pet, Rapid-Sink Frog. In water, it can move at speeds invisible to the eye. It is no exaggeration to say that as long as it is in water, it can dodge 99% of attacks.】
【Ability: Torrent. When a pet with this attribute is in a critical state of stamina, the power of its Water-type moves increases manifold.】
【One mid-level pet, Thunder-Clap Dragonfly. A dual-type Electric and Flying mid-level pet. The spike on its tail can discharge lightning strikes; one cannot let their guard down even when behind it, as the tail might strike you.】
【Ability: Speed Boost. A pet with this ability increases its speed at regular intervals during battle.】
While Qiao Sang was looking at this information, a boy sitting six rows behind her had his fingers interlaced, muttering incessantly
"If it's Qiao Sang, then Ice Crixyl. If it's Qiao Sang, then Ice Crixyl..."
This person was Hu Fan.
The man beside him, who looked to be in his early thirties, couldn't take it anymore and asked, "What are you doing?"
Hu Fan opened his hands, revealing a small red bell.
He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I specifically asked a Wish-Wish Bell for a Red Bell."
Wish-Wish Bell, a Fairy-type pet. It is said that if it voluntarily removes the red bell from its body and gives it to someone, as long as that person interlaces their fingers and makes a wish in a prayer position, the wish will basically come true.
The bell is a single-use item; it becomes useless after one use.
There was no need to worry about what would happen to the Wish-Wish Bell after removing the bell; once the bell was removed today, a new one would grow back the next day.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Did you ask the Wish-Wish Bell what its Wish ability rank is?"
Although Wish-Wish Bells can help people make wishes, their ability is not as popular as one might imagine.
Only a Wish-Wish Bell with a Wish ability rank of S-class has a chance of around 70% for the wish to come true.
That wouldn't be so bad on its own.
The problem was, if a wish was made and did not come true, the result would manifest as the opposite of the wish.
For example, if I wish for someone to live a long life.
Then that person drops dead.
Or, for example, if I wish to grow old together with someone.
The next day, the person who made the wish catches that someone cheating.
Later, some people thought of "reverse wishing."
So, holding a Red Bell, they would say: "I wish to score zero on the college entrance exam."
As a result, the person who made the wish suffered from stomachaches, headaches, and all sorts of pains during the exam days, collapsing right before entering the exam hall and truly scoring a zero.
This series of incidents led the people of the Ancient Mist Region to keep a respectful distance from Wish-Wish Bells.
Because no one knew what the consequences of wishing upon a Red Bell would be.
Hu Fan scratched his head and replied, "I didn't ask. I just thought I'd try making a wish first. If the wish comes true, I can battle Ice Crixyl. If it doesn't, maybe I won't encounter Qiao Sang, and I might even make it to the finals."
The man stopped talking.
He had thought the boy was brainless, but it turned out he had actually put some serious thought into it.
...
【West Law Region, Shao Liben. Last year's first place in the regional qualifiers of the National Campus Beast-Taming League.】
【One high-level Psychic-type pet, Jihui Tata. It can accurately predict the opponent's next move through their subtle movements.】
【Ability: Mental Strength. It will not shrink back due to the opponent's attacks and remains unshaken by Intimidate. In short, it does not feel fear.】
【Ability: Synchronize. When a pet with this ability is poisoned, paralyzed, or burned, there is a certain chance that the opponent will also enter the same state.】
【One mid-level Fire-type pet, Grey-Fire Fox. It can blast hot air from its ears to intimidate opponents.】
【Ability: Flame Body. When attacking a pet with this ability using a contact-based skill, there is a certain chance the attacker will enter a burned state.】
Jihui Tata is a bit tricky... After finishing all the data, Qiao Sang stopped overthinking, put her phone back in her pocket, and looked toward the arena, waiting for the match to begin.
On the other side, an expressionless boy had a laptop on his knees, the screen displaying Qiao Sang's profile.
"Are you confident?" the woman speaking wore a sharp black suit.
"As long as Blazing Star Hound doesn't use Fire Star Rain, there shouldn't be a problem," Shao Liben said.
"What about the others?" the woman asked.
Shao Liben closed his laptop and stated the facts calmly
"Just former defeated foes."
...
"Who will meet whom in the semi-finals!" Yi Ao waved the microphone and shouted loudly, "Please look at the big screen!"
Four giant holographic photos suddenly appeared, alternating rapidly.
After the positions shifted for about seven seconds, the photos froze.
【Yuhua Region, Qiao Sang VS Ancient Mist Region, Ma Zongji】
【Ancient Mist Region, Hu Fan VS West Law Region, Shao Liben】
Ma Zongji... The relevant data flashed through Qiao Sang's mind.
"Ma Zongji, huh," Xu Yixuan said, adjusting her glasses. "His Qiandao Water Bear not only counters Fire-types, but Water-type moves won't work either. Fortunately, your Blazing Star Hound's Fire Star Rain has reached the level of an Esoteric Art. With such high proficiency in a high-tier skill, even attribute disadvantage is useless. Plus, Blazing Star Hound has Psychic-type skills, so it shouldn't be a problem."
In her view, the Water Absorb ability of the Qiandao Water Bear rendered Ice Crixyl's Water-type skills useless, cutting its combat power by at least half. It was impossible for Qiao Sang to deploy Ice Crixyl.
(End of Chapter)