C3 Achievement
"What an incredible effect!"
Lin Ze was pleasantly surprised.
His Soul Strength had more than doubled after the increase.
This year's college entrance exam candidates had an average Soul Strength of just 0.9, yet his had soared to 1.8.
"At Pinghai No.1 High School, it seems the student with the highest Soul Strength is only at 1.8."
A Beastmaster's prowess is intimately tied to their Soul Strength.
The greater the Soul Strength, the more powerful and numerous the pets a Beastmaster can bond with.
Soul Power grows as Soul Strength increases.
Both summoning pets for combat and executing Soul Techniques deplete Soul Power.
Essentially, a Beastmaster's potential is measured by their Soul Strength.
"180 Soul Power should keep a Rank 2 pet active in the outside world for a full eight hours."
Lin Ze nodded contentedly and turned his attention to the achievement points.
The system indicated that achievement points could be used to boost a pet's Growth Point.
Concentrating on the pet panel, Lin Ze watched as a plus sign materialized next to the Growth Point.
He clicked it.
The Growth Point shot up from 23.48% to 24.48%.
Simultaneously, his achievement points dropped by one.
"So one achievement point equals 1% Growth Point?"
Lin Ze didn't hesitate to max out the Growth Point to 100%.
Name: Little Snowball
Element: Ice
Rank: 1, Level 2
Growth Point: 100%
Skill: Frost Breathing
The next step in the Queen's Route evolution was the Ice Crystal Soul. The requirements: 100% Growth Point, 20 Low Level Ice Element Essences, and a Soul Jade.
As the pet's Growth Point increased, so would its power level.
The degree of power enhancement varied from pet to pet.
"It's only gone up a minor level. That's disappointing."
"Little Snowball being classified as a Class F pet isn't a mistake."
Lin Ze shook his head but quickly perked up.
"Now, all I need are the Low Level Ice Element Essences and the Soul Jade."
"I'll head home to get some money, then hit the pet store tonight."
Lin Ze glanced at Little Snowball.
Sensing his excitement, Little Snowball chirped softly, gliding to Lin Ze's shoulder and nuzzling him affectionately.
"I never realized your true potential was this vast."
Lin Ze stroked Little Snowball's head, eliciting a joyful chirp.
He smiled, and after a brief pause, he stowed Little Snowball away and continued on his journey.
Before long, he arrived back at his residential area.
The house, bought by his parents before their demise, was somewhat dated but still boasted a decent location and setting.
Approaching the building, he fished out his key card.
The rusty iron gate creaked open.
Lin Ze's home was on the third floor.
As he reached the third floor, he spotted Kuan Ning waiting at his door.
She turned at the sound of his footsteps and greeted him with a smile.
"You're back. I was just about to come find you."
"What's up?"
Lin Ze returned the smile.
He and Kuan Ning had been close since childhood, sharing a strong bond.
Both were third-year students at Pinghai No.1 High School.
Interestingly, Kuan Ning was a year younger than Lin Ze, so she always affectionately called him 'brother.'
It's worth noting their parents were also close friends.
After the passing of Lin Ze's parents, Kuan Ning's family had taken care of the funeral arrangements.
Without their care, Lin Ze would have found life very difficult.
He was deeply grateful to the Kuan family.
His impression of Kuan Ning was exceptionally favorable.
With a giggle, Kuan Ning said, "Mom and Dad sent me to see if you'd like to join us for dinner tonight."
"I'll be over in a bit," Lin Ze replied, key in hand as he unlocked the door.
Then, something occurred to him. He turned to Kuan Ning and asked, "Ning, isn't there an Apprentice Qualification Assessment at the Beastmaster Association tomorrow? Are you planning to take the test?"
Kuan Ning was a renowned beastmaster prodigy, unlike Lin Ze, whose talents were modest.
Her Soul Strength reached an impressive 1.7.
Her first contracted pet was the Demon Flame Bird, a Class C creature.
It could evolve twice, with a potential reaching up to Rank 6.
Thanks to Kuan Ning's meticulous training, the Demon Flame Bird had achieved the strength of Rank 1, Level 9.
In terms of sheer power, Kuan Ning was easily among the top five at Pinghai No.1 High School.
She was indisputably the school's trump card.
"Yes, I'm going tomorrow morning," Kuan Ning confirmed with a nod.
"I'll come with you," Lin Ze offered with a gentle nod.
Kuan Ning, startled, quickly gestured no. "There's no need. A classmate will be with me."
She assumed Lin Ze was concerned about her, which is why he offered.
She was aware of Lin Ze's aspiration to be a Beastmaster and his struggle with inadequate talent, which left him feeling dejected.
She avoided discussing beastmaster-related topics around him.
There was no way she would have Lin Ze accompany her to the Apprentice Qualification Assessment.
"That's settled, then," Lin Ze said, not elaborating further. He smiled, gave Kuan Ning's head a pat, and stepped through the door.
Kuan Ning bit back her words.
Come dinner time, Lin Ze accompanied Kuan Ning to her home.
"Ze, you've arrived," greeted Kuan Chongshan from the sofa, glancing up from his newspaper with a warm smile.
"Uncle Kuan," Lin Ze called out in greeting.
"Ze's here," announced Kuan Ning's mother, emerging from the kitchen with a dish. "We can eat now," she said with a smile.
Kuan Ning's parents were as warm and welcoming as always, treating Lin Ze like their own son.
For a moment, Lin Ze felt as if they were truly family.
In his past life, he had been an orphan and it had been ages since he'd felt anything like this.
Leaving the Kuan residence around seven, Lin Ze went home to grab his bank card and then hurried to the nearest pet store.
"Tonight, I'll get all the materials for Little Snowball's evolution!"
He had researched the necessary items online.
Low Level Ice Element Essence and Soul Jade were basic materials for lower-tier pets, readily available at any pet store.
Ten minutes later, Lin Ze stood before the entrance of a spacious store.
