Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 1: Not Her Fault

Hanggang City, Zhehai Province.

Wencheng Middle School, Class 3-7.

The mock exam results show clear progress for everyone this time. Qin Shou stands out especially, grabbing second place across the whole grade and falling short of perfect by only 2 points. Take him as your example.

Many students did great, yet a few failed to push themselves, scoring zero and pulling the class average down.

I won’t point fingers, but that student needs to think hard about this. Just 21 days remain before the high school entrance exam—those scores won’t land you a spot in beastmaster high school, not even a regular vocational one.

Homeroom teacher Mr. Yu shot a look toward the third row from the rear, window seat, where a ponytail girl sat perfectly straight, resembling the ideal pupil.

His mouth twitched involuntarily. Yeah, he meant you!

Qiao Sang fully understood Mr. Yu targeted her, yet she had no choice—she wasn’t this world’s original Qiao Sang.

Only a few days earlier, she’d crossed over and faced a mock exam before adjusting to everything.

Still, it was merely a middle school practice test. No fear for her; in her past life, she’d excelled as a star pupil at a top university.

But upon receiving the paper, shock hit her hard.

[What forms when the human brain region awakens?]

[Which extraordinary creatures draw to Heart Scales, and what role do they play?]

[What’s the ultimate evolution of the stinky loach?]

[Which planets have humans colonized so far?]

Ultimately, she guessed blindly: pick shorter choices for multiple-choice when unsure, longer ones at other times, scribble blanks randomly, skip essays entirely.

Over the last two days, Qiao Sang settled into her body as the original host’s memories emerged, giving her a solid grasp of this world.

Beast taming formed the core of this world. From humanity’s first beast-taming discovery to now, 32.05 million years elapsed, building a complete beast-taming society.

Despite being the Beast Taming Era, not all could tame beasts.

At age 15, magnetic stimulation could awaken the Beast Taming Codex in a human’s brain region.

This codex linked humans perfectly to extraordinary creatures as both contract and space.

Fail to awaken by 15, and beast taming stays out of reach forever.

Even after tens of millions of years in the Beast Taming Era, humans couldn’t ensure full Codex awakening.

Nationwide last year, just 73% awakened during the unified high school entrance exam, dooming 27%.

Academic geniuses among them still couldn’t enter beast-taming high schools.

Without beast taming, mediocrity awaited at society’s bottom forever.

Harsh truth: no beasts, no manual jobs either.

Why hire humans for brick-moving when extraordinary creatures lift hundreds or thousands of kilos effortlessly? Too slow and tiring.

Same for waitering.

Though pay might exceed humans’ several times, eateries choose extraordinary creatures to draw crowds.

In this world far from old norms, pressure mounted on entrance-exam-bound middle schooler Qiao Sang!

Once knowledge shaped fate; now beast taming ruled lives.

Original owner’s memories helped, but she’d been a lousy student!

Scores lingered in the class’s bottom third steadily. Last month’s mock bumped her to fourth from bottom.

Thanks to the prior fourth-from-bottom missing two subjects due to illness.

21 days to exam, top high school out of reach—any school would thrill her.

Qiao Sang focused on the teacher’s words, jotted notes, and buried in her textbook post-class, mirroring her old college entrance grind.

“Qiao Sang, Mr. Yu meant your zero score, right?” Deskmate Fang Sisi whispered, leaning close.

Not a real question, more affirmation. Though unnamed, all knew Qiao Sang’s openly zeroed paper drew the heat.

Qiao Sang nodded.

Memories showed Fang Sisi as a close pal—outing for food and fun together.

Key bond: both lousy students.

Fang Sisi took Qiao Sang’s old fourth-from-bottom spot after illness tanked last mock.

“Wow, you answered every multiple-choice and still zeroed. Tougher than full marks!” Fang Sisi thumbs-upped admiringly.

Qiao Sang speechless. Her fault? Blame those three-long-one-short traps!

“Your score?” Qiao Sang inquired.

“263. Up 98 from last,” Fang Sisi boasted slightly.

Qiao Sang held back comments. Fellow strugglers—no need to rub it in.

“Pretty good,” Qiao Sang said truly. Low by her standards, but huge leap from prior 200-ish.

“Yeah, Mom watches me daily...”

Before Fang Sisi ended, front-seater spun around anxiously: “Heard about Class 9’s Dai Shushu? Really getting into Litan Beastmaster High School?”

Fang Sisi sighed, “If rumors fly, likely true.”

Qiao Sang kept paging her book.

Dai Shushu topped this mock. No shock for topper’s early admission—Qiao Sang eyed key points instead.

“Heard it’s self-awakening her Beast Taming Codex,” another chipped in.

Qiao Sang’s head snapped up.

Beastmaster highs seek future tamers; Codex awakening key.

Self-awakeners outshine stimulation ones in potential.

30 million years back, first beastmasters all self-awoke—rare 0.01%.

2,563 years ago, Chen Leshen’s magnetic method kicked off the era truly.

Self-awakeners stay elite.

“Self-awakening?” Fang Sisi mused. “Too late to buddy up now?”

Front student shook head: “No use. Admitted kids skip school. Would you attend knowing high school’s yours?”

Fang Sisi nodded.

“If I self-awoke, failing grades still get admission?” Qiao Sang asked earnestly.

All three eyed her.

“Even zero, schools snatch you,” front teased.

“Forget it. Self-awakeners are elites; no room for us flops,” Fang Sisi consoled, patting shoulder. “I dreamed same recently.”

Qiao Sang stared down silently.

They figured her crushed, dropped awakening talk.

Unbeknownst, Qiao Sang fought back giggles.

She’d self-awakened right on arrival!

At first clueless, thought lucky perk. Memories revealed: 15-year Codex.

Common at 15, so shrugged it off. Didn’t grasp self- vs. stim- gap!

No wonder original flunked basics.

Exam pressure gone, reading relaxed her.

Knowledge points turned fun, not drudgery.

[Deep-Moss Turtle: Earth type, dwells deserts, tropics. Black eye rings, poor swimmer.]

[Steel-Yield Mouse fears rain—rusts quick. Loves sun.]

Steel attribute rusts in rain like metal. Sun preference? Odd.

Common facts sparked gripes, but hooked her—info stuck easy, no cramming.

Bell rang, school out.

As Qiao Sang packed, black-rimmed glasses girl neared: “Qiao Sang, teacher calls you to office.”

Qiao Sang paused. “Got it.”

Glasses girl Ma Xiao, class monitor, routine for Qiao Sang summons.

Perennial bottom-third? Old normal.

Original took it; new her didn’t.

Especially spit-flying rants.

“What’s with you! Exam near, this mess! How explain to self, parents?!”

Qiao Sang stepped back quietly. “Teacher, calm please.”

Close call—nearly “classmate.”

“Calm? Impossible! Taught classes galore, never this bad!” Tirade raged.

Past-life ace, first roast for her.

Another step back. “Reason behind my score.”

Teacher glared icy. “What?”

“I self-awakened, brain adjusting still.”

Qiao Sang admired her wit then.

“Hmph.” Sneer. “Too soft on you.”

Qiao Sang baffled. Link to treatment?

Teacher yanked contact book from drawer, flipped, dialed.

Quick connect.

“Hello, Qiao Sang’s guardian? Homeroom here. Come school please?”

Qiao Sang: “…”

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