Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1
-----
A lucky audience member in the back row got smacked in the face with a wig.
A powerful gale howled wildly across the stage.
Suddenly, it surged upward toward the audience seats.
Hair flew in all directions, and everyone squinted their eyes into slits.
It’s worth noting, however, that although the gale was fierce, it only barely grazed the audience area, it didn’t pull anyone in.
Some spectators, unwilling to miss the performance, struggled to keep their eyes open and looked up at the swirling vortex.
Others quickly pulled out sunglasses and put them on.
Above the hall, the gale spun wildly, yet with control.
After sweeping through almost every corner, it returned to the stage, where it began spinning on the spot like a top, growing visibly larger by the second.
Just as its edges were about to fill the entire stage, the gale suddenly exploded.
A moment later, a stronger gust blasted the audience, sending everyone’s hair flying backward like crazy. Some people's hairlines retreated to the backs of their heads, and the skin on their faces rippled with the wind.
At Seat 24, Row 3, a blonde, blue-eyed beauty flung herself into the arms of the man beside her.
Judging from the intimacy of the gesture, they were clearly a couple.
The man held her tightly with strong arms.
Feeling safe, the blonde woman looked up, face full of affection, about to say something romantic.
But in that moment, she saw a bald head and a face distorted beyond recognition, trembling violently.
Her expression changed. Whatever words she had ready died in her throat.
At that moment, the wind stopped.
She quickly pulled away from the man, straightened up, and turned her gaze back to the stage.
A pair of purple wings, exuding a cold aura, swayed gracefully in the residual wind. A silver-white, handsome helmet gleamed coldly under the lights.
A never-before-seen purple bird-type beast had entered everyone’s vision, leaving a striking impression of cold, powerful strength.
Behind it, a black-haired girl with delicate features stepped forward, waving and smiling.
Everyone’s wind-blasted faces were stiff, making it hard to show any other expressions.
The performance had been brilliant, no doubt. But the torment they’d just endured left them too overwhelmed to clap.
No applause. No cheers. The scene was eerily quiet.
Why isn’t anyone clapping or laughing? That’s not how it’s supposed to be when a performance ends… Just moments ago, Qiao Sang had been thrilled that Gangbao had finished her showcase successfully.
Now, seeing the awkwardly silent audience, her heart sank with dread.
Suddenly, she spotted a bald man gratefully taking a wig and putting it on. In that instant, it all clicked, and her heart turned cold.
“Let’s hear from our judges on Contestant No. 78, Qiao Sang’s performance.” The host said, stepping onto the stage to continue the program.
Gangbao stood perfectly still.
Qiao Sang could sense her nervousness.
At the judges’ table...
The one wearing gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the air of a refined villain, spoke first:
“This Steel-Slash Giant Falcon has been raised quite well. Its glossy feathers show it's been properly cared for. Its eyes are bright, and its pupils contract well. Although there’s only one Steel-Slash Giant Falcon recorded on Chaosu Star and we lack comparison data, most bird-type beasts with bright eyes like this usually have strong physiques.”
The only Steel-Slash Giant Falcon on Chaosu Star?
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
All eyes turned in disbelief toward the purple-winged beast on stage.
Many pulled out beast-identifiers and pointed them at Gangbao.
“However.”
The bespectacled judge continued, “The Steel-Slash Giant Falcon showed slight signs of mouth-breathing during the finale, indicating a bit of nervousness.”
“If I’m not mistaken, the main tone of this showcase was to emphasize the Falcon’s strength. A powerful beast shouldn’t show even a hint of anxiety. That slightly clashed with the message.”
“Overall, though, it was a good performance.”
He tapped a few buttons on the virtual screen in front of him.
Another screen popped up mid-air, displaying the score: 8.9
With a max of 30 points for this round, 10 from each judge, 8.9 wasn’t bad… Qiao Sang glanced at the score, comparing it instinctively with what she had seen earlier backstage.
Next, the judge with long brown hair down to her waist and a fiery red shawl spoke: “I felt the Falcon’s strength and her excellent control. But… you seem to have overlooked the audience’s experience.”
“Performance showcases are all about visual appeal, making the audience feel the beast’s charm. But your Falcon focused too much on demonstrating her strength and ended up overwhelming the audience, making it hard for them to even look properly.”
“You might’ve forgotten this contest is held indoors.”
“If the venue were outdoors, I would’ve scored you higher.”
She gave 7.8
Qiao Sang felt another pang of anxiety.
The last judge, older, hair in an elegant bun and radiating poise, smiled as she began: “It was a spectacular performance. The Falcon’s control is absolutely excellent, though the wind was too powerful. Even the residual gusts were overwhelming.”
“But that also highlights the beast’s strength.”
“The gale reached the audience seats yet remained under control, it didn’t sweep up a single person.”
A thick-haired man in the audience looked like he wanted to say something but held back in anguish.
A kind spectator next to him whispered, “It’s still crooked.”
The man hurried to adjust his hairpiece.
The elegant judge continued: “What’s especially commendable is how the gale started small but eventually took over the whole stage. Managing that growth in power, while also staying in control, and even shrinking its body mid-tornado using a lightweight miniaturization bracelet, is incredibly difficult.”
“Especially the latter. As a beast’s body grows, its skills also scale in power. Maintaining the same level of control is nearly impossible. You have to constantly adjust.”
“The Falcon’s final reveal amid the storm truly impressed me.”
“All in all, it was a very memorable performance.”
She entered her score: 9.5
Seeing that, Qiao Sang let out a quiet breath of relief.
“Contestant No. 78, Qiao Sang, scores a total of 26.2 points! A solid result! We look forward to seeing her in the next round!”
Amid the host’s enthusiastic announcement, Qiao Sang carried the now-small Gangbao back to the waiting area.
On the way to the contestant lounge, Gangbao was unusually silent.
Sensing her low mood, Qiao Sang comforted her: “It’s okay. I did the math, the average score so far is about 24. We should make it to the next round.”
“Gang Slice…”
Gangbao suddenly stopped, looking up at her trainer with a chirp.
But making it to the next round wasn’t why she entered the contest in the first place.
She had messed up the performance.
“How did you mess up?”
Qiao Sang halted, looked at Gangbao seriously, and said, “You did great. The gale was perfect. Didn’t you hear the judges complimenting you?”
She paused, then added with a sigh, “If there was a problem, it’s mine, I didn’t consider how much the gale would affect the audience.”
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao stepped forward and patted her leg gently with her wing.
It’s not your fault. It’s your first time doing this too.
Qiao Sang: …
Hey, I’m supposed to be comforting you, not the other way around… She bent down to pick her up. “Don’t think too much. Let’s go rest.”
“Gang Slice…”
As soon as she picked her up, Gangbao stiffened, completely forgetting the contest.
Truthfully, this was her first time being carried. She wasn’t used to it at all…
She knew her body was hard and tried to relax, to be more huggable.
Qiao Sang returned to the lounge.
Almost all the other contestants turned to stare, eyes landing squarely on Gangbao.
Steel-Slash Giant Falcon, the only one on Chaosu Star. What a niche species…
They’d actually seen the world’s only beast of this type?
Qiao Sang took her seat.
Gangbao flapped down to the ground.
“Yap!”
Yabao called out excitedly, what a great performance!
“Xun xun!”
Little Treasure looked eager and ready.
He couldn’t wait to perform!
Lubao didn’t say anything, just peeked her head halfway out of the backpack, watching.
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao looked at Little Treasure calmly, signaling they should wait until the results were out, not guaranteed they’d even make it to the next round.
“Xun xun…”
Little Treasure noticed Gangbao’s mood and looked puzzled.
Old Four had just done great, so why did she look so unhappy?
The girl who had chatted with Qiao Sang earlier couldn’t hold back anymore. She cautiously said: “I didn’t know you were so famous, you even competed in the Beast Tamer Star Tournament?”
When the judge had said “Currently the only Steel-Slash Giant Falcon on Chaosu Star,” she looked it up online.
Which led her to results for “Qiao Sang,” “Beast Tamer Star Tournament,” “Bonded Evolution,” and more.
Just from skimming, she realized she’d been chatting with someone ridiculously elite.
“You’re a professional beastmaster, why join a coordination contest?” She asked curiously.
“My beasts wanted to participate.” Qiao Sang replied honestly.
The girl’s expression turned complicated.
Since when did trainers switch professions just because their beasts wanted to?
Blue Star folks are really weird… but maybe that’s the kind of thinking that enables such rare evolutions…
Her gaze drifted to Gangbao.
“Yap?”
Even the usually carefree Yabao noticed Gangbao’s mood and asked what was wrong.
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao shook her head.
“Xun xun~”
Little Treasure took out a bottle of milk from his ring and handed it over.
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao froze, then accepted it with her wing.
Qiao Sang watched quietly and sighed.
She actually understood what Gangbao was feeling.
She entered the contest to show her species’ worth, hoping others of her kind would have a brighter future.
But after the performance, there had been no cheering or clapping. The judges’ feedback was mixed. Several earlier contestants had even scored higher.
She felt like she had failed.
“Gang Slice?”
Suddenly, Gangbao looked at Little Treasure and asked, if they did make it to the next round, could Treasure give up his turn?
“Xun xun…”
Little Treasure was stunned, then silently took back the unopened milk he had just given.
Gangbao: …
Qiao Sang saw this and thought, Little Treasure had also worked hard to get into this contest. Asking him to give up the next round probably wasn’t realistic.
“Gang Slice.”
In that moment, Gangbao patted Little Treasure’s shoulder, signaling him to follow. They had something to talk about.
And then walked to a corner.
“Xun xun…”
Little Treasure couldn’t resist the temptation of a secret chat and followed.
Just then, Qiao Sang heard Gangbao’s voice in her mind: Gang Slice.
Help me distract Yabao.
…Wait. This whispering isn’t about Yabao, is it?
Qiao Sang raised her hand and pointed to a virtual screen.
“Look! That beast looks super strong!”
“Yap!”
Yabao was instantly drawn in.
Meanwhile, Gangbao lowered her voice, face serious, and spoke to Little Treasure: “Gang Slice.”
If you let me perform in Round Two, I’ll acknowledge you as my boss from now on.
“Xun xun?!”
Little Treasure lit up, eyes wide.
For real?!
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao nodded.
“Xun xun…”
Little Treasure looked conflicted.
Old Four isn’t like those little underlings. When we go back to Blue Star, the others will disappear, but Old Four will always be here.
And this is Old Four!
If she acknowledges me as boss, maybe I’ll even be able to compete with Yabao one day…
“Xun xun!”
With that thought, Little Treasure nodded vigorously.
Deal!
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao smiled.
Having heard the whole exchange, Qiao Sang couldn’t help but chuckle.
She hadn’t expected Treasure to give up his turn so easily.
Clearly, being “the boss” was more important to him…
“Xun xun~”
Little Treasure floated eagerly back to her side.
“I’ve decided, let Old Four take the next round.”
Qiao Sang asked knowingly, “Why?”
“Xun xun~”
Little Treasure gave a fond look.
Because she’s the big...
At the last moment, he glanced at Yabao and changed tack: Because she’s Old Four~
Qiao Sang stifled a laugh.
“Alright. Since you said so, Gangbao will go next.”
“Gang Slice.”
---
Time passed slowly.
Qiao Sang stayed in the lounge, took a break for food nearby, then returned to watch the rest of the contest.
At 5:19 PM, all performances ended.
“Now, let’s see who made it to the next round!”
As the host spoke, a giant screen displayed a long list of names and photos.
Qiao Sang’s eyes scanned down, searching for hers.
Soon, she spotted it in the middle of the list:
23: No. 78, Qiao Sang
-----
-----
Comments
Post a Comment