Itâs already been half a year... Qiao Sang unconsciously began to ponder.
Before the plane took off, she specifically searched the destination, which is Changqing City, located in the Zhongkong Region of Mutian Province. Mutian Province has a total of 11 prefecture-level cities.
To complete 11 assessments in half a year means an average of approximately 16 days per assessment. Factoring in travel time, youâd need roughly half a month to finish the assessment in each prefecture-level city.
Hmm, it shouldnât be too much of a problem... Qiao Sang carefully put away her ID card and Beast Taming Badge, expressed her thanks, and turned to leave.
Her calm demeanor and carefree departure instantly sparked an excited conversation between two staff members.
"Did you see that?"
"I saw it!"
"Oh my gosh, sheâs not even 18 yet and already has four General-level Pet Beasts. Thatâs the first time Iâve ever seen something like that!"
"When I mentioned thereâs only half a year left, did you notice that dismissive look on her face? She didnât seem to think the time was too short at allâso confident."
"If I had her abilities at her age, Iâd be even more confident than she is."
"Do you think sheâll show up in this yearâs regional championship?"
"Itâs hard to say. If she signed up for the assessments in the first month of registration, thereâd definitely be no issue. But now thereâs only half a year left, so itâs uncertain. You know how some cities have assessments that are particularly infuriating. I follow a Beast Taming blogger who recently uploaded a video saying that the Tianti City examiner asked him to collect 10 pounds of Wood Gland Grass. One tael of that stuff costs 10,000 Alliance Currency! If you donât buy it, youâd have to go to Secret Realm No. 39 to gather it yourself. That realm is only open for one month a year. When he took on the task, it happened to be during the open period, but there was only one day left. That examiner was clearly trying to make things difficult."
"Thatâs still easier to deal withâyou can at least solve it with money. I know of one..." The staff member at Window 19 was about to share some gossip.
At that moment, a person standing at the window waiting to conduct business couldnât help interjecting: "Are you guys done chatting yet?"
The staff quickly switched to professional mode, flashing a standard smile:
"Hello, what business might you need assistance with?"
...
Beast Taming Center.
Third floor.
At the entrance to the examinerâs office, specifically designated for handling assessment matters, Qiao Sang knocked twice, "Knock, knock."
The examiners responsible for assessments in each prefecture-level city were based in the Beast Taming Center of that city. No prior appointment was needed; you could directly visit during working hours, and the examiners were usually available.
"Please come in," the person inside said.
Qiao Sang pushed the door open and spotted a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance, a big belly, and no particularly memorable features.
"Hello, Iâm registered for this yearâs Zhongkong Region Beast Tamer assessments and am here for an assessment task." Qiao Sang stepped forward, handed over her ID card, and got straight to the point.
She still looks like a kid... The middle-aged man was momentarily taken aback by the youthful appearance of the black-haired girl in front of him.
To participate in the regional championship, the upper age limit was 40 years old. Even those in their twenties were considered young. Someone this youngâhe was seeing it for the first time as an examiner.
He took her ID card and verified her identity.
"Hmm..." The middle-aged man stared at the computer screen, remaining silent for more than ten seconds to process the somewhat unbelievable information in front of him.
Iâm the examiner. Stay composed. Stay composed... He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and began searching for a suitable task among the assessment missions.
The assessment tasks for each city werenât randomly devised by the examiner but were drawn from lists created by the government or major institutionsâtasks that needed addressing or long-standing pending missions selected as suitable challenges for Beast Tamers aspiring to participate in the regional championship.
If there was an urgent matter to address, it would be prioritized as an assessment task.
If not, it was up to the examinerâs discretion.
The middle-aged man carefully browsed through the list of assessment missions. His gaze finally landed on a particular entry. He picked up the ID card, handed it back to Qiao Sang, and said:
"Recently, one of the warehouses managed by our cityâs Pet Beast Tool Center has reported cases of stolen artifacts. Your task is to assist the police in their investigation or act independently. Either way, as long as you apprehend the thief, your assessment will be considered complete."
"Iâll send the warehouse supervisorâs and the case officerâs contact information to the backend of your Beast Taming Center app shortly. You can contact them directly when the time comes."
Catch the thief... Qiao Sang pondered for a moment before asking:
"How long has this case been ongoing?"
If it were someone else asking, the middle-aged man would have likely responded coldly: "Canât you ask the supervisor and the officer yourself?"