The arena remained silent for a few long seconds before whispers finally erupted among the stunned crowd.
"How did he do that? That was a Flame-mane Cub!" "His commands... they were so precise. And that Rock Vole's reaction speed was unbelievable." "Is that really an F-rank pet? It fought like a seasoned warrior."
Li Wei, the defeated candidate, was helped to his feet by the arena staff, his face pale with humiliation and disbelief. He stared at Lin Ke's departing back, his earlier arrogance completely gone, replaced by a confusion he couldn't comprehend. He had lost, not just the battle, but his pride, to a bookworm with a pet rock.
Meanwhile, in the central monitoring room, the atmosphere was electric.
"Play that last sequence again," the white-haired chief proctor commanded, his eyes glued to the screen.
The footage of the battle replayed in slow motion. "Look here," he said, pointing. "Lin Ke's command to dodge came before the Flame-mane Cub initiated its pounce. He predicted the attack." "And the Rock Vole's counter-attack," another examiner added, "it was aimed at a structural weakness. It wasn't just a random strike; it was a targeted, tactical takedown. The battle IQ displayed here is... terrifying."
The chief proctor leaned back in his chair, a deep, thoughtful look on his face. "This Lin Ke is not just a bookworm. He is either a tactical genius of a kind we haven't seen in decades, or... his Rock Vole is hiding a much deeper secret. Either way, mark him as a 'Special Observation' candidate."
Unaware of the stir he was causing, Lin Ke had already made his way to the exam's administrative office. Having successfully passed the first round of battles, he was eligible to receive the standard advancement reward.
"Candidate Lin Ke, congratulations on your victory," the staff member said, looking at him with a newfound respect. "According to the rules, here is your prize money for advancing. 2,000 credits."
A small but significant sum of money was transferred to Lin Ke's account.
As he saw the new balance on his card, Lin Ke's heart beat faster. He did a quick mental calculation. His existing savings, plus this prize money... it was finally enough.
"The Earth Gene Essence and the Active Cell Culture Medium..." he thought, a wave of excitement washing over him. "I have enough."
This was the true prize of his victory. Not the fame, not the shock of the crowd, but the tangible resources needed to take the first, most crucial step on his planned path.
He walked back to the main hall, his mind already racing with the preparations for the gene editing process. Just as he entered, the matchups for the next round of battles appeared on the big screen. The system continued to pair winners against winners.
His name appeared again.
[Candidate: Lin Ke | Pet: Rock Vole] vs. [Candidate: Zhang Shan | Pet: Iron-shelled Beetle]
A new wave of discussion rippled through the candidates. "Zhang Shan! His Iron-shelled Beetle is known for its insane defense! It's a walking fortress." "This will be interesting. The Rock Vole's precise attacks might not be able to break through that shell." "Lin Ke's luck has run out. He's up against a perfect counter to his pet."
Lin Ke looked at the name of his next opponent, his expression calm. A defensive opponent? A perfect test subject.
But before that battle, he had something far more important to do.
He turned and left the bustling Guild headquarters, heading straight for the city's material supply district. The whispers and predictions of the crowd faded behind him. They were still thinking in terms of conventional battle tactics. They had no idea that the Lin Ke who would show up for the next battle would be fundamentally different.
The Rock Vole they had seen today was merely the beta version. Tonight, the real upgrade would begin.