A_S97

Ash Bloom, a 21st-century female office worker and avid gamer, wakes up one morning to find herself back in high school. But this isn't the high school she remembers! Instead of math and history, she's stuck learning about Spirit Beast Evolution and how to become a Beast Master. Oh, and she's somehow missed the memo that humans and magical creatures called Spirit Beast coexist in this world.

As she tries to wrap her head around spirit energy, soul bonds, and a textbook that reads like a fantasy novel, Ash realizes she’s now in a world where becoming a Beast Master is the ultimate goal. Struggling with no memories from the original owner of her body, she’s left to figure it out on her own!

Now she just has to pass her tests, bond with a Spirit Beast, and somehow blend in without looking like she’s just fallen out of a different dimension. No pressure, right?

Note: 

1. Slow-paced story 
2. No romance plot

Beast Master: Live Life to the Fullest!

If she delayed, she'd have to deal with the damp dew and falling temperatures, which would be miserable.

Just as Ash was pulling a folding spade out of her backpack to gather firewood, an unusual sound came from the forest behind her.

Her instincts immediately went on high alert.

This was deep in Azure Bay Mountain, where people rarely ventured.

An unexpected noise out here was unlikely to mean anything good.

Was it a Spirit Beast? Or a wild animal?

Ash swallowed hard, gripping the spade tightly.

She was afraid that if she did, she might see something she really didn't want to see.

Those horror stories about being struck down after looking back weren't just idle tales!

But she couldn't just ignore it either.

The creature behind her might decide to attack her at any moment.

So, gritting her teeth, she clung to the spade and resolved to remain motionless, waiting for the situation to unfold.

The rustling behind her grew louder.

Ash couldn't tell if the sound was from a Spirit Beast, a wild animal, or something even stranger.

When it seemed the source of the sound was still some distance away, Ash decided she couldn't waste any more time.

She grabbed her backpack and bolted forward, running as fast as her legs would carry her.

At that moment, her sore legs were the least of her concerns.

What could be more important than escaping for her life?

Ash's thoughts were simple: Get away from this area as quickly as possible.

The rustling behind her didn't fade.

In fact, it seemed to intensify as she ran, as if whatever was making the noise had started chasing her.

She wildly swung her spade to slash away the branches and vines in her path, sprinting ahead as if her life depended on it—because it did.

She dared not slow down, fearing that even a slight hesitation would allow whatever was pursuing her to catch up.

Ash finally stopped, leaning heavily against a tree trunk and gasping for air.

Wiping the sweat from her face, she glanced over her shoulder and let out a long sigh of relief.

It seemed the sound hadn't come from a wild Spirit Beast, after all.

A small blessing amidst her misfortune.

Ash wiped the sweat from her forehead, lowered the spade, and rummaged through her backpack for a bottle of water.

Unscrewing the cap, she took a small sip, just enough to moisten her parched throat, before screwing the cap back on and stowing the bottle away.

She hadn't brought much drinking water, planning instead to purify stream water with tablets.

But things hadn't gone as planned…

In her panic, she'd completely lost her sense of direction.

When she came to her senses, she realized she had strayed far from the stream and wandered into the heart of the forest.

The Pursuit