The Little Cannon Fodder Doesn't Want to Compete Anymore

[Spirit forms: a soft little healing blob X a predatory giant panda. Includes original worldbuilding; a sweet story with adorable pets.]

Yuan Ke came first in the Imperial First Military Academy entrance examination. His first choice was the Special Operations major in the Combat Department, but when submitting his application, he switched to the Animal Husbandry major in the Logistics Department. Many people lamented his decision, believing he was ruining his future.

Only Yuan Ke knew the truth. In his previous life, he had pushed himself too hard, damaging his mindscape. After his spirit form collapsed and vanished, he was expelled from the Special Operations major. The Animal Husbandry major took him in, and its teachers patiently guided him and taught him many things.

Given a second chance at life, Yuan Ke had figured things out. He would stop pushing himself and go straight into Animal Husbandry.

No brutal training, just petting fluffy animals every day. Now that's the life.

What Yuan Ke didn't expect was that his mindscape would actually level up, undergoing an unexpected evolution.

The mindscape of Montiers, the empire's strongest warrior, had been severely contaminated by radiation. His spirit form had gone berserk and disappeared, and he was isolated to recuperate in the hills behind the military academy's animal farm.

Montiers thought he would never recover. But then he began noticing strange sensations in his body: his abdomen would itch from time to time, the back of his neck would tingle, and occasionally he would imagine hearing a soft, gentle voice soothing him to sleep.

Montiers was baffled, until one day he saw his spirit form.

The once-fierce, bad-tempered giant panda, driven mad by radiation, had grown much fatter. It waddled around helping a handsome young man move things. When it was done, it wagged its short tail and went over to let the young man scratch its softest spot on the neck, grinning contentedly.

At the same time, Montiers spotted several familiar figures. Snow tigers, white lions, black panthers, and other top predator spirit forms from across the empire were all helping the young man with his work. Once they finished, they lined up in orderly fashion to be petted.

Montiers: !!!

After reconnecting with his spirit form, Montiers watched the spirit forms being petted by the young man, so envious that his eyes turned red. He wanted to go near him too, lie down and let him pet him, and swat away every creature that came close to him!

He wanted... to cuddle up with him (=·ω·=)

The Animal Husbandry major in the Logistics Department, known as a gathering place for good-for-nothings and the most hopeless major of all, stunned everyone by taking first place by a huge margin in the military exercise.

A gigantic giant panda stepped up to receive the award.

Everyone was shocked again. Wasn't that the empire's strongest spirit form, capable of tearing a battleship apart with its bare paws? Why had it joined the Animal Husbandry major?

As everyone wondered, the giant panda lowered its huge head. A translucent, soft little blob, yawning, emerged from the top of its head and accepted the award as the Animal Husbandry major's representative.

The giant panda was just the blob's ride!

Everyone: Just who is this soft little blob, daring to sleep on the head of the empire's strongest spirit form?

The empire's strongest warrior had come especially for the award ceremony. He clapped until his hands were red. "My wife is adorable! My wife is mighty!"

Theme: As long as you have hope in your heart, you can make your dreams come true.