Be A Global Beast Master By System Bugs

C1 - Sacrifice

"Have you decided which university you're applying to? I'm aiming for Northstar College—I've heard it's teeming with gorgeous guys and girls!"

"Are you living in a fantasy?"

"I guess I'll shoot for Stonewall College."

"That's the only college you can apply to."

Amidst their bickering, Zhou Mu was sprawled across the table, his face etched with despondency.

A week had passed since he found himself in this new world, a rollercoaster of bewilderment, indecision, and a fleeting thrill, now leaving him in the depths of despair. Here, the Qing Dynasty was but a figment, erased by the emergence of fearsome fiend beasts.

Some four centuries ago, the world was besieged by innumerable spatial rifts, unleashing fiend beasts that ravaged all life with a relentless fury. Death was rampant, and despair reigned until humanity mounted a desperate counteroffensive, clawing back a tenuous triumph.

The conflict raged for over a century until the advent of the "Soul Contract" mode turned the tide in mankind's favor. Humans began to subdue and domesticate the fiend beasts, bending their might to serve as protectors rather than destroyers.

These tamed creatures were known as spirit animals, and those with the gift to command them were hailed as Animal Whisperers. This new era saw humans drive the fiend beasts into the wilderness, giving rise to a formidable civilization centered around beast mastery.

As the epoch unfolded, the Animal Whisperers rose to prominence. To become one meant liberation from the daily struggle for survival. Attaining level three heralded wealth and status.

Nearly everyone aspired to wield such power, Zhou Mu included. Yet, fate had dealt him a cruel hand; his innate potential was woefully inadequate. His soul intensity fell embarrassingly short of the minimum required for an Animal Whisperer, and his physical prowess was similarly lacking.

A level one Animal Whisperer needed a soul intensity of one point; Zhou Mu had a mere 0.7. The physical attribute requirement stood at five points, but he possessed only three. Soul intensity was the linchpin, capping the level of the spirit animal one could bond with. Should the spirit animal surpass the contract's limit, it risked breaking free and fleeing.

Ferocious spirit animals have been known to attack even the Animal Whisperers who tame them.

Once bound by a Soul Contract, the spirit animal bestows its bloodline power upon the Animal Whisperer. However, should the Whisperer's physical attributes be lacking, there's a risk of being assimilated by the spirit animal's bloodline.

Zhou Mu hailed from a wealthy family, but his modest talents meant he could only manage to contract with a spirit animal of the lowest tier.

With a mere thought, he called forth his spirit animal.

It was a grass snake, but not your garden-variety one. Its scales shimmered with a green hue, as stunning as jade.

The snake's large eyes brimmed with innocence. Upon seeing Zhou Mu, it quickly slithered up his arm, licking him incessantly.

"What good are you, other than making me damp?" Zhou Mu grumbled, resigning himself to a sigh.

It wasn't the snake's fault; the blame lay squarely on his own shortcomings.

With the university term starting in two months, Zhou Mu faced a grim reality: he had only two more opportunities to pass the test. Failure meant abandoning his dream of becoming an Animal Whisperer forever.

He looked to the heavens and sighed, a picture of utter hopelessness.

"I'd trade ten years of my desk mate's life for a stroke of luck!" he declared to the indifferent skies.