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.

Silence was his only answer.

Undeterred, Zhou Mu bargained inwardly, "I'd give up a decade of my own life for some good fortune!"

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, "Square deal system ready! Activation commencing!"

"Everything you own can be exchanged for points!"

"Use points in the shop to acquire the items you need!"

The voice, materializing from thin air, left Zhou Mu momentarily dumbfounded.

Eagerly, he attempted to access this mysterious square deal system.

Instantly, a semi-transparent interface appeared before him:

Name: Zhou Mu

Level: None

Strength: 4 (Enhances physical attack, carrying capacity)

Agility: 4 (Improves movement speed, reflexes, dynamic vision, etc.)

Physique: 3 (Boosts body's defense, healing, stamina, etc.)

Martial Arts: None

Soul Intensity: 0.8 / 222 (Gradually recovering)

Soul Arts: None

Spirit Animal: Grass Snake

The average graduate boasts body attributes over 5 points and soul intensity over 1 point. Zhou Mu met neither benchmark.

He had a hunch.

When Zhou Mu found himself in this new world, his soul had weathered a tempest through space and time. It stood to reason that his soul intensity shouldn't be so meager.

The only explanation was that he had expended an excessive amount of soul intensity.

Had he fully recuperated, he would boast 222 points of soul intensity. Currently, he was down to a mere 0.8 points.

With time, his soul intensity would gradually return, or he could expedite the process with items known to bolster the soul.

"Despite my body's subpar attributes and my feeble soul intensity, I possess the system. I'm destined to outpace the rest and emerge as the strongest!" Zhou Mu silently rallied himself.

His prospects were bright!

"Zhou, what's the matter with you? Why are you shivering?" his classmate Hai Ming inquired, bewildered. He was oblivious to the fact that Zhou Mu had nearly forfeited fifty years of his life.

"I'm alright," Zhou Mu dismissed with a nonchalant wave.

Ignoring Hai Ming's confusion, Zhou Mu summoned the virtual screen to inspect his pet's stats.

Name: Grass Snake (Gator)

Quality: Ordinary

Level: First Rank, One Star

Attribute: Poison

Upgrade: Requires 25 kg of first rank fiend beast flesh or other energy-rich substances.

First Rank Skill: Bite.

"Pathetically weak!" Zhou Mu exhaled sharply, inspecting Gator's mouth. His irritation flared when he saw, "You don't even have teeth?"

Then it struck him, "The system mentioned I could trade anything of mine!"

A daring thought seized him. After a brief pause, he commanded, "System, trade my hemorrhoids!"

He earned 1 point!

A chime echoed in his mind, accompanied by a chill that made him shiver uncontrollably. Zhou Mu was ecstatic, feeling as though he'd stumbled upon a system glitch.

"What's going on with you now?" Hai Ming, standing nearby, noticed the odd behavior.

"I'm not going to explain," Zhou Mu replied, brushing him off.

With a feigned air of serenity, Zhou Mu made his next move. "System! I'd like to trade away the toxins and impurities in my body!"

He scored 233 points!

Freed from the toxins and impurities, Zhou Mu felt a profound sense of lightness.

It felt like the massive weight that had been bearing down on him was suddenly lifted, and he was on the verge of taking flight.

"I've got a total of 234 points. I'm not sure what that can get me."

Zhou Mu licked his lips and browsed the shop. The sight of the items before him sent him into another uncontrollable shiver.

Real dragon's blood!