C1 Sacrifice

"Have you figured out which university you're aiming for? I'm setting my sights on Capital University—I've heard it's teeming with gorgeous guys and gals!"

"Are you living in a fantasy?"

"I guess I'll shoot for M Province No.3 University."

"That's the only one you can apply to, realistically."

Amidst the playful banter of two others, Wang Yan lay sprawled across the table, his expression the very picture of dejection.

He had been in this world for a week, cycling through bewilderment, indecision, and a fleeting rush of excitement. Now, he was steeped in gloom. In this world's history, there was no Qing Dynasty; it had been erased by the emergence of terrifying ferocious beasts.

Some 400 years ago, innumerable spatial rifts burst open, unleashing a relentless tide of ferocious beasts that savaged every living thing in sight. The land was soon awash with the dead, and the living were mired in despair.

Once the shock subsided, humanity mounted a fierce counteroffensive, clawing back a semblance of victory. The conflict raged on for over a century until the advent of an arcane technique known as the Soul Contract turned the tide in mankind's favor.

Humans began to capture and domesticate these ferocious beasts, bending them to their will as servants. Harnessing the beasts' might, they fought back against the onslaught.

These subdued creatures were dubbed spirit beasts, and their human masters became known as beast tamers. Humanity had not only driven the ferocious beasts back into the wilds but had also forged a formidable civilization centered around beast taming.

In this new era, the role of beast tamer had become paramount. To become one was to escape the drudgery of mere survival. Attaining Level 3 status meant wealth and comfort.

Nearly everyone aspired to wield the power of a formidable beast tamer, Wang Yan included. Alas, the potential of his current body was woefully inadequate. His Soul Strength was significantly below the minimum required for beast tamers, and his physical attributes were surprisingly lacking.

A Soul Strength of one point was necessary to become a Level 1 beast tamer; he had a mere 0.7. A physique of five points was also needed for that rank, yet he possessed only three. Soul Strength set the cap for a contract's level, and if a spirit beast's level outstripped that of the contract, it risked breaking free.

Savage spirit beasts were known to attack beast tamers.

Once bound by a Soul Contract, the spirit beast would nourish the beast tamer with the power of its bloodline. However, if the beast tamer's constitution was weak, there was a risk of being overtaken by the spirit beast's bloodline.

Wang Yan came from a wealthy family, but his limited aptitude meant he could only manage to contract with the most basic spirit beast.

With just a thought, he summoned the spirit beast.

It was a Grass Snake, but not your average one. It shimmered green, its beauty reminiscent of jade.

The snake's large eyes brimmed with innocence. Upon seeing Wang Yan, it quickly coiled around his wrist, affectionately licking him.

"What can you do besides making me wet?" Wang Yan grumbled, resigned to a heavy sigh.

It wasn't the creature's fault; he was the one who fell short.

"Only two months left until university starts. I've got just two more chances to pass the test. If I fail, I can kiss my dreams of becoming a beast tamer goodbye."

Wang Yan's sigh was lost to the sky, his expression etched with hopelessness.

"I'd trade ten years of my deskmate's life for a stroke of luck!"

Silence met his plea.

In his heart, Wang Yan bargained again, "I'd trade ten years of my life for good fortune!"

"Fair Trading System ready! Activation commencing!"

"Everything you own can be exchanged for points!"

"Use points to purchase the items you need from the shop!"

The sudden voice in his mind left Wang Yan momentarily stunned.

Filled with anticipation, he accessed the so-called Fair Trading System.

A semi-transparent screen materialized before him.

Name: Wang Yan

Level: None

Strength: 4 (Enhances physical attacks, carrying capacity, etc.)

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

Constitution: 3 (Boosts physical defense, healing, stamina, etc.)

Martial Arts: None

Soul Strength: 0.8 / 222 (Gradually recovering)

Soul Technique: None

Spirit Beast: Grass Snake

Most graduates boasted attributes over 5 points and Soul Strength over 1 point. Wang Yan met neither benchmark.

He had a hunch.

After crossing over into this world, his soul had weathered a tempest through space and time. It stood to reason that his Soul Strength should not be so meager.

The only explanation was that he had depleted an excessive amount of Soul Strength.

Should he recover fully, his Soul Strength would tally at 222 points. Currently, he was left with a mere 0.8 points.

With time, his Soul Strength would gradually replenish, or he could expedite the process with items designed to boost it.

"Despite my subpar physical attributes and weak Soul Strength, I possess a system. I'm destined to outpace the rest and emerge as the most powerful," Wang Yan reassured himself internally.

His prospects were bright!

"Wang, what's the matter with you? Why are you shivering?" inquired Zhang Wei, Wang Yan's classmate, wearing a look of bewilderment. Unbeknownst to him, Wang Yan had nearly forfeited fifty years of his life.

"I'm alright," Wang Yan dismissed with a nonchalant fib.

Disregarding Zhang Wei's confusion, Wang Yan pulled up the virtual screen to inspect his pet's stats.

Name: Grass Snake (Green)

Quality: Common

Level: Rank 1, Star 1

Attribute: Poison

Upgrade: Requires 25 kg of Rank 1 ferocious beast flesh or other energy-rich substances.

Rank 1 Skill: Bite

"Far too feeble," Wang Yan exhaled in disappointment, inspecting Green's mouth. His irritation flared when he realized, "You don't even have teeth?"

"Hold on, the System mentioned I could trade anything of mine!"

A daring thought struck Wang Yan. After a moment's pause, he boldly commanded, "System, trade my hemorrhoids!"

He earned 1 point!

A notification chimed in his mind, accompanied by a chilling breeze that made him shudder uncontrollably.

Wang Yan was ecstatic, feeling as though he'd stumbled upon a glitch in the system.

"What's gotten into you now?" Zhang Wei, standing nearby, sensed something was off and pressed for an answer.

"I'm not going to bother explaining," Wang Yan deflected.

Zhang Wei was at a loss for words.

Wang Yan ignored the perplexed Zhang Wei, feigning serenity.

"System! I want to trade away the toxins and impurities in my body!"

He scored 233 points!

After Wang Yan purged the impurities and toxins from his system, he felt an immense sense of relief.

It was as though a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he felt almost weightless, on the verge of taking flight.

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

Wang Yan licked his lips in anticipation and browsed the shop's offerings. The sight of the items before him sent shivers of excitement through him once more.

Blood of True Dragon!