C1 The Divine Insect Beastmaster of the Zerg!

"Faang Chen, your class advancement is complete. You are now a Beastmaster!"

"Next, I'll determine which type of wild beast you have an affinity for. Please hold on for a moment," said the class advancement mentor with a grin.

Below the stage, the student crowd erupted into a frenzy.

"Faang Chen turned into a Beastmaster? No way! Wasn't he always acing the theory exams? How did he end up choosing such a lackluster profession?"

"Who knows? Beastmasters are limited to commanding wild beasts in battle, and even that has its restrictions. In the beginning, it's a slow and costly process to control beasts one by one. No team in their right mind would recruit a Beastmaster!"

"Exactly. I've heard that even the most powerful Nine-circle Beastmaster in Eceosian can only control ten Demonic Beasts of the same level. The weaker the beast, the fewer you can control. It's tough to progress without a substantial investment. Sure, you can control a multitude of ordinary beasts, but what's the point? It's not like you can command a hundred cockroaches to bite your enemies to death!"

"Ha! I'd believe they could take down a person, but a wild beast? That's laughable!"

"Isn't there a saying? 'Magic Masters excel with bows, Mad Warriors are great at aggro, Swordsmen can slay with three swift strikes, Summoners relax while their creatures fight, but Beastmasters burn cash and struggle to lead. Better off farming at home instead!'"

"Spot on! I just checked, and not one of the top ten professional guilds in Eceosian includes a Beastmaster Guild!"

"It just goes to show, no matter how gifted you are, bad luck renders it all pointless. Such a shame for the top scholar of Long Hua High School to meet his downfall!"

"It's not as terrible as you're making it out to be. Beastmasters vary based on their affinities, and that makes a difference!"

"Take those who bond with the elven kind, for instance. They can command an elven goddess to bestow group buffs!"

"Plus, Beastmasters' innate passive skills can evolve the beasts they control, making them far more formidable. How is that weak?"

School beauty Su Muyu chimed in.

"It's easy for you to say, with your family's wealth to fund beast evolution. But what about Faang Chen's family? And if it's just for buffs, wouldn't it be simpler to bring in a support class? Besides, those beasts aren't exactly at your beck and call!"

"Exactly. For a Beastmaster to tame a wild beast, they must first weaken it significantly. The success rate is highest when the beast is on the brink of death, but the weakest beasts aren't even worth the effort. Stronger Beastmasters can't manage it alone and have to form teams to succeed."

"Killing a monster and maiming it are two entirely different things, particularly with the more powerful beasts. Even when severely injured, there's no guarantee of control on the first attempt. Unlike summoners who can call forth creatures using a monster compendium card, Beastmasters must face the beast and try to tame it over and over."

"Assisting a Beastmaster in subduing a powerful Demonic Beast of equal strength is costly, just in terms of hiring mercenaries. Not to mention, Beastmasters rely on gear, grow slowly, and only become somewhat useful in the late game. In the early stages, they're practically useless!"

"Especially when you compare it to your profession, it's like comparing day and night!"

"Absolutely. You've transitioned into the elite Phoenix Mage class. Your potential is boundless!"

"As for Faang Chen... his prospects seem bleak. For a Beastmaster to advance, it's as tough as scaling the heavens!"

"That's not necessarily true," Su Muyu interjected earnestly.

...

At that moment, Faang Chen stood befuddled before the characteristic inspection stone.

"Being a Beastmaster... seems rather unfortunate."

"I just wonder if there will be a system..."

Indeed, Faang Chen was a transmigrator who, three years prior, arrived in this world where the game and reality were deeply intertwined.

From his first day here, he had been anticipating his own system. In his past life, as an avid reader of numerous web novels, he was well-versed in such concepts. Yet, his system hadn't shown up. He wondered if it was delayed in transit or if his method of transmigration was flawed.

...

In this world, once someone turns eighteen, they're eligible to choose a profession.

The range of professions available is vast and varied, extending beyond the traditional roles like Warrior, Archer, Summoner, and Beastmaster, to include numerous sub-professions and even some rare, unique ones.

Despite official claims that there are no useless professions, only incompetent professionals, everyone understands the significance of choosing the right profession.

The Magic Master, with their prowess in crowd control and high damage output, has always been a coveted recruit for the major battle guilds.

Archers and Warriors may fall slightly behind, but they still hold significant value. Archers are the go-to class for dungeon raids, boasting rapid attacks and agility, while Warriors and Swordsmen are preferred for drawing aggro and taking down bosses.

Healers, on the other hand, are an essential part of any team, enjoying excellent benefits for their role.

Summoners have the unique ability to call forth various Demonic Beast spirits, often capable of soloing dungeons and leveling up independently.

Even the secondary professions have their place, as they are in demand by the large guilds.

The Beastmaster, however, finds themselves in an awkward position.

Despite investing the same amount of money, other classes can level up and grind monsters with ease, whereas Beastmasters are limited to controlling a meager number of wild beasts for close combat, with no guarantee of defeating them.

Reality bites, especially in Blue Star, where Magic Masters, Warriors, Archers, and Healers are the prized targets of the top guilds.

Potioneers, Alchemists, and Forgers, relegated almost to the status of laborers, struggle to make a name for themselves without exceptional circumstances.

For a Beastmaster not born into wealth or as the progeny of a formidable figure, prospects are grim.

In all of Gloomrock City, home to Gloomrock High School, not a single Three-circle Beastmaster exists.

Yet, there are several Four-circle Magic Masters and Warriors—that's the harsh truth.

...

"Lei Yang, your class change is complete—you're now a Speed Archer!"

"Zhang Dong, your class change is complete—you're a Defense Warrior!"

...

As they awaited the outcome for the trait stone, two more students finished their class changes.

One of them was an Archer, second only to the Magic Master.

Faang Chen couldn't help but feel a bit resigned.

Lei Yang, brimming with joy, turned to Faang Chen with a smile.

"Don't lose heart, Faang. Beastmasters have their strengths. They may not be Archers, but a formidable Beastmaster can wield powerful Demonic Beasts in battle. Of course, it does come at a steep price."

"I thought your family was doing pretty well!"

"You've got it all wrong, big bro. You're thinking of the Faang Chen family. Who at school doesn't know about the Faang Chen's? I even heard they had a cockroach problem at their place a few days ago."

Zhang Dong snickered, covering his mouth.

"Well then, I stand corrected. But remember, when one door closes, another opens. If one career path doesn't work out, you can always learn something new!"

"Take pig nursing, for instance. Master that, and you could join the pig-raising guild to look after the sows. At least you won't go hungry!"

"Haha!"

Lei Yang chortled, smugness twinkling in his eyes.

The audience below joined in the laughter at his words.

Faang Chen watched Lei Yang, his face the picture of serenity.

Lei Yang had a thing for Su Muyu, but ever since she transferred to Long Hua High School three years ago, she'd been Faang Chen's deskmate.

And they got along quite well.

So, Lei Yang's animosity towards him was nothing new to Faang Chen.

Su Muyu, in the crowd, grimaced at the scene, about to intervene when suddenly...

A gleam of light darted across the characteristic-viewing stone.

The light then shot straight into Faang Chen's forehead, solidifying into the emblem of an insect.

She was taken aback, clearly in disbelief at the sight.

"This... My student, your affinity is... with insects."

"But don't lose heart. A Beastmaster with a bond to the Zerg can be quite formidable. Keep your spirits up!"

The career advisor offered words of encouragement.

Faang Chen let out a resigned sigh.

Talk about bad luck. It was as if misfortune had flung open the door and made itself at home.

"Haha! Bonded with the Zerg, a Zerg Beastmaster, no less!"

"That's the bottom of the barrel, the absolute worst!"

"Don't take it to heart, Faang Chen. I'm just stating facts, right?"

Lei Yang was beside himself with laughter.

Zhang Dong was laughing just as hard, nearly doubling over.

Yet, the classmates below began to sympathize with Faang Chen.

He was known for his academic excellence and kind nature, and now, to everyone's surprise, not only had he become a Beastmaster, but he was aligned with the least esteemed of them all—the Zerg Beastmaster.

He turned out to be a Zerg Beastmaster, the most pathetic of all Beastmasters.

What does being a Zerg Beastmaster entail?

It means Faang Chen is limited to bonding with those trivial insects.

And what combat power do insects possess?

At that moment, even Faang Chen couldn't help but lament.

"It's like a leaky roof that only gets worse with the rain, or a delayed ship that meets headwinds!"

"This cursed system, I have no clue where it's jammed."

Right then, a wild thought crossed his mind: 'What if I die again? Perhaps I'll get another chance to transmigrate.'

But even if he did transmigrate after dying, there's no guarantee of having the system. After all, it seems non-existent in this life.

As the old adage goes, "It's better to cling to life than to die a good death."

"Looks like I really need to start learning postnatal care for sows."