《Sovereign Of Beasts》 Long Live The Sovereign As blood drizzled out of countless open wounds on his body, Zhang Ying couldn''t help but remember the first time he arrived in the strange world, commonly known as the Otherworld amongst the summoned beings. The place was a lot of fun. He made many friends and even forgot about the past mishaps of his life. But for what? Three years later, he was being hunted down by the very friends he cared for. "It... wasn''t supposed to... be like this..." Zhang Ying panted as he struggled to get away from his assailants. The dark streets of the town he had spent his life in now gazed at him mockingly. His life has always been a failure, but Zhang Ying thought his life in Otherworld wouldn''t be the same. "Come... just a... few more... steps..." But taking those few steps seemed a herculean task. The adrenaline that helped him escape from the assassin''s clutches was now working against him as it contributed to increased blood loss. Eventually, his legs would give away, and he would be at the mercy of hisfriends. "Those... damned... bastards!" Zhang Ying''s mind wandered to when the Minister gave him an important task. He was to deliver the information of the next target to his team. However, as soon as he showed them the information, Zhang Ying realized something was wrong. The great friends of his immediately drew their weapons on him. Only then did Zhang Ying see the name of the person marked for death. It was him. They struck him with many weapons. From daggers to swords, arrows to spears... it was a miracle he rushed out of there. But things were looking grim. Over an hour, the entire town had changed their opinion of him. TheHeroeschased him, but no one tried to help him. Zhang had been a priest, so he had helped hundreds of people, but now no one came to his aid. "Fuck... Alicia must have... used a tracking spell..." Zhang Ying had hoped the narrow twisting and turning pathways would be enough to buy him some time. But it seemed he had run out of his luck. Upon hearing those footsteps behind him, his pulse quickened as he felt the sting of cold sweat on his forehead. The king''s pets were closer than Zhang Ying had expected, but he could do nothing except run. "Come on... just a bit... more!" Zhang had hoped if he crossed the river and entered the enemy territory, he would get some time to breathe in relief. If things got worse, he could join the demon''s army just for revenge. But that would only happen if he left the town alive.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. With his goals in mind, Zhang Ying pushed his body to its limits, muscles burning with exertion. The adrenaline coursing through his veins granted him a temporary burst of speed, but his gasps for air revealed the toll it was taking. "AARGH!!!" Just when the exit was within his grasp, a sudden searing pain erupted in his right leg, and he stumbled forward, collapsing onto the concrete. As he looked down, Zhang Ying saw an arrow embedded in his calf, the shaft protruding obscenely. Gritting his teeth, Zhang Ying fought through the agony and tried to crawl toward the exit. "There he is! Don''t let him escape this time!" a voice echoed in the dark. Zhang Ying turned to see the faces of the ones chasing him. While it might not do him any good, at least he could die holding onto a grudge. Anger was a strange emotion for Zhang Ying. He hadn''t been angry once in his life before. Not when he was taken away from his home and forced to migrate to some other world. But even then he had his friends with him and Liang Mei, the girl he picked the Priest class for. Now all of them were out for his blood, for a reason he didn''t know. However, his thoughts were interrupted by his friends turned enemies. They closed in, emerging from the shadows like wraiths. The leader, clad in dark attire and wearing an emotionless mask, loomed over Zhang Ying. "I''m sorry about this Zhang Ying," a red-haired man murmured. "I know you hate us, but our hands are tied. The minister wants you dead, and dead you shall be." The rest of them remained quiet. Some looked remorseful, but most, including Liang Mei, remained indifferent. Their eyes told Zhang Ying how much he meant to them. Zhang Ying couldn''t even utter a word before Liang Mei grabbed a sword and pushed it through his chest. "...I''ll pray for your safe journey to the afterlife," she mumbled before twisting the blade, killing him. "You did well, Mei Mei," the red-haired man wrapped his arms around her. "Now we can live in peace without this deadweight holding us down." Gao Rong, the red-haired man, turned to the other associates and continued, "Dump his corpse in the forest. Let him be useful in his death." *** In the dead of the night, two men were dragging a corpse inside the forest. They looked around, not sensing anyone''s presence. Finally, they stopped, panting, before dropping the ropes. "Right here should be fine," one muttered. "Let''s leave it here for the monsters to feast on." The other man agreed, and they left, wasting no more time around Zhang''s corpse. As their footsteps faded, glowing eyes appeared in the darkness. Creatures of all shapes and sizes appeared from the shadow surrounding the corpse. But none of the monsters made a move to touch the body. Suddenly, a figure jumped down from the trees. It was a woman, wrapped in a dark cloak, her face concealed by her hoodie. As she approached the corpse, the monsters backed away as if they all knew and trusted her. The woman ignored the beasts and kneeled beside Zhang Ying''s lifeless body. She let out a sigh after confirming it was him. "You were brave¡­ but so foolish," she murmured, taking a bright red feather from her pocket. She held the feather close to her chest and mumbled something. As she did, the feather began glowing, and the woman released the feather, letting it settle on Zhang Ying''s chest. "I hope, when we meet again, you''ll make the wiser choice, Zhang Ying." A moment later, the feather sank into Zhang''s body. The glowing feather became one with him as his body shone in the night. The light grew brighter, wrapping Zhang''s body in a cocoon. The woman stepped back as the flash revealed her sad smile. She said something, but the monster''s howl made it incoherent to hear and then Zhang Ying''s body vanished, leaving nothing but an empty patch of grass where he had been. "Long live the Sovereign." Return Darkness... void... emptiness... It wasn''t that different from how Zhang Ying had imagined the afterlife. But he wasn''t at peace. He could get over everyone else''s betrayal, but not Liang Mei''s. She was his closest friend and... lover. Their bond went back to the orphanage, where he protected and cherished her. That''s why her betrayal hurt him the most. What''s the point of getting angry now? Zhang Ying sighed. He was already dead. Cursing the people who betrayed him was all he could do. As a former priest, he should have at least that much power. But judging from his luck, it didn''t seem his words would affect them. Where do I go now? Zhang Ying looked around, hoping for a sign to guide him to heaven or hell. But nothing happened. Until he got frustrated and turned around, there he was met with golden words that hung in the air. [Would you like to reverse time?] Zhang Ying blinked at the strange question. Then, as if he realized something, he began laughing like a maniac before punching the words before him. "Screwing my life wasn''t enough for you?" he snarled. "You can''t let me have peace even in death?" [User seems unable to understand written words.] [Ding!] [Achievement Unlocked!] [Title: Moron in the making.] [Effect: The user can understand any written language.] [Repeating the question.] [Would you like to reverse time?] "..." Zhang Ying was confused. He was familiar with system notifications. Everyone in the Otherworld knew about it. He was confused, as he didn''t think dead people could communicate with the system. "Is this... real?" [Auto-selecting the correct option because of the user''s lack of awareness.] [All stats have been reset.] [Phoenix Feather found.] [Rebirth in progress...] [Select a time and place for rebirth.] Zhang Ying scratched his head. He still thought the system was playing a cruel game at his expense. But then he realized playing along was better than being left in the dark. So Zhang Ying chose the time when everything went wrong. "Trial zone, right before class selection." [Confirmed.] [The User will be teleported in 10 seconds.] Zhang Ying nodded. Class selection. Back then, he only wanted to protect Liang Mei, hence he chose a support class. Eventually, he became a priest and helped countless people. But now, he didn''t want to do that anymore. This time... I''ll live for myself. No one else.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. [Teleporting User to the selected destination in 3... 2... 1...] [May the Goddess be kind to you...] Everything disappeared from Zhang Ying''s eyes as he faded into darkness. *** My head... Zhang Ying clutched his head. His head was hurting like someone hit him a dozen times with a baseball bat. That would be enough to kill him, but it wasn''t the first time Zhang Ying had exaggerated things. That bastard system. It didn''t tell me it''d hurt this much. [Would it change your decision?] "..." [That''s what I thought. Also, this will be our last communication.] "Can I ask¡ª?" [Permission denied.] [Once I unfreeze the time, all my memories of you will be erased.] [You might get me as your admin next time. But I hope you don''t. Goodbye.] "...goodbye, I guess. And thanks." [...] And just like that, everything changed. Suddenly, Zhang Ying was surrounded by faces he knew¡ªsome he hadn''t seen in ages. But there were also faces he''d hoped to avoid, especially the one standing before him. Liang Mei. An unknown entity gathered people from all around the planet to a strange place. It was a massive chamber with dim lights around it. It was the summoning chamber, but soon it''ll be littered with corpses. [Please select a class.] The message flashed before Zhang Ying''s eyes. But before that, Liang Mei linked her arms with him, getting uncomfortably close to him. "...Ying-Ying, I''m scared," Liang Mei mumbled before hugging him tightly. Zhang Ying clicked his tongue. He remembered how happy he was in his past life when this happened. But now, all he felt was disgust. Back then, it was this moment when he picked the support class to help her. But not this time. "Liang Mei, it''s improper to hug someone so brazenly," Zhang Ying reprimanded her, pulling his hand from her grasp. "Please maintain some distance between us." Liang Mei looked at him, stunned. It was the first time Zhang Ying had complained about something so trivial to her. "Brother Zhang¡ª" Before she could say anything else, another familiar figure appeared before. It was Gao Rong, the red-haired bastard. It wasn''t a secret he always had eyes on Liang Mei. But she always stuck by Zhang Ying''s side, so there wasn''t much he could do about it. But now that Zhang Ying was acting out, he quickly swooped in to be the knight in shining armor. "Mei-mei, what happened?" he asked, acting concerned, and turned to Zhang Ying. "You brute! Don''t you have any manners? Is this how you treat a woman?" "A womanizer like you would certainly know how to treat women, won''t you?" Zhang Ying scoffed. "You two can enjoy yourselves. Keep me out of your drama." With that, Zhang Ying left to the other side of the chamber. In this life, he wanted nothing to do with those two. Not until he was ready to take his revenge. Till then, the two of them could enjoy their time together. Just like two piles of trash. As he retreated, Liang Mei dropped the act and clicked her tongue. She couldn''t help but wonder why her beloved doggie was acting out suddenly. Thankfully, she had someone else to take his place. As for Zhang Ying, she could teach him a lesson later. *** Damn it! Zhang Ying couldn''t help but curse his bad luck. He hadn''t been back for even ten minutes and had already made a blunder. When asked to pick a time to return, he said before class selection. Zhang Ying completely forgot about the step before that, the Path selection. Path selection and class selection were two entirely different things. Path selection represented a generic path in which they might pursue development. When they got summoned to the Otherworld, they had five paths to pick: offense, defense, support, dark, and control. Only after choosing one of these paths could they select a specific class. To Zhang Ying''s dismay, he had already selected the support path. Now all that remained was to select a class. His elaborate plan for revenge had already failed. After all, as a supporter, he would always have to depend on others. Zhang Ying could keep cursing his luck, but it won''t change anything. With a deep breath, he calmed himself down. Unlike the last time, he had five options to pick from instead of three. That''s good... Gently slapping himself, Zhang Ying looked at the list of classes before his eyes. +++ Please select one of the following classes: >> Bard >> Priest >> Enchanter >> Druid Master >> Tamer +++ With the list displayed came the arduous task. Zhang Ying had to choose a class. The problem was that he didn''t see any class info. A summoned hero would only get to see the class information after they had selected one. It wasn''t accidental, but the summoners had intentionally placed such a restriction on them. Elimination through bad luck. Since no one knew anything about the classes, it was only natural that people would make mistakes. Hence, came the factor of luck. Once everyone finished choosing their classes, they''d finally realize their mistake. But by then, it would be too late¡ªmonsters would already come for them. But I already know about these classes. Taking the first three classes was out of the question. With no one''s support, he wouldn''t make it out of the chamber, let alone take revenge. Taking the druid class was out of the question as well. Druids shine in nature''s presence. Such a class had no place in the closed-off chamber. It left him with one choice. Gambling... is injurious to health, but oh well. [Select Tamer class?] "Yes." Survive [Class selection successful!] [You''ve become a ] "That''s it?" Zhang Ying stared at his empty hands. Usually, after selecting a class, the user is given a weapon suitable for that class and a stat boost. Unfortunately, Zhang Ying received nothing. He immediately wanted to check his stats, but held back. She hadn''t appeared yet and since Zhang Ying knew they were being watched, it would be strange if he opened the status window without help. Thankfully, he didn''t have to wait long. Zhang Ying turned, and the only door to the chamber flung open, and a woman stepped inside. Without sparing a look at anyone, she scratched her head and yawned. Never change... Alana. Zhang Ying sighed and looked at the woman in a fitted leather outfit that tightly hugged her curves, leaving little to the imagination. Her hourglass shape and long, toned legs were enough to demand anyone''s attention without saying a word. Her green eyes lazily shifted through the crowd before she clicked her tongue. Then, with a slow stretch, she raised her arms over her head, arching her back and causing more than a few guys to gawk at her. "Who is she?" one guy murmured. "I don''t know, but I hope she''s sticking around," someone grinned. Appearances can be deceiving. Alana''s appearance wasn''t the only thing deadly about her. After all, she was one of the Otherworld''s best assassins and a necromancer. Not once had she failed to kill her target, but that wasn''t the only troubling thing about her. I don''t want to be her toy... It might not look like it, but Alana was selecting her toys. When her eyes fell on a guy, he would be ecstatic, unaware of what she would do to him. But right now, she was there to help them. She could play with them later. "Alright mutts, listen carefully," Alana announced, placing a hand on her hips. "I''ll only explain it to you once, so don''t start yelling and disturb my beauty sleep later." A man in his forties raised his hand, but Alana ignored him and continued. "You all have been summoned here for a cause. But before that, you must prove your worth." She continued, "There is only one rule inside this chamber: Survive. As you might have noticed, you have received a blessing called ''class'', and along with it comes stats." After saying that, Alana pressed her right thumb on the left palm. Instantly, a holographic screen appeared before her. "What you see before is a stat screen," she yawned. "Your stats reflect how strong you are. It''s like the games you people play on your planet. The average stat someone should have is below ten, but I don''t expect much from you lot. Try opening your windows." As if on cue, people repeated the action and screens appeared before them. Zhang Ying did too, but what he saw only added to his confusion. What is this shit...? Everyone had stats like strength, stamina, and agility, but he had none of those stats which took him by surprise. +++ Name: Zhang Ying Class: Tamer Level: 1If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. EXP: 0/200 HP: 110/110 Mana: 150/150 Species: Human (Primitive) Core Stats: ¡ª Domination: 18 ¡ª Empathy: 6 ¡ª Resonance: 7 ¡ª Control: 10 ¡ª Spirit: 8 ¡ª Persuasion: 11 Max Bonded Creatures: 2 (Please raise control to increase the limit.) Max Creature Level: 5 Special Tame Type Bonus: Wild and Domestic (up to Level 5) Basic Skills: 1. Capture: Allows the tamer to attempt taming a creature up to Level 5. Upgrading this skill increases the level limit of the creatures, and gives additional taming bonuses. Mana Cost: 50 Cooldown: 1 minute 2. Release: Releases a bonded creature from the tamer''s control, returning it to the wild and granting a slight boost to the Tamer''s Taming Affinity. Mana Cost: 10 Cooldown: 5 seconds 3. Inspect: Allows the tamer to see key stats for each newly captured creature or human (without capturing), including health, mood, and loyalty. Provides insight into the creature''s basic abilities and strengths. Mana Cost: 5 Cooldown: 10 seconds +++ What do these stats mean!? Zhang Ying grabbed his head in frustration. He had to be the worst returner in the history. Ever since he returned, he kept botching stuff. First his path and now his class. If he had the admin from before, they would curse him to hell. "Now then, I''ll tell you how to get strong," Alana called out, turning towards the man who raised his hand before. "It''s pretty simple. You kill." Alana threw a knife in the man''s direction, hitting him right in the middle of the eyes. The man died before he hit the floor. People gasped and backed away. The desirable seductive woman didn''t look desirable to them anymore. "I don''t like people who talk a lot," Alana shrugged, walking to the corpse. That guy didn''t even say a word... Alana stood over the corpse and looked at her watch. As she looked up, something emerged from the corpse, floating in the air. Alana took the stone and shrugged. "So you were worthless after all," she mumbled before turning towards the rest. "We call this Arcana. Every breathing thing in the Otherworld has at least one. When a creature dies, this appears after 10 seconds." She continued, "If you absorb an Arcana, it''ll boost your stats, and you might even get a new skill. Pretty cool, right? This one''s no use to me, so does anyone want it?" But no one stepped up. After the stunt Alana pulled earlier, it was natural for them to be scared. If they did something she didn''t like, they''d turn into arcana as well. "No one? That''s a first¡ªoh, we have someone," Alana smiled, looking at Zhang Ying, who had raised his hand. "A cutie at that, too." Zhang Ying reluctantly raised his hand. He wanted nothing to do with her, but he had no choice. He needed some proper stat to survive the chamber. Since Alana was being kind enough to offer the arcana, he''d take it. As Alana walked up to him, everyone else stepped away. Zhang Ying kept his head low. He remembered the first thing she noticed were the eyes of her toys. As long as they didn''t make eye contact, it should be fine. "Put this on the top of your hand," Alana instructed. "S-Sure." Zhang Ying raised his hand, but as he did, Alana pulled him closer. She was stronger than Zhang Ying remembered and he couldn''t hold back, landing in her arms. "Someone''s eager." Alana licked her lips, raising his chin with her finger. "I''ll have a lot of fun with you... later." Alana pushed him away as quickly as she had pulled him. Zhang Ying sighed, feeling her mark on his chin. She''s as quick as ever... [Widow''s Mark] was a skill used by assassins to trace a target. But Alana used it to mark her toys to monitor them. Once marked... you''re doomed as her toy. Zhang Ying knew the risk but didn''t think she''d be so quick to lay her claim. Now that she had found a toy, her mood lifted. But Zhang Ying didn''t have the time to notice her. He pushed the arcana into his palm. As it disappeared, a notification appeared before him. [Persuasion: 11 --> 13] ...just my luck. Instead of getting a generic stat like strength or agility, the arcana improved his existing stat. All hopes of survival diminished before him. "Now that you know how to survive, do your best!" Alana yawned again, but not before blowing a kiss to Zhang Ying. "Especially you." "..." Zhang Ying reluctantly smiled back. The thing he dreaded the most might be the thing that''ll save him. Since Alana had marked him, she wouldn''t let him die, at least that''s what he believed. Alana stepped out, and the doors were locked behind her. At the same time, something fell with a thud. Then another and another. Suddenly, hundreds of short people fell to the ground. "What... what are those?" someone whispered. "More humans?" someone suggested. "Let me check..." A man stepped forward, squinting as he leaned closer to the short figures. Just as he was about to touch one of them, something sharp shot out and stabbed him in the neck. "Ack¡ª!" The man gasped as he stumbled backward. Before he could cry out, the small creatures jumped up, stabbing the man in any place they could reach. The man screamed, but the goblins'' snarls drowned the noise he made. Chaos broke out as people began pushing each other back. No one wanted to be the prey of the monsters. But they couldn''t run forever. "The walls... the walls are closing in!" someone yelled. "What!?" Zhang Ying sighed. Everything was happening like the last time. With the space decreasing, the humans would have to fight the goblins. The clash was inevitable. Only those willing to kill will survive. But Zhang Ying didn''t have that choice either. "No weapon means no fighting," he shrugged. "Time to suck up to someone... for now." First Catch Zhang Ying rushed to the far end of the room. The goblins could sense the fear in others and target those who are afraid or panic first. Running away from the crowd will give him enough time to look for a proper meat shield. As if it¡¯ll be that easy. Everyone was looking for powerful people to support them. Those who were strong looked for reliable or desirable people. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t fall into either category. Alana might have found him cute, but that was because of his submissive attitude. The quality she found desirable was laughable to the others. As for reliability, Zhang Ying didn¡¯t have that either. Reliable people were those who could fend for themselves. Zhang Ying, who didn¡¯t even have a weapon, didn¡¯t fall into this category either. In his last life, people were lining up for his help as he was a priest. But now, people turned away when they saw him running their way. Even Liang Mei was busy hugging Gao Rong¡¯s thigh. She only glanced at him once before turning away. But Zhang Ying didn¡¯t want their help. Not in this life. Just then, Zhang Ying noticed a burly man standing ahead with a sword. Zhang Ying was quick to use the [Inquire] skill on him. +++ [Name: Ping Fan] [Title: None.] [Age: 21] [Nature: Hardy] [Job: Street Brawler] [Strength: 21] [Agility: 6] [Stamina: 21] [Intelligence: 6] [Endurance: 30] [Luck: -1] [Magic: 0] [Evolution: N/A] +++ ¡°Hey!¡± Zhang Ying called out. ¡°Hey, you! The one with the sword!¡± Ping Fan casually looked over, pointing at himself. ¡°Yes, you! Help me out, please!¡± ¡°Can you fight?¡± Ping Fan asked. ¡°Yes. But I need help first.¡± Ping Fan seemed to hesitate at first, but then suddenly his expression changed.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. [User has enough Persuasion stat.] [Targets with low intelligence can be influenced.] [Persuasion was successful!] ¡°Get behind me!¡± Ping Fan urged, raising his sword. Zhang Ying smiled with satisfaction. Who needs arrogant assholes when he could manipulate fools into doing his bidding? Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t even sigh in relief before two goblins jumped at Ping Fan. ¡°Watch out!¡± Zhang Ying shouted. Ping Fan turned and clumsily swung the blade. Zhang Ying realized Ping Fan did not know how to wield the blade. He kept wildly swinging the blade, his lack of skills baffled even the goblins. But their fun could only last so long. One goblin ducked under Ping Fan¡¯s wild swings and stabbed his leg with a dagger. Ping Fan cried out, stumbling backward. The second goblin took advantage, leaping onto him and driving its dagger into his chest. ¡°Fuck!¡± Zhang Ying yelled. The goblins forced Ping Fan on the ground and kept stabbing him. A pool of blood formed around him as he struggled in vain. Soon, the sword slipped and fell from his grasp. With the goblins busy, Zhang Ying jumped towards the sword. He might not have the stats, but he had the experience. As long as he got a weapon, he¡¯d deal with the goblins. But as soon as he touched the blade, it turned to dust and crumbled. ¡°What the hell?¡± Zhang Ying exclaimed. [The User can only wield class-specific weapons.] ¡°What are those!?¡± [None. A tamer¡¯s weapons are his pets.] ¡°...¡± The commotion attracted the goblins¡¯ attention to Zhang Ying. With a smirk, the two turned towards him. Zhang Ying panicked, causing the goblin¡¯s smile to widen. But something felt off. One goblin stopped the other as if saying only one of them was enough for Zhang Ying. The other goblin shrugged and stepped back. Zhang Ying clenched his fists, ready to face the goblin with his fists. But then the goblin lunged at him. Zhang Ying raised his fist, but then someone kicked him from behind. ¡°Oof¡ª¡° Zhang Ying fell to the ground, with the goblin before his eyes. In that split second, Zhang did the only thing he could¡ªhe squeezed his eyes shut and braced for the end, hoping he would reincarnate again. He waited for the blow. And waited... and waited... but the blow never came. Slowly, Zhang opened his eyes. The goblin, who¡¯d been eager to kill him, stood frozen before him with its hand on the side. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhang Ying mumbled. [Due to the user¡¯s incompetency, the system auto-used the skill: .] [Congratulations! You have captured a Goblin.] +++ [Name: Unnamed Goblin] [Gender: Female] [Rank: Grunt] [Type: Wild] [Level: 3] [Exp: 12/150] [HP: 69] [Mana: 0] [Nature: Nimble] [Job: None.] [Strength: 11] [Agility: 21] [Stamina: 11] [Intelligence: 8] [Endurance: 9] [Luck: 2] [Magic: 0] [Evolution: possible] [Abilities: 3] +++ Zhang Ying was stunned. The class he had been cursing out till now suddenly didn¡¯t seem useless. Meanwhile, the goblin kept staring at Zhang Ying like a dog waiting for his command. The goblin¡¯s partner sensed something and screeched, looking at the goblin, but she didn¡¯t reply. It infuriated the other goblin, who lunged at Zhang Ying. But then his newly tamed goblin reacted and jumped before him with surprising speed. She screeched back, blocking the goblin¡¯s attack with her dagger. For a moment, Zhang was too stunned to react. He had a goblin fighting for him. Not a human, but a goblin. The fight between the two goblins was quick. Zhang Ying¡¯s tamed goblin was faster and outsmarted the other. With a spin kick, she sent the other sprawling onto the ground. Wasting no time, Zhang Ying¡¯s goblin jumped on top of her fallen foe. The other goblin screeched, clawing and slashing desperately, but in vain. Zhang Ying¡¯s goblin pinned the other¡¯s arms with her legs, then she raised the dagger, repeatedly stabbing the goblin who dared attack her master. [Green goblin slain!] [You gained 20 EXP.] [ gained 10 EXP.] ¡°Woah...¡± Zhang Ying mumbled, staring at the notifications. Meanwhile, his goblin got off her fallen brethren and approached him. Blue blood dripped from her face and hands. She quickly wiped the blood off her face before lowering her head towards Zhang Ying, as if awaiting praise for her work. Zhang Ying looked at her and smiled. This was enough, something he could work with. Plunderers Zhang Ying patted the goblin¡¯s head, much to the others¡¯ shock. He was petting the beast they were trying to kill? Had he lost his mind? No one spoke a word, but Zhang Ying could practically hear their thoughts. He didn¡¯t mind them. They were free to think whatever the hell they wanted to. After all, he knew the worth of his talents. [Your subordinate desires a name.] ¡°A name... this really is like one of those taming games.¡± Zhang Ying looked at the goblin. She looked as disgusting as the rest. Hell, if it wasn¡¯t for the skill, he would never know it was a female. I could have looked up the skirt... but let¡¯s not make things any weirder than they need to be. The goblin eagerly waited to be granted a name. Zhang Ying sighed. He was never good at naming things. Back on earth, he was asked to name his nephew and almost got disowned by his family. ¡°How was I supposed to know it meant shit in some other language? Oh well, there¡¯s always a first time for everything,¡± Zhang Ying mumbled, scratching his cheek. ¡°What about Gobrella? Everyone likes mozzarella, right?¡± As soon as those words left Zhang Ying¡¯s mouth, the goblin raised her dagger. ¡°Relax! I¡¯m your master, damn it!¡± Zhang Ying yelled, raising his hands before him. The goblin scoffed before lowering the blade. Zhang Ying let out a sigh of relief before shaking his head. Being upset over a name was understandable, but being upset to the point of attacking someone was... concerning. ¡°What about Gobrina? As in Sabrina? It¡¯s a Western name, so you might like it?¡± The goblin rested her chin on her hand, lost in deep thought. After a few seconds, she sighed and gave up. It didn¡¯t seem like her owner could come up with a better name, so she¡¯d settle for anything decent he picked. [Gobrina will make do with her name.] [The User should try harder next time.] [Gobrina¡¯s loyalty increased by 0.7%. Current Loyalty 61.7%] ¡°...it¡¯s better than nothing¡ªOh, I forgot about the arcana?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Ping Fan had died, so his arcana popped out. The same thing happened with the other goblin that Gobrina defeated. ¡°Even the goblin spawned one.¡± Zhang Ying smiled. Not all mob monsters drop arcana after dying. The fact that the goblin dropped one meant it had killed quite a few people and absorbed their arcana. Zhang Ying looked around, and sure enough, only a few people were taking the arcana from fallen humans. Witnessing their morality almost made Zhang Ying puke. They were still acting high and mighty, but he knew they won¡¯t do it for long. Soon, the lust for power would overwhelm their morals and that¡¯s when the literal shit show would begin. I need to get stronger before that. Zhang Ying grabbed both arcana but didn¡¯t use any. Instead, he checked them with his skill to check the stat boosts they offered. After all, he wasn¡¯t alone anymore. [Item: Common Strength Arcana. Provides STR +2. Increases Domination for the User.] [Item: Common Agility Arcana. Provides AGI +1. Increases Empathy for the User.] ¡°No control arcana, huh?¡± Zhang Ying shook his head before handing both Arcana to Gobrina. ¡°Since common arcana only provides one to three stat points, it won¡¯t matter much either way.¡± Gobrina didn¡¯t hesitate and used them immediately. People who saw Zhang Ying angrily shook their heads. They couldn¡¯t believe he handed the arcana to a goblin, that too from a dead man. [Gobrina¡¯s agility increased! 21 --> 22] [Gobrina¡¯s strength increased! 11 --> 13] Zhang Ying didn¡¯t know what or did for him. Hence, he decided it was better to raise Gobrina¡¯s stats. She can get me more arcana later. For now, Zhang Ying focused on two things. First, raising his and stats as those had proved most useful till now. The second was to look for another goblin to tame. The more goblins he had at his disposal, the faster he would get out of there. ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s get to it.¡± *** Not having a weapon sucked big time. However, the weapon Zhang Ying had at his command wasn¡¯t too bad. He had to watch his back, but whenever he was in danger, Gobrina rushed to his side, helping him first before continuing the attacks on the goblins. Meanwhile, Zhang Ying walked behind her, gathering the arcana as they appeared. It was important to be in sync with her. The moment Gobrina killed someone, the countdown for the arcana to appear began. That¡¯s when the plunderers strike. Plunderers were the most detested factions in the Otherworld. They were the lazy bastards who stole the fruit of other¡¯s hard work. In other words, they stole arcana right under someone¡¯s nose. At least that¡¯s what they did during the trial. The trial was the place where they started their infamous scheme. They steal arcana, and if anyone tries to stop them, they gang up and bully that person. But they were smart enough not to mess with anyone stronger than them. The plunderers typically targeted lonely people... like Zhang Ying. In his past life, since he was surrounded by people, they didn¡¯t dare interfere. But now that he was alone, it was a matter of time before they appeared. Gobrina is the only one protecting me. They might not think much of a goblin. But that would be their worst mistake. So far, Zhang Ying has gotten common seven arcana, five of which he gave to Gobrina. Two of them were strength, the other two were agility, and the last was stamina arcana. The two arcana Zhang Ying took increased his persuasion by 2 points and control by 3. But increasing his stats wasn¡¯t important, unlike Gobrina¡¯s stats.