Chapter 1: The Crippled Beast Tamer
Lin Tian's head throbbed as if a thousand blades were piercing his skull. The damp smell of dirt and mold filled his nostrils as he slowly opened his eyes. His body ached, weak and frail, like it hadn't known strength in years.
"Where… am I?" he murmured, his voice raspy and alien even to himself.
As his vision cleared, he realized he was lying on the cold ground of a small wooden hut. The walls were barely holding together, the roof leaking droplets of water from the rain outside. The only furniture was a broken wooden table and a tattered blanket that barely covered his shivering body.
Memories surged into his mind like a tidal wave. Betrayal. Death. Rebirth.
"I… I died," he whispered. Lin Tian, once the supreme Heavenly Beast Tamer who commanded armies of mythical creatures, had been betrayed by his closest allies. They had feared his power, conspired against him, and struck him down at the peak of his glory.
But now, he wasn't dead. He was alive, though in the body of someone weak and pitiful. He clenched his fists, feeling the callouses and scrawny muscles. This body had been malnourished and neglected.
A fragmented memory surfaced—this body belonged to a boy, also named Lin Tian, from a remote village. The boy had been crippled in a beast attack when he was younger, his spiritual core shattered and deemed useless for cultivation. His family had abandoned him, leaving him to fend for himself.
Lin Tian's anger burned.
"They threw you away like trash… Just like I was betrayed," he growled. "But I am no ordinary soul."
Just then, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[System of Dominion Activated.]
Welcome, Host. You have been chosen to inherit the legacy of the Beast God.
Lin Tian froze. A system? In his past life, systems were only rumors, ancient tools said to grant impossible power to cultivators.
[New Host Soul Detected. Synchronizing with the System… Complete.]
Current Status: Weak. Pathetic. Barely Worthy of Attention.
His eyebrow twitched. Even the system was mocking him.
"What is this…?" he asked aloud.
A transparent interface appeared before him, displaying his status:
Name: Lin Tian
Cultivation Level: None (Crippled Core)
System Functions: [Beast Taming], [Dominion], [Quest System]
Tamed Beasts: None
Current Mission:
- Survive your first beast encounter.
Reward: Awakening of the Taming Skill.
Failure: Death.
"Survive my first beast encounter?" Lin Tian frowned. "What beast? This body can barely move."
As if on cue, a low growl echoed outside the hut. His body tensed as a shadow loomed at the doorway.
The door creaked open, and a Bloodfang Wolf stepped inside. Its crimson eyes glowed in the dim light, saliva dripping from its snarling maw. The beast was twice the size of an average wolf, its claws sharp enough to shred through wood and bone alike.
Lin Tian's mind raced. He was weaponless, crippled, and had no cultivation. In his prime, a beast like this would have been nothing more than a pet, but now it was a death sentence.
The system's voice rang in his mind.
[Mission Update: Tame or Kill the Bloodfang Wolf.]
Lin Tian forced a deep breath. Panic wouldn't save him. He needed to think.
The wolf growled, inching closer, its predatory gaze locked on him.
"If I can't fight it, I'll tame it," Lin Tian muttered, his old instincts kicking in. "System, how do I tame it?"
[Taming Skill Locked. Awaken it by surviving this encounter.]
"Useless system!" Lin Tian cursed.
The wolf lunged at him, fangs aimed at his throat. Lin Tian rolled to the side, his weak body barely evading the attack. The wolf's claws scraped the ground, leaving deep gashes in the wooden floor.
Lin Tian's eyes darted around the hut. There was nothing he could use as a weapon. His mind spun. In his past life, taming required dominating the beast's will, but he lacked the spiritual strength to subdue it now.
The wolf lunged again. This time, Lin Tian grabbed the broken wooden table and shoved it between them. The beast smashed through it easily, splinters flying everywhere. A sharp fragment of wood landed near him.
He grabbed the shard and turned to face the wolf.
"If I can't tame you the proper way, I'll force you into submission!"
As the wolf charged again, Lin Tian threw the shard directly at its eye. The beast yelped, stumbling back as blood dripped from its face.
Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Tian scrambled to his feet. He locked eyes with the beast, his voice cold and commanding.
"Submit to me, or die!"
For a brief moment, the wolf hesitated. Its instincts screamed to attack, but something about Lin Tian's gaze froze it in place. A faint golden glow flickered in his eyes, remnants of his former soul's dominance.
[Congratulations! Taming Skill Unlocked.]
[Bloodfang Wolf Successfully Tamed.]
The wolf's growls subsided. Its crimson eyes softened, and it lowered its head in submission.
Lin Tian collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. His hands shook, but a triumphant smirk spread across his face.
"I may be weak now, but I'll rise again. This is only the beginning."
The system chimed once more.
[Mission Complete. Reward Granted: Beast Taming Skill Awakened.]
[New Mission Unlocked: Establish Your First Beast Pact.]
Lin Tian looked at the wolf, his first companion in this new life.
"From now on, you serve me," he said, his voice firm. "Together, we'll conquer this world… and beyond."
The wolf howled, sealing their bond. Lin Tian's journey from a broken boy to a legend had begun.