King of Beasts

Missionary Gory finished speaking and looked at the beastmasters below, noticing that everyone was gazing at him with fervent eyes. He couldn’t help but nod in satisfaction.

This group had been carefully selected from Mingan, and their ideological awareness was the most aligned. They were very suitable for being absorbed into the faith. Next, it would depend on their talents.

“Now, summon your pet beasts,” he instructed.

“Yes, Lord Gory.” The beastmasters, all clad in black robes, answered in unison and began summoning their pet beasts.

Soon, a dozen or so pet beasts appeared nearby. Lu Ran observed that they were all creatures below level 20, and of rather low species, quite weak.

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Ran also summoned General Ha. General Ha, resembling a wolf, blended into the group of weak pet beasts without drawing any attention. Without a sword in its mouth and with those wise eyes, General Ha hardly looked like a formidable presence.

“Woof,” General Ha barked softly, looking at Lu Ran, inquiring about the situation.

“Nothing much, just testing your soul talent, no fights for now,” Lu Ran thought.

Oh.

General Ha showed a disdainful look, so that’s what it was about? Did it even need testing? There was no way it could be lacking!

By the way, what exactly is a soul?

General Ha looked at Lu Ran with wisdom.

“Watch carefully,” Lu Ran said, exasperated.

At this moment, the person closest to the missionary walked over at Gory’s signal.

His pet beast was a rock boar. The missionary directly handed the Soul-Calming Stone to this person and said, “During this process, the pet beast must not resist or use energy to protect itself, otherwise, the soul cannot be extracted. Communicate with your pet beast and conduct the test yourself. I won’t interfere to avoid any overreaction.”

“Okay, okay.” The beastmaster received the Soul-Calming Stone as if it were a treasure and looked at the rock boar.

“Oink oink…”

The next moment, he struck the boar’s head with a brick. Immediately, those present were astonished to see a large mass of gray pig-shaped spirit being extracted by the Soul-Calming Stone, almost toppling over next to its flesh body, completely unprepared.

General Ha: ?

At that moment, the rock boar’s physical body seemed dazed and stood still, while its pig-shaped spirit, inheriting its expression, was frantically shaking its head in panic and shock.

At this point, Lu Ran quickly activated the Eye of Data.

[Name]: Unstable Rock Boar Spirit

[Species Level]: None

[Growth Level]: None

“Ugh!!!” After just a few seconds, the rock boar’s spirit let out a suffocating cry and quickly darted back into its physical body. The dazed rock boar then “came back to life,” gasping for air, its pig eyes showing lingering fear.

“This won’t do,” Gory observed, frowning. The talent was too poor.

It was the kind that would go mad and lose its sanity after consuming a few souls.

“Lord Gory, does it have a poor talent?” the beastmaster of the rock boar asked.

Gory replied, “Theoretically, any pet beast can be converted to necromancy, but here’s the issue: only pet beasts with a sufficiently strong soul talent can maintain their identity throughout the growth process in a necromancy form.”

“I suggest you continue to cultivate this pet beast normally. If it happens to die in the future, you can then consider transforming it into a necromancy. For now, step aside. Later, I’ll take you around Mingan to find pet beasts with strong enough soul talents. At that time, you can decide whether to contract a new pet.”

“Your current pet beast doesn’t have much hope.”

“Pass the Soul-Calming Stone to the next person.”

This person walked away disappointed. The next beastmaster’s cat-shaped pet beast, however, had a decent talent. Its spirit could stay outside its body for a minute before feeling uncomfortable, a result that made Gory nod in satisfaction.

While it still wasn’t an exceptionally strong soul talent, for a beastmaster of this level, it was sufficient and could definitely develop into a follower.

“Next…”

“Next…”

Soon, it was finally Lu Ran’s turn. Although Lu Ran didn’t plan to cultivate General Ha in the necromancy line, he was still very curious about General Ha’s soul talent strength.

Holding the brick-like Soul-Calming Stone, Lu Ran looked at the bewildered General Ha beside him.

“Your turn, give it a try,” Gory said, looking at Lu Ran and General Ha. Compared to the previous pets, Lu Ran’s pet beast seemed quite impressive and well-trained.

However.

What happened next left the missionary and everyone else in stunned silence.

Lu Ran kept striking General Ha’s head with the Soul-Calming Stone, but the dog just stared back with wide eyes, showing no reaction at all.

“What’s going on?” The surrounding beastmasters hoping to join the Holy Church were confused.

Although this dog looked a bit clueless, they’d never heard of a creature lacking a soul.

“What’s going on,” Lu Ran was puzzled too.

“Woof!” Finally, after being hit on the head repeatedly, General Ha showed a displeased expression.

Soul-Calming Stone, huh? It would remember this grudge.

“Could it be•?” At this moment, seeing the Soul-Calming Stone have no effect on the dog, missionary Gory pondered and said in surprise, “Unbelievable, this is the first time I’ve seen such a situation; I’ve only heard about it before.”

“It’s said that if the soul talent is very strong, ordinary Soul-Calming Stones will be ineffective. Your pet beast might have an exceptionally high talent!” He looked at Lu Ran with admiration and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Sudden Death King,” Lu Ran replied.

“Great name, it seems very fitting for necromancy,” Gory said. “It’s okay if we can’t test it; this already proves that your pet beast’s soul talent is very high. Its level and species must be impressive too.”

“Yes,” Lu Ran nodded.

“Does it also have high comprehension?”

“Soul talent is related to comprehension?” Lu Ran was surprised.

“A strong soul talent doesn’t necessarily mean high comprehension, but if the comprehension is strong, the soul strength and talent are definitely powerful,” Gory explained.

Gory was even more delighted. Indeed, the decaying empire was increasingly losing favor.

Now, it wasn’t just the lower-ranked beastmasters who wanted to join the Death Holy Church in pursuit of eternal life. Even some geniuses were gradually being drawn to the Death Holy Church.

The Death Holy Church was indeed very enticing. It openly told beastmasters that even if their pet beasts died in battle, there was still a chance for resurrection.

And if necromancy was cultivated to its peak, even if the beastmaster died in battle, they would have the opportunity to transform into a spirit, potentially extending their lifespan.

This alone made many people yearn for it.

Such temptation, in these war-torn times, had an undeniably fatal attraction.

“Wait here for a moment.” Gory was excited, not expecting to have discovered a genius.

Soon, all the pet beasts of this group were tested for their talent and then taken away by another black-robed figure who suddenly appeared. As for Lu Ran, Gory called him aside.

“Sudden Death King, your pet beast’s talent is exceptional. The Basic Necromancy we have might not be suitable for you. We’ll discuss your situation when the divine envoy arrives in a month.”

Lu Ran: ?

“A month later?”

Lu Ran had waited for a long time, thinking they would give him special treatment, but was this it?

I chose the necromancy faction specifically to learn about necromantic knowledge, and now you’re telling me to wait a month?

Give me another chance, and I’d choose the empire faction just to mess with you.

“A month…” Lu Ran frowned and said, “I joined you because I’m interested in necromancy. A month is too long. Now the empire is exterminating necromantic power everywhere. Are we supposed to stay in Mingan for a month?”

“Half a month. I can wait for half a month.”

“You are indeed extraordinary,” Gory said. “But there’s nothing we can do. We can’t contact the headquarters; we have to wait for the headquarters to contact us periodically.”

“Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Most of the people in the previous group wanted to join the Death Holy Church because they could hardly survive in this chaotic world.

Lu Ran seemed different, having his own ideas. However, Gory wasn’t surprised by Lu Ran’s attitude.

The empire was truly too corrupt now. Beast taming factions like the Death Holy Church, which rose in rebellion, were countless. Many talented beastmasters chose to join the resistance against the empire.

To Gory, Lu Ran seemed like one of those people.

“The wait of one month is worth it. With your talent, you will definitely receive special training once you reach the headquarters. We are just ordinary missionaries of the Holy Church and cannot provide you with the best guidance.”

“However, if you are really interested in necromancy, I don’t mind teaching you the most basic necromancy,” Gory said. “But even if your pet beast doesn’t turn into a spirit, its strength isn’t weak, right? Are you really willing to rely on Basic Necromancy and make it a spirit right away?”

“What do you mean?” Lu Ran was puzzled.

“If you wait until you reach the headquarters, you might have the chance to learn advanced necromancy.”

“Advanced necromancy can allow your pet beast to retain its physical body while also cultivating soul power. Basic Necromancy, on the other hand, requires abandoning the physical body to cultivate soul power.”

Lu Ran’s mouth opened slightly, then he said, “It does sound like advanced necromancy is more interesting.”

“But even so, I still want to learn Basic Necromancy. Can you teach me?”

Lu Ran felt that his Death Revival Skill Book was a typical form of Basic Necromancy.

Could there really be a beast taming skill that allows simultaneous cultivation of the physical body and the soul?

Lu Ran was astonished but felt that acquiring such a skill seemed very difficult and time-consuming.

“Forget it,” Gory shook his head, feeling helpless with Lu Ran. However, since he had already explained the pros and cons, Lu Ran probably wouldn’t recklessly practice Basic Necromancy. To Gory, Lu Ran was a promising talent. If he recommended Lu Ran to the headquarters, they would receive significant rewards. But if Lu Ran hastily used Basic Necromancy to cultivate his pet beast, much of his potential would be wasted.

Saying this, Gory took out a gray notebook from his chest pocket and tossed it to Lu Ran. “This is my personal cultivation notes. You can take a look at it. I’ll also lend you this.”

He then threw a Soul-Calming Stone to Lu Ran and said, “You can go into the city and find some wild beasts to study their souls. Hei Yu.”

As Gory spoke, another woman in a black robe appeared, seemingly one of Gory’s subordinates. He said, “Hei Yu, you will be responsible for guiding the Sudden Death King and teaching him relevant necromancy knowledge for the time being.”

“Also, prepare a quiet room for him.”

“Yes, Lord Gory,” the black-robed woman nodded.

“Sudden Death King, you are the most talented pet beast I’ve found after going through several cities. If you sincerely wish to practice necromancy, don’t act recklessly. Wait until we return to the headquarters,” Gory advised earnestly.

“Alright,” Lu Ran nodded in response to the advice.

In fact, he didn’t need to be told; even if he wanted to learn, he couldn’t just learn it on his own.

This should be considered a beast taming skill.

Beastmasters on the Star-Moon Continent learn beast taming skills based on their Beast Taming Space.

People from the Blue Star don’t have a Beast Taming Space and can’t learn beast taming skills the same way as beastmasters from the Star-Moon Continent. They can only learn skills through skill cards created by Infinite City.

Lu Ran’s intention was purely to research and understand the principles of necromancy from a different perspective.

But the fact that they were willing to lend him the Soul-Calming Stone… Lu Ran was pleasantly surprised by this unexpected boon.

He then looked at the personnel arranged by Gory. Although they were said to be guides, they were more likely there to monitor him. If a “genius” like him were to run away, it would be a significant loss for Gory, a missionary.

To keep him, Gory didn’t hesitate to lend out his cultivation notes and the Soul-Calming Stone. It seemed General Ha’s talent was indeed impressive.

However, Lu Ran had no intention of running away. Since he chose the necromancy faction, he planned to stay for the full 14 days to help the necromancy faction defend against the Imperial Army and other challengers’ attacks.

…

After Hei Yu led Lu Ran away, Gory stood in place, deep in thought.

After a while, another person in a black robe walked in and said, “Lord Gory, latest intelligence indicates that a remnant force of the Beast Taming Legion seems to be approaching Mingan.”

“I understand. Continue the reconnaissance. Also, send two more people to keep an eye on the Sudden Death King. If we end up fighting the Imperial Army, don’t let him escape,” Gory instructed.

Given the identities arranged by Infinite City, Gory wasn’t too suspicious of Lu Ran’s intentions in joining the Death Holy Church. Lu Ran and his group had been thoroughly vetted multiple times.

However, if the Beast Taming Legion and their group ended up in a battle, even if Lu Ran wanted to join the church, he would likely consider escaping or betraying them if things went south.

To prevent the loss of such a genius, Gory had to ensure someone kept a close watch on Lu Ran.

As for the Beast Taming Empire… Gory didn’t believe they would go to great lengths for such a small city. Mingan was rich in necromancy resources after the chaos of war. Unless it was absolutely necessary, Gory was reluctant to give up control of this resource-rich city.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran, following Hei Yu to his room, suddenly lowered his head and spoke:

“I have a question I’m very curious about. Could you answer it for me?”

“What?” Hei Yu looked at Lu Ran.

“You said necromantic pets feed on souls.”

“So, essentially, a soul is also an ingredient, right?” Lu Ran said softly. “Do you think a soul can be cooked? Just like ordinary ingredients, adding seasoning, combining with other ingredients, and making a dish.”

Hei Yu’s expression changed. She felt this guy was a lunatic. Necromancers’ pets feeding on souls was already unacceptable for the mundane world, and this guy… actually wanted to cook souls into cuisine?

If Lu Ran knew what she was thinking, he would definitely cry out in injustice. He was merely contemplating whether this could remove the side effects of consuming souls, like “removing the fishy smell,” and thereby normalize necromancers.

After all, Dr. Gu still had a pile of Death Revival skill cards. If Xia Country wanted to cultivate its own necromantic legion, they certainly couldn’t train a bunch of unstable forces. Similarly, Lu Ran had to consider the diet of his necromantic pet.

“I’ll try it later,” Lu Ran mumbled, tossing the Soul-Calming Stone in his hand.

A Soul Chef felt even rarer than a Dragon Chef.

As Lu Ran mumbled, Hei Yu felt even more scared. Boss, I need to report! This guy seems genuinely interested in necromancy, even more extreme than the higher-ups at headquarters!

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