Beast Tamer

Just as Ling Chu had guessed, behind the grass at her rear, Brave the World was fully armed, crouched in the shadows with his beast pet, the Golden Lion, the lion silently arching its back in a hunting stance.

The night was thick, the moon dim, and with the surrounding grass for cover, they were nearly impossible to spot.

The man watched Ling Chu's figure appear and was about to make his move when he suddenly heard a series of chaotic footsteps.

This sound... she wasn't alone!

One, two, three...

Counting the shadows on the ground, the man wondered to himself, how could there be so many people on this island? There was only one boat.

Until the moonlight tilted, and those figures stepped out from the forest's shadow, revealing their stark, bone-white forms.

The man's whole body went stiff, a chill running down his spine.

Good heavens, how could there be so many skeletons?!

What could be more terrifying than seeing a group of walking skeletons in the dead of night?

That these skeletons were all following behind his bounty target, step by step, as if they were her servants.

Brave the World couldn't help but hold his breath, his mind racing for a plan.

With so many skeletons, he definitely couldn't take them head-on, but the bounty target was right in front of him—letting her go would be a bitter pill to swallow.

Brave the World forced himself to calm down. He'd have his lion draw the skeletons' and Ling Chu's attention first, then strike from the shadows. There was still a chance to assassinate her.

If the first blow failed, he'd run.

Ling Chu pretended to walk toward her boat without a care, but her right hand was always pressed against the dagger at her waist. Her Mana Value had also fully recovered, ready to activate Ghostly Steps at any moment.

"Roar—"

A massive figure burst from the jungle, accompanied by a spine-shaking roar.

The golden-brown lion's mane was distinct and glossy under the moonlight.

Titch reacted first, drawing his Revolver and firing a shot at the lion. The lion leaped high to dodge, then lunged straight at Titch.

An adult human's size and strength were no match for a full-grown male lion, especially since Titch was now just a light, airy skeleton frame.

Titch was instantly pinned to the ground by the lion's paw, but his Crab Shell Armor was tough enough that the beast's claws left it completely undented.

The other Skeleton Henchmen snapped out of it and charged at the lion.

But most of them had no weapons—only Little Hook had a metal hook for a left hand that could barely serve as one, and Round Head carried a rusty machete.

"My hand!"

Big Gold Tooth howled as his left hand was torn off by the Golden Lion's bite. Before his scream even faded, he was surprised to find his severed hand could still move. He immediately picked up the broken bone.

"I can put it back on?"

Big Gold Tooth watched his left hand bone reattach perfectly and grinned.

The skeletons swarmed in. The lion, relying on its size advantage, sent two skeletons flying with every swipe of its claws or swing of its tail, scattered bones clattering to the ground as the scene descended into chaos.

The only one with a gun, Titch, was temporarily pinned by the lion. Ling Chu had a Shotgun in her ring, confiscated from a previous Public Challenge. With its large caliber, even if her aim was poor, at this close range, she could definitely cripple the lion.

But Ling Chu didn't draw the gun immediately. She stood still.

This lion clearly wasn't native to the island. The island had a Desert Monitor Lizard guarding it, which wouldn't allow another large animal like a lion to survive. She remembered that Brave the World was a Beast Tamer—this lion was probably his pet. He himself hadn't shown up yet, meaning he was surely hiding in some corner, waiting to ambush her.

As Ling Chu's guess took shape, a sharp Ballista Bolt shot through the air toward her.

Now! Ghostly Steps!

Ling Chu activated the skill, flashing to the grass behind where the bolt had come from, and the next second, she kicked hard at the figure crouching there.

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The man couldn't react in time. She kicked him rolling out of the grass, and the cold Iron Dagger was immediately pressed against his neck.

In one smooth motion.

"Don't, don't kill me! I surrender!"

Brave the World dropped into a kneeling slide, instantly raising both hands above his head.

Ling Chu raised an eyebrow. This guy knew how to adapt on the fly—his surrender was so fast it caught her off guard.

She'd thought whoever dared take her bounty would be someone formidable.

And this was it?

"Tell your lion to stop."

Ling Chu said coldly.

Brave the World immediately shouted, "Goldie, stop! No, shut your mouth!"

At that moment, the Golden Lion had a thigh bone—whose, no one knew—clamped in its jaws. Titch seized the chance to roll out from under the lion's paw, found the right angle, and fired again. This bullet hit its right leg precisely.

The lion, still riled from the fight, let out a pained low growl and finally snapped back to reality. It saw its master being held hostage and immediately released the leg bone from its mouth.

Ling Chu glanced down at Brave the World, who was trembling and begging for mercy, as her Eyepatch displayed his information.

[Player ID: Brave the World]

[Occupation: Beast Tamer (Tier 1)/Pirate Hunter (Tier 1)]

[Physique: 7]

[Strength: 7]

[Agility: 6]

[Intelligence: 4]

[Sin Value: 0]

[Justice Value: 10]

[Bounty Amount: 0]

[Skills: Beast Taming, Conceal Aura, I'll Take This Bounty]

[Beast Taming: Tame a wild beast into your pet. The pet cannot betray you unless it dies. Consumes 20 mana. (Pet Slot 1/1)]

[Conceal Aura (Passive): You excel at blending into your surroundings, making it hard for enemies to detect you.]

[I'll Take This Bounty: Each day, you can accept a bounty from the Sin Value Leaderboard and receive the exact coordinates of the target. Success grants corresponding rewards and class advancement experience; failure deducts Justice Value.]

Seeing Brave the World's skills, Ling Chu finally understood how he'd found her so quickly.

"I'll Take This Bounty" must be the Pirate Hunter's exclusive skill—compared to her Tracking Technique, it could pinpoint a more specific coordinate, but failure came with a penalty.

Beast Taming was clearly a Beast Tamer's skill; as for that passive Conceal Presence, she still wasn't sure.

"Is the skill you use to conceal your presence from the Pirate Hunter or the Beast Tamer?" Ling Chu asked him.

Brave the World was taken aback. How did she know he had that skill? Most people would just think he was good at hiding; they shouldn't be able to sense it.

He answered honestly: "It's from the Beast Tamer."

Good. If every Pirate Hunter had that skill, it would put her at a serious disadvantage.

Ling Chu initially thought about trying out her newly acquired Soul Mark skill on him, but decided against it. Someone who wanted her dead couldn't be spared.

"Titch, take care of him," Ling Chu said decisively.

"You, you... have no martial honor! I already surrendered! Since ancient times, surrendering soldiers aren't killed!"

Brave the World stared at her, shocked and furious, his tongue tripping over itself.

"If the one surrendering today were me, would you have the kindness to spare my life?" Ling Chu said expressionlessly. "Absolutely not. You came for my head bounty. If you dare take my bounty, you have to be ready to pay the price. Now that it's come down to it, you think surrendering will save you? There's no such good deal in this world. And what benefit would letting you go bring me? It'd only be releasing a tiger back to the mountains, exposing my location and the fact that I have a Skeleton Servant."

Brave the World was left speechless, completely choked.

"If you let me go, I swear I won't sell out any of your information. I'm a man of my word!" He raised his hand to swear an oath.

Ling Chu's face was written with "I don't believe you." Brave the World gritted his teeth and had to play his last card.

"I once opened a Treasure Map from a System Blind Box. I didn't keep it on me, nor in the ship's hold—I hid it on this island. Let me go, and I'll dig up that Treasure Map for you!"

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