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Chapter 4: My Talking System, the Goat, and My First Scam
Elric had always wanted power.
Not just the punch-things-until-they-explode kind. No, he wanted the kind of power where people looked at him and said, "Damn, that kid probably has a dragon army hidden somewhere."
So, when a robotic but cheerful voice echoed in his head one lazy morning, Elric did what any sane child would do.
He panicked.
> [SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Welcome, Elric. Legendary Class: Shepherd has been unlocked.
"Ah—wait, what?! Who's in my head?! Grandpa! Grandpa! Someone's hijacking my brain!"
> Chill, kid. I'm your personal Shepherd System. You got lucky, I'm one of the rare ones. Think of me as your best friend—just smarter, cooler, and able to open shops with mind-control.
Elric froze.
"…You're a talking cheat menu."
> I'm a sophisticated, divine companion, thank you very much. But yes. Also, you can call me... Sheepy.
"Sheepy?"
> Would you rather 'Ultimate Divine Shepherd Battle Management AI Mark II'?
"…Sheepy it is."
---
[SYSTEM MENU UNLOCKED]
System Points (SP): 0
Summons: 0
Shop: Unlocked
Quests: Coming Soon™
Inventory: Empty like your wallet
Friendliness Level: 3/100 (You tried to scream me away)
---
"Okay, Sheepy," Elric said with a sigh, "what can I do with zero points?"
> Shop's open, but you're broke. Get SP by summoning, exploring, doing fun stuff. Maybe con your grandpa into a goat race again?
"…You watched that?"
> I see everything.
Creepy.
---
[SYSTEM SHOP] (Preview Only)
Wild Goat Egg – 10 SP
Summon Scroll (Common) – 50 SP
Basic Shepherd's Staff – 80 SP
Mystery Pouch (Don't Ask) – 100 SP
Dungeon Access Pass – 150 SP
---
"Let's summon something then. How do I do it?"
> Say the words: 'By fleece and flame, I summon thee.'
"…Seriously?"
> Do it.
Elric stood dramatically in the middle of his room. He raised his hand like an anime protagonist.
"By fleece and flame, I summon—"
BOOM.
Golden light exploded in front of him. The floor cracked slightly. A gust of warm air swept his hair back like he was in a shampoo commercial.
And out came...
A goat.
A very smug, very fat goat.
"…That's it?"
> Congratulations! You summoned a Wild Goat. Rarity: Trash-tier. Loyalty: 41%.
The goat stared at him. Then promptly headbutted him in the kneecap.
"OW! WHY!"
> It's your first summon. They come with attitude. But hey, it can eat grass and intimidate toddlers.
"…I'm so powerful," Elric deadpanned.
> Oh wait! Look! You got 10 SP! Goat summoning bonus.
Elric's eyes gleamed.
"Shop's open, baby!"
---
With trembling fingers, he hovered his thoughts over the Wild Goat Egg.
"Let's go, double goat trouble."
> Purchased. SP remaining: 0.
Crack.
The egg in his hands cracked open—and another goat popped out.
Only this one had a tiny golden bell and glared at him with eyes of judgment.
"…Why do I feel like I've adopted two tiny bandits?"
> Because you did.
---
That night, Elric sat on his bed with two goats curled beside him. His System chatted away like a nosy best friend, telling him all about rankings and how Beast Tiers went from F to SSS and beyond.
> Monsters have their own evolution paths. Dungeons connect different worlds. Gods play with fate, and you—my little Shepherd—get to collect creatures and cause chaos across the realms.
Elric smiled.
"This world's messed up. I love it already."
> Same.
Alright! Here's Chapter 5 of My Shepherd Class. Elric is growing bolder (and more shameless), the goats are... still goats, and the world is starting to open up a bit. Vibes are fun, warm, and chaotic—just like a young Shepherd's life should be.
---
Chapter 5: The Goat Scam, the Dungeon Hole, and My First Real Win
Early morning in the village of Greenrest was usually peaceful.
Today? Not so much.
Because Elric—eight years old, two goats deep, and armed with a System that encouraged mischief—had declared war on boredom.
"Ladies and gentle-villagers!" he shouted from the well's edge, standing atop an overturned bucket like some noble merchant. "For just one copper coin, you may witness the divine wisdom of the Holy Goat Oracle!"
A crowd began to gather. Mostly curious kids, a few nosy aunties, and Farmer Len who was just too polite to walk away.
Behind Elric stood his goat. Bell Goat. Wearing a makeshift crown made of chicken feathers and a twig.
"…He's gonna do something dumb, isn't he?" muttered one auntie.
"You wound me," Elric said, placing a hand on his heart. "This goat can answer any yes-or-no question. Watch."
He turned to the goat.
"Oh great oracle! Will it rain tomorrow?"
The goat stared at him blankly.
Then headbutted him in the knee.
"See?! That's a no! Rain? HA! Not happening!"
A few kids clapped. One actually dropped a copper.
> +1 System Point earned. First successful scam—I mean 'show'—complete!
"See?" Elric grinned. "The goat knows all."
---
Back at home, Elric sat under a tree, tossing his single SP like it was a gold coin of destiny.
"Alright, Sheepy. You got anything useful for 1 SP?"
> Nope. But I'll give you a bonus summon if you promise not to sell goat hair as magical charms again.
"That was one time. And technically it was only semi-fraud."
> Just summon something already, you walking comedy sketch.
---
Elric raised his hand again.
"By fleece and flame, I summon—"
BOOM.
Another flash of light. Dust kicked up. A shape began to form.
Then—
"…Is that a mole rat?"
> Congrats! You summoned a Blind Mole Rat. Rarity: Trash-tier. Loyalty: 63%. But hey... it's good at digging.
The mole rat snorted, then immediately burrowed into the ground.
"Wait—HEY! Get back here!"
But it was too late.
Because the ground rumbled.
And then—
CRAAAAACK—
Elric fell straight into a hole.
---
He landed with a thud. It was dark. Damp. Cold.
And glowing moss lined the walls.
> Welcome to a Micro-Dungeon: Forgotten Animal Burrow. Tier F. Estimated survival chance: 42%.
"...I hate math."
Elric picked himself up. The mole rat chittered beside him proudly.
"…You found me a dungeon?"
> Technically, you fell in. But hey! First dungeon! Let's go!
---
Deeper inside, Elric saw glowing eggs, rusted bones, and a few slimes wiggling menacingly in the corners.
"Okay... slimes I can handle," he whispered. "Just… no mutant chickens, please."
> Warning: Mini-Boss detected. Incoming—
"WHAT?!"
From the shadows emerged a… mole.
A big one.
With glowing red eyes and a tiny helmet made of a broken pot.
> Mini-Boss: Angry Burrow Guardian (F+ Rank)
HP: 120/120
Weakness: Light, Loud Noises, Goat Horns
"…Did you just say goat horns?"
> Tag your team in. You've got goat support, remember?
---
A few chaotic minutes later...
Elric burst out of the dungeon hole, dirt-covered, slime-stained—but grinning like a madman.
Behind him, the two goats and mole rat marched proudly. And in Elric's hands?
A small glowing crystal.
> [Dungeon Core Fragment Acquired. +50 SP earned. New Title Unlocked: Rookie Dungeon Diver]
"I AM A GENIUS."
> No, you're just stupidly lucky.
"Same thing!"
---
Later that night, under the stars, Elric looked up with his little goat army and whispered:
"Today… was a good day."
> You've only just begun, Shepherd. Get ready for more worlds, more chaos, and maybe—just maybe—a goat with fire powers next.
Elric's eyes lit up.
"I WANT TH
---
Chapter 6: Grandpa's Return, Secret Training, and the Exploding Chicken Egg
Morning sunlight poured into Elric's house like a nosy aunt. Birds chirped. Goats snored. And one very smug eight-year-old rolled out of bed with a crystal in one hand and a "I survived a dungeon" grin on his face.
But peace?
Peace had other plans.
"BOY!"
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The door slammed open.
A tall man with wild grey hair, sun-tanned skin, and a red cloak that smelled like five different forests stomped in. His beard looked like it had wrestled a bear—and won.
"Grandpa!" Elric shouted, eyes sparkling. "You're back!"
His grandfather grinned wide and tossed him up with a laugh. "Heard you fought mole rats, headbutted slimes, and summoned goats. Is that true?"
"…Not in that order."
---
Grandpa sat down at the firepit, munching on roasted roots. Elric told him everything—from the System to the goat scam, to the dungeon fall, to the mole rat with the pot-helmet.
"…And then I summoned this mole rat guy, and he found the hole, and the goats distracted the boss, and I got a crystal and SP and—"
Grandpa just chuckled.
"Boy, you've inherited my chaos."
"You mean legendary talent, right?"
"No. I mean chaos."
---
Later that afternoon, Grandpa whistled Elric out to the old barn behind the house. It looked abandoned. Dusty. Like something straight out of a scary bedtime tale.
"Is this where you train kids into warriors?" Elric asked.
"No," Grandpa said, "this is where I keep the good stuff."
CLANK.
He kicked open a trapdoor.
Inside? A secret training room. Wooden dummies. Crystal training stones. Even a broken statue of a giant beast.
"…Whoa."
"You're my grandson," Grandpa said. "And I've got a feeling you'll be dragged into a storm soon."
> [Hidden Bond Unlocked: Grandpa's Legacy]
Special Access: Shepherd's Secret Training Grounds (Lv.1)
"Wait, I get System benefits for having an overpowered Grandpa?"
> Yup. The System respects old men who punch monsters in the face.
---
While Elric trained with rocks and goats (yes, seriously), Sheepy pinged in with a message.
> New Shop Item Unlocked: Beast-Soul Egg – 100 SP
> New Feature Unlocked: Pet Nicknames
Elric's goats now had new names:
Bell Goat = Princess Bashface
Fat Goat = Mutton Prime
Mole Rat = Sir Diggles
"…I regret nothing."
---
That night, Elric couldn't sleep.
Not because of fear. Not because of nightmares.
But because something was glowing under his bed.
He reached out.
Crack…
It was a small egg. Pink. With red specks.
> [You've found a Wild Beast Egg. Danger Level: Unknown.]
> Warning: May explode.
"…What."
Suddenly—BOOM!
Feathers everywhere. His entire room turned into a puffball storm.
Standing in the middle of the chaos, squawking like a god of war—
Was a baby chicken.
With one eye glowing. And smoke rising from its tail.
> Congratulations! You've hatched an Exploding Chick. Rarity: ???
Loyalty: 0%
Ability: [Self-Destruct].
Elric blinked.
"System."
> Yeah?
"I think I've just found my
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