Lu Yu withdrew from the Chaos Space, and the dense Peach Blossom Forest, like a pink cloud, once again entered his sight.
A gentle breeze blew, the peach blossoms rustled, fluttering and dancing as they fell, resonating with this symphony of spring.
“Eye of Truth!”
Lu Yu recited silently in his heart. In the center of his star-like pupils, the silver vines on the Silver Key spread and intertwined, forming the pattern of a nebula-like eye, overlapping to resemble the mythical Double Pupil.
His already handsome face gained a trace of mystery and a demonic charm.
After activating the Eye of Truth, his vision improved drastically, and the world in his eyes changed along with it!
【Fifteen-year-old Peach Tree, transplanted, in good growing condition…】
【Twenty-five-year-old Peach Tree, transplanted, trunk is infested with pests, recommend using pesticide…】
【Peach Blossom Ladybug, feeds on nectar and decaying plants…】
【Peach Pig, two years old, pregnant, shoulder height of 1.
5 meters, body length of 2.7 meters, weight… Feeding it during pregnancy can increase favorability, feeding its young a drink made from peach blossom honey can prevent sickness in their youth…】
All objects in his eyes now had data descriptions: age, growth status, and even more methods for nurturing Peach Pigs, and so on…
He had volunteered to raise pigs, not to escape reality, nor to contract a mobile food source that could be snatched away and eaten at any moment.
His true goal was to accumulate his initial capital.
After experiencing the "twisted sun" incident, Lu Yu was unsure if the city he was in was real, so he maintained a sliver of vigilance towards everyone.
So after his injuries healed, the talent he reported to the school was not 【Eye of Truth】, but 【Beast Affinity】.
It served as an ace up his sleeve, and he was also afraid that his eyes would be targeted.
However, hiding his strength did not mean he would let himself stagnate.
Especially since his parents had bought a large number of items while on their mission, the money left at home was not much, with only 130,000 Alliance Coins remaining.
It wasn't a small amount, but it wasn't enough to support him very far on the path of a Beast Tamer.
To get stronger, I need to find a way to make money.
Thus, after screening numerous projects, Lu Yu set his sights on the Peach Pig.
A lower-ecosystem species with blue skin and pink bristles on its back.
Its Spirituality was stable, and it was not prone to Aberration.
The Peach Pig's strength was not high, and its feed was not expensive, but because of its exquisite taste and its ability to replenish a large amount of vitality and strengthen muscles and bones after being eaten, it had always been a favorite food of powerful carnivorous pet beasts.
Furthermore, the evolution conditions for some special pet beasts required the consumption of a large number of Peach Pigs.
The Peach Pig was a unique species from the Peach Blossom Township Ecological Mystic Realm near Great Abyss City, occupying a low-level ecological niche.
It wasn't difficult for a typical Beast Tamer to capture a few, but plundering them in large quantities could easily attract the pursuit of some territorial Extraordinary Lifeforms. Therefore, they commanded a high price on the market, no less than that of two-star materials.
Where there was a market, there were naturally clever people who would choose to raise them in captivity, transplanting Peach Tree saplings from the Peach Blossom Township and spending a great deal of time capturing dozens of pairs of Peach Pigs in batches to prepare for large-scale farming.
However, many did not expect that although the Peach Pig was a pig, its breeding difficulty was two and a half stars.
Peach Pigs fed on peach tree roots and peach blossom honey. They were highly intelligent and resisted being raised in captivity.
Once they discovered they were imprisoned, they would become depressed, affecting both their reproduction and meat growth. They would even choose to commit suicide, leading to a total loss of investment.
But hiring a high-level Nurturing Master for this was not worth it. Not only was there no profit, but it could even result in a loss.
But by then, a large amount of capital had already been invested in building the Peach Blossom Forest and purchasing breeding pigs and piglets. Giving up halfway was not an option, so it had become a hot potato, a real headache.
And Lu Yu took the opportunity to apply, posing as someone with the 【Beast Affinity】 talent, and naturally secured the project with ease.
However, because he hadn't contracted his first pet beast, activating his 【Eye of Truth】 required consuming spiritual power, so he could only use it intermittently.
But by observing the pigs, he obtained a large amount of information.
Although Peach Pigs were highly intelligent, they would accept being fed during the first month of pregnancy.
If they were well-cared for during this period, they would be more likely to develop a sense of closeness, and the newborn Peach Pigs would be more affectionate towards people, thus gaining weight and breeding.
Using this as a direction, Lu Yu collected data on Peach Pig nurturing and, combined with the ability of his 【Eye of Truth】, wrote the Postnatal Care Manual for Peach Pigs.
He built an ecosystem using Green Water Duckweed to clean waste and Peach Blossom Spotted Frogs to clear out pests.
Notably, a large gathering of Peach Blossom Spotted Frogs could easily give rise to the music-attribute, Servant-rank pet beast, the 【Peach Blossom Drum Frog】, or even the rare undead-system, Commander-rank pet beast, the 【Ghostface Curse Frog】.
The probability of the latter appearing was too small, but the former could be sold as a by-product, which was equivalent to opening another channel for making money.
Under the new ecosystem, the number of Peach Piglets saw a significant increase.
If this were on Earth, he would have at least earned a 'Little Pig-Raising Expert' banner!
After another two months, once the number of Peach Piglets had doubled, Lu Yu could use the results to verify the data and confirm that the manual could be used to train a group of people for large-scale Peach Pig farming.
The Peach Pig, which had a price but no market, could then be turned into a large-scale, assembly-line product.
He naturally couldn't protect the profits from that all by himself, and with the 【Eye of Truth】, there was no need to rush; making money would be simple.
His goal was to use this achievement to negotiate with the school in exchange for a Commander potential (Gold) pet beast cub, or at the very least, a top-tier Elite as his first pet beast.
"But… it's too late!" Lu Yu sighed.
Recently, the frequency of his sun nightmares had been increasing, and it was even starting to affect his mental state, which was clearly not normal.
“Since the Eye of Truth works on all things, maybe it can see what my problem is!”
Thinking of this, he used his phone's camera in selfie mode, using the front-facing camera as a mirror to look at himself. The upgraded Eye of Truth indeed saw a new negative buff entry.
【Nightmare Seal: As a mortal, you accidentally glimpsed the essence of the sun, as well as the 'Beast' of many Ancient Beings, and surprisingly, your soul did not collapse. This is because you are as weak as an ant and were not discovered by Them.
However, the images you saw are themselves forbidden knowledge that mortals cannot touch or know. These memories have turned into seeds, taking root in the depths of your soul, exuding the sweet fragrance of ancient knowledge.
And since you are powerless to protect yourself, you have already become a special cursed flower.
Mortals must not gaze upon the forbidden.
The fragrance of the flower attracted the attention of a Nightmare Beast. It paid a great price to plant a seed of nightmare in you from a distance as a mark.
From this point on, the nightmares will become more frequent, until your soul collapses, which is when it will enjoy its grand feast.】
【Your dream is already a deep sea, slowly drowning you.
After reading it, Lu Yu's expression was one of extreme shock.
The shadows that appeared in the light of the aberrant sun were actually the 'Beast' of Ancient Beings!
Could it be that these Ancient Beings were also Beast Tamers?
What level of existence was a 'Beast', that a mere glance could contaminate his memory and turn it into a curse!
Why were these entities bound by crimson chains, and what were they devouring?
Was the scene he saw happening at this current point in time?
All sorts of questions swirled in Lu Yu's mind, giving him a splitting headache, but there was no one who could answer them for him.
And compared to these unknowable, mysterious beings, They were so bizarre, enigmatic, and high above that They had not noticed a small ant like him.
But a mere trace of the spiritual pollution They spread had become a curse that was plundering his mortal life.
An formless, intangible Nightmare Beast had already set its sights on him.
As the nightmares continued to deepen, it would eventually appear and devour his soul!
His life was already on a countdown!
And after multiple check-ups, no trace of the nightmare was found, which meant it was likely the curse of peeking at the forbidden affecting him.
Others couldn't help him; they would only think he was crazy!
As for powerful Beast Tamers, he didn't even have the qualifications to know any, let alone ask for their help.
Especially since he, a mere ant, had attracted a Nightmare Beast.
If a powerful Beast Tamer were to intervene, what if they saw this memory? Would it trigger an even more terrifying curse and attract the attention of a 'Beast'?
Even if it didn't, after a thorough examination, the 【Key of Truth】 would likely be exposed. Faced with a Stairway to Godhood, how many people could remain calm?
He didn't dare to bet on the kindness of others; he only wanted to grasp his fate in his own hands.
So, Lu Yu had to become a Beast Tamer first, unlock more of the Key of Truth's abilities, and see if he could find a way to break this deadlock.
Lu Yu unlocked his phone and opened the 'Dingzi' APP.
Ignoring a pile of junk messages with @mentions demanding he send "Received" or "Clocked in" like orders given to a slave, he found a pinned contact.
The note was 【Student Council President】!
【Dusk Crow: President, I'd like to ask for your help!】
Dusk Crow was his ID, like a crow at dusk, quietly waiting for night to fall.
He thought he would have to wait a while, but the reply was instantaneous.
【Student Council President: Okay!】
【Dusk Crow: I hope to use the Gold Medal in the school's name to redeem a pet beast from an official source.