Beast Taming: My System is Bugged

After Gu Ming left the stage, it was halftime.

Next to the commentators’ desk, a box-shaped Mechanical Pet Beast equipped with a precision glass lens was slowly operating.

Its lens projected a brilliant stream of light, weaving a massive, dynamic light screen in mid-air, which displayed a replay of the duel that had just concluded.

Seated before it were the two guest commentators, today’s authoritative analysts:

The highly respected Professor Shen Mingyuan from the Great Zhou Royal Academy’s Cultivation Element department.

And Professor Wang Meng from Venus University’s Combat Element department, renowned for his sharp tactical analysis.

"Ladies and gentlemen, while we wait for the next contestant, let’s review the details of the battle between Student Gu Ming and Student Zhao Qing."

"Professor Wang, take a look."

Professor Shen adjusted his glasses and pointed to the frozen frame on the screen. It was the exact moment Ah Kun used Wave-Swallowing Technique: Abyssal Stop to steadily block the rampaging torrent of molten rock.

His tone was filled with amazement.

"Contestant Gu Ming’s two Pet Beasts, especially this Water Element Pet Beast, ’Ah Kun’—its on-the-spot adaptability and the power of its final strike truly far exceeded our pre-match expectations!"

"Professor Shen is absolutely right!"

Professor Wang Meng chimed in, his gaze sharp.

At that moment, the screen switched to a slow-motion replay of the shocking scene where Ah Kun detonated that variation of "Wave-Swallowing Technique: Abyssal Stop."

"According to the data, Ah Kun’s bloodline originates from an ordinary Grouper Fish—a Water Element Pet Beast that even commoner Beastmasters wouldn’t necessarily choose.

"Even as a variant species, its potential is usually limited.

"But the destructive power unleashed by its Wave-Swallowing Technique was enough to overwhelm the Molten Rock Giant Ape, a beast known for its defense! This is something no ordinary mutation can explain.

"Contestant Gu Ming must have his own secret cultivation methods!"

"Indeed." Professor Shen took the opportunity to shift the conversation to the other Pet Beast.

Right on cue, the screen showed a clip of Ah Ji cleverly using Shadow Teleportation to dodge the Wind Blades, then landing a precise Shadow Assault on the Wind Fang Wolf King itself.

"And this Light and Dark Dual Element Cat Demon, ’Ah Ji’—its performance was even more indicative of solid training.

"Look at the timing and positioning of its Shadow Teleportation, and the precision of its Shadow Assault. It completely pinned down the Wind Fang Wolf King, displaying exceptional tactical discipline. This is a textbook example of an outstanding Shadow Element Pet Beast."

"But Professor Shen, did you notice?" Professor Wang’s tone suddenly shifted, his expression becoming intensely focused.

Just then, the director skillfully cut to a split-screen comparison:

On one side, a dark light flashed in Ah Kun’s eyes as it struggled to defend itself.

On the other was the moment Ah Ji transformed into its Profound Armor Form, its giant hand striking down to trigger a Spiritual Shock!

"The real turning point, the move that decided the match, probably wasn’t Ah Kun’s earth-shattering strike, but this move Ah Ji used at the very end!

"The ’Profound Armor Form’ it simulated and the subsequent area-of-effect Spiritual Shock—that was the key!"

The two professors exchanged a look, each seeing a spark of understanding in the other’s eyes.

However, just because they understood didn’t mean the audience did.

Wang Meng pointed to the frozen image of the "Spiritual Shock" and began his analysis.

"Looking back at it now, this Spiritual Shock was by no means an isolated event!

"It was like a fuse that precisely detonated the previously used Fear Attribute ability.

"We knew beforehand that Ah Kun is a dual-element Pet Beast. Its primary attribute is Water Element, and it later awakened a Spiritual Element attribute called Fear.

"Many of you in the audience may not have heard of it. It’s a relatively rare Spiritual Element attribute. Spiritual Pet Beasts have their own styles, and the most common ones have no special characteristics.

"Previously, the Fear Attribute wasn’t having much effect because they are all Three-star Level Pet Beasts. Their Spiritual Power was evenly matched, making it difficult to achieve a suppressive effect.

"But with Ah Ji’s spiritual burst, its simple and direct Spiritual Attack created that suppressive pressure, allowing the rare Fear Attribute to finally take full effect."

A wave of understanding swept through the audience below.

It looked like two separate moves.

But in reality, they produced a multiplier effect comparable to a Combined Technique!

"Exactly!" Professor Shen nodded repeatedly.

Right on cue, the replay showed a close-up of the terrified expressions on the faces of the Molten Rock Giant Ape and the Wind Fang Wolf King just before they were engulfed by the torrent of water, confirming the existence of a "seed of fear."

"This can’t help but remind me of the legends from the Yichuan Ruins about the ’Terror Executioner’.

"Using illusions to trigger and amplify the fear in its victims’ hearts.

"Contestant Gu Ming’s tactics today must have been inspired by his own terrifying experience surviving that place.

"Alright, halftime is over, and our next two contestants are ready. Let’s welcome..."

With the help of precise replay footage, the two commentators’ layer-by-layer analysis was broadcast live across the nation.

「In the contestants’ lounge.」

However, Gu Ming, who had just secured his first victory, showed little joy on his face. Instead, there was a hint of resignation.

He could clearly feel scorching gazes from all directions, filled with scrutiny, curiosity, and... a battle-hungry eagerness.

The other contestants, whether they had yet to compete or had already won easily, had all marked Gu Ming down on their high-priority watchlists.

They had originally thought he was a "soft persimmon"—all fame and no substance—but he had turned out to be a tough nut to crack, and one whose defeat would bring great prestige.

Defeating this "dual-talented genius" who was currently in the spotlight, on a nationally televised stage, was undoubtedly a golden opportunity to make a name for themselves.

’Looks like everyone’s getting ideas...’

Gu Ming had anticipated this. He knew that by competing early, he would inevitably be studied by those who came after.

The National University League, after all, was an open competition. It even allowed Beastmasters to have their Pet Beasts use performance-enhancing drugs in battle.

Some might argue that allowing these drugs was unfair to commoner Beastmasters.

However, some Beastmaster contestants were Alchemy majors themselves. They might only bring one Combat Pet and one Pill Pet.

Forbidding them from using these substances would be tantamount to invalidating their entire field of study.

Besides, in a real battle in the wild, your enemies wouldn’t care whether you were using drugs or not.

Therefore, the competition didn’t restrict drug use, only the age of the Pet Beasts and the academic year of the contestants.

Zhao Qing hadn’t used any earlier mainly because it was the opening exchange. He was still probing, unsure of Gu Ming’s true strength, so there was no need to use them right off the bat.

Furthermore, battles between Pet Beasts were extremely fast-paced. Every second counted, leaving little time to administer drugs.

If you didn’t use them at the start, there was basically no chance to do so later unless one Pet Beast provided cover while the other hid behind it to consume the substance.

Gu Ming knew that today’s schedule was packed. He would need to win at least one or two more matches to advance.

His upcoming opponents would surely rack their brains to come up with a way to counter the combined techniques of Ah Kun and Ah Ji.

The air in the lounge seemed to grow heavy and hot under the intensity of those scorching gazes.

Gu Ming closed his eyes, appearing to rest. In his mind, however, he had already entered the Dream Cultivation Space, putting his three pets through a rapid training drill in the dream.

He didn’t know who his next opponent would be, but that didn’t matter. He first entered the dream, dragged Zhao Qing out for another fight, and tested how things would go if he swapped in Cyan Treasure.

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