Beast Taming: My System is Bugged

"Come in."

Gu Ming pushed the door open at the invitation, and the scene inside came into view.

Teacher Tang Tianyi was seated in the main chair. His aura was more condensed and profound than before, and the fluctuations of his soul seemed to have touched the threshold of a Seven-star Beastmaster.

And sitting beside him was none other than Professor Weng from Celestial Secret University, whom Gu Ming had met once before.

Gu Ming recalled that it was his own inspiration that had prompted Professor Weng to personally travel to the Cloud Country's front lines. He had ventured deep to the edge of the battlefield where the Inner World and the real world intersected to collect and compare sound data that might share the same source as the Sound of the Nian Beast from the Dragon's Blessing.

Now, Professor Weng had returned, which clearly meant that the dangerous and important collection work had come to an end.

"Ah, it's you, Gu Ming."

Professor Weng turned his head at the sound. His face, though travel-worn, beamed with a vigorous smile—the special, excited glow of a researcher who has made a key breakthrough.

"A while ago, I successfully captured and recorded a complete 'Sound of the Nian Beast' on the front lines."

"After repeated comparisons and analyses, the sonic spectrum characteristics perfectly match the residual traces within the Dragon's Blessing."

"I can now confirm that the origin or habitat of the legendary Nian Beast is closely related to the Inner World."

Confirming the existence of a legendary creature that spanned epochs was undoubtedly the highest honor and achievement for a scholar. Professor Weng's joy was palpable.

However, Teacher Tang, who was beside him, shook his head, his expression as calm and steady as ever.

"In ancient texts, the Nian Beast is often associated with concepts like 'destruction' and 'the end of an era.'"

"If it truly exists in the Inner World, then the shadow and threat it brings may one day spread to our reality."

Teacher Tang's meaning was clear: this was not a good thing.

"That's precisely why this research is all the more urgent, and why this paper must be published!"

Professor Weng's tone was resolute. The responsibility of a scholar had overridden his simple joy.

"We need more people to know about this, to be vigilant, and to devote themselves to related research."

"Gu Ming, the inspiration you provided was crucial. For this paper, 'A Preliminary Collection and Source Analysis of the Sound of the Nian Beast,' I have listed you as a co-first author."

"Here, take a look at the first draft."

As he spoke, Professor Weng handed over ten heavy pages of Great Dao Gold Paper.

As a Seven-star Peak Beastmaster, Professor Weng had imbued the text with his unique spiritual imprint and Great Dao Insights.

The moment Gu Ming took the paper, he felt its weight suddenly skyrocket, as if he were holding an object weighing thousands of tons.

Fortunately, Ah Kun was hovering directly beneath Gu Ming.

Sensing its master was in trouble, it instantly used a bubble of water and Mana to bear the immense pressure, saving Gu Ming's hands.

Gu Ming let out a breath.

Gu Ming thanked Ah Kun with his Divine Sense, then his gaze fell upon the paper.

At first glance, before he had even begun to read the specific words, he simply stared at the pages themselves.

A sound faintly echoed in his ears—the unique background noise of the Cloud Country's border, a dead silence hiding a strange undercurrent.

It was a low, deep resonance mixed into the silence, indescribable in words and unlike any sound an ordinary beast's throat could produce. It was utterly unique.

Just by indirectly perceiving the residual Dao Charm through the medium of text, Gu Ming felt his Sea of Consciousness tremble slightly. Uneasy ripples spread through it, and a strange chill quietly grew from the bottom of his heart.

More than a month had passed since he had last directly heard the Sound of the Nian Beast in the Dragon's Blessing.

But now... No. Gu Ming suddenly came to his senses—he wasn't actually 'hearing' a sound.

It was only because his Perception was so sharp. He was vicariously experiencing the terrifying Dao Charm contained within the Sound of the Nian Beast—something far beyond sound itself—which Professor Weng had infused into his writing. This created a strong 'auditory hallucination' resonance on a spiritual level.

In comparison, the pressure and fear brought by the Terror Executioner back at the Yichuan Ruins seemed almost insignificant before the grand terror represented by the Sound of the Nian Beast—a terror that felt capable of annihilating entire eras.

Gu Ming subconsciously glanced at the system interface.

[You came to the company, originally planning to hear Teacher Tang's new cultivation plan.]

[However, the trajectory of fate is difficult to deviate from.]

[After you thought you had temporarily distanced yourself from the "Nian Beast" incident, you have once again been passively drawn into it, even indirectly hearing the more fundamental echo of the Nian Beast King's voice.]

[You have read the paper 'A Preliminary Collection and Source Analysis of the Sound of the Nian Beast,' and your understanding of the Nian Beast has improved.]

[Your Divine Sense is too weak to process it. You have entered a state of 'Baseless Deep-Seated Fear.' Divine Sense activity reduced by 50%. Effect lasts for one month.]

[Based on this experience, your ability to teach and understand Skills related to the 'Fear' Attribute has been significantly enhanced.]

Gu Ming: "..."

'Is this a fortunate encounter or a calamity?'

He immediately focused his mind inward, observing his own Sea of Consciousness.

Sure enough, his spiritual world—once nimble and active, where a single thought could stir waves and tides—now felt as if it had been injected with an invisible weight and sluggishness.

When he tried to stir up a wave with his will, the tide rose with abnormal slowness. It was delayed by a full four or five seconds before it barely reached the intended height.

Reflected in his physical body, Gu Ming tried to lift his arm and could clearly feel that his fingers' reaction speed was a beat slower.

A chill went through him.

'Is this the might of the Nian Beast?'

'Just indirectly sensing its residual Dao Charm through the medium of a paper has such an effect... Don't tell me I've read some forbidden knowledge and damaged my own foundation?'

Thinking about it this way, it seemed to follow a certain logic.

To even glimpse a power that transcends one's own level, one must pay a price.

"Uh, the paper... is very well-written."

Gu Ming handed the Great Dao Gold Paper back to Professor Weng, a subtle awkwardness in his words.

"I won't read the rest of it in detail. I'll leave the follow-up entirely up to you, Professor Weng."

He really didn't want to look at that paper for another second.

In his Perception, those few pages were no longer just an academic achievement but more like a medium for disastrous information.

Just holding it for a moment made him feel his thoughts and physical reactions growing sluggish.

And because of this sluggishness, it took several seconds for Gu Ming to fully react and ask a follow-up question.

"Professor Weng, Teacher Tang, publishing this paper... could there be some kind of risk?"

"If other people also sense the Dao Charm of the Sound of the Nian Beast through the paper, will they also fall into that kind of inescapable fear?"

"Fear?"

When Gu Ming said this, both of the teachers in the room showed a hint of confusion.

Teacher Tang looked thoughtful.

Professor Weng, however, pondered for a moment before saying:

"We have conducted a risk assessment."

"The vast majority of Beastmasters, including most Low Tier and mid-tier researchers, lack the aptitude to activate this level of resonance through mere text."

"When they read it, they will mostly understand the information and imagery described by the words; they won't directly hear the Sound of the Nian Beast."

"Even people like us only felt a strong impact at the moment of collection and writing. Afterward, we could use our own Cultivation to resolve and strip away that discomfort, preventing us from wallowing in fear."

He paused, his gaze turning slightly probing as he looked at Gu Ming.

"According to our comprehensive judgment, this paper does not pose a significant mental hazard to the public within a controlled circulation."

"Speaking of which..."

Professor Weng's eyes grew even more curious.

"Student Gu Ming, your reaction seems a bit more... lasting and profound than we anticipated."

"Could it be that you perceived something from this paper that even I failed to completely capture or record?"

Gu Ming immediately realized what the problem was.

What Professor Weng had written was a 'preliminary collection and source analysis'—a "diluted" report that had been processed through his own understanding and relayed in relatively safe, academic language.

But what the system prompt mentioned was likely a 'comprehensive analysis' based on more complete and fundamental data.

The concentration of raw, terrifying Dao Charm and the density of knowledge it contained were probably far beyond what this paper could compare to.

The depth of information he had indirectly accessed through his system and the content of Professor Weng's paper, which was intended for safe dissemination, were on completely different levels.

He quickly adjusted his expression and explained:

"It's possible my own inspiration is a bit special. I'm particularly sensitive to this kind of sound and Dao Charm, so I overreacted."

"If you don't think it's a problem, Professor Weng, then it should be fine."

Hearing this, Professor Weng nodded thoughtfully and didn't press the matter further. He turned to discuss the details of the paper's publication and future research directions with Teacher Tang.

Gu Ming listened quietly from the side, but the lingering feeling of weight and sluggishness in his Sea of Consciousness was an incredibly clear reminder:

The Nian Beast was truly terrifying.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!