Beast Taming: My System is Bugged

Chapter 363 - 350: Hidden Confrontation

Obvious surprise showed on the President’s face.

You have to understand, a typical Entry Level age Identification could, at best, narrow the timeframe down to a few hundred years.

The process usually involved analyzing the weathering of the remains and the residual Dao Practice on the surface. This data, combined with memory fragments read from the bones, was used to determine the creature’s lifestyle, the features of its environment’s water source, and the specific traits of the Pet Beast it would have supported.

But Gu Ming’s assessment was far more precise. He had pinpointed the year down to a single digit and had even correctly identified the vaguely box-shaped remains as those of a Flying Bird Stone-eating Insect.

This level of Identification was at least Master Level. In the society, that was considered well above the passing mark, making him fully qualified to join the team on expeditions.

"Your Identification skill is beyond my expectations."

Ruan Qitian composed his expression, his voice deep and tinged with approval.

Next, the President tested Lu You’s abilities as well.

Under Gu Ming’s guidance, Lu You had developed a more systematic understanding of Arrays.

The President knew Lu You had been focusing on Arrays recently, so he specifically questioned her on Array General Knowledge.

After a half-hour-long questioning, a small Ancient Array was placed before Lu You for her to decipher.

She managed to unravel it with ease, using an ancient method from Array General Knowledge.

This was enough to prove that Lu You’s knowledge level also met the standards required by the society.

With that, there was no reason to refuse their entry into the expedition team.

Especially since they were new members.

New members ought to be taken out for practical experience; it was the only way for them to improve.

The President continued, "There’s an expedition next week. For this week, just focus on getting to know the other members.

"We have on-campus club activities every evening. Participation is completely voluntary.

"Only off-campus expeditions count toward contribution points. The society will also arrange for your extended leave from classes, so you don’t need to worry about that."

After testing them both, the President left the Library Pavilion to train his Pet Beast in the activity room.

Gu Ming gazed at the white, box-like bone remains before him and turned to a senior member in the Library Pavilion. "Why didn’t he take this with him?"

The member replied, "He probably forgot. It’s fine, though. No one will take it."

Gu Ming nodded. Immediately, he felt the Mysterious Trace Identification skill in his mind begin to stir.

Unfortunately, using the age Identification skill earlier had consumed too much of his Spiritual Power. He couldn’t possibly use this other Identification Skill right now.

’Could this thing have hidden information that hasn’t been decoded?’

He reached out to touch the box-like remains. The subtle sensation at his fingertips triggered another, extremely vague fragment to flash through his mind.

He tried to analyze the information seriously, but his depleted Spiritual Power forced him to abandon the idea.

A moment later, the President returned to the Library Pavilion. He collected the box-like remains and said with a laugh:

"Haha, I forgot I left it here."

Gu Ming felt a pang of regret as he watched the President take it.

Just as the President was about to leave, Gu Ming’s curiosity finally got the better of him.

"President, I also have the Mysterious Trace Identification skill, which I haven’t used yet. Could you wait for my Spiritual Power to recover so I can try another Identification?"

Ruan Qitian stopped in his tracks and turned to look back at Gu Ming, his face filled with unconcealable shock. "You’ve also learned Mysterious Trace Identification?"

With that, he walked back to the table and placed the white bone box down again.

The other members nearby all turned to look at Gu Ming.

Facing everyone’s gaze, Gu Ming slowly nodded.

’I’ve only just arrived, so there’s no reason to hide my abilities. Showing what I can do will make me more valuable and make my life in the society smoother.’

Looking at their astonished expressions, he asked, "Is Mysterious Trace Identification that special?"

The President was momentarily at a loss for words, but a sophomore standing nearby crossed his arms and said:

"Not special, but rare.

"Students who can perform a mysterious Identification have usually formed a pact with a Mysterious Element Pet Beast.

"But Mysterious Pet Beasts are exceedingly rare in our society. For you to be able to perform a Mysterious Element Identification without one... I suppose it’s to be expected of a lucky child favored by the Spirit God?"

He muttered to himself.

Gu Ming turned his head to look at him, a look of curiosity and inquiry on his face.

The other party bowed slightly and introduced himself: "Hello, my name is Xu Liang. I’m a sophomore in the archeology department."

Xu Liang was dressed in a crisp suit with impeccably styled hair. A book with a wood-grain texture floated beside him, its cover adorned with two lifelike eyes that stared unblinkingly at Gu Ming.

Gu Ming guessed it was likely a non-corporeal, Grass Attribute Pet Beast—an extremely rare type, even in his home city.

Cyan Treasure also noticed the wooden book staring at its master. It immediately shifted, rubbing against Gu Ming’s shoulder as it met the book’s gaze.

The Wood Escape Flood Dragon Power within its body stirred restlessly, making it wonder if its opponent had also mastered a similar Ultimate Skill, like the Mastery of Wood Escape.

"If we wait for you to recover naturally, who knows how long that will take," Xu Liang said.

"I have a Divinity Returning Pill here. After taking it, you can recover your Spiritual Power within a few minutes. The side effects are very weak, and you can flush them out afterward by drinking a bowl of the school’s Intestinal Cleansing Soup."

As he spoke, he pulled a bright blue Elixir Pill from his Beast Taming Space.

Gu Ming accepted the Pill. He could clearly feel a pure Spiritual Power coalescing around it, never dissipating. For his currently parched Sea of Consciousness, it held an irresistible allure.

But he was still hesitant.

Taking an Elixir was fast, but it wasn’t a natural recovery.

It would be one thing in an emergency, but this was merely a matter of curiosity. It wasn’t an absolute necessity.

Seeing Gu Ming accept the Pill but not take it immediately, instead falling into thought, the President spoke up.

"All medicines have a trace of poison, but it’s precisely because we understand Elixirs that we don’t fear their toxicity.

"Gu Ming, you’re not one of those ’all-natural’ purists, are you?"

Gu Ming held the Pill and said slowly, "Not exactly. I just prefer to use Natural Medicinal Herbs as my primary source, supplemented by a small number of Elixirs."

"That’s fine at a normal university, but here at Wenquxing, I’m afraid that kind of Cultivation efficiency won’t be enough." The President shook his head. "However, I’m not against your school of thought when it comes to Cultivation."

To stay competitive, the Beastmasters at Capital University these days tended to consume Elixirs voraciously.

After all, most people who managed to get into this university have gone through a phase of frantically consuming pills.

For that very reason, several universities in the Capital have established specialized medicated cuisine programs to counteract the effects of the pills.

It’s a field of study tailored specifically for Beastmasters and their Pet Beasts: using medicated cuisine to overcome Pill Poison, making daily consumption of Elixirs feasible by achieving complete detoxification.

The President explained to Gu Ming that the university’s research on counteracting the effects of Elixirs had reached an advanced international level. The very Divinity Returning Pill he held was part of an optimization project and was now almost completely non-toxic.

Seeing the persuasive looks on everyone’s faces, Gu Ming suddenly felt like he was being put on the spot.

It was as if refusing to take the Pill was tantamount to questioning science itself.

Lu You, unable to get a word in, looked on with a worried expression.

She wasn’t worried that the university’s medicated cuisine couldn’t handle the Pill Poison. She was worried that Gu Ming was being pressured by everyone and would be forced to agree.

This type of conversation was a nightmare scenario for someone with social anxiety. She hated it when people tried to force her into decisions she didn’t want to make.

But in the next moment, Gu Ming’s voice cut through.

"Thanks, but I’d rather recover naturally."