Chapter 3: The Nightmare's Mark!

Lu Yu exited the chaotic space, and the dense peach grove, resembling pink mist, came into view once again.

A gentle breeze blew, and the peach blossoms rustled, fluttering and dancing, resonating with the symphony of spring.

"Eye of Truth!"

Lu Yu silently chanted, and in the center of his star-like pupils, the silver vines on the silver key spread and intertwined, forming a star cloud-like eye pattern, overlapping like the mythical double pupils.

His originally handsome face now had an added touch of mystery and allure.

After activating the Eye of Truth, his vision was greatly enhanced, and the world he saw had changed!

[15-year-old peach tree, transplanted, growing well...]

[25-year-old peach tree, transplanted, trunk infested with insects, recommend using insecticide...]

[Peach ladybug, feeds on nectar and decaying plants...]

[Strange peach drum frog, evolved form of the peach-spotted frog, lethargic after pregnancy...]

[Peach pig, 2 years old, pregnant, spine height 1.5 meters, body length 2.7 meters, weight... feeding during pregnancy can increase affection, feeding peach nectar to the young can prevent illness during the juvenile stage...]

Everything in his sight was described with data, including age, growth status, and even more methods for breeding peach pigs...

He had volunteered to raise pigs not to escape reality or to contract a mobile ingredient that could be eaten at any time.

The real purpose was to accumulate initial capital for himself.

After the "Twisted Sun" incident, Lu Yu was uncertain whether the city he was in was real, so he remained cautious around everyone.

Therefore, after recovering, he reported his talent to the school as [Beast Affinity] instead of [Eye of Truth].

This was to keep a trump card for himself and also because he was afraid that his eyes would draw attention.

However, hiding his abilities did not mean he would give up.

Especially since his parents, while on a mission, had purchased a large number of props, leaving the family with only 130,000 Alliance coins.

It wasn't a small amount, but it wasn't enough to support him on the path of a Beast Tamer for long.

To become stronger, he needed to find a way to make money.

After screening many projects, Lu Yu set his sights on the peach pig.

A lower-level ecological species with blue skin and pink mane on its back, it had stable spirituality and was unlikely to mutate.

Peach pigs were not very powerful, and their feed was not expensive, but because of their excellent taste, which could replenish a large amount of qi and blood and strengthen the body, they were always the favorite food of powerful carnivorous pet beasts.

Moreover, some special Beast Tamer evolution conditions required consuming a large number of peach pigs.

Peach pigs were a characteristic species of the Peach Blossom Village ecological secret realm near Dàyuan City, occupying the bottom of the ecological niche.

It was not difficult for ordinary Beast Tamers to capture a few, but large-scale plundering could easily attract the pursuit of extraordinary life forms protecting their food, making the market price quite high, comparable to two-star materials.

With a market, naturally, some smart people chose to raise them in captivity, transplanting young peach trees from Peach Blossom Village and spending a lot of time capturing dozens of pairs of peach pigs for large-scale breeding.

However, many people did not expect that the difficulty of raising peach pigs was two and a half stars.

Peach pigs fed on peach tree roots and peach nectar, had higher intelligence, and resisted human captivity. Once they discovered they were imprisoned, they would become depressed, affecting both reproduction and growth, and might even choose to commit suicide, leading to a total loss.

But hiring a high-level breeding master was not worth it, as there would be no profit, and it might even result in a loss.

However, after investing a large amount of money in building peach groves and purchasing breeding pigs and piglets, it was impossible to give up halfway, making it a troublesome and hot potato.

Lu Yu took the opportunity to apply for the project using his [Beast Affinity] talent, easily securing it.

However, because he had not contracted his first pet beast, his [Eye of Truth] required the consumption of spiritual energy to activate, so he could only use it intermittently. But he still gained a lot of information by observing the pigs.

Peach pigs, although intelligent, would accept feeding during the first month of pregnancy. If cared for properly during this period, they would develop a closer bond, and the newborn peach pigs would be more friendly, leading to better growth and reproduction.

Lu Yu focused on this direction, collecting breeding data for peach pigs, and combined it with the abilities of the [Eye of Truth] to write the "Postpartum Care Manual for Peach Pigs."

He built an ecological system using green water hyacinth to clean waste and peach-spotted frogs to control pests.

Especially, the large number of peach-spotted frogs could easily spawn the music-based servant pet [Peach Drum Frog], and even the rare undead system leader pet [Ghost Face Curse Frog].

The latter had a very low probability of appearing, but the former could be sold as a side product, equivalent to opening another channel for making money.

Under the new ecological system, the number of peach piglets significantly increased.

If this were on Earth, he would definitely receive a "Pig Raising Expert" banner!

After another two months, when the number of peach piglets doubled, Lu Yu could use the results to verify the data and determine that the manual could be used to train a batch of people for large-scale breeding of peach pigs.

The peach pigs, which were in high demand but short supply, could become a standardized, assembly-line product.

The profit from this would be substantial, and he could not keep it all to himself. With the [Eye of Truth], he didn't need to rush to make money, as it was quite simple.

His goal was to use this achievement to negotiate with the school to obtain a potential leader (gold) pet beast, or at least a top-tier elite as his first pet beast.

"But... it's too late!" Lu Yu sighed.

The frequency of the nightmares caused by the sun had been increasing, even affecting his mental state, which was clearly abnormal.

"Since the Eye of Truth is effective on all things, perhaps it can reveal my current problem!"

Thinking this, he used the camera's selfie mode on his phone, using the front camera as a mirror to look at himself. The upgraded Eye of Truth indeed revealed a new negative buff.

[Nightmare's Mark: As a mortal, you accidentally glimpsed the essence of the sun and numerous ancient "beasts," and unexpectedly did not have your soul collapse because you are as weak as an ant and were not noticed by them.

However, the scenes you saw are forbidden knowledge that mortals should not touch or know. These memories have taken root in the depths of your soul, emitting the sweet scent of ancient knowledge. Since you are powerless to protect yourself, they have become a special curse.

Mortals should not peek at the forbidden.

The scent of the flowers has attracted the attention of a nightmare beast, which has paid a great price to plant a nightmare seed in you from a distance. From now on, nightmares will become more frequent, until your soul collapses, and it will feast on you.]

[Your dreams are a deep sea, slowly drowning you.]

After reading this, Lu Yu was extremely shocked.

The shadows that appeared in the distorted sunlight were actually ancient "beasts"!

Could these ancient beings also be Beast Tamers?

What level of life are these "beasts"? Just a glance has polluted his memories and turned them into a curse!

Why are they covered in deep red chains, and what are they feeding on?

Is the scene he saw from the current time point?

These questions swirled in Lu Yu's mind, causing him immense pain, but no one could answer them for him.

Moreover, compared to these mysterious and lofty ancient beings, they were so high above that they did not even notice him, a mere ant.

But the mental pollution they spread had become a curse that was robbing him of his life.

An intangible nightmare beast had already set its sights on him.

As the nightmares deepened, it would eventually appear and devour his soul!

His life was now on a countdown!

After multiple checks, there were no traces of the nightmare, indicating that the curse from peeking at the forbidden was affecting him. No one could help him, and they would only think he was crazy!

As for powerful Beast Tamers, he didn't even have the qualifications to meet them, let alone ask for their help.

Especially since he, as an ant, had already attracted a nightmare beast. If a powerful Beast Tamer intervened and saw this memory, would it trigger a more terrifying curse and draw the attention of the "beasts"?

Even if it didn't, a deep inspection might expose the [Key of Truth]. How many people could remain calm in the face of a divine step?

He didn't dare to bet on others' kindness and wanted to take his fate into his own hands.

So, Lu Yu must first become a Beast Tamer, unlock more abilities of the Key of Truth, and see if he can find a way out.

Lu Yu unlocked his phone and opened the "DingTalk" app.

Ignoring a pile of messages demanding "received" and "check-in" like orders to a slave, he found a pinned contact.

The note read [Student Council President]!

[Lu Yu: President, I need your help!]

His ID was "Mourning Crow," like a crow in the twilight, quietly waiting for the night to fall.

He thought he would have to wait, but the message was replied to instantly.

[Student Council President: Sure!]

[Lu Yu: I hope to use the school's name to use the gold medal to exchange for a pet beast from the official source.]

New book, new author, seeking support, data, and readers!