Chapter Ten: The Frenzy of the Strange Beast (Please bookmark and follow~)

After agreeing to the system, Bai Nanyan remained uneasy, deeply fearful that this might be a hallucination in her final moments. Yet, when she opened her eyes again, she found herself truly transported into the world of the novel she had written, becoming the female protagonist within it.

Because a few beast tamers already held a favorable impression of the heroine, Bai Nanyan’s initial tasks of winning them over were exceedingly simple.

Her sole dissatisfaction lay in the fact that, when she created this book, the trend favored a delicate, refined heroine. Thus, the protagonist’s appearance was merely fair and could not compare to the pure and seductive beauty of the female antagonist.

Annoyed by the antagonist, Bai Nanyan secretly provoked her jealousy, causing her to spiral further into madness.

At first, Bai Nanyan did this simply for her own amusement—“If the antagonist is unhappy, I feel better.” But soon she realized a curious pattern: the more misfortune that befell the antagonist, the luckier she herself became.

The worse the relationship between the antagonist and the beast tamers grew, the easier it was for Bai Nanyan to win them over.

Puzzled by this, she questioned the system, which revealed to her that she and the antagonist formed a zero-sum contrast group.

The more the antagonist suffered, the more fortunate Bai Nanyan became, and vice versa.

Previously, Bai Nanyan had been unstoppable, leveraging the antagonist’s misfortunes to her advantage. She had grown accustomed to provoking the antagonist to execute these comeuppance maneuvers, and even though she sensed that Gu Sihui was somewhat different from before, she still instinctively resorted to the same tactics.

Meanwhile, Gu Sihui, focused on her exam, was unaware she was once again under scrutiny.

“Money flower pairing…” Several prescriptions flashed through Gu Sihui’s mind as she carefully examined the case before her, assessing which treatment would best suit the patient.

“Hm, I’ll choose this one,” she decided after much consideration, selecting the prescription most compatible with the patient’s constitution and preparing to brew the medicine, signaling the end of the final assessment.

She exhaled deeply, finally able to ease her mind and take in her surroundings.

To be honest, the atmosphere here was far less intimidating than she had imagined, lacking even the tension she had felt during exams in her previous life.

The examination hall was vast and empty, with only her and Dai Yeliu about ten paces away.

The proctor’s location was unknown; Gu Sihui could find no sign of them.

If there was anything unsettling, it might be the exotic beasts confined within the black iron cages opposite her.

However, Gu Sihui had studied the exam outline kindly provided by Teng Qu and knew that these beasts had been given tonic medicines to weaken them and had their claws removed.

Moreover, the cages were made from a special metal, impossible to break open.

Without their claws and securely locked away, the beasts were nothing more than large, fluffy creatures—Gu Sihui felt as if she were visiting a zoo.

Suddenly, the sharp sound of shattering ceramic snapped Gu Sihui’s attention back.

Her gaze darted towards Dai Yeliu, noticing with alarm that her hands were stained with a sinister black liquid.

Her sharp instincts, honed from years on the front lines, immediately went into overdrive, her mind racing to identify the substance.

Dai Yeliu’s expression was grave as tendrils of smoke rose from her medicine pot.

Something was wrong!

Gu Sihui instinctively held her breath and shouted, “Run!”

It was a reflexive reaction; only after shouting did she recall what the substance was—Four-Live Herb.

Four-Live Herb was a drug affecting the mind, originally developed as a stimulant. But it was soon discovered that users suffered from hallucinations, self-harm, extreme mania, and neurological dependence.

Five years after Four-Live Herb was introduced, the Blue Kingdom was the first to ban it domestically, designating it as a controlled substance.

Suddenly, in the glow of the carbide lamp, Gu Sihui realized the situation’s gravity. She rushed to Dai Yeliu, shouting, “Run! That’s not Three-Leaf Herb—it’s Four-Live Herb! The beast in front of you might go berserk!”

A crashing sound responded—an unrelenting beast violently ramming against the cage.

Three-Leaf Herb and Four-Live Herb looked remarkably similar, but Three-Leaf was a mild sedative, an excellent calming agent.

Gu Sihui had previously considered adding Three-Leaf Herb to her formula but decided it only induced relaxation and did nothing to heal.

For mere relaxation, she had many alternatives; expensive Three-Leaf Herb was unnecessary.

Upon closer inspection, she realized the exam materials contained mostly Four-Live Herb mixed with a small amount of Three-Leaf Herb.

At first, she thought it was a test, but now it seemed the staff had mistakenly included Four-Live Herb instead of Three-Leaf Herb.

The already agitated beast grew more frenzied, smashing its massive body against the cage. Even the purple lightning crackling along the cage walls, tearing at its skin, failed to deter it. Instead, the scent of burnt flesh seemed to enrage it further.

Dai Yeliu, a seasoned pharmacist, instantly became alert upon hearing Gu Sihui’s warning. But being physically fragile and overwhelmed, she inadvertently inhaled a considerable amount of Four-Live Herb smoke.

Her pupils dilated, unfocused, and her body stiffened, unresponsive.

Outside, observing the candidates, Cui Wenmin could no longer sit still. He rose to rush inside but was stopped.

“Master Cui, the situation inside is extremely dangerous. You cannot enter now.”

Cui Wenmin’s face tightened, his voice cold. “Step aside! My apprentice is inside. I must enter to ensure her safety.”

“The beast has gone mad. You are our only Level Five pharmacist and a treasure of the Krolaha Empire.

The Emperor has declared that protecting you is the highest priority at all times.”

“Do you want me to watch my apprenticeI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.