Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

[T/N: This is a Christmas Bonus chapter, ENJOY~🎁🎄 Merry Christmas🎄🎁 guys]

Losing his attendance bonus for no reason was painful for Asher.

That money represented the hard work of clocking in and out every day, every cent earned through his efforts.

Asher sighed.

He glanced at the still-sleeping Little Raven, his fingers itching to poke it awake.

'Look at it.'

'Sleeping so soundly. How about we just…'

Cough.

In the end, Asher restrained himself.

Seeing Little Raven still in deep sleep, he decided to recall it into his spiritual sea's beast space.

He guessed that Little Raven's extended slumber was likely due to the awakening of its bloodline.

If that were the case, staying in the beast space would probably be more beneficial for it.

Before leaving, Asher pocketed two packs of Little Raven's food to ensure it wouldn't go hungry upon waking up and not finding anything to eat.

On his way, Asher mulled over excuses to explain his tardiness to Ron.

If he could come up with a good one, maybe Ron would overlook it, and he could still save his attendance bonus...

Reaching the door of the pet beast service station, Asher pushed it open.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

The sight of a room packed full of people greeted him.

The moment they heard the door open, their heads snapped toward Asher in unison, like sunflowers tracking the sun.

Asher: "?"

Being stared at by eight or nine pairs of eyes all at once was… a bit stressful.

'What's going on?'

'Why is the service station so crowded today?'

Does this mean he can't cover up his tardiness?

A barrage of questions flooded Asher's mind as he instinctively scanned the room.

'Whoa—familiar faces.'

The couple sitting next to June were strangers to him, but he guessed they were her parents.

'Dog—no, Don—what's he doing here?'

The two people beside him were likely his parents.

Ivy and Robb were also present.

And most notably, Ron.

Sitting amid the group, Ron looked incredibly uncomfortable, a picture of social anxiety.

But the moment Asher appeared, Ron's eyes lit up as if seeing a deity descending to save him.

Standing at the door, Asher hesitated, caught between entering and leaving.

'Why are they all here though…?'

"Uh… hi? Everyone?" Asher raised a hand uncertainly, greeting the room.

June rolled her eyes dramatically, her voice brimming with energy. "Wow, so flexible with your work hours, huh? Ivy and I were here waiting before the station even opened, and by the time work officially started, you were still nowhere to be seen."

"We waited for you for two whole hours. I thought we wouldn't see you until noon." she added, full of resentment.

As soon as she finished, the beautiful woman sitting next to her—resembling June in some ways—smacked the back of June's head.

"Watch your mouth!" Jane scolded.

"Asher must've been exhausted last night, which is why he overslept. Not everyone is as lazy as you," Jane glared at June.

Asher chuckled awkwardly.

Though the explanation was accurate, why did it feel so… off?

"Mom, how could you side with Asher in front of me?" June exclaimed, distraught.

"Am I even your real daughter? Are you planning to replace me with him?"

Jane snorted. "If I could, I would've swapped you out ages ago. Do you think I'd still be dealing with you now?"

"Ahem." Harry cleared his throat awkwardly, standing up and addressing Asher at the door.

"Asher, hello. I'm June's father, Harry." He then introduced Jane, Henry, and Marie to Asher in a warm tone.

While Harry was making introductions, Asher entered the room.

Just as he was about to find a random spot to sit, Ron sprang to his feet, eagerly offering his seat to Asher.

"Here, sit here. I'll get water for everyone."

Seizing the opportunity to escape the spotlight, Ron darted away.

Asher had no choice but to sit next to President Robb.

Immediately, he felt President Robb's overly intense gaze fixed on him.

Asher: '… If Ron had been subjected to this kind of gaze earlier, he could understand why he'd bolted.'

Shaking off the thought, Asher focused on listening to Harry's introductions.

Harry: "A professor in the Extraordinary Biology Department at South China Advanced Beast Master Academy."

The Advanced Beast Master Academy wasn't like regular universities. Its students were exclusively Beast Masters, no ordinary humans allowed. Admission required completing a standard college education first, making it akin to a postgraduate institution for Beast Masters.

There were only six such academies nationwide, with limited enrollment slots each year. Admission required not only solid theoretical knowledge but also formidable Beast Master skills.

While reaching third rank as a Beast Master after university was considered a feat of genius, it was merely the baseline requirement for entry into these academies.

Becoming a professional lecturer there demanded even stricter qualifications.

Jane: "A senior pet beast nurturer—one of fewer than a thousand registered in the country."

Finally, there were Henry and Marie, a married couple renowned for their research on pet beast evolution in NY City. Their current focus was on exploring new evolutionary paths for the Little Fire Fox and Red Flame Hound.

When Harry mentioned their research topic, he specifically glanced at Asher to gauge his reaction.

Nothing.

Asher's expression remained unchanged, as if he had known all along—or simply didn't care.

Still, the absence of hostility was a positive sign for Harry and the others, marking a promising start.

Having given Asher a general idea of their identities, Harry cut to the chase.

"You probably guessed why we're here… Could we talk about the Fire Fox Queen?"

The Fire Fox Queen was too intriguing to ignore.

Waiting until Asher's day off to ask questions?

Absolutely not.

They chose to visit him in person—determined to uncover the truth.

Henry and Marie, who had been silent until now, also turned their attention to Asher.

Initially, they hadn't planned to come.

The couple had assumed Asher wouldn't share anything after learning who they were, making the trip pointless.

Why would anyone divulge their findings to experts in the same field?

Professional rivalry wasn't just a myth.

"Asher doesn't care about your titles, as long as you're not scheming anything shady," June had said, which gave them pause.

Ultimately, curiosity won. The chance to better understand the Fire Fox Queen was too tempting to pass up.

They needed to know.

Where had they gone wrong? What crucial detail had they missed?

How could six years of their research be eclipsed by a month of Asher's efforts?

Wait…

Had it even been a full month since Asher started working on the Little Fire Fox's evolution?

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