Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

Thinking it over, Asher freed one hand and reluctantly helped cover the other's nose and mouth. It was better than nothing, minimizing the inhalation of toxic gas and making subsequent treatment more manageable.

The last thing the boy, whose consciousness was gradually fading in the toxic mist, saw was a cold yet angelic beauty, glowing faintly with white light in the darkness. She lowered her gaze to him and silently covered his nose and mouth.

Before he lost consciousness, the boy couldn't help but think: 'Not a femme fatale… she's… an angel… heh heh…'

Asher didn't notice the boy's reaction at all.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one had discovered him, Asher quickly removed his disguise, shedding it like a false shell.

Then, he turned to observe the situation outside.

The poacher only managed to launch one attack at Asher before being pinned down fiercely by a Sixth-Tier Steel-Winged Griffin that descended from the sky.

Both the poacher and the charging Rock Ram lost their ability to resist.

The Steel-Winged Griffin's enormous, razor-sharp, silvery-white wings glimmered brightly under the sunlight.

CAW—

The Steel-Winged Griffin let out a piercing cry.

Opening its sharp beak toward the Twin-Headed Snake, it unleashed a silvery-white energy wave that surged out violently.

The Twin-Headed Snake had no power to resist and was directly blasted away.

Asher watched, dumbfounded.

'Wow… this is incredible.'

'So this is the power of a Sixth-Tier Beastmaster's pet beast?'

'Just one Steel-Winged Griffin took on two enemies at once.'

Facing such an awe-inspiring griffin, Asher couldn't resist activating his talent skill.

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[Pet Beast: Steel-Winged Griffin]

[Species: Advanced Extraordinary Mid-Tier]

[Level: Sixth-Tier Mid-Level]

[Skills: Claw, Sprint, Bite, Iron Body, Feather Blade, … Steel Judgment]

[Fully Evolved Form]

[Evil poacher! Today is the day you face the holy judgment of my light. Purify yourself—]

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Asher: "…"

Great.

A wannabe edgy griffin.

His favorable impression of the griffin shattered instantly.

In no time, the poacher was subdued and looked completely deflated.

The leading Fifth-Tier Beastmaster said nothing, but several young people who had rushed over with him looked at the battered poacher with disdainful gazes.

One of the young men said dismissively, "There are always some opportunists who really think the Alliance won't notice, huh?"

The poacher's face was pressed hard into the ground, full of resentment and unwillingness.

Some young people started rescuing the captured Beasts.

When one young man walked to the last cage, the poacher's eyes lit up as if recalling something.

"There was a woman who claimed to be a professor."

"She came to buy Beasts for illegal private research. If you're going to arrest someone, don't just arrest me",the poacher shouted loudly,"Catch her too!"

The thought of dragging such a beautiful woman into the mud filled the poacher with indescribable satisfaction.

'Yes, that's it!'

'Let everyone rot in the filth together.'

The young man who had just reached the last cage froze at the words and then looked back at the poacher with a strange expression.

The poacher felt uneasy: "?"

"Wait?" The poacher's eyes widened. "You're not trying to protect her, are you?"

"I'll report all of you." Despite being pinned down by the Steel-Winged Griffin, the poacher struggled violently, shouting and cursing vile words.

The Fifth-Tier Beastmaster's brow furrowed. His sharp gaze rivaled the Steel-Winged Griffin's. "What's going on? Is what he's saying true?"

If it turned out to be true…

The Fifth-Tier Beastmaster's face darkened.

No matter who the professor was or how great their achievements, he would not protect them.

Such was the integrity and responsibility he held as a Beastmaster trained by the Alliance.

"But…" The young man standing before the last cage hesitated and awkwardly said, "Senior, there's no woman in this cage. Just two young boys who look like high school or college students."

Fifth-Tier Beastmaster: "?"

Poacher: "?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" The poacher's face twisted upon hearing this. "You must be protecting her."

The Fifth-Tier Beastmaster ignored the poacher's ramblings. He ordered the Steel-Winged Griffin to carry the poacher as he strode toward the third cage.

Most of the toxic mist had dissipated, but a faint layer still lingered.

Looking closely.

Inside the cage were two boys.

One was tied up hand and foot, unconscious.

The other was in slightly better condition, holding a small Beast in his arms with one hand while covering the unconscious boy's nose and mouth with the other, preventing him from inhaling more toxic gas.

As for himself, his own nose and mouth were entirely exposed to the toxic air.

Naturally… this boy, too, had fallen unconscious.

The upright and rigid Fifth-Tier Beastmaster gazed appreciatively at the self-sacrificing boy—none other than Asher.

'Not easy!'

'In this day and age, few people were willing to risk their lives to protect others.'

The Fifth-Tier Beastmaster silently made a note of this boy.

"Get them to treatment immediately," he said gravely.

With prompt care, the two boys and the Beast would be fine.

The young people nodded hurriedly and carefully rescued Asher and the other boy from the cage.

Turning back to the poacher held in the Steel-Winged Griffin's beak, the Fifth-Tier Beastmaster asked, "So, where is this woman you mentioned?"

"She… he… she's not…" The poacher stared at the unfamiliar Asher, stammering and unable to form a complete sentence.

'The beauty?'

'The slender-waisted, long-legged goddess in black stockings?'

'How did she suddenly turn into a guy?'

Though admittedly handsome… this made no sense.

"Falsely accusing a scholar professor adds another crime." The Fifth-Tier Beastmaster scolded coldly, seeing the poacher's speechlessness.

Poacher: '…I'm innocent! Truly innocent!'

———

Less than an hour after being sent to the hospital, Asher woke up.

He had intentionally inhaled a small amount of toxic gas at the last moment.

Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why, without covering his nose and mouth or assistance from a pet beast, he remained unaffected. The amount he inhaled was manageable—just enough to make sense.

He didn't open his eyes right away.

Instead, he reviewed his series of outrageous moves.

Teleportation, cross-dressing, delaying tactics…

The last one wasn't an issue. Besides him and the poacher, no one could prove anything.

…Oh.

There was another boy.

Asher clicked his tongue inwardly.

'Hopefully, that guy won't say anything.'

Better check his identity later.

As for teleportation, he could just say he wandered off and stumbled into the poacher's cage.

Finally, the matter of disguising himself as Professor Iris… Ahem.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The poacher's words wouldn't hold weight with anyone.

The boy…

'Alright, alright.'

The presence of a third party at the scene was a hurdle Asher couldn't avoid.

Silently, he prayed that the boy might lose his memory. That way, he could pretend nothing had ever happened.

———

"Awake?" A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Then open your eyes. Stop pretending to sleep. We have a lot to talk about."

"For example…"

The cold female voice paused, then added with a sneering tone, "Glasses, lab coat, hair bun, stockings…"

"And how did that poacher perfectly describe my daily attire?"

Instantly, cold sweat broke out on Asher's back.

'This is bad. This is very bad.'

Asher broke out in a cold sweat.

Professor Iris came looking for him.

"Professor Iris…" Asher pretended to weakly open his eyes, a trace of just the right amount of confusion in his gaze: "…What were you saying just now?"

"Ah…"

"My head feels so dizzy."

Asher dramatically furrowed his brows and covered his forehead, revealing a vulnerable side.

Iris: "…Heh."

Iris rolled her eyes at Asher. "If you're going to fake it, at least make it convincing."

Although she said that, her attitude had softened quite a bit compared to when she first arrived.

"So…" Asher, still lying in bed, asked softly, "How's the situation now?"

Glancing at the seemingly genuinely weak Asher, Iris sighed helplessly.

After some thought, she realized Asher was indeed unlucky to get caught up in this mess. Though she considered herself magnanimous, she still couldn't let it go entirely. However, she could postpone the immediate execution and deal with it later.

She briefly explained what had happened next.

The poacher had been detained.

The Beasts he captured were all juveniles. Illegal drugs harmed juvenile Beasts much more severely than adult ones. Their chances of survival in the forbidden zone, even if released back, were slim.

For now, the alliance decided to raise two of the juveniles. As long as they could be successfully domesticated and did not actively attack humans, they could survive well even without a Beast Master contract.

Through the poacher, they also uncovered a network of accomplices behind him.

All were arrested.

Depending on the severity of their crimes, the sentences varied.

Death penalties were unlikely, but they would serve at least twenty to thirty years in prison. Those involved in producing or selling illegal drugs faced an additional charge, with a minimum sentence of fifty years.

"So, how did this guy manage to sneak in?" Asher couldn't figure it out.

The entrance to Bluewind University was restricted to students.

And Asher had been to the entrance of NY City's forbidden zone. The inspections at the five gates—one large and four small—weren't just for show.

"Poachers like him usually have dual identities, one public and one secret. He was also quite cautious, previously only conducting small transactions, so the alliance hadn't detected anything unusual," Iris explained.

"This isn't an isolated case. Some exploration teams in the forbidden zone even collude with them for profit."

With inside and outside connections concealing their tracks, poachers were difficult to eradicate.

Asher frowned. "Can't the nation or the alliance completely wipe out such people?"

"Perhaps severe punishments and harsh laws could make them disappear for a while, but as long as there's demand, someone will always take the risk," Iris shrugged. Then, glancing at Asher, she added, "Alright, stop overthinking."

"Even though the alliance can't fully eliminate them, they're doing their best. Whenever one is caught, they uproot the whole network, making them behave for a while."

"As for you…" Thinking about her almost-depleted PowerPoint slides and lesson plans, not to mention the pile of group assignments waiting to be graded…

A malicious thought crossed Iris's mind.

Since Asher was lying in the hospital bed, bored while recuperating, why not offload some of her work onto him…

Before Iris could voice her idea, the ward door suddenly burst open with a loud "BANG!"

Both Asher and Iris turned their heads toward the door, only to see a small black furball hurtling toward the bed like a cannonball. Asher's face filled with terror. Before he could shout for it to stop, the tiny but powerful "cannonball" slammed heavily into his chest.

Lacking well-trained chest muscles, Asher almost spat out blood from the impact.

Pain.

Excruciating pain.

"…Cough, cough." Asher couldn't help but let out chest-rattling coughs. Just as he was about to say something, he looked down and met the teary, guilt-filled, and worried eyes of Little Raven.

Instantly.

Asher couldn't say a word.

Could he blame Little Raven for being wrong?

What exactly did Little Raven do wrong?

Little Raven was simply worried about him and wanted to rush to his side as quickly as possible. Thinking about this made Asher's heart soften involuntarily, and he couldn't muster any harsh words.

Asher's lips curved into a smile. In a soft, gentle voice, he called, "Little Raven."

His fingers started from the tuft on Little Raven's head, gliding down its back to the tip of its tail feathers.

The soft voice and soothing massage made Little Raven squint its beady eyes in contentment. The only reason it didn't flop over on the spot was its concern for Asher's condition.

Little Raven shook its feathers, jumped back a few steps on its little claws, and looked at Asher with its round black eyes.

Little Raven: 'Be serious!'

'Do you understand?'

'This lady is worried about you right now!'

'Don't casually flirt with birds!'

Little Raven silently reprimanded Asher with its black beady eyes.

Suddenly Turned into a Third Wheel, Iris: "…"

'Alright, fine.'

This person and bird completely ignored her presence.

The words Iris wanted to say about offloading her work onto Asher were left unsaid. She could only wave her hand helplessly. "No rush to get discharged. You've got a few days of leave left. Rest up and don't risk any lingering aftereffects."

With that, Iris left without looking back, closing the door Little Raven had slammed open on her way out.

Asher chuckled.

'Professor Iris is actually quite nice.'

———

"Who is that person?"

In the adjacent hospital room, a teenager had just woken up from a coma.

Before he could exchange a few words with the person assigned to take care of him, he noticed a very familiar, stunning woman in a white lab coat walking past the door.

"Oh, she seems to be a professor at Bluewind University?"

The teenager's eyes lit up instantly.

'Identity confirmed. It's her.'

He struggled to sit up on the bed, but despite his mouth and nose being covered earlier, he had still inhaled quite a bit of toxic gas. His limbs were weak and uncontrollable, and it would take some time to recover.

Thus, he could only watch as that graceful figure disappeared before his eyes.

The teenager's gaze dimmed slightly.

As he thought back to how she reached out to protect him during the crisis… his face began to blush bit by bit.

"I've decided!"

"I will work hard to get into Bluewind University."

'And then become her student!'

As for the events that occurred in the Forbidden Zone… the boy's face turned even redder, shy and innocent.

'Cough, cough.'

She didn't do anything bad; instead, she saved him. This was their little secret, just between the two of them.

'A special secret... hehe!'

———

"Achoo!"

Lying on the hospital bed, Asher suddenly felt a chill down his spine and sneezed heavily.

Asher: "Could it be that poacher is still cursing me?"

He rubbed his nose and speculated aloud.

'Maybe.'

'But no need to care.'

After all, the person was already caught and wouldn't be able to stir up any more trouble.

"How about we take a nap?" Perhaps due to inhaling some residual poison, Asher felt unusually drowsy. He didn't resist and waved at Little Raven, inviting her.

Upon hearing this, Little Raven hopped toward Asher a couple of steps but then stopped as if something had crossed her mind.

Little Raven tilted her head, looked at Asher, and pushed him lightly with her wings.

Little Raven: 'Sleep! You sleep!'

'Beastmaster, rest well.'

'As for me... cough! This ladybird will continue cultivating.'

'Meditating!'

Little Raven flapped her wings enthusiastically, a lively display of determination.

Understanding her intentions, Asher felt a pang of guilt once again.

He remembered.

Little Raven had been sulking about running away from home earlier.

Caught by a poacher and causing a string of events…

"This isn't your fault, Little Raven," Asher sighed.

It was his neglect of Little Raven's emotional changes.

Sitting up halfway, Asher reached out his hands, gently cupped Little Raven, and lowered his head to meet her eyes.

Little Raven didn't resist.

Worried about Asher's health, her movements were cautious.

Asher's heart ached even more at the sight.

"Really, it's not your fault."

Little Raven: ╥﹏╥

'It's the bird's fault.'

'Because the bird was immature and misunderstood its Beastmaster, running away from home...'

"No, it's not like that, Little Raven." Asher was never someone to keep words in his heart. Especially since Little Raven was his contracted beast, and they were partners who would grow and fight together.

He spoke with sincerity, addressing the misunderstanding.

"Firstly, I share part of the blame for this incident."

Because he had been eager to make the most of the cheat-like tool he acquired, he neglected Little Raven's capacity to handle it.

Moreover, Asher admitted that if he had pushed for another couple of days, he probably wouldn't have been able to endure it himself.

After all, who could endure 108 days of grueling training without wavering?

There might be such people.

But Asher wasn't one of them.

He had only lasted this long because of the excitement of acquiring a golden item and riding a wave of adrenaline.

Had Little Raven not run away from home… Asher might have been the first to beg for mercy.

With these thoughts, Asher explained everything to Little Raven, word for word.

Lowering his head, he asked her sincerely, "So, Little Raven, can you forgive me?"

He wasn't joking.

Asher was genuinely asking for forgiveness.

Little Raven's black bead-like eyes widened in surprise.

'Beastmaster…'

Little Raven: (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

'Wuwuwu!'

'My beastmaster is too good.'

'My beastmaster love me so much.'

Little Raven nodded her little head repeatedly.

'Forgive! Of course, I forgive!'

Seeing this, Asher chuckled. Little Raven's expressions were so vivid that he could easily tell what she was thinking.

She was too easily satisfied.

Then, Little Raven looked back at Asher.

But the bird was at fault too...

If only she hadn't run away...

Asher stroked her soft head feathers. "Nope."

Little Raven: '[ヘ?]'

"It's normal to be upset and throw a little tantrum at me."

That's just part of getting along.

Even among human friends, family, and lovers, minor disagreements and conflicts are common.

Let alone interspecies communication?

Little Raven couldn't fully understand Asher's perspective, and vice versa.

Conflicts, anger, and sulking were no big deal.

"If not for the poacher, I would have found you easily. Or maybe, before I even started looking, you'd have come back on your own, wouldn't you?"

Little Raven: "..."

She didn't want to admit it, but… if she hadn't gotten lost back then…

Little Raven nodded slightly.

'Exactly!'

"That's it, then," Asher concluded. "I share part of the responsibility, but the main issue lies with that poacher."

He declared firmly.

Little Raven blinked.

'Really?'

Her little brain didn't have much capacity for thinking, and she was quickly convinced by Asher's words.

'Yes! That's it!'

'It was all the poacher's fault!'

Learning she wasn't to blame, Little Raven perked up with joy.

'Hooray!'

'The bird wasn't bad!'

'The bird was still a good bird!'

'Poachers, bad!'

Asher nodded in satisfaction.

'That's more like it.'

Whether as a human or a bird, one shouldn't blame themselves excessively and fall into meaningless self-loathing.

Instead of brooding alone, find someone else to blame.

And besides, he wasn't wrong.

Revived in spirit, Little Raven happily snuggled up to Asher.

Not satisfied with just snuggling, she practically clung to him over the next two days in the hospital.

Even President Robb, who stopped by to check on Asher, was dumbfounded by their closeness.

President Robb: 'What? Has the world changed? Why can't I understand how young people interact with their contracted beasts these days? Or am I just too old to keep up with the trends?'

Only stayed in the hospital for two days, Asher couldn't wait to be discharged.

In fact, he could have been discharged the same day.

But President Robb didn't agree.

"The damage caused by Beasts' skills to the human body is more serious than you think. Stay a few more days for thorough examinations to avoid any lingering aftereffects."

"You're the most important little genius in NY City."

President Robb righteously declared, "That poacher is utterly detestable. No way, I must make sure he gets the heaviest sentence."

"Not only did he smear the reputation of our province's professor… he also injured a genius who hasn't even fully grown yet..."

Asher silently hung up the phone.

'Amen.'

'May the poacher reform through labor and learn to be a proper person in the next life.'

The next day, Asher underwent another round of unnecessary and tedious examinations. After a thorough and complicated process, Asher, who was now completely certain that his body was fine, was starting to lose his patience.

If it weren't for exposing his uniqueness by saying it out loud,

Asher really wanted to shout: "I did it on purpose. I controlled it. I'm really fine."

In the end, Asher held back.

After the instruments also confirmed he was fine, Asher packed up Little Raven and left the hospital in a hurry.

'Never coming back next time.'

He'd rather find an excuse to bluff his way out than get trapped in the endless examination hell again.

———

Back at Bluewind University, Asher resumed his work as a teaching assistant.

Because he encountered a poacher in the forbidden zone managed by the campus, Bluewind University provided Asher with generous compensatory resources.

Asher, who didn't have much complaint in the first place, was now even more satisfied.

Accidentally encountering such a thing... one couldn't entirely blame the poacher, but if the school wanted to shirk responsibility, it wouldn't be impossible either.

However, Bluewind University decisively took full responsibility.

The elderly principal personally came to apologize to Asher.

"Student Asher, I'm truly sorry. The school's security measures were inadequate, which led to your unfortunate encounter. I deeply apologize for this," Principal Boyle sighed deeply.

He then promised that Bluewind University would waive all reasonable expenses incurred on campus for Asher over the next four years.

This included but was not limited to tuition and meal costs.

Any expenses within the Bluewind University system would be fully covered by the school.

Then there was also a generous resource compensation package.

Although most of it consisted of low-level resources, with a small portion of mid-level resources, the attitude and swift action of the school genuinely made Asher feel their sincerity.

After receiving the compensation, Principal Boyle left.

Asher also let go of the incident.

In the following period, Asher shuttled between the school and the buffer zone.

He spent half a month at Bluewind University and half a month at the volcano crater.

After the poacher incident, inspections in the forbidden zone became stricter. Asher rarely encountered danger when heading to the buffer zone alone.

But he still didn't go alone because... Lara stuck to him.

"Last time, I didn't do much to help you, boss. I can't sleep peacefully with the money I earned."

"As your bodyguard, I didn't do my job well. I've let you down, boss, and tarnished my reputation."

"This semester, if you're heading to the forbidden zone, boss, I'll cover it. I won't charge any additional fees. Boss, don't hold back with me."

Lara patted her chest with conviction as she spoke.

What could Asher do?

A free bodyguard? Of course, he wouldn't refuse.

Asher continued his routine training plan with Little Raven.

He maintained eight hours of total training and meditation daily, spending the rest of the time resting and doing other things. His days were fulfilling.

When the final exam week at Bluewind University approached, Asher packed his already minimal luggage and prepared to return to NY City.

"Will you come back after the New Year?" Seeing Asher about to leave, Iris looked at him reluctantly and asked.

Asher: "...You just want my labor, don't you?"

Iris nodded without hesitation.

What else?

What else could she want from Asher?

Frequent leave requests?

But since Asher showed no interest in the sixth floor, she couldn't use that as a pretext to keep him and make him work.

Moreover, Asher wasn't her student yet, so she couldn't openly entice him with credits or other means to secure his labor. Iris had no choice but to play pitiful to evoke a shred of sympathy.

Asher: 'Sympathy? Doesn't exist.'

Not even a beauty could make him interested in work.

He was out of there.

Wait until next year when he was officially a freshman.

Dragging his luggage and Little Raven, Asher left without looking back.

Watching Asher's departing figure, Iris puffed her cheeks in frustration and wondered if her beauty was truly ineffective.

Did Asher not like her type, or did he not like women at all?

Finally, Iris reasonably suspected: 'It could be both.'

———

[NY City]

Asher returned to the dormitory at No. 11 High School.

As an orphan, Asher had always lived this way.

He stayed in the school dormitory during classes and in the union-provided work-study accommodation during vacations.

He had no fixed residence.

Asher himself didn't mind.

In the past, he had no choice. Now, he could afford to rent a decent place, but Asher didn't see the need.

The school dormitory was just fine.

"Wahhh! Ash! Brother Ash! Son! You're finally back. Daddy missed you so much."

One second, Vicky looked dejected and listless. The next, he saw Asher at the dormitory door, and his eyes lit up instantly, like he had seen a long-lost relative. He rushed at Asher.

"Don't come near me. Keep at least a meter away." Asher quickly dodged Vicky's bear hug with a side step, his face full of disdain. He waved his hand to disperse the unpleasant smell. "Seriously? What did you do?"

Asher scrutinized Vicky from head to toe.

From his hair to his exposed ankles, Vicky was filthy all over, as if he had crawled out of a stinky ditch. He carried a foul odor.

Even Little Raven, who had perched on Asher's shoulder, flew to the balcony the moment Vicky entered.

Little Raven: 'Fresh air!'

'The bird is suffocating!'

'Hurry and breathe fresh air!'

Vicky opened his mouth as if to recount his experience in detail.

"Go shower first. Afterward, sit on your bed and talk." Asher pointed to the bathroom, then retreated to the balcony himself.

Staying in the dormitory for even a second was unbearable.

Vicky: "..."

Rejected by both Little Raven and Asher, Vicky raised his arm to sniff his sleeve, muttering, "Is it that bad? Ugh!"

Alright!

Showering couldn't wait!

Vicky spent a full hour in the bathroom. The more he washed, the more he felt like gagging.

He hadn't realized how bad he smelled until he started cleaning himself.

When Vicky finally emerged, his skin was scrubbed red and wrinkled.

"What happened to you?" Asher closed the windows he had opened for ventilation, sitting on his bed with curiosity.

"Uh..." Vicky made a complicated expression. "It's a long story. In short, I got scammed during the final exams."

Asher: "?"

"Exams?" Asher perked up. "Since when did exams become so... wild?"

Thinking of how Vicky looked earlier, Asher felt his description was spot on.

Wild indeed.

So wild it was almost too much.

Back in the day, school was never this wild.

Asher couldn't help but wonder.

"That's because in the first and second years of high school, most people hadn't contracted beasts yet. The school had to go easy on us and only test book knowledge." Vicky rolled his eyes dramatically. "This year is different. Everyone has contracted beasts, so the school has to spice things up."

"The school took us to an outdoor battle arena in a mountain resort. The environment there was…" As he spoke, Vicky wore a pained expression.

"That sounds fun." Asher's eyes lit up. "I kind of regret missing it."

"Listen to yourself. How is that even human speech." Vicky looked at Asher with an expression of anguish.

Then he couldn't help but add, "...Fine, if I didn't have to participate personally, I'd probably find it fun too."

Asher couldn't help but laugh.

Vicky waved his hand, changing the topic. "What about you? You've been away for months. What have you been up to?"

Asher briefly shared his experiences with Vicky, leaving out only the part about crossdressing.

Hearing this, Vicky's eyes widened. "Holy crap! Your life has been way too exciting."

"But are you okay?"

Vicky looked Asher up and down. "Now that I'm paying attention, you do look a bit thinner."

"Have you not been eating or resting properly without Dad taking care of you?"

Asher waved it off. No such thing.

Except for Iris sneakily dumping extra work on him now and then, everything else at Bluewind University was pretty great.

The canteens served delicious meals for free.

At the training grounds, he had sparring sessions with the martial arts senior Abella.

In the buffer zone, Lara acted as his bodyguard.

And occasionally, some seniors from the sixth floor invited him for thrilling battle royale games.

Asher: 'Fulfilling! Every day was extremely fulfilling!'

"What about Little Raven's strength?" Seeing that Asher didn't seem to be lying, Vicky didn't press further. They were brothers, after all—he trusted Asher unconditionally.

"Ha! My Little Raven is already at advanced third stage. With a bit more effort, breaking through to the fourth stage after the college entrance exam shouldn't be a problem." Vicky said excitedly.

Then he sighed, "Ugh, Little Raven's growth phase is long, and its strength grows slower than ordinary Beasts. Just raising Little Raven takes all my energy. If I were to nurture another beast to the middle third stage... I couldn't do it. I'll just have to count on Little Raven breaking through to the fourth stage."

Hearing this, Asher raised an eyebrow and said two words: "Guess what."

Vicky: "..."

He had a bad feeling.

Looking at Asher again and then at Little Raven, who seemed harmless and even adorable perched on Asher's head, his bad feeling intensified.

"Haha… No way, right?" Vicky forced a laugh and cautiously asked, "Little Raven hasn't really broken through to the fourth stage, has it?"

Asher: "Why not?"

"Holy crap!!"

"F*cking hell!!!"

Vicky burst into a string of expletives that could only be censored as Morse code.

"Wait?" Vicky stared at Asher in shock, then glanced at Little Raven, the tiny, seemingly unthreatening creature with a hint of cuteness. His voice cracked, "How long has it been since you contracted Little Raven? And it's already at the fourth stage?"

Wasn't the fourth stage supposed to be the first small hurdle for Beasts?

A small hurdle meant it wasn't hard to overcome but required a lot of effort for beastmasters and their beasts to adapt and harmonize before they could successfully break through.

That's why not all universities could claim to admit only formal beastmasters.

Yet, for Asher and Little Raven, this hurdle seemed non-existent. They had overcome it effortlessly in no time at all.

Vicky's expression became increasingly incredulous.

"What's so surprising?" Asher genuinely didn't understand why Vicky was so shocked. "Before I left, Little Raven could already beat all your beasts single-handedly."

"It just got a bit stronger from there. Isn't that normal?"

Yes.

Very normal.

From Asher's perspective, this couldn't be more normal.

After the buffer zone incident,

Although Asher successfully helped Little Raven stop its self-harm, it became visibly more diligent in training, battling, and meditating than ever before.

The most significant change after this incident was... Little Raven's evolution requirement panel data.

Asher was surprised when he saw it.

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[Affection: 100 (100/100)]

[Harmony: 100 (100/100)]

[Beastmaster's Mental Sea Space: (2+/4)]

[Bask in sunlight (158 cumulative days)]

[Bask in moonlight (158 cumulative days)]

[Little Raven's Mental Power: (3/4)]

[Fire Attribute Skills: (7/7)]

[Special Attribute Skills: (6/7)]

[Refined Fire: (Not achieved)]

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Yes.

Little Raven's affection and harmony with Asher were maxed out.

Asher thought for a long time and felt this was related to their reflective conversation.

Then there was Little Raven's mental power, which had surpassed Asher's in training progress.

Asher was stunned when he saw this.

Was Little Raven secretly pushing itself when he wasn't looking?

Otherwise, how could its progress outpace his during their joint meditation sessions?

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