Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

The idea of poaching talent from other schools grew wildly in Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon's minds like weeds.

But to take action against Asher?

To make Asher lose face?

No, no, no.

They had never even considered it—they had standards, after all.

Even if Asher wasn't their student now, couldn't he apply for graduate school or a PhD in the future?

They still had a chance to make Asher their student. Instead of causing trouble for him, they should figure out how to lower their rival school's impression in Asher's mind, so that when the time came, he would choose them first.

A true rival's duty was to trip their enemy at critical moments, steal their talents, and snatch away their best prospects.

The teachers from Jade Dragon University and Flood Dragon University exchanged glances, seeing the same thoughts in each other's eyes. Then, almost simultaneously, they put on a fake smile.

'Fine, fine. Let's talk.'

One conversation, and silence would follow.

"There are still 96 contestants left. Tomorrow, we need at least two more rounds—some might even have to fight three rounds."

"Let's do this: for the first round, we'll separate Asher, Felter, Dexter, Aria, and Luna from the rest and randomly match them against other contestants. If they win, they go straight to the finals."

"In the second and third rounds, the remaining contestants will be randomly matched as usual. Any objections?"

Were those five strong?

Yes.

So making them fight one more round to prove their strength wasn't a problem.

Then they could go straight to the finals.

At the same time, it would reduce the number of eliminations and give others a better shot at advancing.

"Contact the other schools and check. If there are no objections, we'll proceed." The others nodded in agreement.

As long as fairness was maintained, the competition's excitement could also be ensured.

And above all, fairness toward Asher had to be guaranteed—absolutely no way Asher could feel like he was being persecuted.

Asher had no idea about Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon's concerns.

The next day, when he went to the competition, he was completely relaxed.

After all—

All the pressure was on everyone else. It had nothing to do with him.

Compared to yesterday, Asher was even more at ease today.

But unlike yesterday, when few paid attention to him—

Today, the moment he stepped into the arena, countless eyes, subtle or direct, landed on him. Everyone was secretly observing him, mentally labeling him: A strong competitor.

Without enough strength, whoever faced him would be doomed.

Some people didn't want to encounter Asher at all, while others were itching for a fight, eager to test themselves against him.

"Your pet beast is strong, but… but mine isn't weak either."

A bowl-cut boy, who looked timid at first glance and indeed had a soft voice, grabbed his towering 1.9-meter-tall friend and hid behind him while issuing his challenge in a mushy tone.

"I… I-I-I…" Halfway through speaking, he started stuttering. "I want to battle you."

Asher: "?"

"I've seen it all now. This is what they call a 'baby-faced badass,' huh?" June looked at the boy as if witnessing a legend, her tone full of awe.

Speaking the harshest words in the meekest voice?

The 1.9-meter-tall friend: "…"

"He doesn't mean to provoke you. He's just bad at talking."

Despite his strong, imposing appearance, the tall guy patiently explained, "Ever since he saw your match yesterday, he's been super excited, constantly praising you and wanting to befriend you."

"He believes that battling is the best way to bond and strengthen friendships."

Then, with an apologetic smile, he added, "Sorry about that."

"Oh, right. I'm Creed Macmillon, and he's Roy Anderson." Creed quickly introduced themselves. "Professor Asher, your pet beast is truly amazing."

Same words, same meaning—

But when Roy said it, it sounded like a challenge.

When Creed said it, it came off as sincere praise.

Vicky and Scar, who were randomly dragged into the analogy: "?"

What did this have to do with them?

"Ah… it's fine."

Asher smiled, glancing at Roy. As their eyes met, Roy shyly shrank back behind Creed, his face turning red.

A look of confirmation—he really wasn't hostile, just bad at talking.

"You called me 'Professor Asher'…" Asher suddenly realized something.

'Wait…?'

"Yes, after yesterday's match, word about your identity spread." Creed nodded, affirming Asher's unspoken question. "You're truly amazing, Professor Asher. Our school's group chat was buzzing about you until the middle of the night."

"Everyone is curious—how do you keep producing new research results while also training your pet beast so well?"

"Many people say you must have 72 hours in a day, otherwise, it wouldn't be possible."

Asher clenched his fist, bringing it to his lips,"*cough*, *cough.*"

Hearing that actually made him feel a bit embarrassed.

After a bit more conversation, Creed and Asher had a nice chat, neutralizing the awkward tension from Roy's earlier remarks.

As the arena filled with more people, Creed bid farewell first.

"I see my classmates. Professor Asher, I look forward to battling you."

"Goodbye. Looking forward to it." Asher smiled and waved, then glanced at Roy.

The boy, who had just stepped out from behind Creed, was startled by Asher's gaze and jumped back like a frightened rabbit.

Watching them leave, June smirked mischievously.

"Hehe~ A timid yet bold little bunny and a doting 'mom friend'… I feel it. I really feel it."

Ivy listened and smiled shyly, hugging June's arm and nodding lightly.

Vicky, on the side: "Feel what? You two are grinning like idiots."

June and Ivy gave Vicky a quick glance, then scoffed: "Hmph, today I'm in a good mood, so I won't argue with you."

Vicky looked frustrated.

Asher glanced at them, shook his head, and continued walking forward.

A smart man knew that when a woman showed such a smile, it was best not to try interrupting or inserting oneself into the conversation. No one could predict whether she would get angry or casually drag you into the matter as well.

"Substitute literature"—he didn't get it. Really.

As Scar walked in the direction of Asher and his group, the first thing he saw was the eerily smiling June and Ivy, the sullen-faced Vicky, and Asher, who was staring straight ahead without a hint of expression.

Scar: "?"

"What's going on with you guys?" Scar asked in confusion,"Anyone who knows you would assume you're a group. But to outsiders, you might look like some kind of weird organization that randomly gathered together."

Asher briefly explained what had happened at the entrance with Creed and Roy.

"Oh… it's them, huh?" Unexpectedly, after hearing their names, Scar's expression turned complicated and strange.

Seeing this, Asher couldn't help but ask curiously, "Huh? Is there something wrong with those two?"

"I don't think I saw their match yesterday," Asher recalled the battles from the previous day… Well, there were a lot. Especially in the afternoon, Asher had mainly focused on Dexter, Felter, and Luna.

As for the others, he had only watched the ones that seemed intense.

Creed and Roy… He really couldn't remember them.

"It's normal that you don't remember them. Their matches yesterday were pretty standard, nothing out of the ordinary. But…" Scar paused, leading Asher and the others to seats in the front row before continuing.

"You know, I'm from Cloudborn University…" As soon as Scar started speaking, he was met with four pairs of wide, watery eyes filled with pure unfamiliarity.

Scar: "?"

Asher and his group: "?"

"Cloudborn University? Never heard of it. Why would I need to know what university you're from?" Asher blinked seriously and asked.

June, Ivy, and Vicky also nodded from the side. "You never mentioned this to us yesterday."

"You guys didn't think to look it up even if I didn't tell you?" Scar was speechless. He had never seen competition participants who were this careless.

Were they not even going to follow the normal competition procedures?

Investigating potential opponents, figuring out which university they were from, assessing their strength—wasn't that a completely normal thing to do?

"Whether they're opponents or not, that only matters once we're in the arena. But aren't we friends? Why would I bother looking all that up?" Asher spoke sincerely, without a trace of deception.

Scar: "…"

The irritation he had felt just moments ago completely dissipated when he heard Asher's words, and he awkwardly turned his head away.

"Alright, alright… Let's skip that part." Scar cleared his throat uncomfortably before continuing, "Anyway, now you know I'm from Cloudborn University. In the Northern region, our school is one of the top universities. Every year, countless people fight tooth and nail to get in."

"But Cloudborn University has a sworn enemy—just like how Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon are destined rivals, Cloudborn's rival is Hidden Mountain University."

"Creed and Roy are from Hidden Mountain University?" Asher immediately picked up on the subtle implication in Scar's words.

"Exactly. That's why I've heard of them before… You could say they're two of the biggest oddballs in North Huaxia." Scar nodded. "Some people call them the 'Twin Stars of North Huaxia'… but their pet beast combo skill is just ridiculous… When they team up, it's just too, too…"

As he spoke, Scar's expression turned tangled and conflicted, as if he couldn't find the right words to describe it.

"They sound like a really strong duo?" Asher's interest was piqued.

June and Ivy leaned in eagerly. "Do you know what their pet beasts are?"

"Roy's pet beast is a Thousand-Ridge Lord Beast, and Creed's… is just like your Cat Dragon, an unidentified species. Creed named it 'Pearl Princess,'but we all just call it 'Clam Spirit.'"

"A Thousand-Ridge Lord Beast, huh…" Vicky murmured, his mind racing. "Wait a minute—this thing can even be tamed as a pet?"

June and Ivy had identical looks of astonishment on their faces.

Even Asher was a bit surprised.

The Thousand-Ridge Lord Beast evolved from an beast known as the "Blank Slime."

Due to its unique evolution requirements, many pet evolution professors had stated—they couldn't determine its evolutionary ceiling.

Why?

The known evolution path of the Blank Slime was as follows:

Blank Slime → Ten-Knight Soldier → Hundred-Knight Lieutenant → Thousand-Ridge Lord Beast → Ten-Thousand-Ridge King.

Beyond that, no one knew.

If it continued, the naming pattern suggested that it would keep following the same progression.

This naming pattern also hinted at its evolution conditions:

As a leader, command over ten beasts and achieve victory in battle.

As a leader, command over a hundred beasts and achieve victory in battle… and so on.

For wild Blank Slimes, this wasn't a problem.

Out in the wilderness, beasts were abundant.

As long as it had the ability to make those creatures recognize it as their boss and lead them into battle, it could gradually level up when the opportunity arose.

But… the Blank Slime was incredibly weak. It didn't just look like a slime—it was as squishy and pathetic as one.

However, as it evolved from Ten-Knight Soldier to Hundred-Knight Lieutenant, it became increasingly powerful, with its strength multiplying at each stage.

Thousand-Ridge Lord Beasts and Ten-Thousand-Ridge Kings had only ever been seen in the beast tides of a hundred years ago.

Their power was formidable.

Their own strength was one thing, but the more underlings they had, the stronger they became—their power would be amplified with every new follower.

The number of beasts they commanded was a part of their strength.

Both Thousand-Ridge Lord Beasts and Ten-Thousand-Ridge Kings were high-level beasts, incredibly difficult to evolve.

After all, to become the leader of over a thousand beasts… just saying it out loud made it clear that this wasn't an easy feat.

And a contracted Blank Slime? Its evolution difficulty was even higher—who could afford to provide their pet with a hundred, let alone a thousand underlings?

Was this a joke?

"Wait a minute…" Asher furrowed his brows, realizing something was off. "Based on what you said, if Roy's pet beast is a Thousand-Ridge Lord Beast, its overall strength assessment should be at least eight stars. Nine or even ten stars wouldn't be out of the question."

June, Ivy, and Vicky nodded frantically in agreement.

"Not lying to you. But here's the thing—Thousand-Ridge Lord Beasts and Ten-Thousand-Ridge Kings aren't just strong because of their own power," Scar shrugged. "They get stronger because they command vast numbers of underlings and constantly lead them in battle. If you look only at the individual strength of a Thousand-Ridge Lord Beast or a Ten-Thousand-Ridge King, they're just average beasts. Their strength comes from the sheer number of their subordinates."

"Is that so?" June and Ivy looked puzzled… 'That sounded reasonable?'

Asher: "True… So, where did its thousand underlings come from? Cheating? Or did it not actually recruit that many subordinates? Then how did it evolve into a leader commanding a thousand beasts?"

Since he hadn't seen Roy's pet beast, Asher couldn't figure it out.

"I thought you, as a genius in pet evolution, would know everything about beasts. Seems like Roy finally stumped you." Scar smirked, seeing Asher's puzzled expression.

Asher shot him a look. "Creed."

June, Ivy, and Vicky: "?"

Scar: "!!!"

"Holy sh*t!" Scar exclaimed, "How do you know that?"

"I guessed." Asher looked calm. "You said Creed and Roy are the 'Twin Stars of North Huaxia.' Since that's the case, when talking about Roy, you can't leave out Creed. Creed must have played a very important role in it as well."

Scar gave a thumbs-up in admiration.

"Amazing, amazing! As expected of a master in pet evolution research, your brain really works faster than the average person's."

"So…" Scar spoke and suddenly paused, revealing a malicious smile. "I won't say it. Just watch for yourself."

"Some things need to be seen with your own eyes to truly feel their impact. Descriptions in words are simply too weak."

Asher didn't say anything.

He had more or less guessed that Creed's pet beast, Pearl Princess, had a special ability… He just didn't know what exactly it was.

On the side, June and Vicky were already rubbing their hands together, preparing to give Scar a double beating. Ivy not only didn't stop them but was even cheering them on.

Scar, who was actively being left alone: "…"

So they were just going to bully him together?

There really wasn't a single good person here!

Asher: *Calm and blind*

'What?'

'Scar is getting beaten up?'

'I don't know any of that. As a matter of fact, I am blind in my left eye.'

Compared to yesterday's matches, today's were more focused. Only two groups of contestants were on stage at a time, one on the left and one on the right, taking up a large space. This also allowed the audience to appreciate the battles better.

However, both sides were exciting—

The spectators still felt like their eyes weren't enough.

Because yesterday had already eliminated half of the participants.

Very soon, Asher saw the battle he was anticipating—

Creed's match.

When Creed's name was announced, the others didn't have much of a reaction, but Asher, along with June, Ivy, and Vicky, all simultaneously turned their gazes toward Creed on the stage.

"It's Creed's turn? That was pretty fast!" June leaned forward, staring curiously at Creed. "What's so special about his pet beast?"

As she spoke—

The contestants on stage had already released their pet beasts.

Creed's opponent was a 175 cm tall young man—not short, but standing in front of the 190 cm tall Creed, he was undeniably under some pressure. Even his summoning speed was slower than Creed's.

Then…

They saw Creed's pet beast appear in the arena first.

It was a pet beast with a lustrous, jade-like, ocean-blue body, opening and closing like a clam shell.

With each opening and closing movement, the inner wall of the shell was revealed—pure white, with a warm, pearlescent luster at its core.

Compared to the beasts that were all about fighting and killing, this clam shell looked more like a piece of art.

"I get why it's called Pearl Princess now… It's a perfect name!" Ivy covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes full of amazement,"It's so beautiful, so beautiful that I can believe a pearl princess lives inside that shell."

June nodded repeatedly.

'Yes, yes, exactly.'

"Just watch." Scar crossed his arms. "You won't think that for long."

Not only were June, Ivy, and Vicky intrigued, but Asher's curiosity was also piqued.

A pet beast he had never seen before… He had no idea what kind of skills it might have.

It had to be said—

Scar's mysterious, suspenseful way of speaking had indeed caught Asher's interest, so he didn't use his talent skill to cheat and check in advance. Instead, he was prepared to watch the match properly.

Creed's opponent clearly hadn't expected that such a tall, imposing man would actually have such a… delicate and elegant pet beast?

The pressure from the height difference immediately eased, and he quickly summoned his own pet beast—a 2.8-meter-long Azure Gold Crocodile, whose mouth could swallow a person whole.

The battle began.

Under the Beast Master's command, the Azure Gold Crocodile first tested the waters with a Wind Blade attack aimed at the opponent's dodging path.

What he didn't expect was—Creed didn't speak, Pearl Princess didn't dodge, and instead, it suddenly opened its shell and swallowed the Wind Blade whole.

The Azure Gold Crocodile's Beast Master: "?"

Asher from the audience: "…"

Asher's eyelid twitched once, then twice…

A bad premonition lingered in his mind…

And then, in the next second, Pearl Princess let out a burp. Right after, it opened its mouth and spat out a smaller Azure Gold Crocodile—only one-fifth the size of a normal Azure Gold Crocodile but identical in appearance and detail.

This move—

Completely stunned all the contestants and spectators.

"What the hell? What kind of skill is that?"

"I've never seen a pet beast like that before!"

"Creed's clam spirit, huh… No other trump card, just playing dirty with this 'fake pregnancy' trick… But the problem is, the little ones it gives birth to actually replicate the opponent's abilities."

"Wait, why didn't it do this in the last match? I thought this scummy move should've been noticed and banned by now."

"Because last time, it faced a straightforward fighting-type opponent—purely physical attacks—so it didn't get the chance to 'fake pregnancy'."

A wave of discussions erupted in the contestant viewing area.

Seeing this, Asher, June, Ivy, and Vicky all fell into dead silence.

"'Fake pregnancy'… This skill is really…" Vicky stammered, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.

Brain.

Crashed.

"I always knew some beasts had bizarre skills, but I never imagined they could be this bizarre…" June muttered blankly.

Why?

Because—

On the field, Pearl Princess… No, June couldn't call it that anymore. Clam Spirit.

The Clam Spirit was continuously spitting out little Azure Gold Crocodiles, one after another, faster than a mother hen laying eggs.

Attack?

No dodging needed.

Take them all.

Fake pregnancy, spawn babies.

Defense?

Counterattack?

No, no, no.

None of that was needed.

It simply stood there, swallowed every single attack from the Azure Gold Crocodile…

Then, inside its shell, nurtured a new little helper.

Before long, the field was full of Azure Gold Crocodiles and their tiny duplicates.

Each little Azure Gold Crocodile was one-fifth the size of the original, and their skill power was reduced to one-third. Plus, due to attribute resistance, they didn't seem to pose much of a threat.

But when five, ten tiny Azure Gold Crocodiles grouped together… They formed a small suicide squad that the original Azure Gold Crocodile couldn't ignore, charging forward without fear of death.

What shocked Asher even more was—he noticed that whenever the Azure Gold Crocodile eliminated one of its mini clones, it would visibly tremble, as if it had taken damage itself.

Good lord.

This wasn't just 'fake pregnancy' anymore.

The babies were actually siphoning away the original's health and stamina?

Asher finally couldn't resist and activated his talent skill.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Pet Beast: Pearl Princess]

[Attribute: Special + Water]

[Species: Mid-tier Transcendent High-rank]

[Level: Tier Four Advanced]

[Skill: Absolute Defense]

[Bloodline: Dragon Species Bloodline, Not Fully Awakened. Upon Awakening, Talent Skill Will Be Further Enhanced and Strengthened]

[Talent Skill: Nurturing]

[Nurturing (Upgradeable): Can convert all non-physical attack energy into an avatar resembling the opponent, which has no consciousness and follows the commands transmitted by the mother body to attack. Each avatar, when eliminated by the original body, will take away 1% of the original body's health bar and replenish it to the mother body. (Depending on the converted energy, the strength, bloodline, and talent skills of the pet beast, the maximum number of avatars Pearl Princess can copy will be subject to varying degrees of limitation and influence.)]

[Evolution Path: None (Cannot Upgrade)]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Asher: "..."

This is heaven-defying.

It only has one skill.

Absolute Defense.

Plus the bizarre buff brought by the talent skill… Pearl Princess—no, Asher suddenly understood why Scar's expression became so strange when he mentioned Creed and his clam spirit.

This skill is just… strong, very strong, extremely strong.

Not only strong, but also shameless.

Forcibly scamming the opponent into birthing a cub was already bad enough, but then forcing the opponent to pay child support... Is this something a normal pet beast would do?

Absolutely not!

And at that moment, Asher instantly understood why Roy's blank slime little monster could evolve step by step into the Thousand Ridge Lord Beast—with such a scammer partner, just keep milking the opponent and crazily reproducing.

Evolve first, then worry about underlings later.

If that doesn't work, just give the Thousand Ridge Lord Beast a batch of temporary underlings during battle.

"Asher, I feel like Creed making it to the finals is a sure thing.",Vicky whispered beside him, "If you run into him in the finals..."

As he spoke, Vicky's gaze fell onto the Cat-Worm in Asher's arms.

June and Ivy also heard and instinctively turned their eyes toward the Cat-Worm, their minds flashing back to Little Raven… 'Hehehe!'

Asher shuddered: "I… I'll think about it when the time comes. That Pearl Princess… whether the clam spirit can nurture a Cat Dragon or a copy of Little Raven is still uncertain."

Asher thought about the limitations of the clam spirit's talent skill—the strength, bloodline, and talent skill of the nurtured pet beast all increase the difficulty of nurturing.

Whether it was Little Raven or the Cat-Worm, neither were ordinary beasts; both had bloodline awakenings and talent skills, making them extraordinary pet beasts. If the clam spirit really wants to scam and reproduce, it depends on whether it has the capability.

Thinking of this, Asher let out a breath of relief.

But whether it was June, Ivy, Vicky, or Scar, they all looked at Asher with pity, then shook their heads together.

'Sigh!'

'Asher just refuses to face reality!'

'Things aren't as simple as he imagines!'

They all saw the clam spirit's fake-pregnancy technique firsthand.

If Asher really wants to avoid it… he'd have to completely avoid using non-physical attack methods against the clam spirit. But whether it was Little Raven or the Cat-Worm… weren't most of their skills non-physical?

The only pure physical attack was probably… Little Raven's Peck?

On the battlefield, the fight between the Azure Gold Crocodile and Pearl Princess finally ended.

Using a single birth of triplets (not really) as its scamming technique, Pearl Princess successfully drained the Azure Gold Crocodile's health bar dry.

Disgusting.

Time-consuming and labor-intensive.

But for most people, there was no solution.

With Absolute Defense plus fake-pregnancy, eliminating a single cub would still cost the opponent 1% of their health bar. Who could withstand that?

Contestants who didn't know Creed before were all now deeply aware of him after this match, and their expressions turned grimmer than ever.

Especially the Leonheart family sisters… They analyzed that the only way to avoid being scammed was to attack Pearl Princess with physical skills. But the problem was, their pet beasts were elemental incarnations and lacked suitable, efficient physical attack methods.

The Leonheart sisters' faces turned darker by the second—Asher's new-king ascension in front, Creed's black-horse breakout behind, and now this guy even completely countered their pet beasts.

Aria and Luna: *Thinking…*

Asher also easily won his match today.

Because his opponent's pet beast wasn't weak, Asher even used [Shadow Assault], finishing the match even faster than yesterday. But, it didn't cause the same shock and sensation as before.

First, because everyone was already aware of Asher's strength—they knew he wasn't just some ordinary student majoring in pet beast evolution. He was also a top-tier fighter, the new king after the Four Kings.

The second reason… was naturally because Creed and Pearl Princess had delivered such a violent visual and psychological impact.

This kind of bizarre skill… was only slightly better than the legendary "look at someone and they get pregnant," right?

But when choosing between making their pet beast an "honorable mother" themselves, or letting Pearl Princess be the "honorable mother" and give birth to ten at once… which one was better?

Contestants were deeply conflicted.

They didn't know.

They couldn't choose.

Both were terrible. It was just a matter of "terrible" and "more terrible."

.

.

The second day's matches ended quickly.

All five contestants, including Asher, were directly advanced without needing to fight a second round.

All the other universities agreed—don't ask why. Just understand that none of them wanted to face these five final bosses.

If possible, they would've loved to petition Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon to shove Creed into the pre-seeded list too.

Immediately!

But unfortunately, they couldn't.

From their observations, Pearl Princess wasn't completely unbeatable within its tier. Its lack of independent mobility and combat ability were clear weaknesses. Defeating it was difficult, but still possible.

Thus… in the afternoon's second-round match, Creed continued using Pearl Princess's overpowered fake-pregnancy technique to ruthlessly trample their spirits.

Asher: *Running away, running away!*

Just watching it once was mental damage.

Might as well go home and cuddle Little Raven and Cat-Worm for a good rest.

———

"Tomorrow's finals won't be so easy."

In the hotel, Asher sat in the room's living area, Little Raven in his left hand, Cat-Worm in his right, calculating tomorrow's match schedule.

20 → 16

16 → 8

8 → 4

Semifinals

Finals

And a third-place match.

If he won every match without entering tie-breakers, he'd need to fight five rounds.

Asher was mainly concerned about two things:

1. Facing stronger opponents.

2. Cat-Worm running out of stamina.

Usually, Cat-Worm needed rest after two to three rounds of training. Five rounds in one day would be a huge strain.

If the opponents were tough, it'd be even worse…

"I wonder how others handle this issue?"

Asher stroked Little Raven and Cat-Worm, enjoying the contrast between feathers and scales.

But he wasn't too worried.

Because he still had Little Raven, right?

Little Raven: *Puffs out chest.*

*Proud!*

'Birds are just that strong!'

'A Beast Master only needs to believe in birds!'

"Meow! Meow!"

Cat-Worm also let out an angry cry.

'Dragons are amazing too, okay!'

'Dragons definitely can do it!'

Asher chuckled and rubbed Cat-Worm's head. "Alright, alright, tomorrow we'll just do our best, okay?"

"Then we'll rely on our most dependable Big Sister Little Raven to carry us." Asher smoothed down the tuft of fur on Little Raven's head again, perfectly balancing his attention so that neither was left out. Both Little Raven and Cat-Worm were extremely happy.

They felt valued and trusted by their Beast Master.

Little Raven: ╭(╯^╰)╮

'Birds are the strongest!'

Cat-Worm: Hmph (ˉ(∞)ˉ) Snort

'Dragons are… dragons are amazing too!'

Little Raven and Cat-Worm glanced at each other from opposite sides of Asher, then haughtily turned their heads away at the same time.

———

Finals Day.

There were fewer contestants, but the venue had been moved to a larger, grander, and better-equipped arena.

Surrounding the field were multiple tiers of gradually rising seating, with a circular giant screen that allowed the entire audience to watch the central battle with a full 360-degree view.

The battlefield had also changed from a standard indoor arena with protective barriers to a simulated real-world combat environment.

Deserts, grasslands, rivers—common terrains like these were randomly selected, aiming to replicate the most realistic battle conditions.

Holding their contestant companion tickets, June, Ivy, and Vicky sat in the spectator stands, which had an attendance rate of over 80%. With the stirring background music playing, they were infected by the enthusiastic atmosphere around them and quickly got into a high-energy state—

"Ahhh! Asher, go for it! Show them the might of the Demon King !"

"Charge! Punch Jade Dragon, kick Flood Dragon, you got this!"

"Unleash the aura of the patch boss!"

The cheers from June, Ivy, and Vicky blended seamlessly into the crowd.

Because in today's audience, there were many people just like them. Upon hearing their cheers for Asher, others also began shouting enthusiastically for their own friends or the contestants they were rooting for.

June, Ivy, and Vicky exchanged glances, their eyes filled with calmness, understanding, and the sense that everything was going exactly as expected.

"Hmph! I knew someone would definitely do this today! So… ta-da! We already prepared a brand-new secret weapon!" June crossed her arms, looking smug.

Vicky: "We have to give the big boss the best and most unique form of support!"

Ivy nodded, then hesitated before asking softly, "We didn't discuss this with Asher in advance… will he get mad when he sees it?"

"What's there to be mad about?" June waved her hand dismissively. "We're just fulfilling our duty as the support team! He should be thanking us."

As she spoke—

SWISH!

June and Vicky each pulled out a large red banner.

Sitting in the middle, Ivy provided both her hands, holding one end of June's banner with her left and the end of Vicky's with her right.

Asher turned his head and accidentally caught sight of the two massive banners, which stood out starkly among the thousands in the crowd—

"…"

He turned away.

Pretended he saw nothing.

As long as his name wasn't on them, he could act like they had nothing to do with him.

But while Asher could pretend not to see, the students from Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon who came to compete, as well as the teachers guiding the event and the staff members, couldn't just ignore it.

"Wait, what? 'Crush Jade Dragon, Annihilate Flood Dragon'? Who the hell has the guts to write something like that?"

"This one's not even the worst… look at the one next to it: 'No way, no way, is there really someone who can beat the Demon King?'"

"Seriously, I just wanna know—who's this 'Demon King'? Us Jade Dragon combat students have to teach this guy a lesson."

"Hang on, let me check the seating chart and see which contestant's companion section this belongs to… oh no."

"Why'd you stop talking? Who's the crazy kid that dares to be this arrogant?"

"Uh… look over there, just look over there…"

A teacher from Flood Dragon University pointed in Asher's direction.

The teacher from Jade Dragon University fell silent.

Uh…

Alright.

They would just pretend they saw nothing.

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