Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

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The Beast Tamer circle within the country had been in shock for ten days straight.

["No way? What's Old Rothschild up to? Is he out of his mind, going crazy? Did he seriously lose it and challenge the Dragon King?"]

["Huh…? Challenge the Dragon King?"]

["Is there still anyone who doesn't know about this? Anyone with a bit of information channels in the circle should have heard about this by now, right? That old man took his Ancestral Dragon and ran off to challenge the Flame Dragon King!"]

["Damn, that's wild! The Flame Dragon King… I remember someone who lost their mind before, trying to get close to the Flame Dragon King, hoping to use love to move it… Tsk tsk, let's not talk about their end. After that, the Flame Dragon King became so fierce that it was basically a 'no trespassing' sign for all living beings."]

["I don't get it. That Rothschild guy's Ancestral Dragon is indeed quite powerful. With a King attribute, it can even be respectfully called an Ancestral Dragon King. But there's still a big gap between a King attribute and a true Dragon King, right? What nerve got struck in him to take his Ancestral Dragon and challenge the Dragon King?"]

In a special chat group, messages were flying at lightning speed.

From top to bottom, the entire Beast Tamer circle was focused on Old Rothschild's sudden move.

And most of them thought he had lost his mind.

Otherwise, why would he, out of nowhere, overestimate himself and go challenge a Dragon King?

It wasn't like he had a death wish.

Opinions were all over the place.

No one had a definite answer.

["Well… I do know a little something."]

["Hm? Hurry up and spill it!"]

["Stop keeping us in suspense. Keep dragging this out, and we'll come to your house and sack you ourselves."]

["Shoo, shoo! Can you all stop acting like a bunch of bandits? And you call yourselves the country's top Beast Tamers? Tsk, just being in the same group as you all feels like I'm degrading myself!"]

["Keep yapping, and you'll get a '(⁠✷⁠‿⁠✷⁠)' from me."]

["Alright, alright, I'll talk. Supposedly… it has something to do with a young professor."]

["You're still being cryptic! Riddle master, get out of the chat!"]

["Riddle master, go to hell!"]

["A professor? What kind of professor is that fierce?"]

["A pet evolution professor."]

["???"]

["???"]

["???"]

["What's Old Rothschild doing with a pet evolution professor? Don't tell me Ancestral Dragon can evolve?"]

["...Don't jinx it. Actually, why not? Why can't it?"]

["But who the hell evolves… by challenging a Dragon King…?"]

The group chat fell silent for a moment.

That's right!

That actually made some sense.

Who in their right mind evolves by fighting a Dragon King?

A dragon-type beast fighting a Dragon King—was there even a need to ask about the result?

["Old Rothschild is muddled! Why would he believe that nonsense? Is Ancestral Dragon really a match for a Dragon King? Just tell me the name of this pet evolution professor so I can steer clear in the future."]

["Yeah, yeah! Is it some Level 1 or Level 2 researcher? If Old Rothschild trusts them this much, this professor must be pretty famous in the circle. Spill it, so we can avoid stepping on a landmine."]

["I'm actually curious who this professor is, to come up with such a suicidal evolution method and even manage to talk Old Rothschild into it. That takes some real persuasion skills."]

["Don't you all think something is seriously off here? Very off? Old Rothschild isn't the kind of person to act recklessly. He wouldn't just throw himself into a death trap, right? His Ancestral Dragon is a beast. Put it on the frontlines against a beast tide, and even if it can't command all dragons, it can still hold down an entire defensive line. I have a reasonable suspicion that this pet evolution professor has some unknown mysterious ability. Maybe… they're even a spy sent by another country's Beast Tamer world to infiltrate us!"]

["…"]

["...That's a bit far-fetched, but it doesn't seem entirely impossible?"]

["Wait, wait, wait! I stopped talking for a second, and now you all have gone off the rails. A spy? Really? You're overthinking it. You guys are seriously overthinking it."]

["So stop stalling and just tell us who it is."]

["Asher. It's that Asher. Heard of him? That little genius from NY City."]

Kevin, who was also in the group chat: "?"

[T/N: Kevin is the mentor of Jasmine from Inspection Divison in Ch106]

As the only eighth-tier Beast Tamer in the inspection team, Kevin wasn't the strongest among eighth-tier ace Beast Tamers, but in the entire Beast Tamer circle, he wasn't weak either.

His information channels were endless.

The moment the news about Old Rothschild taking his Ancestral Dragon to challenge the Flame Dragon King broke, he knew about it instantly.

Kevin's thought was: insanity.

A full-blown, unhinged episode.

Otherwise, there was no explaining why Old Rothschild would lose his mind and take his Ancestral Dragon across thousands of miles just to get beaten up by the Flame Dragon King.

What he didn't expect—was that Asher was somehow involved in this.

Kevin put down his phone.

His face was full of shock.

"Incredible… So how exactly did this kid talk Old Rothschild into this?", Kevin was convinced this was all a con job.

He picked up his phone and looked again.

Unfortunately.

The group chat was already flooded with repeated discussions and various evaluations of Asher.

Before this whole incident with Old Rothschild challenging the Flame Dragon King, most people had a positive impression of Asher. Even those who didn't know much about him would, upon learning about his achievements, at least acknowledge he was impressive.

But now that Old Rothschild was involved…

It was hard to say.

Very hard to say.

Kevin thought about it for a moment but didn't try to reach out to Asher through other channels.

Better to wait and see.

See what Old Rothschild was up to and what Asher really intended.

Then…

.

.

.

Kevin witnessed what it truly meant to have no upper limit on madness.

Fifteen days.

On the fifteenth day, Ancestral Dragon launched its fifteenth attack on the Flame Dragon King—and won the battle.

As soon as the news broke.

Kevin's small group chat exploded.

A Dragon King!

That was a Dragon King. A being that held an innate, overwhelming power over all dragon-type beasts.

And it had actually been defeated by a… dragon-type beast that hadn't even reached the level of a Dragon King?

Even though this was just a single battle result… the shock it brought was immense.

The Beast Tamers in Kevin's group chat lost their minds.

["A Dragon-type pet can… actually challenge a Dragon King?"]

["When's Old Rothschild coming back? I want to ask him how the hell he did it!"]

["Coach! I wanna learn too!"]

["Since Old Rothschild won, he should be returning soon, right? Let's form a group and go visit him to congratulate him!"]

["Sounds good! With so many of us, the old man shouldn't refuse us, right?"]

["Wait, wait. Old Rothschild didn't return? Uh… I just checked his route. After resting at the pet center for half a day, he left again, and his direction isn't toward Clearview City. It actually looks more like… he's headed to the Bone Dragon King's territory?"]

["???"]

The chat was instantly filled with question marks.

No way?

Was Old Rothschild serious?

Beating one Flame Dragon King wasn't enough, and now he wanted to challenge the Bone Dragon King?

Oxygen.

A lot of people suddenly felt like they needed oxygen.

Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to process whether this news was even real.

Soon, they didn't need to question it anymore, because Ancestral Dragon, along with Old Rothschild, landed in the Dragon King Domain of the Bone Dragon King. After resting for half a day—just like when they had challenged the Flame Dragon King half a month ago—Old Rothschild led Ancestral Dragon in a challenge against the Bone Dragon King.

The top-tier Beast Tamers of the country: "..."

Silence.

Shock.

They could no longer understand where things were heading.

They couldn't even reach Old Rothschild now.

If they wanted to ask someone with direct ties to him... Greg was out of the question.

No one except someone with chuunibyou syndrome could communicate properly with another chuunibyou patient.

But if they asked Aeron...

It felt a bit like bullying a child.

So, a group of senior and ace Beast Tamers turned their eyes to Asher.

What?

Asher was also a child?

Well, thanks a lot.

Whose child could possibly stir up such a massive commotion?

They all felt that asking Asher was reasonable— he was more than worthy of such treatment.

However, directly contacting Asher didn't seem appropriate, so in the end, it was President Robb, the president of the NY City Beast Tamer Alliance, whose phone got bombarded with calls.

Within a single day, he received dozens of calls from seventh- and eighth-tier Beast Tamers inquiring about Old Rothschild's situation.

And upon finally learning that this matter was inseparable from Asher, President Robb, "..."

For some reason.

After hearing this, President Robb didn't feel as shocked as he had expected.

Instead, he even felt... a strange sense of inevitability.

'Well.... this was indeed something Asher would do.'

.

.

.

"So, don't you think you owe me an explanation?", President Robb spoke with an eerily calm tone, his heart as still as water, as he said to Asher over the phone, "My phone has been ringing off the hook these past two days. Just trying to brush off those high-tier Beast Tamers is draining all my brain cells."

"And who knows how many more I'll have to waste. Can you give me a straight answer?"

"I can keep it to myself, but at least let me know what's going on."

As President Robb spoke, his voice even became a little choked up, "Right now, quite a few people are suspecting that you either cast some sort of bewitching spell or drugged Old Rothschild. Otherwise, why else would he do something this insane?"

Asher: "..."

'It's not that serious.'

'Really, it's not.'

"Uh... What if I say that Old Rothschild and I are working together to study Ancestral Dragon's new evolution path? Would you believe me?"

"Hah.", President Robb let out a cold laugh, "A suicidal research method?"

"Just tell me—what did you do to Old Rothschild to make him cooperate with you so unconditionally?"

"If possible, can you give me a share of whatever it is? That way, I can use it on those Beast Tamers too, so they'll stop harassing me with phone calls all day long."

"Ahem!", Asher coughed twice, looking a little embarrassed.

Judging by President Robb's utterly exhausted state of mind, yeah, he was definitely at his wit's end.

Asher: "It's almost done, almost done. I swear I didn't do anything to Old Rothschild. He agreed because the situation was urgent, and he had no other choice."

Asher didn't disclose Ancestral Dragon's ridiculous evolution method.

Hearing this, President Robb let out a long sigh, "Alright, alright. As long as you know what you're doing. I'll hold things down for another two days, hoping the commotion on Old Rothschild's side settles down soon."

Asher smiled, 'Ah... About that, well, it might be a bit difficult.'

The battle between Old Rothschild and Ancestral Dragon against the Bone Dragon King lasted far longer than their fight against the Flame Dragon King.

The Bone Dragon King.

A supernatural creature that forges weapons from the bones of its own parents.

And it doesn't wait for its parents to die first.

Bone dragons are extremely rare. As long as one parent possesses dragon attributes, no matter what kind of supernatural creature it breeds with, there is a one-in-ten-thousand chance of giving birth to a pure dragon-attribute bone dragon.

The first thing a newborn bone dragon does is forge its weapon.

Did its parents die on their own? Great news—free weapons.

Are they still alive? No problem, it'll take care of that itself.

Filial piety.

Such overwhelming filial piety.

With this natural trait, bone dragons gain a powerful, personalized weapon, which significantly enhances their strength.

Thirty-two days.

This time, Old Rothschild and Ancestral Dragon battled for a full thirty-two days.

And more than once, Asher heard that Ancestral Dragon was on the brink of death—one wrong move, and it would've been over.

The moment they defeated the Bone Dragon King, Old Rothschild immediately fled the Dragon King Domain with Ancestral Dragon.

'Go, go, go, time to leave.'

'This is not a place to linger.'

Unlike last time, when they only rested for half a day after fighting the Flame Dragon King, this time, Old Rothschild stayed in the pet beast center for three whole days just to heal up before Ancestral Dragon could step out fully intact.

Before Kevin's circle of Beast Tamers could even discuss when they should pay Old Rothschild a visit, they received shocking news—

Old Rothschild was already on his way to challenge the Multi-Crystal Black Dragon King.

High-tier Beast Tamers: "..."

Numb.

Completely numb.

At the same time, their perception of Asher kept changing.

["Seriously, I don't even want to meet Old Rothschild anymore. I just want to know—can I meet this guy named Asher? How the hell is he pulling this off...?"]

["Honestly, I'm starting to admire him... Think about it—Old Rothschild is no fool. He wouldn't just get tricked by a kid with a few sweet words. So what exactly did he say to convince him?"]

["Evolution... Even if it's about evolving, does Old Rothschild really have to go this hard?"]

High-tier Beast Tamers realized something was off.

Would a normal person go to such extreme lengths just to evolve?

And there was still no guarantee of success.

Old Rothschild and Ancestral Dragon looked like they were running on pure adrenaline, desperately dashing from one Dragon King Domain to the next as if they were being chased by the devil.

Their attitude shifted to calm observation, and their curiosity about Asher reached its peak.

What's next?

They would just sit back and watch.

Watch how long Old Rothschild's madness would continue.

And this time, it took even longer.

Ninety-four days.

A full three months and then some.

By the time good news came from Old Rothschild's side, Asher had already started university.

Ancestral Dragon had won against the Multi-Crystal Black Dragon King.

Ancestral Dragon had evolved—a new Dragon King, a Dragon King with a contracted Beast Tamer, was born.

The high-tier Beast Tamers who had been eagerly waiting for news: "!!!"

["Holy sh*t!"]

["Is this real?"]

["It evolved... A Dragon King? A new Dragon King! One that belongs to humanity."]

["I get it now. I finally get it! Just challenge Dragon Kings to evolve into one, right?"]

["Asher—absolutely terrifying! Who the hell comes up with an evolution method like this?"]

The moment Ancestral Dragon's evolution was confirmed, all the previous doubts about Asher melted away like snow.

And for those Beast Tamers who owned dragon-attribute pets...

Their hearts burned with excitement.

If Old Rothschild could do it, then could they?

Maybe...

They should give it a try?

Old Rothschild: 'Try and you'll perish.'

———

While Old Rothschild was still challenging the Polycrystal Black Dragon King, Bluewind University had already started its semester.

Ivy and Vicky—one's pet beast strength wasn't enough, the other's grades weren't enough—both missed the chance to enter Bluewind.

June's grades and strength just barely met the standard, but to apply for the combat department, she was still a bit short. After all, Bluewind's combat department was considered a popular major among Beast Tamers.

After much consideration, the three of them together applied to another first-tier, non-double-first-class university in Radiant City—Radiant University.

Its resources definitely couldn't compare to Bluewind University's, but among ordinary universities, it was considered quite good. June and Vicky decisively chose the combat department.

Ivy, after thinking for a long time, applied for the pet beast care major.

Upon hearing this news, Asher, Vicky, and June all supported her choice.

Everyone has different interests; you can't force it.

Asher's side—Bluewind University freshmen started school half a month earlier than the upper grades.

Asher didn't hesitate or struggle.

When it's time to go to school, just go to school properly.

With countless eyes watching, Asher stepped into the gates of Bluewind University.

"You've been quite famous lately.", Iris was still in a white coat, paired with black high heels. Her slender, beautiful legs were shown off to the fullest. She crossed her arms, making her already undulating figure look even more impressive.

"Old Rothschild's matter is really related to you?", Pushing up her gold-rimmed glasses, Iris asked with great interest.

More than half a year without seeing each other.

Asher's achievements and position had all risen rapidly.

Iris originally thought this was Asher's limit.

Unexpectedly… just before school started, Asher stirred up such a big news event. Because, within this field, the first professor to interact with Asher was Iris. So, recently, many people had come to her, either openly inquiring or covertly accusing Asher of messing around.

Iris firmly refuted them all.

Inquiries?

She knew nothing.

Accusations?

Accuse what? As a professor of pet beast evolution research, isn't the very spirit of the field to continuously seek the truth? At most, it's just that Asher's target and proposed evolution route this time were… indeed a bit outrageous.

Asher chuckled and didn't hide from Iris, "That's right."

"Let's talk somewhere else.", Iris glanced around at the countless gazes constantly landing on Asher and gestured for him to follow, "Come with me."

Asher: "?"

"I still need to check in first.", Asher pointed to the suitcase he was dragging.

First day of university.

Check-in, dorm assignments, getting textbooks, collecting military training uniforms—none of the standard procedures could be skipped, right?

Yes.

This world's universities also have military training.

There's no escape.

Absolutely no escape.

Bluewind University freshmen started half a month early specifically for military training.

"Do you have even the most basic awareness that you're different from the other students here?", Iris crossed her arms, slightly turned her face, and gave Asher a sidelong glance, "Not even mentioning the big news you've caused recently—just your status as a Level-4 Researcher. Do you really think you're just an ordinary student?"

Iris's tone carried some speechlessness.

Level-4 Researcher… even for outstanding students in Bluewind University's pet beast evolution major, getting this title within five to ten years after graduation would mean they're absolute geniuses, dragons among men.

But Asher?

He wasn't even graduated.

He had just stepped onto the university campus, yet he was already a Level-4 Researcher.

"You can consider me your advisor, or as your academic mentor and professor.", Iris walked ahead, "Though, I feel like with my skills, I probably can't teach you much. But at least, it's something."

"I think I can still learn something.", Asher hadn't expected Bluewind University to value him so much.

Thinking about it again, it didn't seem strange.

His achievements might not be earth-shattering in the entire Beast Tamer community—after all, there were many outstanding seniors ahead of him.

But among his peers…

A big boss slaughtering a newbie village.

Can you even compare?

How would you compare?

"As for your dorm arrangement, you'll still be staying in the faculty dorms as before. Don't overthink it—you're still going to be my assistant.", Iris said nonchalantly while planning how to exploit Asher in the future, "Even if you feel like you can still learn something, following the same learning path as regular students obviously isn't suitable for you."

"You should know this yourself, right?"

That was true.

Asher nodded.

If he had to attend classes step by step like everyone else, that would be the real torture.

Different levels mean different learning methods.

"All the lecturers here know your situation. Once formal classes start, you don't need to attend, but you must take the final exams, and you must score above 85 in every subject. Otherwise, your attendance score will be marked as absent, and next semester, you'll have to attend classes properly."

College students worship 60-passing grades? Sorry.

Not applicable to Asher.

"Alright, that shouldn't be a problem.", Asher touched his chin.

'85+? As long as he read more books, I should be fine.'

Long-term meditation not only expanded his spiritual sea and Beast Tamer space, but also greatly improved his memory.

Iris also didn't think scoring 85+ in every subject would be difficult for Asher, "Oh right, any research results and achievements you make during university will also count as extra credit and be factored into your evaluations."

"If you encounter any difficulties in your research—whether theoretical, material, or publication-related—you can request help from the school.", Iris patiently taught Asher how to milk the school's resources, "Don't feel embarrassed. If you make new research breakthroughs, the school's reputation will rise because of you."

"The school would love for you to seek their help more often to strengthen ties with you."

Asher made an "OK" gesture.

The two of them walked through the university campus. Passing students picking up their military training camouflage uniforms couldn't help but stare.

A handsome man and a beautiful woman together—people couldn't help but take a second glance.

Then, someone recognized Iris—this year's freshman pet beast evolution professor, Level-4 Researcher.

A wave of commotion arose among the students.

Professor?

Instructor?

Looking like that?

That coac— professor, they all wanted to take her class!

But Iris's courses this year were all specialized. Non-major students couldn't enroll.

Students not in the pet beast evolution major shed tears of envy.

They really just wanted to study hard and gain more knowledge—nothing else.

"Who's that guy next to her? Handsome, but still a bit worse than me, right?"

"Exactly! And why is Professor Iris so patient with him… taking him toward the dorms?"

"Don't stop me, I'm going to challenge him right now! Why does he get to walk beside my new dream goddess?"

"Wait, wait, wait... Calm down first, I think I recognize who that person is."

As soon as these words were spoken.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

In an instant, all eyes fell on the person who had just spoken. The restless new students around all turned their gazes to this person.

"You should have heard of him too. He's that really popular guy recently... Asher.", the person said in a low voice.

The others were stunned for a moment before they reacted.

"Asher... Is it the Asher I'm thinking of? The one who held that academic conference a while ago and publicly revealed the Holy Light Sunflower?"

"No, aren't you a bit behind on the news? Isn't the latest update that Old Rothschild took Ancestral Dragon to challenge the three great Dragon Kings within our country? It's said that this matter is related to Asher."

The group of new students was once again in an uproar.

Many people had never heard of this before, and upon hearing it suddenly, their faces showed expressions of shock.

"I know, I know! That Old Rothschild is a Rank 7 Beast Tamer himself, and his strongest pet, Ancestral Dragon, has been stuck at Rank 7 for many years without progressing. I thought he went to challenge the Dragon Kings in a desperate gamble, hoping Ancestral Dragon would break through under extreme pressure."

"Heh, do you really think triggering a breakthrough is that easy? But how is Old Rothschild's challenge related to Asher? These two shouldn't have any connection at all."

"I don't know how they got in touch, but it's said that Asher came up with a way for Ancestral Dragon to evolve. Old Rothschild believed him, so he took Ancestral Dragon to challenge the Dragon Kings."

The new students fell silent.

It sounded a bit ridiculous.

But... the more they thought about it, the more it seemed not entirely impossible?

"What's the point of arguing here? I say, why not just go ask the person involved.", one of them suggested.

"Ask the person involved? Do you dare go up and ask Asher?", Someone pointed at Asher's departing figure, and the people around all shook their heads wildly.

Asher was handsome and had a warm aura, but when they thought about his achievements and the titles he held, they instinctively felt nervous in his presence.

The first person to speak quickly clarified, "No, no, I didn't mean to ask Asher directly. I heard that Old Rothschild's grandson is also in our school, apparently in the Combat Department?"

"Maybe we could ask him instead?"

'Well....', Everyone exchanged glances.

Oh, right.

Asking Asher was too intimidating.

But asking Aeron was totally fine.

This could work.

They were all classmates, so gossiping a little wasn't a big deal, right?

Ask, ask, ask.

Go together and ask.

Aeron, on his first day of school, realizing he had suddenly become a campus celebrity, "…"

Soon, Aeron understood why he had become the center of attention.

Aeron: "..."

'Well, as expected of brother Asher.'

'Awesome!'

Surrounded by a crowd, Aeron was already thinking about how to escape and find Asher and Iris... As soon as he thought of Iris, a slight blush appeared on his face.

'Hehehe...'

'I have finally entered Bluewind University. Now, I have a chance to get close to... Ahem!', Aeron shook his head, clearing all those unhealthy thoughts from his mind.

———

The dormitory was familiar.

The bedding was clean.

The environment was tidy.

There were even some home appliances.

The only special thing was the camouflage uniform on the bed—new student exclusive, mandatory for everyone.

Asher shook out the uniform and found that it wasn't the usual oversized, baggy style that could fit two people into one pair of pants. Instead, it actually had a somewhat stylish look.

Summer clothes were easy to put on and take off. Asher wasn't a particularly fussy person, so he took off his shirt on the spot and tried on the top. It fit perfectly and made him look sharp and handsome.

Asher couldn't help but shake his head.

'Tsk! The world had changed.'

"All good now?", Iris suddenly spoke up, and Asher then remembered, 'Oh, there is still someone standing at the door.'

'So just now, when I was changing clothes…'

Seeing Asher's expression, Iris's lips curved slightly. Right in front of Asher, she let her gaze linger on his chest and abs for a moment, "Not bad, there's something there."

Asher: "…"

There was no way he was going to feel awkward.

"I think so too. After all, I've been keeping up with my training.", Asher remained calm, "So, teacher, do you want to take another look?"

As he spoke, Asher's hand moved toward his waist and abs.

As the saying goes, as long as I don't feel embarrassed, the one who will be embarrassed must be someone else. Awkwardness is conserved. This time, it was Iris's turn to fall silent.

"Train well during the next half-month of military training. When it's over, report to my office. You know where my office is.", Iris spoke quickly, then turned and left without looking back.

"I'm leaving now.", With that, Iris walked away, as if she had simply been fulfilling her duty as a teacher.

Anything else?

Nothing.

Really nothing.

Asher chuckled.

'That's it?'

Asher shook out his uniform, "Time to start my university life."

Returning to eighteen, but with a completely different experience of being eighteen—Asher was quite curious.

Then, on the first day of military training, Asher was no longer curious.

The uniform looked great.

But it was useless.

All they did was stand at attention in the sun. Who cared if the uniform looked good or not?

Well... It could make him the public enemy among the male students in his squad.

Under Asher's handsome looks, the others standing next to him seemed overshadowed.

Beast Tamers and regular students in the same major as Asher, "..."

Seriously?

What was this crane among chickens situation?

They were suddenly reduced to mere background characters?

It was a complicated feeling.

By the end of the day, fewer people had actively greeted Asher than expected. As he sat under a tree drinking water, he casually shook his head and muttered, "Ah, my handsomeness makes people jealous."

Aeron, who had just walked up to him, "?"

"Brother Asher, I never knew you were this narcissistic!", Aeron looked at Asher with a complicated expression. Asher smiled slightly.

"Combat Department.", He sized up Aeron and confidently said, "Jessica is also at Bluewind."

"Hehehe, Brother Asher, you really are amazing.", Aeron gave him a thumbs-up.

"It's not that I'm amazing. Both of you had decent grades, and your pet beasts are strong. Getting into Bluewind wasn't that difficult.", Asher stated, "By the way, any updates from Old Rothschild?"

At this, Aeron's smile froze. He sat next to Asher, absentmindedly twisting a blade of grass with his fingers, tearing at it.

"Ever since Grandpa entered the territory of the Multi-Crystal Black Dragon King half a month ago, he hasn't contacted me much…", He let out a long sigh, "Ah! Of course, I'm worried!"

"But at least my dragon dad is in good spirits, eating and drinking well, fighting fiercely every day.", After his disappointment, Aeron grinned, "Every day, his pent-up frustration gets vented. Whether it's the Flame Dragon King or the Bone Dragon King, they used to completely thrash my dragon dad... Tsk tsk tsk!"

Aeron shook his head, his expression full of schadenfreude.

He genuinely felt sorry for Old Rothschild and Ancestral Dragon.

But knowing they weren't in any life-threatening danger… he couldn't help but enjoy the drama.

Asher: Dutiful grandson?

Lol

This is hilarious.

"But I also didn't expect these Dragon Kings to be so cooperative.", Discussing with Aeron, Asher felt no psychological burden.

The two exchanged glances, both showing the same surprise in their eyes.

"Yeah, yeah.", Aeron nodded, "What I was most worried about before was safety. If the Dragon Kings wanted to, they could easily take down my Dragon Dad."

"The Flame Dragon King is relatively easy to deal with."

"After all, the Flame Dragon King once had a Beast Tamer. Even after the Beast Tamer's death, it was still willing to protect the human homeland and resist beast tides to a certain extent. This shows that the Flame Dragon King has some goodwill towards humans."

Aeron couldn't help but be amazed as he spoke.

Because of this.

After much consideration, Old Rothschild decided that the first Dragon King to challenge should be the Flame Dragon King—not simply because it was the weakest.

All the Dragon Kings were equally strong; they just had different focuses.

"The Bone Dragon King and the Multi-Crystal Black Dragon King actually held back after learning about my grandfather and Dragon Dad's goals… That really shocked me."

Asher nodded.

He was a bit surprised too.

'Are Dragon Kings actually such reasonable supernatural creatures?'

'Nope!'

Asher decisively erased that thought from his mind.

'There must be some other reason I don't know about.'

It would be clear once Old Rothschild returned… The only problem was, who knew when he and Ancestral Dragon would defeat the Multi-Crystal Black Dragon King? If they wanted answers, they'd have to wait.

[T/N: You all should know that this is going in flashback]

Before the two could discuss further, break time ended.

As soon as the instructor blew the whistle, everyone had to obediently return to formation and continue standing in a military posture.

The afternoon sun was even more brutal.

"Instructor, what's the point of us Beast Tamers standing in military posture? It's not really tiring, but it's way too hot!", Someone in Asher's squad couldn't help but complain, "If it's for physical training, just make the regular students stand. Why should we do it?"

This statement carried a provocative tone.

But it had to be said—it got quite a bit of support.

Yeah, exactly.

It wasn't exhausting.

But it was unbearably hot.

If only they could go back and rest.

The instructor's sharp and severe gaze swept across the group, "All Beast Tamers, step forward."

Beast Tamer students in the Pet Evolution program, "?"

Everyone looked at each other before stepping forward, including Asher.

The instructor's harsh gaze, as if he could peel flesh off their bones, lingered on them.

"So, you think being Beast Tamers means you don't have to go through military training?", The instructor's tone was not pleasant, "Fine, one of you can fight me. If you win, you can go rest."

"WHOA—"

A small group of Beast Tamers got excited.

They looked eager to try. Soon, a dark-skinned, buzz-cut student stepped forward, rubbed his hands together, and grinned, "Instructor, do we fight you with our fists or our pets?"

"If it's a fistfight, we definitely can't beat you."

"Then your question was pointless."

"You'll fight me using your pets.", The instructor didn't hesitate, "But you can't use skills. That's the rule."

"No problem, no problem!", The buzz-cut student's grin widened.

'No skills?'

'That's fine!'

Beast pets weren't just strong because of their abilities. Their physical bodies were far superior to ordinary creatures and most humans.

The stronger the beast, the stronger its physical prowess.

Fighting a human without skills?

The buzz-cut student didn't think he could lose at all.

Asher shook his head slightly.

A non-Beast Tamer classmate, who had never spoken to Asher before, noticed and curiously leaned over. Taking advantage of the instructor's diverted attention, he whispered, "Hey, why are you shaking your head? Do you think the instructor has no chance of winning?"

Then, he continued on his own, "Personally, I think… The instructor winning seems unlikely. Beast pets are supernatural creatures. Even without skills, they're still far beyond humans. There's no way a person can win against one."

"Lucky you guys. You won't have to stand in military posture with us later.", His gaze held envy, tinged with an almost imperceptible sadness.

"You're overthinking it.", Asher's voice was low, just enough for those nearby to hear, "If the instructor dares to say this, it means he's confident he can win."

"He just wants to make an example."

'Win?'

'How?'

Asher's classmates showed puzzled expressions.

Asher smirked but didn't explain further. The match was about to begin, and they'd see soon enough.

The buzz-cut student stood opposite the instructor, full of confidence. He clenched his fists, ready to summon his beast pet.

Unexpectedly, before he could react, the instructor suddenly charged at him.

With all four limbs exerting force, he looked especially fierce. The buzz-cut student felt an overwhelming pressure as if a ferocious beast was pouncing on him.

In his panic, he couldn't even complete the summoning process.

And then—

The instructor effortlessly took him down, twisted his arms behind his back, and pinned him with a knee to the lower back, pressing his forehead into the grass.

The buzz-cut student could even smell the damp earth beneath the grass.

Everything happened too fast.

Aside from Asher, no one—Beast Tamers or ordinary students—had reacted in time.

That… That entire sequence of moves didn't even take a minute, right?

At most, thirty seconds!

"You lost.," The instructor restrained the buzz-cut student firmly, his voice strict and unwavering.

"You… I…", The student's mind was still spinning, but he quickly snapped out of it. Unwilling to accept defeat, he struggled and shouted, veins bulging in frustration, "You cheated! I hadn't even summoned my beast yet!"

"I refuse to accept this!"

"I want a rematch!"

"Tch—", The instructor pressed his knee down harder, making the buzz-cut student completely immobile, "And this is what you call a Beast Tamer?"

"You've embarrassed your kind."

"You're a Beast Tamer, and I'm not. I never said this was a fair fight.", The instructor sneered, keeping him pinned, "Do I have to wait for you to be fully prepared, bow respectfully, and then start a 'proper' match?"

"And this is exactly why we have military training."

"If you rely too much on your beast and neglect physical training, all your opponent has to do is defeat or capture you. Then your beast will be in a dilemma."

The buzz-cut student was still stubborn, "But we can't attack Beast Tamers in official matches!"

"How do you know your enemy will play by the rules?", The instructor scoffed, "If a real enemy attacks you, do you think they'll politely announce, 'Hey, I'm a bad guy'? Don't be naive."

The student's expression turned ashen.

At first, he wanted to be a hero in his classmates' eyes. Instead, he became an example of what not to do.

And then—

"GIANT CENTIPEDE!", Feeling utterly humiliated, and at an age where saving face was more important than anything, the teenager snapped. He roared loudly and released his pet beast.

The distance was far too close.

Even though the instructor immediately sensed that something was wrong and grabbed the dark-skinned, buzz-cut teenager to counterattack, in front of the enormous and ferocious-looking Giant Centipede, a human seemed utterly powerless.

The students standing in military posture also panicked, one by one screaming uncontrollably.

He's gone mad.

The dark-skinned, buzz-cut teenager has lost his mind.

Even the few Beast Tamers among them were deeply shocked by his actions.

What kind of insane behavior was this?

If something happened to the instructor, how could they possibly be okay?

Not far away, other instructors noticed the situation and immediately realized something was wrong. They rushed over, but the distance between squads wasn't close, and even pet beasts couldn't get there quickly.

Meanwhile, the instructor and the Giant Centipede were just too close.

Blood was about to be spilled.

But, suddenly, a powerful pressure, carrying a scorching aura, suddenly pressed heavily onto everyone.

Overwhelming.

They couldn't breathe.

Their bodies couldn't move at all.

The heat of molten lava, combined with the blazing sun overhead, made them feel as if they had been thrown into a volcano.

Their brains slowed down, but… screams? There were no screams?

'Could it be…?'

They turned their eyes back to the instructor and the dark-skinned, buzz-cut teenager, only to see the ferocious, clawing Giant Centipede frozen in place—more rigid than any of them.

On one hand, it was paralyzed by the oppressive force, unable to move. On the other, its body trembled uncontrollably due to pure instinct, making it appear both bizarre and eerie.

"Little Raven, Peck.", In the eerie silence, Asher spoke calmly.

With golden-red eyes like a living embodiment of the sun, and feathers colored black on top and golden-red below, Little Raven flapped its wings toward the Giant Centipede. It precisely struck the Giant Centipede's face with its wing, shielding the instructor behind it. Then, with a final peck attack, it directly knocked out the Giant Centipede.

The Giant Centipede collapsed into unconsciousness.

It couldn't even crawl.

With the crisis resolved, Little Raven withdrew its pressure and, under the stunned, terrified, and deeply shaken gazes of everyone, flew back to Asher, landing on his outstretched arm.

The two classmates beside Asher, "…"

A powerhouse was right next to them.

They had always known Asher was a big shot—an expert in pet evolution research, capable of competing with the school itself.

But what they hadn't expected was… his pet beast was this powerful too.

Why?

Is this the difference between geniuses and ordinary people?

Some people are just born blessed by the heavens, given everything they need, practically spoon-fed success.

"Instructor, are you alright?", Asher patted Little Raven, then, in front of everyone, casually scooped up the mighty beast into his arms. His movements were relaxed and smooth, making the surrounding people twitch uncontrollably.

—That was the same pet beast that had nearly suffocated them with sheer pressure.

Yet, in Asher's hands, holding it looked no different from holding a regular hen.

Effortless.

Casual.

Unbothered.

Both Asher and Little Raven had the looks—so they could afford to be this nonchalant.

"I'm fine.", The instructor, being a seasoned soldier, quickly regained his composure.

He glanced at the teenager he was still holding. The boy had now realized what he had just done, and despite his dark complexion, his face had turned visibly pale. His lips trembled, "I… I… I didn't mean to…"

The dark-skinned, buzz-cut teenager was still trying to explain.

The instructor snorted and let go, pushing him forward.

The teenager stumbled a few steps, lowering his head—only to be met with the massive, unconscious body of the Giant Centipede on the ground.

"Don't explain to me. If you can't win, you resort to sneak attacks? I was wrong to think highly of you earlier.", The instructor crossed his arms, his expression cold, "You're the one everyone else wants to avoid, aren't you?"

The teenager's face turned even paler.

Seeing this, the instructor didn't press further.

He had no intention of completely crushing the boy, but he had to make sure the student realized his mistake.

With that thought, he turned to Asher. His expression softened a bit as he addressed the other students, "That's it for today. Everyone, take a break."

At that moment, the other instructors finally arrived.

Asher took one look, then left with the rest of the students.

'Good!'

'This matter have little to do with me anymore'.

For an incident like this, Bluewind University would surely come up with a solution that satisfied all parties involved.

In the following days, military posture training and drills proceeded in an orderly fashion. The only difference was that their squad was missing one person—the dark-skinned, buzz-cut teenager.

Asher heard that he had been temporarily suspended for observation and sent somewhere else for special education.

Asher didn't really care.

What he did care about was…

The instructor seemed to be paying extra attention to him.

After releasing Little Raven that day, the invisible gap between Asher and his classmates had been cut in half. Over the next few days, as the instructor frequently gave him extra training, the remaining gap disappeared entirely.

"Brother Asher, your training load is almost double ours!", Emanuel, the ordinary student who had been discussing things with Asher that day, had since deeply realized—Asher was a good person, a humble and approachable great guy.

Emanuel was the type to latch onto an opportunity.

It didn't matter if Asher acknowledged it or not—Emanuel had already self-proclaimed himself as Asher's most loyal… little brother.

While running on the track, he panted heavily and said, "Eight laps are already killing me, but Brother Asher, you actually have to run fourteen?"

"Fourteen laps! The instructor is too cruel!"

"And you were the one who saved him!"

Listening to Emanuel vent on his behalf, Asher remained unfazed.

Because… fourteen laps?

Eight hundred meters per lap. Compared to how he had pushed himself in the past, this was actually pretty easy.

"I'm almost done with my fourteen laps. You've only run five, right?", Asher said calmly as he ran, looking nothing like Emanuel's exhausted mess, "Instead of worrying about me, maybe you should talk less and finish your last three laps."

"If you fall behind, the instructor might add more training."

"Waaah!", Emanuel's righteous anger instantly turned into a pitiful expression, "Brother Asher, you're way too OP!"

With that, he sped up his sprint.

He did not want to be made an example of.

The instructor ignored Emanuel, who was crying while running. Instead, he focused on Asher, who had just finished fourteen laps without breaking a sweat—only sweating a bit more. His eyes were filled with admiration, "A talent like this shouldn't be studying pet evolution. He should come to our military academy!"

"After graduation, he could join the military straight away. With this ability, he'd start as an officer."

"A ready-made winner in life—how great would that be?"

Another instructor walking by, "…"

"Keep dreaming.", The younger instructor rolled his eyes, "Do you even know how talented he is in pet evolution research? Stop talking nonsense unless you want the regiment commander to scold you."

Then, he began listing Asher's academic achievements.

One by one.

Hearing them, the first instructor, "…"

'Alright, alright.'

'Maybe I have been thinking too much.'

"Gold is gold; it will shine in any industry.", The instructor crossed his arms, his voice filled with regret, "Ah, coming late is still late. Looks like this promising talent can't be poached."

"If you really dared to poach him, the Beast Tamer Alliance would fight you to the death.", The young instructor rolled his eyes. After a moment, he added, "But regarding that recent incident—Old Rothschild challenging the Dragon King—you know about it, right? It seems to be related to this kid."

The instructor: "?"

'Huh?'

'No way!'

Was he out of touch with this world? Otherwise, why didn't he know about this?

The instructor looked at Asher, his eyes filled with shock.

Just how many incredible things about Asher were unknown to the average person?

"Yes, it's him.", The young instructor spoke with a tone of amazement, "That's the Dragon King we're talking about. Old Rothschild challenged three Dragon Kings in a row… badass!"

Whether it was Old Rothschild or Asher, they were both incredibly badass.

Asher managed to persuade Old Rothschild to challenge the Dragon Kings—badass!

Old Rothschild actually believed it and staked both his life and Ancestral Dragon's life on the challenge—badass!

Now, the only question was: what kind of result would emerge from these two powerhouses clashing?

The young instructor couldn't wait to find out.

And many others were eager to know as well.

———

The half-month military training was a breeze for Asher.

However, on the final day of training, he was almost pushed to his limit.

Seeing Asher reach his limit, the instructor's gaze grew even more admiring. After learning about Asher's academic achievements, he still couldn't help but say, "You should really consider joining the military district. It would suit you perfectly."

"If you mess up that thing with Old Rothschild, you can always come to our Northern Military District. As long as you join us, we'll take care of everything for you."

Asher: "?"

'Norther Military District?'

'That sounds... kind of familiar?'

Asher didn't know this instructor's identity. The man simply left a contact number and then led his team away from Bluewind University.

But from his words, Asher gathered something else—apparently, everyone thought he was going to crash and burn with the whole Old Rothschild situation?

Thinking it over...

After the military training ended, Asher asked his classmates, "How have you guys been discussing Old Rothschild and me?"

Some of them were Beast Tamers, but most were ordinary people.

After all, Beast Tamers with exceptional combat talent usually didn't choose the Pet Evolution major.

In this major, the number of regular students far outnumbered those with Beast Tamer potential.

Even among the small fraction of students with Beast Tamer potential, at least three-fourths would switch majors once they contracted stronger pets and gained more power. After all, switching to a Beast Tamer-related major required considerable pet strength.

Transferring from a major with no enrollment restrictions gave them more time and flexibility.

Asher didn't comment on this.

Did Bluewind University know that some students had this plan? They probably did.

But it couldn't be helped.

The Pet Evolution major required students with talent, patience, endurance, and a passion for research.

These barriers naturally filtered out those who couldn't persist.

However, this was just the beginning of the academic year.

There weren't that many transfers yet, and most of the students were still around after military training.

Many of them were already prepared to leave, but the moment they heard Asher's question, they froze, exchanged glances, and their eyes gleamed with gossip and curiosity—

Live drama, happening right in front of them, and they will leave?

No way!

Stay and watch!

"How do we see it, huh…", Among the crowd, Emanuel—who had become the most familiar with Asher over the past half-month—spoke first, "Before knowing you, I thought you were a major con artist. I mean, you even managed to fool someone like Old Rothschild."

"Yeah, exactly!", someone immediately echoed.

"But you can't really say that.", a dissenting voice appeared, "Asher's achievements are pretty insane, aren't they? Forget about us—even seniors who graduated years ago from the Pet Evolution major aren't as impressive as him."

"But that's only compared to our age group. If Old Rothschild needed help, do you really think he couldn't find someone even more capable?"

"Old Rothschild is challenging the Dragon King, though… Damn! And not just one, but three. Three! Brother Asher, tell us—how did you actually convince Old Rothschild to challenge three Dragon Kings at once? Or is it like the rumors say—you know some kind of mysterious mind control technique?"

WHOOSH—

A whole group of people turned to stare at Asher in perfect sync.

A shiver almost ran down Asher's spine, but he quickly reminded himself that this wasn't a horror movie, managing to stay calm.

"Mind control technique… You guys really have wild imaginations.", Asher was a little speechless.

But he could understand why.

'…Forget it.', Asher gave up on explaining.

Once Old Rothschild and Ancestral Dragon finished their battle against the final Multicrystal Black Dragon King, the truth would naturally come to light.

Asher temporarily put Old Rothschild and Ancestral Dragon aside.

For now, he fully immersed himself in… pet battles.

Improving the Jade Silver Snake's strength.

Enhancing the Cat-Worm's power.

Finding suitable opponents for Little Raven.

The Bluewind University combat department students who kept running into Asher at the training hall, "?"

"Wait a minute… isn't something off here?", A Beast Tamer who had beaten the Little White Snake but lost to Asher's Cat-Worm left the arena, hugging his pet in defeat. As he stepped aside to make room for the next challenger, he looked utterly confused, "Am I really from the combat department? And is he really from the Pet Evolution major?"

Pointing at himself.

Then at Asher.

Existential crisis, loading…

"Hahahaha!", Watching from the sidelines, Jessica and Aeron burst into laughter, "There's no helping it. Brother Asher isn't your average Beast Tamer."

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