Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

The group's atmosphere was lively and cheerful as they enthusiastically entered the Forbidden Zone.

"We're not just here for the potential appearance of the Sunshine Sunflower; we also want to see if we can discover a few more special beasts or unique fruits, herbs, and other resources. That's why we're not following the standard route provided by the Alliance map," Harry said, exuding the aura of a teacher.

Neither his two colleagues, who seemed to be deeply in love, nor the two students who might get into the Advanced Beast Tamer Academy next year, found anything wrong with Harry's tone.

On the contrary, Asher… well, he found it a bit difficult to adjust.

Fortunately, there were also two members of the hired exploration team whose expressions mirrored his own. Otherwise, Asher would have seriously doubted if he was just out of place here.

In a team, blending in is a very important matter.

Asher: (ಠ.ಠ)

"Uh… we've already deviated from the route, so everyone must follow Teacher Maxine closely. If you accidentally get separated, Teacher Maxine might not have time to save you," Harry said earnestly after a brief pause during their walk. "It's best to release one or two contracted beasts to scout and stay vigilant about the surroundings."

Excluding Harry and Kelly, the muscular double-door-like teacher who weren't Beast Tamers, everyone else, including Asher, released two contracted beasts each.

In a place like the Forbidden Zone, releasing too many contracted beasts at once could easily attract the attention of wild beasts, which might perceive them as a highly threatening group of invaders that must be eliminated immediately.

However, releasing too few beasts wouldn't provide sufficient safety for the group.

Each person controlled one or two beasts and saved the rest for actual combat scenarios if necessary.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH—

The previously neat lineup instantly became a bit chaotic.

Asher held a Little Raven in his left hand and a Cat-Worm in his right, his gaze sweeping over the other five people.

Felix and Devin didn't release the Small Spirit Cat and Plush Puff that had been beaten up in the hotel the previous night.

Instead, the bald-headed Felix released a Strong Bear and a Little Lion Beast roughly the size of a regular dog.

Looking at the slightly fluffed-up mane around the Little Lion Beast's neck, Asher immediately determined that it was likely on the verge of evolution.

The Strong Bear could provide protection, while the Little Lion Beast might evolve in this wild environment.

Freckled youth Devin released a Rock Eater and a Small Steel Ball.

Asher's eyes lit up at the sight.

The Rock Eater, an beast with rock and earth attributes, increased its strength by consuming rocks imbued with different energies. It resembled a movable chunk of earth-colored rock.

Despite its bulky appearance, its speed was unexpectedly impressive. It could easily keep up with the group's pace while surveying the land within a two-kilometer radius, making it extremely useful in a wild environment.

The Small Steel Ball, a steel-attributed beast, looked like a larger version of a pinball machine sphere, gleaming with metallic luster. Its offensive power was nothing to scoff at.

Then there were Teacher Maxine's contracted beasts, the ones Asher was most curious about.

After taking a look, Asher fell silent.

Unlike Felix's and Devin's beasts, which were strange yet somewhat adorable after prolonged observation, Teacher Maxine's beasts mirrored her unique personality. Before seeing them, one could never imagine what kind of beasts she would contract.

A Thorn Butterfly and a Compound-Eye Venomous Spider.

Both were vibrantly multicolored, with hues of red, purple, black, pink, and blue, screaming toxicity.

beasts often share traits with natural ones—the more vibrant the colors, the more poisonous they likely are.

The Thorn Butterfly, a venom and special-attributed beast, had a torso the size of a human head and wings that shed colorful scales with every flap. The scales varied in effect—some were toxic, others masked scent, and some induced sleep—making it a reliable safeguard in the Forbidden Zone.

As for the Compound-Eye Venomous Spider, it had a purely venomous attribute. Its body was the size of two basketballs. In addition to its main pair of eyes, it had eight more evenly distributed across its body, along with another four on the front legs. In total, it had fourteen eyes, enabling 360-degree vision with no blind spots, and its highly toxic venom was a further deterrent.

Not bad. Asher didn't feel worried at all anymore.

What's more, these two were just two of Teacher Maxine's six beasts. Judging by their deadly nature, Asher was certain the others weren't pushovers either.

No wonder Harry and Kelly dared to follow her into the Forbidden Zone without taking the standard safe route. With her strength, their confidence was entirely justified.

Real skill makes one fearless.

Hugging Little Raven and Cat-Worm, Asher scanned the array of beasts in the group with a satisfied expression.

Seeing these beasts in person was much more impactful than reading about them in books.

They were fascinating—especially the Little Lion Beast, which, with its fluffy yet majestic demeanor, reminded Asher of a young Lion King. It even made his heart flutter a little.

Little Raven: "?"

Cat-Worm: "?"

The two little ones instantly picked up on Asher's fleeting affection. Both of their eyes gleamed with a flash of vigilance.

'What?'

'Fluttering heart?'

'Over what?'

'Because it's fluffier than me, the bird?'

'Because it looks more cat-like than me, the dragon?'

Little Raven and Cat-Worm: (⊙_⊙) *Staring—*

'How infuriating!'

They had to see for themselves what was so great about that fluffy creature.

Little Lion Beast: "…" *Shivering*

The once-spirited Little Lion Beast, which had been proudly flaunting its mane, immediately scampered behind its Beast Tamer.

The bald-headed Felix was briefly stunned, then followed the beast's gaze to spot the menacing looks from Little Raven and Cat-Worm. Both seemed ready to pounce at any moment.

Felix: "…"

What was this? A deliberate provocation?

Surely, it had to be!

Looking back and forth between his timid Little Lion Beast and the aggressive Little Raven and Cat-Worm, Felix's body stiffened slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he decided not to act.

It was as if he had thought of something, and his movements became slightly hesitant.

It wasn't that Felix didn't want to make a move.

Compared to the little spirit cat he lost to last night, Felix had much more confidence in the Little Lion Beast.

The Little Lion Beast was at the peak of Tier 5 and could evolve at any moment.

Once it evolved, the Little Lion Beast would officially step into the threshold of Tier 6.

Fighting a Tier 5 mid-level beast? Wouldn't that be easy?

But after all, the Little Lion Beast hadn't truly evolved yet.

Moreover... one had to admit, the flat-headed youth Felix had a bit of psychological trauma when it came to Asher.

Although he didn't want to admit it himself.

Not far away, Harry happily approached as they released their beasts, petting all the familiar ones he could find.

The Little Lion Beast was among them.

"Oh my, such soft fur. Shedding recently, huh?" Harry looked at the large clump of mane fur in his hand and smiled. "Little lion beast, you're about to evolve, aren't you? After you evolve, you won't be this cute anymore. You'll turn into a true ferocious beast. Better take the chance to pet you now."

As she spoke, Harry unceremoniously reached out both hands and gave the lion beast's mane a vigorous rub.

The Little Lion Beast, already shedding fur like crazy, instantly filled the air with flying fur.

"Ahem, that's enough." Maxine waved her hand, brushing away the fur that drifted toward her. "I don't like beasts that shed fur. I mean, why do creatures with supernatural powers still shed fur?

"Completely illogical."

Harry paused his torment of the lion beast. The lion beast obediently stood still, showing no intention of attacking him.

In fact, Harry's hands rubbing its mane made the lion beast feel an unprecedented sense of security.

Lion Beast: *Whimper~*

'Bliss~'

'And those two big devils don't seem to be looking this way anymore~'

'Keep going~'

Unfortunately, no matter how much the lion beast nuzzled against Harry, he didn't pet it again.

He pushed away the suddenly clingy lion beast—clinging to his and not its own beastmaster—with an amused expression. "It's not that bad, honestly. Compared to cats and dogs in the natural world that shed fur twice a year, each shedding period lasting half a year, furry beasts only shed fur when they're about to evolve. It's because their energy is too abundant."

"For people who like fluff but are allergic to fur, this is already very considerate."

Not to mention, many furry beasts don't shed fur even during their evolution.

"As long as it has long fur, there's a risk of shedding," Maxine shook her head in disagreement. "Compared to those furry beasts, I still prefer insects or arthropod beasts."

Harry: "… You could just say you like bugs. Your six beasts form a poison insect army, missing only one of the Five Poisons to start cultivating."

"Thank you for the compliment." Maxine smiled.

Harry: "..."

"I wasn't complimenting you."

"Oh, as long as I feel complimented, that's fine."

Asher, listening from the side, almost burst out laughing.

At the same time, he once again confirmed his earlier suspicion—

Teacher Maxine's remaining beasts were indeed not ones to mess with.

After exchanging a few jabs, the two adjusted their formation.

They arranged themselves into a staggered semicircular arc.

Maxine took the frontmost position, her Compound-Eye Venomous Spider leading the way, with the Thorn Butterfly guarding the rear.

Harry and Kelly, both ordinary humans, stood to her left and right.

From Asher's perspective, it oddly resembled a mafia boss lady flanked by two delicate little wives… ahem, taking a stroll through her territory.

And he wasn't the only one who thought so.

Standing on either side of Harry and Kelly, Felix and Devin exchanged subtle, peculiar glances.

Even their steps faltered slightly.

Don't ask why.

The answer was simple: they didn't want to become part of this inexplicable play.

It just felt… wrong.

The freckled youth glanced at Asher, who was leisurely following behind with the black bird and Cat-Worm in his arms, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

He even wanted to ask—switch places with me.

But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to say it.

The outermost positions of the team were held by the two hired adventurer team members.

Although they were only Tier 2 beastmasters in their thirties, their years of experience navigating forbidden zones more than made up for their lack of talent compared to the young geniuses Felix and the freckled youth.

Especially with a Tier 5 beastmaster leading the team.

Their role was simply to protect others during combat. It was easier than they had imagined.

At least this group had genuine self-preservation abilities.

Not a bunch dragging them into a forbidden zone to court death.

The atmosphere was surprisingly light-hearted.

Chatting as they walked forward.

Until Asher's expression turned speechless.

Unexpectedly…

That stern, humorless "Double-Door Bro" seemed deeply fascinated by herbs and unknown fruits or plants, often breaking formation to investigate.

Initially, the two adventurers were startled each time.

But as it kept happening, they grew used to it.

Both Maxine and Harry seemed unsurprised, as if they were well aware of their colleague's quirks.

And so, for the third time that day, the team paused for Kelly to examine a mushroom beneath a tree.

"It looks like an ordinary, poisonous wild mushroom...but I can sense a very faint extraordinary power from it. Perhaps this is a special, edible mushroom that hasn't been discovered yet." Teacher Kelly squatted on the ground, his serious tone failing to hide the joy in his heart.

"Teacher Kelly can sense extraordinary power from this mushroom?" Asher asked with some curiosity.

As a Beast Tamer, he couldn't feel even the slightest trace of so-called extraordinary power? The flat-headed young man, Felix, took this opportunity to give Asher a disdainful look, as if he were looking at a country bumpkin.

"Haha, don't underestimate Teacher Kelly just because he's an ordinary person. His sensitivity to extraordinary power surpasses that of 80% of Beast Tamers." Harry said with a smile, "People often say that if Teacher Kelly awakened the potential to become a Beast Tamer, he'd probably awaken a talent like 'Absolute Inspiration' or 'Sixth Sense.'"

Asher: Got it.

A person who, as an ordinary human, became a teacher at a top Beast Taming Academy couldn't possibly be ordinary.

"This ability doesn't have much use on beasts, but it's incredibly effective in identifying and utilizing herbs and resources to their fullest extent," Harry said, pointing to Teacher Kelly, who squatted there like a muscular demon.

"For example, if we encountered such a strange mushroom in the wild, we wouldn't usually give it much thought."

A red umbrella, a white stem—it's obvious that eating it would land you in a hospital bed.

Why would you approach it? Are you in a hurry to get poisoned?

But if you knew this mushroom contained traces of extraordinary power, the situation would change instantly.

Food with extraordinary power always has the potential to be a medicinal herb or resource.

Perhaps we've discovered a mushroom with special effects in some unknown area?

"Then what's next..." Asher hesitated to ask.

"Taste it."

"Take a bite, and you'll know."

"Just one bite."

Kelly, Harry, and Maxine said simultaneously.

Asher: "..."

"It's poisonous."

Kelly waved a large hand, his cool demeanor exuding a kind of unexplainable persistence. "No problem. I anticipated this kind of situation long ago. After all, we're in the forbidden zone of East Continent, where many beasts are poison-related. I brought detoxifying agents of all qualities."

As he spoke, the broad-shouldered man put down the bulging backpack from his back and took out a neat row of antidotes ranging from basic to advanced.

The antidote family had all gathered.

At this moment, aside from the three teachers who could resonate with each other and sympathize, including Teacher Kelly's two prospective students, everyone's faces showed clear confusion.

Really?

Are we doing this for real?

With such a complete set of antidotes prepared, was he mentally ready to taste every herb on the way? Asher wanted to complain.

But Asher kept his mouth shut.

If he started complaining, he'd unconsciously turn into the comic relief, and all dignity would disappear.

So no matter how much he wanted to complain, Asher wouldn't say a word.

Instead, the flat-headed Felix, noticing Asher's expression, stood up resolutely. "Teacher Kelly, your body is of ordinary human quality. Eating a potentially poisonous mushroom is quite risky. Let me, as a student, take this on."

Felix calculated in his mind.

The mushroom might be poisonous, but Teacher Kelly prepared such complete detoxifying agents, so nothing could go wrong.

As a Beast Tamer with better constitution, he'd be even safer.

Plus, he could use this opportunity to earn favor.

Not just from one teacher, but three teachers. Then...

Felix cast a hostile glance at Asher.

The next time he made a move against Asher, the three teachers would probably turn a blind eye, wouldn't they?

With this thought, Felix became eager.

Eat! Must eat! It's just a poisonous mushroom. He even feared the mushroom wasn't poisonous enough to max out the goodwill.

"Uh... alright." Teacher Kelly seemed surprised someone volunteered. After a moment of thought, he agreed.

Excited, Felix didn't notice the strange looks exchanged between Harry and Maxine.

The antidotes were neatly arranged on the ground.

Felix squeezed next to Teacher Kelly, rubbed his hands enthusiastically, and reached out his sinful hand toward the mushroom...successfully picking it.

After picking it.

The broad-shouldered man looked at the red umbrella and white stem mushroom in Felix's hand, showing a slightly puzzled expression.

The broad-shouldered man Kelly reached out. "Wait—"

But before he finished speaking, the flat-headed Felix had already taken a bite, chewed twice, and swallowed.

"Huh?"

Felix, dumbfounded, looked at Teacher Kelly's outstretched hand, unable to understand what had happened.

"What's wrong?" Noticing Teacher Kelly's unusual expression, Maxine quickly asked.

"Uh..." The broad-shouldered man looked at Maxine, then at Felix, who had already eaten a bite of the mushroom and seemed fine, then fell silent.

Asher also noticed something was off.

Hmm...

Judging by the expression...it didn't seem serious?

But why wasn't he speaking? Even Asher's clever mind couldn't understand what could leave the broad-shouldered man Kelly speechless.

"Teacher, is something wrong with me?" The flat-headed Felix blinked, asking in confusion, "I've eaten two or three bites and feel fine. My mind is clear. Should I finish it for better results?"

The broad-shouldered man hesitated, his expression complicated.

Misunderstanding this look as encouragement, Felix thought, 'This is my chance.'

He quickly finished the mushroom before anyone could stop him, proudly eating every part, stem, and cap.

"Burp—" Felix burped softly after eating.

Double-door Cool Guy: "…"

Cool Guy pulled Teacher Maxine up and stepped back a step.

Sensing that something wasn't quite right, Asher also stood up and stepped back.

Harry: "?"

Well, he decided to follow along too.

The freckled young man Devin, who was squatting beside Felix: "?"

Felix himself: "?"

"What's wrong, teacher?" Noticing the situation was off, Felix wanted to stand up and follow, only to realize he felt a bit light-headed.

At this moment, the voice of double-door Cool Guy Kelly came from a step away, echoing from above.

"When you picked that mushroom earlier, I noticed that the trace of extraordinary power emanating from it disappeared." Double-door Cool Guy Kelly said.

Whether it was due to the mushroom's toxins finally kicking in, Felix felt his brain turning fuzzy. Otherwise, why couldn't he understand what Teacher Kelly was saying?

What did he mean… that the trace of extraordinary power disappeared the moment the mushroom was picked?

It couldn't be… that the mushroom was just an ordinary poisonous mushroom, right?

"Then I realized that the faint trace of extraordinary power wasn't from the mushroom itself, but from the patch of soil it grew in," Cool Guy Kelly continued. "Considering it rained a few days ago, and the forest environment is quite damp, this mushroom likely grew from the nutrients absorbed from the excrement of an beast in a forbidden zone."

"But the partially decomposed excrement beneath it misled me."

"Making me think it was a special mushroom."

Felix: "…"

Felix turning pale: "…"

Felix losing his iron will: "…"

Felix: "...Yuck—"

The thought of eating a fresh mushroom, still tainted with beast poo… Felix's stomach turned upside down, a violent storm surging within him.

Even his good buddy, the freckled youth, quickly backed away several steps, as if afraid of accidentally getting contaminated… Ahem, you get it.

To make matters worse, the poisonous mushroom still contained some toxins, and considering the beast it grew from might be of a poisonous type, Felix's brain felt even fuzzier.

It was like… like he was starting to see dancing little dwarves!

Felix: *Thud—*

In the end, he couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground, unconscious like Snow White after eating a poisoned apple.

Everyone else present: "…"

"...When it comes to messing with students, you're the expert." Harry muttered sullenly.

Maxine, standing nearby, wore an unsurprised expression,"Anyone who's attended your class for two months knows: never rush to eat anything handed to you during field activities with Teacher Kelly. Odds are, you'll either be poisoned or pranked."

"Didn't think someone would still fall for it here."

"Tsk! tsk!"

"What's even sadder is that it wasn't just simple poisoning… Even if it was just the base of the mushroom that got contaminated… Sigh, I'll stop talking."

Having said all she could, Maxine fell silent.

The freckled youth Devin, who might be Kelly's student next year: "…"

Got it.

Lesson learned.

Sacrifice one teammate to benefit next year's learning experience.

Felix will definitely remember this lesson once he wakes up.

Due to someone fainting from poisoning, the team that had only moved half a day decided to pause and rest at a nearby spot.

"Fortunately, it's almost lunchtime anyway. Taking a break isn't a big deal." Kelly said calmly, cooking hot soup with portable outdoor equipment.

When Felix woke up after being given a basic antidote, the first thing he heard was Kelly's statement.

Felix: "…"

Ah… this beautiful world… Can he just pretend to be dead?

Pretend he was never here…

Before Felix could sulk much longer, Kelly's devilish voice came from the side: "Since you're awake, sit up quickly. Lying down isn't good for digestion, and that mushroom in your stomach hasn't been digested yet."

"Only after you digest and excrete it will the poison be fully neutralized."

Felix: "…"

Felix sprang up from his lying position into a cross-legged sit in one motion, opening his eyes wide and glaring at Cool Guy Kelly with a face full of despair.

"Teacher Kelly!"

"You definitely noticed when I picked it, didn't you?"

"Why didn't you say something earlier?"

Even just a little earlier!

If only he knew earlier, he wouldn't have accidentally eaten a poo-tainted mushroom.

"I wanted to, but you ate it too quickly. I didn't have time." Cool Guy Kelly blinked, his expression as serious as ever.

Anyone would think he was telling the truth.

Including Felix.

Felix couldn't help but start recalling. It did seem like he didn't listen to others, hurriedly devouring that shi* mushroom in just a few bites, afraid to miss the opportunity to boost the favorability of the three teachers in one go.

Thinking of this, Felix fell silent.

Felix began to doubt himself, doubt life, doubt whether everything was wrong from the start when the apricot blossoms were faintly blooming that year... cough cough.

Asher, standing beside him, also silently fell into a kind of indescribable... silent state.

Indeed, he couldn't see anything off about the expression of this double-door cool guy.

But Asher clearly saw the expressions of Harry and Maxine, who were holding back laughter.

Asher had an intuition—

Hmm.

'The cool guy's expression was an act.'

'What he said was deliberate.'

Even if Teacher Kelly wasn't a tax evader, he must be a drama king to some extent.

His acting skills were just too good.

Asher repeatedly reminded himself not to fall for it.

These three people… yes, all three, including Harry, didn't seem like good people.

The saying "birds of a feather flock together" wasn't just empty words.

For these three to get along so well showed that their personalities must have something in common.

The incident with the shi* mushroom hit Felix harder than imagined.

At least, after a good rest, when they set off again, Felix was no longer bouncing around trying to show off his "uniqueness."

Harry's face showed a smile.

Asher glanced at him, then glanced again.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Harry asked with a cheerful smile, turning to meet Asher's gaze. Asher shook his head and looked away.

'A protective, smiling tiger... forget it', Asher decided not to dwell on it.

After all, Harry had a decent relationship with him and had always taken good care of him.

That was enough.

The afternoon also belonged to the double-door cool guy, Teacher Kelly. He wandered around, investigating every plant, herb, or fruit containing even the slightest trace of extraordinary power with great interest.

He practically performed a modern version of Shennong[1] tasting a hundred herbs.

However, unlike Felix accidentally eating the shi* mushroom in the morning, the double-door cool guy himself could precisely identify the energy contained in each special item he encountered.

If it had energy, he'd take a bite.

If not, he'd toss it away.

Eating shi* was out of the question, but poisoning was inevitable. From time to time, he had to drink a few sips of low-grade antidote.

At one point, he ate a fruit with a green peel but deep purple flesh inside. A sip of low-grade antidote was useless, and he had to drink a medium-grade antidote to recover.

Even so, no one else in the group dared to step forward to help Teacher Kelly test for poison.

Without that precise sixth sense, who knew if what they ate was poison or shi*?

They were timid and unwilling to take risks.

On the other hand, Cat-Worm, upon catching the faint sour scent from the green fruit bitten open by Teacher Kelly, wriggled in Asher's arms, eager to pounce and devour the rest of the fruit.

Asher quickly held Cat-Worm tightly.

"Wait a moment, okay?" Asher coaxed Cat-Worm.

Looking at the fruit, then at Asher, Cat-Worm reluctantly calmed down.

"Meow~"

"Meow~ Meow~"

'Fine!'

'The dragon really wanted to eat it, but the dragon would listen to its Beast Master!'

Asher felt a headache coming on.

It was the first time Cat-Worm actively showed such a strong desire to eat something… truly the first time.

As a seven-legged gold-devouring beast, Cat-Worm had never been picky about food since being contracted by Asher. No matter what Asher gave it, it would eat.

It had never shown such clear and direct preference for any food before.

Until now—Cat-Worm made it very clear and direct to Asher: It wanted to eat this.

Since it was already getting dark, and Teacher Kelly's poisoning reaction was quite severe this time, the group decided to set up camp and rest for the night.

The two members of the hired exploration team, who rarely had to do much on this trip, took on the tasks of securing the campsite and preparing food without hesitation.

Meanwhile, the double-door cool guy was half-lying on Teacher Maxine's lap, resting with his eyes closed.

Asher glanced at the atmosphere between the two and didn't feel like going over.

But when he lowered his head, he met Cat-Worm's eyes, filled with chaotic but intense longing.

Refusing it became impossible.

What could Asher do?

He sighed and stepped forward.

"Teacher Kelly, are you feeling better?" Asher sat beside Maxine, like a massive light bulb.

Not far away, Harry, collecting firewood, gave Asher a look as if he were a brave warrior.

Fortunately, neither Maxine nor Kelly seemed to mind Asher's approach. Maxine even smiled gently at him, speaking softly, "He's fine. On field practice classes, he eats more poisonous things than this."

"It's just that the treatment environment in the wild isn't ideal. If we were back at school, one session in the treatment pod and he'd be bouncing back to life."

One session in the treatment pod… wasn't that essentially an instant recovery?

The treatment pod, aside from irreversible diseases, could easily heal any internal or external injuries. Imagining this new-age Shennong's usual exploits, Asher couldn't help but marvel at his boldness.

Even so, Asher restrained the urge to complain, keeping his expression neutral.

Seeing Asher's calm demeanor, Maxine looked faintly disappointed.

Asher pretended not to notice.

"So, Teacher Kelly, do you know what that green-skinned, purple-fleshed fruit you just ate was?" Asher asked curiously. He didn't try to hide anything, as it was pointless anyway. "Cat-Worm seems to have a big appetite for it. If I hadn't stopped it, it would've rushed over the moment you took the first bite."

Asher raised Cat-Worm in his arms.

To control Cat-Worm, Little Raven even perched on Asher's shoulder, adding literal weight to his burden.

'Hmm?'

Hearing this, the double-door cool guy, who had been half-dead on Maxine's soft thighs, suddenly sat up straight. His sharp eyes locked onto Cat-Worm in Asher's hands.

After staring into Cat-Worm's chaotic eyes for three seconds, Teacher Kelly shifted his gaze away on his own.

…Looking for a moment was fine, but staring for too long felt like losing SAN points. [T/N: SAN: Sanity]

The double-door cool guy, Teacher Kelly, didn't want to start hearing whispers or encountering an unnamed eldritch god just yet. Definitely not because he was scared.

Absolutely not.

The muscular cool guy faced challenges head-on and didn't fear difficulties.

Shifting his gaze to Cat-Worm's immature dragon horns, he felt much more at ease.

"That fruit… it seemed like a Green-Skinned Purple-Fleshed Fruit, but the calyx looked a bit different. Before tasting it, I thought it might be a regional mutation of Green-Skinned Purple-Fleshed Fruit," Teacher Kelly said, recalling carefully.

Green-Skinned Purple-Fleshed Fruit, a low-grade resource suitable for beasts with wood or water attributes. It had a refreshing taste, replenished water quickly, and boosted the energy of wood and water attribute creatures.

But that fruit just now…

Even if Asher didn't know much about Green-Skinned Purple-Fleshed Fruit, he was sure a nourishing fruit like that was completely different from the green-skinned, purple-fleshed fruit that caused severe poisoning.

"When I bit into it, the flesh felt firm. The skin didn't seem thick, but the texture was strange," the double-door cool guy continued seriously. "The taste wasn't bad. Before I realized it, I had already swallowed it."

Thinking about it, Teacher Kelly earnestly suggested, "How about I try another bite to confirm?"

"I'm really curious about what makes this fruit so appealing to a pet beast."

Asher: "!"

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[1]: Shennong: Shennong is credited with identifying hundreds of medical (and poisonous) herbs by personally testing their properties, which was crucial to the development of traditional Chinese medicine. Legend holds that Shennong had a transparent body, and thus could see the effects of different plants and herbs on himself.