Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

"Wait, wait, wait! Calm down, we're in the wild—there's no treatment pod here!" Asher hurriedly stretched out his hand to stop him.

Eat another bite?

Being bold because of skill doesn't mean being this bold.

Looking at Asher's anxious and slightly flustered expression, Maxine couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Little Professor, you're so cute~"

Asher glanced at the double-door-sized cool guy with his serious expression, then at Maxine.

Asher: "..."

Great.

A tax evader teaming up with a drama queen—he almost got dragged into the role of the comic relief. [T/N: Tax evader means mischievous here.]

Maxine laughed enough to stop herself and sighed. "Teasing a blossoming youth really does bring joy."

Asher remained silent, unsure whether he was being complimented or not.

"Unlike this one next to me," Maxine continued, "who, in his early twenties, was clearly a handsome young man but grew up to look like this."

The over-trained, double-door-sized cool guy Kelly, who wasn't ugly but was rather over-muscled, sat silently beside her, listening quietly to Maxine's complaints.

Asher felt that this wasn't so much a complaint as it was a team effort by these two to stuff him full of dog food.

And this was without his consent.

It felt like walking down the street only to be rudely kicked by a passing couple.

That feeling… better left unsaid.

Fortunately, the two of them remembered why Asher came to find them after laughing their fill.

After Asher helped them understand the Cat-Worm's cravings, Cool Guy Kelly stroked his chin and pondered before saying, "Your pet beast… Cat-Worm? It has poison attributes, right?"

Asher nodded.

"That's interesting. Max's contracted poison-attributed beasts outnumber yours. Not to mention the ones in her beast space—just her Thorn Butterfly and Compound-Eyed Venomous Spider both possess highly toxic venom."

"But none of them show the same craving for these mysterious toxic fruits as your Cat-Worm."

"So… what have we overlooked?"

Cool Guy Kelly stared at the Cat-Worm in Asher's arms, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

Asher couldn't quite grasp what point intrigued Kelly about the Cat-Worm.

At this moment, Maxine stepped in to explain briefly to Asher.

"Many exploration teams discover one or two new herbs or fruit resources during their ventures into forbidden zones. But not all resources are valuable."

"Take this toxic fruit Kelly ate today, for example."

"It's toxic and hasn't displayed any other effects. If not for the Cat-Worm's craving for it, this fruit would've been classified as a useless wild fruit."

"At most, it would just add another page to the 'Non-Edible Items in Forbidden Zones' guide."

As she spoke, Maxine gave the Cat-Worm a playful look.

For a beast to emit such a strong desire for something… she didn't believe this fruit was ordinary.

Nor did she believe the Cat-Worm was an ordinary pet beast.

Faced with these wolfish gazes, the round Cat-Worm's body stiffened just a little.

But it quickly puffed up its chest.

"Meow! Meow-Meow!"

'What are you looking at!'

'A dragon is not the same as those ordinary poison-attributed beasts!'

'A dragon is the most unique being of all!'

"What's it saying?" Kelly asked in a puzzled tone. "...I don't understand, but judging from its tone, it sounds… quite arrogant?"

Asher fell silent.

Ah…

How was he supposed to explain this?

No matter how he put it, it sounded strange.

Meanwhile, not far away, the Thorn Butterfly, as if understanding the Cat-Worm's words, suddenly fluttered its glowing wings toward the Cat-Worm.

"Ying-koo~"

'What dragon nonsense!'

'Shame on you!'

Although Asher couldn't understand the Thorn Butterfly, its provoking gesture… well, that was clear enough.

The Cat-Worm's scales puffed up like a porcupine.

Even though Asher held it mid-air with both hands, the Cat-Worm still wriggled its seven tiny legs in fury, chirping loudly at the Thorn Butterfly.

"Meow!"

"Meow-Meow!"

'Anything can be doubted—'

'But its title of "Little Beauty Dragon" cannot!'

"Ying-koo, ying-koo!"

'Little Beauty Dragon?'

'Neither beautiful nor a dragon!'

The two pet beasts quarreled from a distance.

Maxine and Kelly: "..."

Asher: "..."

The situation escalated so quickly that they didn't even have time to process what had happened.

But Maxine, who understood the Thorn Butterfly's meaning, gave Asher a curious glance.

Asher: "?"

"You…" Maxine hesitated for a moment, as if making some kind of decision, then gently said, "I know young people nowadays like beasts with dragon bloodlines. Dragon-type and dragon-attributed creatures are always popular.

"But no matter how you look at it… this fat-cat-looking beast couldn't possibly be a dragon, right?"

She pointed to the Cat-Worm in Asher's hands with a helpless tone.

"Just because it's a newly discovered beast doesn't mean you can randomly assign it an attribute."

What could Asher say?

He knew the Cat-Worm wasn't a dragon, but the Cat-Worm insisted it was.

It even caused a "dragon transformation" scene in his mind during their contract process.

The Cat-Worm's belief in being a dragon was unshakable.

This wasn't something Asher could change with a few words.

Completely helpless, Asher felt like he was carrying an invisible burden for his pet beast.

"...Whatever, it doesn't matter," Asher muttered, forcefully shoving the still-bickering Cat-Worm into his arms, silencing it manually.

'Fine, you can talk, huh?'

'Then talk less!'

Cat-Worm: [○｀Д○]

'Unfair!'

'Why isn't this going according to plan?'

'Shouldn't dragons be allowed to talk more if they can speak?'

"If you talk this much even when told not to, letting you talk more might make you chatter until next year," Asher said as he switched from holding Cat-Worm with both hands to holding it with one. With his free hand, he gestured toward Little Raven, perched steadily on his shoulder.

Little Raven tilted its head, locking its golden-red eyes with Asher's for a few seconds before finally fluttering its wings.

╭(╯^╰)╮

'Fine!'

'Considering the Beast Master's limited endurance, the bird graciously decided to come down!'

From its noble stance, Little Raven returned to Asher's arms, assuming the "hen hug" position. The imposing aura it had moments ago disappeared without a trace.

Off to the side, Maxine watched Asher peacefully interacting with his two pet beasts, and a smile slowly crept onto her face.

"So adorable~"

"Alright, back to the topic." Thankfully, Maxine took the initiative to steer the conversation back on track. "Poison-type beasts don't necessarily like poisonous fruits or resources. Not every poison-type creature can enhance its toxicity by ingesting external poisons."

"Moreover, it's not unheard of for creatures to poison themselves to death after accidentally consuming an indigestible toxin."

"To sum it up—you need to figure out what type of beast your Cat Drgaon actually is. Only then can we determine what makes it special."

Asher opened his mouth.

'What makes Cat-Worm special?'

'Its special trait might be… that it's some sort of unique existence born in this land?'

'How does the forbidden zone of Bluestone City influence Cat-Worm? Is it positive or negative? Would it make an already scatterbrained Cat-Worm even dumber?'

Asher had no idea about any of this.

"As for attributes… based on the skills Cat-Worm has used and my observations, I'd say it's dark, special, and fairy."

Maxine: "?"

Kelly: "?"

"Professor Asher, do you even hear the nonsense you're spouting?" Maxine facepalmed.

She felt this was Asher's revenge—forcibly feeding her dog food earlier.

Clearly, this was Asher's way of hitting back.

Just listen.

Not one of those attributes is poison, and no beast has three attributes.

"I'm not joking. I'm serious." Now it was Asher's turn to smile calmly.

Indeed.

He had just remembered something very important—Cat-Worm didn't have a poison attribute at all.

Opening the talent skill interface, no matter how he looked, all he saw were [Dark Attribute, Special Attribute, Fairy Attribute], along with a mysterious (?).

Poison attribute?

Where was the poison attribute?

The supposed poison attribute chuckled silently: :)

Maxine stared at Asher. Asher stared back. They continued their staring contest until Cool Guy Kelly interrupted.

Cool Guy Kelly silently stepped between them, blocking Maxine's line of sight with his broad frame, facing her while turning his back to Asher.

"If you want to talk, talk to me," Cool Guy Kelly said, glancing back at Asher.

Asher: … Another forced dose of dog food.

He felt stuffed.

"Don't you two think this is a bit much?" Asher looked down at the two pet beasts nestled in his arms.

See?

He had companions to share this with too.

Little Raven: *Whatever makes you happy*

Cat-Worm: *Whatever makes you happy*

At that moment, an unspoken harmony was achieved between Little Raven and Cat-Worm.

The conversation stalled.

A creature with no poison attribute but an appetite for poisonous fruits and, according to Asher, three other attributes… If not for Asher's credibility as someone brought by Harry, Maxine might have started doubting his abilities.

Reflecting on the prejudices Flathead Brother(Felix) and Freckled Youth(Devin) had against Asher earlier, Maxine began to wonder if they weren't entirely without reason.

"If it really wants to eat, let it try. I've brought detox agents for pets," Maxine suggested, tossing the idea to Asher.

Asher nodded.

Carrying Cat-Worm, he approached the bushes bearing the fruits in question.

Under the dim campfire light, the fruit's skin appeared green and unripe. Without even biting into it, the sourness was palpable just by looking at its color.

Asher donned gloves, carefully plucked a fruit, rinsed it with some water, and held it out to Cat-Worm.

"Want a taste?"

Cat-Worm, with its messy eyes, gave Asher a pitiful look.

Asher's eyebrow twitched. "I refuse."

Cat-Worm: QwO

"Playing cute won't work," Asher said coldly and mercilessly. "You want me to bite it open for you? Do you think I have a death wish?"

Cat-Worm sulked.

It used its tiny forelegs to hold the round, watery-eyed toxic fruit.

CRUNCH!

One bite.

Cat-Worm's expression turned blissful, almost euphoric.

It seemed as though little white wings would sprout from its back any second.

Cat-Worm: 'Sad?'

'Not anymore~'

'The Beast Master's heart was too hard!'

While grumbling about Asher, Cat-Worm happily devoured the fruit.

One bite, two bites, three bites—its expression grew more radiant with every mouthful.

Even the usually picky Little Raven became curious, its golden-red eyes reflecting a desire to try it too.

'Beast Master~'

It seemed to say, 'It looks delicious! Can I have a taste too?'

Asher forcibly silenced Little Raven.

"No, you can't. Until we figure out what these fruits do, don't even think about it."

If Cat-Worm hadn't been so uncontrollably tempted, Asher wouldn't have allowed it to eat either.

Little Raven: ￣へ￣

'The bird is angry!'

Just as Asher was about to coax it, something felt off.

The sound of Cat-Worm chewing was gone, and its movements had stopped too?

Startled, Asher looked down at Cat-Worm in his arms.

In the next second…

Its scribbled cartoon eyes had transformed into realistic, glossy black ones.

Its cheeks were flushed red, with a deep blush that even its blue scales couldn't hide.

Cat-Worm smacked its lips, seemingly savoring the taste.

Asher stared at it.

Little Raven peeked out of curiosity.

'What's wrong with my little sister?'

"Probably… maybe… drunk?" Asher guessed uncertainly.

'Drunk? From eating a toxic fruit?'

Asher felt the urge to facepalm.

But with both hands occupied by Little Raven and Cat-Worm, he couldn't even scratch an itch.

He took the drunken Cat-Worm to Cool Guy Kelly.

"Mr. Kelly, can you check if it's poisoned?"

The double-door "Cool Guy" Mr. Kelly couldn't resist the academic temptation and eventually took the Cat-Worm from Asher's hands.

He was first startled by the Cat-Worm's unique scaly texture.

It clearly looked... He had always thought this pet beast was covered in short fur, but unexpectedly, it turned out to have such an extraordinary texture.

After checking twice, he concluded, "Confirmed, no poisoning—just drunk." Mr. Kelly returned the Cat-Worm to Asher, speaking in a tone tinged with amazement.

His eyes lit up as he looked at the Cat-Worm in Asher's arms.

'Incredible!'

'It ate poisonous fruit and got itself drunk?'

Could he study it?

Before Mr. Kelly could even voice his request, Asher scooped up the Cat-Worm and slipped away.

Gone.

Gone, gone.

If not now, then when?

Unexpected yet reasonable—those qualified to be instructors at an advanced Beastmaster Academy were no ordinary people.

Just the way Mr. Kelly looked at the Cat-Worm made Asher and Little Raven feel their skin crawl. Even the already-drunk Cat-Worm shuddered in its sleep.

Scared~

———

That night, Maxine had her six pet beasts take turns guarding the camp. At any given time, at least one sixth-tier pet beast ensured their safety.

The nearby wild beasts, sensing the powerful aura and the followers of a strong master, dared not approach. Those that could avoid the area did so without hesitation.

'Run! Run! Run!'

'There's a big demon king ahead who eats beasts.'

'Hurry and take a detour.'

The night passed uneventfully and smoothly.

The group of eight began a new day, refreshed—well, perhaps not entirely refreshed.

Maybe because of the mental blow brought by accidentally eating a poisonous mushroom yesterday, Flathead Brother Felix had been unusually quiet since yesterday afternoon. He hadn't spoken, maintaining a silent, subdued demeanor.

Freckled youth Devin wasn't much different.

As the double-door "Cool Guy" Mr. Kelly cheerfully continued exploring the forbidden land, he occasionally cast his gaze at the Cat-Worm.

Every time he found a new fruit or herb, he would enthusiastically step forward: "Cat-Worm Dragon, do you want a bite? Does it look tasty?"

"I can share half with you."

Though he had the look of a "cool guy," his skill in coaxing people—and beasts—was remarkably impressive.

The dazed Cat-Worm was almost tricked onto his "pirate ship."

But it quickly snapped out of it.

"Meow~ Meow~"

"Meow~ Meow~"

'Dream on!'

'Don't even think about it!'

'Dragon likes Beastmaster, not snacks!'

'Trying to win over a dragon with tasty treats won't work!'

"I appreciate your resolve," Asher said with a laugh, reaching out to rub the Cat-Worm lying on his shoulder. Then, he continued, "But shouldn't you reflect on why you thought the food in Mr. Kelly's hands looked delicious?"

Just look at what Mr. Kelly offered.

Spotted, mottled, ominously purple-black fruits—clearly poisonous at first glance.

Sticky items with a layer of unidentified mucus—obviously toxic.

A swaying blade of grass. If it weren't entirely black, Asher might have found it mildly cute.

Wow.

This double-door "Cool Guy" Mr. Kelly really had a thing for toxic stuff today, didn't he?

"You said you liked that fruit. I picked a small box of a few hundred for you," Asher said helplessly. "At your rate of getting drunk off one, it's enough to last you a year."

"So stop thinking about eating those weird things anymore."

For the first time, Asher felt—argh!

Given how overpowered his golden finger already was, why couldn't it be even more so?

For instance, allowing him to instantly discern the true uses of herbs and fruits, just as he could immediately identify beasts' evolution paths.

Last night, after the Cat-Worm ate that unknown purple toxic fruit, Asher had activated his talent skill to see if there were any changes in the Cat-Worm.

Yet... other than a "[Fruit Drunk for Two Hours]" buff, there was no valuable discovery.

Asher sighed.

Don't think too much.

Be content.

As they chatted, the Rock-Eater Beast, responsible for scouting the surroundings, suddenly stopped. Its expression turned uncertain as it began circling and pawing at the ground with its hooves.

Asher and Mr. Kelly immediately stopped talking.

On the other side, Harry and Maxine, who had been whispering about something, also fell silent, looking toward the Rock-Eater Beast.

"What's wrong?" the freckled Devin asked his beast anxiously, stepping forward to comfort and communicate with it despite his nervousness.

The Rock-Eater Beast growled lowly.

"It says it sensed intense tremors..." Devin's face grew even graver. "And they seem to be heading in our direction."

Tremors coming toward them?

Everyone present was no novice.

Hearing that, they instantly sensed something ominous.

Tremors… heading their way...

"RUSTLE, RUSTLE—"

Maxine didn't hold back, immediately releasing all six of her pet beasts.

A glance revealed what looked like a specialized insect exhibition.

Thorn Butterfly.

Compound-Eye Venomous Spider.

Pink Mantis.

Mini Poison Beast.

Thousand-Legged Centipede Monster.

Ice Cicada Moth.

Spiders, centipedes, even ice cicadas—all accounted for.

If it weren't for the absence of toads or scorpions, Asher would've suspected Maxine was cultivating some villain insect organization in her Beast Space.

Keeping a bunch of poisonous beasts together to see who emerges as the ultimate boss.

Fortunately, the harmony and teamwork among her beasts were evident. They clearly wouldn't turn on each other... until Asher saw the Compound-Eyed Venomous Spider kick the Pink Mantis aside.

The Pink Mantis immediately brandished its pincers, ready to "snip snip" the spider a few times.

The atmosphere between them was as wonderfully harmonious as could be.

Even with a looming threat, these six couldn't settle down.

Asher activated his talent skill, scanning the beasts.

He nodded in understanding.

Oh.

A seventh-tier low-level Compound-Eyed Venomous Spider.

A sixth-tier high-level Pink Mantis.

Sixth-tier mid-level Thorn Butterfly and Thousand-Legged Centipede Monster.

Fifth-tier mid-level Mini Poison Beast.

Fifth-tier low-level Ice Cicada Moth.

No wonder they weren't afraid.

With a seventh-tier "big brother" leading the pack, there was hardly any opponent they couldn't handle.

Better to squabble among themselves and confirm their pecking order.

Observing their ranks and inner thoughts, Asher sighed:

No wonder this world feels like one big slapdash operation.

Even pet beasts were learning to slack off during "work hours" to resolve family disputes.

The tremors intensified.

"This kind of commotion… This isn't an ordinary beast attack!" The two hired adventurers exchanged startled glances, recognizing the situation. "This could be a small beast tide!"

With years of experience exploring the Forbidden Lands of Bluestone City, they instantly made the correct judgment.

If Asher's group had an omniscient perspective, they would see a hundred-strong horde of wild beasts of various species, forming a small beast tide and heading straight for them.

In an instant.

Several people's faces turned pale.

"Beast tide?" Felix, the flat-headed youth, could no longer pretend to be indifferent. He abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with disbelief. "How could it be a beast tide? It's clearly not the season for the beast tide from the Forbidden Zone of Bluestone City!"

Two members of the exploration teams glanced at him, their eyes carrying an indescribable mix of helplessness and disdain.

Felix: "!"

As a youth who could be considered a prodigy, Felix, with his already short temper, was on the verge of exploding under such dismissive gazes.

"What you said comes from books, but reality is far more dynamic and unpredictable than the rigid words recorded in them," one of the exploration team members said.

"This wave sounds like a small-scale beast tide. Its scope is far smaller than the beast tide during the Forbidden Zone lockdown."

"Whenever exploring the Forbidden Zone, out of ten exploration teams, at least three are likely to encounter a small-scale beast tide."

However, the chances of everyone from those three teams surviving such an encounter... are less than 10%.

Facing a small-scale beast tide, if a ten-person exploration team loses just one or two members, it's considered fortunate.

After all.

From the day they chose this line of work, they had mentally prepared themselves to dance with death.

The fifth-rank Beastmaster stationed at the city walls would rush to the scene as soon as they detected a small-scale beast tide. Whether those caught in the tide could hold out during this interval… determined their survival.

Felix, who had never actually encountered such situations, displayed a complex expression after hearing the two exploration team members' explanations.

Reality… was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

On the first day of their journey, they ate shi*…

On the second day, they encountered a small-scale beast tide.

What kind of luck was this?

Seriously, what kind of luck was this?

If forced to choose between the bad luck of the first and second day, Felix would rather relive the first day.

At least that was man-made.

The danger was still within manageable limits.

But facing a small-scale beast tide head-on…

The six Beastmasters present, along with their contracted beasts, had fewer than thirty beasts in total. Could they really handle a small-scale beast tide…?

Wouldn't they just perish here?

Facing the real threat of death—rather than imagining it in a harmless daydream—Felix felt an overwhelming fear of dying, one that even his teacher, the fifth-rank Beastmaster Maxine, couldn't dispel.

Maxine crossed her arms and cast a sidelong glance at the trembling young man who hadn't even seen the beast tide yet but was already paralyzed with fear. Mentally, she marked a big "X" over his head.

As a combat-specialized student, he was unqualified.

On the other hand, Devin, the freckled young man who had been quiet until now and seemed somewhat timid and socially awkward, was holding up surprisingly well.

His fists were tightly clenched with tension, but his posture remained upright. His gaze lacked the paralyzing fear of the unknown; instead, he was processing, resisting, adapting, and even contemplating how to fight back next.

Although his movements were a bit immature and still lacked finesse, he already exhibited the qualities a combat-specialized student should have.

Fearlessness in the face of the unknown.

The courage to confront every challenge.

Maxine nodded slightly in her mind, feeling a small hint of wanting to take him as her apprentice… until her eyes landed on Asher.

Maxine: "..."

What could she say?

As a true sadist who thrived on watching others' embarrassing moments and occasionally creating her own entertainment, Maxine had perfected her craft.

She had the maturity, charm, and cunning of an experienced older sister who always achieved her goals.

But then she met Asher.

The amusement Asher brought her was far outweighed by the number of times he left her speechless.

Thinking of this, Maxine wore a baffled expression.

Seriously?

How did it come to this?

It shouldn't be like this at all!

This time included.

For everyone, including Beastmasters, the term "beast tide" was a nightmare and a psychological shadow that couldn't be erased.

Even a small-scale beast tide was no better.

Maxine wasn't afraid because she trusted her strength.

Setting aside her other contracted beasts, as long as there wasn't a powerful seventh-rank beast leading the charge, her Compound-Eyed Venomous Spider alone could handle over half of the small-scale beast tide.

For the remaining half, her five other contracted beasts could help handle them.

With the support of the other five people, and while ensuring the safety of the two defenseless civilians, eliminating this small-scale beast tide wasn't an impossible task.

But Asher's calmness… Why was he so calm?

Where did his confidence come from?

Was he really certain there wouldn't be an issue?

If it weren't for the inappropriate timing, Maxine would've pulled Asher aside for a thorough interrogation.

The small-scale beast tide was getting closer and closer.

They didn't even need their contracted beasts to issue warnings; the thick smoke kicked up by the stampede was already visible to the naked eye. In the sky, a black swarm of grotesque, winged beasts hovered ominously.

Asher's gaze immediately locked onto the flying creatures.

'Ah…'

'The numbers of those flying and those running on the ground were about evenly split…'

The bizarre, grotesque forms of the ground creatures were bad enough, but the airborne ones were just as hideous, their appearances incredibly menacing.

Felix's face had gone completely bloodless, pale as if he might stop breathing at any moment. His lips trembled, unable to form a single word.

Maxine silently criticized Felix's mental fortitude again.

Perhaps when he became a Beastmaster, he hadn't fully grasped the responsibilities and duties of the role.

Yet, every university's Beastmaster curriculum began with a lesson on responsibility and duty.

Awakening Beastmaster qualifications, contracting beasts, and gaining privileges and benefits above ordinary people didn't mean they could live leisurely without contributing anything.

That would be unfair to ordinary people.

To enjoy these benefits, they had to stand up when the alliance and nation needed them, when beast tides surged against the city walls.

Protect the city they grew up in.

Protect their family within the city.

Protect the alliance.

Protect the nation.

Upon becoming a true first-rank Beastmaster, the alliance would also show them historical records of fallen heroes who courageously defended their homeland during beast tides, sacrificing their lives.

All these served to remind every Beastmaster of their responsibilities and duties.

Maxine sighed lightly in her heart.

Forget it.

Perhaps he wasn't suited for combat but might have some talent in research?

That was another way to fulfill one's duties.

At that moment—

The small-scale beast tide grew nearer and nearer.

Most of these beasts were ranked from the third to the sixth level, with the majority at the third and fourth levels, fewer at the fifth, and only a handful at the sixth… Yet the overwhelming momentum of hundreds of ferocious beasts charging together…

The sheer malice in the air made everyone instinctively weak in the knees, trembling uncontrollably.

The two ordinary civilians, Harry and Kelly, were already swaying unsteadily.

Perhaps thanks to her fitness regimen, Kelly managed to steady herself and even helped the nearly collapsing Harry.

But Felix, who had collapsed onto the ground, had no one to help him.

No time.

No energy.

"They're here!" Maxine shouted, her expression turning serious.

They were getting closer.

Those beasts were closing in fast.

They had to strike preemptively.

If the creatures got within a one-kilometer radius, the situation would worsen significantly.

Maxine wasn't going to let that happen.

"Compound-Eyed Venomous Spider, entangling poison web!"

"Pink Praying Mantis, devour!"

"Thorn Butterfly, sleep-inducing poison powder!"

Maxine gave swift and decisive commands.

Beside her, the freckled Devin acted immediately.

"Rock-Eater, stone barrage!"

"Steel Bead, steel wall!"

Although his voice trembled, he responded as he should.

The two hired explorers were even quicker.

"Falcon, wind blast!"

"Burrowing Earth Dragon, dig!"

Their reactions were exceptionally fast.

Amidst the tense atmosphere, Maxine's attention briefly drifted—wait, hadn't she heard Asher's voice?

Could it be…

Was she mistaken earlier?

Was Asher's calm demeanor not because he had a trump card, but because he was too scared to move?

Maxine wasn't sure.

But she quickly had no time to speculate further.

This small-scale beast tide was proving more troublesome than she'd expected.

Especially the airborne bird monsters.

Even the Thorn Butterfly's actions were being obstructed.

If they couldn't contain the ground creatures within a certain distance, things might spiral out of control.

Just as the situation grew increasingly dangerous, a familiar voice rang out.

"Little Raven, King's Aura."

"Shadow Bug, Shadow Invasion."

A massive, terrifying, and awe-inspiring aura swept across the battlefield from behind them.

The grotesque beasts on the ground froze abruptly.

In the next moment—

The monstrous birds in the sky let out sharp, piercing cries!

"Caw-caw—!"

"Whooo—whooo—!"

"Chirp—caw—!"

Various rough and piercing sounds echoed in their ears. Before Maxine could react to what was happening, she saw the flock of bird-type beasts in the sky suddenly scatter in all directions.

Their speed was so fast, it seemed as though a demon was chasing them, demanding their lives.

One faster than the other.

They were even faster than when they had launched the beast tide, attacking toward them earlier.

'Escape, escape, escape!'

'Run quickly!'

It was as if their minds could only hold this singular thought.

In the blink of an eye, the dark cloud above their heads completely dispersed, revealing a clear and bright sky.

The wild beasts on the ground wore dumbfounded expressions.

The people around were all in utter disbelief, their faces showing they hadn't comprehended what just happened.

What happened?

Who were they, and where were they?

What had they just witnessed?

The beast tide… had lost half of its fighting power on its own?

And it was the ferocious, man-eating flock of monstrous birds?

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