Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

Everyone's eyes were ablaze, lost in amazement.

Only Maxine managed to stay somewhat clear-headed.

Excited?

Now is not the time to be excited.

Quickly harvest those beasts.

Her remaining rationality pushed Maxine to command her six pet beasts into action swiftly.

But before they could act, the Shadow Sneak of Cat-Worm had already taken effect.

All the beasts on the ground were shrouded in it, their bodies tainted with an ominous black-purple aura.

Fortunately, Maxine and her pet beasts weren't slow either.

Seizing the golden opportunity created by Little Raven and Cat-Worm, they moved in unison.

Even the Grim Reaper's scythe couldn't harvest as fast as their combined efforts.

With no interference from the hovering wild beasts, and with Cat-Worm's poison spreading and afflicting the creatures with various debuffs like slowing and weakening, the miniature beast tide of beasts became utterly helpless.

Faced with the deadly harvest of the Compound-Eye Venomous Spider, they tried to resist.

But their stiff limbs and uncontrollable bodies rendered them lifeless in the end.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH—

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH—

Harvesting beasts was as effortless as slicing vegetables.

The scene wasn't particularly violent.

After all, Maxine's pet beasts were all poison-attribute; there wasn't any blood-soaked gore to trigger a need for content restrictions.

However, looking at the fallen creatures covered in layers of black-purple, with wide, unblinking eyes that radiated unresolved grievances, their already menacing appearances became even more terrifying and ghastly.

The others simply stood there in stunned silence, watching...

Until the last beast fell.

A faint layer of poison lingered in the air, mingling with the deathly scent of blood.

Finally snapping out of it, the freckled youth Devin gasped sharply.

What just happened?

What exactly happened?

His gaze fixated on the battlefield strewn with the corpses of beasts, his mouth gaping.

For a long moment, he couldn't string a coherent sentence together, only gasping like someone suffering a heart attack.

Nearby, the expressions of the two hired adventure team members weren't much better.

The scene before them was...

Horrifying!

Utterly horrifying!

"We... actually wiped out a small beast tide?" The two spoke, their voices trembling with disbelief.

Inconceivable.

These four words perfectly described their feelings.

Apart from this phrase, they didn't know what else to say.

Encountering a small beast tide should have spelled disaster. Yet not only had there been no casualties, but they had also eradicated the entire tide?

Oh.

Correction: They hadn't.

It was all Asher and Maxine.

The two who decisively turned the tide were Asher and Maxine.

Asher unleashed his ultimate.

Maxine did the harvesting.

But...

"Little Professor, are your two pet beasts really this powerful?" Having eliminated the fearsome beasts, Maxine finally voiced the question she had been holding back.

Her tone was utterly sincere, and her eyes brimmed with curiosity.

Surprise.

Asher had given her too many surprises. "You said you're a professor researching pet evolution, didn't you?"

"How exactly did you train these two beasts? Or do you have some unique cultivation method? Are you actually quite skilled at nurturing beasts too?"

Not just an ordinary professor, either.

After all, being granted a Level 5 researcher title in pet evolution as a minor... if not a once-in-a-century phenomenon, it was certainly rare in decades.

Recalling the achievements touted by the Beast Master Alliance of NY City...

And looking at Asher's current accomplishments...

Asher: "Uh... I'm really not a nurturer. It's just... talent. Just a little bit of talent, really. All self-taught."

He sounded utterly genuine.

Maxine: "..."

Complicated feelings.

She hesitated, torn between saying something and holding back.

After confirming Asher's sincerity, Maxine silently turned her head away, as if avoiding eye contact with him.

Humble.

Too humble.

If Asher were being deliberately modest, Maxine might have gotten angry.

But she could see he genuinely believed it.

Talent.

All talent.

Damn talent!

Wasn't this just another form of upgraded Versailles?

Taking several deep breaths, Maxine composed herself.

A warm smile spread across her face.

"Little Professor, please be sure to join our academy in the future!" Maxine stepped forward sincerely.

The freckled youth Devin nodded in agreement.

Strong.

Though he couldn't fathom how Asher managed it, the overpowered abilities of his two pet beasts were enough to make Devin fully understand Maxine's sentiments.

Who wouldn't want to recruit such a talent into their school?

For South China Advanced Beast Master Academy to maintain its prestige, it needed a continuous influx of high-quality students.

Thinking of this, Devin's expression became joyful.

Alright!

Next year, he would definitely pass the entrance exam.

Maybe one day, he could even become Asher's senior.

"Working with you would definitely be fun!" Maxine's voice continued, interrupting Devin's thoughts just as he firmed his resolve.

Devin: "?"

Huh?

His mouth slowly fell open, disbelief mingling with shock plastered on his face.

Colleagues?

Was this some kind of joke?

Looking at Maxine's expression and the approving looks of Teacher Harry and Teacher Kelly beside her, Devin found himself questioning his life.

Asher, however, merely smiled.

"Haha!"

"It's too early for that."

"Everything in its time."

Besides... Little Raven and Cat-Worm's exceptional performance owed a bit to luck.

Asher waved to Little Raven, who descended like a patrolling eagle, landing on Asher's arm, its sharp golden-red eyes scanning everyone present.

Each person who met Little Raven's gaze shivered, as if a terrifying beast had locked onto them.

Even other pet beasts—Compound-Eye Venomous Spider, Thorn Butterfly, Rock Eater, and Little Steel Ball—reacted nervously to Little Raven's gaze.

Asher quickly soothed Little Raven's feathers. "Good job, Little Raven."

Its regal aura alone had intimidated all the flying beasts... the best support role, bar none.

ヾ(●｀●)

Little Raven: Hmmph~

'A proud bird indeed.'

'More compliments, Beast Master!'

Little Raven snuggled up to Asher, demanding attention.

Asher ruffled its head, messing up its stubborn tuft of feathers, which sprang back up after being flattened, over and over.

Asher couldn't resist playing with it a little longer.

Of course, he didn't forget fairness.

Having praised Big Treasure, he couldn't neglect Second Treasure.

"Cat-Worm did amazing too, working so well with Little Raven." Asher stepped forward, picking up Cat-Worm.

Though its poison attack had spread far and wide, Cat-Worm itself remained spotless, its seven tiny feet barely dusted.

The moment Asher lifted it, Cat-Worm began wiping its feet on his sleeve, mimicking the motion of kneading, until every speck of dust was gone.

"Meow~ Meow~"

Cat-Worm declared, 'A clean and pretty little dragon.'

OwO

Asher placed Little Raven on his shoulder, freeing up his other hand.

He teasingly ruffled Cat-Worm's scales, nearly undoing all its tidiness.

Cat-Worm squeaked in protest, its seven legs flailing as it tried to escape Asher's grasp... to no avail.

Asher smirked mischievously. "Still wanna do that next time?"

Cat-Worm: QwO

"Meow~ Meow~"

'...Will do it again!'

Asher: "..."

Both annoyed and amused.

What could he do?

Sighing, Asher gently tapped Cat-Worm's nose before pulling both his companions into a snug embrace, one on each side, like a king holding court.

Initially, the scene of Asher cradling his two beasts drew no particular attention.

But now, after seeing their power and their affectionate rivalry for Asher's favor...

Everyone present, including Maxine, suddenly felt as though they had been force-fed a strange and unwanted meal of affection.

They didn't want it. Not one bit.

"Now that it's settled, shall we disassemble these beasts?" The hired adventurers stepped up, eager to contribute after their lack of participation in the battle.

Efficiently extracting value from the beasts' bodies was their specialty.

But upon inspecting the corpses, a new issue arose—these creatures had all succumbed to poison.

Their meat was unusable.

Donning gloves and masks, the adventurers cautiously dissected the bodies, extracting only the energy crystals before thoroughly washing them.

It took ten pairs of gloves and painstaking care to avoid contamination. The potency of the poison that felled fifty or sixty beasts wasn't something they wanted to test on their own bodies.

After collecting all the crystals, the group quickly retreated.

"As the core of strength, energy stones contain the most refined portion of power extracted from beasts. Generally speaking, the energy stone inside an beast is typically one level lower in strength compared to the creature itself.",Maxine casually remarked, not particularly concerned.

Harry and the double-door cool guy, Teacher Kelly, also nodded in agreement.

That's just how it is.

These energy stones are valuable because of their quantity.

But in their eyes, they aren't that valuable.

The grade isn't high.

Besides that...

Out of the eight people, Harry and Kelly didn't contribute to the fight at all. Instead, they were the ones being protected. Naturally, they wouldn't think about equally splitting the spoils.

The two hired adventurer team members also had no right to share in the spoils.

As for Flathead Brother Felix and Freckled Youth Devin... best not to mention them.

Freckled Youth Devin: QAQ

Don't treat him like this.

He and Felix really didn't slack off.

Freckled Youth didn't know what the others were thinking; otherwise, he'd surely cry out "woof" in tears.

He hadn't even entered the Advanced Beastmaster Academy yet and had already left a bad impression on his three future instructors.

Who knows how much effort it would take in the future to completely reverse these impressions into something normal.

"Ah… this is a bit embarrassing, isn't it?" Faced with this unexpected fortune, Asher blinked awkwardly. "I didn't even do much…"

All he did was let Little Raven and the Cat-Worm join forces to launch a big attack.

And just like that, a casual windfall of tens of millions fell into his lap… This money came way too fast.

"It's fine, little professor. We're just trying to curry favor with you," Maxine said with a genuine smile, seeing Asher's surprised expression.

To say they didn't want the energy stones at all… wouldn't be entirely true.

After all...

Who could refuse unexpected wealth?

A bit of extra income to pad the wallet—doesn't that feel great?

But compared to this small gain, they valued building a good relationship with Asher more.

Hearing this, Asher paused for a moment, then smiled.

"If you put it that way… I won't refuse."

Got it.

Asher instantly understood their intentions.

He had to admit—when people openly and straightforwardly tried to befriend and invest in him like this, he didn't actually mind all that much.

Society, after all.

Human connections.

Asher accepted the bulging bag of energy stones.

Unexpectedly... the Cat-Worm's eyes showed a longing expression as it got close to the energy stones again.

Cat-Worm: OwO

"Meow~"

'Fragrant!'

'It wants to eat!'

'Little Beauty Dragon is hungry!'

*Awoooo—*

The last sound came from the Cat-Worm's stomach growling.

Asher: "…"

A money-squandering pet.

That's what his second baby was.

Asher hadn't even had the chance to stash the energy stones in his bag or decide whether to sell some off and leave some for Little Raven and the Cat-Worm to try.

The Cat-Worm had already made a face like it couldn't wait to devour all the energy stones.

Asher had a headache.

The three instructors on the side couldn't help but laugh one after another.

Wanting to build a good relationship with Asher and getting close to a future professor of extraordinary pet evolution—or at the very least, a highly skilled beastmaster—was one thing.

Asher genuinely needing the gift they used to curry favor was another.

Selling the energy stones or using them to strengthen Asher's pets would yield completely different results in the long run.

"Your pet seems to have an amazing appetite," Harry commented, rubbing his chin and looking curiously at the Cat-Worm. "What kind of new beast is this? Its appetite is unbelievable!"

Harry had also heard about the Cat-Worm eating that toxic green-skinned, purple-fleshed fruit yesterday.

And now, today, it wanted to eat these energy stones.

It even openly displayed its drooling stance...

"Generally, the things pets really want to eat have a positive effect on their bodies to some extent," Harry said.

Just like humans.

What you lack, you crave.

Asher was silent for three seconds.

"Does that mean… there's a possibility it simply wants to eat?"

Asher blinked.

Why must it always be about need?

Maybe, in the Cat-Worm's eyes, last night's fruit and these energy stones were just like roasted meat, hotpot, milk tea, and spicy skewers to humans.

The body might not need them.

But the mouth definitely does.

Harry: "…"

"You have a point."

Asher grabbed the Cat-Worm by the scruff of its neck as it tried to bury its head into the pile of energy stones. The Cat-Worm was still attempting to advance.

QwQ

'Just one bite!'

'It would only take a little bite!'

Asher: "No."

"Your 'little bite' would probably consume at least a tenth of them." Asher gave the Cat-Worm no chance to weasel its way out.

What?

Can't hold the Cat-Worm with one hand?

No problem!

Handing the Cat-Worm over to its big sister, the eldest pet in the house would kindly take care of the second baby.

Cat-Worm · Second Baby · Little Dragon: "…"

'Not really looking forward to this kind of care!'

Finally, Asher managed to shove the energy stones into his backpack.

"I'm not saying you can't eat. Just don't rush," Asher said, shouldering the bag again. "When we rest tonight, I'll give you a treat."

He patted the Cat-Worm's round head and stroked its slightly elongated horns.

The texture was rather peculiar.

Somewhere between soft and hard.

It even had a slight springiness when pressed, so Asher pinched it twice more.

The Cat-Worm, which had been sulking moments ago, happily sprawled out in Asher's arms, just short of purring like a real cat.

The three instructors watching this scene: "…"

Once again, marveling at the wonders of different species.

Though they had dealt with the small beast tide, the group couldn't rest just yet.

No one knew if more wild beasts would appear, so they had to reach a safer area before nightfall.

Move forward.

They had to keep moving.

If they kept up a good pace, they could reach the sunburst sunflower's location by the morning after tomorrow.

Thinking of this, everyone felt motivated.

Oh.

Except for one person.

"...Sitting there without moving—don't tell me you're expecting us to drag you along as we travel?"

Maxine raised an eyebrow, her gaze tinged with disdain and mockery as she looked at Flathead Brother Felix, still slumped on the ground with a dejected expression.

If Flathead Brother Felix had been truly terrified and immobilized at first, he was now simply wallowing in self-pity, fully aware of his embarrassing actions.

However...

He had picked the wrong place to sulk.

Anywhere else, maybe.

His family might have humored him.

But in this dangerous forbidden zone, where the group had just faced a beast tide and barely managed to protect themselves, who had the time to pamper someone throwing a tantrum?

Not possible.

Keep dreaming.

"Stay if you want. If not, you're on your own," Maxine rolled her eyes and decisively strode toward Harry and Kelly, waving her hand to signal their departure.

Asher followed.

The two hired adventurers followed.

Even Freckled Youth Devin didn't spare Felix a glance, turning away to leave.

Thinking someone would coax him, Felix: "?"

'Wait, what?'

'They're serious?'

Watching the group gradually disappear from sight and smelling the faint stench of blood in the air, Felix finally recognized reality.

No one here would indulge him.

Either he accepted the situation and stood up, or he'd be left to die.

Instantly.

Flathead Brother Felix could no longer care about embarrassment.

Otherwise, he'd soon be losing more than face—his life would be at stake.

"Wait! Wait for me!" Waving his arms, Felix called out loudly as he ran after the group.

"Hmph, spoiled and pretentious," Maxine muttered, rolling her eyes without looking back. "See? He came along on his own. Clearly, he still has some sense.

"Well, that's one way to put it," Maxine paused for a moment.

"If he truly had any sense, he wouldn't have fired at you in the first place, right, little professor?"

She winked at Asher.

Perhaps it was because Asher had displayed a fraction of his real strength.

Perhaps Little Raven and the Cat-Worm weren't that powerful yet, but they were far from ordinary.

If it weren't for Asher repeatedly emphasizing that he wasn't a cultivator, they would have really wanted to ask how he managed to raise such two unique pet beasts.

This level of strength is just too heaven-defying!

The freckled young man, Devin, standing to the side, feeling as though he had also been dissed: "..."

Ah... this... Thinking back to the way he initially treated Asher, it seems like it wasn't very good, was it?

Recalling the scene when they first met two days ago, and comparing it to the current situation...

The freckled young man was so embarrassed he wanted to dig a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.

Ahhh—

Who gave him the courage.

How dare he look at Asher with such an expression back then.

The only consolation Devin could find was that, at least compared to his buzz-cut companion Felix, his disdain toward Asher back then had been relatively subtle... Well, okay, not comforting at all.

What use is being subtle?

His attitude toward Asher at that time had been crystal clear.

Sometimes, words don't need to be spoken for contempt and hurt to be conveyed.

The more Devin thought about it, the more silent he became, as though his former audacity had beaten him down into a gray, shadowy figure.

Seeing this, Asher showed a somewhat helpless expression.

He gave Maxine a glance.

Maxine smiled faintly.

What kind of look was that?

She couldn't understand.

And it absolutely wasn't an alternative form of revenge against Asher for being too "Versailles"*.

[*Note: Refers to someone being humble-braggy or showing off their excellence subtly.]

Having escaped the fear brought by the small beast tide, everyone's mood was quite good.

Even Felix, who had been scared witless by the beast tide and, after rejoining the group, fully embraced "silence is golden," gradually calmed down.

Very good, very good.

What just happened was clearly just an accident.

Surely they wouldn't encounter anything else on the way...

Unexpectedly, after only advancing for two hours, they were attacked again—this time by a small group of just seven beasts.

Facing these creatures, whose numbers were far fewer than theirs, nobody panicked or felt afraid.

With coordinated teamwork, they didn't even need Little Raven or Cat Worm to unleash their full powers. The Compound-Eyed Venomous Spider and Pink Mantis didn't even need to take action, merely standing by to maintain pressure, allowing the other beasts to gain some battle experience by ganging up on the beasts.

Asher watched as the ferocious beasts—ones that could dominate anywhere else—became a pile of corpses after fulfilling their role as sparring partners. Their energy stones were then dug out, draining them of their last bit of value.

Asher shook his head.

Standing beside him, the double-door refrigerator-like cool guy, Teacher Kelly, turned his head to glance at Asher: "Do you feel sorry for these beasts?"

"Ah?" Asher looked at the cool guy with a puzzled expression,"Teacher Kelly, why would you think I'd have such thoughts? I'm not a saint."

Feel sorry for wild beasts?

No, no, no.

Asher's mind wasn't that twisted.

Even if he wanted to show kindness, he'd rather focus it on his two pet beasts at home. That was the correct choice.

"I overthought it." Cool guy Teacher Kelly's gaze carried a trace of satisfaction. "I saw you shaking your head at their corpses and thought..."

"Haha." Asher immediately grasped the cool guy's train of thought.

"Can't blame you for overthinking."

"But I was shaking my head because—don't you think it's just so pointless? Throwing themselves at us like this."

If they wanted to die, why not pick another day?

Even fighting over territory or resources with other beasts and dying that way would be more dignified than this.

So—these brainless, clueless, ignorant fish-in-a-barrel beasts are truly pitiful.

The cool guy, who had somehow accurately picked up on the undertone of Asher's words, was silent: "..."

Cool guy silently turned his head away.

Indeed.

He had overthought it.

Asher was truly a very standard beast master.

Hearing their conversation and catching sight of the suppressed, resigned expression on cool guy Teacher Kelly's face, Maxine couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"It's normal for Kelly to worry about you like that." After finishing her laugh, Maxine explained to Asher, "…Beast masters with that mindset aren't common, but they do exist."

"Especially since you haven't undergone the dual training from university and the League. Without a clear understanding of the beasts in the Forbidden Zone or the true terror of beast tides, your perspective is still somewhat vague."

Asher nodded.

That was true.

During their junior and senior high school years, the descriptions of beast tides they encountered came from texts, films, and some documentaries.

Movies and documentaries mostly depicted the unyielding resistance of their predecessors, praising their contributions and efforts for humanity.

The bloody, cruel, and more realistic depictions…were graded content that required viewers to be 18 or older to access.

"Letting immature, younger beast masters and ordinary people be exposed too early to the horrors of this world would cause significant negative psychological impacts," Maxine said with a helpless expression.

Asher seemed to understand her point.

Unlike that peaceful world, in an era of peace, watching and praising the heroic sacrifices of predecessors only invoked admiration for their greatness.

But in this world, where war and death had never truly left...

Humanity's struggle against the Forbidden Zone and beast tides hadn't entirely disappeared. It was very real and posed a genuine threat to humanity.

As Asher's gaze became clearer, Maxine smiled.

"At 18, you must begin to understand the darker aspects of this world and prepare yourself for the responsibility and duty that may one day fall upon your shoulders," Maxine said softly. "This world has never been a peaceful utopia, nor does it offer much room for daydreams."

"In relatively peaceful times, perhaps you can try to subdue and form contracts with beasts from the Forbidden Zone."

"But that doesn't stop us from hunting them down."

"Reducing their numbers as much as possible before the beast tide arrives limits the impact they have on human cities."

Official beast masters are stationed here.

Numerous exploration teams rely on hunting beasts to earn their pay.

It's all to reduce the number of beasts before the next beast tide arrives.

When the tide does come, they'll have a slightly easier time.

Don't underestimate these small efforts.

They may seem insignificant normally, but in the context of a massive beast tide…sometimes survival boils down to who can endure longer.

The side with fewer numbers is at a distinct disadvantage.

Hearing this, Asher nodded.

Understood.

"Don't worry; I won't feel sorry for these wild beasts."

There's no need.

As he spoke, Asher stroked Little Raven and Cat Worm in his arms.

Wild, untamed beasts versus those who had been subdued and formed harmonious relationships with humans... Humanity truly was an extraordinary species.

The energy stones excavated from these beasts weren't claimed by Asher. Instead, they were divided among the three other beast masters, excluding Felix and Maxine.

The exploration team members holding the energy stones couldn't hide their excitement.

"This...is it really okay for us to take these?" Although reluctant, they remembered their roles.

They were hired help.

And they'd been paid a hefty commission.

Now, taking energy stones as well…they felt a bit embarrassed.

Maxine waved dismissively, unconcerned. "You contributed to the effort this time, so take what's yours."

The two were overwhelmed with gratitude.

A windfall.

Their gratitude made them even more attentive.

With experts managing the combat, all they could do was fully utilize their wilderness survival skills to make their employer's journey as comfortable as possible.

By the time they stopped to rest for the night, the campsite was much more refined than the night before.

Seated by the campfire without lifting a finger, Asher couldn't help but give Maxine a thumbs-up.

"Teacher Maxine, your skill at winning people over is impressive."

At the right time, offering the right benefits.

Maxine's tactics toward these two were akin to the open strategies she'd used when giving all the energy stones to Asher earlier.

The only difference was:

Toward Asher, Maxine had been fair, even jokingly lowering her status to curry favor.

Toward the two hired exploration team members, it was a calculated move to win their loyalty.

Asher had taken a large share of energy stones. Wouldn't they feel tempted?

Even if they didn't show it outwardly, wouldn't they grumble internally about having worked hard digging but ending up empty-handed? Such complaints might not escalate but could still cause issues.

But when the energy stones were redistributed later, Asher didn't take any, and Maxine gave them away again.

Whether or not these two had any complaints before, they would now surely be even more grateful to Maxine and Asher.

Backfiring? That's absolutely impossible now.

Asher: *Learned something new*

Maxine smiled but didn't say anything.

Seeing this, Asher didn't continue discussing the topic further. Instead, he pulled a light purple poison-attribute energy stone out of his backpack and fed it to the Cat-Worm.

The moment the Cat-Worm saw this energy stone, its eyes instantly lit up.

Though its eyes were simple black dots like stick-figure drawings, at that moment, they seemed like two giant light bulbs.

They could even glow.

"Meow~ Meow~"

"Meow~ Meow~"

'Eat, eat, eat!'

I want to eat it right now!'

'Dragon—'

*Awoooooo!*

The Cat-Worm was so excited it almost opened its mouth wide, wanting Asher to directly shove the energy stone in.

Asher tapped the Cat-Worm on the head. "Eat it bite by bite. If you eat too fast, you might choke."

"Meow~ Meow~"

'No, no, no!'

'Dragons are super good at eating!'

The Cat-Worm excitedly devoured the energy stone in two bites, finishing it much faster than it had eaten the fruit yesterday.

After all, when it ate the fruit, the Cat-Worm got drunk.

But after eating the energy stone, the Cat-Worm really didn't show any changes at all.

"Meow~ Meow~"

"Meow~"

'More, more!'

The Cat-Worm conveyed this meaning to Asher.

Asher: "?"

Maxine: "?"

Harry: "?"

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