Lucy still couldn't figure out the reason.
It was already difficult enough for her to make progress due to the stagnation of Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit's strength. But even if she remained a Seventh-Rank Beastmaster, Lucy was quite satisfied. After all, she had never imagined she would reach this point.
At most, she just felt a tiny bit of regret.
But compared to the beast companions who had accompanied her for so many years, her title was nothing.
However, Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit's situation wasn't just about stagnating strength.
"I don't know if it's because they were too weak at birth, but not only are Flying Flower and Wood Spirit physically weaker than others of their kind, they also get injured very easily," Lucy sighed again, "I've taken them to the pet center for checkups many times, but the doctors always say it's just individual differences."
"There's no way to heal them through medical treatments or instruments."
To sum it up in two words—short-lived.
This was something Lucy could not accept.
For this reason, when she learned that the Forbidden Zone in Heavenly River City had been shrouded in Phantom Mist, while other Seventh- and Eighth-Rank Beastmasters hesitated, she was the only one who rushed in headfirst.
It wasn't because she was reckless and impulsive.
She had no choice but to go.
What Lucy didn't expect was that the Phantom Mist in the Forbidden Zone of Heavenly River City didn't give her the turning point she had hoped for. Instead, after coming out, the firsthand news she got about Asher became her real turning point.
Lucy: 'That's right! This must be fate!'
She was absolutely certain.
If it weren't for the rescue mission she had taken, where she learned in advance that a little girl's beast companion was injured in the Phantom Mist, she wouldn't have discovered the news about the Violent Bear's evolution so soon.
The more Lucy thought about it, the more convinced she became.
Asher was exactly the person her instincts had told her to find.
In an instant—
The way Lucy looked at Asher turned noticeably intense.
Asher: "..."
'Cough! Cough!'
'Calm down, calm down.'
'There's really no need to be this excited.'
But since he had learned quite a few unique details from Lucy, Asher naturally intended to help her as much as possible. First, he needed to check Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit's condition.
He activated his talent skill.
With just a glance, Asher instinctively furrowed his brow.
'Hmm...?'
'Is this really possible?'
———
[Star City]
[Beastmaster Alliance Headquarters]
Night had fallen.
Yet, the headquarters building was still brightly lit.
Working overtime?
Going home?
No, no, no.
They were voluntarily working overtime.
Overtime makes people progress, overtime makes people happy, overtime brings endles—cough, cough, can't keep up the act.
No strangers dared to approach or even pass by the Alliance Headquarters building.
If asked why, the sheer amount of resentment emanating from inside was just too overwhelming.
Even walking past seemed enough to get entangled in the thick air of grievances.
Anyone who could take a detour would absolutely do so.
Sometimes, human resentment was even harder to deal with tha beasts.
Walking up to the building, Jasmine had a brief illusion—
It was as if the entire headquarters was wrapped in an invisible shroud of accumulated grievances.
Jasmine: "..."
'Maybe I should turn around and leave?'
'It really doesn't feel like the right time today.'
She had originally come to check on Asher's award nomination, but there hadn't been any updates. Jasmine genuinely admired Asher, and showing concern for an outstanding junior was totally reasonable.
But with the state of the Alliance today...
Forget it for now.
She could come back in a few days.
Jasmine turned and returned to the Inspection Bureau.
Compared to the busyness of the Alliance Headquarters, the Inspection Bureau was actually much more relaxed at year-end. After all, they had already visited most of the cities they needed to, and their main task now was just assisting in the defense of Star City's walls.
Brainless brawn work.
Compared to mental labor, it was significantly easier.
The central hall's lighting wasn't the usual bright white but a warm glow that made people feel relaxed at a glance. Only a few offices still had lights on, one of which was the break room.
Jasmine had originally planned to return to her office to handle some paperwork before heading home, but she hesitated for a moment and walked toward the break room instead.
Pushing open the door—
As expected, Jasmine and Kevin found themselves staring at each other.
Kevin, who was in the middle of pouring a large bottle of soda into a cup, froze mid-action. His expression stiffened slightly, but experience came with age.
The old man quickly recovered his composure, casually put down the soda, and asked with a straight face, "Hmm? Weren't you going to the headquarters to find your friend? Why are you back so soon?"
Not even a little prepared for this.
"Teacher, don't try to change the subject," Jasmine stepped forward and took away the still-fizzing carbonated drink, "You're sneaking a drink this late at night? This time, I am telling the mistress about this."
Kevin coughed harder, "Now, now! No need to be hasty. Let's talk this over."
"Oh, by the way, don't you want to know the latest updates on that kid you're concerned about? I have his newest movements," Kevin raised his brows at her, nudging his gaze toward the drink she was holding.
Holding the soda hostage to bargain?
That was him, alright!
Jasmine: "..."
She gripped the cup a little tighter.
'Asher's latest movements?'
"Has he done something major again?"
'It is already the end of the year, and the huge stir caused by Old Rothschild's Ancestral Dragon evolution is still fresh. Surely, Asher haven't made another shocking breakthrough in less than half a month… right?'
The more she thought about it, the less sure she felt.
After all—
When it came to surprises, Asher never failed to deliver.
Sensing her hesitation, Kevin quickly pushed further, "Oh, he absolutely has. Another big headline! Something you wouldn't even believe."
Grinning, he waggled his brows at her soda.
Jasmine really wanted to know about Asher's latest developments, but she wasn't that easy to manipulate, "Tell me first. I'll consider giving this back."
Kevin gave his student a meaningful look.
'Tsk! tsk! tsk!'
'She's gotten sneaky.'
'Wonder who she learned that from.'
But knowing that Jasmine was fundamentally someone who kept her word, he coughed twice and began explaining about the Phantom Mist, Abella, and the Violent Bear.
"Tsk! tsk! tsk! I really didn't expect it. Talented people truly stand apart," Kevin shook his head as he spoke, "What others can do, he does even better. What others can't do, he still manages to pull off."
Giving a big thumbs-up, he sighed, "Impressive."
Jasmine's eyes also widened sharply.
As a sixth-tier Beastmaster with Kevin as her teacher, although her own level wasn't quite high enough, Jasmine did know about the rumors and information regarding the Phantom Mist.
She also knew how much the nation and the alliance hoped to research the evolutionary paths of beasts that had absorbed the mist.
And she understood just how difficult that was.
But.
Asher had done it.
"The award you were worried about is definitely a sure thing now," Kevin shook his head while sighing with emotion, "Young people these days, one big thing after another, we old-timers are really getting washed up on the beach."
"The Alliance headquarters will surely have new arrangements for Asher soon…", Kevin spoke with deep emotion.
'These young people nowadays—truly astonishing to the extreme!
And the pace they're moving at is just too fast.'
While other pet professors were just learning how to use lighting tools and barely managing to stumble across the river, Asher had already hopped onto a ferry, "whoosh! whoosh! whoosh," sprinting ahead, leaving everyone far behind.
So fast that even riding a galloping horse wouldn't catch up.
Jasmine: "…"
Jasmine remained expressionless.
She was so shocked that she didn't even know what kind of expression would be appropriate.
"Will the Alliance really…"
'Make new, more focused arrangements for Asher?'
The fact that the Violent Bear, which had absorbed the mist, had a new evolutionary path under Asher's research… was indeed shocking enough to make one's brain buzz.
But what if this was just an isolated case?
What if Asher couldn't discover new evolutionary paths for other beasts that had absorbed the mist? Then what?
Before Jasmine could voice her doubts, Kevin already understood her thoughts.
Kevin gave Jasmine a meaningful look.
"What do you think?"
All these years, a pet professor like Asher… had never appeared before. They had never encountered one.
Regardless of what the future held for Asher, whether he would end up like a wasted prodigy, just based on his current abilities and achievements alone, the nation and the authorities' attention toward him was bound to skyrocket.
Otherwise, it would be an insult to their high regard for the Phantom Mist.
"The importance of the Phantom Mist is far greater than you imagine. Knowing too much before reaching a certain level is not good for you," Kevin chuckled and said, "Do you think the Alliance is suddenly so busy at the end of the year for no reason?"
Jasmine, finally connecting the dots between the two matters: "…"
'Ah… this…'
She suddenly didn't know whether she should be congratulating Asher or feeling sorry for her friend Charlotte.
Recalling the thick, almost tangible resentment she had seen outside the Alliance headquarters tonight… Jasmine was very glad she hadn't stepped inside.
Because of Asher's research, the Alliance headquarters was undoubtedly overwhelmed.
Working around the clock was probably the least of their worries.
Watching Jasmine stand there in a daze, completely lost in a mental storm, Kevin easily retrieved his lifeblood from her hands.
He took a sip—'Delicious…'
'Not delicious at all.'
"Pfft—", One sip, and Kevin couldn't hold back from spitting it out.
"What kind of weird taste is this? I refuse to acknowledge this as my happy drink," Kevin's face turned red with rage as he slammed the table forcefully.
Jasmine snapped back to reality. She calmly glanced at her aging but stubbornly youthful teacher and said in an indifferent tone, "Oh, cherry mustard flavor, a new limited edition. I specifically bought it to honor you."
"Pretty good, isn't it?"
Kevin: "…"
'Heart-wrenching!'
'Absolutely heart-wrenching!'
'My student has really gone bad!'
'Damn it!'
His happiness was gone.
Tonight, he had lost everything—he got all his intel squeezed out, didn't get to drink his beloved soda, and now, completely drained like a juiced sugarcane, he collapsed lifelessly on the sofa, condemning this cold and heartless world.
Jasmine: '…Teacher, as long as you're happy.'
———
[NY City]
[Asher's Research Lab]
Asher had no idea that over at the Alliance headquarters in Star City, Central Region, because of the new evolutionary path he had discovered for the Violent Bear, things had exploded. The entire headquarters was in chaos, no one could escape, running around organizing large and small meetings, arguing fiercely over how to handle Asher and what kind of treatment he should receive…
The key was to discuss first.
To come up with a level of treatment worthy of a top-tier genius like Asher before contacting him—this would make them seem more sincere.
Meanwhile, Asher was still studying the Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit before him.
[TL/N: Miss Flying Flower is the same pet that was on the aeroplane serving people and gave a disgusting look to Kerson]
The moment he opened their innate skill panel, Asher was taken aback.
He had never… seen anything like this before.
'Is this really possible?'
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Pet Beast: Miss Flying Flower / Miss Wood Spirit]
[Attribute: Wood]
[Species: Mid-tier Extraordinary, Mid-rank]
[Level: Sixth-tier, Low-rank]
[Skills: Parasitism, Bind, Shadowless Vine Whip, …, Sweet Fragrance]
[Evolutionary Path Locked*]
[Bloodline Awakening: Not Unlocked]
[Innate Skill: Not Unlocked]
[Special Status: Twin Bloom]
[Twin Bloom: A special phenomenon where the mother body simultaneously nurtures two similar yet distinct life forms under specific conditions. One wood, two wonders—potential is divided, abilities are shared, and even the slightest imbalance in energy or capability will affect the other. They must maintain absolute equilibrium (Innate Weakness Buff, Shared Damage…)]
[Don't be sad, Beastmaster]
[We'll stay with you~]
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Asher: "…"
'Goodness.'
'This is eye-opening.'
'So… Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit are twins?'
'And it works like this?'
A big question mark hovered over Asher's head.
This was truly an eye-opening experience.
And compared to Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit, Asher was even more curious about their mother and father's story… Not that he was gossiping, he was just purely curious—what kind of Flying Flowerculous beast could possibly… cough! cough!
Asher realized he had been coughing too much today. He needed to control it. From now on, he must control it.
"Hmm… Can I perform an examination on Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit?", Asher thought for a moment and asked Lucy.
Lucy, "Of course."
"But actually, Professor Asher, if there's something you want to know, you can just ask me. Flying Flower and Wood Spirit have undergone many examinations before," Lucy's face showed deep hesitation and contemplation.
That's right.
She had sought out several pet professors familiar with wood-type beasts before.
They had done numerous tests, used plenty of equipment…
Yet nothing came of it.
She only ended up with a thick stack of medical reports.
Lucy was confident that any test Asher wanted to do, she could probably pull out a corresponding past report for it—at most, with a year's gap, showing only minor changes in their conditions.
Then…
"I want to check Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit's spectrums," Asher said.
One sentence.
And both of them were stunned.
Lucy and Julian wore identical, bewildered expressions.
'Spectrum?'
'What spectrum?'
'Is it the spectrum we know?'
"Professor Asher, this shouldn't be... necessary, right?", Julian's gaze first landed on Miss Flying Flower, then shifted to Miss Wood Spirit beside her, and finally, he met Asher's eyes, filled with deep confusion.
Lucy remained silent, simply touching her chin. Her red lips pressed together slightly as if lost in thought.
"I just have a hypothesis. There's no harm in checking," Asher responded calmly.
Spectrum.
The DNA of beasts.
Unique and, at the same time, storing vast genetic information of beasts. By comparing spectrums, one could identify paternal, maternal, and sibling relationships.
The parents of a beast might not always be of the same species, but the offspring of the same pair would always belong to the same species. Typically, the bloodline of the dominant parent would overpower the weaker one, or in some cases, the two bloodlines would merge in a unique way, producing a new species of beast.
However, two children from the same parents belonging to different species… that had never happened before.
It contradicted the established knowledge of beast reproduction.
"Maybe they have the same father but different mothers, or the same mother but different fathers," Asher casually pointed out the obvious truth.
Julian adjusted his glasses again and looked at Asher with helplessness, "Professor Asher, do we really need to go through this test right now?"
"Even if Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit are half-sisters, their spectrums would not show any connection."
Although the study of beast reproduction wasn't particularly significant, he at least knew this basic knowledge.
Asher simply smiled without saying a word.
'Don't speak too soon.'
'The world is vast, and all kinds of strange things exist. Especially when it comes to the ecology of beasts—don't ask!'
A question mark means it hasn't been fully researched yet.
Anything is possible.
Speak too soon, and you might just get proven wrong.
"Let's give it a try... My sixth sense...", Lucy scrunched up her face, her small nose twitching, "...I don't know how to describe it, but let's test it."
Julian, well aware of how ridiculously accurate Lucy's sixth sense was, "..."
His expression flickered for a moment.
His gaze swept quickly between Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit, filled with disbelief.
'No way...?'
'Is this real?'
'Can this actually happen?'
Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit: "?"
"Mira~"
"Leila~"
'What are you talking about?'
'We don't know anything~'
The instrument used for testing the spectrum of beasts produced results much faster than human paternity tests. Advances in technology had made things significantly more convenient in this field.
"This... this is truly... unbelievable! Shocking! Who would have thought," Julian stared at the results in his hands, so shocked that his glasses slid off his ears.
Unbelievable.
It was difficult to accept as reality.
Lucy had already removed her sunglasses when comparing the wavelength fluctuations of Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit. Her light amber eyes stared, unblinking, at the two nearly identical spectrums. They overlapped almost perfectly, with only a few subtle, imperceptible differences that could only be detected through instruments. For a long moment, she couldn't form a coherent sentence.
"This... so... this...", Lucy's tongue seemed tied, and her speech momentarily failed her.
"As you can see, Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit are not only biologically related, but their relationship is so close that they are essentially one entity," Asher continued, unaffected by Lucy and Julian's stammering.
"If we were to use human biology as a reference, they would be classified as monozygotic twins[1]."
Julian: "..."
Lucy: "..."
'What kind of monozygotic twins belong to completely different species?'
'This... this, this!'
This not only contradicted the known principles of beast reproduction but even defied human biology.
Asher: "There is still much we don't understand about beasts."
The ecology of beasts—don't ask.
Julian and Lucy fell into silence once again.
Can't say anything.
Really, can't say anything.
This reasoning… was way too convenient.
For over a thousand years, humans had never stopped researching beasts. Those who dedicated years, decades, or even centuries to the field would occasionally uncover previously unknown aspects of these beings.
A bizarre case of monozygotic twins but belonging to different species—impossible in humans, but in beasts? Who's to say?
"If you think about heterochromatic twin flowers, it suddenly doesn't seem so incomprehensible," Asher added.
Julian took off his glasses and rubbed his temples in frustration, deciding to keep his mouth shut.
Too exhausting.
The final conclusion regarding Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit… completely exceeded his expectations, breaking the boundaries of his knowledge, and almost overturning his entire worldview.
"Heterochromatic twin flowers...", Compared to Julian, Lucy, who was naturally carefree and open-minded, quickly accepted Asher's explanation after repeating it twice.
"Ah...! That does make sense," Lucy nodded fervently, "When Flying Flower is sick, Wood Spirit's condition declines too. When Wood Spirit is injured, Flying Flower also becomes weak and listless."
"I never thought much about it before, but if this is the case... everything makes perfect sense now."
"Exactly," Asher nodded, looking at Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit, "Although they appear to be separate individuals—even they themselves are unaware that they are one entity—in terms of beast ecology, they share a single root system. However, their blooming and growth require double the energy."
One root could only absorb energy at a certain rate.
Other wood-attribute pet beasts required only a single portion of energy to grow normally, but for Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit, the same energy had to be evenly distributed between the two.
If one received more, the other would weaken.
If one withered, the other would also suffer.
In Asher's opinion, their constitution was simply a liability to each other.
It was no wonder they had slow growth.
In fact, it was a Flying Flowercle that Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit had managed to grow to sixth-rank low-level. As for why they hadn't evolved yet… that wasn't surprising at all. With such an interdependent relationship, how could they possibly evolve?
Did they think evolution was something that just happened whenever they wanted?
"What should I do next?", Lucy anxiously wrung the hem of her clothes, feeling lost in the face of such an unprecedented case. Instinctively, she turned to Asher for help.
Apart from Asher, she couldn't think of anyone else more suited to handle this situation.
'What should she do...', Asher's gaze landed on the words: Evolution Route Locked.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Evolution Route Locked: Ornate Twin Beauties]
[Ornate Twin Beauties:
Miss Flying Flower → Peach-Pink Flying Flower Grace
Miss Wood Spirit → Pale-Green Wood Spirit Grace
Peach-Pink Flying Flower Grace + Pale-Green Wood Spirit Grace = Ornate Twin Beauties]
[Evolution Requirements:
Affinity 100 (91/100) (90/100)
Harmony 100 (85/100) (88/100)
Absorb & Merge 18 strands of Primal Energy (21/18) (20/18)
Once all conditions are met, evolution is possible.]
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Most conditions weren't difficult—the key was absorbing and merging Primal Energy.
Fortunately, Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit had already met and exceeded this requirement. The rest would just take time.
"Evolution," Asher stated the solution.
Lucy: "?"
"They couldn't evolve before, but now—", Lucy abruptly stopped mid-sentence. She turned to Asher in shock, her fox-like eyes wide with disbelief, her lips slightly parted.
Asher nodded, "Your sixth sense helped you. The Phantom Mist benefited both Flying Flower and Wood Spirit."
If they hadn't absorbed the Primal Energy, Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit wouldn't have new evolution routes to choose from. Faced with this special twin situation, Asher could only step back, spreading his hands, completely at a loss.
But as long as beasts could evolve, Asher could uncover this evolution route.
Then the problem would be solved.
"However, Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit's situation is quite special. To figure out a suitable evolution route, I need some ti—", Before Asher could finish speaking, Lucy, full of excitement, rushed toward him.
She threw herself into Asher's arms the moment she got close. Wearing knee-high boots, her height was just about level with Asher's. Her soft body pressed against him, her fragrant breath brushing against his ear, and her gentle voice was filled with gratitude, "It's fine! Thank you so much, Professor Asher!"
"Time is not a problem at all."
"I'll just stay at your research institute for now," A kiss landed on Asher's cheek before he could react. The next moment, Lucy realized what she had done, let go of him in embarrassment, and dashed away, disappearing from Asher's sight in a few quick steps.
This left Julian standing there awkwardly, exchanging glances with Asher.
"Well… Lucy… she didn't mean to…", Julian wanted to explain something for his artist, but seeing Lucy vanish in an instant and the lipstick mark still on Asher's face, he found himself at a loss for words.
He was exhausted.
'Can the world just end already?'
Compared to Lucy's shyness and Julian's embarrassment, Asher remained completely calm. It was as if the stunning beauty who had just thrown herself into his arms wasn't even real. He reached up to wipe the lipstick mark off his face, "It's fine. I understand Miss Lucy was just too excited—her body acted faster than her brain."
Julian: "…"
'Do scholars always insult people so subtly?'
'Forget it.'
At the same time, Julian couldn't help but admire Asher a little.
Remaining completely unfazed in the face of a beauty's advances, without even a single improper thought—no wonder he was both a genius professor and an incredible beast master.
Completely above worldly desires.
Meanwhile, Asher, who was simply uninterested because of Lucy's excessive hyperactivity, "?"
———
[Star City]
Inspirational saying: Others succeed because of their hard work.
Have you ever seen the sun at six in the morning?
Beastmaster Alliance Headquarters employees: (•‿•)
Maybe they haven't seen the sun at 6 AM, but they've definitely seen the moon at 4 AM.
If the moon isn't sleeping, they aren't sleeping.
The ones still working at this hour were all elite employees. They deeply understood the impact of the Phantom Mist on beasts and, more importantly, just how precious and significant Asher was—someone who could research and discover new evolution routes for beasts that had absorbed the Phantom Mist.
A true national treasure—if he could keep this up.
"…Although I really want to complain, the moment I realize that someone actually managed to develop a new evolution route for beasts that absorbed the mist… I start trembling with excitement. I'd gladly work ten more hours."
"NSDD (I strongly agree!) Same here! Seriously! I can't believe someone actually did it!"
"If this news gets out… Forget foreign countries, even just within our own country, the eighth-tier beastmasters will go crazy. Danger? That's only because the opportunity is there, but they couldn't make use of it. But now, with Professor Asher here, they'll rush in like madmen. They'd be terrified of falling even a single step behind."
"The higher-ups have been discussing this all night. We don't know the exact benefits they'll offer him yet, but promotions, national-level researcher status, honorary professor titles—everything they can arrange, they will. The difference between us and a genius…"
No more talking.
If they continued, they might actually shed bitter tears for themselves.
The colleagues nearby: "…"
"Can we be a little more self-aware? He's a big shot. We're just corporate drones. Is this even a comparison?"
The difference was too vast.
Forcing a comparison only made it seem ridiculous.
Brutally honest but true.
But when they recalled the sheer shock and disbelief they felt when they saw the evolved form of the Violent Bear, somehow, it didn't hurt as much.
It wasn't incomprehensible.
Just like there were differences between beasts, there were differences between people—Asher wasn't even the same species as them.
"Sigh! I heard that the seventh-tier beastmaster, Film Queen Lucy, went straight to find Asher after coming out of the Forbidden Zone in Heavenly River City. What do you guys think…"
"She's lucky! Seriously lucky. The moment the news about the Violent Bear's evolution form came out, it got sealed off almost instantly. If you weren't already following Professor Asher or the people who had entered the Forbidden Zone, you wouldn't even have a way to learn about it, let alone go seek Asher's help."
And just a little later…
Once Professor Asher's latest achievement was revealed in a limited capacity, his status would undergo an earth-shattering transformation.
By then, getting Asher's help?
It wouldn't be so easy anymore.
Lucy had arrived at just the right time. If she had been even a little late, she wouldn't have been able to get through.
By the time the Star City headquarters got wind of Lucy's whereabouts, they didn't say anything about it.
On one hand, she had impeccable timing.
On the other… everyone who had received the sealed-off news was just as curious—since Lucy had also been to the Forbidden Zone and had likely absorbed the Phantom Mist, could Asher also find a new evolution route for her beast?
If he could…
The staff exchanged glances, understanding each other without saying a word.
The atmosphere among them gradually became strange.
"Don't overthink it. If it's really the case… we'll just have more overtime."
The others: "…"
Great.
One mention of overtime instantly shattered all their wild thoughts.
Speaking of overtime…
"I love work! I love overtime! Work makes me happy! Overtime makes me feel energized!"
They weren't crazy!
They swore they weren't crazy.
This was their sincere belief.
Yay!
———
"Hachoo—", Half-asleep, Asher sneezed, making the Little Raven and Cat-Worm on either side of his blanket tremble. The tiny white snake coiled on his stomach even bounced up and landed back on him with a plop.
Yet Asher didn't wake up.
Eyes closed, he continued sleeping.
Without a single dream, he slept until the sun was high. When he finally got up and washed up, he started his day with his usual morning meditation.
By the time Asher stepped out of his room, he ran into Abella, who had just finished her morning combat training. She was wearing tight-fitting training gear, sweat glistening on her forehead and back.
"Good morning," Abella wiped the sweat off her forehead and smiled at him, "Are you heading to train too?"
Asher nodded.
"Can I watch?", she asked.
As one of the senior students who first met Asher at Bluewind University and had kept in touch with him, Abella understood Asher's initial strength better than anyone. Because of this, she felt even more shocked—how exactly did Asher achieve all this?
Back when she first met Asher, he only had one pet beast, Little Raven.
After losing to her fourth-rank Violent Bear, he couldn't even bring out a second pet beast to continue the battle.
But how long had it been?
Less than a year.
Now, Asher's first pet beast, Little Raven, could crush her strongest pet beast, the fifth-rank Violent Bear, into the ground.
And that wasn't all.
Asher had contracted two new pet beasts, and their strength was also quite impressive.
Abella's gaze shifted from Little Raven to Cat-Worm and then to the little white snake coiled around Asher's arm with only its head peeking out. Her eyes were filled with curiosity about Asher's training methods.
She wanted to learn.
These two words were written all over Abella's eyes.
"Sure, it's just a training method. If you want to watch, go ahead," Asher said nonchalantly.
Then… Asher led his three pet beasts into their morning routine training.
Starting with the most basic warm-up laps.
Then skill proficiency exercises.
And finally, sparring between pet beasts, which gradually escalated into an all-out brawl among the three.
At first, Abella thought she could study and mimic the methods, but as she watched, the number of question marks in her head grew.
'Wait!'
'Is this really a normal training method?'
Abella wasn't the only one with this thought. "Coincidentally" passing by, Lucy also had the same doubts after seeing Asher's training method, "Does this kind of training really work?"
"Wow! That bird looks really strong!", Watching Little Raven's skill execution, Lucy's eyes sparkled with an eager desire to battle.
She acted as soon as she thought of it.
Lucy bounced excitedly in place, waving her hands toward Asher with a bright, enthusiastic smile, "Professor Asher, do you want to have a battle with me?"
Abella: "?"
Abella turned her shocked gaze toward Lucy.
'W-Wait a minute?'
What happened to the aloof beauty, the quiet actress who disliked socializing, the cold and distant "Cliffside Frost Flower" film queen?
'This smile, this personality…', Abella's expression turned dazed.
Meanwhile, Julian, who had left a bit later and finally caught up, had no time to remind Lucy to maintain her image: "…"
Looking at Lucy, who was thrilled because Asher had agreed to the battle, and then at Abella, who was in a daze from witnessing the drastic shift in the actress's persona, Julian chose to stay silent.
… He was so tired that even the word "tired" was getting tired.
What else could he do?
As long as Lucy was happy.
Julian: (个_个)
At the same time, he silently prayed in his heart, 'I hope Professor Asher can unleash his full power and tame this troublemaker…'
Asher, however, seemed a little reluctant?
[[1]Monozygotic twins, also known as identical twins, are two babies who share the same genetic information because they develop from a single fertilized egg.]
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