Asher's whole head was buzzing.
Before he could even react, he was knocked over. From the back of his head all the way down—his spine, his tailbone—everywhere hurt.
And then, there were two heavy lumps pressing down on him…
Ah, no, it was just one heavy person pressing down on him. The only reason Asher didn't cough up blood was because his body was strong enough to withstand it.
"Eh?"
Lucy lay sprawled on top of Asher. Under her hands was Asher's seemingly slim but well-trained musculature, built from regular exercise. She couldn't help but give it a squeeze. The feel was quite nice—so she squeezed again.
Just coming out of his dazed state, Asher stared at Lucy with a deep, quiet gaze.
Lucy happened to lower her head and meet Asher's eyes—
"…"
"Ahem!", Lucy quickly propped herself up, flailing as she tried to stand.
Poor Asher, still lying on the ground—he got pressed down twice more in the process, nearly losing his breath. His vision almost blacked out.
Hearing the commotion, Julian walked over and was immediately greeted with a scene straight out of a drama.
Seeing this, Julian clicked his tongue, pushed up his glasses, and said, "This isn't dramatic enough. Where's the classic lip-to-lip accident? Your script is lacking."
As he spoke, Julian even shook his head sincerely, as if he genuinely hadn't had his fill of the entertainment.
"Can't you think of something normal for once?", Lucy, now standing, rolled her eyes at Julian before reaching out to pull Asher up.
Asher took her hand and stood up, grimacing in pain. He rubbed the back of his head, his whole face scrunched up in agony. "Hiss—hurts a little. I wonder if it's going to swell."
As he spoke, he rubbed it a couple more times.
No good.
It really hurt too much to keep rubbing.
Asher had only casually complained, but the moment he finished speaking, he noticed that several people had suddenly turned their gazes onto him.
Asher: "?"
"No way! It's fine if Professor Asher gets hurt anywhere else, but not his brain," Julian looked solemn.
Lucy's face was full of guilt, "It's my fault. Flying Flower and Wood Spirit are also partly responsible."
Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit stood nearby, heads lowered, occasionally sneaking apologetic and remorseful glances at Asher.
Hearing the noise, Abella and Sarah also rushed over, their faces tense with concern, "Are you alright? If it's serious, we should go to the hospital."
Asher waved his hand, "N-no need, it's not that bad."
"If you're not going to the hospital, at least let Sister Sarah make you some chicken soup to nourish you. Your brain is precious," Abella said seriously, hands on her hips.
Asher: "…"
'So that's what this is all about?'
Forget chicken soup.
At this moment, just hearing the name of any kind of food made Asher feel a faint urge to gag.
Not to mention, Little Raven, Cat-Worm, and especially the little white snake, who hadn't participated in last night's food preparation—he could already see the eager glint in their eyes at the mere mention of this suggestion.
'Chicken soup?'
'We can do it!'
'We can do it!'
Asher grabbed two of them in each hand, his expression severe and resolute, "No! You can't! None of you can. Don't even think about it."
There was no way he was giving Little Raven, Cat-Worm, or the little white snake another chance to torture his taste buds.
Whatever gratitude he felt last night had completely evaporated—gone, not a shred left.
Morning—no, noon—came to an end in a flurry of unnamed busyness.
In the afternoon, the research institute finally returned to its normal routine. But everyone looked a bit sluggish, their movements lacking their usual efficiency.
Still, that didn't dampen the mindset of diligent workers.
"Miss Lucy, Miss Flying Flower's training results are slightly better than Miss Wood Spirit's. So after Flying Flower's training, you'll need to give Wood Spirit some extra practice to maintain balance," Researcher Michael's job was to monitor, record, and analyze the training of Lucy's contracted beasts with various instruments.
And sure enough, he was quick to fulfill his role.
With one simple report, he dealt a crushing blow to the already slacking Wood Spirit, both physically and emotionally.
Wood Spirit: "…"
"Leila…"
'Can we not train…? It's really so exhausting…'
Wood Spirit's big, watery eyes—mint green with hints of soft pink—gazed pitifully at Lucy and Michael. For a moment, Michael's old heart trembled violently.
Michael: 'I'm such a sinner!'
'Wood Spirit is just too cute!'
Instantly, he was reminded of the daughter he had always dreamed of having.
In reality, of course, he was still a single dog without even a girlfriend, thanks to his workaholic tendencies. But that didn't stop his middle-aged heart from longing for a sweet, obedient little cotton-padded jacket of a daughter.
Compared to Michael, who instantly faltered and blamed himself, Lucy remained utterly unmoved by Wood Spirit's pitiful gaze, "Extra training. No discussion."
Wood Spirit looked even more wronged.
Lucy's eyes gleamed, "But if you're willing to eat another piece of yesterday's cake, I might consider…"
"Leila!"
'No need to say more!'
'Extra training!'
'Start now!'
Just hearing the words "cake" made Wood Spirit's face twist in terror.
The cake from last night had left far too deep a psychological scar.
'I can't do it.'
'I really can't eat any more!'
Lucy: 'Plan success!'
Very quickly, Lucy realized that preparing a birthday feast for Asher had been incredibly beneficial for her.
Not only had it strengthened her bond with Professor Asher…
Even her contracted beasts had grown more united.
Perhaps it was because they had faced a life-or-death crisis outside of battle together. Their sense of camaraderie and closeness had significantly increased.
With Lucy occasionally using cake as a threat or a bribe, combined with gentle coaxing, both Flying Flower and Wood Spirit's favorability and synergy with her skyrocketed.
The progress was so rapid it was almost unbelievable.
In just three days, the hard requirements were maxed out.
What wasn't completed, ironically, was the simplest part in theory—eating.
Eating materials.
Eating resources.
Eating crystals.
Flying Flower and Wood Spirit: 'It's not that we don't want to cooperate, it's just that the moment we hear the word "eat"… Ewww! No, no, let us take it slow!'
'Let us eat a little less today.'
'Just a little less.'
Even after several days, their appetites hadn't returned to normal.
Fortunately, they still managed to eat a little every day.
Their problem was mostly mental—PTSD.
Asher, watching as he passed by with his normal meals: "Heh!"
Little Raven, eating as usual: (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧
Cat-Worm, and the little white snake, stuffing their faces: (◕‿◕)ゞ
'That's all it took to knock them down?'
'Pathetic!'
'Look at us!'
'Totally fine!'
'Even our beastmaster is unscathed!'
'Of course our beastmaster is the strongest!'
Abella and Lucy, unable to refute: "…"
The taste of heartbreak?
No, it was the taste of a heart attack.
———
[Star City]
"Professor Asher doesn't seem to have any updates for now?"
"Then how about we take a break first?"
"I think that works! Studying pet evolution isn't easy!"
"Look at Professor Asher's average research duration on pet evolution, then say that again?"
"Uh… okay, fine, Professor Asher is indeed different. But all the previous research he did was on things he had interacted with before. Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit, from Film Queen Lucy, are special cases, and Asher has never studied them before. It's not surprising that he needs more time, right?"
"Then I'd say, at most, three months!"
"No! Want to bet? I say, at most, one month!"
The staff, who had been working overtime for six consecutive days, were dizzy and exhausted. The only thing on their minds was—vacation!
They sincerely and wholeheartedly prayed—let Professor Asher's research speed slow down, even slower.
The leadership: "…"
"Alright, alright, we know everyone has worked hard recently. Take a week off first, go home and get some rest," The senior leaders waved a hand and approved a one-week holiday, "If nothing urgent comes up, we might even grant you your annual leave."
"Yay—"
Excited cheers nearly lifted the roof off the Alliance Headquarters building.
"Uh…", President Robb, caught in the middle of the crowd, cautiously approached the senior leader and hesitantly asked, "So does that mean I can go back to N—"
"You can't," Before President Robb could even finish his sentence, he was outright rejected.
The leader, who was over ten years older than him, patted President Robb's shoulder with a look of trust and expectation, "Traveling between NY City and Star City isn't convenient. Since it's almost the end of the year, you might as well stay until the New Year before going back."
"Think of it as additional training at headquarters."
President Robb: "…"
'#￥@%#&'
'How is this a coincidence?'
President Robb had a lot to say, but when he thought about Asher, he just let out a long sigh.
'Ah!'
'Forget it, forget it!'
'This is probably what they call a sweet burden.'
Asher was simply too outstanding, and as a result, even he, the president of the NY City Beast Tamer Alliance, had to stay busy.
What could President Robb do?
Suffer and enjoy it at the same time.
Thinking about the envious, jealous looks from others, President Robb felt even happier.
———
Fortunately, Lucy's hard work and dedication weren't in vain. Everything bore fruit.
On the seventh day, Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit's food had returned to normal, and both pet beasts consumed their final portion of resources together.
Before Michael could even record the specific conditions of Flying Flower and Wood Spirit after finishing their meals, a dazzling light burst from the two pet beasts.
"They're evolving! They're evolving!", Michael urgently called out to the others in the research institute, "Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit are evolving! Come quickly!"
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH—
As if teleporting, what was once a quiet corner with only Michael and Lucy suddenly filled with three, four, five, six more figures.
Including Asher, everyone in the research institute arrived—no one was missing.
"The light of evolution…", Lucy stared blankly at the pink glow from Miss Flying Flower and the tender green glow from Miss Wood Spirit. She murmured, "I never thought I'd see these two colors of light on Flying Flower and Wood Spirit one day."
The light that symbolized evolution.
Flying Flower and Wood Spirit were Lucy's very first contracted pet beasts, holding an irreplaceable meaning for her.
All her most beautiful dreams about being a Beast Tamer had once taken form in these two pets.
Unfortunately—
Due to various events later on, Lucy had completely abandoned those unrealistic dreams. Her only wish for Flying Flower and Wood Spirit became—just be okay.
No sickness, no disasters, happy and healthy.
Even those simple dreams had once been difficult to realize.
Fortunately, she met Asher, and everything changed.
The physical issues were resolved.
The evolution issue was resolved as well.
A double blessing, nothing more than that.
Flying Flower and Wood Spirit's evolution took quite a long time, but everyone patiently observed and waited.
As they watched…
"Is it just me, or do Flying Flower and Wood Spirit's evolutionary lights seem to be merging?", Abella rubbed his chin and uncertainly glanced at Asher.
Just a little.
At the edges, there was indeed a slight sign of fusion.
Asher carefully observed, "It's not an illusion. They really are merging."
Soft pink cherry blossom hues, tender green grassy tones—the two colors slowly intertwined, fused, transitioning from distinct separations to a state of blending, where they became one—forming a soft, pastel-like pink-green shade.
At the same time—
The light finally dissipated.
Revealing the two pet beasts within.
Lucy instinctively held her breath and cautiously looked over—at the evolved Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit.
Before evolution, there was a height difference between them.
For instance, Flying Flower was a head shorter than Wood Spirit. With her delicate, pink outfit, she looked more like a sweet, adorable little princess.
Wood Spirit, though slightly taller, was only around 1.5 meters in height.
But after evolving, Flying Flower and Wood Spirit's heights both grew to nearly match Lucy's—around 1.68 meters.
And since they were both plant-based beasts, every part of their bodies appeared more slender and elegant. The overall visual transformation was striking.
Flying Flower had transformed from a sweet little princess into a dignified and graceful queen. Her long, fluffy pink dress accentuated her beauty.
However, the hem of her dress was adorned with green and white floral patterns, echoing Wood Spirit's elements.
Meanwhile, Wood Spirit's previous simple elegance had evolved into a more refined and majestic presence, resembling a serene queen. Her formerly white dress had turned into a pink-white gradient, adding a touch of liveliness while still complementing Flying Flower beside her.
Compared to their previous completely distinct styles, now, anyone who saw them would immediately recognize them as sisters.
Sisters with an incredibly deep bond.
Asher activated his talent ability and examined the evolved Flying Flower and Wood Spirit.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Pet Beast: Peach-Pink Flying Flower Grace]
[Attribute: Wood]
[Breed: Intermediate High-Tier]
[Level: Sixth-Tier Intermediate]
[Skills: Fragrance, Pink Sweet Mist, …, Sweet Aroma]
[Evolution Successful*]
[Innate Skill: Fragrant Grace]
[Fragrant Grace: Intense, light, or odorless floral scents will blend into the air upon appearance, triggering different effects—self-healing, speed boosts, attack doubling… Every fifteen minutes, a randomly generated floral scent grants a random positive buff to allies (proficiency can be upgraded).]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Pet Beast: Pale-Green Wood Spirit Grace]
[Attribute: Wood]
[Breed: Intermediate High-Tier]
[Level: Sixth-Tier Intermediate]
[Skills: Parasite, Vine Bind, …, Shadowless Vine Whip]
[Evolution Successful*]
[Innate Skill: Color Grace]
[Color Grace: Bright, elegant, vibrant, or unsettling colors inflict different effects on enemies—slowing, defense reduction, attack weakening… Every fifteen minutes, a randomly generated color attack inflicts a different negative debuff on enemies (proficiency can be upgraded).]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Their grade hadn't increased significantly, only going from Intermediate Mid-Tier to Intermediate High-Tier.
Their strength had only improved slightly, just by one minor level.
But to Lucy, those things weren't important. What mattered most was that Flying Flower and Wood Spirit were no longer bound by limitations.
Both had gained greater potential.
Their previously similar skill sets were now distinctly divided—one focused on fragrance-based mental attacks, while the other specialized in physical combat.
And their innate skills? Completely complementary.
One buffed allies.
The other debuffed enemies.
Who wouldn't call them true sisters?
Most importantly—
The [Twin Blossoms] tag still hadn't disappeared.
But the content displayed was a little different from before.
Asher could still check the previous description of [Twin Blossoms]:
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[Twin Blossoms: A special condition where the mother body simultaneously nurtures two similar yet different life forms under unique circumstances. One root, two blossoms, potential split evenly, abilities shared. Any imbalance in energy or capability will affect the other, requiring absolute equilibrium between them (comes with a Weakness debuff, damage sharing…)]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
However, the current description of [Twin Blossoms] had undergone a drastic change.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Twin Blossoms: Twin sisters in bloom. As long as the distance between them does not exceed 500 meters, the one who suffers greater injury will automatically regenerate at a rate of 1% per minute until fully recovered.
During battle, as long as one of the sisters remains physically intact with signs of life, the other will enter a Blood Lock state upon receiving a fatal blow (locking at 1 HP).]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Asher: "!"
'Goodness!'
'An infinite healing hack, huh?'
'As long as the two aren't taken down together, the other will fully recover, and once the more injured one heals, the less injured one will also recover in turn.'
Asher could already picture it—especially in tag-team battles—if an opponent encountered these two linked battle pets… Their mindset would shatter instantly.
And most importantly—
Asher remembered.
Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit's true, fully evolved form should be [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]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
So…
Asher's gaze landed on the two evolved battle pets.
'Is this form still not their final, complete evolution?'
"Flying Flower! Wood Spirit!", Lucy didn't know what Asher was thinking. She was just excitedly staring at the evolved Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit.
Perhaps by coincidence, their evolved names indeed carried traces of their original ones. Flying Flower Grace and Wood Spirit Grace moved in sync, tilting their heads left and right like mirror images as they looked at Lucy.
"Miya~"
'Is the beastmaster happy? Little Flower is super happy~ Now I can become even stronger to protect my beastmaster~'
Flying Flower Grace's joy was visible to the naked eye.
Compared to her, Wood Spirit Grace's expression was just a bit… well, ahem.
"Leila~"
'It's okay~ From now on, Big Sis can protect me and Beastmaster~'
'That's right!'
Evolution doesn't turn a lazy fish into a hard worker.
But it does allow a lazy fish to leech off her big sister even more brazenly—along with the beastmaster.
Asher and Lucy, who understood what Wood Spirit Grace was implying: "..."
Their smiles stiffened on their faces.
Asher decided to shift the stiffness off his face.
"Ahem!", He coughed twice, immediately drawing everyone's attention, "Here's the thing."
Facing several pairs of eager, shining eyes—including the bright little flower-like eyes of Flying Flower Grace (pink outside, green inside) and Wood Spirit Grace (green outside, pink inside)—Asher didn't feel the slightest guilt. Instead, he spoke seriously.
"Here's the thing," Asher pointed at Flying Flower Grace and Wood Spirit Grace, "Based on my research on Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit, their current evolution form is not their final evolution."
The others: "?"
Question marks filled their minds.
"If this isn't their evolved form, then what is?", Lucy held Flying Flower Grace's and Wood Spirit Grace's hands on either side, her face full of doubt.
"That's exactly what I'm trying to say. You can see it too—their Twin Blossoms trait is extremely obvious right now. Just one glance and you can tell they're biological sisters, right?"
The others nodded in agreement.
They were practically fused together, unmistakably so.
"Twin Blossoms, Twin Blossoms—born as a pair. They should be capable of fusion evolution, got it?"
Just those few words left everyone, including Lucy, momentarily dazed.
'W-wait?'
'Fusion evolution?'
Why did their native language suddenly feel hard to understand?
"Stop deceiving yourselves, that's exactly what I mean," Asher smirked, giving Wood Spirit Grace a meaningful glance, "Although I can't be certain, I strongly recommend that Flying Flower and Wood Spirit maintain roughly equal overall strength. Even if there's a difference, it should only be slight—really slight."
He gestured, showing a tiny gap no bigger than half a fingernail.
Not even a bit more.
"The method for fusion evolution is something you'll have to figure out yourself, but theoretically, it's possible. Plus, this kind of fusion can be undone at will—", As long as their strength levels remained close enough, they could merge and separate freely.
Asher didn't spell it out, but Lucy wasn't oblivious.
If she had to think of it on her own, she wouldn't have figured it out at all. But with Asher spoon-feeding her the answer, she could connect the dots.
And because of that, Lucy's face was filled with pure shock.
"Alright!", Finally snapping out of it, she nodded firmly, "I'll make sure to keep an eye on their progress after evolution… Flying Flower doesn't even need supervision. She's so self-disciplined, I might actually have to stop her from training too hard."
Flying Flower Grace gave a shy yet pleased smile but didn't deny Lucy's words.
"So I'll just have to keep an eye on Wood Spirit then," Lucy grinned with a relaxed expression.
Wood Spirit Grace, who had been hoping to remain a true lazy fish, rolling over occasionally to shake off some salt and live a blissful life: "?"
'Wait?'
'I don't want this!'
Wood Spirit Grace extended her long, tender green vines in protest—only to be stopped by Flying Flower Grace.
"Miya~"
'Don't worry, little sis~ Watch me take you soaring!'
Wood Spirit Grace: *Triple Rejection*
———
[Star City]
At the headquarters, the staff who had finally gotten four days of rest were abruptly called back. They had one hour to report to the Beast Tamer Alliance headquarters for a meeting.
Various department staff: "..."
"Alright, no need to guess—I already know. It's definitely Asher! Professor Asher, for sure!"
"Four days… Including the previous time, it's only been a week in total, right? Amazing! Professor Asher never disappoints. But, ugh, my vacation…"
"Professor Asher—my nemesis of holidays!"
Within half an hour, the staff members displayed incredible efficiency. Like gods crossing the sea, they each showcased their own methods—flying in on Lightyear Dragon Riders, speeding on Snow Wolves, swimming over with Island Turtles—whatever worked, they used it.
They were grumbling with their mouths but working with their hearts.
The louder the complaints, the faster their movements.
"Four days… And Professor Asher has already developed new evolution paths for Miss Flying Flower and Miss Wood Spirit?", One staff member opened his laptop, "Little Thousand, report Professor Asher's current situation."
["Understood. Little Thousand is reporting now."]
A mechanical yet lively voice rang out, quickly reporting the latest news received from NY City while also restricting the spread of this information within a certain range.
["Little Thousand has detected a group of people paying attention to Professor Asher's actions. The information cannot be completely sealed off. Should we activate the special emergency plan?"], At that moment, the data on the computer screen flickered twice, and Little Thousand's voice rang out again.
Staff member: "?"
"Pull up the list."
He wanted to see who was keeping an eye on Professor Asher… 'Oh, Iris, Professor Asher's teacher.'
Then, some of Asher's classmates.
And… "Sophia Garcia, Christopher Martin, Andy… Who are these people, and what is their relationship with Professor Asher?", The staff member's face showed clear confusion and bewilderment.
With a "swish," Thousand Machine quickly pulled up the South Soren Region's power rankings, and these names appeared right below Asher.
Meanwhile, Asher's name quietly rested at the top of the rankings.
Seeing this list reminded the staff member of Asher's true aspirations: "…"
Annoying.
It was just a little frustrating.
Seriously, why are the Beast Tamers in South Soren so weak?
Can't they at least challenge Professor Asher in strength a little, make him give up this path, and focus entirely on researching pet evolution?
It's one thing for them to be willing to wait, but if Professor Asher voluntarily returned to research pet evolution, of course, they would be even happier.
But then again…
Sometimes, things just don't go as they wish.
"If that's the case, then it's fine," The staff member had Little Thousand check exactly how much these people had learned. After confirming that their knowledge was still vague, the staff member breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, as if something came to mind, the staff member turned to a colleague and said, "Speaking of which… Professor Asher has now researched new evolution routes for three beasts that absorbed the Phantom Mist, right?"
Colleague: "…"
Colleague: "!"
Three!
They just realized.
They had been researching Asher for so long, so long that they had almost become desensitized to Asher.
They even started to feel that no matter what results Asher produced, it was only natural.
Now that their brains had caught up, they finally realized—this was anything but normal.
For so many years, official research on new evolution routes for beasts that absorbed the Phantom Mist hadn't exceeded a handful. Yet, in less than a month? Not even a full month?
In an extremely short time, Asher had produced three.
Three!
With this realization, the Alliance Headquarters immediately descended into chaos.
"Holy crap! Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! I know cursing is bad, but I really can't hold it in."
"Professor Asher is insane. Damn! What kind of divine being has descended upon us in the form of Professor Asher?"
"Calm down, calm down… We must stay calm. Wait! Given this, aren't the benefits we previously discussed for Professor Asher completely inappropriate? I mean, his level of excellence… is truly beyond normal comprehension."
At these words, everyone paused.
They looked at each other.
Exchanged glances.
No need to say it.
They understood.
What followed was an insane workload.
But for Professor Asher, for the future of the nation—
Their overtime was worth it. It had value.
Charge forward—
By the time President Robb hurriedly arrived, stepping in just at the last minute, he saw a group of staff members who looked like they had been injected with adrenaline.
President Robb: "?"
"Wow, as expected of the headquarters staff, their work ethic is truly remarkable," President Robb shook his head in amazement, then strolled leisurely into the headquarters building and took a seat at his designated mascot spot.
What?
Join the workforce?
But he was representing Asher.
Sitting here was already helping Asher secure maximum benefits.
President Robb: *satisfied*
He must maximize Asher's benefits as much as possible.
Today was another beautiful day.
———
[Bluewind University]
Today was the day Asher and Abella returned to cancel their leave.
"Haha, I didn't come back late, did I?", Asher smiled awkwardly at Iris, who was sitting in a swivel chair.
Iris tilted her body, resting her chin on one hand, her long black legs, clad in tights, extending to the side under the desk. Her golden-rimmed glasses shimmered as she scanned Asher up and down.
Under this near all-encompassing scrutiny, Asher's smile grew more and more awkward.
Just as Asher was about to break, Iris finally withdrew her gaze.
"Tell me, what kind of outrageous things have you done this time that I don't know about?", Iris tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and spoke softly.
Asher: "?"
Asher's gaze was genuine, visibly confused for a moment.
'Outrageous things?'
'Have I done anything outrageous?'
'Wasn't I just doing what I am supposed to do as usual?'
Asher seriously pondered Iris's question.
Seeing Asher genuinely lost in thought, Iris, who initially just wanted to tease him, found things even more amusing.
"Hmm? Don't tell me you actually don't know?", Iris tapped the desk with one hand, amusement in her voice, "Then you also don't know that you don't have to take your final exams anymore?"
Asher: "!"
"Wait!", Asher froze, "Didn't they just message me a couple of days ago saying finals were starting tomorrow? Why don't I have to take them anymore?"
"Are you failing me, Professor?", Asher was a little unsettled.
He didn't care about a perfect GPA.
But as a student molded by the Soren education system, failing a course or getting an 'F' was something he wanted to avoid if possible—it would be embarrassing.
At least a 60 would be fine.
Seeing the always-composed Asher suddenly panic, Iris couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you thinking? How could I fail you?", Iris was in a great mood. The next second, she dropped a bombshell, "The reason you don't have to take finals… is because you got promoted."
"This is your Honorary Professor certificate," She pulled a certificate from the drawer and slid it across the desk.
"Congratulations, you've graduated early from Bluewind University, but you can still walk freely here and choose any classes you want," She paused, "Even courses outside the pet evolution discipline—you can attend anything that interests you without taking exams."
"If you're interested, you can even teach a class, but whether students sign up isn't something the school can control," Iris spread her hands, smiling at Asher, "Oh, and congratulations, Level 3 Researcher Asher."
Asher: "…"
Asher looked at Iris, then at the Honorary Professor certificate on the desk.
He opened it.
Inside was indeed his ID photo.
Next to it was an unforgeable official seal.
Everything was fully legitimate.
Except… Asher himself found this whole thing… just a bit absurd.
Had he even attended for a full semester?
No.
Finals hadn't even started yet.
And suddenly, he graduated.
Then, in the blink of an eye, he became an Honorary Professor at Bluewind University.
"This isn't a joke, right?", Asher's voice still carried confusion and disbelief.
Iris glanced at Asher, "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I just tried calling Chairman Robb but couldn't get through, so I figured I'd ask you instead—see if you knew anything about this yourself."
"But you're already a Level 3 researcher. Without considering academic degrees or foundational and advanced knowledge reserves, the title of honorary professor at Bluewind University isn't something out of reach for you. In fact, I even think it's a bit low," Iris curled her lips, "Bluewind University doesn't have many Level 3 researchers worth mentioning."
Asher's academic achievements were more than enough for him to become a full professor at Bluewind University.
Iris would even go as far as to say that if Asher showed the slightest inclination, the top two universities would fight over him, eager to hire him as a full professor at their institutions.
Not an exaggeration in the slightest.
Asher coughed twice, "Honorary professor is fine. If I really became a full professor, it'd be more of a constraint for me."
The benefits of a full professorship were better, but full professors also had far more responsibilities.
Just like Iris.
Asher didn't envy that at all.
And... a look of realization appeared on Asher's face.
"You thought of something?", Iris, who had been watching him closely, immediately caught the change in his expression.
"Uh... probably," Asher scratched his cheek and simply said, "I recently started two research projects, studying new evolutionary paths for the Violent Bear, Miss Flying Flower, and Miss Wood Spirit."
Asher didn't mention anything about the Phantom Mist.
He wasn't sure if Iris knew about it, so after some thought, he decided not to bring it up.
But even without mentioning the Phantom Mist, Iris's face showed shock and utter disbelief upon hearing that Asher had managed to research three new pet evolution routes in less than a month.
"You... you brat...", Iris's soft pink lips trembled slightly, opening and closing several times, yet she couldn't form a complete sentence.
Absurd.
Simply absurd.
Asher's past achievements in pet evolution research had already been beyond astonishing.
For another pet professor, developing one new evolution route in a month was completely impossible.
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