Chapter 146 - Chapter 146: The Gradual Development and Application of Primal Qi! A New Era of Three-Surnamed Household Slaves!

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In the end, pain swept through the entire body.

For a moment, Asher even found it difficult to stand steadily.

All the sounds around him became a blur in his ears.

"Ash... er... Ash… er...", In his daze, Asher seemed to hear a voice constantly calling his name.

.

.

.

By the time Asher regained his senses, Mama Ruth and Levi were both looking at him anxiously.

"Are you feeling unwell?", Mama Ruth nervously held Asher's hand, feeling the cold sweat in his palm, "We're going to the hospital right now!"

Asher quickly waved his hand, and when he spoke, his own hoarse voice startled him, "Mama Ruth, I'm fine, just suddenly felt unwell. I'll be fine after a moment."

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Lily, with her chubby hands, ran over holding a cup of warm water. She lifted the cup as high as she could, her big round eyes looking at Asher, "Big brother, drink water!"

"Thank you, Lily."

Lowering his head, Asher saw the worried look in Lily's eyes.

To bring him water, she had even abandoned her beloved teddy bear. How could Asher refuse such pure goodwill from the little girl?

He took the cup and gulped it down.

Finally, he calmed down.

His palms, chest, back, and forehead were all drenched in sweat, and the breeze made him feel chilly.

Asher shook his head.

'This was truly...'

At least it could be considered a blessing in disguise.

Seeing Asher finish the water, Lily happily hugged the cup and left.

Watching the little girl bounce away, looking thrilled as if she had accomplished something great, Asher smiled knowingly.

Then, shifting his focus, he sensed the changes in his mental sea.

The little jellyfish's entry into his mental sea had stirred up an unprecedented storm, but as a result, his mental sea had finally undergone some changes.

The thing that was gestating and waiting to hatch in his mental sea... naturally remained motionless.

However, in his originally blank mental sea, four twinkling stars suddenly appeared.

When Asher reached out with his mind to touch and connect with these stars, he instantly felt a different sensation both physically and spiritually.

He immediately realized that these four shimmering stars corresponded to his four contracted beasts.

The golden-red star was Little Raven.

The blue star was the Cat-Worm.

The intertwined gold-and-silver star was the Little White Snake.

The transparent water-blue star was the Little Jellyfish.

Some stars shone brightly, while others were dim.

Among them, Little Raven's golden-red star was the most conspicuous and radiant.

Next was the Cat-Worm's blue star.

And so on.

Asher was still uncertain whether the brightness of the stars was determined by the beasts' strength or by the closeness of the bond between Beast Tamer and beast—or perhaps both played a role.

In any case, the brighter the star, the more Asher could perceive through it, and the more he could do in return.

Most importantly...

"Asher, if you're not feeling well, let's put off the battle between me and this fat cat for now," Levi said, "We can battle anytime; there's no rush. We can wait until you're feeling better."

The Cat-Worm, lying beside Asher with worried and chaotic thoughts, its striped eyes turning into tear-drop shapes: "..."

*Glare*

'Damn it!'

'What fat cat?'

'Show some respect!'

'It's a dragon!'

'Dragon, dragon, dragon!'

'How many times must I emphasize this for this annoying guy to remember?'

The Cat-Worm really wanted to prove itself with strength right now.

But the moment it turned and saw Asher sweating profusely, it calmed down.

'Forget it.'

'At this moment, the Beastmaster safety is more important.'

It decided to let this trash talker off—for now.

Not just the Cat-Worm, but the Little White Snake had also woken up when Asher started sweating profusely.

It coiled around Asher's shoulder, sticking out its long red tongue to gently lick his face, trying to wake him up.

Seeing Asher finally regain consciousness, the golden pupils of the Little White Snake finally showed a hint of relief.

'Thank goodness.'

'The Beastmaster is fine.'

From birth, the Little White Snake had been carefully raised by Asher, so his discomfort had given it a huge scare.

It no longer wanted to sleep.

It just kept clinging to Asher, occasionally sticking out its tongue to lick him, confirming that he was still alive and breathing.

Realizing what the Little White Snake was doing, Asher couldn't help but show a helpless smile.

'This is really... sigh!'

Asher let it be.

'But...'

"I'm fine," Asher replied, meeting Levi's slightly odd but concerned gaze.

Subconsciously, he felt... 'Hmm, it is better not to go along with Levi's suggestion.'

'After all...'

From their previous interactions, it was clear that Levi was someone with an extremely wild imagination—ahem, no, an adult with a wild imagination.

Although he was almost thirty, perhaps because he had spent too much time in a purely academic environment, Levi was not only prideful but also had a very keen and thoughtful nature, always considering others' feelings.

This was a good trait.

He had no ill intentions.

He was purely kind-hearted.

He would even go out of his way to give others a way out of an awkward situation.

However, Asher was certain that, in Levi's mind, he must have an extremely strange image.

So strange that Asher himself couldn't even guess.

"I just have a bit of a stomachache," Asher casually made up an excuse.

Yes.

He used to have stomach problems.

W̶e̶l̶l̶, t̶h̶a̶t̶ w̶a̶s̶ j̶u̶s̶t̶ a̶ s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶a̶r̶d̶ s̶e̶t̶u̶p̶ f̶o̶r̶ d̶o̶m̶i̶n̶e̶e̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ C̶E̶O̶s̶—

So he was quite familiar with the feeling of stomach pain.

With just a few words, he successfully convinced both Mama Ruth and Levi that he had suddenly suffered a stomachache.

Stomach pain isn't a serious illness.

But when it hurts, it's hell.

"That's good, that's good," Mama Ruth sighed in relief. As long as it wasn't anything life-threatening, it was fine.

Then, she gave Asher a fierce glare, "You just turned eighteen! How did you get stomach problems? Have you not been eating properly since leaving the welfare home?"

"I told you all not to save money. Health is the foundation. You're a Beast Tamer. The country provides subsidies and jobs. Even if it's not luxurious, you can at least afford food. Why are you saving money?"

Mama Ruth sighed heavily.

She knew that children who left the welfare home had a hard time establishing themselves.

They relied on their youth and often subconsciously cut costs in unnecessary areas.

When young, their bodies seemed fine.

But once they got older...

Mama Ruth had initially intended to comfort herself, but the more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

She glared at Asher again.

Asher wasn't upset at all.

"Haha, I got it, Mama Ruth. Don't worry, I eat well every day now," He smiled, "I don't actually get stomachaches often, really."

Mama Ruth opened her mouth, then decided to drop the topic.

"You... fine, as long as you know what you're doing. Take care of yourself, understand?"

"Call me when you have time. If you feel unwell, get treatment early. Your health is important."

Asher nodded repeatedly.

Then he looked at Levi.

And then, Asher discovered... Why did Levi's gaze towards him become even stranger?

If it weren't for the fact that Asher's innate skill could only work on beasts, Asher really wanted to explore what exactly was going on in this person's mind.

Asher was really too curious.

Levi did not speak, nor did he see through Asher's thoughts. He just looked at Asher with an expression as if he were looking at something adorable.

'Sigh!'

'My little brother is just too cute.'

'He must have known that this older brother of his is powerful, and because he is worried about his own pet beast, he got so nervous that his stomach ache acted up.'

'What an adorable thought~'

Levi, at the same time, recalled the scene of his first battle against the chief of the combat department. He was just like Asher, nervous to the point of being unable to speak, drenched in cold sweat, both nervous and eager to give it a try. His face was so pale that even the chief noticed.

At that time, he had claimed that he was having a stomachache.

The chief gave him a knowing look but didn't expose his lie, granting him the respect and dignity he deserved.

Levi actually didn't mind sharing this past experience with Asher, but he knew that once he mentioned it, Asher would definitely realize that he had already seen through his lie.

In the end, Levi still didn't say anything.

And once again, he brushed past the truth.

Levi: 'Decision made! I will be a little more gentle to my 'younger brother's' pet beast! So that 'younger brother' can feel the sincere love from his 'older brother,' who has no blood relation and different parents!'

Asher: *A chill down the spine*

.

.

.

Very soon.

Asher and Levi stood separately on opposite sides of the courtyard's open space.

Mama Ruth operated the protective shield in the courtyard, activating defense mode to prevent any accidental injuries from pet beast skills during the battle.

"Alright, anyone who wants to watch, come take a look," After finishing this series of actions, Mama Ruth turned her head and called loudly toward the rustling bushes, trees, and buildings behind her.

"Yay! Mama is awesome!"

"Love Mama the most!"

"Battle! Battle! They're all kitty-cats!"

A group of little kids excitedly raised their hands, their legs spinning like windmill wheels, zooming out one after another from behind various obstacles.

In the blink of an eye, Mama Ruth was surrounded by children.

Thirty to forty pairs of young eyes, filled with excitement, looked towards Asher and Levi in the field.

Asher remained calm, not paying much attention to the little kids' gazes.

If they wanted to watch, they could watch.

It wasn't a big deal.

In contrast, Levi, upon seeing a large group of children, big and small, instinctively straightened his back.

'So many kids… cough!'

'There is no way I can lose this battle!'

'Not only can I not lose, but I also have to fight valiantly and handsomely!'

Levi gave Asher a guilty look, 'Sorry, my 'younger brother' from different parents. Between one younger brother and a whole group of younger siblings, I, Levi, still care more about what the younger siblings think of me.'

'Sigh!'

'I am truly a sinful man!"

Levi shook his head and sighed again.

Asher, who was deeply stared at by Levi: "..."

Goosebumps rose all over his body.

Levi was great in every way, except for his overactive imagination… Asher was no longer interested in whatever thoughts were going on in his head.

He just had a feeling that those were things he shouldn't know.

Skip.

Ignore.

Pretend he knew nothing.

"Then, shall I be the referee for you two?", Mama Ruth looked at the teenage boy and the grown man facing each other, and at the chubby cat-like worm standing in front of Asher, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

A pet beast battle… She never thought she would see the children she raised battling in the same arena one day. It was truly a novel experience.

"No problem."

"Of course, Mama Ruth!"

Asher and Levi spoke in unison.

Hearing this, Mama Ruth couldn't help but laugh again.

'Hahaha—Compared to Asher, Little Levi is more like a clingy child.'

Mama Ruth thought of Asher's achievements… Hmm.

A leader in pet beast evolution research, a well-known genius in NY City.

Although people might not mention it often, as long as Asher's name was brought up, everyone would know who he was.

As for Asher's talent in pet beast battles, though Mama Ruth had never witnessed it personally, she had heard some things about him—rumors said he was very powerful.

Champion of the Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon Freshman League.

Ranked first in the Southern Region's Beast Master Power Rankings.

To be honest.

When Mama Ruth learned of this news, her entire body went numb.

('What?')

('Asher?')

('Little Asher?')

('Is this real?')

('Could it be someone with the same name?')

[T/N: Dialogues between parenthesis mean it was said/thought in the past]

Cautious Mama Ruth confirmed multiple times and finally confirmed that this person was indeed her child, the one who came from their welfare home. At that moment, Mama Ruth's smile bloomed like a flower.

('Good, good, good.')

('This is truly wonderful.')

('A child with talent and strength could live well outside.')

So, when she heard the conversation between Levi and the cat-like worm earlier, Mama Ruth had complicated feelings.

('Hmm…')

('Although the rumors said Asher's strongest pet beast is a large black-and-red bird—most likely the one called Little Raven that he showed the children earlier—that doesn't mean his other pet beasts are weak.')

After all.

Asher had only used two pet beasts to easily reach a battle power value of 110,000—a six-digit monster.

Mama Ruth's gaze swept over the little white snake coiled around Asher's shoulder.

'Hmm.'

'Can't see its strength.'

But given Asher's pet beast training techniques, if he challenged the rankings again, breaking his previous record would be a breeze, and even increasing by ten or twenty thousand would be an easy feat.

Thinking of this.

Mama Ruth's gaze towards Levi also grew complicated.

Levi, who didn't receive the signal from Mama Ruth: "?"

'Mama Ruth must be encouraging me!', Levi clenched his fist in excitement, then calmed down as he looked at Asher across from him, 'Hmm… Mama Ruth might also want me to go easy?'

'Forget it, I won't think about it.'

'In any case.'

'I must not lose face!'

'This is a battle of dignity!'

'A mentor-like battle between a senior and a junior!'

'I must present myself as a true senior!'

"Come out, little spirit cat!", As he thought, Levi became excited and released his little spirit cat.

Then… just a second ago, Levi was full of momentum. The next second, he had a little spirit cat bouncing on his head.

The little kids: """"Waa—""""

A chorus of childish exclamations sounded.

Levi: "..."

Asher: "..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Levi, without looking, accurately grabbed the little spirit cat bouncing on his head, "Cough, cough, Overlord, let's make a deal, how about we fight properly?'

"Look! Your opponent is that fat cat over there!"

Levi tugged twice with all his might but still couldn't pull down the little spirit cat that was stubbornly bouncing on his head like it was at a disco.

Left with no choice, he had to pathetically hold onto the little spirit cat with one hand to keep it from continuing its dance party while using the other to point at the caterpillar-like cat opposite them, trying to divert the little spirit cat's attention.

The little spirit cat silently stared at the Cat-Worm for a few seconds. Its round cat pupils gradually contracted, its tail lifted and then dropped, as if it were both afraid and eager to try.

Levi couldn't see the little spirit cat's body language.

But Asher, on the other side, saw it clearly.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

'This truly is… worthy of being a black-and-white beast!'

Black-and-white pets are a mystical existence in nature.

And in the realm of beasts, they are just as mysterious.

Especially since this little spirit cat used to be a regular cat. A black-and-white pattern… A cow-patterned cat.

A true feline maniac.

Famous for being as ridiculous as a Siberian husky.

A little spirit cat like this, named "Overlord," whose hobby is dancing on its Beast Tamer's head, feeling the pressure from its natural enemy but still eager to try—this perfectly fits Asher's stereotype of cow-patterned cats.

Cow-patterned cats, a type of feline where nothing they do will ever seem surprising.

And this one had black "bangs" and white "gloves" in its black-and-white pattern.

Such a familiar look.

Asher sighed internally.

""""It's a little spirit cat!""""

The little kids, upon seeing Levi's pet beast, were also very excited.

A little spirit cat.

Their welfare home was named "Spirit Cat Welfare Home," and as a result, many stray cats in the area would come around from time to time to get some food.

Mama Ruth never drove them away, occasionally feeding them and even letting her two little spirit cats lead the stray cats out to hunt.

The stray cats were well-fed and sleek.

And very gentle—if children approached, they wouldn't hurt them. At most, they'd flick their tails and run away if they didn't want to be touched.

In such an environment, most of the children in the welfare home had a special fondness for cats and little spirit cats.

So...

The big brother was impressive.

The Cat-Worm was cute.

But the little kids chose to support the little spirit cat.

"Go, little spirit cat!"

"Little spirit cat is the strongest cat!"

"That's right! There's no cat in this world stronger than the little spirit cat!"

"Uncle, go for it!"

The kids frantically waved their imaginary flags in support of Levi, and even though the little spirit cat was climbing all over his head, it didn't dampen their enthusiasm.

Little kids: 'The little spirit cat is the best! No arguments! Charge!'

Levi was moved to tears.

'Alright, alright!'

'Everyone here is such a good kid!'

'For the sake of these children, I must show my best performance!'

'Brother—your big brother won't hold back anymore!'

Grabbing the little spirit cat from his head—mainly because the cow-patterned cat had given up on dancing and was now eager to battle the Cat-Worm—

"Go, Overlord! Unleash your strongest attack—Extreme Tyrant Shockwave," Levi stood with one hand on his hip, the other pointing dramatically at the Cat-Worm, shouting at the top of his lungs.

The little kids, equally excited, shouted along with him.

Caught in the middle and feeling completely out of place, Asher: "…"

Suddenly, he found himself unable to understand this absurd world of extraordinary beasts.

The little spirit cat, Overlord, cooperatively opened its mouth.

A black energy ball formed inside, and even from a distance, Asher could feel the immense energy fluctuations emanating from it.

"This is my strongest attack! Can you even withstand it?", Levi smugly looked at… the Cat-Worm.

Yes.

At the critical moment, Levi did not forget that his true opponent in this battle was not Asher—Asher was merely a dragged-in bystander. The real opponent was this fat cat.

Levi: *Confirmed*

Cat-Worm: ╭(╯^╰)╮

"Meow!"

'That's it?'

The Cat-Worm puffed out its chest proudly.

However, because it was too fat, the movement was barely noticeable. Instead, its body jiggled, making it appear even more plump and round.

The Cat-Worm, realizing this: "…"

"HAHAHAHA—", Levi couldn't help but burst into laughter. He wiped away tears of amusement and pointed at his little spirit cat, "See that? This is what a proper cat's strong and slender physique should look like!"

"And you?", Levi glanced at the Cat-Worm.

He said nothing, just shook his head. But everything was conveyed without words.

Cat-Worm: (#｀皿)

"ROAR—"

There was no need for Asher to give orders—

The Cat-Worm let out a long howl—

At the same time—

The black energy ball from the little spirit cat's mouth slowly floated upward before accelerating through the air toward the Cat-Worm.

"ROAR—"

Centered around the Cat-Worm, an invisible energy spread outward in rippling waves.

'Mental Guidance!'

Asher didn't need to speak. He directed the Cat-Worm through his connection with "Star," commanding it to use the skill.

Cat-Worm: 'Got it!'

'Charge!'

'Take down that little thing!'

The invisible psychic tendrils clashed with the black energy ball. The solidified tendrils flickered, appearing fragile, but they still pushed forward, launching an attack on the little spirit cat.

"How… how is this possible?", Levi, unable to see what was happening, watched in shock as his little spirit cat's strongest skill dissipated into thin air. His mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

Before Levi could react, the little spirit cat let out a miserable cry and dramatically collapsed on the ground, limbs stiffly stretched out, twitching from time to time.

"MEOWWW—"

Levi: "!"

Asher: "!"

"Little spirit cat! Overlord! What happened to you?", Levi ran over in a panic.

Asher and the Cat-Worm were also stunned by the scene.

The two exchanged glances.

"Was your Mental Guidance really that powerful?"

"Meow!"

'Don't ask the dragon, the dragon doesn't know!'

"I think you might be in trouble."

"MEOW!"

'Beast Tamer, don't dodge responsibility! The dragon is YOUR dragon! You have to help the dragon fix this!'

"Maybe you should apologize?"

"Meow!"

'Hmm… fine! The great dragon will be merciful and forgive him for his earlier disrespect!'

Despite saying this, the Cat-Worm still approached the little spirit cat cautiously.

'Oops~'

'The dragon didn't expect it to be that strong…'

Just as it was about to move closer, Levi's furious shout rang out.

"Playing dead?"

"Who taught you that?"

Levi, who had been choked up with emotion, instantly turned furious as the little spirit cat let out guilty "meows" in response.

Asher stopped walking.

The Cat-Worm also halted.

The curious little kids sucked on their fingers, peering toward Levi.

"Nothing, nothing, Ahem! this kind of thing is very normal. Who told him to contract a little spirit cat with a cow-patterned coat? He should have been mentally prepared for this," Mama Ruth glanced at Levi over there, then turned to look at Asher, her eyes shining as she spoke.

Asher: "?"

Mama Ruth immediately noticed the confusion in Asher's eyes. She pursed her lips and smiled, "Little spirit cats are very similar to ordinary cats, whether in personality or in the living habits of their corresponding breeds."

"For example, the two little spirit cats I have contracted—one is orange, and the other is tabby."

"The orange one," As she spoke, Mama Ruth pointed to the most striking cat among a group of cats sunbathing on the welfare home's wall.

Just its size alone was twice that of the other cats.

Its fur was sleek and shiny, gleaming under the sunlight.

As for the other one… Asher scanned the group of cats but didn't see the tabby-colored one.

"It took its little followers out hunting and is deliberately waiting until sunset to come back," Mama Ruth said calmly, as if she didn't think there was anything wrong with what she just said.

Asher gave a thumbs-up.

'Impressive, my cat.'

Stereotype +1

Seeing the ongoing chaotic "fatherly kindness and filial piety" scene between Levi and his little spirit cat, which wouldn't end anytime soon, Mama Ruth waved at Asher and the little kids.

"Go play."

"The battle is over."

The little kids let out disappointed sounds in unison again.

"The little spirit cat is so pitiful... It must be because Uncle is too weak!"

"Yeah! That must be it! Mama's little spirit cat is really strong!"

"But Big Brother's cat is also really strong!"

"Big Brother is amazing!"

As they talked, the children's attention shifted to Asher and the Cat-Worm in his arms.

Asher, who suddenly became popular again: "..."

Before the kids could surround him, Asher activated emergency escape mode—he threw out the Cat-Worm to divert the children's attention and quickly made his getaway.

While running, he didn't forget to leave a message for the Cat-Worm through Star, 'Remember to come back!'

Cat-Worm: (－＂－)

'The dragon's Beastmaster is a scumbag!'

———

Finally able to enjoy some peace and quiet, Asher arrived at the room Mama Ruth had prepared for him in advance. Sitting on the soft sofa, he let out a long breath from his chest.

"Hoo—"

'Finally, I can relax.'

And take the opportunity to study his mental sea and the little jellyfish properly.

Asher closed his eyes.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but the four stars seemed to be shining even brighter.

Especially the blue star, which was flashing as if it could explode at any moment.

"Spiritual communication, dual command... Hmm, it seems like there are more undiscovered uses. I need to study it further," Asher murmured softly.

The most basic application of Star was what Asher had just discovered.

Without speaking, he could directly command his contracted beasts through the stars in his mental sea, making both his and his beasts' reactions faster.

The process of Asher communicating with the stars was— Focus and enter the mental sea → Find the corresponding star → Communicate with the star and issue a command → The beast receives the command.

At first glance, it seemed a bit complicated.

But once he got used to it, the whole process took only 0.1 seconds—thoughts moving with the heart.

After completing the whole sequence, it felt like Asher had truly merged mind and body with the Cat-Worm… Well, he was still just a little bit short.

But Asher believed that with some training, he could achieve true unity of mind and body.

"Not bad," Asher rubbed his chin and whispered.

Right.

His mental sea flickered.

Asher released both Little Raven and the little jellyfish.

Little Raven immediately rushed into Asher's arms, his golden-red eyes scanning up and down, carefully checking every part of Asher's body.

After confirming several times that Asher was really unharmed, Little Raven jumped out of his arms and, without hesitation, started pecking furiously at the little jellyfish.

Little Raven: (▼へ▼メ)

Little Jellyfish: QAQ

'Little Raven is very angry!'

'Is this what betrayal from one's own kind feels like?'

The little jellyfish was even more aggrieved.

'It wasn't on purpose!' QAQ

Little Raven: 'I don't want to hear it! I just won't listen!'

One chased, and one fled. The little jellyfish didn't dare fight back at all, only fleeing frantically, its eight long tentacles almost sparking from the speed.

Asher, realizing what was happening: "?"

'Huh?'

'Eight long tentacles?'

Asher focused his eyes and saw that the six short tentacles the little jellyfish had previously gnawed off had grown back. They looked exactly the same as the other two, without any difference.

Asher: 'Mental sea has this kind of effect?'

Otherwise, he really couldn't think of how the little jellyfish had regrown its six tentacles.

'Oh.'

'It isn't the mental sea.'

'It is probably the work of the Phantom Mist.'

Thinking of this, Asher became even more curious.

"Little Raven, come here," Asher opened his arms and waved at Little Raven.

Little Raven, who had been fiercely chasing the little jellyfish, stopped and stared at Asher's open arms for a while. Finally, it dove into his embrace, rubbing against Asher's chest—almost making little whimpering noises.

╭(╯^╰)╮

'The bird knows its Beastmaster did it on purpose!'

'Trying to distract me with this method!'

'Forget it!'

'Who told the bird to adore its Beastmaster!'

Seeing that Little Raven had finally calmed down, the little jellyfish cautiously fluttered toward Asher, its movements carrying a hint of flattery.

"Gulu…"

'Beastmaster… I'm sorry…'

The little jellyfish curled up slightly. Even though it had no visible facial features, every part of its body exuded guilt.

"It's not your fault, or rather… I suppose this counts as a blessing in disguise?", Seeing the little jellyfish being so careful, Asher reached out his hand. The little jellyfish obediently floated onto his palm, two long tentacles gently wrapping around his fingers in an extremely docile manner.

Looking at those two tentacles, Asher suddenly thought of a description in the Oceanic beasts Guide about Box-Poison Flower Jellyfish.

'It is said that, in a Box-Poison Flower Jellyfish colony, voluntarily wrapping one's tentacle around another's is considered an act of submission.'

'So… is the little jellyfish recognizing me as its leader?'

Looking at the obedient little jellyfish, Asher felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

'Ah—'

'After contracting one, two, three prideful beasts in a row, have I finally welcomed a little cutie into my beast family?'

Although Asher didn't know what he was thinking, Little Raven, noticing his gaze becoming strange, fell silent: "…"

The little jellyfish trembled instantly, then obediently extended two long tentacles and wrapped them around Little Raven's feathers.

This time, Asher was speechless.

'Wait—'

'How could this guy submit to two leaders at the same time?'

'And with two tentacles each… Does it still have four left to pledge allegiance two more times?'

Asher's expression turned blank.

'Is this some new-era version of a servant with three surnames?'

'No, four?'

Little Jellyfish: "Gulu—"

'This is my way of survival!'

———

Obedient.

Well-behaved.

Sensible.

Levi looked at his own black-and-white-spotted little spirit cat displaying such a posture, and tears involuntarily streamed down his eyes.

"Wuwuwu—"

This scene was just too beautiful.

This was exactly how he had imagined his little spirit cat would behave in front of him.

But why was his little spirit cat only this obedient toward Mama Ruth's tabby little spirit cat?

The tabby little spirit cat sat on the wall, its pale yellow eyes full of dominance. It merely glanced at the black-and-white-spotted little spirit cat, and the defiant Overlord, who normally jumped all over the place and refused to obey his Beast Tamer, immediately quieted down.

Levi once again burst into tears.

"…Enough already, your image is completely ruined," Since there was no one else around, Mama Ruth finally couldn't hold back her comment.

"I thought this kid had grown up, matured, and was no longer as childish as before. But it turns out, you were just pretending the whole time?"

'And you couldn't even pretend well!'

Levi, regaining his rationality: "..."

Thinking back on what he had just done... Great, Levi now just wanted to disappear from this planet.

Looking at Levi, who was deeply struck and completely dejected, Mama Ruth didn't feel sorry for him at all. In fact, she even seemed to enjoy the sight, "Fix your habit of overthinking everything, and while you're at it, change your tendency to go crazy whenever you get excited."

"Like master, like beast—there's some truth to that saying," As she spoke, Mama Ruth's gaze swept over the black-and-white-spotted little spirit cat.

Feeling that he had just been dissed, Levi wanted to speak up in his defense.

"Did I say anything wrong? Can you refute it?", Mama Ruth preemptively countered.

Levi thought about it… and then gave up thinking.

"My image… Will the younger kids think that I, their big brother, am completely unreliable?", Levi asked in a despairing voice. He exchanged a glance with Mama Ruth, then made a time-out gesture, "Alright, Mom, you don't have to say it. I get it. I understand. I am unreliable, right?"

"As long as you have that self-awareness, that's good," Mama Ruth chuckled.

Perhaps the blow was too much, because Levi took a deep breath and surprisingly didn't continue wallowing in self-pity, "No, wait, I can still salvage my image!"

"I may not be good at beast battles, but that doesn't mean I'm bad at pet evolution research."

"Asher is so strong—he must be a battle-type Beast Tamer, right. Hehehe, in that case, I'll improve his impression of me in other ways. And I can also change how the younger kids see me," Saying this, Levi clenched his fist with determination.

His eyes shone with an extremely wise light.

Mama Ruth: "..."

She lowered her head and covered her face with her hand.

"Maybe… just maybe, Asher isn't a battle-type. Maybe you lost simply because you're too weak."

Levi: "?"

"I don't believe that," Levi straightened his back and loudly declared, "Even though Overlord doesn't always obey commands, as a feline pet beast, it has very keen danger perception. It sensed an extremely dangerous aura from that fat… alright, from Asher's pet beast."

"That's what Overlord told me, so it played dead on the spot."

Mama Ruth fell silent again.

'So it's really a case of like master, like beast, huh?'

Mama Ruth was almost too tired to speak. But there were some things that had to be said—otherwise, who knew what foolish thing this silly kid might do next?

And so—

Mama Ruth let out a long sigh and began listing all of Asher's achievements and legendary feats.

At first, Levi: "Asher is kinda impressive."

Halfway through: "Holy crap! Is he even human?"

By the end: "Alright, I'm still alive. I didn't brag about my achievements in pet evolution, thank goodness. I managed to save a little bit of dignity.

"Asher… Asher… Holy crap! I think my mentor mentioned this name once," Finally realizing Asher's full name, Levi repeated it several times, and a sudden look of realization flashed in his eyes.

Mama Ruth: "?"

"Your mentor?", Mama Ruth instinctively frowned, as if she couldn't understand why Asher's name had managed to travel across the ocean from Soren to Blue Nation.

Levi stroked his chin, seriously recalling, "It was just a passing mention, I think? It was when Soren officially announced that they had conquered a new extreme project. My mentor brought up the name Asher. As for what exactly he said…"

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