"Since it's the Eighth Legion, why is the request to transfer me coming from the Fourth Legion?"
Shouldn't it be the Eighth Legion reaching out to him for the evolution plan of the Rainbow Scaled Koi?
———
[Ridgevale City]
This is the largest grassland forest area within the national borders. To the north, an endless stretch of vast grasslands extends beyond sight, with occasional patches of forest in between.
It is sparsely populated.
Aside from some nomadic residents, the largest remaining force, as well as the most obvious landmark, is the camp base of the North Soren Military District stationed here.
Amidst a vibrant expanse of green, a continuous cluster of buildings stretches out like a winding ridge built upon the grassland, tall, sturdy, and unyielding.
Outside the cluster of buildings, a river shimmers under the sunlight, winding its way downward, cutting through most of the grasslands. Its branching streams create numerous lakes, forming the largest water source for the grasslands.
This is the base of the Fourth Legion.
As the largest grassland-stationed legion, all their contracted beasts are exclusively grassland creatures. Various four-legged furry ones, and a few with wings... but not many.
"Commander! The Fifth Legion is calling us!", A man in his forties with a deep brown scar on his left cheek strode towards a spacious training ground at the center of the buildings, shouting as he walked.
There wasn't just one or two people in the training ground.
A group of men who didn't seem particularly muscular at first glance, but upon closer inspection, their physique was clearly built through real combat experience, all turned to look in the scarred man's direction.
The scarred man's footsteps suddenly halted.
'Ah... this...'
Who would have thought that there would be so many people in the training ground today?
"What are you all doing here? Get back to training!", Seeing this, the scarred man immediately put on a stern face, trying to regain control.
Unfortunately.
He failed.
"Hehehe! Vice Commander, why do you think we're all here?"
"So our legion really submitted a transfer request for Professor Asher before the Fifth Legion?"
"Well done! Vice Commander, you're a real man!"
"Love you!"
The scarred man, Vice Commander of the Fourth Legion, Miles Patton, faced with such a large group of men winking and making faces at him, couldn't help but show a look of disgust.
'What love and nonsense!'
"Are you trying to gross me out?"
Miles rolled his eyes, wiped his face, and didn't bother arguing with these brats blocking his way.
Compared to him and the commander, most of these young men were in their twenties to early thirties.
Hearing that their contracted beasts might evolve, and not just evolve but receive a specially tailored evolution route... of course, they were so excited they could barely speak, let alone focus on training. So they had gathered at the training ground to vent their excess enthusiasm.
Miles looked directly at Commander Dominic Slade.
"Ignore them," Dominic, about the same age as Miles, had a rougher appearance and a more natural expression.
What?
A call from the Fifth Legion?
Not even a little afraid.
Since he dared to make the first move, he was prepared to face the Fifth Legion.
"Their commander said he wants to come see you in person," With that, Dominic instantly changed his expression.
Laughing aloud, the previously relaxed Dominic immediately stood up from his sunbathing spot and dusted off his pants, "Oh dear, Old Miles, you're the vice commander, so receiving Old Rex should be just fine, right? As for the rest—"
"You're absolutely not running away this time," Miles squinted his eyes at Dominic, who was all too familiar with this maneuver.
"Even if you run now, where could you possibly go?"
"Not to mention, we still need to handle matters with Professor Asher."
"Most importantly—", At this point, Miles's voice paused, his narrowed eyes brimming with murderous intent, "I know you want to transfer Professor Asher to strengthen our Fourth Legion."
"But have you considered Professor Asher's opinion?"
No prior discussion?
Just suddenly sending a transfer request?
How would Professor Asher perceive them?
Dominic: "...Ahem, Miles, I think I'm still the commander here..."
"A commander both incompetent and irresponsible," Miles said without the slightest guilt, his neck stiffened as if daring Dominic to do something about it.
Dominic: "..."
He had nothing.
The reason he could be so relaxed most of the time, spending his days raising his own contracted beast, was largely thanks to his vice commander's dedication.
He backed down.
"Isn't this the only way to stay ahead of the Fifth Legion?", Dominic muttered softly, "This is called cutting off their retreat!"
Miles: "...This is called shamelessness!"
The Fifth Legion was still following proper procedure, planning to contact Asher in a more courteous manner, obtaining his consent before officially inviting him over.
That was the standard process.
Who would have thought?
Their shameless commander directly intervened, submitting the transfer request first. Apparently, it had already been sent to Bluewind University.
Dominic acted first and reported later.
Since he was the commander.
By the time his subordinates found out, what else could they do?
On one hand, they had to face the "friendly greetings" from the brother legion.
On the other, they had to reassure Professor Asher that they weren't coercing him.
That the transfer wasn't forced.
That he still had the right to choose.
Under Miles's gaze, Dominic felt a little guilty. He was about to cough again when something occurred to him, and he straightened up with newfound confidence, "You can't blame me for this. I'm doing it for everyone's sake!"
"Compared to the Fifth Legion's superior mountainous terrain, our Fourth Legion has it so tough."
"This place we're stationed in, practically a forbidden zone if not officially designated as one."
"If anyone's got it worse than us, it's the First Legion in Star City."
"But the First Legion has dragons. We don't have to worry about them."
"If we don't come up with solutions, how will the brothers get through this year?", At first, Dominic still sounded somewhat shameless, but as he continued, he grew more serious. By the end, he let out a long sigh.
Miles, who had been about to scold him, also fell silent.
The soldiers in the training ground all looked towards Dominic with unspoken emotion in their eyes.
"...Commander!"
'You really love us!'
Miles sighed.
As Dominic said, the Fourth Legion was a grassland combat unit. While stationed here, they were also responsible for security and protection.
To better deter the savage beasts.
So for them, suitable contracted beasts were limited to just a few types.
Lions— Little Lion Beasts, ultimately evolving into War Blood Lions.
Leopards—Silver Fang Leopards, ultimately evolving into Swift Leopards.
One focused on combat power.
One focused on speed.
And both required extensive battle experience.
Recruitment each year was a headache.
If things continued this way... their legion's downgrade was the least of their worries.
If they failed to guard the grasslands... sigh!
———
[NY City]
Facing Asher's confusion, Iris instantly understood what he was thinking.
She calmly shrugged her shoulders. "Theoretically, yes."
"But—"
Again with the "but."
Asher really didn't want to hear another "but."
But what was bound to come could never be avoided.
"But the evolution plan for the Rainbow Scaled Koi has already been researched. It's just a matter of time before it's implemented," Iris, wearing high heels, was getting a little tired of standing. She leaned closer to Asher, resting her hand on him, adjusting into a more comfortable posture.
Half of Asher's body was pressed against a soft sensation, the pressure on him increasing, while a faint, indistinct fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose.
His body stiffened.
Wanted to escape.
Couldn't.
Iris smiled, her voice soft, "Besides, the evolution method for the Rainbow Scaled Koi is simple. Even if we need to validate it, at most, it'll take ten days to half a month, right?"
Ignoring the warm breath Iris exhaled so close to him, Asher calmly nodded, "That's right. The arrangements are already underway."
"If things go quickly, a week should be enough."
Ten days to half a month?
That was too long.
Back when he was on the ship, short on resources for making accessories, he never took that long.
And now, he was in his own research lab.
With unlimited access to all resources and materials, why would it still take ten days to half a month?
Asher would be disappointed in himself.
That would just be a waste of his time.
Iris, noticing Asher's confidence, raised an eyebrow, feeling a twinge of emotion.
'Ah~'
"Asher is growing up way too fast!'
She had originally wanted to enjoy the fun of nurturing a genius, but in the blink of an eye, Asher had already caught up to her in the field of pet beast evolution. Not to mention his achievements… No comparison. There was simply no comparison.
Even someone like Iris, hailed as a leading professor in pet beast evolution among the younger generation, couldn't help but feel a tiny bit jealous when she saw Asher's accomplishments.
A normal human reaction.
As long as one could control themselves, a little jealousy was perfectly natural.
Iris was quite good at adjusting her mindset.
But occasionally, she still got the urge to tease Asher.
'Young people are just too much fun~'
Unfortunately.
She had to sigh again, Asher was just growing way too fast.
"Heh heh~", Iris chuckled softly.
"So, the Eighth Legion isn't in a hurry. The evolution plan for the Rainbow Scaled Koi is already a done deal for them."
"The new evolution path for the Rainbow Scaled Koi is that Spirit River Fish and Jade Maiden Fish… The Beast Tamer of Spirit River Fish has already stepped forward and demonstrated its combat capabilities."
"And then, there was that blogger analyzing Jade Maiden Fish's combat power."
Both the Spirit River Fish and the Jade Maiden Fish were undeniably strong.
And.
The Jade Maiden Fish had one major advantage, its appearance.
Its pastel blue, pink, white, and purple color scheme made it look dreamy and ethereal, like a fairy descending to the mortal world.
Seriously, who wouldn't want to take a fairy home?
Women couldn't resist.
Men? Even less!
Asher: "…"
Alright then.
This was one unexpected storm he truly hadn't anticipated.
The legions… Asher had never paid much attention to them before.
If he had to mention any connection with them, it would be Dexter, the guy he'd battled before. He came from a military family, right?
Then, in the blink of an eye, that guy got poached by Jade Dragon.
"When the other legions heard about this, they immediately exploded," Iris continued, her lips curling into an indescribable smile, "Each legion has its own style and habits."
"Depending on their primary combat zones, the types of pet beasts they contract also differ. Except for the Ninth Legion, the remaining eight legions all specialize in a specific attribute of beasts."
Asher nodded.
It made sense.
Focusing on a single attribute, or specializing in one, meant that when a large number of beasts of the same attribute fought together, they could unleash effects far beyond what individual beasts could achieve.
"And some legions have a strict policy where all their Beast Tamers contract the same species, or even the same race."
"Like the Eighth Legion, for example. While they specialize in water-attribute beasts, every single person has a Rainbow Scaled Koi."
Asher: ....
"So the Fourth Legion follows a similar setup?", Asher guessed.
Iris gave him a look.
He instantly got her meaning.
Yep.
He guessed right.
"Exactly," Iris smiled.
"Actually, more than one legion wants to borrow you. In fact, except for the uniquely positioned First and Ninth Legions, and the Eighth Legion, which doesn't need to borrow you and can just sit back and reap the benefits, the remaining six legions are fiercely competing online to secure the priority to invite you."
At this point, Iris's tone turned teasing, and the way she looked at Asher grew more amused.
"Because of this, netizens even gave you a nickname."
Asher: "?"
A bad feeling arose.
He immediately wanted to refuse, "You really don't have to tell me."
"They call you the modern-day Helen."
Asher: "…"
Should he first sigh at how bored netizens were?
Or should he complain that, even in another world, history and mythology still had similar figures?
Maybe both at the same time.
Netizens were way too bored, and history was just as ridiculous.
It was always the same strange déjà vu, despite the intervention of beasts changing everything, Soren remained the world's strongest nation. But every now and then, something eerily familiar popped up in history.
Asher was honestly amazed that he hadn't developed split personalities by now. His brain was clearly built to withstand it.
"…So in the end, the Fourth Legion won?", Asher decided to skip the topic.
That nickname? No, thanks.
Helen? Please, he wasn't that influential.
Luckily, Iris didn't dwell on the nickname either, smoothly transitioning to the next topic.
"Not exactly."
"?"
"Online, the Fifth Legion won the argument. But the Fourth Legion was more shameless, they claimed to have ties with you and submitted the transfer request first. The Fifth Legion was just a step too late… Ahem."
Asher: "…"
Say no more.
Taking off the filter, or rather, putting on some stereotypical filters, Asher didn't find the development and direction of the story strange at all.
It perfectly aligned with his strange impressions and perceptions of the military.
Asher shook his head in amusement, flicked the paper in his hand, and fell into contemplation.
Should he agree or not…
"You can think about it a bit more," As if sensing Asher's hesitation, Iris leaned in slightly and spoke in a low voice with a hint of laughter, "Although this document is nominally a temporary transfer, the real choice is still in your hands."
"Sending you such a transfer document without your prior consent… Hmm, I think you really should take your time to consider it."
Asher raised an eyebrow.
He caught the meaning in Iris's tone.
'Is she… a little annoyed?'
'Is she feeling indignant on my behalf?'
Asher smiled.
He understood Iris's thoughts and felt warm inside because of her concern for him.
Even though he had no close relatives.
At least, in this world, there were still companions, friends, elders, teachers, and love… Alright, the last one didn't exist yet.
If the great cause was unfinished, how could there be a home?
Romantic entanglements? No, thank you.
[T/N: Mah ni***]
Asher: *Heart as still as water*
"Hmm… Speak of the devil," Asher's phone suddenly rang.
Gesturing to Iris, he finally managed to free himself from that moment of warmth and stepped aside to answer the call.
He returned shortly after.
Iris gave Asher an inquiring look.
"It was a call from the Fourth Legion, expressing their stance," Asher waved his hand dismissively.
In truth, he held no grudge against the Fourth Legion's approach.
The document itself was quite lenient, with no overly forceful language. Calling it a temporary transfer, in reality, it was more like an invitation.
Asher stroked his chin, "I still need to think about it."
Iris made an "OK" gesture.
"That's how it should be."
"There's no need to rush your decision."
"Besides, you only just resolved the issue in Spirit City not long ago. You should take some time to relax," Though she was in Radiant City, as long as she paid attention, Iris could still keep up with Asher's activities.
Not to mention, after his trip to Spirit City, Asher had even researched a new evolution path for the Rainbow Scales Koi, and this entire journey had been thoroughly investigated by countless netizens.
Then, from certain blabbermouths, people learned the reason why Asher was researching the evolution of the Rainbow Scales Koi.
Apparently, he was just bored on the boat, so he decided to use his free time to study a new pet beast evolution path.
Even the pet beast he researched was chosen on the spot.
Upon learning Asher's full thought process, the netizens: "…"
The gap between people—can it really be this huge?
Some people...
Spend a lifetime unable to discover even a single new pet beast evolution path.
While others…
Treat researching new evolution paths as a way to relax.
No wonder he's so powerful.
So this is the difference in how mortals and gods think.
Asher accepted the document and returned to his brand-new office, which looked almost identical to Iris's next door.
He had barely sat down when another call came in.
He answered—
Oh ho.
The Fifth Legion.
"…So, what you mean is?", Asher asked uncertainly, speaking to the Fifth Legion, which, theoretically, had won the online battle for priority in inviting him.
["Yes,"] the voice on the other end replied, ["we hope you will go to the Fourth Legion first."]
Asher: "?"
'Are your relations really that good?'
Asher was shocked.
Sensing Asher's silence, the person from the Fifth Legion, who was also their corps commander, Rex Warfeld, let out a helpless chuckle, ["I know, Professor Asher, you must be curious why I would agree to let you go to the Fourth Legion first, right?"]
Asher: 'Indeed, I'm curious.'
["I didn't send an invitation immediately because, on one hand, I wanted to show you proper respect and communicate with you in a better way. On the other hand… we really aren't as desperate as the Fourth Legion."]
If they were truly desperate—
They would've acted like the Fourth Legion.
Who cares about formalities?
Just contact him first and sort out the details later.
As for whether Asher would agree or not…
Pfft!
You won't know unless you try.
First come, first served.
Who knows? Asher might just say yes.
That's exactly what the Fourth Legion did.
"Hmm…", Asher pondered for a moment, "Alright, I was still considering anyway."
"But hearing you, Commander Rex, personally vouch for the Fourth Legion means their situation must be quite serious, right?"
"Then I'll go take a look."
"After all, they are soldiers protecting the nation and its people. They deserve respect, and contributing to their cause is something I should do."
Hearing Asher's words, Rex was beyond moved.
Asher's words were just too nice.
Saying it was because of him… Cough, well, and some other reasons, but those weren't important. The key point was that it was because of him, Old Rex.
Rex felt immensely pleased and couldn't help but grumble softly to Asher, ["Let me tell you, Professor Asher, when you get to the Fourth Legion, you don't have to be polite with Old Dominic, that's their corps commander."]
["That guy is totally unreasonable!"]
["Just look at how he went behind our backs and applied to transfer you before we even had a chance to talk."]
["He could've just spoken to us! I'm not an unreasonable person. I know his situation is tough. I would have agreed!"]
Of course, in the process, he would've squeezed a few favors out of Dominic, like some of his good liquor and cigars… Ahem!
But that's beside the point.
The main thing is, he definitely would've agreed.
But Dominic didn't even bother discussing it.
He went straight to Asher.
If Rex weren't such a nice guy, willing to empathize with Dominic's troubles and the Fourth Legion's difficulties, he would've gone straight over to argue with Dominic.
["Anyway, Professor Asher, when you get to the Fourth Legion, if you run into any problems, you can contact their deputy commander, Miles. If that doesn't work, their commanding officer, Griffith Macmillon, is also reliable."]
Hearing this, Asher suddenly paused.
Hmm?
For some reason…
This felt a bit familiar.
The Fourth Legion… Where were they stationed again?
Asher checked.
'North Soren region.'
'Commander Griffith… Macmillon…'
"What's Dexter's relation to this Commander Griffith?", Asher suddenly thought of someone he had only just remembered today.
The moment Rex heard the name Dexter, he was also briefly stunned before realizing, ["Oh! Dexter, that kid. Right, Professor Asher, you participated in the tournament jointly organized by Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon before, so of course, you'd know him."]
["Dexter is Griffith's son. His strength is incredible. His young Lion Beast has already evolved into a War Blood Lion King, so talented at such a young age!"]
Rex paused for a moment before continuing, ["Of course, compared to you, Professor Asher, there's still a bit of a gap."]
Rex wanted to complain.
Not just a bit.
A huge gap.
Asher's strength, combined with his talent in pet evolution research... In short, it was often to an absurd degree.
["When I talked to Old Griffith on the phone before, he bragged to me more than once. I just didn't expect that kid to end up running off to Star City in the end. Old Griffith was absolutely fuming."]
["But there's nothing to say about it. Kids have their own ideas. We adults can't force them."]
["Whether it's Star City or the North Soren Military District, in the end, it's all about protecting this country and doing what's beneficial for it."]
Asher smiled.
That's right.
Just like Dexter, whether staying in the North Soren Military District or accepting Jade Dragon University's invitation to go to Star City, either way, he was doing his part.
It was the same for Asher.
A trip to the Fifth Legion was fine, and going to the Fourth Legion wasn't a problem either.
"Alright," Asher nodded, "Thank you for telling me so much."
He could hear it.
Every word Rex said was sincere.
When speaking for the Fourth Legion and Dominic, he was sincere. When introducing the people of the Fourth Legion to Asher, he was even more meticulous.
Asher accepted this goodwill.
Soon.
The Fourth Legion received a reply from Asher.
Miles: "!"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Miles's eyes widened with excitement.
"This is amazing."
He was so thrilled that he got up and spun in circles twice, unable to calm down.
Griffith, who had been discussing documents with Miles: "?"
"No, why are you suddenly so happy?", Griffith's cold face showed confusion.
One moment, they were talking normally, and the next, he went crazy, 'Is it because he had been around the commander for too long and caught his unreliable virus?'
Griffith was already considering whether to increase the distance he should maintain from the commander.
Otherwise, if this kept spreading, their legion would end up without a single reliable person.
As the commanding officer, he had to hold the bottom line for the entire legion.
"Hehehe," A big grin appeared on Miles's face.
He had no idea what kind of unreliable thoughts were running through Griffith's expressionless face. He was too busy basking in his joy.
"What else could make me this happy lately?"
Griffith was momentarily stunned. Then he reacted.
"Could it be… that Professor Asher accepted the invitation?", Griffith's tone carried disbelief.
It was hard to believe.
He knew that Dominic had irresponsibly sent out the request before the Fifth Legion could.
When he first heard the news.
Griffith's first thought was: 'Asher will never agree.'
'A prodigy from a young age.'
'Wrapped in layers upon layers of infinite accolades, with a brilliance that has never dimmed.'
Although he had never interacted much with Asher.
In Griffith's eyes, 'Asher should be a proud and spirited young pet master professor.'
'Faced with our commander, who has no sense of propriety…'
'Hmm...'
'At best, he will ignore us, won't respond, won't get angry, but also won't agree.'
'At worst, he will straight-up block the Fourth Legion.'
Yet…
'He actually agreed?'
Shocked, Griffith realized he might have misjudged Asher.
It seemed necessary to find some sources and get a more accurate understanding of Professor Asher.
Instinctively, Griffith thought of his own disgrace of a son.
His face immediately darkened.
'Better not bring that up.'
"Yes!"
"Professor Asher agreed!"
Lost in excitement, Miles completely failed to notice Griffith's slight emotional shift. He was still immersed in his joy.
"We must hurry and finalize our treatment arrangements for Professor Asher."
"Merit points are a must. Then what? Then what, then what? You brat, help me think!"
Miles turned to look at Griffith, who sat there as steady as a mountain, and urged him with an eager expression.
Griffith: "..."
'Fine, fine.'
'Regardless.'
'Professor Asher coming to the Fourth Legion is definitely a huge win for us. We have to show proper sincerity.'
Hopefully, his arrival and assistance could truly help them resolve the Fourth Legion's current predicament.
———
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Pet Beast: Box Poison Flower Jellyfish]
[Attribute: Water + Special]
[Species: Advanced Extraordinary Mid-tier]
[Level: Tier 3 Advanced +]
[Skills: Water Cannon, Water Column, Bubble Attack]
[Evolution Route: ——]
[Bloodline: Kun]
[Awakening Degree: 2%]
[Innate Skill: Gluttony]
[Gluttony 1: The more food energy consumed, the faster the growth and power increase (Upgradeable)]
[Gluttony 2: Can devour skills from opponents up to twice its own strength, converting them into energy intake (Refer to Gluttony 1), and sealing devoured skills for ten minutes (Innate Ability)]
[Mmm, so sleepy. Why is my Beastmaster looking at me? Could it be because I'm too good-looking? (,,>﹏<,,)]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Asher: "..."
Asher didn't know whether to be more shocked that the little jellyfish had awakened its bloodline without even evolving yet…
Or that its inner thoughts could be presented in emoji form, perfectly expressing its shy little emotions.
Yes.
Ever since returning from Spirit City, the little jellyfish had entered a short dormancy period.
Little Raven didn't.
Little Raven just steadily increased its bloodline concentration by 0.5% per day. By today, it had risen from 21% to 23%, exactly a 2% increase.
Asher hadn't even had time to celebrate.
And then the little jellyfish woke up.
Its strength had improved.
Not by much.
But compared to Little Raven, Cat-Worm, and Little White Snake, who had all trained hard, the little jellyfish's power-up was practically an effortless, automatic upgrade.
As long as it ate.
Devoured everything.
It got stronger.
The little jellyfish's skill set was the result of Asher's reset and redistribution.
He removed the overly ridiculous skills and replaced them with offensive water and special-attribute skills, boosting its attack power so that it wouldn't end up in an awkward, evenly matched battle.
That would be too cruel to its opponents.
Imagine the scene.
An opponent's pet beast has all its skills sealed, left defenseless.
But the little jellyfish has no attack skills either, just waving its eight little tentacles, physically pummeling the enemy with pure body strength. The damage would be no different from a light massage.
If the battle ended within ten minutes, fine.
If not…
A fresh round of torment would begin.
Just thinking about it gave Asher the chills.
Forget it.
No need to make things harder for opponents.
Or himself.
Better to equip the little jellyfish with attack skills.
What he couldn't figure out, though, was why it had awakened the Kun bloodline.
'It makes sense for the Rainbow Scaled Fish, but… why a Box Jellyfish?'
'Does this mean that Kun, like dragons, is some kind of prolific ancestor?'
Asher stared at the little jellyfish.
Soft and jiggly like a slime jelly.
Squishy enough that if he squeezed it, it might make weird noises while squirting water.
'How is this remotely related to Kun?'
Asher rubbed his chin.
"Whatever, I won't overthink it. Kun it is," He patted the little jellyfish's soft head.
The newly awakened, hungry little jellyfish affectionately nuzzled Asher's palm.
Little Jellyfish: 'Beastmaster, hungry, food, eat!'
Asher: "..."
Not even a second of warmth.
Moreover, he wasn't sure if it was because it had eaten too many skills, but its appetite had grown.
The compressed biscuits that could barely make it half full before… suddenly didn't work anymore.
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