Doesn't want to evolve?
Even if I have to press its head down, it must evolve.
Evolution is for its own good.
Asher made no comment on this.
However, regarding Miles's Little Lion Beast… Asher had a different thought.
Most beasts instinctively pursue greater power.
Of course, there are exceptions.
Some might want to maintain a cute appearance to receive more affection from their Beast Tamers, or they simply like their current form and don't want to evolve.
Asher could only say, with the sheer number of Beast Tamers in Soren, there are all kinds of personalities.
If different Beast Tamers can have different temperaments, why wouldn't different beasts also have their own unique personalities?
But the little lion beast still looked quite combative.
Asher immediately ruled out the possibility that it was avoiding evolution to look cute and seek favoritism.
'Preferring its current appearance?'
'Not very likely.'
Asher suspected—
'Miles' little lion beast is acting on instinct.'
Indeed.
Neither Miles nor his little lion beast knew that there was a hidden, seemingly even stronger evolution route available to them.
But instinct and the body itself would trigger subconscious reactions and resistance.
Little Lion Beast: 'A stronger lion! A lion chooses to refuse!'
And Miles was a Beast Tamer who respected his beast's choices.
Thus—
Asher was now looking at the only known Little Lion Beast with the War Blood Lion Emperor evolution route.
Asher nodded but didn't rush to share his hypothesis.
He wanted to check other Beast Tamers' contracted little lion beasts before making any conclusions.
Soon.
The Fourth Legion's Beast Tamer soldiers, who had been notified in advance, quickly arrived.
A hundred soldiers lined up in front of Asher in a 10x10 formation. They had even sorted themselves automatically based on their Little Lion Beasts' contract duration.
Those at the front had the newest contracts.
The further back, the longer they had been contracted.
"Considerate," Asher gave Miles a thumbs-up in praise.
Miles opened his mouth, just about to say something, when Dominic squeezed in, hugging Miles's Little Lion Beast.
"No need to be polite! This is what we should do," Dominic grinned, his expression full of pride.
"Look all you want."
"If this isn't enough, we'll call more."
Saying that, Dominic waved his hand grandly, exuding an air of command.
Miles facepalmed.
Meanwhile, Miles's Little Lion Beast looked extremely disgusted and took the opportunity to break free from Dominic's arms.
Miles instinctively reached out—
Only to watch, dumbfounded, as his Little Lion Beast leaped into Asher's arms.
Not only that, but it found a comfortable position, adjusted itself, and wore an utterly content expression on its furry lion face.
Miles, utterly shocked: "..."
'Is this still my little lion beast?'
'Am I the Beast Tamer, or is Asher the Beast Tamer?'
Asher: "Ahem."
Feeling a bit awkward.
Like passing off a hot potato, he quickly shoved the Little Lion Beast back into Miles's arms. Then, he restrained the aura of his innate skill, though beasts would still have a high affinity for him, at least it was now within a controllable range.
After all, Asher hadn't forgotten.
His own beasts were still watching him with sharp eyes in his mental sea's beast space.
If not for the need to examine these little lion beasts, it would've been hard to coax them back in.
If they saw him happily cuddling someone else's pet…
Ah, the woes of a pet owner struck Asher once again.
While inwardly sighing, Asher swiftly checked all one hundred little lion beasts.
Their strengths were quite balanced.
Based on contract duration, they all ranged between third-rank high-tier to sixth-rank high-tier.
None had reached the seventh rank.
And, naturally, none had the War Blood Lion Emperor evolution route.
"All done."
After checking the last sixth-rank high-tier little lion beast, it sneakily wrapped its tail around Asher's leg, the fluffy tuft at the tip brushing against his exposed skin.
It was stealthily acting cute.
Its Beast Tamer, a veteran in his forties, noticed the Little Lion Beast's sneaky actions at a glance.
Rather than scolding it, he even gave it an approving look.
'Good! Well done!'
'That's it—charm Professor Asher, and we can evolve ahead of schedule.'
Then… Asher walked away without looking back.
The Little Lion Beast and its Beast Tamer both looked heartbroken and dejected.
'Sigh!'
'Why is it so hard to get chosen by Professor Asher?:
'Am I... not cute enough?'
Asher had no idea that one man and one beast behind him had synchronized their thoughts in such a bizarre direction.
"I have two ideas right now," Asher walked between Miles and Dominic, first glancing at the Little Lion Beast in Miles's arms, then scanning the other little lion beasts around him.
Miles: "?"
Dominic: "?"
Despite their different personalities, after being colleagues for so many years, their thinking patterns were somewhat aligned.
*Confused face*
"Wait, hold on, two ideas? Just from looking around? I don't think I missed any crucial plot points?"
Miles frowned, utterly baffled.
'How long?'
'How much time has even passed?'
'If I add it all up, has it even been an hour?'
'Oh!'
'About that long, maybe.'
"…You just took one look around…"
Miles pointed at the 178 Little Lion Beasts brought back yesterday and the hundred here today.
'And now, suddenly, he has ideas?'
Dominic didn't speak but nodded furiously in agreement.
Exactly.
Same here.
Dominic pulled a face and said: "We were all watching the same thing, right? And I still have no clue what Professor Asher was even looking at."
'Checking each Little Lion Beast for barely a minute, some even just two seconds, how does that lead to an idea?'
Dominic started doubting himself.
He knew Asher was a genius.
'But am I really that slow?'
'To the point that I can't even understand what Asher was seeing?'
Hearing their words, the hundred Beast Tamer soldiers in formation also looked utterly bewildered.
Their expressions seemed to say:
'Seriously?'
'Can a human even do this?'
Asher humbly waved a hand.
"I only have two tentative ideas for now. Whether they work remains to be seen."
Upon hearing this, Miles and Dominic once again turned to Asher in unison, their gazes practically asking: 'Do you even hear yourself?'
'Ha!'
Asher: "...Ahem."
"They're just ideas for now, and one of the evolution routes…", Asher paused, then continued under their tense gazes, "After looking around, for now, only your Little Lion Beast, Vice Commander Miles, seems suitable."
Miles blinked, momentarily uncomprehending.
Then, as realization dawned, his mouth slowly opened wider and wider.
"…Ah?", A sound of utter disbelief escaped his throat.
'What did he mean by only my little lion beast is suitable?'
Miles promptly ignored the word "for now".
'This…'
'This is basically a one-on-one, custom-tailored evolution route.'
Miles was so excited he nearly lost his words.
The hundred Beast Tamer soldiers also grasped the meaning behind Asher's words.
Their respectful and admiring gazes toward Miles gradually… changed.
Damn.
Jealousy.
Can they PK the vice commander?
Can't they just give it a try?
If the vice commander can do it, so can they.
Even if they can't, it doesn't matter. They just purely don't want to see the vice commander's punchable face.
"Old Miles, isn't your mouth opening a bit too wide? Besides, Professor Asher also said, temporarily, temporarily! Do you even understand what 'temporarily' means?", At this moment, Dominic spoke up.
The Beast Tamer soldiers, who had never found Dominic's words so pleasant before, instinctively wanted to applaud him.
'Good!'
'The commander spoke too well!'
"Doesn't Old Griffith also have a little lion beast? Professor Asher hasn't looked at it yet," Dominic put all his effort into throwing cold water on Miles.
"Heh," Miles's expression was calm, not flustered at all, "Even if Old Griffith's Little Lion Beast can also attempt the same evolution path as mine, it doesn't matter. It doesn't affect me at all."
"At most, it would change from being the only one to being one of two."
"Is there a big difference?"
Dominic, who still wanted to keep nagging: "…"
Fatal blow.
Facts proved… special was indeed special. Griffith's little lion beast did not have the [War Blood Lion Emperor] evolution path either. Among all the Little Lion Beasts that Asher had examined in the legion so far, only Miles's Little Lion Beast had this evolution path.
"Looks like I don't have this fortune," After learning about this, Griffith's expression didn't change much. He pushed his glasses up and said in a flat tone.
Miles puffed out his chest proudly.
Beating the commander wasn't anything to be proud of for Miles.
But slightly outshining Griffith… cough!
It wasn't that he had any ill will toward Griffith or anything. It was just that the feeling of having something others didn't was simply satisfying.
"But…", Griffith's tone suddenly shifted, "Are you sure your little lion beast actually wants to attempt evolution?"
Miles, who had been secretly feeling pleased inside, suddenly froze.
'Uh…'
'That is a good question.'
Miles lowered his head to look at the Little Lion Beast that he had been holding in his arms the whole time. The Little Lion Beast also tilted its big head and looked at Miles with its round, bright eyes, "Kid, do you want to evolve?"
Miles's expression changed several times, looking extremely conflicted. In the end, he finally made up his mind and spoke slowly but firmly, "If you don't want to, it's okay. I…"
"Awoo!"
The little lion beast threw its head back and howled loudly, directly interrupting Miles, who was in the middle of a painful self-analysis.
'Evolve?'
'Sure!'
Miles: "???"
Even three question marks weren't enough to express the shock and confusion in Miles's heart.
Originally overflowing with fatherly love toward his Little Lion Beast, Miles's gaze toward it instantly turned fierce.
"Who was the one who stubbornly told me before that they didn't want to evolve?"
Raging.
Fuming.
…Well, maybe not that extreme.
But Miles couldn't understand why his Little Lion Beast had suddenly changed its mind.
Ever since contracting this highly individualistic Little Lion Beast, he had never been able to understand what it was thinking. That was why he had never contracted a second beast, managing instead to single-handedly push this little lion beast's strength to the eighth tier.
Which was already the limit it could reach.
And now, the little lion beast suddenly wanted to evolve?
Why?
Don't tell him it's because it finds Asher friendly.
Miles felt like he would seriously want to smack the kid if that were the case.
"Awoo…"
'Well, that is indeed a small part of the reason…'
'Alright, alright.'
Facing his Beast Tamer's soon-to-explode gaze, the little lion beast cowered.
"Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!"
'I don't know why, it just feels like this evolution path is satisfying!', The little lion beast declared loudly.
Miles: "…"
"You troublesome brat," With a displeased expression, he smacked the little lion beast's butt.
But Miles didn't ignore what the Little Lion Beast had said. In fact, he, who had originally been secretly delighted just because he had received special treatment, now began to take Asher's words seriously, the evolution path supposedly designed especially for his Little Lion Beast.
.
.
.
With the Fourth Legion's full cooperation and countless Beast Tamer soldiers eagerly volunteering to be Asher's test subjects, the evolution path trials began.
Asher selected ten people from the previous hundred Beast Tamer soldiers.
Those chosen looked proud, standing tall with puffed-out chests.
On the other hand, those who weren't selected… looked at Asher with resentful gazes, their eyes full of sorrow as they reluctantly walked away.
Asher: "…"
This terrifying, ever-present competitive spirit.
Sighing, Asher quickly threw himself into the experimental phase of the evolution paths for [Golden-eyed Lion King] and [War Blood Lion Emperor].
Miles watched as the other ten people either fed their little lion beasts Green Blood Fruit or frantically nurtured them.
Then he looked at his own Little Lion Beast.
Miles's face showed a deep expression of doubt.
"Professor Asher… you're not playing favorites here, are you?"
Asher blinked, "Is there a problem? Your evolution paths are different in the first place."
"But why does my little lion beast have to fight ten little lion beasts all at once?", Taking a deep breath, Miles couldn't help but shout, "This isn't fair! This is a gang fight!"
"Yes, exactly, it's a gang fight," Asher gave Miles a justifiably confident look.
[T/N: So, there was supposed to be a Author's Note here but it was too long so I will just summarise it. The author said that he has been writing 5000 words per chapter for too long and now, because of his busy schedule, will write around 2000 words per chapter.
But, I will continue to post 2 chapters per day so you will get 4000+ words at the end of the day]
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