Levi, who had never been rejected for such an absurd reason, was doubting his life.
"Junior Eliana, I'm really sorry, I didn't expect...", As he spoke, Levi turned to look at a short-haired woman not far from him.
The woman, who had recently returned from abroad, was Eliana. She shook her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes, and asked softly, "This Professor Asher... is he very famous?"
"Of course!", Levi smiled and gave a thumbs-up, "To put it bluntly, he is the one!"
In his mind, Asher was in the number one position.
That's why Levi wanted to join Asher's research institute.
But who would have thought that the recruitment requirements for Asher's research institute would be so ridiculous?
"Anyway, I'll try again," With this thought, Levi showed a look of persistence.
Retreating was not an option.
At worst, he would just try a few more times.
He would showcase his unparalleled determination and perseverance.
However...
"What about you, Junior?"
If it were just him, that would be one thing. But there was also Eliana.
Thinking that his highly promising junior might have been persuaded to return because of him, Levi felt a little guilty and ashamed, so he instinctively showed more concern.
Eliana wore a thoughtful expression, "I'm not very familiar with the situation in the country yet. Can I follow you for now, Senior?"
"Sure."
Levi nodded, then looked at the resume that had been rejected. Determined, he said, "No way, I refuse to believe it!"
"I will get into Asher's research institute through legitimate means."
His thesis had been rejected a hundred times, yet he still managed to graduate.
A mere research institute?
Watch him try again.
Eliana, standing beside him, was as quiet as her name suggested. But internally, she was thinking a lot.
'Hmm...'
She understood herself well. Due to her upbringing, Eliana had some psychological issues. However, it wasn't severe, and she regularly saw a psychologist for adjustments.
She maintained a frequency of three to four sessions per month.
This wasn't a particularly high frequency, but over the years, she and her psychologist had developed discussions beyond counseling.
Daily life.
Hobbies.
Favorite foods.
Foods she was allergic to.
And then...
About a month ago, Eliana noticed something off about her psychologist.
She wasn't sure if she was overthinking it, but after paying closer attention, she realized, it wasn't her imagination.
Her psychologist seemed to be subtly guiding her to return to the country.
Previously, they had indeed talked about this topic.
Back then, the psychologist had emphasized respecting her personal will and choice.
Whether she wanted to escape or face reality, it was supposed to be a decision she made by following her heart.
But at some point, things changed.
The psychologist started bringing up Soren in conversation every now and then, asking whether she had any thoughts of returning.
Of course, Eliana's return wasn't solely due to this subtle guidance. A part of her had already wanted to return.
So, she just went along with it and agreed.
Moreover, her previously mundane life had suddenly taken an interesting turn.
She was really curious, 'What exactly are they trying to do?'
Lowering her head, Eliana glanced at her phone screen, which had lit up.
———
After learning about Levi's situation, Asher didn't care much and set it aside.
Whether Levi could enter the research institute depended on his own abilities.
The evolution paths for the Golden-Eyed Lion King and the War Blood Lion Emperor had been determined.
Determining the evolution path of the War Blood Lion Emperor had been a bit difficult.
After all—
Miles's Little Lion Beast's situation was extremely hard to replicate.
On the other hand, the evolution path of the Golden-Eyed Lion King was different.
Among the eight beast tamers selected by Asher, when only two were left to complete their evolution, an additional beast tamer outside the chosen ten successfully evolved their Little Lion Beast into a Golden-Eyed Lion King.
The remaining two: "!"
Overtime.
Extra training hours.
Finally, they also succeeded in evolving their lion beasts into Golden-Eyed Lion Kings before that person.
Immediately after—
The evolution path of the Golden-Eyed Lion King was opened to the Fourth Legion.
The entire Fourth Legion was filled with a festive atmosphere. Everyone was evolving together.
Asher took the opportunity to bring his pet beasts to the Fourth Legion's training grounds to make an impression.
From Little Raven to the Cat-Worm, from the Little White Snake to the Little Jellyfish, each pet beast amazed the beast tamers of the Fourth Legion.
"No way? Professor Asher, isn't your strength a bit too ridiculous?"
"Holy— I totally understand why there's so much online discussion about you! This is just—"
"Professor Asher, you're not leaving any room for us ordinary people to survive."
"Damn! What breed is Little Raven? How can it be this strong?"
"That chubby little cat is also way too strong! What? Dragon attribute? A dragon species? No way! It doesn't look like one at all! It's way too fat!"
"I recognize the Jade Silver Snake, but how come Professor Asher's Jade Silver Snake looks... different?"
"Actually, the Jade Silver Snake's strength is still manageable. What I really don't understand is that aquatic creature. You're telling me that's a jellyfish? That's not a jellyfish! That's practically a legendary, non-existent space-attribute transcendent being! Otherwise, how do you explain how it can swallow so many skills?"
The four pet beasts drove the Fourth Legion' beast tamers insane.
Even those whose strength was slightly above Asher's weren't in a much better state.
What made them feel even more absurd was—
During the battles, Asher's pet beasts were visibly growing stronger.
Just two days ago, they had still been able to handle them easily. But now, they were almost fighting on equal footing.
The beast tamers fighting Asher: "?"
'Is this the normal speed of a beast tamer and their pets growing stronger?'
'Isn't this a bit too much?'
Even Dominic, Miles, and Griffith, who occasionally came to watch Asher fight, were amazed at his combat talent.
"I can understand why Dexter lost," Griffith said, crossing his arms and speaking calmly, "All four of Professor Asher's pet beasts have top-tier combat instincts and learning speeds. Their growth isn't just fast. It's practically double what others experience daily."
Not to mention the unique training and specialized nurturing methods Asher had developed.
It was simply cheating.
"Tsk tsk!", Dominic watched Asher fight and couldn't help saying, "Do you think there's any way to keep Professor Asher in our Fourth Legion?"
"I feel like Professor Asher fits our corps perfectly."
"His pet beasts might not match our usual species, but his strength definitely meets our standards. Should we make an exception?"
Miles and Griffith: "..."
They both turned to Dominic, giving him a look that said, 'Are you serious?'
Dominic: "...Ahem, one must have dreams."
"But one shouldn't daydream," Miles did not leave him any face, chuckling coldly.
"Let's not even mention whether Professor Asher himself has this intention. Even if he really does, the higher-ups would never allow Professor Asher to stay."
'Do you understand what it means to waste a treasure?'
Keeping someone as overwhelmingly powerful in pet beast evolution research as Professor Asher in their Fourth Legion would be a complete waste.
If their Fourth Legion really did such a thing, they would be struck by lightning.
Dominic sighed.
Sigh.
He was just thinking about it.
WEEH-WOOH! WEEH-WOOH! WEEH-WOOH!
At this moment, a loud, deafening alarm sounded, audible to all soldiers of the Fourth Legion.
Asher also heard the piercing alarm.
"This is?"
Asher looked around and noticed that all the beast tamers around him had become serious and grim. The previous atmosphere had vanished completely, replaced by an invisible tension that filled the entire Fourth Legion's base.
"Everyone, enter a state of alert!"
"Continue training!"
The playful expression on Dominic's face disappeared. He stepped forward and said loudly and seriously.
Then, he turned around and strode away.
Miles and Griffith followed.
Asher, without hesitation, also followed.
Miles saw Asher walking beside him, "Professor Asher, you…"
He paused for a moment before continuing, "I'll arrange for someone to escort you away later."
"What exactly is this alarm about?", Asher frowned.
'Are they already rushing to send me away?'
Seeing Asher's curiosity, Miles did not hide anything. After all, it wasn't a secret.
"A beast tide is approaching."
"This alarm is a sign that a beast tide is on its way. It will arrive in as soon as a day or as late as three days."
If the alarm didn't sound, they might still encounter a beast tide.
But if the alarm did sound, then a beast tide would definitely come.
The entire Fourth Legion had to prepare for battle in the shortest time possible. Other nearby legions, if not facing crises of their own, would also rush over to assist.
"Professor Asher, this place is not safe. You should leave first," Miles spoke sincerely.
Every time a beast tide came, they did everything to prepare. But that didn't mean they could ensure zero casualties every time.
There would always be accidents.
Casualties were painful.
But if something were to happen to Asher… Miles thought about the research results Asher had produced recently and had no doubt that if anything happened to him, both he and the Fourth Legion would become the greatest sinners in the history of pet beast evolution.
Sending Asher away was imperative.
"I want to see the situation first," Asher was not eager to leave.
A beast tide was certainly dangerous, but it was not without benefits.
Especially for the four little ones—Little Raven, Cat-Worm, Little White Snake, and Little Jellyfish.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime battle opportunity.
However…
Convincing these people would be difficult.
Sure enough, when Dominic and Griffith learned that Asher wanted to stay, their first reaction was to refuse.
"Professor Asher, you want to stay? No, absolutely not," Griffith said firmly.
"I know the beast tide is dangerous, but this is my own decision," Asher said seriously, "I am indeed an excellent pet beast professor, but you cannot deny that I am also an excellent beast tamer."
Asher pointed at his four partners.
Little Raven, Cat-Worm, Little White Snake, and Little Jellyfish all puffed up their chests proudly.
'That's right!'
'We are all super strong!'
Griffith: "…"
That was indeed undeniable.
Having seen Asher battle other beast tamers in the Fourth Legion during this time, Griffith was well aware of the strength of Asher's pet beasts.
Among them, Little Raven was the strongest, on the verge of breaking through to the sixth rank at any time.
Cat-Worm was at mid-fifth rank.
Little White Snake and Little Jellyfish were both at high fourth rank.
Little Jellyfish's rapid progress was largely due to its insatiable appetite.
In other words, Asher was already a second-rank beast tamer.
And considering Asher's age…
If it weren't for that messy situation with Bluewind University, Asher would currently be a freshman at the university, with several months left before sophomore year. Yet, he was already a second-rank beast tamer.
Could they say Asher wasn't strong?
Clearly, he was ridiculously strong.
Asher noticed Griffith's hesitation and added fuel to the fire, "I want to stay to help and train myself, not to seek death."
"Even if you don't say anything, I will still do my best to protect myself first."
"That's settled then," Before Griffith and Miles could speak, Dominic made the final decision.
"We don't have time to waste on this issue. Let's follow Professor Asher's decision."
"Now, let's discuss the strategy for this beast tide."
The two opened their mouths but ultimately did not refute Dominic.
Dominic had a point.
Their focus should be on preparing for the incoming beast tide.
At the same time, they couldn't help but feel grateful—deeply grateful to Professor Asher.
His research on an evolution path stronger than the War Blood Lion King, the Golden-Eyed Lion King, had elevated the Fourth Legion's overall strength.
This gave them more confidence in the upcoming battle and would reduce the number of beast tamer soldiers lost.
Meanwhile, the Thunderfang Tiger Legion, stationed nearby, had rushed over after hearing about the incoming beast tide.
Upon arrival, they were taken aback.
Good heavens.
The atmosphere in the Fourth Legion was completely different from what they had expected.
The soldiers were full of energy, battle-ready, and showed no fear of the beast tide.
It was understandable for veteran soldiers.
But even the new recruits showed no fear or anxiety.
Thunderfang Tiger Legion's commander, Bellick Westmore, stroked his chin.
"That unreliable Dominic actually pulled this off?"
"No, this definitely isn't his doing."
He had to go check it out.
And pick up a few tricks while he was at it.
Then take them back and use them.
[T/N: If you're into anime mashup worlds, crazy girls, and a protagonist everyone somehow falls for, give "Animania: Everyone Loves Me" a shot. I had a blast translating it. Maybe you'll have just as much fun reading it.]
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