Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

It was confirmed to be a week later, and they still needed to provide a guarantor who could verify their identity.

"Huh?" Asher looked puzzled. "Wasn't this rule absent before?"

The staff member nodded.

"It's new. There were some special circumstances a while back, so the verification process was optimized, just in case."

Jessica looked meaningfully at Aeron.

Asher also turned to Aeron.

Abella: "?"

Should she… join in as well?

Apart from the utterly confused Abella, everyone else, including Asher, immediately understood what was going on.

Probably… because of the poacher caught not long ago.

Through Iris's account, Asher had learned some follow-up details about the poacher, like uncovering an entire underground industry chain and catching many others over the course of several months.

To prevent these individuals from escaping, the Forbidden Zone had tightened the entry and exit review process, further limiting their range of potential escape.

Asher and the others expressed their understanding, though it was admittedly troublesome.

The guarantor had to be a registered first-rank or higher beastmaster in the Alliance or someone with notable credibility in the beastmastering field.

The four discussed and decisively wrote down Iris's name.

Being summoned with a phone call to verify their identities, Iris:"?"

'Oh, now they remembered me when they needed someone to take the blame?'

Iris looked at the four troublemakers with a gaze full of exasperation.

"Please, Teacher Iris. Honestly, no one else was suitable," Asher clasped his hands together, trying to act cute for Iris.

Think about the names they came up with during the discussion.

Abella was okay and could provide her counselor's contact, but Jessica and Aeron were utterly outrageous.

Jessica suggested the vice president, Kerson's contact, while Aeron wanted to provide his father's.

Asher: "…"

"Senior Abella's counselor probably doesn't know Jessica and Aeron, which could be troublesome to explain," Asher sighed. "Of all of us, you're the only one who knows all four of us. We had no choice but to bother you."

Iris waved it off.

After a brief exchange with the staff, Iris's identity was verified without issue, and the four of them successfully entered the Forbidden Zone.

The moment they stepped out of the city walls, Waving Verdant Grass was everywhere in sight.

The Waving Verdant Grass was visually appealing, with dreamy macaron colors—pink, blue, yellow, and more. The colors had no direct effect on their utility and were all usable.

As the one most familiar with both sides, Asher unknowingly became the leader.

Even Abella naturally took a step back, joining Jessica and Aeron in looking to Asher for direction.

Faced with his sudden promotion to team leader, Asher: "?"

A little unaccustomed to it.

But after looking at Abella, Jessica, and Aeron, Asher still took up the mantle of leadership.

"Let's proceed clockwise, circling the perimeter. Apart from the fixed harvesting time, we need to reach a designated campsite before nightfall each day."

Asher pulled out a highly detailed map from the side of his backpack.

It was purchased before they came in.

The price was more than twenty times that of an ordinary map, but it had detailed safety zones marked for the Forbidden Zone's periphery in Bluestone City. These were areas identified as relatively safe by exploration teams.

Just from these detailed markings, the map was worth its price.

Asher carefully circled a few safety zones.

"We have enough time. If we harvest Waving Verdant Grass while traveling, we should reach a nearby safety zone by afternoon every day."

"At that point, we can continue collecting Waving Verdant Grass while gathering materials for the campfire."

There were about ten safety zones marked on the map.

Asher selected eight, with extras as backups.

Abella, Jessica, and Aeron had no objections.

Asher's plan was detailed and reasonable. They just needed to follow it.

And so, they set off.

With four people working together and no rush, even the tedious task of harvesting Waving Verdant Grass became somewhat enjoyable.

Everyone released their contract beasts, adding even more liveliness.

Jessica and Aeron, both apprentice beastmasters, only had one pet each.

Once the Rock Turtle and Baby Dragon were out, the two critters immediately clashed, pushing and shoving each other as they walked.

It perfectly mirrored Jessica and Aeron's dynamic.

Asher couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

It seemed the books were right—pets and beastmasters tended to adopt each other's personalities over time.

This was perfectly demonstrated by the Rock Turtle and Baby Dragon.

Although Asher was already an official beastmaster, he currently only had one pet.

Little Raven emerged, excitedly circling above Asher's head twice, causing the surrounding temperature to spike rapidly.

The layers of clothing Asher wore for warmth quickly made him break into a sweat.

…For a moment, Asher felt the books might not be entirely accurate.

Was Little Raven as eager to show off as he was? Definitely not!

"Wow! This is the first time I've closely observed Little Raven after its evolution. It's really beautiful." Jessica looked up at the bird with clear amazement.

Aeron nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of longing as he stared at Little Raven. "I wish Little Raven could be my second pet."

What a cool bird—who wouldn't love it?

Little Raven: (￣^￣)

'The bird knows it's awesome!'

'No one can resist the bird's beauty!'

'Right, beastmaster?'

Little Raven's gold-red eyes met Asher's gaze.

Asher: "Senior Abella, aren't you releasing your three pets?"

"Alright." Abella glanced at the three pets present before nodding. She finally felt at ease letting her Bear One, Bear Two, and Bear Three out.

Instantly.

The previously peaceful grassland echoed with a series of resounding roars.

Jessica and Aeron froze.

'Oh… wow!'

'Three bears?'

'Isn't that overkill?'

"Bear One, Bear Two, Bear Three, no mischief. Help me harvest Waving Verdant Grass," Abella instructed strictly.

The three bears, two giant and one mighty, mimicked Abella's posture clumsily, bending down and clawing at the grass.

Though functional, it looked rather unsightly.

After watching them work for a while, Abella accepted their method.

It just needs to be usable.

Appearance doesn't need to be that important.

"No way!" Jessica clenched his fists upon seeing this: "Rock Turtle, we can't lose to them either. Let's speed up and pick the Waving Verdant Grass."

"Wooh—" The Rock Turtle raised its neck, and with Jessica's motion, it began swiftly and furiously harvesting.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

"Hmph! Baby Dragon, show them what we're made of." Aeron put one hand on his hip, while the other hand had already started quickly picking the Waving Verdant Grass.

Only Asher, who hadn't yet moved, said: "???"

'Wait?'

'Why these three suddenly become so fired up?'

After pondering for a moment, Asher sighed emotionally: "The terrifying power of competitive zeal."

Abella's "competitiveness" directly influenced the other two.

Only Asher, even in this atmosphere, was completely unaffected. He moved leisurely, neither in a hurry nor slowing, picking each blade of Waving Verdant Grass one by one, ensuring every blade he picked was of full texture and vibrant color.

"These Waving Verdant Grasses are for making your nest. Little Raven, what color do you like? We can pick more of that color." Asher smiled and looked at the hovering Little Raven beside him.

Little Raven tilted its head, scanning the dreamy palette of colors. Finally, it waved its claw decisively: 'Go all in!'

It liked them all. A mix of vibrant colors, like a rainbow, looked the best.

'Birds aren't picky! As long as the Beastmaster picks them, it loves them all!'

Asher chuckled and flicked the little tuft of fur on Little Raven's head. The tuft wobbled, making the otherwise majestic bird look a bit comedic.

"Alright!" Asher said, "Let's mix the most colors for our Little Raven."

Birds indeed love shiny and colorful things.

Asher slightly quickened his pace but still focused on precision. He carefully inspected each blade of Waving Verdant Grass to ensure it was free from pests or damage.

Due to the properties of the Waving Verdant Grass, even ordinary insects enjoyed feasting on it.

And sometimes, insects would accidentally get intoxicated and die in the vast fields of Waving Verdant Grass.

This meant there were often small insect carcasses on the grass.

Asher deliberately avoided these parts of the grass.

By the time everyone reached the first safe zone in the afternoon and set up camp, the number of Waving Verdant Grass blades Asher had picked was starkly different from the others.

With the help of her three pet beasts, Abella had picked the most—already a pound and a half.

Jessica and Aeron, locked in a rivalry, picked nearly the same amount—around eight ounces each.

Then there was Asher...

"Are you sure you didn't come here for a spring outing?" Jessica looked at Asher with an expression full of visible questioning.

Aeron nodded in agreement: "At this time of year, it should be a winter outing, not a spring outing."

Abella's gaze at Asher was filled with shock and disbelief: "In over three hours, this is all you've picked?"

Yes.

Asher held a small handful of Waving Verdant Grass, weighing less than half a pound.

Even though the small bunch was visibly of excellent quality, with vibrant colors... it couldn't hide the fact that the quantity was too little.

"I don't need much Waving Verdant Grass. Quality over quantity." Asher waved his hand indifferently under their gazes.

Asher then gestured to Little Raven, who happily folded its wings and landed in his arms.

Asher held the Waving Verdant Grass close to Little Raven. The bright colors of the grass contrasted sharply with the majestic bird, creating a "ferocious tiger sniffing roses" vibe—a strange yet harmonious beauty.

"Besides, Little Raven really likes the ones I picked."

Little Raven: (●U●)

'That's right!'

'Loves it!'

The Abella, Jessica, and Aeron trio: "..."

For some reason, even though this was a normal interaction, they felt as if a pile of dogsh*t had been shoved into their mouths.

Jessica decisively picked up her Rock Turtle.

...A bit heavy, but she could handle it.

Aeron also hugged his Baby Dragon. The chubby tail and belly felt squishy and fantastic to touch.

Abella, looking at her three violent bears: "..."

Why was she being bullied?

In the midst of their playful bickering, the boring task of picking grass went by quickly.

After a light meal, they continued picking Waving Verdant Grass while also gathering dry branches nearby for firewood. At night, they used it to light fires for warmth and slight pest deterrence.

The night passed quickly.

The next morning, Abella, Jessica, and Aeron woke up very early, while Asher was slightly later.

"Wow! How do you sleep so soundly?" Jessica complained as she warmed herself by the fire and waited for breakfast. "The first half of the night was fine, but the temperature dropped so much in the second half I nearly froze to death."

Aeron nodded solemnly: "Even Baby Dragon's warm, squishy belly couldn't save my cold sleeping bag."

"I'm fine," Abella said calmly. "My violent bears are quite warm."

Before the others could show envy, Asher said, "Temperature drop? Really? I didn't feel a thing. Hugging Little Raven at night is super warm; it even adjusts its temperature automatically."

As he spoke, Asher blinked, looking puzzled by their complaints.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH—

Instantly, all eyes turned to Asher... and Little Raven beside him.

(*▽*)ノノ

Little Raven, thrilled at being praised by Asher, turned its head and met six staring pairs of eyes.

Little Raven: Σ(⊙▽⊙)

'What's wrong with these people?'

Their gazes were terrifying.

"I want to..." Before Aeron could finish, Jessica clamped his mouth shut.

"No!" Jessica said solemnly. "You want nothing!"

Having one Asher cheating with warmth was enough.

Aeron wasn't allowed.

If everyone's suffering together, you're not allowed to enjoy alone.

With this lively atmosphere, a new day of harvesting began.

Jessica and Aeron's harvesting speed gradually slowed down, but overall, they were still a bit faster than Asher.

As for Asher—well, you could really call it... painstakingly slow. Oh no, scratch that—careful and meticulous, striving to select the best quality among a hundred stalks of Waving Verdant Grass before picking one.

The harvested Waving Verdant Grass was incredibly resilient.

As long as it wasn't detached from its stems, Waving Verdant Grass could remain unchanged for up to a month.

However, once separated from the stem, the grass would quickly wither, shrinking from a lush bundle into a tiny clump.

Even ten or so catties could easily be packed up.

Abella processed her harvested Waving Verdant Grass this way every night. Each time Asher saw it, he marveled at the wonder of these herbs with such unique properties.

Whether it was their effects or peculiar traits, they were truly miraculous.

The days passed monotonously, but everyone became increasingly familiar with each other.

And strangely, perhaps because they were exhausted during the day, or maybe because the temperature had risen, starting from the second night, no one woke up shivering from the cold anymore. In fact, each person slept more soundly than the last.

That was nothing unusual—

Until the morning of the fourth day, when Asher noticed something wasn't quite right.

"I know I didn't pick much Waving Verdant Grass, but after three whole days, I should have about a pound by now, right? Why does this bundle look like only half a pound?" Asher stared at his small bundle of neatly tied Waving Verdant Grass, a perplexed expression on his face.

Something wasn't right.

Something was very wrong.

The quantity wasn't just not increasing—it was decreasing.

That's not how harvesting is supposed to work, is it?

"Are you sure it's not just your imagination?" Aeron yawned as he walked up behind Asher, still half-asleep, and teased, "Seriously, with the way you harvest, do you really think you could collect half a pound in a day? Having less seems pretty normal."

Asher shook his head grimly.

No, no, no.

That's not it.

Sure, he didn't collect much, but because it was such a small amount, any decrease was especially noticeable.

If it were Aeron or Jessica's harvested Waving Verdant Grass, losing half a pound or even a whole pound might go unnoticed.

But for him...

Asher picked up the Waving Verdant Grass and counted them again. He became even more certain.

"It's less."

Hearing this, Jessica walked over.

Just waking up, Jessica's white hair was an unruly mess, every tuft sticking out in its own direction.

"Are you sure it's really less? What's wrong here?" Jessica shook his head, waking up a bit more. "We haven't encountered anyone along the way, except for a few third-tier beasts we managed to scare off."

"How could this thing just vanish?"

"Even if someone was crazy enough to follow us and steal Waving Verdant Grass, why would they pick Asher's?"

The Alliance buys Waving Verdant Grass regardless of its quality.

Once it's thrown into machinery for cleaning and processing, it all ends up the same anyway, no matter how carefully it was picked.

So if there were a thief, they'd probably steal the grass from the other three of them, right?

Hearing the commotion, Abella came over as well.

After learning about the situation, she frowned slightly.

"...It's impossible for it to be a person. When we sleep, our beasts are always on guard. If anyone came close, there's no way the six of them wouldn't react."

Not to mention—

Her five-star high-level Violent Bear and Asher's five-star mid-level Little Raven were more than enough to deal with any beasts on the outskirts of the Forbidden Zone.

Who could possibly sneak up on them unnoticed?

And if it wasn't a person... could it really be an beast?

But still—

It didn't make sense.

There were six of them! Six beasts!

Asher stroked his chin, silent.

He surveyed the surroundings, but didn't find any traces of visitors other than themselves.

For now, Asher placed the remaining half-pound of Waving Verdant Grass into his backpack, leaving part of it exposed to flutter in the wind.

"Tonight... I'll keep this next to my sleeping bag and watch closely," he said.

The others nodded.

With no leads, this was the only option for now.

After harvesting Waving Verdant Grass that day, Asher didn't mix it with what he'd collected earlier. Instead, he tied it separately with a red string, keeping two bundles together.

At night, Asher placed the grass next to his sleeping bag.

The next morning, nothing had changed.

Both bundles of Waving Verdant Grass weighed exactly the same as they had the previous day.

"So yesterday was probably just your imagination." Aeron said confidently. "I told you! Who in their right mind would steal this stuff? There's no point!"

Asher: "Let's wait and see."

"Doesn't matter, we'll be out of here in two days anyway." Jessica walked over to comfort Asher, attempting to pat his shoulder—only to realize the height difference required her to stand on tiptoes.

In the end, Jessica gave up.

By the sixth morning—

Still, nothing had changed.

It really seemed like what happened two days ago was just Asher's imagination.

But was it really?

Asher raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. He didn't bring it up with the others again.

Asher raised an eyebrow but said nothing, nor did he discuss the matter further with the other three people.

During the day, Asher slowed down his movements when picking Waving Verdant Grass. The amount he had collected over the past five days was already close to two pounds, which was more than enough for him. As a result, he became even slower and more meticulous in his selection.

From time to time, he would stop, shake his head, and throw away the Waving Verdant Grass he had already picked.

Abella, Jessica, and Aeron no longer wanted to stay near Asher.

Asher's slow, nitpicky manner made them feel like all their organs—heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and lungs—hurt simultaneously!

It was exasperating!

Watching Asher's actions, they felt as if they might as well do it for him.

The problem was, Asher would probably still be dissatisfied with them.

The three of them decisively joined forces, abandoning Asher, the "perfectionist," and happily continued scavenging the ground.

When night fell, Asher, lying in his sleeping bag, didn't immediately attempt to sleep.

Having spent little energy during the day and having taken short breaks in between, he was still brimming with energy at his usual bedtime.

The reason?

Asher, with his eyes closed, hugged Little Raven and made a "shh" gesture.

Little Raven tilted its head in Asher's arms.

Though it didn't know what Asher wanted to do, Little Raven was exceptionally cooperative in both attitude and action.

⊙０⊙

'What does a Beastmaster want a bird to do?'

'Pretend to sleep?'

'Stay silent?'

'Okay, okay!'

'Whatever the Beastmaster says!'

'That's exactly what the bird will do!'

Time passed bit by bit.

Asher estimated it was already nearing the latter half of the night.

Perhaps because he wasn't asleep, for a fleeting moment, Asher, with his eyes closed, sensed the air twist slightly.

His hand, tucked under Little Raven's wing, twitched slightly.

Little Raven gave Asher's stomach a sharp kick with its claw.

Good. Little Raven wasn't asleep either.

Asher continued to focus on the subtle disturbance.

There was no sound, but because half of his backpack was pinned under his sleeping bag, Asher immediately noticed the faint movement when it was touched.

King's Aura!

Asher abruptly opened his eyes and, without saying a word, exchanged a glance with Little Raven in the darkness. Little Raven immediately understood Asher's intent.

A powerful aura and pressure swept across half the Forbidden Zone.

The surrounding weaker beasts bolted in terror.

A great demon king has awakened! Run for your lives!

The faint rustling from the backpack abruptly ceased.

Asher: "Catch it!"

Little Raven flapped its wings fiercely.

Flying out of Asher's embrace, it charged furiously toward the backpack.

There were no cries, but the commotion was unmistakably intense.

Little Raven was thoroughly beating the other party, one-sidedly and relentlessly.

"Me!"

"me-me ao meow!"

" meow——!"

Finally, a small voice rang out, growing more frantic with each cry.

But, how to put it... Asher rubbed his chin. The sound was a bit odd.

It sounded like a mix of cat, bird, and some kind of feral beast?

After a fierce battle with flames flying everywhere, the fight finally ended.

Little Raven flew back excitedly toward Asher, carrying its trophy in its beak.

Under the campfire light, Asher clearly saw the creature Little Raven was holding.

Asher: "..."

Well... how to describe it?

It was somewhat eye-burning.

A fantastical version of a mishmash.

It was a round, plump creature about half a meter long, covered in light blue fur, with seven short stubby legs and a pair of budding antlers on its head.

Honestly, if you ignored the extra leg and the antlers, Asher couldn't help but think of a certain cat worm[1] meme he used to use frequently on his phone in his past life.

There was a resemblance—about thirty percent.

Mainly, the face looked equally crudely drawn.

On a meme, such a simplistic face was cute. On a real creature, though... apart from bizarre, Asher could only think it bizarre.

"What are you?"

"me me meow!"

The little creature, held by the scruff of its neck by Little Raven, wriggled its seven stubby, fleshy legs in midair and looked at Asher pitifully with two pitch-black eyes.

It even squeezed out a tear from the corner of its eyes.

'QAQ'

The epitome of meme-worthy despair.

Asher: 'Truly, too clever.'

In both his past and present lives, Asher had never seen such a miraculous creature. Even in the world of beasts, it was rare to encounter such a peculiar little fellow.

But, honestly... after getting used to it and connecting it to the familiar cat worm meme... hey.

It's bizarrely cute.

Bizarre Little Thing: "meow!"

'Effective!'

'Keep being adorable!'

'Go all out!'

Little Raven: (へ╬)

'How dare you!'

'Is this creature trying to steal my Beastmaster?'

'Absolutely not!'

'Little Raven wants to eat it!'

Seeing Little Raven and the strange creature about to fight again, Asher quickly stopped them. "Wait, wait, Little Raven, something's not right!"

Asher suddenly realized something.

Wait a second?

The noise from Little Raven and this odd little creature's scuffle was loud enough, right?

So why hadn't the other three, or their contracted beasts, woken up?

Asher turned a serious gaze toward the bizarre little creature held by Little Raven.

If this was just an unusual, cute cat worm, Asher wouldn't say much. As for the theft, as long as there was a reasonable explanation, he could let it slide.

But if it had done something to his companions...

Asher's eyes grew cold, filled with killing intent as he stared at the fantastical cat worm.

Little Creature: *Fur standing on alert*

'What are you doing with that look?'

'I just ate a tiny, teeny bit of Waving Verdant Grass!'

'Why that murderous glare... Meow!'

'So scary!'

Asher furrowed his brows and activated his innate skill.

First, he needed to figure out exactly what this thing was.

Then...

Asher found himself plunged into yet another wave of confusion.

No way?

What kind of situation was this... Why did he feel like he was seeing it for the first time as well?

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Pet Beast: ???]

[Attributes: Dark, Special, Fairy (???)]

[Species: ???]

[Level: Tier 2 High-Rank]

[Skills: Mental Guidance, Shadow Stealth]

[Evolution Path: ???]

[Chirp-screech—Caught! No problem, watch as this Little Pretty Dragon puts on its cutest act. No person or beast can resist the unparalleled beauty of this dragon.]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

A mess of question marks made this beast seem even more outlandish.

No known species name.

Three attributes were listed, which was already odd, but why were there question marks after them?

No known grade.

No known evolution path.

As for its level and strength, Asher reasonably suspected they were only visible because it had just fought with Little Raven.

As for this cat-worm... Let's just call it that for now. Asher casually gave it a nickname in his mind. The thoughts running through this cat-worm's head, along with the slightly familiar phrase "Little Pretty Dragon"...

Asher looked up, staring at the pair of antler-like yet not quite antlers on its head for a long time, his heart full of shock and disbelief.

'...Are you telling me these are dragon horns?'

'What kind of joke is this?'

'No one would believe this, seriously.'

And "Little Pretty Dragon"?

Where, just where, does this cat-worm even remotely resemble a dragon?

Which part?

Does it even have the nerve to call itself that?

Also... "About seven months ago, a dragon visited this place and went back constantly yearning for some so-called Little Pretty Dragon. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" Asher asked uncertainly.

The little creature widened its scribble-like eyes and looked at Asher.

For some reason, Asher, who previously couldn't discern any emotion from those eyes, now clearly saw a retort in them: 'You're saying? Who else but this dragon?'

'Exactly!'

'Who else would dare to call themselves "Little Pretty Dragon" on this turf?!'

The cat-worm puffed out its chest proudly.

Asher was silent.

He pulled out his phone.

He opened the camera and, with no filters or fancy angles, took a photo in the most straightforward, uninspired manner possible.

Click. A snapshot of the cat-worm was captured.

"I'll send this to the Vicky. I'm curious if it knows what its beloved Little Pretty Dragon actually looks like," Asher said while snapping several more shots.

Through the phone screen, Asher could see the cat-worm's expression shifting from fearless to panicked, and then to defiant. It puffed out its chest even more proudly, as if its actions were saying:

'Take pictures! Take as many as you want!'

'But make sure you capture this dragon's beauty properly.'

Suddenly losing interest, Asher put his phone away.

The cat-worm, which was just getting into the spirit of being photographed: "?"

Now it was the cat-worm's turn to be upset.

Already subdued by Little Raven, the cat-worm started wildly squirming again in a futile, powerless struggle.

Little Raven smacked the cat-worm hard with its wing.

Little Raven: (╬￣皿￣)

'Quiet! The bird needs some peace!'

'The bird hasn't even confronted you about seducing its Beast Master.'

The cat-worm: "!"

'It's fair competition! If you can't act cute, why stop this dragon from doing so?'

'You're just jealous!'

'Jealousy makes the bird ugly!'

Little Raven: o(▼皿▼メ;)o

*Fuming with rage!*

Seeing another fight about to break out, Asher quickly intervened, stopping what could erupt at any moment.

Little Raven looked at Asher with pitiful eyes: (;д｀)ゞ

'Why won't you let the bird act?'

'Does the Beast Master not love the bird anymore?'

'Has the Beast Master's heart really been stolen by that ugly thing?'

Little Raven's gaze was as pitiful as it was heart-wrenching.

"No, no, Little Raven, you've got it all wrong." Asher sighed helplessly, patting Little Raven's head. "I just need to ask it some more questions. Please wait a bit longer, okay?"

Little Raven leaned closer to Asher, rubbing its head against his arm, finally looking slightly comforted.

But just as Little Raven let its guard down, the cat-worm took advantage of the moment. Swinging its seven plump little legs, it scurried over and deliberately rubbed against Asher's arm.

Asher: "..."

Little Raven: "!"

This time, Asher couldn't stop it.

Little Raven instantly erupted with even greater fury than before.

Little Raven: 'I can't take this, not even a little!'

Little Raven pressed the cat-worm down and ground it into the dirt again.

Perhaps realizing it couldn't beat Little Raven, the cat-worm shamelessly abandoned all dignity, embracing its essence as a clingy pest. It used every angle to snuggle up to Little Raven, rubbing and clinging like a cat in heat.

Little Raven had never seen such tactics before. It was so stunned it couldn't even fight properly.

And the cat-worm's ability to adapt to Little Raven's oppressive aura was beyond Asher's imagination.

Was Little Raven's aura terrifying?

Terrifying.

Impressive?

Very.

Did any other beasts dare move under it?

All had long fled without a trace.

But under such pressure, the cat-worm trembled all over yet refused to stop clinging to Little Raven.

Its motto: If the dragon isn't happy, the bird shouldn't be happy either.

Asher could only give a silent thumbs-up.

Six out of six.

Seriously, this beast was beyond impressive.

'Such an impressive creature...',Asher almost wanted to contract it as his second pet beast.

But that thought passed in an instant, and he gave up.

Sure, it was impressive.

But also infuriating.

Asher had no doubt that if he really contracted this creature, Little Raven and the cat-worm would fight at least four times a day—three regular meals and an occasional snack fight.

Asher: 'Forget it.'

He didn't want to live a life full of constant brawls.

While imagining a future of chaos, Asher failed to notice the cat-worm clinging to Little Raven, suddenly turning back to cast an excited glance at him.

The cat-worm: 'Ah! This dragon's carefully chosen meal ticket has been deeply captivated by the dragon's unparalleled beauty!'

'Excellent!'

'So, so excellent!'

The cat-worm was ecstatic.

Its seven plump little legs moved even faster.

'Bird, oh bird! Let's bond now~'

'In the future, we'll be one big happy family!'

The cat-worm used its body language to convey its joy.

Little Raven: *Anger*

'Who's family with you? Shut up already!'

Little Raven furiously flapped its wings, flames bursting one after another.

But the cat-worm had no other skills, just exceptional escape abilities.

When Asher snapped back to reality, all he saw was the cat-worm diving into shadows on the ground every time Little Raven's searing flames got close.

Its motto: Can't win, but running is still an option.

Little Raven, enraged, unleashed its full power.

The unique aura of the three-legged Golden Crow spread fiercely.

Unlike its simple aura of dominance, this was a new, terrifying force!

Even Asher felt the pressure of its overwhelming presence, as though catching a glimpse of an ancient beast, leaving both humans and beasts alike unable to move.

The cat-worm, which had been playful moments ago, now trembled violently, utterly immobilized.

'The dragon admits defeat!'

'The dragon surrenders!'

'The dragon is no match for the bird!'

'Bird, spare the dragon!'

In front of Asher and Little Raven, the cat-worm demonstrated what it meant to surrender instantly and wholeheartedly.

It was faster than anything Asher had ever seen.

Asher: "..."

Little Raven: "..."

╭(╯^╰)╮

With an angry huff, Little Raven bit the cat-worm's scruff and flew back to Asher.

This time, Little Raven kept a cautious distance, ensuring the cat-worm couldn't reach its Beast Master.

It was to strictly prevent this guy from getting close to the bird's Beast Master.

Little Raven: 'The Beast Master belongs to the bird!'

Cat-worm: QAQ

'The dragon isn't here to break up this family.'

'The dragon is here to join this family!'

Little Raven swatted with its wing.

Watching this one bird and one... cat finally finish their fight, Asher fixed his gaze on the cat-worm with a serious expression and asked, "Speak. Why were you sneaking around at night?"

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[[1] Cat-worm: The "cat-worm" meme (猫虫梗) in China refers to a humorous trend inspired by cats' behavior of curling up or stretching out in ways that make them look like elongated "worms" or "caterpillars." This meme gained popularity due to the exaggerated flexibility and adorable contortions of cats that seem almost unnatural, but still irresistibly funny and cute.]