Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

At the same time.

Asher felt a slight pang of regret—wouldn't it be nice to attend university in Star City?

Compared to the safe and tranquil atmosphere of Bluewind, Star City was much more exhilarating and made his blood boil with excitement.

As the top two universities in the country, with their headquarters in Star City, Jade Dragon University and Flood Dragon University never acted unless they went all out.

For all the invited contestants, Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon covered all travel, accommodation, and meal expenses during the competition period.

Asher only needed to show the invitation card jointly issued by Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon to stay and spend at any hotel in Star City.

When the hotel receptionist saw that Asher wasn't alone but had three companions with him, they didn't even question it. Instead, they directly arranged a suite with a living room for him.

"As expected of Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon. But what a pity," Vicky sighed as he walked out of the elevator, gazing at the spacious suite with a window view arranged for them.

"Pity what?" Ivy asked curiously.

"Pity that... I'm the man they can't have!" Vicky said with a dramatic expression. [T/N: 🤣]

June: "..."

Asher: "Are you sure it's them who can't have you? Do you even have a clue about yourself?"

"Nope," Vicky, always failing at everything except quick comebacks, caught Asher's words instantly. Then, grinning, he continued, "But even if I'm the man they can't have, my big dad is also the man they can't have."

"Back then! They barely gave my dear big dad the time of day. Now, they can't even reach his level!" Vicky excitedly gestured as he dragged his suitcase into the suite.

"The three-year mark has arrived. This time, we're going to take back everything we've—mmmph!"

Before he could finish, Asher swiftly reached out, clamping a hand over his mouth and shoving his head into the couch pillow. The movement was seamless, without the slightest hesitation.

June and Ivy, instead of stepping in to save Vicky, deliberately let go of their suitcases and clapped.

"Nice work. Vicky's mouth would definitely get him beaten up out there, and I wouldn't even be surprised."

"Before he gets taught a lesson by others, we should discipline him properly ourselves."

June and Ivy exchanged remarks before gleefully high-fiving each other.

"It's my duty," Asher smiled.

And so, Vicky became the only one suffering, with no sympathy whatsoever.

After a round of goofing around, the four of them easily settled into their respective rooms.

One room per person, with a small living room outside. The living room had an open kitchen and a giant screen perfect for gaming and movies.

A few steps to the floor-to-ceiling window, and they had an unobstructed view of most of Star City's buildings.

Among the varying heights of the cityscape, the Beastmaster Alliance Headquarters building remained the most prominent.

Because you simply couldn't see the top.

From the plane, they had only caught a vague glimpse of it.

At that time, they hadn't realized just how tall this building truly was.

But standing in Star City, looking at it from a different angle, they finally understood—it was absurdly high, piercing straight into the clouds.

"Wow—The Beastmaster Alliance Headquarters is incredible!" June pressed against the glass, gazing at the towering structure with awe. "I wonder if we'll ever get a chance to go inside and take a look."

"Forget it, no chance. Unless one of us miraculously ascends to a Rank Seven Beastmaster or becomes a Level One Researcher," Vicky, his brain seemingly drained of water after being smothered, spoke with absolute ruthlessness. "Otherwise, getting into the Beastmaster Alliance Headquarters isn't that simple."

"Oh, if someone commits a major crime that shakes the beastmaster world, that'd work too."

"Hmph! Just a Rank Seven Beastmaster? I refuse to believe that in this lifetime—" June rolled her eyes at Vicky.

Before she could finish, she was met with skeptical gazes from Asher, Vicky, and Ivy.

June found herself at a loss for words.

Vicky and Ivy then turned their attention to Asher. "Bro, don't forget us when you get rich and powerful. Our chance to tour the Beastmaster Alliance Headquarters is all on you now!"

For a moment, Asher felt an invisible burden growing heavier on his shoulders.

"You guys are too much."

Asher rolled his eyes.

"I'm heading to the Beastmaster Alliance for check-in and registration. Do you guys want to come?" Asher pulled out his invitation card again. "The tournament officially starts the day after tomorrow, but all contestants must register by tomorrow afternoon. Those who don't register will be considered as forfeiting."

He waved the invitation. "I can't just take you guys in to wander around, but you can tag along and look around a bit."

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH—

Before he even finished speaking, the three had already thrown their luggage into their rooms at lightning speed. They quickly tidied themselves up, now looking presentable and full of energy, standing before Asher.

Asher: "?"

If he didn't know better, he'd think they were the ones registering for the competition.

"What are you doing?" Asher asked, baffled.

"It's our first time here. We have to look sharp," June said solemnly. "We can't embarrass ourselves in Star City, let alone at the Beastmaster Alliance Headquarters."

Ivy adjusted her dress and the ribbons in her hair. "Maintaining a good appearance is a sign of respect."

"My face is my business card. I must leave the most handsome impression on the people of Star City." Vicky stroked his chin confidently.

Asher, speechless, dusted off his white shirt and jeans. "Alright, let's go."

The three behind him: "..."

Good grief.

They had hyped it up so much, but Asher didn't care at all, did he?

What made Vicky the most jealous was that no matter how plainly Asher dressed, the moment he stood there, his handsomeness instantly shot up a few levels.

And with June and Ivy as contrasts—Asher, dressed simply, still carried an air of elegance and presence, making him look like some young master inspecting the common folk.

Clearly, they weren't the only ones who thought so.

For the past two days, the staff responsible for registering first-year students from top universities across the country—including many from Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon's battle divisions—had seen many contestants. But when Asher walked in, he carried a completely different aura.

No matter how strong the other freshmen were, they all carried a trace of youthful inexperience, a student-like quality that was easy to recognize.

But Asher was different.

Calm and composed, his presence was effortlessly commanding.

"Hello, I'm here for the Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon Freshman Tournament. Here's my invitation card," Asher placed it in front of the staff member.

Only then did the staff snap out of their daze.

Oh.

So this wasn't some big shot accompanying a sibling or friend. He was here to compete himself.

The staff member was slightly taken aback.

Then, after glancing at the university and name on the invitation card, their expression froze again.

"Is there a problem?" Asher noticed the momentary unnatural look and asked softly.

"Ah… No, no problem! So you're that Professor Asher." The staff member's voice held surprise. "I've heard a lot about you!"

"I watched the academic presentation you gave a few days ago, but seeing you in person now, I didn't make the connection at first."

Bluewind University.

Asher.

These two words linked together instantly made the staff member recall all the gossip they had read on the Star City forum—like how Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon initially didn't plan to invite Bluewind this time.

Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon's exclusive bullying:"We're throwing a party. There's only one top-tier university that wasn't invited. Guess who? That's right, it's Bluewind!"

But in the end, Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon still extended an invitation, albeit in a rather arrogant manner—only inviting Asher alone.

There was all sorts of speculation on the Star City forum.

After all, Asher had been admitted in advance because of his unparalleled, unrivaled talent in pet evolution research.

As for combat?

Hard to say.

Some believed that Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon were secretly plotting revenge this time, intending to make Asher and Bluewind University lose face.

Others thought that it wasn't Asher's fault for not choosing Jade Dragon or Flood Dragon—rather, this was Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon's way of giving Asher a chance to witness the true strength of the domestic TOP2 universities and ultimately see the light.

Abandon Bluewind and join Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon.

The latter theory gained quite a bit of support, sparking a new round of debates—between Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon, which one should Asher join?

Originally, the students of Star City were united, but at this moment, for the honor of their respective universities, they rolled up their sleeves and jumped into the fray.

After all, the question of who was truly number one between the TOP2 had never had a clear answer over the years. Every admission season, Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon students fought tooth and nail to defend their school's reputation, and such battles were nothing new.

The staff member thoroughly enjoyed consuming this drama.

For a moment, they forgot that they were supposed to be the one receiving Asher and handling the registration process.

This was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness the gossip unfold in person.

Then, the staff member said, "We've confirmed your identity. Please cooperate and release your pet for a strength assessment."

"Strength assessment?" Asher blinked in confusion.

June also whispered, "Isn't verifying identity enough? Why assess the pet's strength? Won't everything be revealed in the competition the day after tomorrow?"

"This is a requirement set by Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon University. They said that pets that are too weak shouldn't be taken out to embarrass themselves," the staff member explained matter-of-factly, as if they were used to this kind of thing. "After all, everyone here is a freshman, and strength levels vary widely. There's bound to be a few who are just making up the numbers. Rather than humiliating themselves in the competition, it's better to eliminate them in advance."

"Has anyone been eliminated already?" Asher asked curiously.

Behind him, June and the others also perked up, eager to hear the gossip.

"Just between us—don't spread this around," the staff member looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before lowering their voice. "One person was eliminated. I can't say their name, but they had two contracted pets. At first glance, they seemed quite strong. But after testing, it turned out both pets had terrible obedience to commands. Worse, one of them was obtained through illegal means. The person was arrested on the spot."

As they spoke, the staff member pointed to the very ground they were standing on.

Asher and the others instantly understood.

Of course.

This was the Beastmaster Alliance's turf—if someone was caught using illegal methods to control a pet here, there was no escaping.

"The school will also take some hit for this," the staff member sighed. "But at least it was caught early, so it won't be a huge issue. You'll probably see an official announcement on the Alliance's website in a few days."

Asher nodded.

Now, this was some next-level gossip.

And since the situation was too big to be covered up, no wonder the staff member was willing to share it in advance.

As they spoke, the staff member led them to an open area nearby. In the center of the ground, a positioning marker was placed.

"Have your pet stand on that spot. The machine will conduct a basic scan of its physical condition and energy fluctuations. There's no harm to the pet," the staff member assured them with a smile. "We will assess the pet's overall strength on a scale from one to ten stars."

"A pet with a three-star rating or higher is considered qualified. Six stars and above is considered excellent."

"The physical scan is just an additional check. A three-star rating in physical condition means the pet is healthy. This prevents pets with undisclosed diseases or abnormalities from participating. If anything is found, we can address it in time."

The staff member turned back to Asher.

Asher nodded, then summoned Little Raven and Cat-Worm.

The staff member's gaze showed a hint of surprise.

They hadn't expected this well-known pet evolution research professor to have contracted two pets. But then, they adjusted their expectations.

Two contracts, huh…

It was either one strong, one weak, or both pets were of average strength.

For freshmen beastmasters, this was quite common.

Most had only been contracted for one year, at most two years—training even one pet properly in such a short time was already difficult, let alone two.

The staff member wasn't particularly optimistic about Asher.

But Asher wasn't thinking about that at all.

He gestured toward Little Raven and Cat-Worm.

Little Raven was the first to flap its wings and land on the marker.

Immediately, red beams of light shot toward it from all directions.

Little Raven: ⊙(◇)?

With a swift flutter of its wings, Little Raven dodged every single beam, refusing to let even one touch its body.

"Can you have your pet stay still? It only takes a second," the staff member wiped their sweat.

They truly hadn't expected a pet to be able to dodge all the scanning beams—so swiftly that not a single one had landed on its body. Naturally, the machine registered nothing.

"Little Raven, be good. Don't move," Asher said.

Immediately, Little Raven obediently folded its wings and landed, looking up at Asher with its golden-red eyes full of grievance—but it didn't move an inch.

Little Raven: *Obedient*

Ding-ding-ding-ding—

The machine emitted a crisp melody.

Asher glanced at the lights—two rows were now illuminated.

The top row showed eight stars, while the bottom row showed nine stars.

"So…" Asher blinked. "Which one represents Little Raven's overall strength?"

The staff member looked back and forth between Little Raven, the machine, and Asher, eyes filled with disbelief.

But their professionalism remained intact.

"The top row (eight stars) represents comprehensive strength. Your pet is… very strong. Extremely strong."

"The bottom row (nine stars) represents physical condition—it's incredibly healthy, with abundant vitality."

Ivy pointed at the eight glowing stars. "You said three stars means qualified, six stars means excellent—what does eight stars mean?"

The staff member's expression turned complicated.

"Six stars and above means the pet's rank is at least Tier 5."

"But a pet's combat ability is more than just its rank. A Tier 5 pet isn't necessarily limited to Tier 5 power—it may perform above or below its level."

Like Little Raven.

A Tier 5 pet, but within its rank, it was absolutely dominant.

Cat-Worm could cheer it on, while Little Raven did all the slaying.

Could this kind of power really be judged as just Tier 5?

No.

"Eight stars indicates this pet's true potential is at the Elite Tier!"

Tier 7

Asher thought about it and found it reasonable.

Little Raven's innate skill had yet to awaken, but with its bloodline enhancement and imposing aura, it might not necessarily be at a disadvantage against a sixth-rank pet beast.

However, facing a true seventh-rank opponent would be another matter.

"Wow—"

June, Ivy, and Vicky all let out impressed exclamations.

"So, does anyone else have a pet beast with an overall rating of eight stars?" Vicky asked the question he was most concerned about.

"Yes, four people from the combat department of Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon Universities. I can't disclose their names," the staff member said, blinking playfully. "But on the day of the event, you'll recognize them at a glance."

As he spoke, the staff member couldn't help but find the situation a bit absurd.

The other four were all from top-tier university combat departments. But then there was Asher—a pet beast evolution major—with a pet beast rated at eight stars in overall strength?

And it was incredibly obedient to Asher, clearly indicating a strong bond between them.

Asher merely waved his hand, and Little Raven obediently landed on his arm.

"Cat-Worm, go!" Asher made a grand gesture, patting the Cat-Worm's backside. The Cat-Worm immediately sprinted forward on its seven stubby legs.

The staff member operated the machine while thinking—hmm, perhaps Asher had poured all his energy into that golden-red bird?

An eight-star overall strength rating was indeed absurd… but not entirely inexplicable, right?

The red light lit up again.

Unlike Little Raven, the Cat-Worm didn't even try to dodge. Instead, it excitedly swiped at the red beams, playing with them like a kitten chasing a laser pointer.

Crouching, arching its back, pouncing!

Turning, kicking, leaping!

A series of agile and nimble movements that didn't match its chubby body at all. The Cat-Worm was having the time of its life, completely unaware of the two glowing rows of indicator lights.

Overall Strength: Seven Stars.

Physical Health: Ten Stars.

The staff member: "?"

"Is the machine broken…?" He muttered twice, even giving it a few smacks. The final display showed no issues.

Fully functional.

Healthy.

Perfectly normal.

Nothing needed repairing.

In other words, this was indeed the Cat-Worm's actual strength data.

The staff member was left utterly dazed.

Asher was also a little surprised.

Seven stars?

So… the Cat-Worm's overall strength was only slightly weaker than Little Raven's?

But the Cat-Worm was only a third-rank high level beast, not even having broken into the fourth rank yet.

Then again, considering the Cat-Worm's absurd background, maybe this wasn't so strange after all?

Asher wasn't too shocked.

But June, Ivy, and Vicky couldn't contain their astonishment.

"What?" June tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion and disbelief. "I already knew there was a gap between me and Asher, but why is the gap between our pet beasts just as big?"

"Where did I go wrong?" June couldn't comprehend it.

Not at all.

Didn't everyone train the same way?

It was understandable if her Fire Fox Queen couldn't match Little Raven, but now she felt that even catching up to the Cat-Worm was a struggle.

"I understand, I understand." At this moment, Vicky stepped forward, crossed his arms, and let out a long sigh. "Ever since my Little Drogo got defeated by that not-quite-cat, not-quite-dragon little thing, I've deeply realized the chasm between me and Asher—he's a monster."

Vicky said the most shocking statement in the calmest tone, nearly making June choke on her own saliva.

Coughing violently, she still managed to give Vicky a thumbs-up in his direction.

'Well said!'

'Asher is a monster!'

'And so are his pet beasts!'

This must be what people mean when they say, "Birds of a feather flock together".

As the red lights disappeared, the Cat-Worm suddenly remembered—oh right, it was here for a strength evaluation.

The Cat-Worm quickly ran back to Asher, tugging at his shoe, looking up at him with its mismatched eyes.

"Meow! Meow!"

"Meow! Meow!

'How about the dragon?'

'Isn't the dragon powerful too?'

Little Raven spread its wings and flapped them twice.

╭(╯^╰)╮

'Hmph, it's okay, I guess.'

'At least I didn't embarrass the bird species!'

The Cat-Worm grinned mischievously, rubbing itself against Asher's leg. Asher bent down and picked it up in one swift motion.

Then, he turned to the staff member, who was now in full-on existential crisis mode.

"Is there anything else I need to do?"

The staff member shook his head.

Like a ghost, he handed Asher a card.

"This is your competition pass. Both of your pet beasts are eligible for battle."

"However, before the finals, you can only choose one to fight. Only in the finals can you switch between them."

This rule was meant to accommodate Beast Masters with one strong and one weak pet. Otherwise, those with weaker pets might be handicapped right from the start.

And for true elites, restrictions like these didn't matter.

Since all competitors were freshmen and most had at most two contracted beasts, limiting them to one before the finals was a fair compromise.

Once they reached the finals, there would be no more such restrictions. That's when they'd battle for the championship and the top three spots with all they had.

Asher found this reasonable and left the Beastmaster League with his three little shadows—June, Ivy, and Vicky.

"Let's rest for now. If we have time tomorrow, we can go explore Star City a bit."

Asher glanced at the three behind him, who had lost all their earlier enthusiasm since leaving the league headquarters. He chuckled.

The more energetic they had been before, the more deflated they were now.

Was all that effort really necessary?

Little Raven: ︿(￣︶￣)︿

Cat-Worm: （～￣▽￣)～

Having just finished their evaluation, neither Little Raven nor the Cat-Worm had returned to their spirit space. Hearing Asher's words, they both smugly made exaggerated faces.

June: "…"

Fists clenching.

"Asher, can't you teach your pet beasts to behave properly?"

Asher responded with a calm chuckle. He shot them a look, pretended to adjust the sleeves he wasn't even wearing, and spoke slowly.

"Weren't you just discussing how I'm a monster? Hmm?"

"And that whole 'birds of a feather' thing?"

With a subtle smile, Asher's gaze swept over them one by one.

Instantly, all three went silent.

No more arguing.

Little Raven and the Cat-Worm once again wore their gleeful, gloating expressions.

Little Raven: (≧≦)

Cat-Worm: (≧ω≦)/ Hehe~

June, Ivy, and Vicky: 'Hold it in.'

'Must. Hold. It. In.'

Asher snorted and waved his hand, dropping the topic. The three finally relaxed.

No more talking about it.

Let's just pretend that conversation never happened.

———

After a good night's rest.

The next day, Asher didn't really go out much.

The competition was the day after tomorrow. No matter how confident he was in himself, he wasn't reckless enough to jus

t charge in blindly.

Adjusting his own state, as well as Little Raven's and Cat-Worm's, was extremely important.

"Getting into the finals shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Asher sat cross-legged on the floor of the public lounge, holding a game controller as he fought monsters while speaking.

Little Raven lay down, its small head resting directly on Asher's thigh.

Cat-Worm also jumped into Asher's arms, curling up perfectly between his legs, allowing Asher to rest his hands on its back at just the right height.

Little Raven tilted its head.

'Little bro, who's going up tomorrow?' [T/N: Cat-Worm is Little Brother not Little Sister. It was a mistake before]

"Meow Meow?"

'Huh? What?'

Compared to Little Raven, Cat-Worm's expression was much more clueless.

During a break in the game, Asher reached out and flicked Cat-Worm lightly on the forehead. There was no other choice—aside from that spot, the rest of its body was covered in fine scales, making flicking completely ineffective. It didn't hurt Cat-Worm at all, but it did end up hurting Asher's own fingers.

"Just from that, I can tell you weren't listening properly yesterday."

Cat-Worm's face showed a pitiful little expression.

Amused yet helpless, Asher rubbed Cat-Worm's forehead again, then ruffled the tuft of fur on Little Raven's head.

"Do either of you want to volunteer?" Asher hadn't decided whether to send Little Raven or Cat-Worm in.

Though the outcome would likely be the same either way.

Before the finals, whether it was Little Raven or Cat-Worm, as long as they didn't encounter a seeded player early, losing was almost impossible.

Asher also felt that running into one before the finals wasn't very likely.

Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon University tested strength not just to eliminate weak competitors early but also to prevent top-tier contestants from clashing before the finals.

If their own seeded players fought each other too early, wouldn't that be a huge loss?

Avoiding certain matchups within reasonable limits wasn't considered cheating.

Saving the most exciting battles for the finals made sense too.

Under these circumstances—having scored one eight-star and one seven-star in the evaluation—Asher figured the chances of meeting those four top players before the finals weren't high either.

Asher wasn't entirely sure.

But even if they did run into them, so what?

Asher looked down at the two little ones in his arms. "Have you decided yet? Who wants to volunteer?"

Little Raven pecked lightly at Asher's hand, then flew up and used its wing to shove Cat-Worm out of Asher's embrace.

╭(╯^╰)╮

'Of course, it's the bird!'

'The bird is the strongest!'

Cat-Worm: "!"

The lazy Cat-Worm instantly perked up after hearing that.

Everything else was whatever—but whether it was strong or not, that was very important.

"Meow Meow!"

"Meow ao!"

'No way, no way!'

'Dragons are strong too!'

'Let the dragon go!'

As they bickered, Little Raven and Cat-Worm started circling around Asher, exchanging swipes—one wing, one claw, neither using any skills, just the most primitive, back-and-forth hits. A civilized and polite little fight.

Except for Asher, who kept getting caught in the crossfire. They were really thoughtful… if only they weren't kicking and slapping him mid-game.

Asher, repeatedly struck and unable to focus on his game: "…"

Silently putting down the controller, he grabbed one in each hand and pinned them both to the ground.

"Behave."

"Understood?"

Little Raven and Cat-Worm nodded furiously.

'Got it!'

'Got it, got it!'

After witnessing Asher's "tyrannical" side, the two little ones immediately became obedient.

Asher let out a weary smile.

'Ah!'

'Every single day!'

'It is so hard being me!'

———

A new day arrived quickly.

After greeting June, Ivy, and Vicky, Asher headed to the competition venue alone.

This was one of the designated arenas for major events in Star City.

As a freshman league hosted by a top university, the number of actual participants wasn't as high as one might expect. A quick glance told Asher there were only around two or three hundred people.

If things moved fast, the preliminaries and finals could be finished in a single day.

But to make the competition seem more formal and engaging, Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon had even brought in professional commentators.

And they stretched the event across three days.

Two days of preliminaries, one day for the finals.

The venue was circular, with the battle stage in the center and audience seating rising in tiers around it.

What surprised Asher was that this stadium, which could hold about ten thousand people, was already half-full.

Seeing this, Asher raised an eyebrow in surprise, took out his phone, and sent a message to June, Ivy, and Vicky in their four-person group chat, suggesting they try coming to the venue to see if they could get in.

Just as he put his phone away, he noticed someone waving at him.

"Hey, friend!"

A young man about Asher's age, with glasses and a slender, delicate appearance, glanced around before spotting Asher, who was alone with a pet beast in his arms. The boy took the initiative to approach and greet him.

"You're a freshman here for the competition too, right?"

"Nice to meet you, I'm Scar."

As he spoke, he extended his hand. Asher shook it lightly out of courtesy.

"For some reason, you seem familiar." Scar, naturally sociable, chatted as if they were old friends. "Which school are you from? No teachers or classmates came with you?"

Asher countered, "What about you?"

Under Asher's silent gaze, Scar shut his mouth momentarily before sighing. "Well… aside from me, everyone from my school here is from the combat department. We don't really get along."

"Haha." Scar scratched his nose awkwardly. "So, when I saw you alone, I figured—"

"If you're not in the combat department, then how are you here?" Asher couldn't understand.

"Oh, that's exactly it!" Scar smacked his thigh, getting excited. "I said the same thing, but they wouldn't listen. They insisted Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon must have sent me an invite by mistake. If I hadn't run fast enough, they wouldn't have let me come."

"What's wrong with the Pet Beast Care department? Don't they know how much money this field makes?"

Asher: "?"

Wait—

Pet Beast Care? Asher knew about it. It was one of the highest-paying fields in the new era. He had even considered majoring in it before, so he knew how valuable it was.

But… "Can the Pet Beast Care department get direct admissions?" Asher asked curiously.

How did that work?

Was it because his care skills were top-notch?

"Not exactly." Scar waved a hand. "I got in through the Pet Beast Breeding major, but that doesn't stop me from choosing Pet Beast Care!"

Asher fell silent.

How should he put it?

Logically speaking, a student could choose whatever major they wanted. But the gap between Breeding and Care… was a bit much.

Asher just wanted to know—how did the university that gave Scar a direct admission feel when they saw his chosen major?

Professor: 'How do I feel? What else? I feel like boiling this kid into soup!'

"They should've set restrictions if they cared so much. Since they didn't, why can't I choose this?" Scar shrugged. "If there's a loophole, I'm taking it!"

Asher couldn't help but laugh. "Fair enough. Call it chasing your dreams."

"Good bro, you get me!" Scar beamed, slapping Asher's shoulder. "So, what's your name?"

"Asher."

Scar froze, looking confused.

Then he quickly pulled out his phone, scrolled through a few images, and held it up next to Asher's face for comparison.

Asher glanced at the screen and sighed.

It was a screenshot from one of his academic live-streams.

Scar looked back and forth between the image and Asher, then gasped in shock.

"Damn! It's really you!",After confirming Asher's identity, Scar put away his phone, his eyes shining as he looked at Asher. "A great professor, huh!"

Then, Scar sighed. "Ah, looks like I won't be able to get you to study pet beast care with me after all."

Asher: "..."

Sure enough.

This guy really had a deep love for pet beast care.

Not only did he want to study it himself, but he also wanted to drag along a newly acquainted friend.

However, Scar was someone whose emotions were always at maximum. After a brief moment of disappointment, he quickly perked up again. "Professor Asher, you're in the pet beast evolution major, right?"

"Yes, just call me Asher." Asher nodded.

In the lab or when addressed by colleagues, being called "professor" didn't feel out of place.

But outside, being called professor… Asher still found it a bit strange.

Scar made an "OK" gesture.

"Alright, Asher." Scar quickly changed how he addressed him and even reached out, seemingly wanting to grab Asher's sleeve. But before he could touch Asher, the Cat-Worm in Asher's arms suddenly extended a paw.

"Meow! Meow!"

'Protect the Beastmaster!'

'Dragon's duty!'

Scar was startled.

"Little Dragon, behave. He doesn't mean any harm." Asher glanced at Scar and then tapped the Cat-Worm's head with his finger. The Cat-Worm rubbed against Asher's finger a few times before finally settling down obediently.

Asher turned to look at Scar. "Sorry, my pet beast is a bit sensitive."

"No problem, no problem." Scar waved his hand, his tone completely unconcerned. His gaze toward the Cat-Worm even carried a hint of envy. "Your pet beast has a really strong bond with you."

"The match won't start for a while. It's a random draw, so there's no rush. Standing around isn't ideal either."

"Let's go sit over there and chat!"

Asher nodded and followed Scar, casually finding a seat in the empty front row of the spectator stands.

"Your pet beast looks pretty strong." After sitting down, Scar's gaze once again shifted to the Cat-Worm.

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