Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

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"Big Daddy! Ganbatte!"

Turning his head, he saw Vicky holding a megaphone that he had no idea where he pulled from, shouting towards the center of the field, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Asher on the field: "..."

Silently turned his head.

Could he pretend he didn't know this person?

They really weren't that close.

Standing opposite Asher was a short-haired girl about 1.5 meters tall, with a round, apple-like face.

"Wow! That guy is really brave." The round-faced girl looked in the direction of the audience with her mouth wide open in shock. "To call his friend that in front of so many people, cheering him on like this, they must have a really good relationship."

"Though the friend is probably dying of secondhand embarrassment."

Saying that, the round-faced girl nodded seriously, a mix of admiration, sympathy, and rejection.

Touched, but no thanks.

Asher: 'Same here.'

"I wonder which of us is lucky enough to have such a friend willing to throw away all shame." The round-faced girl smiled, then looked at Asher with her big, watery eyes. "Why aren't you smiling?"

Asher: "..."

'You tell me.'

Because he wasn't the type to smile.

Asher: *smile*

"Let's get started too." With a delicate but utterly fake smile on his face, Asher put down the Cat-Worm in his arms.

The round-faced girl instantly forgot about the embarrassing shout just now. "Is this your pet beast?"

"Wow! It looks so cute!"

"Uh…" The round-faced girl watched as the Cat-Worm moved its seven little legs, looking extremely busy and chaotic, definitely not the image of an intelligent or powerful creature. She thought for two seconds and said lightly, "I'll be gentler when I attack later, trust me. I won't keep you waiting too long."

As she spoke, the round-faced girl waved her hand. A two-meter-tall Earthsplitter Dragon appeared on the field, with strong limbs, a round belly, and a pair of stubby wings that flapped twice but didn't seem capable of flight.

Cat-Worm: (◣ω◢)

'Damn it!'

'A dragon!'

'An ugly dragon!'

'Beautiful Little Dragon absolutely refuses to acknowledge this as a dragon.'

The undeniably dragon-and-earth-attributed Earthsplitter Dragon: "?"

"Roar-woo?"

'What do you mean "not a dragon"?'

'You?'

'A beautiful little dragon?'

'What kind of joke is this?'

Cat-Worm: *Rage Meter UPUPUP↑*

Asher opened his mouth but closed it again… Ah, it seemed like he didn't need to say anything. The Cat-Worm's fighting spirit was already maxed out.

Compared to psychological counseling…

It was more effective to just let a dragon-type opponent mock it a little. The Cat-Worm's ultimate battle buff would instantly activate.

Cat-Worm: *Ultimate Attack!*

In the Audience

"Earthsplitter Dragon? Isn't this opponent a little…" Unlucky?

Whether it was June, Ivy, or Vicky, not a single one of them thought Asher would lose.

It's just an Earthsplitter Dragon.

The Cat-Worm might not always dominate other beasts, but against dragon-attributed or dragon-species beasts? It was an absolute slaughter.

Victim No.1: Vicky.

Victim No.2: A beastmaster at NY's official training ground with a dragon-attributed pet beast.

Thinking about how that guy and his pet got beaten so badly they couldn't even face Asher again… Hmm, the three of them simultaneously sent silent prayers in their hearts for the cute-looking round-faced girl.

'Amen!'

'Don't be sad.'

'Just blink, and the battle will be over soon. Don't question your life choices.'

"Ah, that's your friend, right?" The kind auntie who had chatted with June and the others earlier pointed at Asher. "He's kind of unlucky, huh? An Earthsplitter Dragon… That little girl seems to be my son's classmate from Jade Dragon University's Battle Department. I've heard she's quite strong."

"I think they said her Earthsplitter Dragon has a six-star overall rating?"

"Dragon-attributed pet beasts are naturally stronger than regular ones and harder to cultivate. That little girl may look small and cute, but she's got a real knack for raising pet beasts!"

As she spoke, the auntie suddenly remembered that June, Ivy, and Vicky were here to support Asher. She smiled awkwardly. "But your friend is probably pretty good too… just a little unlucky…"

"It's okay, Auntie, we believe in him!" June clenched her fist, full of confidence.

Ivy nodded repeatedly beside her.

Vicky wiped his nose and puffed out his chest. "Anyone who faces my Big Daddy is the one who's truly unlucky!"

Kind Auntie: "?"

'Wait, what?'

'Is this kid really that strong?'

'Didn't they say he wasn't from the Battle Department?'

Curious, the auntie looked at Asher, noticing his pet beast… A round, blue, chubby little thing that was impossible to identify… She nodded inwardly.

This was probably just friends hyping each other up.

Better not burst their bubble.

Thinking this, the auntie glanced at the scoreboard.

'Asher… Why does that name sound familiar?'

Before she could remember, the battle between Asher and the round-faced girl began.

———

"Earthsplitter Dragon, Armor! Then use Stomp!"

With the referee's whistle, the round-faced girl instantly entered battle mode, the relaxed smile vanishing from her face as she commanded loudly.

"Roar-woo—!"

A layer of yellowish-brown protective armor appeared on the Earthsplitter Dragon's body. Then it raised its foot—

And stomped down hard.

BOOM—BOOM BOOM—

The entire stadium seemed to tremble.

After just two stomps, two massive cracks appeared in the ground. Fortunately, the protective field prevented them from spreading beyond Asher and the round-faced girl's battle area.

But the other contestants nearby were still affected to some extent.

The three giant screens in the center immediately switched to a live broadcast of their match.

From the screens, all the spectators could clearly see the contrast between the massive cracks in the ground and the tiny Cat-Worm.

"Ohhh! A contestant has made the first move, and the impact is massive." The commentator shifted his focus to Asher and the round-faced girl.

"Let's take a look at our two competitors. We have Jennifer from Jade Dragon University's Battle Department… and Asher from Bluewind University's Pet Evolution Program… Uh? Wait a minute?"

Battle Department, no problem.

Pet Evolution Program?

Wait, what?

Was this information correct?

Double-check.

Triple-check.

Yep, confirmed.

The commentator, who had been full of excitement just moments ago, suddenly lost all enthusiasm.

What was there to analyze?

A Battle Department student with an Earthsplitter Dragon against a Pet Evolution major with an unknown pet beast… Was there any suspense about the outcome?

He had gotten excited too early.

However… "Asher… That name sounds kinda familiar?"

Even though Asher had been making waves in NY City throughout the past year, gaining some internet fame, most people still wouldn't immediately connect his name with his achievements.

The commentator and audience merely found his name familiar.

But the professors from Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon Universities turned their attention toward him.

———

"Is that Asher?" A Jade Dragon professor looked at the screen, surprised by Asher's simple long-sleeve blue T-shirt and beige linen pants—clean and unassuming.

A female professor from Flood Dragon University also looked over. "If it's Asher from Bluewind's Pet Evolution Program… then it must be."

"…This face screams 'research genius.'" The Flood Dragon professor nodded in appreciation.

Although Asher hadn't chosen Flood Dragon, he hadn't picked Jade Dragon either.

Coupled with Asher's research results, the female teacher from Flood Dragon University genuinely admired Asher from the bottom of her heart—and felt a bit regretful: "Back then… sigh, we really missed out."

The teacher from Jade Dragon University also sighed. Who wouldn't agree?

"But you Jade Dragon folks are really wicked, huh? Making a professor from the Pet Beast Evolution major compete against those Battle Department students—are you sure this wasn't just a way to save your own face?" The female teacher from Flood Dragon University suddenly said.

Jade Dragon University teacher: "?"

"What? You can mess around with food, but you can't just throw words around recklessly." The Jade Dragon University teacher quickly waved his hands. "We didn't do that!"

"Then why is it that aside from him, no one else from Bluewind University was invited to the competition?" The female teacher from Flood Dragon University had a face full of disbelief. "And as soon as Professor Asher took the stage, he just so happened to face your Jade Dragon University's top student? Excluding Felter and Dexter, doesn't your school's Battle Department only have three Beast Tamers with a six-star comprehensive strength?"

"What a coincidence, he just had to face Asher? And in the first match?"

The Jade Dragon University teacher: "…"

He was sure he hadn't heard anything about the school planning to do something to Asher. Besides, Jade Dragon wouldn't even stoop to such things.

But this situation… was such a coincidence that even he found it hard to explain.

"Don't go throwing dirty water on us." The Jade Dragon University teacher saw that he couldn't explain it clearly, so he simply stopped trying. Instead, he turned the nonexistent accusation back on her. "Compared to us Jade Dragon, doesn't your Flood Dragon seem even more suspicious? I heard your principal was almost driven to a fit by Bluewind's principal."

"Aren't you trying to kill two birds with one stone? Bullying Asher to suppress Bluewind while also smearing our Jade Dragon's reputation?"

Now it was the Flood Dragon University female teacher's turn to fall silent.

No, no, no—this wasn't what Flood Dragon was like.

They still had their pride.

What started as a joke between the two of them suddenly turned into genuine suspicion—each convinced that the other side was behind some shady scheme.

Despicable!

Shameless!

Utterly brazen Jade Dragon/Flood Dragon!

Meanwhile, the completely uninvolved Asher and Jennifer: "?"

"Dodge those cracks."

Asher calmly commanded Cat-Worm, completely unfazed by the strength displayed by Earthsplitter Dragon.

"Use Shadow Tentacle!"

"Meow! Meow!"

Cat-Worm nimbly stepped forward on its seven short legs, weaving through the cracks. The shadow beneath its body writhed, and two pitch-black tentacles slithered along the ground, sticking closely to the dirt, shooting toward Earthsplitter Dragon at lightning speed.

The moment they closed in on Earthsplitter Dragon—"Breaking Blade!"

SQUELCH—

Two dark tentacles suddenly shot up from the shadows, covered in a sticky, ominous-looking slime, launching a direct attack on Earthsplitter Dragon.

The layer of earth-colored defense covering Earthsplitter Dragon's body barely provided any resistance before it was effortlessly pierced by Cat-Worm's tentacles in the next second.

Cat-Worm: (★★)

Earthsplitter Dragon: "Awoo—"

Earthsplitter Dragon let out a pained scream.

Not only did Cat-Worm's tentacles pierce through its armor, but they also punctured the thick, rock-like dragon scales beneath, delivering venom straight into its flesh.

"Earthsplitter Dragon!" Jennifer couldn't help but shout, her face full of shock and disbelief.

Was this a joke?

This was Earthsplitter Dragon.

An Earth-Dragon-type beast, known for its top-tier defense.

Activating armor before a fight was just a habit for Jennifer, but Earthsplitter Dragon's dragon-scale defense, combined with its armor, meant that most Beast Tamers wouldn't even be able to leave a scratch on it during a battle.

But now…

Its armor and dragon scales were as fragile as paper before that unknown beast, utterly failing to provide any defense.

Jennifer: *existential crisis*

She rubbed her eyes. Then rubbed them again.

Was she under an illusion since the start of the match?

Obviously not.

"Earthsplitter Dragon, use Dragon Roar. Then close in with Dragon Tail attack!" Jennifer quickly adjusted her strategy upon realizing that something was off.

At first, she hadn't taken Asher or his pet seriously, thinking she could just let him have a decent fight and send his pet off the stage peacefully.

Who could've predicted such a shocking reversal?

Jennifer got serious.

The commentator's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Asher's pet actually pierced through Earthsplitter Dragon's armor and dragon scales? How is this even possible?" The commentator exclaimed in disbelief. "This is by far the most shocking match I've seen today."

Whether it was because of Asher's identity—

Or the power displayed by Cat-Worm—

"Let's take a look at Asher's pet's information… ah, so far, all we know is that it's called Cat… Dragon?" The commentator stared at the paper in deep thought. "Cat-Dragon? Could Asher's pet actually be a Dragon-type?"

The commentator.

The audience.

The other contestants.

The teachers from Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon.

At this moment, they all simultaneously turned their gazes toward the two small horns on Cat-Worm's head.

Existential crisis in progress.

"So… could Asher actually be that dark horse everyone discovered before the competition?" Someone in the audience murmured.

Not just them.

Jennifer, as well as Felter, Dexter, and the Leonheart sisters—who were still spectating—were all thinking the same thing.

The teachers from Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon had even more complicated expressions.

Asher… a dark horse?

"...Can a genius like this really exist?" Someone who excels in both pet research and pet training?

The female teacher from Flood Dragon murmured to herself.

The Jade Dragon teacher beside her wasn't much better off.

What everyone else outside the arena thought, Asher and Jennifer had no idea. The battle wasn't over yet, and they were both fully immersed in the fight.

Dragon Roar, a deterrence skill.

Meanwhile, Earthsplitter Dragon's tail was lined with long, irregular barbs. A single tail strike could leave prey half-dead in the most literal sense.

"Shadow Sneak." Asher remained calm.

In the next second—

Cat-Worm's round body melted into the shadows like a puddle of water.

Earthsplitter Dragon's tail whipped down—missing completely.

Attack missed!

Jennifer's brows furrowed.

She finally realized how troublesome this opponent was.

Dragon Roar had no effect on Cat-Worm, and considering what the commentator had said earlier about Asher's pet's species… Catcat Dragon…

"Earthsplitter Dragon, Blood Burn!"

"ROAR—"

Earthsplitter Dragon let out a deafening howl. Its already massive two-meter-tall body grew even larger, its muscles bulging, its aura turning even fiercer.

Blood Burn!

A combat buff exclusive to Dragon-type beasts, temporarily boosting their attack power and damage by 3 to 5 times at the cost of burning their own blood.

Afterward, they'd enter a long period of exhaustion.

This was a skill Jennifer had originally planned to save for the Four Kings…

She never expected she'd have to use it in the first match.

Exhaustion could be dealt with later.

If she didn't use it now—she wouldn't even make it past the preliminary round, let alone the rest of the competition.

And then…

Just as Jennifer was about to command her buffed Earthsplitter Dragon to attack again—

BOOM!

Earthsplitter Dragon collapsed onto the battlefield.

In an instant.

The entire venue fell into a dead silence.

Even the two other groups of contestants battling nearby were affected by the commotion coming from Asher and Jennifer's side.

"Wha… What happened?" The commentator blinked, as if failing to process what had just occurred. He glanced at the information on the Cat-Worm in his hand… Oh, aside from a name, there was nothing else.

This was all the information Asher had initially registered with the Beastmaster Alliance.

The referee beside him also looked bewildered.

He had been waiting to see the Earthsplitter Dragon unleash its ultimate move, but the dragon had collapsed first?

After confirming multiple times that the Earthsplitter Dragon indeed could not get back up, the referee swiftly announced the match result: "Earthsplitter Dragon has lost its ability to battle. Contestant Asher and Cat-Worm are victorious."

Silence.

The surrounding audience remained silent.

"Hahaha! Big Daddy, you're the absolute best."

This time, Vicky didn't even need a megaphone—his excited laughter echoed throughout the venue.

Asher, who had just secured victory and hadn't even had time to celebrate, found his smile freezing awkwardly and abruptly on his face.

Jennifer, who had been feeling a bit down over her inexplicable loss, couldn't help but burst into laughter at the scene.

Mystery solved.

She finally knew who was truly a "good friend."

"Your friend is really good to you." Jennifer chuckled. "Truly willing to go all out."

Asher: "..."

He wished Vicky could be just a little more reserved.

It was fine if he was the one going all out, but why did Vicky have to drag him into public humiliation as well?

Asher didn't want to face such a tragic life.

"Cough, cough." He coughed stiffly, bent down to pick up the Cat-Worm that had crawled out from the shadow by his feet, and quickly changed the subject. "You should hurry and get the Earthsplitter Dragon treated. Most likely, when it was burning its blood, the toxin spread rapidly through its body."

Jennifer: "?"

Without hesitation, Jennifer dashed off with her little short legs, "zoom zoom zoom," straight toward the Earthsplitter Dragon.

Asher, meanwhile, held his Cat-Worm and exited under the watchful eyes of the entire audience.

Yet, countless burning gazes remained fixed on Asher, as if witnessing the rise of a new god.

While everyone was too shocked to speak at the power displayed by Asher's Cat-Worm, only June, Ivy, and Vicky remained completely unfazed.

"As expected, this was the outcome." June shook his head dramatically. "Tragic, absolutely tragic. How did that poor Earthsplitter Dragon girl end up so unlucky, running into Asher in the very first round?"

Ivy nodded in agreement. "It was predictable, though the match did end a little faster than expected."

"That final blood-burning move… we really didn't expect it to backfire like that." Vicky clicked his tongue, then shuddered all over. "And the ultimate move hadn't even started yet, had it?"

The three exchanged glances.

Nearby, an enthusiastic auntie was filled with question marks.

Were young people all like this nowadays?

Was the Beast Evolution major this overpowered?

Auntie felt the world was changing too fast, and she could barely keep up.

———

"Bro, that was so disloyal of you!"

As soon as Scar saw Asher approaching, he excitedly jumped down from his seat and rushed over, complaining all the while,"Why didn't you say anything earlier…"

"You're the goddamn dark horse!"

His gaze then landed on the Cat-Worm in Asher's arms. The initial disdain in his eyes shifted to respect.

"So this is the eight-star comprehensive strength pet beast? You're too insane!"

"No." Asher sat down calmly, his back to the audience, utterly composed under their intense gazes.

Scar, who had also sat down: "?"

"…No?" Scar slapped his own thigh. "Are you messing with me? If you're not the dark horse, who here today even qualifies for that title?"

"That was a Jade Dragon University Battle Department student."

"Jade Dragon! Battle Department!"

"Do you know how much weight those words carry together?" Scar glared at Asher. "And you're still trying to hide it from me? What, are we not brothers?"

Asher: "I never said I wasn't the dark horse. I only said that Cat-Worm's comprehensive strength isn't eight stars. It's just seven."

Scar looked at Asher, then at the Cat-Worm.

Asher was the dark horse.

This pet beast called Cat-Worm had a comprehensive strength of only seven stars, not eight.

But according to the staff, there were five eight-star contestants in total.

Connecting the dots, Scar's eyes widened once more, and his hand trembled as he pointed at Asher.

"You… you…" 'You actually have another pet beast?'

'And one seven-star, one eight-star?'

Scar clutched his forehead.

Scar felt like the world was changing too fast for him to comprehend.

"As far as I know, the Four Kings… well, in front of you, they're not even worthy of that title anymore." Scar paused, then rephrased:"As far as I know, Felter and Dexter both have contracted second pet beasts. As for the Leonheart sisters… not sure, but probably not?"

"But their second pets are nothing special… Not weak, but definitely not that strong either."

"For example, I happened to see Felter training his second pet once. Its comprehensive strength should be around four to five stars."

"If Dexter and the Leonheart sisters do have second pets, they're probably about the same?"

Third to fourth tier.

Strong compared to normal people, sure.

But in the Jade Dragon-Flood Dragon League?

Not even worth mentioning.

So from start to finish, whether in the preliminaries or the finals, the four of them had never considered using their second pets in battle.

And then, there was this anomaly—Asher.

Who would've thought?

Not only had Asher contracted a second pet, but it actually had a seven-star comprehensive strength?

Who would believe that?

Scar figured that even if he told others, they'd think he was crazy.

Thinking about it this way, Scar suddenly felt at peace.

"Actually, Cat-Worm's real strength isn't that high." Asher spoke sincerely. "Ignoring its comprehensive rating, its individual strength is only third-tier high level, nearly breaking into fourth-tier."

"It just happened to have a special skill that caught the opponent off guard, so we coincidentally won."

"As everyone gets familiar with Cat-Worm's attack patterns and skills, winning this easily won't be possible anymore." Asher calmly analyzed Cat-Worm's strengths and weaknesses.

Scar: "?"

Scar: "???"

Third-tier high level?

Not even at fourth-tier yet?

And it still demolished a four-tier mid-level Earthsplitter Dragon?

A fantasy world, a bizarre reality.

Scar had experienced it all in one day.

"Forget real strength for now—did you just say winning was a coincidence?" He pointed at Cat-Worm. Seeing Asher nod seriously, Scar's eye twitched uncontrollably. "…How do you even manage to say things like that with such sincerity?"

Scar wanted to say more—'how the hell is this guy so effortlessly Versailles?'

[T/N: Versailles here refers to the internet slang meaning of someone acting humble while actually flexing.]

Thinking again about Asher's contributions and achievements in pet beast evolution…

Scar: *Dizzy*

"But I really didn't expect to meet such a strong opponent in the preliminaries... It should be fine to get through the next rounds, right?" Asher lowered his head and looked at the Cat-Worm in his arms, speaking in a questioning tone.

His match for today was over, but there was still one tomorrow. Only twenty people could make it to the final day, meaning the rest of the competitors had to be eliminated in the preliminaries over these two days.

In the preliminaries, Asher only needed to fight twice. Instead, the final day's matches had more battles.

Watching Asher's completely oblivious Versailles attitude deeply wounded Scar's fragile little heart.

"I'm really looking forward to the day you bring out that eight-star pet beast of yours and see everyone's reactions." Scar, who had been mentally shattered, let out a sinister chuckle, revealing a smile filled with malice and the pure joy of disregarding others' suffering.

Die!

Let's all die together!

Let everyone experience the same mental breakdown that he just did from Asher.

Cat-Worm: *Puffed-up chest, proud*

"Meow Meow!"

"Meow Meow awooo!"

'Dragon will do its best!'

'We'll make sure Big Sis doesn't even need to step in!'

Asher chuckled and rubbed the two little dragon horns on Cat-Worm's head. The proud little creature, full of momentum just a second ago, immediately melted into a puddle of cat-pancake in his arms.

From the moment Asher finished his match, Felter, Dexter, and the Leonheart sisters had been watching his direction: "?".

Aria turned to her younger sister beside her, frowning and muttering with a hint of disbelief, "Luna, that pet beast that looks so... chubby—it's really an eight-star comprehensive strength pet beast? No matter how I look at it, it just doesn't seem like it."

The moment Aria stepped off the stage, she no longer carried that aloof goddess aura from her battles. The way she furrowed her brows and pouted was instead full of youthful charm and cuteness.

Meanwhile, her younger sister Luna maintained a composed smile.

"People shouldn't be judged by appearances. Sometimes, the same goes for pet beasts."

"Looks and strength don't always correlate."

"We need to take this opponent and his pet beast seriously. Be careful, or we'll end up capsizing in the gutter like Jennifer."

"That's true." Aria nodded, her face showing a lingering fear. "Who would have thought… using a berserk skill, only to collapse from berserking before the weakness period even hit?"

"That was really..."

Caught off guard!

"But from the intel we gathered, Asher… his pet beast, Cat Dragon, is most likely a Dragon + Poison type spirit." Luna furrowed her delicate brows. "But that doesn't seem quite right? If it's Dragon + Poison, then how do you explain that Shadow Sneak ability?"

'Could it be Dragon + Dark?'

'No, that doesn't seem right either.'

The name "Cat Dragon," its skillset—combining everything together only made Luna's brain even more tangled.

Aria covered her mouth and let out a yawn, completely discarding her aloof goddess persona. "Isn't there also a possibility that the Cat Dragon actually has nothing to do with dragons at all? Maybe it's just a regular Poison + Dark type?"

"I mean, look at it—round, chubby, no matter how you see it, it doesn't scream 'Dragon type' at all."

———

Cat-Worm: Achoo—

"Meow!"

'Someone must be secretly praising the beauty of this little dragon!'

Cat-Worm: o(////▽////)q

'Ahhh, how embarrassing~'

———

Meanwhile, the Leonheart sisters' discussion continued.

"That… shouldn't be the case, right?" Luna shook her head,"Those two horns on its head really do look like dragon horns. And then there's the fact that it showed absolutely no fear of the Earthsplitter Dragon's intimidation… Cat Dragon should have some connection to dragons."

It seemed to have ties to all three attributes… which only made it harder to determine its true typing.

"No worries, Luna, don't stress over it." Aria waved her hand, reassuringly. "Our pet beasts are both elemental types. Do you really think we're that easy to poison?"

"My ice can freeze the poison instantly, and your fire can burn it clean away. No matter how strong its poison is, it won't affect us!"

Hearing this, Luna hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded… There really wasn't much else they could do about it for now.

———

After lunch, Asher met up with June, Ivy, and Vicky.

Scar also squeezed into their little group.

"Brother Asher, you've got some serious luck." Looking at June and Ivy—two stunning beauties with completely different styles—Scar gave Asher a big thumbs-up.

Vicky?

Didn't see him.

"Who the hell are you?" Vicky's forehead veins twitched. "Where did this guy come from, daring to fight me for my Big Daddy?"

The moment the words "Big Daddy" left his mouth, Scar, who had been dismissive of Vicky just seconds ago, suddenly looked at him with newfound respect.

"My bad, my bad. So you're that warrior!" Scar cupped his fists, his face full of admiration.

To have the guts to yell "Big Daddy, go!" in public… That takes some serious lack of shame. He's not even afraid of getting beaten up when he gets home.

"Hmph! Glad you know." Vicky, completely unfazed, declared proudly, "I am Asher Big Daddy's number one best son."

Asher: "..."

"The way you flatter me makes me feel like a stranger to you." Asher sighed helplessly. "Can you act normal for once?"

"Heh heh!" Vicky gave Asher a silly grin. "I just want to hold onto your thigh."

Asher: "...So your way of clinging to my thigh is to publicly make me socially die?"

"Ahem!" Vicky coughed twice, suddenly interested in everything around him except Asher.

Asher: *Fist clenched. Anger rising*

"It's fine, really. Compared to Vicky's 'Big Daddy' incident, what really made an impression on people was Cat-Worm's battle against the Earthsplitter Dragon." June waved a hand, stating the obvious. "That fight… To the spectators and contestants who didn't know you well, it was absolutely shocking."

Think about it!

A student from the pet beast evolution department, actually raising such a powerful pet beast?

If they didn't know Asher personally, they wouldn't believe it either.

Scar nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

'Yes, yes, absolutely!'

'Agreed!'

He had been the first to be utterly blown away.

Seeing Scar's expression, Vicky patted his shoulder, suddenly feeling less hostile toward him.

If asked why—it was the camaraderie of two fellow victims who had suffered under Asher's hands.

Their bond skyrocketed instantly, forming an alliance.

After an hour-long break post-lunch, the afternoon matches kicked off.

One intense battle after another.

Felter, Dexter, and Luna all took the stage.

They didn't face each other.

But in one match, both Felter and Luna were competing at the same time, each against a different opponent.

A freshman from Jade Dragon University's combat department and a freshman from Flood Dragon University's combat department—on the same battlefield. Even the giant screen in the center couldn't decide which fight was more exciting.

And off-stage, the teachers from both universities were locked in a fierce argument over whose student was stronger...

All in all, under such a harmonious and friendly atmosphere, the first day of the competition finally came to an end.

Whether it was the Four Kings or the New King—yes, they had already changed their wording and no longer referred to Asher as a dark horse.

A dark horse?

What kind of insanely strong dark horse is this?

This is clearly the rise of a new king.

The new king's coronation.

Neither the Four Kings nor the New King clashed, and they smoothly advanced to the second day's competition. At this point, only half of the participants remained, with no more than a hundred contestants left.

———

Jade Dragon University and Flood Dragon University held an impromptu meeting for the second day's event.

"Will tomorrow's matches still be randomly drawn?"

"If we accidentally put those few together in advance..."

Before the sentence was even finished, everyone present already understood the implication.

What's the point of fighting?

If the highlights of the final match are all played out in advance, then what's left to watch in the finals?

Especially with the addition of Asher, things became even trickier to arrange.

Without Asher, Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon were evenly matched, counterbalancing each other. Neither side wanted to see their own seeded players eliminated too soon.

But with the addition of Asher... the situation took on a subtle shift.

Especially since there was still a bit of history and entanglement between them and Asher. If they didn't handle it well, it would be easy for outsiders to accuse them of deliberately targeting him.

Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon: 'Injustice! We're really innocent!Yes, we do have some jealousy toward Bluewind and the others, but we really had no intention of doing anything to Asher.'

But who could have expected… not only is Asher an expert in researching pet evolution, but he is also just as skilled in training and battling pets as those students from the combat department.

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