Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

Rejecting her… really wasn't something he could bring himself to say.

Asher could only nod with difficulty.

And then…

Asher regretted it almost immediately.

"There's no why, don't ask why. If you must ask, it's because I thought so at the time. You're reading a thesis, not doing interview.", Asher said expressionlessly, "And even if it was an interview, the author of the article might not necessarily get a perfect score."

"I'm just a researcher, not some literary master. Got it?"

"No.", A group of people shook their heads, "So how exactly did you come up with the idea of having Old Rothschild take Ancestral Dragon to challenge the Dragon King under those circumstances?"

Asher: "…"

'—_— Understood.'

'These people aren't here to interview me.'

'They are here to hear a story.'

Asher, now forced into doing both interviewing and storytelling, "…"

He rebelled...

But two fists were no match for ten hands.

The five people opposite to him were staring at him like hungry wolves.

"How about we find a place to see if you guys have improved recently?", Asher's gaze swept over June, Ivy, Vicky, Jsssica, and Aeron one by one.

The first four either shut their mouths silently or averted their gazes.

As for battling… Only Aeron met Asher's eyes without a shred of guilt.

"A battle? Sure, Brother Asher!", Aeron's eyes sparkled with excitement, "Let me tell you, Brother Asher, my Baby Dragon has gotten even stronger in the past couple of days. I have a feeling it'll evolve into a Juliet Dragon within two years."

As he spoke, Aeron puffed out his chest proudly.

The other four exchanged glances. From each other's eyes, they saw the same thought.

"Two years? Isn't that a bit too long?"

"You're clearly not training hard enough."

"Push a little more, shorten the time a bit?"

"Aeron, are you sure you're up to it?", Unlike the other three, who weren't that familiar with Aeron, Jsssica immediately went for sarcasm.

Aeron bristled, "Two years is too long? Baby Dragon is a dragon-type pet beast. Even if it takes four or five years to evolve, that wouldn't be strange."

"You say that like your Rock Turtle is guaranteed to evolve within two years.", The downside of knowing each other too well—Aeron hit Jsssica right in the sore spot.

Sure, his Baby Dragon needed a long time to evolve, but Jsssica's Rock Turtle wasn't much better.

As a pure water-type, the Rock Turtle had a unique advantage in defense—its shell was tough, and its health bar was long.

It was slower than most beasts, but with its hard shield, at the same level, it could usually outlast its opponents through sheer endurance.

However, the baby stage of a Rock Turtle had its downsides too—its attack methods weren't fierce enough. It couldn't both attack and defend effectively, making quick battles difficult.

It wasn't until it evolved into a Grand Rock Turtle, shifting from crawling on four legs to walking on two, that its offensive power would spike.

And after evolving, the Grand Rock Turtle came equipped with weapons—its own shed shell, broken into pieces, with each edge ground sharp and smooth, becoming the Grand Rock Turtle's best weapons.

The problem was… the evolution process was long. Very long.

After all, without a powerful natural enemy threatening its survival, a Rock Turtle rarely encountered life-or-death crises.

And if it did? Well, it would just keep turtling up.

Survival.

That word was probably embedded in the Rock Turtle's genes.

Even after being contracted by a human and becoming a battle pet, it would still occasionally showcase its survival instincts.

Completely uncontrollable.

Seeing the two about to start an argument, Asher cut in, "Stop arguing. Arguing won't kill anyone, so how about you go somewhere and actually fight? The result will be obvious."

June, Ivy, and Vicky: "…"

The three of them looked at Asher with complicated expressions.

'Well, well, well. So this was the kind of person you were, Asher. Looks like we misjudged you before.'

Asher: "…"

'No explanation.'

As long as they stopped forcing him to explain his thesis and tell stories, he was fine with anything.

"Fine, let's fight. You talk like I'm afraid of him!", Jsssica crossed his arms and looked at Aeron with disdain.

Aeron glared back, "Hmph! We'll see who's afraid of who! Let's go!"

Neither of them realized that Asher had just instigated them. They had completely turned their focus onto each other.

June, Ivy, and Vicky fell into another bout of silence.

They secretly glanced at the two of them with skeptical eyes.

'Wait…'

'Are they sure there's nothing wrong with their brains?'

'Otherwise, how could they not even know the real instigator?'

"But you two should be quite familiar with each other's strengths by now, right? Fighting like this is basically like punching your own hand. Wouldn't it be boring if it's just you two?", Asher added.

Aeron and Jsssica didn't find anything wrong with his words.

But June, Ivy, and Vicky suddenly had a bad premonition.

"How about a doubles match? June and Vicky have similar strength. You two pair up and battle them."

A second later, their hearts sank. The trap had been revealed.

Asher's scheming went deeper than they'd imagined.

"Uh… Would that really be a good idea?", Aeron hesitated.

Jsssica nodded, "It's not that we're looking down on them, but for a doubles match, both teammates need to be about equal in strength…"

"Don't worry, they're from Radiant University's battle department. Their strength is evenly matched, just shy of qualifying for Bluewind. They're definitely up to the task.", Asher said matter-of-factly. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to June and Vicky, "How about it? If you can't, just say so. No pressure."

June and Vicky: "…"

Who could possibly say no at this point?

Maybe others could, but for them?

No way.

"Let's go! Right now! We'll show you our strength, so you won't think we're weaklings.", June and Vicky shouted, rolling up their sleeves and charging forward.

Aeron and Jsssica were equally eager. Aeron even slung his arm around Vicky's shoulder, discussing their pet beasts.

Jsssica and June linked arms, whispering to each other, occasionally grinning mischievously.

The only sober one left—Ivy: "…"

What else could she do?

She had just watched Asher dig a pit and push everyone into it. None of them would be getting out anytime soon.

She saw it all, her mind was clear, but could she resist Asher?

Forget it.

At least June seemed happy.

"Ivy! Come join us!", At this moment, June excitedly waved at Ivy, who was standing to the side. Jsssica also looked at Ivy with a cheerful expression, "It's okay if you can't participate in the match. We're all girls here; we can discuss it together."

What could Ivy do?

If she couldn't resist, she might as well accept it.

She walked toward June and Jsssica.

At this moment—

Asher closed the journal magazine in his hand.

———

"Huh?"

As he walked, Asher noticed something was off.

"This isn't the way to the city center battle arena, is it?"

Radiant City had far more battle arenas than NY City.

After all, it was a provincial capital.

With Bluewind University in the city, there were even more battle arenas. The total number, big and small, had already reached three digits.

Among them, the largest, most well-equipped, and most frequented by Beast Tamers was undoubtedly the city center battle arena.

Asher had been there a few times. The experience was top-notch.

"The main arena is way too crowded. It's packed with Beast Tamers trying to rank up. I think it's better if we pick a smaller battle arena instead—fewer people."

June hooked one arm around Ivy and the other around Jsssica, speaking with an exasperated look.

"The ranking rush is just too discouraging. Every time I try, I end up speechless."

"Hey, Asher, you—", Before June could finish, she suddenly fell silent.

Asher: "?"

"No way!", Seeing the obvious confusion on Asher's face, June didn't even have the heart to complain anymore.

Her mouth opened and closed, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Ivy and Jsssica, noticing this, also turned their curious gazes toward Asher... and instantly understood why June was making that face.

"Uh... Asher, have you not heard about the recent opening of the Beast Tamer Ranking?", Jsssica tentatively asked.

Asher shook his head, "No idea at all."

'Beast Tamer Ranking?'

Ranking rush?

Although these words weren't entirely incomprehensible, Asher truly had no idea what was going on.

In an instant—

"No worries, Brother Asher. Let June explain it to you.", Saying this, Jsssica let go of June's arm and stormed off aggressively in Aeron's direction.

"Aeron! What the hell are you making Brother Asher do every day? How does he not even know about the ranking list?"

"Huh?", Aeron was equally shocked.

"Wait, isn't this something you'd know just by paying a little attention to outside news...?"

'Ah...'

'Alright.'

Aeron suddenly realized.

While Asher wasn't entirely disconnected from the world, if no one explicitly told him something, he definitely had a bit of an information lag.

And then there was the whole business with Old Rothschild and Ancestral Dragon...

Well, no need to explain.

Just beat up Aeron first.

Jsssica followed her heart's desire.

Aeron: "..."

Guilty.

Didn't dare fight back.

Ran for his life.

"Ah... Whatever, I'll go find my good son instead.", Vicky watched the scene of a chase unfold, clasped his hands behind his back like an old grandpa, and strolled leisurely toward Asher.

Unlike Aeron, who was being mercilessly pursued, the atmosphere around Asher was completely different.

June and Ivy pulled him onto a bench by the street, one sitting on each side, leaning toward the middle as they murmured explanations into his ears.

"The Beast Tamer Ranking isn't common. I only heard about it from the upperclassmen. I just didn't expect you to actually...", June trailed off.

She looked at Asher for a long moment before deciding to skip over that topic.

Well...

Given everything that had happened since school started, Asher's situation was kind of unique.

Asher coughed twice, his expression completely unfazed.

Embarrassed?

Why would he be embarrassed?

As long as he didn't feel awkward, the awkwardness would always belong to others.

Asher: *Righteous and confident*

"Usually, about six months before major, rare competitions open for registration, the Beast Tamer Ranking appears and stays active until the event ends.", Ivy said with a gentle smile.

"Although I'm in the pet care program, I know a little about this."

"There's not enough time for major competitions to hold open qualifiers. To even get into registration, you have to rank high enough on the list first."

Makes sense.

Saves time.

Efficient filtering.

"Are there multiple rankings, or is there just one... a strength ranking?", Asher half-guessed.

'Rankings... They are probably something like that, right?'

June shot him a look, "You actually get it!"

Asher: "Cough!"

'It isn't about getting it or not... It is experience.'

"Of course, there's more than one ranking. But the most important one is the Combat Power Ranking, which participants must compete in to register for the tournament."

As she spoke, June's expression turned strange, like she had recalled something unpleasant.

Asher noticed instantly, "What's wrong?"

June's gaze shifted uneasily.

She didn't seem to want to talk about it.

Ivy chuckled beside her.

June: "..."

June puffed her cheeks and glared at Ivy over Asher's shoulder.

Ivy just kept smiling.

Asher: "?"

"Can someone tell me what's going on?", Asher raised his hands helplessly, "I feel like I'm becoming a part of your inside joke."

This time, both June and Ivy turned to glare at him.

"Nothing we can't talk about, right, June?", Ivy smiled and winked at June.

Seeing June's resigned expression, she continued.

"June got super excited when she heard about the ranking and rushed off to try her luck."

"Didn't even look at any other rankings—just went straight for the Combat Power Ranking. And the result...", Ivy didn't finish the sentence, as if leaving June some dignity.

"Not ideal.", Asher said tactfully.

"No need to sugarcoat it.", June rolled her eyes, crossing her arms with a disgruntled expression.

"It wasn't just 'not ideal'—it was terrible. I didn't even make the list."

"Damn it!"

Smash!

Just thinking about her ranking made June feel like there was a ball of fire trapped in her chest.

Frustrating.

But there was no way to vent.

If she wasn't strong enough, what could she say?

"You didn't rank?", Asher was surprised.

'Fire Fox Queen is pretty strong, isn't she?'

'It was already a high-level beast.'

'At around Tier 4, its strength isn't weak at all.'

'How could she not even make the list?'

"The ranking evaluates a Beast Tamer's overall strength, not just a single pet's strength."

Thinking for a moment, Asher understood.

June nodded with grievance.

Exactly.

She has only contracted one pet beast so far—the Fire Fox Queen.

Generally, the strength of a Tier-4 beast is indeed no match for the Fire Fox Queen. But what about two? Or three? Their combined combat power would definitely surpass June's.

"Damn it! This ranking list is totally biased against freshmen like us.", June's eyes carried a trace of frustration.

Nothing could be done about it.

That was just her personality. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, filled with defiance.

After beating up Aeron, Jsssica walked over to Asher and the others with a few bottles of juice she had just bought. She happened to hear June's complaint.

"Haha, well, kind of, but not entirely.", Jsssica laughed as she distributed the juice to the four of them. Then zhe opened the last remaining bottle of Sprite in her hand, took a big sip as the bubbles fizzed, and drank nearly a third of it. After wiping her mouth, she showed a satisfied expression, "Ah—nothing beats a carbonated drink after sweating it out."

Beside her, the tool Aeron, who had been used for 'sweating out': "…"

Humiliation.

But being unable to defeat a girl and then getting beaten down even worse was even more humiliating. Complain about it? Aeron thought he simply couldn't bring himself to be that shameless.

June didn't care about the latter half of Jsssica's words. She curiously asked, "What do you mean by 'kind of, but not entirely'?"

"Hmm… how should I put it?", Jsssica rubbed his chin and said, "The ranking list corresponds to the entire South Soren Region's University Beast Tamer Tournament. Think about how many Beast Tamers are signing up."

Both first-tier and second-tier universities were eligible to register.

First-tier universities admitted anywhere from 500 to several thousand Beast Tamers each year, while second-tier universities had fewer, usually in the hundreds.

But the tournament was open to all university students, regardless of their year.

Across the entire South Soren Region, there were at least two to three hundred universities combined, meaning the number of participants was far from small.

"So, most of the Beast Tamers who can actually compete are third- and fourth-year students on the verge of graduation. Their strength is generally at the peak of Tier-1 or just slightly below it."

"They have at least three pet beasts, and each one is quite powerful."

"Under these conditions, it's already difficult for second-year students to squeeze in, let alone first-years… They're basically nonexistent."

After all—

Having just one strong pet beast doesn't mean true strength. No matter how powerful a single pet is, it can't withstand consecutive battles.

So yes, this tournament was indeed unfriendly to freshmen.

Freshmen were basically just there for the experience.

"But if you stop fixating on the ranking list, you'll notice there's also a separate Freshman Ranking. You can aim for that, make a name for yourself. If you make it up there, other Beast Tamers across South Soren will see your ranking too.", Jsssica was clearly familiar with the rankings.

"Unlike the combat power ranking, which lists the top 10,000, the Freshman Ranking requires you to be in the top 2,000 to get on it."

"I see, so one is a general ranking for all university Beast Tamers in South Soren, while the other is specifically for freshmen. That's pretty much a potential ranking, right?", Asher nodded in understanding, "Anyone who ranks in the top 2,000 as a freshman should be considered promising."

Jsssica gestured with her hand, "Exactly."

"Is there a benefit to getting on the ranking list? Any rewards?", Asher, having listened to all this, was intrigued.

"There definitely are.", Aeron chimed in at just the right moment, "No matter which ranking, as long as you make it, you'll receive points based on your placement. These points can be used to redeem resources from the temporary exchange shop set up by the state and the alliance."

"These resources are more tailored for Beast Tamers.", Aeron glanced at Asher and even made a special note of it.

Asher: "?"

'Do I look like someone in desperate need of pet evolution research resources?'

'Absolutely not.'

With his current level, the resources he applied for from the alliance were already enough to cover his daily expenses for pet evolution research. Any excess could still be requested from Uncle Robb.

When you have solid achievements, people listen.

But as for Beast Tamer-specific resources… Asher hadn't really looked into them before.

"Let's check it out.", Asher made a decisive call.

Aeron and the others exchanged glances. They had to go, they were also curious. If Asher aimed for the rankings, how far could he climb?

As for the combat power ranking… Asher had already contracted three pet beasts. If he pushed himself, maybe he could make it on?

Not at the top, of course, but at least somewhere around the 8,000–9,000 mark, right?

June was uncertain.

Maybe he could go even higher? It wasn't that June and the others lacked confidence in Asher—it was just that after learning that the ranked Beast Tamers were all upperclassmen, the pressure was overwhelming.

———

The massive venue was packed with people.

Everywhere they looked, there were crowds, crowds, and more crowds.

It took quite the effort for Asher's group of six to squeeze their way in.

"Honestly, it feels like we've been pushing our way through crowds all day.", June muttered.

Asher: "That makes it sound a bit depressing."

As he spoke, he scanned the venue.

No matter which direction he looked, there were people everywhere. But the sky was a different story.

Above them, over a hundred vibrant, multicolored bubbles, each large enough to hold three to five people, floated conspicuously.

And then there were the massive screens positioned throughout the venue.

On the semi-virtual interfaces, countless rankings and texts flickered.

Asher's eyes quickly spotted several rankings at once.

[Combat Power Ranking][Speed Ranking][Defense Ranking]

"I'm going to take a look around first.", Asher told the others, and they waved him off.

It was hard not to get swept up in the atmosphere.

"Sure, I want to see if I can make it onto a ranking too. Give me a moment to look around.", June had no objections.

Aeron: "Then let's meet up later at the Combat Power Ranking."

The rest of the group agreed.

The six of them blended into the crowd like drops of water into the sea, unnoticed.

Asher released Little Raven and Cat-Worm. In the dense crowd, Little Raven, having restrained its powerful aura, didn't stand out much. It rested quietly in Asher's arms, looking like just another unknown bird-type pet beast.

Cat-Worm, on the other hand, had a dragon horn on its head.

Eyes kept landing on Cat-Worm.

Yet, under all these gazes, Cat-Worm showed no discomfort. In fact, it proudly puffed out its chest.

"Meow! Meow!"

'That's right! Dragons are meant to be admired by all!'

Little Raven: =_=

Little Raven smacked Cat-Worm on the head with a wing.

A little brother getting too cocky? No problem.

One slap to bring it back to reality.

Cat-Worm: QwQ

Not cocky anymore, not at all.

Under Big Sis's overwhelming suppression, there was no room for arrogance.

Cat-Worm's expression was pitifully aggrieved.

Some nearby Beast Tamers, who had been skeptical of its dragon attribute, immediately dismissed their doubts.

Tsk! What kind of dragon-type pet beast would look so weak?

And even get bullied by its own teammates? Impossible.

Asher didn't care about these gazes. He took his time and went through all the ranking lists one by one.

Just like Jsssica and the others had said before—

The most valuable ranking list was still the [Combat Power Ranking].

Although many people made it onto the list, the competition was incredibly fierce.

As for the second most important... there wasn't one. The rest were all secondary.

For example, the rankings that tested attack power were even more detailed, divided into [Physical Attack Ranking] and [Special Attack Ranking].

There were also rankings dedicated to specific attribute pet beasts, such as the [Fire Attribute Pet Beast Ranking], [Water Attribute Pet Beast Ranking]… and so on.

The more detailed and niche a ranking was, the fewer spots were available.

For instance, the [Dragon Attribute Pet Beast Ranking]—Asher glanced at it. For this kind of standalone ranking, only the top 300 could make it on the list.

Making it onto the ranking meant receiving rewards.

Seeing this, Asher stroked his chin, 'So the Alliance is encouraging people to climb as many rankings as possible. But the more rankings a Beast Tamer appears on, the more detailed others' understanding of them becomes. It allows opponents to strategize in advance on how to counter them in a battle.'

Naturally, this also increased the difficulty.

Unless one's strength reached a level where they could crush their peers, opponents could look up their specific abilities through the rankings.

'The Alliance is really...'

'Cunning!'

The audience's anticipation for the competition skyrocketed.

The viewing experience became more engaging.

Most importantly... Beast Tamers participating in the competition had to continuously improve their strength. Otherwise, their opponents might analyze their weaknesses in advance and exploit them in battle.

A move that achieved multiple goals at once.

Then, Asher turned to look at the resources provided by the Alliance.

WHOOSH—

Alright, Asher couldn't say he was particularly impressed, but he was indeed tempted by some of the available Beast Tamer resources.

The most common resource was crystal stones. Crystal stones. And more crystal stones.

What surprised Asher was that he also saw skill discs.

Using a special method, recordings of moves were stored in these discs. As long as the disc was broken in front of a pet beast, the recorded image would be displayed, greatly increasing the pet beast's chances of learning the skill.

Regarding this, Asher's evaluation was—

Not as good as his golden finger.

Wouldn't it be better if it just guaranteed learning?

Skill discs carried the risk of skill comprehension failure, whereas his golden finger's cheat mode made it absolutely impossible not to learn a skill.

Asher skipped this section.

Mainly because they were too expensive.

Even if he climbed all the rankings, he wouldn't be able to afford more than a handful of skill discs.

After all, recording skill discs was no easy task.

The price was exorbitant.

Even when Asher saw one or two tempting skills, he still chose to give up in the end.

Instead, he turned his gaze toward the highest and rarest tier of resources—special potions.

Beast Tamer resources were divided into two types: one for pet beasts and one for Beast Tamers. Most of the time, when people referred to resources, they meant the former. The latter was extremely scarce.

The kind that Asher had drawn, a golden legendary-grade resource usable by both Beast Tamers and pet beasts, was even rarer.

And in the exchange shop, the Alliance had listed special potions for Beast Tamers.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Vitality Supplement (Human)]

[Mental Soothing Potion (Human)]

[Meditation Potion (Human)]

[Empathy Potion (Human)]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

There were only these four.

Asher's gaze swept over the first three—just from the names, they were easy to understand. One replenished stamina, one calmed the mind, and one aided meditation.

All useful for Beast Tamers.

Then, Asher saw the last and most unique one—[Empathy Potion (Human)].

Asher clicked on the tender green potion, which seemed to glow with a life-like radiance, to check its details.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Empathy Potion (Human): When consumed during training, it allows the Beast Tamer and pet beast to achieve a temporary mind-body unification, enabling the Beast Tamer to perceive the pet beast's perspective and engage in deep spiritual communication. This enhances training efficiency. Each dose lasts 5 to 10 minutes.]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Asher: "?"

That sounded familiar.

His eyes flickered. This potion... he needed to get one.

Checking the required points—800.

Not too much.

For the [Combat Power Ranking], if he could climb to the 3000th place tier, he'd be able to afford the potion.

Different rankings had different point systems.

The [Combat Power Ranking] remained the most straightforward and brutal.

From bottom to top, points doubled for every thousand-rank increase.

9001–10000th place: 10 points.

8001–9000th place: 20 points.

7001–8000th place: 40 points.

And so on.

3001–4000th place: 640 points.

Starting from 2001–3000th place: 1000 points.

1001–2000th place: 1500 points.

Points increased incrementally for the top 1000.

901–1000th place: 1600 points.

801–900th place: 1700 points.

The higher the rank, the more points awarded.

Except for the top 100, whose points were distributed only after the ranking battles ended, all other rankings granted points immediately. Even if someone got pushed down later, they kept the points they had already earned.

For the top 100, 2000 points were distributed in advance. If they got pushed down, they would keep only those 2000 points. If they held their place, they would receive the remaining points upon final calculation.

Very generous.

Very straightforward.

Very user-friendly.

They were practically shouting—"Come challenge! Come challenge! Hurry up and challenge! The rewards are huge!"

'As expected of the Beast Tamer Alliance—truly generous.'

Asher stroked his chin and examined the names on the [Combat Power Ranking].

Naturally, his eyes went straight to the top name.

[Sophia Garcia, Water Otter University, Senior Year. Pet beasts: Ice Mandarin Duck, Long-Finned Siren, Twin-Headed Jade Constrictor, Rainbow-Scaled Koi. Combat Power: 93,125]

Looking further down—

[Christopher Martin, South Maple University, Senior Year. Pet beasts: Spring Vine, Wood Spirit Lady, Mumu Sprite, Wind Orb. Combat Power: 84,991]

The top two had combat power around 90,000 and 80,000. But from third place onward, the combat power dropped sharply to the 60,000 range—practically a cliff drop.

The lower the rank, the smaller the numbers.

"Why are these two so much stronger than the others?", Asher turned to a young stranger beside him and asked politely.

The young man wasn't startled.

Curiosity was natural.

He scrutinized Asher, then confidently said, "You're a freshman from Bluewind University this year?"

"How did you tell?", Asher was curious.

Because his face was becoming increasingly well-known, he didn't wear a mask but had put on glasses.

Glasses—

The ultimate disguise.

As long as you wore them, no one could recognize you.

Countless predecessors had proven this. [T/N: Lol, Superman reference]

The young man in front of Asher indeed didn't recognize him. He just felt that Asher looked a little familiar but dismissed it after a second glance.

"I'm from Radiant University, senior year. There aren't that many Beast Tamers here. See them enough, and you remember them.", the young man, Paul, said with a smile.

His gaze briefly landed on the two pet beasts in Asher's arms—Little Raven and Cat-Worm, "I've never seen your pet beasts before, so I'm certain you're a new freshman at Bluewind University."

"So these two people…", Asher pointed at the [Combat Power Ranking], still not forgetting the question he wanted to ask.

Paul coughed twice.

Having guessed the junior's identity, he was slightly carried away with pride.

"Hah, as long as you're in your fourth year, you basically know these two people—Sophia Garcia and Christopher Martin. Just look at the number of their pet beasts."

"All the others only have three pet beasts, with strength fluctuating around the first-tier Beast Tamer level. Even if they're not there yet, they're close."

"Only these two are different. Their strength is just short of reaching the second-tier Beast Tamer level.", As he spoke, an obvious look of envy appeared on Paul's face.

Asher took a couple more glances.

Envy.

But not jealousy.

It seemed like he had a decent character. Asher decided to chat with him a little longer, "Wouldn't it be unfair for second-tier Beast Tamers to compete?"

"What's unfair about it?", Paul rolled his eyes unceremoniously. He glanced at Asher again, still feeling like he looked somewhat familiar.

He looked at the very distinctive dragon horns on the Cat-Worm's head, thought for a moment, and then spoke to Asher in a serious tone, "Beast Tamers rely on strength, plain and simple."

"The fact that they have strength close to the second-tier Beast Tamer level is their ability. They're also university students, just like the other competitors, only stronger. Why shouldn't they compete?"

"If these two were disqualified, now that would be truly unfair!"

Asher nodded.

'That is true.'

Where in this world was there absolute fairness?

They weren't cheating.

They were just strong.

"If I want to challenge, I just need to enter one of those bubbles, right?", Asher pointed at the floating, multicolored bubbles in the air.

Paul: "?"

"No?", Paul was shocked as he looked at the freshman he had just chatted with, "Are you sure… you want to challenge this ranking?"

"To be honest, I'd suggest you go for the [Freshman Ranking] instead. It's more manageable.", Paul sincerely advised Asher.

He wasn't sure why.

Paul didn't consider himself a warm-hearted person, but for some reason, he had a good impression of Asher.

He didn't want to see another young guy get crushed, so he kindly reminded him.

But Asher's expression didn't change at all.

'[Freshman Ranking]?'

'Hmm…'

Well, that might be a thing.

But Asher had a pretty clear understanding of his own strength.

He might as well go straight for the [Combat Power Ranking].

Better to leave some room for the other university students, so they wouldn't be hit too hard.

"I really think you should go for the [Freshman Ranking]. If you can make it to the top three, then consider challenging the [Combat Power Ranking]. Otherwise, the blow might be… a bit much.", Paul felt like he understood Asher's thoughts.

Freshmen always thought they were strong and were eager to test themselves against the top players.

The problem was, strength was something built up over time.

With only one or two contracted pet beasts, how could they possibly compete with the third- and fourth-year Beast Tamers, who had rich reserves in every aspect?

With that thought, Paul's gaze swept over the two pet beasts in Asher's arms, "You've contracted two pet beasts already? You must be considered a genius in Bluewind's Combat Department."

Geniuses like that… were the ones most easily crushed into despair.

Just imagine—everything had gone smoothly their whole life.

Then suddenly, they entered a new environment and realized they weren't as amazing as they thought…

"I'm not in the Combat Department.", Asher smiled, "I'm in the Pet Evolution major."

Asher's words left Paul stunned.

The question marks on Paul's face were practically solidifying.

"Ah… ah! So that's how it is.", Paul's words were a little stuttered.

How was he supposed to react to this?

Paul's expression kept changing, caught in a tangled mess of emotions, "Well, in that case… if you want to try, then go ahead."

"Life is all about taking chances.", In the end, Paul's expression firmed up. He patted Asher's shoulder and encouraged him with a serious face, "I believe you'll get a result you're satisfied with!"

As for whether he'd make it onto the rankings…

Cough! Cough!

A person's vision should be broad. No need to dwell on it too much.

Asher smiled. "Then I'll take your blessing."

"Go for it!", Looking at Asher's bright-eyed, innocent freshman face, Paul couldn't help but feel a special sense of senior-student responsibility.

'Did this junior come here alone?'

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