Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

"Are you sure he's not joking with you or lying to you?" Despite his delusions, he still possessed basic discernment.

Aeron and Jessica nodded together: "Definitely not."

Greg: ...

'Great.'

His lifelong rival had finally appeared!

Jessica, still unaware of the gravity of the situation, muttered to herself, "How exactly did he do it?"

"To raise an extraordinary beast with such poor aptitude to its current level?"

"Say no more—within seven months, he took an extraordinary beast originally at mid-level Tier 2 to mid-level Tier 4?"

That rate of improvement was like being launched by a rocket. Not to mention other changes... Jessica even began doubting her own ambitions and goals.

She always considered herself one of the best among the new generation of beast trainers.

Even though people often compared her to Elder Homer or mocked her for riding on Elder Homer's coattails, Jessica never let it bother her. She was her own person—not anyone's substitute or a vine clinging to a big tree.

What she lacked was time and experience. One day, she would also stand at the pinnacle and surpass it.

And then...

The heart that hadn't been crushed by others' cold words and mockery was effortlessly shattered by Asher.

Jessica: "..."

Silence.

She needed peace and quiet right now.

Fortunately, Jessica was never a fragile person; otherwise, she wouldn't have made it this far amidst all the gossip.

After some serious mental adjustment, Jessica finally calmed down.

"I... am not strong enough." Jessica clenched her fists, her gaze firm. "I need to become stronger."

She couldn't be satisfied with her current achievements.

She had to work harder to become an even better beast trainer.

There was no way she could let an unrelated amateur like Asher surpass her.

Not one to dwell on things, Jessica, now full of motivation, was eager to retreat to her room and dive into advanced beast trainer materials to better herself.

Just then, a low voice came from the side.

"Hmph... So this is the destined rival I've been waiting for? Interesting." Greg crossed his arms, his expression serious, his gaze resolute.

Aeron and Jessica, instantly understanding Greg's thought process, fell silent for three seconds.

Then—

"Uncle Greg, calm down! Asher isn't even an adult yet; he's about the same age as your son. Don't you think the generational gap is a bit much?"

"Dad! Stop being dramatic. And whatever you do, don't go acting dramatic in front of Asher. Your son can't bear the embarrassment."

The two simultaneously voiced their complaints.

Greg pretended not to hear, his gaze still unwavering.

Aeron and Jessica exchanged glances.

...They could only hope his dad/Uncle Greg wouldn't do anything strange.

Luckily, the gathering only had one day left.

If they kept things under control... it shouldn't get too out of hand, right?

Aeron and Jessica thought uncertainly.

———

When Iris returned to the suite, she found only Asher sitting there with Little Raven, eating and drinking.

"Managed to send them off?" Iris said with amusement.

Asher: "What do you mean 'send them off'? We talked it through, and it was normal for them to leave after that."

"Did you decide how you're teaming up for tomorrow?" Iris sat in the chair opposite Asher, picked up the teapot on the table, and poured herself a cup of steaming tea. After one sip, her expression turned indescribable.

Setting down the cup, Iris said disdainfully, "You've wasted good tea leaves with such a poor brew."

Asher shrugged.

He wasn't good at brewing tea anyway.

It was a casual brew—drinkable but bitter, and Asher hadn't taken more than a few sips before giving up on it.

"What's this about teaming up?" Asher asked, puzzled.

Iris: "?"

Her expression filled with confusion. "Didn't they come to ask you to team up for tomorrow's rookie activities?"

She explained, "It's a series of interest-based activities between provinces in the South China region. It covers things like beast evolution performances, beast training, skill cultivation, and other specialized knowledge—sometimes even beast battles.

"You can participate alone or in teams of two or three. The latter involves harder and broader knowledge questions. The top three get substantial resource rewards suitable for rookies."

"The main purpose, though, is to showcase each province's promising talents. The rewards are offered jointly by the Beastmaster Alliance and the Beast Trainer Association."

Hearing this, Asher nodded.

Got it.

It was essentially an inter-sect rookie competition.

In comparison, it didn't sound very fun.

Seeing Asher's lack of interest, Iris wasn't surprised. "There's still some time before dinner. Shall I take you to meet that senior now?"

Asher froze for a moment before reacting immediately.

"Let's go!" Asher shot up, startling Little Raven, who was hopping on the table.

Little Raven: ಠ⁠︵⁠ಠ

Asher laughed and reached out to rub the tuft of feathers on Little Raven's head. "Wait for me here; I'll change and be right back."

The room was heated, so Asher had dressed lightly.

But going out required something less casual, if not entirely formal.

With that, Asher turned and went back to his room, leaving Iris and Little Raven alone. They exchanged glances.

Little Raven tilted its head, its glossy black eyes fixed on Iris.

Iris, looking at the tuft of feathers on Little Raven's head that bobbed with its movements, was tempted to touch it after remembering how Asher had done so earlier.

Sensing Iris's intention, Little Raven suddenly flapped its wings and maintained a two-meter distance.

Little Raven: "!"

'Don't come near me!'

'I'm not just any bird!'

Iris retracted her hand regretfully. "Such an unlovable little bird."

Little Raven: ╭(╯^╰)╮

'Beastmasters clearly think birds are super cute.'

'Unlovable? What nonsense!'

When Asher emerged in proper attire, Little Raven flapped over like a face-hugging alien.

Asher: "?"

He pulled Little Raven off his face and asked curiously, "What's going on?"

Neither Little Raven nor Iris answered his question.

"Let's go. I already messaged him, so we can head straight over." Iris stood up, deftly changing the subject.

Asher didn't press further.

After all, he was more eager to talk to the senior who had trained a beast to refine Refined Fire.

He recalled Little Raven to his beast space and followed Iris.

Through winding paths, they arrived at a small courtyard lined with wintersweet trees.

A middle-aged man with a fit build and a warm demeanor emerged from the house upon hearing their footsteps.

When he saw Iris, his smile grew even brighter.

"Professor Iris, what an honor." The man greeted Iris warmly and didn't ignore Asher. "You must be this year's famous little genius from NY City, right?"

"It's true—talents emerge with every generation. Hearing about your feats makes even an old man like me feel humbled."

"Deputy Vice-Chair Kerson, you're being too polite," Iris replied with a faint smile, her tone neither cold nor warm.

Having spent months with Iris, Asher noticed that her attitude toward this man was unusually distant and polite—not that of close friends.

The man, however, seemed oblivious, making Asher inwardly sigh... This relationship feels a bit awkward.

He recognized the man: Kerson, Deputy Vice-Chair of the Noctern Province Breeder Association.

He saw him at the meeting that day, in the lobby. At that time, Iris also shared quite a bit of interesting gossip about this Vice President Kerson.

For example, Vice President Kerson appeared gentle and refined on the surface, exuding the aura of a bigshot. But in private... he was actually a fan of felt handicrafts, and the felt products he made were remarkably exquisite—each piece could be considered a treasure in its own right within the crafting circle.

Asher: "..."

Cough, cough.

Because of this hobby, whenever Asher saw Vice President Kerson, a fuzzy ocean would involuntarily pop into his mind.

Entering the room, they were greeted by a wave of warmth.

As soon as Asher and Iris sat down, Vice President Kerson poured each of them a glass of sweet, chilled floral honey water. "The heating in the room is quite dry. Drink something cool and sweet to balance it out."

"You talk too much nonsense." Iris unceremoniously picked up the honey water, took a sip, then set it down with a disdainful expression—worse than when drinking the tea Asher had ruined before. "You know why I'm here. I've told you before."

Kerson nodded, shifting his gaze from Iris to Asher beside her. "Asher, may I take a look at your pet beast?"

Faced with Kerson's request, Asher did not refuse.

Upon releasing Little Raven, the bird usually flew straight to Asher's head, making a nest in his hair.

But this time was different. While Little Raven instinctively wanted to perch on Asher's head, it kept glancing at Kerson. After a few wing flaps, it hovered mid-air, circling repeatedly. Its small, beady eyes were filled with obvious hesitation.

Asher, seeing this, felt both puzzled and curious.

'What's going on?'

Previously, Little Raven had never shown any interest or friendliness toward a second person.

"This is a Oriental Peacock, isn't it?" Kerson, experienced and knowledgeable, immediately recognized Little Raven's true identity. His gaze carried a hint of surprise as he looked at the bird. "You've raised this Oriental Peacock... exceptionally well."

Kerson's sincere admiration showed.

As the Vice President of the Breeder Association, Kerson might not be the best at nurturing Beasts, but that didn't mean he couldn't evaluate the skills of others.

Just from Little Raven's appearance, Kerson, with his extensive experience, could deduce a great deal—details that even Jessica's talent-based abilities could barely uncover.

"Reduced size, inability to vocalize—these are signs of negative mutations," Kerson said, sipping his sweet honey water in a manner that resembled savoring a rare elixir.

"But this Oriental Peacock's feathers are exceptionally glossy, its energy levels robust, and its wings remarkably strong. From the sharpness of its eyes, it's clear that its intelligence isn't low. All of this indicates excellent nurturing."

"As for why it's showing goodwill toward me…" Kerson smiled.

"It's because I specialize in fire-attributed Beasts. All four of my current contracted beasts are exclusively fire-attribute. I've refined my abilities in the fire attribute to the utmost."

Hearing this, both Asher and Little Raven widened their eyes in shock.

'Huh?'

A beastmaster specializing in a single attribute?

Asher had heard of such beastmasters but had never actually met one.

Beastmasters who focused solely on a single attribute or specific type of Beast weren't uncommon—in fact, there were quite a few.

Contracting single-attribute creatures allowed beastmasters to streamline training regimens. With repeated exposure to the same attribute, they would better understand the advancement patterns and training methods for those creatures.

Similarly, contracting a fixed type—feline Beasts, avian Beasts, canine Beasts—meant their traits were somewhat consistent. This familiarity shortened the adjustment period between the beastmaster and their beasts.

These were the advantages.

The disadvantage was... not every beastmaster could delve deeply into the same kind of creature. They might hit a wall due to their own limitations, causing their beasts' levels to stagnate.

Such beastmasters weren't as versatile as those who embraced diversity in attributes and species.

But for Asher, these considerations didn't matter much.

The progress of a beastmaster's skills depended not only on the potential of their Beasts but even more on the beastmaster's personal limits. If the beastmaster wasn't capable, even the strongest potential in a beast would remain unrealized.

That's why Asher had never been fixated on capturing a specific type of Beast.

Go with the flow. Everything happens as it should.

If Kerson claimed he had mastered the fire attribute, Asher believed he had the capability to back up such a claim.

Seeing no hint of doubt in Asher's gaze—just straightforward belief—Kerson's smile grew even wider. "Young people truly are wonderful."

If he said something like this to the breeders in the association, unfamiliar ones would often show skepticism or disbelief. While understandable, it was genuinely frustrating.

"Your Oriental Peacock is learning fire-attribute skills. It feels goodwill toward me because it senses my strong fire-attribute aura." Kerson's attitude became even more cordial. He paused, a trace of confusion flickering in his eyes.

"Hm?"

Iris glanced at him. "Why'd you stop? Is something wrong?"

"It seems... something is indeed off." Kerson set down his cup, glanced at the Oriental Peacock, then at Asher, speaking with uncertainty.

"If I remember correctly, Oriental Peacocks don't have a fire attribute, right?"

Asher nodded. "Its attributes are special and flight."

"Typically, only fire-attribute creatures can sense my fire aura and develop extraordinary goodwill toward me."

Yet this non-fire-attribute Oriental Peacock displayed the same behavior... Kerson muttered, "Impossible, impossible... There must be an anomaly."

Asher rubbed his nose.

Iris also shot Asher a meaningful glance.

They both recalled a topic they'd discussed earlier.

Could Beasts possibly acquire a third attribute after evolution?

"You stop worrying about it and properly explain to my student how you managed to help your pet beast cultivate refined fire," Iris mercilessly interrupted Kerson's rambling.

Explaining things to Kerson? Not a chance.

After all, this was Asher's discovery.

It might even turn out to be one of Asher's future research achievements.

Why tell Kerson? It's fine to share it with her own teacher.

"Alright," Kerson still frowned, seemingly unable to make sense of things. But since he had already promised, he began sharing his experience while curiously watching the Little Raven nestled in Asher's hair.

"First of all, many beastmasters with fire-type Beasts who want their pets to cultivate Refined Fire fall into the same misconception: they believe that cultivating Refined Fire depends solely on the pet beast's comprehension and understanding of the fire attribute."

"Huh?" Asher was immediately confused, his eyes filled with doubt. "Isn't that the case?"

Admittedly, Asher was also someone with this belief.

"No, absolutely not," Kerson shook his head. "In fact, many Beasts have a profound understanding of fire attributes, yet they still fail to cultivate Refined Fire. Why is that?"

Kerson seemed to have said nothing of substance.

Yet, Asher felt as if he had vaguely touched on something. "…The beastmaster?"

"The beastmaster… must also reach a certain level of comprehension and understanding of the fire attribute alongside their pet beast?"

"Bingo!" Kerson's eyes lit up in an instant.

He looked at Asher with an admiring gaze, carefully observing him from head to toe. "I love students like you with quick comprehension."

Thinking about the newbie breeders under his supervision, who couldn't grasp concepts even if they were spoon-fed, Kerson was beyond satisfied with Asher.

It had been so long since he encountered a student who could grasp the essence of things so quickly.

Even Jessica, the most promising novice breeder in the Noctern Province Breeders' Association in recent years, fell far short in terms of sensitivity to knowledge compared to Asher.

Thinking of this, Kerson silently glanced at Iris sitting nearby... 'What a pity.'

This promising student already had a teacher and had chosen a university. There was no chance of poaching him.

…Although, as the saying goes, if you wield the shovel skillfully, no wall is unmovable.

Kerson dared not try, though. If he did, Iris might turn him into fertilizer by the wall.

Forget it. A good seedling, but it belonged to someone else's field.

Kerson continued, "Yes, it's precisely the synergy between the beastmaster and their pet beast."

"This synergy doesn't just manifest in battles but extends to many other aspects as well."

"Mutual achievement, mutual influence, and mutual growth—this is the truly healthy relationship between a beastmaster and their pet beast."

The more Kerson spoke, the more animated he became.

"Let me show you something amazing." He winked at Asher and leaned closer with a mysterious air.

He couldn't poach this promising student, but that didn't mean he couldn't show off in front of him.

Who knows, maybe one day this talented student would come knocking on his door instead?

Kerson waved his hand.

The next second...

At his fingertip, a small, weak flame appeared, seemingly ready to extinguish at any moment but undeniably real.

Asher: "!"

'This… What is this…?'

Asher's eyes widened.

He confirmed repeatedly—this wasn't a magic trick. The small flame genuinely appeared on Kerson's fingertip.

'Humans can directly possess such power without relying on Beasts?'

"Showing off again. As soon as you see a promising student, all you do is show off this trick," Iris rolled her eyes, nearly looking skyward. "Why don't you mention that no matter how much you cultivate, your little flame will only ever be good for lighting a cigarette?"

"Uh… well… hahaha!"

Kerson, who had been showing off moments ago, immediately wore an awkward expression. "Such details don't need to be mentioned…"

As he spoke, his voice grew softer under Asher's accusatory gaze.

The smile faded from Kerson's face and transitioned to Iris's.

"He does have a knack for helping pet beasts cultivate Refined Fire, but take the rest of his words with a grain of salt," Iris turned to Asher, seemingly worried that he might be swayed and run off.

"When a beastmaster specializes in a single attribute to the extreme, their beast space within the mental sea may experience some minor changes."

"This is because the beastmaster achieves true unity of body and mind with single-attribute Beasts. But at most, that's all there is to it—no more."

Asher: "…Kind of underwhelming."

Kerson felt like his heart had been shattered by Asher's blunt remark. But… he couldn't argue with it.

After a bit more conversation, Asher, preoccupied with thoughts of cultivating Refined Fire, soon excused himself.

Noticing this, Iris expressed their intent to leave, and Kerson politely saw them off.

On the way back, Asher chose not to return the Little Raven to his beast space. Frequent recalls to the mental sea beast space weren't ideal for either of them. Sometimes, getting used to the fresh air outside was a good thing.

Asher took the Little Raven off his head, held it in his palm, and gently smoothed its feathers with his fingers.

The Little Raven, initially resistant, instantly melted in his palm.

'Pet me, pet me!'

'Pet here, and here too!'

'So comfortable!'

The Little Raven happily squinted its eyes.

As Asher petted little raven, he contemplated whether to seize the opportunity to try cultivating Refined Fire with it.

He acted without delay.

After a brief chat with Iris, Asher returned to his room.

"Dual Flame Condensation Grass… Good thing I brought this." Asher picked up the herb he had kept with him.

This was something he had retrieved from the mining site. Lacking the right moment to use it, he'd kept it on hand, anticipating that the crow might need it eventually. Better prepared than having to make a trip back to the school dormitory.

Today felt like the perfect time to use it.

The words from Kerson echoed in his mind, sparking a bold idea: if eating the herb could help the little raven grasp the Refined Fire, what if he consumed some as well?

The more he thought about it, the harder it was to resist.

But Asher wasn't reckless. After confirming that consuming the herb wouldn't harm humans but would only waste its effects, he made his decision: Half for him, half for the Little Raven, and then they would cultivate together.

"Do it when you decide to do it."

The preparation and processing of the Fire Condensing Grass was extremely simple.

After picking it, use fire-attribute skills to roast it repeatedly until the color of the Fire Condensing Grass becomes bright and vibrant, like a solidified flame ready to ignite at any moment, and then consume it in one gulp.

Little Raven had no intention of swallowing a "flame."

On the contrary, Asher, after mentally preparing himself, muttered softly, "I'm really risking it this time..."

If Little Raven couldn't cultivate Refined Fire... well, consider it a sacrifice for science.

Closing his eyes, Asher didn't even look as he swallowed the Fire Condensing Grass.

In an instant.

Asher felt as if a ball of fire burned from his throat all the way down to his stomach without stopping, and the intensity only seemed to grow.

It didn't hurt.

It wasn't hot.

It wasn't uncomfortable.

...But it just felt strange.

It was as though a blazing flame might burst out of his stomach at any moment.

It was... like the feeling of about to cultivate an Inner Core.

Asher's expression shifted unpredictably.

Little Raven stared at Asher with its round, curious eyes.

'(°.°)'

'Wow!'

'The Beast Master's expression looks so fun.'

'So fascinating.'

Asher, being stared at by Little Raven: "..."

Originally, with his eyes closed, Asher opened a slit and reached out a finger to lightly tap Little Raven's head. It wasn't heavy at all, just a gentle reminder.

"Don't stare at me. Close your eyes and start sensing, got it?",Asher said grumpily.

What kind of habit is this.

Spoiled behavior.

Despite his words, next time Asher would inevitably spoil Little Raven again.

Not only was Asher aware of this, but Little Raven knew it too.

So, Little Raven happily closed its eyes and obediently tried to meditate alongside Asher.

Hmm...

A bit fiery, but they could persist a little longer, right?

Both Asher and Little Raven found it much harder to enter a meditative state after consuming the Fire Condensing Grass compared to usual.

Emptying the mind... clearing... simply couldn't clear the mind at all, damn it.

Who could relax their mind while feeling a warm and incredibly vivid flame in their abdomen.

After repeatedly and stubbornly trying to meditate, failing over and over, Asher and Little Raven opened their eyes. The human and bird exchanged glances, seeing the same helplessness in each other's eyes.

"No, we can't just give up like this, Little Raven." Asher was the first to reenergize, encouraging Little Raven. "It's just meditating with a ball of fire in our stomachs. We can do this, right?"

Asher's eyes sparkled as he looked at Little Raven.

Little Raven: "..."

'Absolutely unable to say no, cheep!'

(o.o)

'Yes!'

'No problem!'

'A Beast Master and a bird can surely do it!'

After a quick bite of food, Asher and Little Raven sat down again, attempting to enter a cultivation state.

...Deep breaths... banish distracting thoughts... focus entirely on the sensation of the fire... ignore the heat in the abdomen...

Fire attribute...

Burning flames...

Skills... Fireball... Fire Attack... Dance of Fire...

Bit by bit, more concretely, until finally, Asher's mind seemed to hold nothing but the most primitive, faintly flickering, burning, yet tenacious little flame in the darkness.

Asher tried to make the small flame burn more vigorously.

He attempted to inject spiritual power—no use.

He tried having Little Raven ignite it with fire-attribute skills—no use.

In the end... Asher attempted to pour his understanding and knowledge of the fire attribute into the tiny flame.

The flame grew slightly.

Asher didn't get overjoyed but continued with difficulty, painstakingly nurturing and feeding the tiny flame alongside Little Raven.

They watched as it grew from a faint, wind-blown ember into a gradually stabilizing flame.

It turned into two tiny flames.

Then into a condensed fire.

Then into a small fireball...

Completely immersed, Asher and Little Raven had entirely lost track of time, unaware of hunger or fatigue. Nothing external could disturb them.

.

.

.

The final day of the event had ended.

Everyone rested for one last night here, though some impatient Breeders or Pet Evolution Professors flew back to their workplaces in the afternoon.

"Asher hasn't come out yet?" Jessica, who hadn't seen Asher all day, went to ask Iris, learning from her that Asher had been cultivating in his room since the previous evening.

Jessica didn't want to disturb Asher and could only wait for him to emerge on his own.

No one expected that this wait would last an entire day.

Tomorrow would be the eighth, overdue day.

"...What should we do? Should we wake him up?" Jessica asked uneasily.

What kind of cultivation was this, lasting an entire day and night without stepping out.

Even though they were Beast Masters, they were still mere mortals with physical needs, weren't they?

Not immortals.

Iris frowned slightly, "It's okay. I've extended the room for one more day. If he hasn't come out by tomorrow, I'll call him myself."

As she spoke, Iris glanced at Kerson not far away.

"...If I say this has nothing to do with me, would you believe me?" Kerson, aware that Asher was likely cultivating Refined Fire with Little Raven, sounded aggrieved. "I didn't expect him to be so reckless either."

Right after learning the key to cultivating Refined Fire from him, Asher immediately went back to try it out.

If he failed, Kerson wouldn't have said anything.

But judging by Asher's behavior... it didn't seem like he was about to fail.

For a moment, Kerson doubted himself.

'Is cultivating Refined Fire really this easy?'

'Or is Asher simply pushing through sheer willpower?'

After analyzing, Kerson concluded it was likely the latter. There was no way Asher could cultivate Refined Fire so quickly, especially with a Beast.

Iris said nothing.

After all, if she had to admit it, she'd known about Asher's attempt beforehand. He'd informed her before starting.

Her initial thought was the same as Kerson's.

Success wouldn't come so easily; if Asher wanted to try, let him.

Failure is the mother of success, after all.

Who would have thought… Asher would grit his teeth and persist for an entire day and night without giving up? Isn't this determination heading straight for success?

"Hey, speaking of this… Do you think Asher can really manage to train Refined Fire with that Oriental Peacock all at once?" Seeing Iris wasn't that angry anymore, Kerson proactively leaned closer and asked softly.

He stroked his chin, his face full of thought: "Honestly, if you ask me, the chances of him failing this time are pretty high."

Oriental Peacocks aren't beasts with fire attributes.

Learning fire attribute skills is already very difficult.

Let alone training Refined Fire, which only fire-attribute extraordinary beasts can train.

If Iris hadn't personally come to him, saying it would count as a favor owed, and if Asher hadn't shown such great potential, Kerson wouldn't have easily shared his insights.

Even so, Kerson still wasn't very optimistic about Asher.

Perhaps in researching pet beast evolution, Asher is a rising star. But in nurturing pet beasts and development paths, Asher might not necessarily be a genius.

"Failing isn't so bad," Iris said calmly. "Sometimes experiencing setbacks isn't a bad thing."

Another night passed.

Most people had really left by now.

For these breeders and extraordinary pet evolution professors and scholars, a week of rest was enough relaxation. Resting any longer would become mental torment.

They couldn't wait to return and dive back into their work.

Work is life.

The few people who stayed behind were those who had a good relationship with Asher.

Like Iris.

And Kerson, who felt he was somewhat connected to this situation.

Then there were Jessica, Aeron, and his father.

"I'm friends with Asher. I'm not leaving until I'm sure he's safe." Jessica said worriedly.

Aeron snuck a glance at Iris, then quickly retracted his gaze before he was noticed, pounding his chest with a righteous look: "Me too."

Jessica gave him a big eye-roll.

Greg said nothing on the side.

At this moment, they were all gathered in Iris's suite, with Greg's gaze occasionally sweeping toward the tightly shut door.

Time passed bit by bit.

The first one who couldn't sit still was Aeron. He wiggled in his chair, muttering under his breath: "… Why isn't he out yet? Hasn't it been nearly two whole days and nights? Is he really cultivating immortality in there?"

Otherwise, how could he not be hungry and have no normal physiological needs?

If you were to ask whether Asher in the room wasn't hungry at all?

The answer would definitely be… Hungry.

Starving!

But having lost his sense of time, Asher thought at most only half a day had passed, and he could endure this level of hunger a bit longer.

The reason Asher hadn't moved was because…

During the Refined Fire training process, Asher faintly felt that his beast-taming space spiritual sea, which had been stuck at 3+, was also starting to loosen.

Asher was completely shocked.

'Why?'

'Why is the spiritual sea reacting too?'

'Could it be… that the process of condensing Refined Fire, under the flames' burning, also caused the spiritual sea to condense along with it?'

Asher wasn't sure, but he wasn't about to miss this opportunity.

If he could use this chance while Little Raven was condensing Refined Fire to directly break through the fourth level of his spiritual sea… then Little Raven's evolution conditions would all be fully met.

Victory or death.

This time, he was going all in.

Asher's surging adrenaline made his body subconsciously ignore his hunger, block out his physical needs, and let his willpower overcome everything.

Finally.

By afternoon.

A dazzling golden-red light burst out of Asher's room.

Even Iris and the others, standing outside the suite, were completely stunned by the golden-red light.

They… What were they witnessing?

That golden-red light was like a slowly rising sun.

The blazing sun hung high.

The energy in the air seemed to vibrate along with it.

It wasn't their imagination. The energy that usually wandered in the air, omnipresent but always uncontrollable, now seemed to resonate with the golden-red light in the room, rushing toward it like moths to a flame.

With more energy fueling it, the golden-red light became even brighter.

For a moment.

Iris, Kerson, Greg, Jessica, and Aeron all saw nothing but light.

Nothing but the sun's radiance, with nothing else in sight.

The scorching heat made them feel like they were in the peak of summer.

BOOM—

A nonexistent sound exploded in their ears.

The golden-red light suddenly dispersed.

It transformed into flecks of golden light, melting into the air, scattering like stars, as if the world had turned into a fairyland.

"Asher… Little Raven… What happened?" Jessica's voice trembled as he spoke.

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.

https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y