Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

[T/N: Check out my friend's fanfic— "Hentai Conquest: Starting From Kuroinu"]

"Tuesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, Friday morning."

After gathering enough information with just a few questions, Asher tossed his backpack into the empty teacher's dormitory. Without even bothering to unpack, he eagerly prepared to check out the on-campus Battle Arenas.

Cough.

He had promised himself not to battle in the next couple of days…

But he was just going to take a look.

He wanted to see if the Battle Arenas at Bluewind University were as amazing as rumored.

Assistant work and lesson plan PPTs?

No problem. He'd pull an all-nighter tonight to get them done.

Earlier, Iris had sent him a digital campus map.

After looking it over, Asher had only one thought: 'Why build a university this big?'

From the classroom dorm area to the Battle Arenas, even cycling would take nearly half an hour. Walking? He didn't dare imagine.

After stepping out, Asher glanced around, hoping to spot a suitable campus transportation option, like shared bikes.

Within two steps, he noticed a small advertisement on the wall.

After reading it for two seconds, he decisively took out his phone and made a call.

Ten minutes later, a small electric scooter stopped beside him.

"You're the boss who contacted me earlier, right? Hop on. Wherever you need to go, I'll get you there." The helmet-wearing short-haired girl, clearly a university student, greeted him cheerfully. When she spoke, her small tiger teeth flashed faintly.

She handed Asher a helmet.

Asher stared at the helmet for a moment.

The short-haired girl quickly said, "Don't worry, boss. It's clean. We're a reputable service."

"And you'll get caught if you ride on campus without a helmet."

Thinking about the long distance, Asher took the helmet, put it on, and sat on the scooter's back seat. "To the Battle Arenas," he said.

"Got it!"

The girl twisted the handlebars, and they were off.

"Boss, you're staying in the teacher's dorm? Are you a new teacher? You look so young! What subject do you teach?"

"I'm Lara, a freshman this year. If we ever meet, could you go easy on me?"

Lara was talkative. Her energetic voice didn't stop the entire ride.

But thanks to her chatter, Asher learned quite a bit about Bluewind University.

For instance, the food at Cafeteria 1 was delicious, Cafeteria 2 was generous with portions, and Cafeteria 3 was affordable and student-friendly. The Battle Arenas were always crowded, and latecomers might struggle to find a spot. However, with a teacher's card or a favor from a teacher, you could access the sixth-floor teacher's area, which was less crowded.

"Boss, should we exchange contact info? Maybe you can let me sneak into the sixth floor sometime. I heard the teacher's area is totally different from the student zones."

Hearing this, Asher silently took out his card and examined it.

Sure enough, it wasn't a student card, but it wasn't a teacher's card either. It was a temporary teaching assistant card with his picture on it.

"Can TA cards access the sixth floor?" Asher asked directly.

Lara: "Huh?"

She slowed the scooter a bit, seemingly pondering the question,"Probably… not?"

"Let me think… A TA card probably has similar access to a student card?"

"But it doesn't factor into student rankings?"

Lara nodded twice, as if affirming her speculation.

Asher sighed.

Confirmed. Iris did it on purpose. She didn't give him full access, probably fearing he'd run off after experiencing it all.

Asher wasn't too concerned about rankings.

He'd find out what it entailed when he got there.

Half an hour later, Asher was stunned by the enormous structure before him.

'Goodness!'

"Boss, this is it. Want me to come in and give you a guided tour?" Lara gestured toward the building.

"It's cheap, and it'll give you a better service experience."

Her bright smile, paired with her puppy-like eyes, brimmed with anticipation as she stared at Asher.

"Trust me, I'm not ripping you off. The Battle Arena is massive, and you might get lost if it's your first time."

Asher politely declined with a smile.

"Alright." Lara took out her phone. "Let's add each other. If you need help next time—be it campus transportation, errands, or pet training—you can count on me."

Faced with Lara's eager puppy eyes, Asher… couldn't say no. Thinking about how he might be at Bluewind University for a month or two, he agreed.

After exchanging contacts, Lara beamed with a bright smile. For a moment, Asher imagined a wagging tail behind her.

Asher: "…"

'Cough! Dogs are man's best friend. Refusing a friend would be unkind.'

He turned and headed for the entrance.

At the gate, a touchscreen display detailed the layout of the Battle Arenas' floors.

After a quick look, Asher understood.

Student cards allowed access to the open battle zones on the first floor, the specialized battlefields on the second floor, and the solo training rooms on the third floor.

The fourth and fifth floors required high rankings to unlock.

The sixth floor was exclusively for teachers.

He nodded. It all made sense.

The first three floors were public zones, the fourth and fifth for advanced Beastmasters, and the sixth was where teachers trained their star pupils.

Swiping the TA card Iris had prepared, Asher smoothly entered the Battle Arenas.

The space opened up before him.

The open battle area was vast, not inferior to NY City's rookie Battle Arenas. After observing a few battles, he noticed a clear difference.

NY's rookie Battle Arenas hosted pre-Bestmasters who had bonded with one pet, limited to Tier 3 Advanced at most. Their combat power and the resulting destruction were minimal, and the battle zones were just two meters apart. A bit of distraction was enough to glimpse neighboring fights.

Bluewind University, however, required applicants to be full-fledged Beastmasters.

A formal Beastmaster needed at least one pet at Tier 4 Beginner or two pets at Tier 3 Intermediate.

This demonstrated a Beastmaster's capability and potential. At 18, managing two supernatural pets of Tier 3 Intermediate was already commendable.

This higher standard translated into more destructive battles. Hence, public battle zones were spaced four meters apart to prevent interference from neighboring fights.

After reading, Asher touched his chin.

Perhaps due to the influx of new students at the start of the semester, Asher felt that if Little Raven fought here... It might not be a crushing victory, but a fifty-fifty chance of winning didn't seem out of reach.

After some thought, Asher went up to the second floor.

A quick glance revealed that it wasn't much different from the newbie battle arena in NY City. Various rooms simulated different battlefields, with each able to accommodate only one group at a time.

Skipping the second floor, Asher went straight to the third floor—the training grounds.

This was also one of Bluewind University's unique features.

All 1,500 rooms were occupied.

Asher: "..."

' Aren't they supposed to be rushing for early morning classes? Why are there still so many people here?'

Using his phone, Asher reserved a room on the machine. Luckily, with so many rooms available, one opened up for him in about twenty minutes.

Navigating through the maze of corridors using the detailed room number layout displayed nearby, Asher eventually reached his room.

Pushing the door open, he found himself in an empty room about 40-50 square meters in size.

With a curious heart, Asher stepped inside, and the door automatically locked behind him.

A massive projection screen appeared mid-air, accompanied by a mechanical voice that had an electric buzz to it. If Asher were to describe it, the voice resembled that of a slightly clumsy AI, forcing an emotional tone but still sounding stiff.

Oddly enough, the more you listened, the cuter it seemed.

[Assistant Teacher Asher, welcome to the training grounds.]

[No previous usage records detected for "Assistant Instructor Asher." Would you like to activate the beginner's guide?]

"Yes."

[Please release your pet beast.]

Asher released Little Raven, who flapped its wings and perched steadily on Asher's shoulder.

Tilting its head, its black, beady eyes watched the large screen alongside Asher.

[This training ground can simulate various training modes. Once entered, the minimum session duration is locked at 30 minutes, with a maximum uninterrupted duration of 3 hours. During this period, entry and exit are restricted. Daily usage is limited to three sessions.]

Nine hours in total? That seemed reasonable. Asher nodded. Whether it was a person or a pet beast, there were limits to endurance.

[Please choose a training direction.]

The 72-inch screen flashed, displaying several options:

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Ranking Mode] +

[Virtual Extraordinary Creature Combat] +

[Specific Skill Training] +

[Special Scene Simulation] +

[Open Mode]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Each main option expanded into more detailed sub-options, which Asher browsed one by one.

The more he explored, the better he understood why people raved about Bluewind University's special facilities—it was genuinely impressive.

Due to his assistant instructor ID card, the [Ranking Mode] was unavailable to him.

Under [Virtual Extraordinary Creature Combat], he saw a vast selection of extraordinary creatures, even including dragon-type extraordinary creatures, which were conveniently marked with a [High Risk] warning.

Asher was intrigued by this unfamiliar combat style.

He decided to explore all the options before making a choice.

[Specific Skill Training] allowed selection of skills from different attributes for learning.

Asher found this quite appealing too.

As he browsed, a sub-option under the fire attribute caught his eye—[Refined Flame].

Asher: "!"

Ask, and you shall receive. How could he not try this?

Without hesitation, Asher selected [Refined Flame].

The mechanical voice buzzed again.

[Confirm training for "Refined Flame"?]

[This mode provides limited assistance. Mastery of special skills is not guaranteed.]

[Yes] [No]

Asher: *Feeling Suspicious*

If a mere virtual holographic device could help extraordinary creatures master a skill of this level, Bluewind University wouldn't just be a top-tier university—it would be world-famous.

Asher confirmed.

[Please have your pet beast stand in the virtual blue circle at the center.]

Little Raven: "?"

Asher patted the tuft of feathers on Little Raven's head. "Go on."

'Hopefully... nothing would happen?'

Little Raven hopped and fluttered into the blue circle.

The next moment, the virtual screen disappeared.

The previously bare walls transformed in the blink of an eye into an extremely realistic volcanic landscape, both visually and olfactorily.

Molten red light shimmered beneath the undulating volcanic terrain, exuding a terrifying heat. The stench of sulfur and rotten eggs filled the air.

Asher and Little Raven found themselves in the middle of this space. Instinctively, cold sweat broke out on Asher's back.

His brain and logic kept reminding him: Fake! This is all fake!

But his senses screamed: Real! This is absolutely real!

Asher: "...I suddenly understand how Little Raven's opponents feel when it uses its King's Aura."

Little Raven flapped its wings nervously, its black, beady eyes wide with alarm as they reflected the molten lava that seemed ready to erupt at any moment.

It hadn't yet realized the impending danger.

Instead, it only felt the sudden, terrifyingly high temperature around it.

Then, a burst of scorching magma erupted from where Little Raven stood.

Little Raven was a second too slow to react.

The magma singed the tip of its tail feathers, leaving a section burnt bald.

Little Raven: "!!!"

Terrified, it flapped its wings desperately, trying to fly back to Asher, only to crash into an invisible barrier.

On either side of the barrier, Asher and Little Raven stared at each other in disbelief.

Asher: "..."

Little Raven: "..."

Little Raven: ' .⁠·⁠´⁠¯⁠`⁠(⁠>⁠▂⁠<⁠)⁠´⁠¯⁠`⁠·⁠. Save me! Beastmaster, save me now!'

Just as Asher was about to speak and analyze the situation, magma rain began to fall from the sky on Little Raven's side.

Ignoring his logical doubts, Asher shouted, "Use Heart of Protection. Shield against the magma rain."

But to their surprise, the Heart of Protection skill failed.

Asher and Little Raven: "?"

Little Raven's already panicked movements became even more erratic.

Flapping its wings wildly, it almost forgot how to fly.

Several drops of magma rain brushed past Little Raven, burning away patches of its feathers.

Its black, beady eyes now brimmed with tears, looking like watery fried eggs from a cartoon.

Asher took a deep breath. The mixture of sulfur and rotten egg smells was nauseating but helped him regain his composure quickly.

"Little Raven, don't be afraid. Use Fireball. Attack the falling magma rain while dodging." he commanded.

After a moment of hesitation, Little Raven followed Asher's instructions.

As expected, when its Fireball skill hit the falling magma rain, both disappeared upon impact.

It worked.

With this discovery, Asher fully calmed down and began analyzing the situation. "So... this is the kind of training provided by the virtual equipment?"

Asher was amazed.

It was so realistic.

The visual, olfactory, and tactile fidelity of the volcanic environment was astonishing. If it weren't for the fact that the magma wasn't as deadly as real magma, Asher might have believed that Bluewind University had imported a volcanic landscape into the training grounds for fire-attribute pet beasts.

Oh, and there's another flaw: despite the scorching heat, there isn't even a trace of fire-element energy in it.

Still, ignoring these small flaws, Asher had to admit that this was indeed an excellent training method.

In just half an hour, Little Raven's reaction speed and mastery of fire-element skills, which Asher had thought were already at their limit at this stage, had improved slightly once more.

Don't underestimate this "slightly."

Over time, a small improvement can accumulate into a massive leap.

However, because Asher didn't adjust the lock-in time earlier, he was kicked out of the room as soon as the half-hour training session ended.

Reluctantly, Asher had to leave the training mode with Little Raven while they were still in high spirits.

When he reapplied for a training room, the number of people had increased, and the next available slot was an hour later.

So, Asher took Little Raven to the first floor instead.

It's fine. Just one hour. He and Little Raven could wait.

But they couldn't waste the time. Going to the first floor to spar with a formal Beastmaster and experience the strength of transcendent creatures a rank higher didn't seem like a bad idea.

And then... there was no "and then."

———

"A freshman? Your pet is a Oriental Peacock, right? Its strength is decent, but it doesn't seem to have broken through to the fourth rank yet." A muscular girl with healthy tanned skin crossed her arms and spoke calmly.

"Fighting you is enjoyable. I don't mind if you switch to another pet and continue battling me. Violent Giant Bear won't mind either."

On the field, a massive black-brown bear standing three meters tall, with muscles bulging all over its body, raised its arms and roared excitedly, "ULA—"

'Fun! Keep going!'

Asher: "... I only have Little Raven."

The girl paused. "Huh? A trainee Beastmaster?" For the first time, her calm gaze revealed a hint of surprise. "Then how did you get in? Aren't you a freshman this year?"

She was stunned.

No?

Then how did Asher sneak in?

Asher looked a bit embarrassed. "Ahem... I'm a teaching assistant."

The girl was even more surprised. "Oh... oh?"

"Fine, fine..." Her expression visibly wilted for a moment, muttering, "I was even thinking about inviting you to form a team for next year's South China University Beastmaster Competition."

'South China University Beastmaster Competition?'

Asher's interest was piqued. "Can you tell me more about it, senior?"

Before the girl could respond, Asher added, "I've already received the guaranteed admission notice from Bluewind University. I'll definitely be a freshman there next year."

She glanced at Asher and was once again shocked.

She couldn't figure out how "teaching assistant," "guaranteed admission," and "future freshman" could all fit together.

"It's simple. It's a competition between Beastmasters from various universities in South China. Students from freshmen to seniors can participate, and those who place high enough can win generous resource rewards," she briefly explained, deciding not to overthink.

Realizing that Asher, still a high school senior, already had such strong abilities and a guaranteed spot, her enthusiasm rekindled. "Let's exchange contact info? I'll send you the competition notice and keep an eye on your progress."

"When you enroll, we can team up directly." Her excitement grew as she spoke.

"And since you're currently at Bluewind University, Violent Giant Bear and I can spar with you. If that's not enough, you can join my training regimen."

"Besides, I'm already a first-rank Beastmaster. If you want, I can switch to other pets to help you train."

"ULA ULA—" Violent Giant Bear roared in excitement.

'The little black bird—completely unimpressed.'

Perched in Asher's hand, Little Raven, still woozy from earlier, protested internally: 'No! I absolutely don't need such 'admiration!''

Little Raven glared at Asher: 'Refuse her! Say no, Beastmaster!'

"Thank you, senior." Asher smiled as he accepted her goodwill.

She beamed. "Since you're a teaching assistant, don't call me senior—it's weird. My name is Abella. You can call me Sister Abella or just Bella."

After exchanging contact details, Abella turned to find her next opponent. "I'll be off. Next time, I'll call you—don't skip out."

"ULA!" Violent Giant Bear enthusiastically waved goodbye to Little Raven.

Little Raven was silent.

Turning its back to Violent Giant Bear, it used its singed, featherless tail to express its silent protest.

Asher coughed awkwardly, unsure how to console Little Raven.

After all, today's events... well, it's hard to turn down a first-rank Beastmaster offering free sparring.

Good opponents are easy to find. But a good opponent willing to help you grow is rare.

"But if we train with them more, we'll get stronger," Asher said softly, holding Little Raven up to eye level.

"Doesn't our Little Raven want to get stronger?"

Little Raven glared angrily.

'Is this about wanting to get stronger?'

'No! This is about the huge gap in strength!'

'Training? This isn't training—it's being toyed with!'

Little Raven: 'Beastmaster, you're bad! I'm not getting over this!'

Realizing the psychological toll on Little Raven, Asher canceled the training room reservation for the day.

After a quick treatment at the first-floor service center, all wounds were healed, though regrowing burned feathers would take time.

Asher took Little Raven back to the dormitory.

Cleaning the table, he moved it to the balcony, letting the warm sunlight spill over it. He placed Little Raven's favorite soft, colorful bird nest on it and set out fruits and nuts from the gacha pool.

"Rest well. I'll clean up first, then give you a bath and apply some ointment, okay?" he said gently, stroking the tuft on Little Raven's head.

Then he began cleaning diligently.

Little Raven peeked at him between bites of fruit and nuts, observing his tireless back.

Again and again.

Finally, it fluttered over with a fresh apple in its beak and pressed it to Asher's mouth.

Little Raven: 'Eat! I, uh... am forgiving! Definitely not softhearted!'

Asher smiled and ate the apple, keeping Little Raven's dignity intact.

Little Raven: 'Hmph. My heart is ironclad!'

———

A week later.

"Huh?" Upon hearing the news, Asher stared at Iris in shock, his wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"What?" Asher opened his mouth, seemingly at a loss for words, trying to reorganize his thoughts.

Iris waved her hand, not giving Asher a chance to speak. "That's how it is. I have an academic conference out of the province for three to five days. During this time, my classes are all yours."

"Don't overthink it. It's not that much pressure."

"When you held your academic presentation, weren't there far more people in the audience than in my elective class? Didn't you handle that just fine?"

Asher: "How are those two things the same?"

"They are the same," Iris replied nonchalantly. "I've already informed the dean. There's no issue. You can teach with confidence. I have full faith in your teaching abilities."

Seeing Asher was about to refuse, Iris played her trump card.

"During the time you're substituting, you can borrow my teacher's access card."

Asher: "!"

Asher smiled. "Professor Iris, you're too kind. Since you've put it this way, how could I not help?"

"Heh."

Asher pretended not to hear Iris's mocking laughter.

In life, the first rule is to have thick skin.

Especially when the situation is clearly beneficial to oneself.

Taking the teacher's access card from Iris, Asher's eyes were practically glowing.

The effects of Bluewind University's training rooms had far exceeded his expectations—they were genuinely effective, incredibly so.

Whether Little Raven could comprehend Refined Fire was still uncertain, but in all other aspects, Little Raven's abilities had improved significantly... though he still couldn't beat that violent bear yelling "ULA!"

If the third-floor training room was this effective, Asher grew increasingly curious about the equipment on the sixth floor.

"By the way, Professor Iris, do you know how the effects of the training room..." Asher gestured vaguely with his hands, trying to describe the virtual equipment. "How is it achieved?"

"During training, it can ban Little Raven from using skills of other attributes, forcing him to use only fire attribute skills. How is that possible?" This question had puzzled Asher for days. "If this technology were used in forbidden zones..."

Wouldn't it easily wipe out those wild, violent, bloody, and unruly extraordinary creatures?

"Stop daydreaming."

Iris's cold voice shattered Asher's unrealistic fantasy.

"That's impossible. The special equipment has extremely strict usage conditions; a sealed indoor environment is one of the necessities."

"The mix of reality and illusion is achieved by using all types of elemental energy stones as the driving force, in conjunction with the equipment. The daily consumption of energy stones to sustain the training room is astronomical."

Asher broke out in a cold sweat.

As expected of Bluewind University, even their money-burning methods were unique.

"The most crucial point is that once an extraordinary creature reaches Tier Five, the illusions—real or fake—completely lose their effect on them."

"That's why this equipment can only realize its full value at a university."

Asher suddenly understood.

No wonder it wouldn't work on Tier Five beasts.

Using it in high schools would be a waste, while advanced Beast Taming academies wouldn't benefit. Only university-level students could fully utilize it.

Curious, Asher couldn't help but ask, "So what's so special about the sixth floor? Does it have a training ground effective even for Tier Five or higher beasts?"

Iris gave Asher a meaningful look, one that could only be understood, not explained.

"My advice: you'd better wait as long as possible before going there." Iris paused. "Of course, I know you won't be able to resist, so I won't stop you."

"Some things you have to experience yourself to understand the stakes."

"Alright, I'll leave the upcoming classes to you." Iris, always efficient and decisive, was gone before Asher could say another word.

Her words left Asher's heart racing—part excitement, part anxiety. While he was still adjusting his mindset, he had to prepare for Iris's Tuesday morning class at eight.

———

When Asher stepped onto the podium and opened the PPT, the thousand-plus students below barely reacted. They had already met Iris's teaching assistant last week.

But as Asher began explaining the slides and it became clear Iris wasn't showing up, question marks popped up over the students' heads.

'Wait?'

'Where's Professor Iris?'

'Where's our elegant, stunning, ice-cold beauty with those long legs in stockings?'

Meanwhile, principal Boyle came and went quietly, unnoticed as he listened to half of the elective course on Beast Evolution History.

Back in his office, Principal Boyle removed his baseball cap, revealing his graying hair. He made a call to Iris.

"That kid's pretty good, but you're so unreliable—leaving so abruptly. Aren't you afraid something might go wrong?"

Iris's voice came through the line. "I'm very reliable when it counts. You saw Asher's PPT, didn't you?"

"I'm starting to suspect Asher has already self-studied the first-year curriculum."

Iris still vividly remembered the mixed emotions she felt when she saw the PPT and lesson plans Asher emailed her.

The formatting was ordinary.

But Iris didn't care for flashy presentations. What mattered most was the content Asher had compiled.

Despite not having studied university textbooks—and with high school material not covering these topics—Asher's summary captured the most critical and essential points.

If it had been just one class's PPT, Iris might have chalked it up to coincidence.

But a week's worth of PPTs, plus the ones Asher had prepared for the following week, were all of the same quality.

This wasn't a coincidence.

It was Asher's genuine capability.

"I could even use his slides as a basis for designing midterms and finals," Iris said. "Principal, can you imagine how I felt when I saw them?"

Principal Boyle: 'Totally.'

"You, feeling overshadowed by the younger generation? That's rare." Principal Boyle chuckled.

"Come on, even if he's self-studied, it's not enough to shake your confidence as a self-proclaimed genius, right? You've overshadowed plenty of teachers here yourself."

"That's different," Iris disagreed.

"Asher's interest in beast evolution started with his discovery that the Honeybug could evolve. If he really self-studied, it's only been three or four months at most."

Understanding dawned on Principal Boyle.

To them, it seemed Asher must have mastered the core courses first before casually delving into supplementary ones.

Principal Boyle sighed. "Truly, young heroes rise from among the youth. Our Bluewind University has struck gold this time."

"With his talent, getting into a Top 2 university in the country wouldn't have been hard. It's our fortune he landed here instead. I just wonder how long we can keep him."

Principal Boyle chuckled smugly, already relishing the thought of outshining the Top 2 universities.

Meanwhile, Asher, oblivious to the high praise, was busy sneezing repeatedly in class.

When he signaled for a short break, the students, though silent, exchanged guilty glances.

Uh… Could it be they jinxed him by secretly wishing for Professor Iris?

(what a single)

But they really wanted Professor Iris.

Iris: 'Cold laugh. Heh. Double the homework.'

After a grueling but not unbearable two hours, the class finally ended.

Asher rushed out of the classroom, heading straight for the training grounds.

He had no intention of stepping foot near the teaching building until the next afternoon.

Students waving after him: "Wait, Assistant! The homework!"

"What? No homework?"

"Assistant, you're the best!"

Asher hadn't forgotten to assign homework. He just figured Iris would soon be preparing for midterms, so it could all be tested at once.

Calling a cab again, Asher, holding the teacher's access card, took Little Raven and went straight to the sixth floor via elevator.

As the doors opened...

He was met with a scene that felt like a cinematic ambush.

Asher: Wide-eyed shock.

"So this is how the favored students play…" he muttered.

The place was filled with Tier Four advanced beasts—at least a dozen were visible, hidden in a virtual tropical rainforest environment. It was basically a live-action battle royale.

Asher: 'I'm out!'

Little Raven: 'This is a death sentence! We're no match!'

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