Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

Lara nodded. "Thank you, teacher!"

After registering for half a month of departure time, the teacher repeated the rules over and over again before finally opening the city gates.

Lara stood beside Asher, eager and ready, looking like an excited puppy.

Asher wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but Lara's eyes seemed to shine even brighter than usual.

"Boss, shall we head out?"

The teacher, who happened to overhear Lara, was speechless: "..."

For a moment, Asher felt like a needle was pricking his back.

He could feel the teacher's eyes full of condemnation.

Asher: Would the teacher believe me if I said I was innocent?

Fortunately, the teacher quickly figured out what the nickname was about, waved them off, and told Asher and Lara to leave quickly.

"Meeting such a strange pair early in the morning... Forget it. They're students, after all."

As Asher walked past, he could still hear the teacher muttering softly.

"Boss, are you hungry?" Lara noticed Asher glancing at her from time to time and flashed him a hearty, slightly puzzled smile.

"No," Asher shook his head.

"I see!" Lara's face lit up as if she had suddenly realized something. She lowered her head, revealing the fluffy, furry ears on top of it. "Boss, you're curious about my ears, aren't you?"

"Want to touch them?"

Her face showed no concern, as if the ears had nothing to do with her.

Asher: *Tempted*

Then... Asher lightly tapped Lara on the top of her head. "If I touch your ears, you can feel it, can't you?"

Lara, holding her head with both hands, looked up at Asher with wide eyes, her expression blank as if she hadn't expected him to actually do it.

"Uh... Yes, even though these are Blazing Star Dog ears, after fusion, I can feel it a little when they're touched."

"Exactly." Asher chuckled. "You're a girl, so you can't just let others touch your ears. You're not a pet."

"Unless, of course, you can bring the Blazing Star Dog out separately..."

His gaze lingered on the ears again, temptation growing. If she could summon the dog separately, he wouldn't mind giving it a good pet.

Little Raven: (¬_¬)

'Cough.'

Asher averted his eyes, pretending not to notice Little Raven's stare.

Even though there was fluff everywhere outside...

Asher swore.

The fluff he loved most was still the one at home.

Little Raven: 'Do you think I believe that?'

However, Little Raven's beady black eyes occasionally drifted toward Lara's big ears and tail.

Little Raven: 'That looks so comfy to lie on.'

"Want to give it a try?" Lara smiled, beckoning to Little Raven.

Little Raven's eyes lit up instantly.

☆ω☆,'Yes!'

With a flutter of its wings, Little Raven flew straight toward Lara's head.

Asher couldn't stop it.

Faced with Asher's helpless gaze, Lara scratched her head with a laugh. "I know you're doing this for my sake, boss, but it's fine with Little Raven."

Lara seemed genuinely happy.

Most people, after seeing her ears and tail, would give her a look she didn't particularly like.

But Asher was different.

What Lara didn't say was that if anyone really wanted to touch her ears, she would cancel the fusion. No way would she foolishly let anyone touch her ears.

She was a proper person, okay?

But she didn't feel the need to explain this to Asher.

She loved how easy it was to get along with him.

Behind her, her big, fluffy tail swayed back and forth.

.

.

.

.

The buffer zone lived up to its reputation.

If not for the fact that it was forbidden territory, Asher would've thought they were just on a nature hike.

"I can understand why the school only requires an official Beastmaster's level of strength to come here," Asher remarked, looking at the empty grassland devoid of even a single rabbit.

It was clean.

Too clean.

Even in a forest, you'd still encounter some bugs or birds.

But the buffer zone, safe as it was, was still home to beasts. Ordinary animals, no matter how brainless, instinctively avoided this place.

"Exactly." Lara nodded. "When I first heard about the forbidden zone, I was really intrigued. But after coming here once, I got it. I was overthinking."

"If it weren't for the boss specifically wanting to come here to capture a contractable beast, I wouldn't bother coming."

"No resources."

"Except for the beasts you can contract, you can't take anything else."

"And the chances of encountering an beast..." Lara shook her head. "It's not just small—it's tiny."

After all, most beasts in the outer areas of the forbidden zone were around Tier 4. The deeper you went, the stronger they became.

Creatures that couldn't survive in the outer areas and had to flee to the buffer zone must be the weakest of the weak.

Lara felt Little Raven rolling around in her ears and instinctively shook her head.

"But with the boss's pet's strength... Yeah, it's better to have me along."

Hearing the keyword, Little Raven froze: "!"

Little Raven: [○｀Д○] 'Forget the fluff—my pride was hurt.'

With an indignant flutter of its wings, Little Raven flew angrily to Asher's shoulder.

Lara looked confused, as if she didn't understand what she had said wrong, and asked Little Raven, "Huh? Not cuddling anymore?"

Little Raven: 'No!'

It stared at Lara with its round black eyes, unblinking.

Little Raven: 'Fight me! Birds are strong, okay?'

Asher quickly cupped the Little Raven in his hands, gently stroking its head. "Don't be mad, don't be mad. She just hasn't seen you fight before. Our Little Raven's strength is top-notch—number one boss of No. 11 High School, right?"

The Little Raven proudly raised its head, shooting a meaningful look at Lara.

'Listen!'

'Listen to the bird's glorious achievements!'

"Number one boss?" Lara looked shocked.

Before the Little Raven could bask in its pride, Lara scratched her cheek and, in the most innocent and natural tone, said, "Could it be that the beastmasters at your school are all too weak?"

"The current trainee beastmasters..." Lara shook her head and sighed. "Too weak. They can't even beat such an adorable Little Raven."

The Little Raven: *Exploding with anger.*

"You're a natural troll, aren't you?" Asher retorted.

That expression, that precision in hitting the nerve—Asher couldn't believe Lara wasn't a natural troll.

Lara: "Heh heh~"

In the end, Asher had to forcibly separate this person and the bird.

He had figured it out.

Lara was the type who looked like a friendly Samoyed but was actually a sly Border Collie at heart.

How could a simple little bird like the little raven stand a chance against her?

The Little Raven lay in Asher's palm, huffing angrily. Asher chuckled while cradling it.

Lara observed their interaction with curious eyes, a hint of astonishment in her tone. "So this is how beastmasters usually interact with their contracted beasts?"

Her expression screamed, "I've learned something new today."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit?" Asher said irritably, smoothing the Little Raven's feathers.

Lara scratched her head with a sheepish laugh. "But aside from the time I contracted my Blazing Star Dog, I've never really spent time with it. So when I see other beastmasters with their beasts, I naturally get curious."

Asher was surprised.

'That fusion talent skill... Is a bit too overpowered, isn't it?'

Asher asked curiously, "Then how do you train your Blazing Star Dog?"

"Fusion, and then I train myself."

"What about battles?" Asher asked again.

"The same. I take the field myself. After fusion, I can use the Blazing Star Dog's skills."

"This..." Asher clicked his tongue, unsure how to comment. "The world is full of wonders, huh."

"Is it tiring to train like that?" Asher gestured a bit.

Training the Little Raven wasn't too bad; most of its skill learning was thanks to Asher's shortcuts.

But if the Little Raven had to learn everything from scratch, it would need to put in at least four to five times more effort to reach its current level.

Even so, if Asher himself had to replace the Little Raven in its training...

He'd probably give up before even starting.

Wouldn't becoming a researcher or a professor be much better?

"And when you fuse with the Blazing Star Dog, does it retain its own consciousness?"

Lara, clearly accustomed to such questions, grinned, revealing her tiger-like teeth. "Of course it's tiring, but it's not something that can't be managed."

"I only awakened my talent after contracting the Blazing Star Dog. If I'd awakened it earlier..." Lara paused noticeably. "I probably wouldn't have formed the contract, right?"

"Every time I release the Blazing Star Dog, we have to fuse. Then it's like I'm split into two personalities, with two thoughts in my head."

She shrugged, looking like someone reminiscing about a regrettable past.

'What a troublesome talent skill... ', Asher thought with a sigh.

Considering Lara's personality and how he often couldn't help but imagine her as a big dog, Asher reasonably suspected that her character might have been influenced by the Blazing Star Dog after their fusion.

This wasn't good.

Lara must have realized this too. That's why, as a first-year college student, she already possessed nearly fifth-tier strength—to gain independence and break free from the fusion's effects as soon as possible.

The two continued chatting as they journeyed onward.

Asher couldn't help but feel exasperated.

'It's too big.'

'The buffer zone is just too vast.'

And the dead volcano they're headed to is tucked away in the most remote corner.

At this pace, even if they walk until sunset, Asher and Lara might not make it.

"I have a suggestion."

After lunch, Lara raised a finger with a serious expression. "Let's try a different way to travel."

Asher: "?"

"What other way?"

Both of them only had one contracted beast, and neither could be used as transportation. What else could they do besides walk?

Then Asher met Lara's gaze, and a chill ran down his spine.

Asher: 'I have a bad feeling about this.'

The Little Raven: 'Me too!'

Man and bird exchanged a glance.

Lara gave them a silly "heh heh heh" grin. "The Blazing Star Dog is super fast."

"And?"

"So, I can carry you and use its skills to speed up. I promise we'll zoom over in no time."

"...Can I refuse?"

Lara gave him another goofy smile.

But Asher, no longer fooled by her puppy-like demeanor, turned to continue walking.

The next moment, the world spun.

Asher was hefted onto someone's shoulder like a sack of rice. A not-so-delicate arm, surprisingly muscular, secured his waist to prevent him from falling during their journey.

"Alright! It's decided!"

"Time to speed up."

"Wait! I didn't—"

Before Asher could finish, Lara, like an unleashed dog, launched forward in a burst of speed.

The Little Raven tumbled off Asher, wings flapping in a desperate attempt to regain balance.

Lara, meanwhile, raced off like an arrow leaving its bowstring, carrying Asher at lightning speed.

'(ΩДΩ)'

The Little Raven: 'Wait for me! Wait for meeee!'

Flapping its wings so hard they nearly caught fire, the Little Raven gave chase.

———

An hour later.

Asher lay on the ground with his hands folded across his stomach, eyes closed, looking eerily at peace.

The Little Raven sprawled on his chest, tiny wings limp, claws sticking up in surrender, equally lifeless.

Only Lara was still full of energy.

Her long tail wagged energetically behind her as she gathered grass and branches for a fire.

"You two are seriously out of shape," she said, bursting with vitality. "Boss, how about you and the Little Raven train with me for the next half month? You're hopeless like this."

"If you face an opponent with good stamina, you'll both be done for."

Asher opened his eyes. "...Who has a dog with your endurance?"

"And I was dizzy because of you."

Asher swore he wasn't weak.

Who wouldn't feel carsick after being carried like a sack of rice for an hour while sprinting?

Even the Little Raven had practically exhausted itself trying to keep up.

After some rest, Asher sat up, took a few sips of water, and regained his composure.

He then fed the Little Raven a special nutrient serum.

Though Asher was already guaranteed admission to university, No. 11 High School hadn't skimped on his benefits.

Knowing he wouldn't return for a while, the school had provided enough nutrient serum to last until winter break.

Asher had packed plenty for this trip to the volcano and was glad it came in handy so soon.

The Little Raven quickly recovered from its near-death state, shaking its feathers in indignation before nestling on Asher's shoulder.

Little Raven: *sulking*

Asher chuckled but let it be. After all, the breakneck journey had been especially tough on such a tiny bird.

Rummaging through his bag, Asher pulled out a large pomegranate.

"Want some?"

Little Raven: 'Eat! Absolutely eat!'

The Little Raven sprang to life, puffing up its fluffy feathers in excitement.

Asher laughed, peeling the pomegranate and patiently feeding it one juicy seed at a time. The Little Raven munched happily, its beady eyes squinting in delight.

Little Raven: =v= 'This is the life!'

Man and bird turned eating the pomegranate into an experience akin to cracking sunflower seeds.

From afar, Lara returned with a bundle of branches, throwing them down with a look of exasperated disapproval at the duo.

"I brought a tent. Did you, Boss?" Lara asked as she sat cross-legged beside Asher.

Asher nodded.

Planning for a half-month stay, he had packed all the essentials: tents, sleeping bags, food, and water.

While preparing these supplies, Asher couldn't help but complain. The technological advancements in this world… were just plain chaotic, to the point where he couldn't make sense of it.

There was a palm-sized water source purifier that could convert river, lake, or seawater into drinkable fresh water. After boiling, it would be 100% safe for human consumption.

There was also a small, square box-like device that could test whether the food collected in the wild was safe to eat.

Even more advanced was an automatic, foldable tent that could be packed down to the thickness of a dictionary, seemingly utilizing some sort of spatial storage technology.

But there still wasn't a spatial backpack.

"That tent is already so high-tech; why can't they figure out spatial storage for a backpack?"

There were also medical devices, all showcasing the pinnacle of research and innovation.

"Spatial folding technology shouldn't be that difficult, right?"

Asher sighed.

However, with these tools and items that could be accessed anytime, they were enough for Asher to live a normal life in the wild with Little Raven.

"Alright," Lara said, sitting cross-legged beside Asher and arranging the collected branches in a circle. "The buffer zone is relatively safe, but it's still better to stay vigilant at night."

"In the future, I'll take night watch duty for you, Boss, and catch up on sleep during the day. If something happens during the day, just wake me up."

Asher nodded.

Their relationship was a straightforward employer-employee one, and tasks like this were part of Lara's responsibilities.

After speaking, Lara continued to arrange the branches, while Asher fed pomegranate seeds to Little Raven.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him—what would happen if he used his talent skill to observe Lara? Would the system fail to identify her? Or would it classify her entirely as an beast?

Curious, Asher activated his talent skill, Eye of Insight, and looked at Lara.

The interface froze for a full minute.

Asher raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Goodness! This was the first time the talent skill had ever reacted this way.

Soon, the interface stabilized.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Pet Beast: Blazing Star Dog*]

[Species: Mid-tier, High-class Extraordinary]

[Level: Tier 4, Advanced]

[Skills: Howl, Thunder Light, Tracking, Flaming Bite, Thunder Roar, Gale Dash]

[Evolution Paths: Blazing Heavenly Dog, Sky Thunder Star Dog]

[Fusion Option: Dual Affinity*]

[Evolution Conditions: Not currently met]

[Bark… Woof… Growl… Master… Unclear… Escape…]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Asher silently added a question mark.

That last part—was it some garbled mix of the Blazing Star Dog's and Lara's thoughts? He couldn't make sense of it and decided to skip over the heart voice section.

He clicked on the asterisk beside "Blazing Star Dog."

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Special Status: Fusion]

Positive Buff: The Beastmaster's physical traits are enhanced, and the Blazing Star Dog's intelligence improves.

Negative Buff: The boundaries between human and beast blur.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Asher clicked his tongue.

It was just as he had suspected, perhaps even worse.

The positive buff effects were due to mutual influence between the Blazing Star Dog and Lara, as were the negative effects.

Reaching Tier 5 as soon as possible to separate them was an urgent matter for Lara. Fortunately, the Blazing Star Dog was already at Tier 4, Advanced. Breaking through to Tier 5 wasn't impossible—it was just a matter of effort and timing.

Next, Asher turned his attention to the "Fusion Option: Dual Affinity" line.

It was the first time he'd encountered this descriptor.

Whether it was Honeybug, Little Fire Fox, or Little Raven, their interfaces had always displayed their next evolution paths.

But for the Blazing Star Dog…

He clicked on the text.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Fusion Option: Dual Affinity]

As a dual-attribute creature of lightning and fire, the Blazing Star Dog would typically have to choose one evolutionary path, transforming from a dual-attribute to a single-attribute being. However, with the "Fusion" talent, it can merge both evolutionary paths, retaining dual supreme attributes post-evolution.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Asher: "?"

He was stunned.

Just moments ago, he'd called Lara's talent skill overly mediocre. Who could've guessed that in a blink of an eye, the situation would turn completely around?

Asher rubbed his chin.

'Hmm… interesting.'

Still, he withdrew his gaze.

Being intrigued was one thing, but why should he concern himself with matters that didn't benefit him? He wasn't here to play the good Samaritan, after all.

Within ten quiet minutes of sitting still, Lara was already getting restless. Her tail swung lazily, occasionally brushing against Asher.

Asher: *unmoved*

He's allergic to dogs right now.

Petting one? No thanks. He had lost all worldly desires.

"I'm going to collect more branches," Lara declared energetically as she stood up. Her long tail, a mix of white and purple fur, slid down from Asher's thigh to his lower leg as she moved. To her, it felt perfectly natural.

A dog has no bad intentions, right? It's just simple excitement.

How could a dog possibly understand the complicated thoughts of humans?

Asher: "..."

He waved her off, and with a quick "zoom," Lara disappeared without a trace.

Just as Asher was about to deactivate his talent skill, he paused, rubbing his chin.

Speaking of which… he'd accumulated quite a bit of recognition points recently. Maybe it was time to try his luck?

"How about a ten-pull…" he muttered under his breath. Before he could finish, his body froze.

'Wait… wait a second. What's that golden glow?'

'Another skill? Haha, that must be it, right?'

'A golden item? Impossible!'

Then, a golden item quietly appeared in front of him.

Asher stared at it silently.

He glanced at Little Raven, then at the direction where Lara had left. "…Can my luck really be this good?"

Pulling a golden item in just one ten-pull? Was he dreaming?

And not only that, but the ten-pull also yielded two blue items.

Could this be payback for all my accumulated bad luck?

Asher's heart raced wildly.

But this was a golden item. Skipping over the blue items, he focused on the golden item he'd drawn.

[Troubled by too little training time? Frustrated that humans need sleep? Every outstanding Beastmaster must have pondered this: why can't humans train during sleep? Why can't there be 25 hours in a day? The Double Effect Card will help make your dreams a reality.]

As soon as he clicked it, this pitch popped up on the screen.

Asher: "This sounds suspiciously like a sales pitch for a scam product."

After his quip, he kept reading.

[Double Effect Card (Golden Item): For all training, cultivation, and meditation efforts, the results are doubled (up to triple). Once activated, the card's effect lasts for 108 days.]

Asher's pupils widened in shock.

This wasn't just good luck—this was a miracle.

He felt that this was no longer just ordinary luck—this was simply the pinnacle of fortune.

His luck was so overwhelming that even Asher himself found it hard to believe.

Wasn't this exactly the tool he needed most right now?

It was like a gift from heaven.

Asher couldn't care less about the law of conservation of luck anymore.

Even if he had to endure a whole year of bad luck afterward, he was determined to use this item card.

[Please select the bound [Beastmaster1] and [Beast1]]

Did that even need to be asked?

He chose himself as the Beastmaster.

And for the beast, he selected Little Raven.

[Do you want to use the "Golden Tool: Effect Doubling Card"?]

[Yes] [No]

Without hesitation, he pressed the [Yes] button.

A golden light enveloped Asher and Little Raven. In less than three seconds, the faint golden glow seemed to merge completely into their bodies.

Little Raven: "?"

Sitting in Asher's palm, Little Raven tilted its head curiously, its pair of black beady eyes staring at him.

It seemed to be asking: 'What just happened?'

"Something good," Asher said, rubbing the tuft of hair on Little Raven's head, his mood as bright as the sunshine.

Little Raven could tell that Asher was in high spirits, so it snuggled closer to him.

'The beastmaster— hungry again.'

Asher chuckled. "You're sharp, huh? Fine, since I'm in such a good mood."

Saying this, he took out the white tool, which turned out to be a bunch of grapes. The cluster was heavy, and each grape was as big as Little Raven's head.

Little Raven's black eyes instantly lit up.

Little Raven: '(☆^O^☆) These looked so tasty.'

After eating and drinking to its heart's content, Little Raven lay down flat, ready for Asher to rub its belly.

But to its dismay, the next second, Asher coldly and mercilessly picked it up. "Meditate."

Little Raven tried to act spoiled.

'Didn't we agree to start tomorrow?'

"Starting today, you need to get used to meditating instead of resting," Asher said with a straight face, unmoved. "I'll meditate with you."

From the moment he used the golden tool card, neither he nor Little Raven could afford to waste the buff it provided.

108 days.

The card's effect only lasted for 108 days.

In these 108 days, he and Little Raven had to make the most of the golden tool's benefits.

Wasting even a bit of it would be disrespectful to his hard-earned luck.

When Lara returned carrying a large pile of branches, what she saw was Asher sitting cross-legged, clearly meditating.

Even Little Raven, though it looked reluctant and unhappy even with its eyes closed, was also meditating.

Lara: "?"

What had happened in the hour she was gone?

Could her boss really be this diligent?

Lara was shocked by Asher's sudden display of hard work.

Quietly placing the branches down, she didn't dare disturb them.

Her footsteps were as light as if she were walking on soft cushions, not making a single extra sound.

She left just as silently as she had come.

In just two days, through personal experimentation, Asher managed to thoroughly understand the effect of the golden tool card.

To activate the card's maximum threefold boost, all they needed to do was train for a cumulative total of over 8 hours a day.

Meditation and training both counted toward this time.

Once again, Asher marveled: 'golden tools truly lived up to their name.'

'The effect is simply incredible.'

Now he understood the promotional pitch from earlier.

'Indeed, who wouldn't want 25 hours in a day?'

With this golden tool, achieving the training effect of 25 hours a day was no longer a dream.

On the third day, after meditating for an hour, Asher opened his eyes.

Beside him, Little Raven looked drowsy. Asher had no doubt that if meditation lasted any longer, Little Raven would naturally fall asleep.

"Let's eat something and move our bodies," Asher said with a smile.

Little Raven immediately opened its eyes wide, flapping its wings to land on Asher's shoulder.

At the same time, its black beady eyes accused him silently.

'Beastmaster—The training intensity has been too high recently.'

Awake for 16 hours a day, with at least 12 spent training—was this really something a bird should endure?

If Little Raven had a voice, it would surely be loudly complaining right into Asher's ears.

Asher felt fortunate: 'thankfully, Little Raven is mute.'

He had no desire to experience the torment of auditory attacks.

Little Raven gobbled up the food Asher fed it with such ferocity that anyone unaware of the situation might have thought it was devouring the flesh of an enemy.

Asher coughed twice. "Eat slower. No one's competing with you."

Little Raven glared at him.

'╭(╯^╰)╮'

Only then did Little Raven slow down.

'Fine, fine.'

'Since the beastmaster is training with me, I won't get angry.'

Little Raven comforted itself this way.

Then…

The devious Asher, seeing that Little Raven had endured 12 hours of training for a day, stealthily extended the training duration to 13 hours.

It wasn't until three days later, when Lara casually mentioned something, that Little Raven realized something was off.

Little Raven: "??? (╬￣皿￣)"

'Unforgivable!'

'The bird is angry.'

'I'm running away.'

Little Raven decided it was time to leave home—immediately.

Before Asher could even reach out to stop it, Little Raven displayed the results of its training from the past week, flapped its wings, and flew away without looking back.

Asher's outstretched hand froze awkwardly in midair. He didn't even touch a single feather, helplessly watching Little Raven fly off.

Silently retracting his hand, he gave Lara a look of reproach.

"Hehe… I didn't mean to." Lara scratched her cheek with an embarrassed smile. "I swear, I just asked casually…"

Who could have anticipated this outcome?

Lara couldn't help but feel apologetic for her opinion of Asher and Little Raven a week ago.

The frustration she felt back then was now replaced by sheer disbelief—Asher wasn't human.

Twelve hours a day.

Asher only slept for about six or seven hours, spending almost all the rest of his time training Little Raven and meditating.

The only strange thing, Lara thought, was that Asher always made Little Raven meditate with him.

Typically, meditation didn't benefit beasts much. Beastmasters would only have their beasts meditate when they lacked access to pet beast service stations or had run out of potions.

Meditation's effect couldn't compare to lying in a treatment pod or drinking a potion.

Today, she had merely said casually, "It feels like your training time has gotten even longer."

She hadn't expected Little Raven to blow up.

"Alright…" Asher wasn't one to shy away from self-reflection. He sighed and began to reflect on his actions. "Maybe I did overdo it a little this time."

The limited time on the effect card had put a lot of pressure on Asher.

For a moment, he had neglected Little Raven's feelings.

Asher decided to adjust his mindset. Training for 8 hours a day and achieving 24 hours' worth of results was already amazing.

He didn't rush to find Little Raven. The buffer zone was relatively safe, so letting Little Raven fly around to relax wasn't a big deal.

Whenever Little Raven got mad, it never stayed angry for long.

Once its temper cooled, it would come back.

By then, he could properly coax Little Raven.

But what Asher didn't expect was that an hour passed, and Little Raven still hadn't returned.

Asher's brows furrowed slightly as he tried to recall Little Raven back to his spiritual sea.

Within a certain range, beastmasters could retrieve their beasts into their spiritual space.

The buffer zone was vast, but it shouldn't have exceeded the retrieval range.

Yet something unexpected had occurred.

Asher's attempt to recall Little Raven failed.

"Did Little Raven leave the buffer zone?" Asher frowned. "No, that's impossible."

He knew Little Raven's personality well.

"Something must have happened." Asher stood up abruptly, his expression turning serious.

Lara also realized something was wrong. "Are you sure?"

Asher nodded.

Little Raven might be a bit temperamental and proud, but it would never get so angry at him that it would leave the buffer zone. At most, it would sulk and wait for him to coax it, just like a spoiled little girl.

"Let's go!"

Lara stood up. The usually soft ears lying flat against her head instantly perked up.

Her face also showed patches of fur, and her pupils turned sharp and aggressive.

"I can smell Little Raven's scent. It's this way."

Lara pointed in a direction. Asher immediately cooperated by letting her carry him as she sprinted swiftly in that direction.

———

On the other side.

An annoyed Little Raven vowed it would run away from home.

It absolutely wouldn't go back on its own.

Unless… unless the beastmaster brought it lots and lots of delicious treats to apologize. Then it might reluctantly agree.

After Little Raven's small head cooled down and its anger subsided, it perched on a branch of a tall tree. Curious, it looked around with its black beady eyes, its expression full of surprise.

⊙⁠.⁠☉

'Where is this place?'

'The bird doesn't recognize it.'

'The bird has never been here before.'

'Wait… where did the bird come from again?'

Little Raven was utterly confused.

It was shocked.

Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

'The bird can't find its way back.'

The cold December midday wind swept through its feathers, and Little Raven's tiny heart felt cold as well.

'Beastmaster… would the beastmaster still be able to find me?'

Little Raven regretted its actions.

It flapped its wings, flying left and right, but everything seemed to look the same.

Its black beady eyes were about to turn into spirals.

It couldn't tell.

It couldn't tell anything apart.

Today, Little Raven discovered that it also had a tendency to get lost.

Exhausted, it landed on a patch of grass, drooping its tiny head. Filled with regret… it shouldn't have gotten angry with the beastmaster.

The beastmaster worked so hard to help it grow stronger.

It should've been more understanding of the beastmaster.

Wanting it to train was clearly for its own good.

Besides, when Little Raven was training, the beastmaster wasn't slacking off either.

The bird was tired.

But the beastmaster was even more tired.

The bird shouldn't have thrown a tantrum.

While Asher was reflecting on himself, Little Raven also had its moment of deep self-reflection.

Lying belly-up on the ground, it stared at the drifting clouds in the sky, silently wishing the beastmaster would hurry and find it.

At that moment.

Little Raven heard footsteps approaching from nearby.

Little Raven: ヽ(￣▽￣)ﾉ

'Hooray!'

'It must be the beastmaster coming to find it!'

Little Raven flapped its wings and flew toward the source of the sound.

The next second.

Little Raven found itself face-to-face with a fierce-looking man riding a three-meter-tall Charging Rock Ram, dragging a long string of iron cages behind him.

Strange man: "..."

Little Raven: "..."

"What's this little thing?" The strange man fixed his murky eyes on Little Raven, then let out a sinister laugh. "Oh ho! This little creature is a mutated Oriental Peacock? Quite valuable."

Little Raven sensed danger.

The bird seemed to have run into a bad guy.

The bird had to escape quickly.

But the strange man had no intention of letting Little Raven get away. "Two-Headed Snake, catch that little bird for me."

"Hiss—"

A massive, four-meter-long, double-headed snake with a body as thick as an adult man's waist shot out from the end of the iron cage chain, lunging at Little Raven.

Little Raven wanted to flee… but couldn't… couldn't escape, darn it.

With just one move, one of the snake's heads wrapped its slender forked tongue tightly around Little Raven's body.

Its wings and feet were bound firmly, and it couldn't even open its beak.

This effectively neutralized all of Little Raven's physical attacks.

However, the passive skill of the King's Eye activated.

A cloud of black-purple poisonous mist erupted from the Two-Headed Snake, enveloping both itself and Little Raven.

The strange man quickly patted the Charging Rock Ram, urging it to retreat out of the mist's range.

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