"Commander Joseph, I must say…", At this point, Elder Cavendish's lips curled into a grin, "This new technology… might just stir up a real internal war among foreign countries."
Commander Joseph: "..."
A completely unexpected train of thought opened up.
"But just looking at it on the surface, the value of the Favorability Technology is definitely greater than the value of the Honeybug Technology."
"Even if it causes some of them to fight and fall into chaos for a while, in the long run, it still provides significant help for their pet beast evolution technology."
"Don't forget, the key breakthrough in the Ultimate Defense Profound Armor Elephant Project was precisely the Favorability Technology."
Both sides had their arguments.
The onlookers felt that both of them made a lot of sense.
Their own kind of sense.
Whether it was the Honeybug Technology or the Favorability Technology, if they were just used for showing off, that was fine. But if they were to be exchanged… well, they were somewhat reluctant.
As for other plans…
Either the technological content was too low to be presentable.
For example, the evolution routes jointly researched and improved by Asher and Professor Damien, routes with lower costs and more efficient evolution speeds.
Or the technology was too advanced to be given away.
The new evolution route of the Rabbit Dog awakened an innate skill.
The new evolution route of the Noise Flower had special medical properties.
Ancestral Dragon underwent a complete transformation into a Dragon King.
The dual evolution route of the Rainbow Scales Koi awakened different innate skills.
The Fourth Legion's custom-made, meritorious evolution route…
And so on.
All were highly sophisticated.
And once linked to specific subjects, they were undoubtedly trump cards.
For showing off? Sure.
For exchange?
No, no, no.
They really couldn't bear to part with them.
However, despite this, everyone present felt very at peace.
This meeting had been going on for several days, with people coming and going, regrouping and discussing repeatedly.
Had there really been no progress in the past few days?
That wasn't quite true.
At the very least, they had managed to sift through an overwhelming number of technical options. Options so numerous that they were amazed they even possessed so many technologies, and had barely managed to select two that seemed most suitable, both in terms of prestige and substance.
Honeybug Technology.
Favorability Technology.
Today's goal was to choose the final option between these two.
"But that young Professor Asher is truly impressive. Out of all these technologies, at least three-fifths are his handiwork," said an elderly man sitting beside Professor Damien. He looked about the same age as Damien but was full of energy.
Professor Damien nodded, "Asher is extremely talented in this field."
Unfortunately…
Asher refused to dedicate himself entirely to it.
At this thought, Professor Damien couldn't help but feel pained.
'Ah!'
'What a waste!'
'Such top-tier talent.'
Professor Damien couldn't stop shaking his head.
The elderly man beside him laughed, "Professor Asher is still young. It's normal for him to want to explore and experience more."
"We should support him!"
Professor Damien sighed.
That was all they could do.
On the other side, Commander Joseph and Brayson had just finished one round of debate. Rolling up their sleeves, they looked ready to launch into the next round, determined to convince the other to support their viewpoint.
Just then—
Elder Cavendish spoke up, "Actually, I think you should take a look at this report. This technology might be even more suitable."
Wasn't this supposed to be the final showdown between two options?
Why was there suddenly a third contender?
But since it was Elder Cavendish who spoke, Commander Joseph and Brayson both sat down, deciding to at least take a look before making any decisions.
The criteria were clear—
It had to be impressive enough for showing off.
It had to be something they wouldn't feel too heartbroken about giving away.
Most importantly, it had to be visibly advanced enough to trade for even better technologies… A bit demanding, admittedly, so most options only met two or even just one of these conditions.
If it had value, it could be exchanged one-for-one at best.
At that point, it would depend on the diplomatic skills of their Foreign Affairs Department and the bargaining prowess of their Finance Department.
But this new report and the technology it showcased…
Ignoring some of the data—
For instance, the part about forced "idealism" potentially capping a pet beast's evolution limit… Ahem, well, that was just Asher's hypothesis. Without extensive experimental data, who could say for sure?
Aside from that, though, it seemed to perfectly meet all their requirements.
Oh.
And if they counted the part they had just ignored, it even satisfied the final, most critical requirement.
After reading, Commander Joseph and Brayson exchanged a glance.
Then they both looked at Elder Cavendish, "If everything written here is true, I think we can go with this."
"This evolution route was just finalized, right? I think some of the data can be slightly adjusted!"
The others: "?"
'Huh?'
'They just made the decision just like that?'
Everyone was surprised.
A technological solution that could satisfy both Commander Joseph and Brayson at the same time actually existed?
'Is this for real?'
The report was quickly distributed to everyone's devices via a secure encrypted channel.
Ten minutes was enough for them to read it thoroughly, analyze it, and think it over.
And in the end, everyone had the same thought—
'Well, you know what? This actually does seem pretty suitable!'
'No need for more discussion!'
Final decision made.
And the most important issue couldn't be forgotten either.
———
Completely unaware of this sudden twist, Asher, after finishing his research on pet beast evolution and taking a short break, had returned to his busy work. Pet beast cultivation.
Watching Asher leave the lab leisurely, as if he hadn't left a single trace behind, Eliana was left speechless.
Taking a deep breath, she barely managed to hold back some… not-so-nice words.
"Professor Asher… is really talented," Eliana muttered.
As one of the only two women in the lab, Sarah had always taken care of Eliana. Standing beside her, she overheard the remark.
"Yeah, Professor Asher is truly amazing," Sarah said with a smile.
"But…", Eliana frowned, "Why does Professor Asher seem so uninterested?"
"If he has this talent, shouldn't he be making the most of it?"
It wasn't jealousy.
Eliana just felt regretful.
Someone as outstanding as Asher should be dedicating himself fully to research.
"Uh…", Sarah hadn't expected Eliana to react so strongly. She thought for a moment and said, "Maybe it's because Professor Asher's talent in pet beast evolution is so high that he finds it boring."
She paused.
"While everyone else is still learning to walk in pet beast evolution research, gradually improving, getting faster and steadier. Professor Asher's talent is like strapping wings onto us and flying us straight out of the solar system."
Eliana: "..."
'Thanks, that is not comforting at all.'
Still, now that she understood the extent of Asher's genius, some things became more comprehensible… though fully accepting them would take time.
But realizing his level of talent only made Eliana more determined to follow in Asher's footsteps, hoping to learn more from his way of thinking.
Whether she could understand was one thing.
How much she could learn was another.
However…
Asher never failed to surprise.
After spending nearly a week in NY City, he was off to Radiant City.
And he had no idea that there were people in the research institute eager to learn from him.
If he did know…
Asher would probably just pat them on the shoulder and offer a blessing.
———
"Though I haven't seen you in a while, for some reason, I don't feel like I missed you at all…", June, linking arms with Ivy, looked Asher up and down, "You haven't been around for a while, and you've gained weight."
As she spoke, the high ponytail behind June swayed back and forth, "They say running around makes you lose weight, but it looks like you've been on vacation."
"Cough! Cough!", Ivy couldn't hold back a laugh from the side, then quickly tried to cover up her slip with a cough.
Asher was helpless.
Vicky, grinning widely beside them, chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, I think you've put on weight too."
"You, on the other hand, haven't gotten fat, but you've tanned a lot," Asher looked at Vicky, who wasn't exactly fair-skinned before but at least had a normal complexion. Now, for some reason, he looked like he had undergone a professional tanning session, his entire body gleaming with a smooth, deep bronze.
That grin of his made his teeth look even whiter in contrast.
Asher gave Vicky a puzzled look.
Then he glanced at June and Ivy beside him. The two girls looked the same as before—fair-skinned and beautiful.
Asher: "?"
"Did you sneak off somewhere without me knowing?", Asher asked bluntly.
"Heh heh," Vicky knew exactly how he looked, "There's a reason for it… sigh, explaining it is kind of a hassle. I'll tell you later."
"Besides, I'm not the only one like this. Everyone at school is used to it," Vicky waved a big hand, completely unconcerned about his newly bronzed appearance.
"Alright then," Asher nodded and turned his attention back to Ivy.
He had noticed that Ivy had deliberately dressed more formally and attractively today. Her hair was braided loosely on both sides, with the rest neatly secured, giving her a soft and intellectual charm.
"Today's the day you officially compete, right?", Asher said with a smile, "Congratulations."
Ivy smiled shyly at his words, "I have to thank you too, Asher."
Beast Care Competition.
Only after entering did she realize how many people participated and how many experienced competitors there were.
Compared to them, Ivy knew she didn't have much of an advantage in terms of experience. Her real edge was her appearance.
Her own temperament and looks, combined with her pet beast's charm, were all points in her favor.
That was how Ivy successfully passed the preliminary selection and the first round of the competition. This was now the second round. There were at least three more rounds before the semifinals.
She had a clear understanding of her own abilities.
The semifinals… were almost impossible for her.
Making it to the second round had already pushed the limits of what she had learned and achieved so far.
If she could advance to the third round, it would be purely due to luck.
She hadn't mentioned it, but part of the reason she pushed herself this far was so that Asher could see that she hadn't wasted his help.
Thinking of this, Ivy lifted her head confidently, her smile radiant, "I'll do my best!"
Asher nodded calmly.
June rolled her eyes at him, 'What a blockhead!'
Asher: "?"
The competition venue was packed with people.
Even more than some Beast Tamer tournaments. Especially in terms of contestants.
"Isn't that normal?", Vicky, walking beside Asher, spoke casually, "How many Beast Tamers are out there? The Beast Care Competition is different. Even if you're not a Beast Tamer, you can still compete. It's just that Beast Tamers naturally have an advantage."
Vicky seemed completely at ease.
The stares from people around them?
He didn't care at all.
The one attracting attention was actually Asher, who was walking beside him… but let's not talk about that.
Pretending not to notice meant no problem existed.
Asher looked toward the competition grounds.
Just as Vicky had said, four-fifths of the contestants were ordinary people, while less than one-fifth were Beast Tamers.
Beast Tamers had an edge because they had their own pet beasts and shared a contract with them. This made communication during washing and care much smoother, allowing them to care for their pet both physically and mentally.
Even when dealing with the extraordinary creatures provided for the competition, Beast Tamers could have their own pets assist in calming them.
Something an ordinary person couldn't do.
Was there an unfair advantage?
Of course.
But the gap between those with Beast Tamer potential and ordinary people was something that could never truly be erased.
However, as Asher scanned the contestants, he noticed that quite a few ordinary participants had a Honeybug or a Fairy Butterfly with them.
Not many, though.
Only about one percent of the contestants carried a Honeybug.
Meanwhile, Fairy Butterflies were a bit more common. About one in twenty ordinary competitors had one.
Asher was a little surprised, but he quickly understood why.
Those bringing Honeybugs were definitely ordinary people. It wasn't that Beast Tamers couldn't contract with Honeybugs, but in this kind of situation, they had better and more suitable choices. They didn't need to pick Honeybugs, nor were they limited to them.
Ordinary people were different.
As for why Fairy Butterflies were more common than Honeybugs…
That was due to the trust and courage issue with Honeybugs.
The timid ones wouldn't dare bring their Honeybugs out.
The brave ones had already evolved them into Fairy Butterflies.
Only those who had developed enough mutual trust and understanding with their Honeybug could bring them along—otherwise, it wouldn't be possible.
Seeing this, Asher let out a long breath from his chest.
Back when he chose the Honeybug evolution path, did he ever imagine this day would come?
Just then—
A commotion erupted in the distance.
Everyone nearby immediately turned their attention toward the source of the noise, and Asher looked over as well.
It was a female contestant with a Fairy Butterfly.
Standing in front of her was a rampaging Silverfang Tiger.
"ROAR—"
The Silverfang Tiger was poised to attack.
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