Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

The next second, the door opened.

A massive bird, resembling a hawk, radiating golden-red light, with a wingspan of two meters, suddenly flew out of the room.

The bird, none other than the newly evolved Little Raven, the Three-Legged Golden Crow, looked both adorably silly and endlessly panicked.

It hurriedly flapped its wings, flying toward someone familiar, pleading for help.

QAQ 'Help! The Beast Master is about to die.'

Iris, who was directly hit by the evolved bird's headlong dive, felt her breath stop for a moment.

'This... this feeling... this aura...'

It was simply too astonishing.

Iris felt as if what was flying toward her wasn't just a bird—it was the sun, a myth, a legendary creature.

An overwhelming aura radiated outward, both inside and out.

A pair of sharp, eagle-like eyes locked onto her. Iris's brain screamed "Danger! Danger!" but her body couldn't move at all.

She was frozen stiff, like a block of ice.

Until... this creature, as if it had just flown out of myth, stopped in front of her. Iris's gaze met the bird's.

Iris: 'Huh? Huh? Huh?'

'Why… does this expression look off?'

The golden-red eyes didn't exude any dominance; in fact, they carried a hint of panic.

From those eyes, Iris recognized a familiar emotion.

Finally, her frozen brain began functioning again. Connecting everything together, Iris's mind came up with an impossibly wild possibility: "...You're Little Raven?"

The exposed Little Raven was overjoyed, almost letting out a long howl—except it couldn't.

Then Iris watched as this golden-red bird kept shaking its head in a panic.

The little tuft of fluffy feathers on its head, which had once been black, had turned into a small cluster of golden-red fluff, sticking out adorably and adding an unexpected cuteness to the bird's otherwise fierce appearance.

"What happened to Asher?" Iris took a deep breath, instantly realizing that Little Raven wouldn't rush out in such a panic unless something had happened to Asher.

As she spoke, Iris took long strides toward the room.

Jessica and Aeron were a step slower but quickly followed.

The only ones left behind were Kerson and Greg.

Kerson stared at the golden-red bird in the distance for a while, finally linking it to the tiny, round, sesame ball-like Little Raven he had seen two nights ago.

"This… normal Oriental Peacocks don't evolve like this." Kerson's face was full of confusion.

Though there weren't many Beast Masters with Oriental Peacocks in Dongzhi Province, among thirty to fifty, there were always a few. Based on the Oriental Peacock's flying traits and soundwave attack methods, the typical evolution paths were either the speed- and power-focused Great-Winged Oriental Peacock, or the sound-attack-strengthened Nightingale Oriental Peacock.

The former, at full growth, could even serve as a flying mount.

The latter would have more elegant feathers and a regal appearance.

But…

This massive, golden-red bird with a two-meter wingspan seemed to combine strength and beauty, though it didn't resemble either of the traditional evolution forms.

"Judging by its size, it seems like Asher's Oriental Peacock leaned toward the Great-Winged Oriental Peacock, but maybe its physique is limited due to Little Raven's natural flaws…" Kerson shook his head, dismissing his own thoughts. "No, no, no, normal Great-Winged Oriental Peacocks don't have such dazzling appearances. Though it's different from the Nightingale Oriental Peacock, it has its own unique style…"

Kerson muttered to himself, rambling on.

Greg stood nearby with arms crossed, his face expressionless and completely unmoved by Kerson's chatter. His gaze fixed on the room in the distance, his eyes gleaming with excitement and battle spirit.

'Ah~ As expected of my destined rival.'

'Even his pet's evolution is so unique.'

Starved Asher: "?"

'Why is someone dragging me into this? We're not even in the same league.'

Yes.

Inside the room, Asher had fainted from hunger.

Nearly two days and nights without water, combined with the dual depletion of willpower and spiritual energy, meant Asher had already been at his limit when Little Raven evolved.

Add to that the scorching, intense energy surging during Little Raven's evolution… Asher didn't even get a proper look at Little Raven's new form before the overwhelming aura knocked him out cold.

When Asher woke up in bed later, remembering all this, he refused to open his eyes.

This is so embarrassing.

"Since you're awake, open your eyes, eat something to recover, and rest a bit more." Iris's voice came from nearby.

Knowing he couldn't avoid it, Asher reluctantly opened his eyes, turning his head to meet a pair of golden-red eyes that burned like flames.

Seeing these eyes clearly for the first time in a conscious state, Asher froze before quickly realizing—this was Little Raven, his evolved Little Raven.

Instinctively, Asher began examining Little Raven's new form.

How to describe it…? If not for the unique feather color, at first glance, it looked like a slightly smaller eagle.

One wing was folded, while the other draped over Asher, radiating a comforting warmth—or so it seemed to Asher.

"Little Raven." Asher smiled and reached out to rub Little Raven's head.

Little Raven leaned into the touch, and then, dissatisfied, flapped up and lunged at Asher.

But Little Raven forgot—it had evolved. With its new size, repeating its old moves now had completely different consequences.

Still weak from hunger, Asher hadn't fully replenished his energy when Little Raven's enthusiastic pounce squashed him flat.

Asher: ⚰️

Realizing its mistake after landing, Little Raven panicked.

'Oh no! My Beast Master really might die this time!'

After much chaos, Asher finally regained his strength after eating three bowls of porridge and a hand-grab pancake.

Wiping his mouth, Asher sighed, "Finally alive again."

Being full was such a wonderful feeling.

"A normal person would have starved to death after two days and two nights. How did you manage to survive?" Iris looked at Asher with a face full of disbelief.

Asher smiled awkwardly.

Well… even he hadn't expected this outcome.

Taking a leap of faith.

Who would have thought that Little Raven not only refined its Refined Fire but also happened to be on the verge of evolution?

Asher thought to himself: 'Isn't that just a matter of pushing forward with all your might?'

... And so, two days and two nights passed in a flash.

Since waking up, Asher hadn't found a suitable opportunity to check Little Raven's data post-evolution.

Fortunately, there was no rush.

The evolution had already succeeded.

The rest could wait a little longer.

Iris asked, "Shall we rest here for another day?"

Hearing Iris's words, Asher snapped back to reality. He shook his head. "No need. My body is fine, just a bit hungry. Now that I've eaten and rested a bit, we can head out."

Asher hadn't been particularly interested in the hot spring resort to begin with.

Rather than staying here, it would be better to return to school.

"Alright then, come back to Bluewind University with me first."

Seeing Asher about to protest, Iris shot him a glance. "Little Raven's evolution is no small matter. If I'm not mistaken, this is a brand-new evolutionary path, right?"

"I'm not saying you have to immediately write a paper about it, but you at least need to tell me about it or share your plans."

Moreover… Iris glanced at the newly evolved Little Raven.

That golden-red plumage, even indoors, shone with a special luster—radiant and brilliant, making it impossible to look away from its vibrant feathers.

It was completely different from the previously pitch-black little bundle.

Most importantly, now that Little Raven had evolved, any Beastmaster with eyes would undoubtedly say: Little Raven must be a fire attribute beast.

Even if it wasn't purely fire attribute, it definitely had fire properties.

Iris recalled Asher's earlier speculation.

Without a doubt.

Asher had once again confirmed his theory.

Originally, Little Raven had only flying and special attributes. After its evolution, it had successfully gained a third attribute—fire.

As she thought about this, Iris's gaze toward Asher grew increasingly serious.

Asher: "..."

There was no escaping this. Resigned, Asher nodded and agreed to Iris's suggestion.

"Ah, you're leaving already?" Aeron asked, his eyes filled with reluctance as he looked at Asher. "You scared us to death when you suddenly passed out. You should rest a little longer before going."

If Aeron's eyes weren't occasionally darting towards Iris as he spoke, Asher might have believed he was genuinely concerned about him.

But now... Asher simply smiled without saying a word.

Instead, Jessica straightforwardly exchanged contact information with Asher. "You've already been admitted to Bluewind University, right?"

Asher nodded.

"I see," Jessica said with a determined expression that made Asher almost want to ask her, "What exactly do you understand?"

He had a vague feeling that whatever she had understood wouldn't bode well for him.

"I want it too. Exchange contact information with me as well." Aeron hurriedly squeezed over. "And once school starts, we'll definitely be classmates."

Then, turning to Jessica, he added, "You're definitely aiming for Elegant Orchid University, right? That's the dream school for all beast trainers."

At the mention of Elegant Orchid University, Asher immediately thought of its background.

Although its name sounds like a religious university, Elegant Orchid University isn't one. Years ago, it was a second-tier institution. Its rise to fame began when Old Master Harvey Homer graduated from Elegant Orchid University and steadily climbed to the pinnacle of the beast trainer profession.

Every time Old Master Harvey Homer achieved something remarkable, he would repay his alma mater by donating funds, resources, handwritten notes, and research findings. It could be said that Elegant Orchid University's unparalleled status among beast trainers today was all thanks to him.

Considering how impoverished and obscure Harvey Homer was back then, Elegant Orchid University was the only institution willing to accept him and even provided him with a scholarship to support him through those challenging years.

This mutual relationship created a legendary tale of mutual success between Elegant Orchid University and Old Master Harvey Homer.

Because of this, Asher was convinced that Jessica wouldn't choose Elegant Orchid University.

And thinking back to what Jessica had said earlier...

Could it be that she was also aiming for Bluewind University?

Asher: 'Why do I feel like I've unwittingly become a recruitment agent for Bluewind University?'

"Hmph." Jessica snorted a few times, glanced at Kerson in the distance, and said nothing.

Asher and Iris were ready to leave.

Greg and Kerson weren't planning to stay longer either, since they had stayed an extra half day just out of concern for Asher's condition.

Now that Asher was fine, they naturally prepared to leave as well.

The road from the villa to the airport was the same, so everyone rode together to the airport.

Their flight back to Dongzhi Province was earlier.

At the security checkpoint, Aeron waved goodbye to Asher reluctantly.

Asher smiled and waved back at Aeron and Jessica. "Thanks for waiting for me. Feel free to contact me if you visit Radiant City or NY City next time."

Aeron nodded vigorously.

"Great, great! That's awesome. Then I'll have a chance to hang around Asher again."

Maybe he could even use this opportunity to meet his goddess more often.

"Don't worry, we won't stand on ceremony when the time comes." Jessica said boldly.

With that, the two of them followed Greg and Kerson into the security checkpoint.

When Greg took out his ID card to board the plane, Asher sneaked a glance at the name on his ID card.

Then…

Asher quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened.

When Greg shot him a sharp glance, Asher mentally replayed every sad experience in his life to stop himself from laughing on the spot.

'...Ahem. Who would've thought that such a macho man's ID card name would turn out to be… ahem!

On the return flight, the four of them had tickets booked together, so they sat in a row.

Kerson sighed, "What a pity. In the end, we still didn't find out what's going on with Asher's Oriental Peacock."

"Yeah, it's a bit of a shame," Kerson nodded, but then added, "But no matter. If it truly is a new evolutionary form, we'll surely hear more about this little genius soon."

"By then, I'll get the latest updates second-hand."

He turned to Jessica. "Little Jessy, you're the most promising new recruit in our Dongzhi Province Beast Trainer Association. You can't let yourself be outshined, can you? Think about it—show off something impressive too."

"Vice President Kerson, cultivating Beasts also takes experience, alright?" Jessica rolled her eyes unceremoniously. "Instead of expecting me to come up with something, why don't you urge the seasoned veterans in the association to showcase their work?"

"They're definitely hiding things."

"That's true… Achievements don't come out of nowhere. For Asher to accomplish what he has today, he must've planned Oriental Peacock's evolutionary path long ago," Kerson said, nodding. "I wouldn't be surprised if contracting such a poorly mutated Oriental Peacock was part of his plan from the start."

"By contracting it early, training it for two or three years, and reaching the experimental requirements before—"

Before he could finish, Aeron, who was fed up and completely confused, interrupted.

"Wait, what are you talking about, Vice President Kerson? Two or three years?" Aeron blinked and nonchalantly dropped a bombshell. "Asher has only had Oriental Peacock for a year... seven months, actually."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

As someone who had witnessed Oriental Peacock's true strength and once considered contracting it himself, Aeron wouldn't let anyone tarnish the bond between Asher and Oriental Peacock—even if that person was Kerson.

Kerson: "?"

"Wait!" Kerson's expression twisted into something between a toothache and stomachache after hearing Aeron.

"You… You're saying Asher contracted Oriental Peacock for how long?" Kerson's face was indescribable.

Aeron didn't understand why Kerson was so agitated, but Jessica's face showed a gleeful expression.

Hehe. She had known about this for a while but deliberately didn't tell Vice President Cen to protect his fragile worldview. Now that Aeron spilled the beans, she silently gave him a thumbs-up.

"Over seven months," Aeron said casually. "Asher is seriously a genius when it comes to Beast cultivation."

And with that, Aeron enthusiastically recounted how Asher met Oriental Peacock and its condition at the time, just as Asher had explained to them.

Among the four of them, three were already in the know. The only uninformed person, Kerson, looked increasingly bewildered as he listened, his expression alternating between shock and disbelief.

"Am I dreaming? Or is this some kind of fantasy tale?" Kerson's eyes were filled with endless confusion.

Had someone else said this in a different context, Kerson wouldn't have believed it at all! But coming from Aeron, with Jessica smirking and Greg silent... It was too real to dismiss.

There was actually someone who could achieve—within just over half a year—what seemed utterly impossible: taking a poorly mutated Oriental Peacock and skyrocketing its strength as though riding a rocket, mastering fire-type skills, refining Refined Fire, and finally evolving into a dazzling form.

Kerson: '...Even novels wouldn't dare write this.'

"Ah!" Lost in his thoughts, Kerson suddenly jumped to his feet.

But because he stood up too quickly, coupled with the airplane hitting a bit of turbulence, Kerson's body swayed left and right, almost tumbling headfirst to the ground.

Fortunately, at the last second, the passing Miss Mira used her slender vine-like arms and leafy hands to support Kerson's body.

"Miya~"

Miss Mira, who had a humanoid appearance, looked at Kerson with her tender green eyes, filled with reproach.

It seemed like she was blaming Kerson for his recklessness and impulsiveness.

The middle-aged Kerson: "..."

Being looked at with such a scolding gaze by an Beast who resembled a young girl made him feel a little embarrassed.

"...Ahem, misunderstanding, misunderstanding. I'll sit back down now."

Miss Mira remained standing there without moving.

It was as if she was determined to stay until she saw Kerson obediently sit down.

Awkwardly rubbing his nose, Kerson sheepishly returned to his seat. Not only did he sit down properly, but he also fastened his seatbelt.

Seeing this, the petite and charming Miss Mira nodded with satisfaction, saying, "Miya~ Please maintain this behavior, sir."

After saying this, Miss Mira resumed her patrolling duties in the cabin.

Kerson let out a couple of sheepish laughs. When he raised his head, he met three pairs of odd-looking eyes.

"Who would've thought, Vice President, that you're this kind of vice president," Jessica said with a sly grin, as though he had caught onto some significant secret.

"Don't worry, Vice President. We won't look down on you because of your peculiar preferences," Aeron added, being even more straightforward than Jessica. "I know some people have improper thoughts about Beasts like Miss Mira. I just didn't expect, until today, that you'd be one of them... Sigh!"

At the end, the two of them sighed in unison.

It was as though they had completely seen through Kerson.

Veins popped on Kerson's forehead. 'These two little brats!'

They were ganging up on him!

Luckily, Kerson could tell they were joking.

Then... Kerson noticed that Greg's gaze didn't seem joking at all. It genuinely looked like he believed it... Kerson's face instantly darkened.

"Who would be interested in an Beast like Miss Mira, who looks cute and fragile but transforms into a fierce warrior in battle?" Kerson shouted in frustration. "Take your filthy imagination elsewhere. And erase all your unnecessary internal drama."

Greg: "Hah, you're teaching me how to think?"

Kerson: "..." *About to burst*

Rubbing his aching forehead, Kerson groaned, "I have no interest in Miss Mira. I'll say it again: absolutely no interest."

Not wanting to continue this discussion, Kerson quickly turned to Aeron and Jessica. Continuing the back-and-forth with Greg would inevitably lead to someone's demise... and the odds of that someone being Greg were practically nil.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier that Asher is so gifted in cultivating Beasts?" Kerson said, looking at Aeron and Jessica with a heartbroken expression. "A talent like that should've been recruited into our Cultivators' Association."

In fact, when Kerson first met Asher, he had jokingly suggested it.

At the time, he didn't think much of it.

It was just a casual comment, feeling that Asher had a bit of potential. If he dug deeper, he might become a decent newcomer in the field.

But Kerson never imagined... Asher's talent would be this extraordinary.

Had he known earlier...

Even if it meant risking his friendship with Iris, Kerson would've fought tooth and nail to bring Asher into the Cultivators' Association.

A gem like Asher... How many years had it been since they last saw someone like him?

Right now, the backbone of the association was Old Master Harvey Homer.

It was fine as long as the old man was still around.

But one had to admit, Old Master Harvey Homer was old—much older than Professor Damien.

While Professor Damien could still carry the nation's burdens, Old Master Harvey Homer's health required frequent treatment.

High-tech medical methods could cure diseases, but they couldn't slow the march of aging or death.

If Old Master Homer passed away... there would be no one else in the country capable of reaching the pinnacle of cultivation expertise.

At that time, the Cultivators' Association wouldn't just lose half its strength; it would face a long period of chaos.

The next generation wasn't fully developed, and among the younger generation, no suitable successor could be found... Thinking of this, Kerson glanced secretly at Jessica. Before they noticed, he quickly withdrew his gaze.

Kerson was aware of Jessica's circumstances but was helpless to change them.

'...Sigh!'

'If only Asher could become a cultivator.'

Kerson, unable to let go of the thought, decided to try one last time.

"Could you two share Asher's contact info with me?" Kerson asked, his hands itching with determination.

He couldn't let this opportunity slip by without trying.

———

On the airplane, Asher had fallen into a deep sleep.

The nearly two days and nights spent refining fire essence and evolving had left Asher not just physically exhausted and hungry but mentally drained and incredibly sleepy.

The moment he boarded the plane, he fell asleep.

What Asher didn't notice was that after he dozed off, Little Raven voluntarily emerged from his spiritual sea and beast space, folding its wings and curling up docilely in his arms. It looked like the most obedient large bird.

...Provided one overlooked the fact that Little Raven had snuck out on its own.

Iris glanced at Little Raven, then at Asher, and finally said nothing.

When they returned to Bluewind University, Iris didn't press Asher for explanations. Instead, she took the initiative to let him return to his dormitory.

"You look exhausted. Go rest properly. Once you're fully recovered, we'll have a thorough talk," Iris said with a chuckle, glancing again at Little Raven, who was nestled in Asher's arms, forcing him to carry it. "Preferably, you could write a formal report."

"Sure," Asher replied, too tired to speak further.

Back in his dormitory, not much had changed since he left.

There was some dust, but for someone who could fall asleep at the drop of a hat, it was no big deal.

First, sleep.

Everything else could wait until he woke up.

In this way, Asher slept as though the heavens and earth were in darkness, sleeping day and night without distinction. By the time he woke up, it was already evening... the evening he had returned.

"I really can sleep." Asher let out a long sigh, marveling at his own ability to sleep.

Yawning, Asher sat up from the bed.

Feeling refreshed, Asher finally had the leisure to carefully examine Little Raven after its evolution.

While Asher was asleep, Little Raven had obediently stayed by his side without wandering off even a bit.

This made Asher unable to resist running his hands up and down Little Raven's beautiful feathers. "So obedient, so obedient. Our Little Raven is still so good even after evolving."

Although Little Raven's feathers and eye color had changed to a golden-red hue, its movements as it pounced on Asher and the gaze it directed at him could all be matched with the pre-evolution Little Raven.

Little Raven: *A look of reproach*

'Birds also have dignity!'

'...But seeing that the Beast Master just woke up, let's give him some leeway this time!'

'Never again!'

Seeing this, Asher, who was enthusiastically petting Little Raven, paused his hand, lowered his eyelids, and spoke in a somewhat saddened tone: "Ah... Does this mean I can't pet Little Raven like this in the future? But Little Raven's feathers are so warm, they're truly captivating..."

As he spoke, Asher's voice grew quieter, with a touch of grievance in it.

"If Little Raven doesn't like it, then never mind. It's not like I have to..."

Before Asher could finish speaking, he saw Little Raven suddenly spread its large wings with a "whoosh." The dazzling golden-red wings, glowing with brilliance, were abruptly extended right in front of Asher.

Little Raven: 'Pet!'

'The bird orders you to pet it thoroughly!'

╭(╯^╰)╮

'The bird is definitely not feeling sorry for the Beast Master!'

Seeing this, Asher stopped teasing Little Raven and restrained himself.

While petting Little Raven's feathers here and there, Asher was also inspecting its condition. It seemed like there were no significant issues.

However… "Successfully evolving into a Three-Legged Golden Crow, but with wings only a little over two meters wide, isn't that a bit too small?"

Asher commented uncertainly.

Thinking about the legendary Three-Legged Golden Crow, 'wasn't it supposed to be akin to the sun itself?'

Not to mention reaching the mythical level, but Little Raven's current size wasn't even as large as an eagle in the wild.

'Compared to the real legendary Three-Legged Golden Crow, the gap seems a bit too big, right?'

With this in mind, Asher opened his talent skill.

A brand-new data panel belonging to Little Raven appeared before him.

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Beast: Three-Legged Golden Crow]

[Attributes: Fire + Special + Flight]

[Species: High-Grade Low-Rank+]

[Level: Tier 5 Intermediate]

[Skills: King's Aura, King's Eye, Heart of Protection, Pecking, Blink Magic, …, Fire Dance]

[Successfully Evolved ]

[Power ~ The body is brimming with power ~ It feels like this miss can beat ten foxes in one breath~]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Asher: "?"

Asher: "!!!"

He rubbed his eyes and triple-checked.

Little Raven's strength... had truly jumped directly from Tier 4 Intermediate to Tier 5 Intermediate.

Its grade had also risen from Mid-Grade Low-Rank to High-Grade Low-Rank.

And it was even High-Grade Low-Rank +

Although Asher knew that the words "Three-Legged Golden Crow" carried significant weight, he never expected that the weight of those four words would be this extraordinary.

Both in terms of species and strength, it had leapt an entire tier upward.

If Asher were to recount this matter exactly as it happened, no one would believe him—it was simply too unbelievable.

As for Little Raven's mental activities... Asher directly skipped over them.

Little Raven holding a grudge against the Fire Fox Queen wasn't a new thing. These two beasts weren't likely to meet anytime soon, so it wasn't a big deal.

Then, Asher clicked on the asterisk after "Successfully Evolved *."

[Three-Legged Golden Crow Bloodline Awakening: After successfully evolving, it has initially gained the bloodline of the Three-Legged Golden Crow. However, the complete awakening and integration of this bloodline is a long process. A strong will can enhance the awakening and integration of the bloodline. During this process, its size and appearance will continue to grow and change.]

Asher stroked his chin.

"So this means... Little Raven, your current size isn't the final size of the Three-Legged Golden Crow." Asher glanced at Little Raven.

Little Raven tilted its head.

'Huh? Seems like that's the case!'

Asher nodded. "That makes sense. After all, being this small doesn't look anything like the majesty that a Three-Legged Golden Crow should have."

"However…" Saying this, Asher weighed Little Raven's evolved form in his hands. His face revealed a subtle expression. "Little Raven... you've gone from being a little dumpling to a completely solid dumpling."

"You've gained weight."

Asher delivered his final verdict.

Little Raven: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

'No, no, no!'

'The bird doesn't believe it!'

But Asher wasn't going to let Little Raven off so easily. He continued, "You've gotten heavier. If you want to stand on my shoulder or head like before, it might not be so convenient anymore."

When it was smaller, Asher didn't have any objections.

Little Raven's weight couldn't possibly affect his body or cause harm.

But now, with Little Raven's current size and weight...

Whether or not Little Raven could steadily perch on his shoulder without squeezing his head was another matter.

Just its weight alone—if Little Raven stayed on one shoulder for too long, Asher suspected that in no time, he'd develop noticeably uneven shoulders.

Little Raven: ○Д○

'No way!'

'This absolutely can't happen!'

'The bird must cling to the Beast Master!'

Just as Little Raven was about to start rolling around wildly, Asher hurriedly hugged it, stroking its feathers gently. "Don't be mad, Little Raven. If you can't stand on my shoulder, I can still hold you, can't I?"

Little Raven tilted its head, pressing it against Asher's chest, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his hand stroking its feathers.

The previously upset Little Raven suddenly felt better.

'That's right!'

'It could still snuggle into the Beast Master's arms!'

Asher wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead for his quick thinking.

Then, Asher suddenly thought about how Little Raven's size might continue to grow in the future. Hmm, Asher suddenly empathized with what used to be Vicky's dilemma: 'What to do if one's beast liked to act spoiled and clingy too much?'

Urgent... Well, Asher wasn't in a hurry for now. Future problems would be dealt with in the future.

As Asher continued to pet Little Raven's feathers, he noticed something interesting.

Although Little Raven's feathers had turned into a dazzling golden-red color, upon closer inspection after smoothing them down, the topmost layer was still black. However, because the golden-red feathers beneath shone through, in sunlight, one might think at first glance that all of Little Raven's feathers were golden-red.

But in reality, that wasn't the case.

Little Raven's coloration was more like two-sided feathers. The upward-facing side was black, appearing as a five-colored, shimmering black when viewed through the mental sea.

The underside, when Little Raven spread its two-meter-long wings, revealed its resplendent golden-red glory.

While observing Little Raven's appearance, Asher also began pondering its future training directions.

Hmm... With Little Raven's strength already at Tier 5 Intermediate, it seemed like taking a break for a while wouldn't be much of an issue, right?

Asher stroked his chin.

Then let's put it on hold for now.

As for the awakening and integration of the bloodline, Asher wasn't in any particular hurry.

Forcing growth wouldn't be good for Little Raven.

With its level suddenly jumping from Tier 4 Intermediate to Tier 5 Intermediate, this major leap in rank meant that Little Raven needed time to adapt to its newfound strength.

And then there were Little Raven's skills.

Yes.

Asher finally turned his attention to Little Raven's skills.

Due to the requirements for its evolution, Little Raven had a massive number of skills—sixteen in total. However, in battle, Little Raven didn't use that many skills. Many of them hadn't even been used before.

Sometimes, if Asher didn't open the talent skill to check, he'd almost forget which skills Little Raven had.

Before evolution, Asher couldn't do anything about it, but now that the evolution was complete, Asher started considering whether to discard some of Little Raven's skills to make its skillset look more streamlined.

After all.

Learning too many skills too messily was also a form of pressure for Little Raven.

Beasts were not stupid.

They were even very intelligent.

They would remember every skill they learned and recall the learned skill immediately when the Beast Master spoke its name, then execute it.

Even if the skill wasn't often used, as long as it was learned, it would occupy part of the pet beast's mental capacity, and occasionally, there might be cases of using the wrong move… although rare, it wasn't unheard of.

Once the decision was made, it was time to act.

Skills could be learned, and they could also be forgotten.

Fortunately, the process of learning these skills wasn't too difficult for Little Raven, entirely reliant on Asher's cheat ability.

When discarding skills, there was a bit of heartache, but this was also to ensure a better future for Little Raven.

Asher decisively selected two rarely used fire-type skills and one rarely used special-type skill in one go, namely the fire-type skills [Flame Bite] and [Fire Assault], as well as the special-type skill [Sleep Recovery]. These three skills had the lowest usage frequency—extremely low.

Among the fire-type skills, the ones Little Raven used most often were [Fire Dance], [Smoke Screen], and [Fireball].

The main focus was on fast-paced, decisive battles.

[Sleep Recovery] was a skill for kite or late-game strategies, allowing for brief rest to recover stamina and injuries, which didn't suit the current Little Raven.

Forgetting it would instead make things easier for Little Raven.

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

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