Beast Tamer: I Can See Evolution Paths

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Was it an illusion, or did both beasts glance at Asher?

Asher: "..."

He looked up.

Threw them.

Pretending not to notice, Asher casually tossed the two beasts as if disposing of trash.

Script, huh?

Kicked over!

The tossed Bean Flower and Dream Spirit: "..."

'Seriously?'

'Couldn't this person just follow the script for once?'

Asher: "No, nope, and not happening."

But Asher refusing the script didn't mean others wouldn't follow it.

The moment before, the group chatting enthusiastically about the best way to cook wild boar suddenly all turned their eyes to Asher.

"Asher! Are these your contracted beasts? Are you crazy?"

"Bean Flower and Dream Spirit... Asher, are you out of your mind?"

"Let's not even talk about how Bean Flower and Dream Spirit are notoriously weak beasts... And these two inherently don't get along. Training them together won't strengthen them; it'll drag them both down. What were you thinking?"

"Kid, contracting two beasts at once... Sigh!"

"Contracting two such beasts, do you really think you'll make it to the frontlines in three years? Or... are you doing this on purpose? No wonder you didn't discuss which corp you wanted to join earlier. Are you planning to desert?"

With those words, the atmosphere chilled, and the gazes directed at Asher grew cold.

Having not said a word, nor actually contracted the two beasts, Asher: "..."

Silence.

Silence is tonight's virtue.

Goodness.

So they were forcing him to take these two things?

Asher's gaze swept over the suddenly rejuvenated Bean Flower and Dream Spirit.

Hmm...

If there's a script, this must mean he's already contracted them, restoring their vitality, right?

At that moment—

Bean Flower bounced along on its tiny root-like legs, while the Dream Spirit floated ghost-like in the air, rushing toward Asher.

It was like baby swallows returning to the nest.

Just as the two creatures were about to stick affectionately to Asher like loyal beasts do with their beastmasters—

Golden-red flames slashed through the sky.

The entire forest seemed to ignite.

Black shadowy tendrils crawled, writhed, swayed, and spun frantically on the ground as if some malevolent, ominous entity were about to break free.

The approaching Bean Flower and Dream Spirit: "!!!"

Their tiny faces simultaneously displayed utter terror.

'Wha—What's happening?'

Before they could react, shadowy tendrils snatched them up.

The golden-red flames followed, landing squarely on their bodies.

Asher watched helplessly as, in a matter of moments, Bean Flower and Dream Spirit were engulfed in a shadowy inferno.

The lively expressions of his classmates and teachers froze, then shattered into pieces, disappearing entirely.

Everything around Asher dissolved into nothingness.

A strong sense of weightlessness overwhelmed him.

His body plummeted through darkness.

Suddenly, a presence like both the sun and storm clouds caught him mid-fall.

The sensations of soft fur and icy coolness touched Asher's skin.

"I..." Asher opened his mouth to speak.

His eyes snapped open—

Asher woke up from the dream.

Asher: "?"

Lying in his sleeping bag, Asher stared blankly at the tent ceiling, his thoughts not yet catching up.

"...Was that a dream?" Asher murmured.

But he quickly dismissed the idea.

'No, no.'

'That wasn't just a dream.'

'It was too vivid, too real.'

Normally, memories of dreams fade within minutes, yet every detail, every incongruity of the dream was crystal clear in his mind.

Asher closed his eyes.

And noticed something new.

'Where are Little Raven and Cat-Worm?'

Even though he didn't have night-watch duty, Asher always left Little Raven and Cat-Worm outside while he slept.

Yet now, his sleeping bag was empty.

Asher immediately sat up.

Still muddled from the dream, he shook out his sleeping bag, checked his pillow and blanket, confirming neither Little Raven nor Cat-Worm were inside.

Then it hit him—

'Oh.'

'The Beast Space in my Spirit Sea.'

Asher slapped his forehead, closed his eyes, and sensed their presence.

'Perfect.'

One on the left, one on the right, sound asleep in the Beast Space.

Looking at their curled-up forms, Asher smiled, but his expression soon turned serious.

A strange dream, Little Raven and Cat-Worm retreating to the Beast Space, and their current fatigue—worse than after a day of battle.

Connecting these dots...

Asher peeked out of the tent, observing the night guards—freckled youth Devin and another team member, both alert.

Asher fell silent.

Was he the only one haunted?

Or had others experienced the same?

Uncertain and unwilling to ask just yet, he scanned the campsite.

Seeing nothing unusual, Asher lay back down, lost in thought.

If he alone had such a vivid dream, why?

Was it his cheat ability?

No, no.

The dream featured familiar faces, people he had spent time with...

As Asher mulled over the dream's details, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted off again.

This time, no bizarre dreams.

He slept soundly.

By the time he woke, daylight had brightened the campsite.

Emerging from his tent, he was greeted by his companions.

"Little Professor, you slept late today," Maxine teased with a smile.

Harry handed him a hearty bowl of porridge. "Wash up and eat. Feeling worn out from yesterday?"

"Today's the last push. Hang in there. Once we reach the edge of the forbidden zone, we can slow down."

Even stoic Mr. Kelly nodded in agreement.

"Originally, we planned to rest three days there, but due to the earlier beast tide, we'll only stay one day. Still, better than nothing."

Asher nodded. He had no strong opinions on the revised plan.

As he ate, Asher casually remarked, "Didn't sleep well last night. Weird dreams left my head buzzing."

"Haha, it's probably because you took in too much information during the day, and your brain couldn't process it all at once. So at night, you started having all sorts of chaotic dreams," Harry said with a hearty laugh, looking at Asher with a gaze that carried a trace of affection.

As if suddenly realizing—ah.

Even though Asher was a genius, from an age perspective, he was still a minor child.

Being exposed to so many things and information all at once, coupled with some bloody scenes… it was entirely normal for his brain to protect his body by producing wild, fanciful dreams.

Hearing this, Asher smiled but didn't argue.

However, deep down in his heart, he reconfirmed one thing:

He was the only one who had that dream last night.

"Not letting Little Raven and Cat-Worm out?" After finishing breakfast, as the group packed their things, processed and disposed of the food waste cleanly, and prepared to set off, the freckled young man Devin cautiously glanced at Asher and asked.

The three teachers, with their keen ears, instantly caught Devin's words.

Their gazes turned toward Asher, and in a moment, they noticed the issue.

Huh?

Oh, right.

Where were Asher's pet beasts Little Raven and Cat-Worm?

Usually, Asher would wake up with Little Raven and Cat-Worm alongside him.

They often saw the slightly comical sight of Asher struggling to carry the two "mountains" on his thin shoulders.

But today… no wonder it felt strangely quiet.

"They're a bit tired, so I let them rest a while longer," Asher said helplessly.

He wasn't lying.

Little Raven and Cat-Worm were indeed still tired and hadn't woken up.

Compared to last night, when Asher suddenly woke up in the middle of the night, their mental states had improved quite a bit but were still fatigued.

Even if he let them out, the two of them would just curl up in his arms and nap.

So, it was better to let the little ones sleep in the spiritual beast space in peace.

Maxine nodded. "Alright, I'll release two more pet beasts to make up for it," she said casually.

In truth, Maxine had been prepared to protect Asher from the beginning.

After all, unlike Flathead Felix and the freckled youth Devin, Asher was not only a minor but also merely an official Beastmaster in terms of strength.

Even if Asher had contracted two pet beasts… how much use could he be in a forbidden area?

And then Maxine was proven wrong.

The strength displayed by Little Raven and Cat-Worm far exceeded Maxine's expectations of ordinary beasts.

It completely reshaped her view of the younger generation of Beastmasters.

The younger waves of the Yangtze River would inevitably push the older ones onto the beach one day.

SHH, SHH, SHH—

Maxine released all six of her pet beasts.

Unlike the last time, when she had to release them in a hurry during the small-scale beast tide attack, this time there was no rush, nor was there any life-threatening crisis.

Finally, Asher had the opportunity to carefully observe these six pet beasts.

It was his first time seeing a Beastmaster with all six pet beasts present.

And each one possessed exceptional strength.

The compound poison of the pink mantis, the small poison monster, the thousand-legged centipede monster, and the ice moth was remarkable. Together, they formed a team of toxic elites.

This combination alone was enough to be incredibly intimidating, especially when these pet beasts exuded a spiritual aura, the purple light radiating from within making it clear that Maxine was no ordinary opponent.

Even Asher began to entertain the idea of raising a poison-attribute pet beast… though technically, wasn't Cat-Worm already considered poison-attribute?

He hesitated.

Forget it.

He still had time before contracting his third pet; there was no need to rush.

With Maxine's six pet beasts paving the way, the group's progress was remarkably swift today.

They encountered no wild beasts. If any did appear, Maxine wasted no time commanding her pet beasts to eliminate them swiftly and efficiently, leaving no trace of the enemy.

The two hired expedition teams watched in awe, barely daring to blink.

Awesome.

Their employer was truly remarkable.

Their role here was strictly backline support and morale-boosting.

Finally, around noon, the group reached the edge between the explored and unexplored zones of the forbidden land.

Between two trees stood a distinct barrier, faint white interwoven with even fainter threads of purple mist, completely cutting off the space beyond.

"We'll set up a camp outside first, then inspect the traces left by nearby beasts. Identify what we can recognize," Harry instructed quickly. "Record anything unfamiliar, and we'll analyze and hypothesize."

"It's only been half a month since the device captured a beast resembling a Sunflower. Unfortunately, it rained once during this time, or we would have found more traces."

With a sigh, Harry expressed some regret.

Their pace had been slightly slower than ideal, but given that all three teachers had their regular jobs, managing to organize this expedition within half a month was already impressive.

Apart from the two clueless expedition team members, everyone else—Felix, Devin, Maxine, Kelly, and Asher—gave an "OK" gesture and sprang into action.

Harry unpacked his laptop, connected it to an external power source, and set it up in the center of the camp.

Next, he pulled out a camera and began documenting the footprints and other traces left by beasts on the ground.

"Interesting… this looks like a creature was hunted and dragged away. Judging by the footprints… hmm, could it be a Venomous Horned Hippogriff?" Harry murmured to himself as he worked.

Asher: "?"

Looking at a faint footprint on the ground, so shallow it could be erased by a breeze, Asher felt utterly baffled.

Could someone really identify beasts from such traces?

Was it because he didn't have enough knowledge?

"Don't let Harry fool you," Maxine said with a smile, noticing Asher's puzzled expression. "Like Kelly, Harry has a unique talent for identifying beasts. It's not something just anyone can do."

Asher: "…"

'Got it. It's all about talent, huh?'

Unlike Kelly's inexplicable gift, Harry's ability to match footprints with known beasts seemed slightly more understandable.

It was like someone recognizing the odd one out among hundreds of similar cups of water. The mental effort must be immense.

Shaking his head, Asher decided he couldn't do it—yet. For now, he focused on taking photos of everything uncertain.

In two hours, without entering the unexplored fog, the six-member team documented all traces of nearby beasts.

Back at the camp, Harry began analyzing the photos, sorting and categorizing them using an unfamiliar software.

"Give me some time. I'll try to identify all the creatures by tonight," Harry said casually, as if it were an easy task.

Asher glanced at the five-digit number of photos in the material library but said nothing in the end.

The world in the eyes of a genius... truly incomprehensible to ordinary people.

Respect.

Understanding.

All that mattered was the result.

"By the way, Teacher Harry," Asher suddenly asked, "Has there been any trace of Bean Flower around here?"

Thinking of the two beasts that had appeared in his dream, Asher suddenly brought it up.

"Hm?" Harry was visibly stunned for a moment, then quickly flipped through some photos. "Bean Flower... there is!"

"Why are you asking about Bean Flower? Don't tell me you're trying to link its traces to possible evidence of Sunflower's tracks to prove that Sunshine Sunflower is Bean Flower's new evolutionary form?" Harry said with a smile.

He clearly didn't take it too seriously.

Many pet evolution researchers often connected Sunshine Sunflower with Bean Flower, as Bean Flower's evolved form, Big-Faced Sunflower, and Sunshine Sunflower looked strikingly similar.

Unfortunately, this topic had persisted for a century, and no one had cracked the code.

The pet evolution field now generally believed—there should be no relationship between Bean Flower and Sunshine Sunflower. The similarity might be due to Sunshine Sunflower's pre-evolutionary form resembling Bean Flower or because they were the same species of beast.

As for which beast exactly... maybe it was simply one yet to be discovered?

Asher smiled faintly and said nothing more.

"What about Dream Soul Spirit?" Asher asked again.

'Hmm? Hmm? Hmm?'

This time, not only did Harry look at Asher, but even Maxine and Kelly turned their gazes toward him. They seemed both surprised and as though they hadn't expected to hear that name from Asher.

Asher realized that the atmosphere seemed a bit off.

"Dream Soul Spirit... if you hadn't mentioned it, I almost forgot about this beast," Maxine said, resting her chin on her hand, smiling but sighing. "But this type of beast isn't recorded in the commonly available beast guides, is it? Little Professor, where did you hear this name, and how do you know that Dream Soul Spirit used to most commonly appear in the Forbidden Lands of East Continent?"

She paused, then playfully winked at Asher.

Asher: "..."

He didn't feel any playfulness or cuteness from it.

Instead, every hair on his back stood up, and goosebumps covered his arms.

Asher maintained a straight face and replied honestly, "I heard about it in a dream."

Harry: "?"

Maxine: "?"

Kelly: "You mean the dream you mentioned this morning?"

The cool-headed Kelly spoke in a very affirmative tone, and Asher nodded.

"This morning's dream featured a small, slightly chibi ghost-like beast. Its body was translucent and had something like a little tail. The person in my dream called it Dream Soul Spirit."

Not only did Asher name the Dream Soul Spirit, but he also described its appearance in precise detail from his dream.

Harry and Maxine's expressions turned strange again.

If, at first, they thought Asher was joking or trying to trick them, after hearing his detailed description of the Dream Soul Spirit's appearance... they began to think the truth might actually be just that.

There was no need for Asher to use such an obviously absurd excuse to deceive them.

"In a dream?" The freckled young man, Devin, who had eased his animosity toward Asher, sounded surprised. "No way! What kind of dream is so magical that it can tell you the name of an beast you've never seen before? Could it be a prophetic dream?"

"Then in your dream, who told you about it? Could it be someone you'd previously heard mention this beast?" Devin asked curiously.

Harry and Maxine thought about it—hmm? That actually seemed plausible.

So, who in the dream told Asher about it?

"Teacher Maxine," Asher looked in Maxine's direction.

Maxine hadn't yet realized what Asher was getting at. "Calling me? What is it?"

Their eyes met.

Suddenly, Maxine understood what Asher meant.

"Wait, wait, wait?" Maxine's eyes widened. She pointed to her nose, her tone full of shock and disbelief. "Are you saying it was me who told you about Dream Soul Spirit in your dream?"

Asher nodded.

Ah...

Though it wasn't just Maxine, there were also a few other people.

But Asher believed his less-than-bright friends wouldn't know about such an obviously peculiar beast.

He decided to leave out part of the truth.

And without hesitation, he shifted all the blame onto Maxine.

The capable bear the burden.

The knowledgeable lead the way.

No problem at all.

Maxine: "..."

There was a problem. A big problem.

Maxine held her forehead, momentarily at a loss for words due to Asher's bluntness.

Even Devin, the freckled young man who had raised the question, sensed something was amiss.

"Is there something wrong with this so-called Dream Soul Spirit beast?" Devin looked around and asked softly.

Harry adjusted his glasses, his expression a mix of complexity and hesitation. "How should I put this... Because of Dream Soul Spirit, there were multiple discussions within the Alliance about whether to create a separate ghost attribute for beasts."

Among the existing fourteen attributes—Wood, Fire, Water, Lightning, Wind, Fairy, Special, Rock, Metal, Earth, Ice, Poison, Dark, and Light—there was no ghost attribute. Most shadow- or darkness-related beasts were categorized under the Dark attribute.

But Dream Soul Spirit...

Whether in appearance or ability, it bore a striking resemblance to the ghosts of legend.

Whether in appearance or abilities, it is very similar to the legendary ghost.

Possession.

Nothingness.

Dispersed by the wind.

Feeds on human emotions...

The existence of Dream Soul Spirits once made society wonder if ghosts truly existed in this world.

Then...

"And then some opportunists took the image and sacredness of the Dream Soul Spirit to form a..." While speaking, both Harry, Maxine, and even Kelly's expressions gradually turned strange, hesitant to continue.

Asher seemed to have understood something.

'It involves religion and belief and such... right?'

'Well, well.'

Asher could not help but give a thumbs up.

Who on earth was so audacious to use Dream Soul Spirits as a pretext to establish a crab religion?

Seeing that Asher had grasped the idea and was shocked, Harry sighed helplessly.

"Honestly, even small villages know about beasts. If you try to scam people with such creatures, there's no way the elderly would fall for it."

Asher nodded.

The freckled young man, Devin, also nodded.

The two hired members and Felix nodded in agreement as well.

Exactly.

Since the era of the beast tides thousands of years ago, humans had been fighting life-and-death battles with beasts.

It wasn't until later, when humans grew stronger, that the world gradually improved.

Living in a small village?

Even if it's in a remote corner, as long as you live on this planet, you know about beasts.

Scamming people using beasts?

Impossible.

"Around eight or nine hundred years ago, roughly when the beast tides had just subsided, our ancestors entered a period of recuperation and technological progress. Transportation wasn't as developed back then." Since Asher mentioned Dream Soul Spirits, Harry didn't continue hiding the truth and started explaining.

"Some people discovered that certain beasts were not common across different regions."

"So, in the Eastern Continent at the time—specifically the forbidden areas in the southern region—some individuals got the idea to use Dream Soul Spirits, a unique beast, to their advantage."

"Beasts are beings that awaken extraordinary powers from mountains, plants, rivers, livestock, and so on—life forms originally existing in nature that have evolved stable species over generations."

"Then what kind of existence awakened its power to create Dream Soul Spirits?"

Good question.

Ghosts?

Spirits?

Invisible life forms?

Unknown.

"Actually, back then, the authorities were already studying Dream Soul Spirits. Given enough time—maybe a hundred or two hundred years—we could have uncovered their secrets," Harry said with a sigh, looking exhausted and regretful.

Maxine continued for him.

"Unfortunately, before that could happen, Dream Soul Spirits suffered a devastating catastrophe," Maxine's gentle voice carried a hint of coldness. "Because the war had just ended, the nation was only beginning to recover and reorganize. Some systems and management weren't in place, which left loopholes to exploit."

"Dream Soul Spirits sound terrifying, don't they? But whether it was because their potential hadn't been fully explored or because their abilities weren't particularly strong, they were difficult to strengthen."

"So, capturing or killing a Dream Soul Spirit wasn't particularly challenging."

"Thus, a group emerged that specialized in capturing Dream Soul Spirits. They sought out people who had lost loved ones—parents, children, spouses—and were left in pain and grief."

"They claimed that their loved ones' souls were not at peace."

"They said their loved ones were devoured by a strange existence, leading to the awakening of the Dream Soul Spirit."

"Dream Soul Spirits had consumed their loved ones' souls."

For people who were aware of beasts but had never encountered Dream Soul Spirits, seeing such small, ghost-like creatures shattered their emotional defenses.

My parents, my spouse, my family—they've all died. Why can't they rest in peace?

Why are beasts still causing trouble?

Faced with broken spirits, these scammers naturally had a whole set of theories to present.

They then emptied their victims' pockets.

Not only did they take their money, but they brainwashed them as well.

Claiming that their devoured souls were incomplete and that to ensure their loved ones rested in peace, they had to join their...

Cough cough.

A whole series of manipulative tactics followed.

Coupled with the post-war trauma, people desperately needed something to cling to spiritually.

Wounded, vulnerable people were deceived in droves.

By the time the authorities intervened...

Dream Soul Spirits in the southern region were nearly extinct.

The entire incident was absurdly ironic.

Felix and the freckled youth, Devin, had indescribable expressions on their faces.

The older members of the expedition team nearby even complained: "Didn't they ever doubt it?"

"Scamming people for money and making them join—doesn't that seem fishy enough?"

"Also, wherever those scammers went, there just happened to be souls devoured by Dream Soul Spirits. Clearly, the problem lay with the scammers."

Asher sighed. "In the context of that era, it's not entirely incomprehensible."

Perhaps they knew.

At the same time...

They needed spiritual solace.

The damage of war wasn't just physical but primarily psychological.

"Yeah, in today's peaceful era, it seems ridiculous. No one would believe it," Harry nodded. "But in that war-torn time, when people desperately needed outlets and solace...well, this is the result."

Because of this incident, Dream Soul Spirits' existence was never made public.

After all, when the scandal broke, the repercussions were significant.

"The main issue is that we've never found another Dream Soul Spirit," Harry sighed. "When categorizing attributes, because no other ghost-type beast resembling it was discovered, no specific category was assigned to it."

"Earlier extracurricular materials mentioned Dream Soul Spirits, but over time, they faded from textbooks."

"After all, how do you document a creature that no longer exists?"

Many beasts have faded from records due to extinction.

The establishment of breeding bases was meant to protect endangered beasts.

"But this Dream Soul Spirit..." Asher frowned, eventually sighing in frustration.

Sigh.

Difficult to say.

Difficult to evaluate.

Still, Asher didn't completely disagree with the authorities' approach.

Understandable, but not acceptable.

Revisiting the scenes in his dreams, a curious thought suddenly popped into Asher's mind.

Dream Soul Spirits and Bean Flowers.

Dream Soul Spirits, extinct for eight or nine hundred years.

And Sunshine Sunflowers, never seen again...

Could there be a connection between them?

"You think there's a link between Dream Soul Spirits and Sunflowers?" Asher voiced his thought.

Everyone else: "???"

Hearing this, Harry, who had been feeling down while recounting the history, looked up sharply. His eyes, wide behind his glasses, seemed ready to pop out.

Maxine was equally startled.

Cool guy Teacher Kelly looked at Asher.

"How did you connect two beasts with no similarities in attributes or appearance?" Maxine asked.

"I know that as a professor of pet evolution, you need a wildly creative mind to link seemingly unrelated things, but your idea..." Maxine struggled to speak. "It's too far-fetched."

"Exactly."

Harry nodded emphatically.

"If Dream Soul Spirits still existed, they'd belong to ghost-type beasts. Sunshine Sunflowers should theoretically be wood-type, light-type, or some undiscovered type. Ghost-type creatures can't have healing abilities, can they?"

Asher: "I dreamt it. I saw Bean Flowers and Dream Soul Spirits together. I think there's an undiscovered connection."

Harry and Maxine: "..."

"Little professor, what exactly are you dreaming of?" Maxine couldn't laugh.

Her disbelief wasn't about anything else.

It was specifically about Asher's dream.

First, he dreamed of her mentioning Dream Soul Spirits. Then he dreamed of Bean Flowers and Dream Soul Spirits together.

Now he had linked Sunshine Sunflowers and Dream Soul Spirits...

Wasn't this just Asher's brain working overtime due to stress?

Maxine looked at Asher with suspicion.

Asher spread his hands, wearing an unapologetic and straightforward expression.

Lying?

He wasn't lying at all!

Everything he said was the truth.

"Anyway, Teacher Harry, take a look. Maybe you'll find traces of Dream Soul Spirits," Asher said seriously.

Harry's expression grew complicated.

"Well...I'll try my best," Harry hesitated before nodding. "But even if Dream Soul Spirits reappear in the forbidden areas of the Eastern Continent, they won't be easy to find."

After all, they could fly—well, float!

Floating forward in mid-air.

Tracking traces left by Dream Soul Spirits wouldn't be easy.

The entire afternoon, Harry devoted himself to analyzing the tens of thousands of photos on the computer.

Some he recognized, some he didn't, some were normal, and some were strange.

Harry typed on the keyboard so fast it almost seemed to smoke.

Meanwhile, Asher activated his innate skill and wandered around the edge of the exploration zone, not going in too deeply, hoping to see if there was a chance to discover any beasts.

Unfortunately.

The cheat ability was ready.

But luck wasn't great.

An entire afternoon passed, yet neither traces of the Bean Flower nor the Dream Soul Spirit were found by Asher.

On the other hand, Harry, who had finally finished reviewing all the photos, made an interesting new discovery.

"Come here, quick! I found something interesting." Harry stared at the computer, not even turning his head, excitedly waving toward Asher and Maxine.

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