Asher looked at the report in his hand again, trying to see if there was anything else in it.
But for now, there wasn't.
The only and most obvious difference was the "Evolution Factor" index.
As for the rest... Asher shook the paper in his hand, making a rustling sound.
Before Asher even said anything, the Striped Thunder Tiger beside him had already flopped onto the ground, playing dead.
'The big tiger knows nothing.'
'Don't look at the big tiger.'
'The big tiger doesn't want to get its blood drawn again.'
"Alright, alright, I won't do anything to you," Asher glanced at the timid tiger and spoke with a mix of amusement and helplessness.
'Seriously.'
'It is like I am some kind of villain.'
'Am I really that bad?'
While Asher was interacting with the Striped Thunder Tiger, Eliana and the others on the side were watching this man and tiger pair with extremely helpless expressions.
'Seriously?'
'How do they manage to be so sticky with each other?'
'What's wrong with running a test?'
'It's not like it's taking the tiger's life!'
"Ahem!", Levi coughed twice and took the initiative to ask, "Professor Asher, what's the next step for the research on the new evolution path of the Silverfang Tiger?"
"What do you need us to do?"
That last sentence was the most important.
Everyone in the lab was staring at Asher with bright eyes, eager to get started.
"Hmm...", After thinking for a moment, Asher said, "We definitely need to submit a project application, and we should recruit more Silverfang Tiger Beast Tamers as well."
"The evolution path of the Silverfang Tiger probably isn't as easy to replicate as we thought."
He needed enough samples.
Only then could Asher truly compare and determine where the differences lay.
No sooner said than done.
The efficiency of Asher's team was off the charts.
In less than an hour, both the application and recruitment requests were settled.
Asher even received a special phone call.
["Professor Asher, that's not cool of you,"] A loud voice came through the phone, ["You need Silverfang Tigers for evolution research, and you didn't think of me?"]
["We spent some time together before, didn't we?"]
Asher silently typed a question mark in his mind.
"Uh... While that may be true, can I ask who you are?", Asher honestly couldn't recall.
The person on the other end, Bellick: "..."
["So back in the Fourth Corps, you never even remembered me, huh?"], Even though Asher couldn't see Bellick's face, just from his tone, he could hear the full weight of sarcasm.
"Oh—", Hearing this, Asher let out a sound of realization.
Now he remembered.
This time, he really remembered.
Bellick Westmore—the commander of the Silverfang Tiger Corps, a subsidiary of the Fourth Corps.
Since their time together was short, Asher had only a vague impression of him.
If Bellick hadn't called directly, Asher probably wouldn't have remembered at all.
"So it's you," Even though he remembered, Asher's tone didn't change much. It was still too calm, "So, why did you call me?"
["You can't be serious, Professor Asher?"], Bellick sounded shocked, ["I can understand if you didn't think of me before, but now that I've called you, my meaning is practically written on your face! You still don't remember our Silverfang Tiger Corps?"]
["Why look for other people to study the Silverfang Tiger's evolution path? Just come to us!"]
["I guarantee you'll have as many Silverfang Tigers as you need!"]
["Any level, any requirement. We can provide better and faster than any other source!"]
["This is a win-win situation."]
Bellick didn't hold back at all, slapping the deal right onto Asher's face. Even if Asher didn't want to listen, Bellick was practically shaking the abacus beads in his ear.
"You're really something...", Asher was speechless but found it amusing. He couldn't exactly accuse Bellick of mooching.
Because, as Bellick said, this was mutual benefit, a win-win situation.
Bellick provided him with enough samples, and in return, he might be able to help some of those Silverfang Tigers evolve.
If other Silverfang Tiger Corps members wanted to evolve in the future, they'd have to pay and go through the proper steps.
Asher wouldn't lose.
The Silverfang Tiger Corps wouldn't lose either.
"The reason I didn't think of you is mainly that your Silverfang Tiger Corps is too far away. Should I really bother making the trip?", Asher was a little tempted but wasn't blinded by it.
Unlike last time with the Fourth Corps.
They paid him real money to come over.
So he went.
The Silverfang Tiger Corps?
Not worth it.
["No problem!"], The moment Asher wavered, Bellick's excitement shot through the phone, ["I can deliver them to you!"]
["Come on, Professor Asher, just tell me what kind of Silverfang Tigers you need! I'll personally select them for you!"]
Asher stroked his chin.
With the conversation at this point and the other party showing such sincerity, he had no reason to refuse.
"Alright."
"Then listen up."
Bellick: ["Got it!"]
———
That very afternoon, fifteen carefully selected soldiers from the Silverfang Tiger Corps landed in NY City.
As soon as President Robb heard the news, he immediately arranged accommodations for them, ensuring their safety while they stayed in NY City.
"Kid, you can't be so naive!", After settling them in, President Robb came to Asher, looking at him with a heartbroken expression.
Asher: "?"
'Did something happen behind my back again?'
"You're too young, that's why you got tricked by that rascal. He's just taking advantage of you," President Robb kept his pained expression.
Asher opened his mouth, wanting to explain that this was a collaboration.
President Robb: 'Hah? Collaboration? What collaboration? As if I couldn't provide Asher with that many suitable Silverfang Tiger Beast Tamers myself!'
'Bellick is just shamelessly mooching.'
No way he'd let that kid get away with it so easily!
"Just wait! I'm going to go talk to him right now," President Robb waved at Asher and turned to leave before Asher could even respond, "I'll make sure he knows that NY City's pet beast professor isn't to be messed with."
Asher: "..."
'Forget it.'
'Not my problem anyway.'
'I just need to focus on researching Silverfang Tigers.'
'Yep.'
As for Bellick's fate?
Pfft.
What did that have to do with him?
———
The next morning, at dawn, a row of burly men was already standing at the entrance of Asher's research institute.
Chase and his wife, who had just woken up to go eat: "!"
Levi and Eliana, passing by: "!"
Startled.
Asher, walking by with breakfast: "?"
"So early? Have you eaten?", Asher waved at them with a calm smile.
"Professor Asher, why aren't you scared?", Pierce, who had been sitting by the door all morning waiting to see people's frightened reactions, looked at Asher with utter disappointment.
'Seriously?'
'Not even a little fear?'
'Fifteen huge guys, standing outside at the crack of dawn!'
Those who knew can say they were Beast Tamers.
But to outsiders, it would look like they were here to cause trouble.
After all, these guys were just too big.
"Heh!", Asher let out a calm chuckle, his gaze sweeping over the people peeking out from behind the door.
Oh, wow.
He wouldn't have known if he hadn't looked.
One look and… the entire research institute was here.
From the Chase couple to the new senior-junior duo, not a single person was missing.
Very good.
Everyone was scared.
As for why Asher wasn't scared… Well, he wouldn't tell them. Back when he was with the Fourth Legion, he had already been thoroughly desensitized by those guys.
Fear?
It didn't exist.
"You should take a look at yourselves instead," Asher said with an unchanged expression.
Then, he turned back to the fifteen burly men and repeated his earlier question, "Have you eaten?"
Fifteen heads nodded in unison, voices booming, """YES, We Have!"""
Asher rubbed his ears, which had been rattled by the sound, and beckoned them inside, "Alright then, come in."
"We'll start with those who were traumatized during the Beast Tide and haven't fully recovered yet."
Facing these fifteen carefully selected subjects, Asher was full of interest.
.
.
.
After three days of comprehensive research and analysis, Asher's expression grew more and more serious by the day.
At first, the people in the research institute were still chatting and laughing.
But as time went on, they didn't even dare to breathe too loudly when passing by Asher, afraid they might accidentally disrupt his research.
Asher wasn't oblivious, he knew the tense atmosphere was because of him. It was just that… as he looked at the final answer, he felt a bit heavy-hearted and strangely intrigued.
"It's fine now," Letting out a long breath, Asher waved at everyone, "You've all worked hard these past few days. Go get some rest."
"We'll have two days off starting tomorrow."
Saying this, Asher glanced again at the fifteen Silverfang Tiger Beast Tamers who had assisted in his research.
They looked tough and unshakable, standing firm against wind and storm, yet in their eyes, there was a trace of unspeakable panic when they looked at Asher.
'Huh?'
'A break?'
'Then what are we supposed to do next?'
'Are we going to be sent back just like that?'
So unsettling!
So nerve-wracking!
Seeing through their thoughts at a glance, Asher chuckled, "No need to worry. I've already got some ideas about the Silverfang Tiger's evolution path. I just need to sort them out a bit more."
He spoke sincerely, "You guys rest for two days as well. After that, I'll have you assist in the evolution trials."
Upon hearing this, the soldiers finally looked relieved.
'Phew!'
Before long, the people in the research institute had dispersed.
Eliana watched Asher's retreating figure, hesitating to follow him and ask questions. But before she could take more than two steps, Levi stopped her.
"Senior Brother Levi…", Eliana looked at Levi, surprised that he would stop her.
Levi looked at Eliana, then at Asher walking off into the distance. He patted her shoulder and said: "Little Eli, I know you're curious—because I am too."
"If it were any other time, Professor Asher would have already figured out a new evolution path for the pet beasts, or at least had a clear direction. But this time, he's spent an unusually long time on the Silverfang Tiger."
"The new evolution form of the Silverfang Tiger is already right in front of us. So why does Professor Asher still look so confused? You're wondering the same thing, right?"
At first, Eliana thought Levi shared her thoughts. But as she listened, her eyes gradually took on a dead-fish expression.
'Wait, what?'
'What does he mean by Asher spending 'a long time' on the Silverfang Tiger?'
'Three days!'
'Just three days!'
'How is that long?'
What Eliana was curious about wasn't that at all.
She simply wanted to know what Asher had discovered.
She wanted to ask about his thought process, to see if she could organize her own thoughts based on his ideas.
After studying the Silverfang Tiger for three days alongside Asher, Eliana had no real thoughts or discoveries of her own.
She had a vague idea of a possible evolution direction, but it was just a vague notion, not a complete concept.
But listen!
Just listen to what Levi was saying.
And the worst part? He looked completely justified while saying it, as if he genuinely believed it.
Eliana: "…"
She didn't even want to talk anymore.
"Junior Sister Eliana, don't worry! Once Professor Asher comes out, he'll definitely have results," Levi, completely unaware of Eliana's inner turmoil, continued enthusiastically.
"Professor Asher is a genius who was practically hand-fed by the heavens."
"He just needs a little mid-game break to sort out his thoughts. Once he does, no problem will be a problem for him anymore."
When it came to praising Asher, Levi could go on for three days and three nights without repeating himself.
He could hype Asher up to an absurd degree, making it seem like Asher's existence was the greatest blessing this world had ever received.
Eliana felt exhausted.
"Thanks, Senior Brother. I'm heading back," She waved him off, unwilling to keep talking with Asher's die-hard fan.
There was no reasoning with him.
"Alright, Junior Sister, make sure you get some good rest too," Levi thought he had successfully convinced Eliana and waved at her as well.
But he still wasn't quite satisfied.
'Sigh!'
'Time to go find Pierce!'
———
Asher had no idea that a small fan club had already formed in his research lab. And that in the near future, this fan club would expand wildly.
He returned to his room.
After his routine check to confirm there were no people or monitoring devices around, Asher pulled out his phone.
He tapped the screen.
A light tap to awaken the Angel sleeping within his phone.
"The Silverfang Tiger's situation isn't evolution, is it?", Asher asked bluntly.
Angel: ["You are correct."]
Asher clicked his tongue, "You're being surprisingly honest. I thought you'd just tell me 'insufficient permissions' again."
["This is something you researched and discovered on your own, Boss. Angel only answers yes or no. There are no permission restrictions."]
["You already have the right answer in your heart."]
Asher: "…"
'Isn't there something wrong with this Angel?'
'But what is even more wrong is this so-called evolution path…'
'Alright, fine. It isn't evolution!'
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