The ranking of a pet beast sets a ceiling for its potential.
Low-grade beasts can only reach the seventh tier at most.
Mid-grade creatures can reach the eighth tier.
High-grade creatures are capped at the ninth tier.
The higher the rank, the more costly the pet beast. Prices start in the millions and can easily reach tens of millions.
With this thought, Asher sighed deeply.
'If only I was from a wealthy family, I could have paid my way to the top.'
Then there's the matter of acquiring a pet beast, which commonly happens in one of three ways:
Catching and taming one in the wild.
Purchasing from a specialized breeding facility.
Or applying for one from the Alliance's pet beast breeding base.
These options cater to different types of Beast Masters: commoners, those who can pay to win, and the truly lucky ones.
Asher had applied for an Alliance-bred pet beast for two consecutive years, but his applications had both been rejected.
He'd already submitted his application for this year.
If nothing unexpected happened, he wouldn't make the cut this time, either.
Alliance-bred beasts were highly coveted, typically starting from low-grade, high-level. With proper nurturing, it was almost guaranteed to grow into an elite pet beast.
The Alliance's fees were nearly free.
One hundred and twenty alliance coins for the application fee, six hundred and fifty for the specialized pet beast vaccine, and a month's supply of essential pet food.
Apart from the application fee, the other costs were essential.
No wonder applicants grew year after year.
'It's like preparing for the civil service exams—signing up every year, hoping each time, but never quite making it,' Asher sighed.
'Yet here I am, still applying.'
'People, after all, tend to hold on to a sliver of hope when it comes to lotteries, blind boxes, and any form of luck-based event.'
'Who knows?'
'Maybe this year it'll be my turn.'
Asher couldn't help but think that way, too.
It was only one hundred and twenty alliance coins. Why not give it a shot?
If he couldn't get a spot in the Alliance breeding base, he'd just contract an evolving honeybug.
Evolving from a low-grade creature, it could jump straight to a mid-grade, low-tier pet. The Fairy Butterfly's potential would be capped at the seventh or eighth tier.
But with his talent now displaying new abilities, he had another option.
'Perhaps… I can take my time selecting the perfect initial contracted pet beast.'
'In the meantime, I can also study how to boost the recognition rating.'
Currently, Fairy Butterfly's recognition rating was still zero.
———
At the NY City Alliance Headquarters for Beast Masters.
The receptionist was starting to wonder if she'd picked up a prank call.
"Hello? How can I assist you today?"
At first, she smiled as she took the call.
But as she listened, her expression slowly shifted to one of disbelief.
"Huh… a honeybug evolved? Are you sure you're not pulling my leg?"
Hearing this, several coworkers who were free at the moment turned their attention to her.
'Huh?'
'Huh?'
'Huh?'
'Is this the contender for this year's "Weirdest Case of the Year" award?'
The excitement in their eyes was palpable.
'Go on, tell us more!,' They were all ears.
However, the receptionist's smile became more and more forced.
"You're saying you have photos and video? Sir, please don't joke about this. If this is real, please bring the evolved honeybug to the Alliance. Someone will be available to assist you."
On the other end, Ron: "…"
He realized his mistake.
Instead of calling the Alliance directly, he should've reported to his supervisor first.
Without another word, Ron hung up.
Hearing the dial tone, the receptionist assumed the prankster had backed out.
"What a waste of time," she grumbled. "Every year, people try to start some big news story with these silly calls."
"Right? What are they even trying to achieve? Do they think the Alliance's research budget is just for show?" a colleague agreed.
After sharing a few words about odd callers, the receptionist went back to work.
———
Ron wasn't a Beast Master, nor was he eligible to become one.
He'd majored in Pet Beast Care in college.
And among the many possible jobs, he'd chosen to take the exam for a public position.
In positions available to non-Beast Masters, an official role at a pet beast service center was highly sought after.
The salary was decent, the benefits were good.
Each village service center only needed one full-time staff member. Part-timers or temporary staff were only added under special circumstances, so there was little hassle with coworkers.
Apart from dealing with difficult Beast Masters from time to time, it was a dream job for regular people.
If you got in, you were set for life.
It was a competitive role that thousands fought over.
Landing the job had taken not only a lot of hard work, time, and effort, but also the guidance of his mentor.
His mentor, Professor Iris, was a well-known researcher in NY City specializing in pet beast reproduction and evolution.
Professor Iris had awakened a Beast Space, giving her the strength to tame beasts. But rather than becoming a Beast Master, she'd chosen to focus on pet beast research.
To Ron, becoming her student was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him.
He saved the surveillance footage and sent it to his professor.
[Ron: Professor Iris, this happened today at the pet beast service center. I saw the honeybug evolve with my own eyes!]
After sending the message, Ron waited.
Professor Iris was usually busy, so she might not see his message right away.
But at the latest, she'd respond by ten in the evening.
Sure enough, at 9:50 p.m., a flurry of messages from Professor Iris appeared on his screen.
Before he could even respond, her call came through.
Ron quickly answered.
"Is the video you sent me real?"
"That was a honeybug? Honeybugs can actually evolve?"
"A butterfly emerging from a cocoon. So the honeybug's evolution path is indeed into a butterfly. I used to joke it'd probably turn into a big old moth."
"Where in NY City are you right now? I'm coming over immediately."
Her mature voice buzzed with excitement.
Each sentence more excited than the last.
By the end, it was as if she were about to burst through the phone.
Ron, struggling to keep up, replied, "Professor, I'm working at the Aspengrove Village pet beast service center in NY City. Just come by in the morning. It's only a three-hour drive. You should get a good night's rest and have energy for tomorrow."
"No need, no need." Professor Iris's voice was full of fervor. "I feel very energized."
There was no way to contain Professor Iris's excitement.
It was a complete breakthrough.
A honeybug that hadn't evolved in over twelve hundred years had finally evolved.
This was more than just discovering a new evolution path.
It was a true breakthrough.
A brand-new direction for the world of Beast Masters.
The NY City research center was the last place she wanted to be.
She'd fly to the Aspengrave Village pet beast service center if she could.