"Here, I sincerely thank Asher for his tremendous contributions to this research."
The audience went wild—again.
'Asher?'
'Who is Asher?'
In just two minutes, this same question flooded the internet.
#Asher
#ThankYouAsher
#ChillGuy
#WhoIsAsher
#AreTheseThreeAshersTheSamePerson
Surfing at 6G speeds, netizens quickly found the last trending topic and clicked on it without hesitation. Everyone shared the same thought: 'Asher? Three Ashers?'
Could the identity of the Asher that Professor Damien had just thanked have already been revealed?
Then they thought again.
It wasn't impossible.
After all, in this age of big data, there's no such thing as secrets online.
And once more, the gossip-hungry netizens were shocked.
Discoverer of the new evolutionary path for the Honeybug, the Fairy Butterfly?
Publicly named and thanked at the academic press conference by Professor Iris of Bluewind University?
Researcher of the new evolutionary path for the Little Firefox, the Fire Fox Queen?
Though this evolutionary path still awaited confirmation.
At the same time, it was revealed that Asher had introduced the concept of Affinity Points at an academic press conference in NY City.
This was also the key reason Professor Damien publicly expressed his gratitude to Asher in front of the entire nation. According to Professor Damien, their breakthrough in developing the Extreme Defense extraordinary creature was due to the concept proposed by Asher.
But what shocked netizens even more…
They realized that Asher was still a student.
Not even a university student.
But a high school senior preparing for college entrance exams.
"Look at his 18 years, then look at mine. Can the gap between people really be this wide?"
"From what Professor Damien said during the Spring Festival Gala, they actually figured out the new evolutionary path for the Big-Ear Elephant, the Armoured Elephant, more than a month ago. But they waited until New Year's Eve to confirm the second identical evolution for two reasons: to validate the evolution path and to bring joy to the entire nation at the start of a new year."
"Joy! I'm absolutely thrilled! But Professor Damien, is the state going to distribute Armoured Elephant?"
"...Am I the only one who thinks 'Armored Elephant' sounds simpler and better than 'Armoured Elephant'?"
"You're the only one."
"You're the only one +1."
"You're the only one +∞."
"Wait, why does the name Asher sound so familiar...? Let me look it up..."
"Is this commenter... a 'familiar person'?"
"Hurry up, hurry up! I can't wait to hear the story of this genius. I just want to know: what's the difference between an 18-year-old genius who gets repeatedly thanked by big shots and an ordinary person like me?"
"...Just watched the recording of his academic press conference. I'm done for."
"??? Curious what kind of blow made my goofy internet pal say something like that?"
"Asher… hahaha! Isn't that the name of the infamous newbie boss from NY City's starter village? But come on, it can't be the same person, right? There's no way someone could be both an academic genius and a Beastmaster prodigy."
"Heh, I suggest you watch this video". [Link to Asher's Academic Press Conference]
"…"
"Just finished watching. I'm back. I'm done for too… How can someone like this exist in the world?"
The onlookers: "!!!"
'Wow, wow, wow!'
It felt like tonight was full of sweet potatoes. Netizens felt like they had turned into rodents in a field of melons—melons everywhere, surrounding them on all sides.
The gossiping online world was something June wasn't aware of. But after watching the entire segment where Professor Damien highly praised and thanked Asher, she immediately called him frantically.
"…You really keep a low profile while doing big things." June's emotions were incredibly mixed at this moment.
She had always known Asher was a genius.
But she never expected him to be this much of a genius.
This was a national-level big shot.
Publicly thanking Asher in front of the whole nation, with words full of admiration and praise. Was that something ordinary people could achieve?
Asher, on the other hand, remained calm after hearing the news, showing no surprise: "Oh, so that's what it was." No wonder the old professor personally visited his school six months ago.
That confidential project he mentioned back then must have been the Extreme Defence extraordinary creature research.
"Actually, the results are more due to Professor Damien and his team's tireless efforts. The concept I proposed only shortened their exploration process and timeline. It doesn't deserve such exaggerated praise."
Asher's voice was calm.
Every word he said was heartfelt and genuine.
Affinity Points.
Was it a difficult variable to discover? Before considering it, yes. But once the idea was sparked, inspiration would flow endlessly.
After seeing Professor Damien's rich academic history, Asher had no doubt that, given enough time, the professor would have eventually discovered this key variable.
Precisely because of this, Asher didn't view himself as an era-defining genius. The world didn't lack geniuses—he was just luckier than most.
To become conceited because of this… Asher would feel ashamed.
June couldn't understand his mindset: "???"
"Seriously?" June was speechless. She could tell Asher was being completely sincere, but that only made it more infuriating. "Not only are you not excited, but you're also downplaying yourself?"
"If you don't count as something, if you're not worthy of praise, what are ordinary people like us supposed to do? Are you leaving us any hope at all?"
With a face full of indignation, June shouted into the phone: "I don't care how you developed this personality, but listen up: You are a genius. The three words you casually dismissed represent the biggest variable in this national-level project."
"Without your initial insight, Professor Damien and his team wouldn't have succeeded so quickly. Acknowledge your efforts and accomplishments, you jerk."
Without waiting for a response, June hung up angrily.
Looking at the disconnected call, Asher's expression turned amused. "So… have I been misunderstood?"
It wasn't his modesty but his golden finger that made him indifferent to this achievement. Clearly, June had misunderstood.
Asher stroked his chin.
'Hmm… That's fine, right?'
'It doesn't seem like a big deal.'
The messages on Asher's phone kept flooding in, buzzing with notifications from various people.
June's message sat at the top. Asher glanced at it.
[June: There's a special event at the Newbie Training Ground tomorrow on New Year's Day. I've already invited Ivy. Let's go watch it together!]
[Asher: Sure.]
He scrolled further down.
There were messages from familiar people—Ivy, Vicky, Iris, and President Robb—and from seniors he'd met at Bluewind University.
Even his class group chat was filled with frenzied @ mentions.
Asher: "…"
He silently put his phone on silent mode. He'd respond to everyone later. Right now, everyone was way too enthusiastic, and Asher couldn't handle this overwhelming fervor.
Placing his phone aside, Asher scooped up the curious Little Raven, whose beady eyes were glued to his phone screen. "Alright, it's time for us to shower and sleep. Little Raven must want a bath too, right?"
At the mention of a bath, Little Raven, who was covered in hotpot aroma, bobbed its head enthusiastically like a pecking chick.
'Yes, yes, yes! Bath time!'
And so, Asher happily tossed the recent events aside.
What? Feel more excited?
There really wasn't any. All his excitement had been used up when he received Bluewind University's early admission letter.
Now, he just wanted to bathe, sleep, and enjoy this rare day of relaxation.
Asher was completely unfazed by tonight's explosive news.
That didn't mean others could remain equally calm.
The internet was flooded with various rumors and legends tied to Asher. People claiming to have insider information were popping up like mushrooms after a rain.
From Asher's classmates to NY City's rookie training camp Beastmaster candidates, and even, most ridiculously, freshmen from Bluewind University—all had something to say.
Spectators: "Too many. There are just too many rumors. We can't keep up."
Those closer to Asher spent the entire evening engrossed in discussions about him.
———
[The Epstein Family]
Henry and Marie had made a rare appearance at home, stepping away from their lab.
While eating, they were discussing the verification steps for the Fire Fox Queen's evolution experiment.
"If all goes as planned, we should have definitive results within three to five months after the New Year," Henry said, taking a bite of beef.
Marie nodded in agreement. "Yes, we'll speed up and finalize the evolution path as soon as possible. That way, we can shut up those who openly and secretly ridicule Little Ash for being a fraud."
She looked indignant as she spoke.
The professors, scholars, and Ph.D. candidates who attended Asher's academic conference were mostly open-minded and accepting of young talent. Their own high standards and sophistication ensured they wouldn't feel threatened or undervalued even with a prodigy entering the field.
But there were always a few... mediocre individuals who could neither achieve great heights nor accept their limitations, gossiping behind others' backs.
It wasn't so much a problem as it was irritating.
Repeated falsehoods often swayed the simpler researchers, leaving them with unjustified negative impressions of Asher.
Marie: "Unacceptable!"
"And the Alliance leadership wasn't much better either. What were they thinking at first, not giving Little Ash a guaranteed admission spot for such a major discovery?" Marie said, outraged. "When they finally did, none of the universities valued him, allowing Bluewind University to snag him for free."
Henry nodded in agreement. While Bluewind University was in their province, he still felt they'd scored big, as Asher was truly a rare genius.
During the process of confirming the Fire Fox Queen's evolution path, Asher's insights had repeatedly shocked both Henry and Marie.
Every step Asher provided had a staggering 90% accuracy rate.
Outsiders might not grasp the significance of this figure, but to seasoned researchers like Henry and Marie, who had studied the Fire Fox's evolution for six years, it was earth-shattering.
If they hadn't been sure there was no one else in the country studying the Fire Fox's evolution, they might have suspected Asher had obtained the method from some advanced source. Otherwise, how could he have drafted such a precise evolution plan with accurate resource usage for every step?
And he succeeded on his first attempt, without conducting any comparative experiments.
Aside from labeling him a genius, the couple couldn't think of any other explanation.
They completely dismissed their initial grievances toward Asher and wholeheartedly viewed him as a promising junior who needed their guidance and protection.
In their eyes: Asher's academic talent was unparalleled, but that didn't mean he was savvy about the subtle rivalries and hidden rules of the adult world. They would protect him from baseless rumors and external harm.
Confirming the Fire Fox Queen's evolution path was the first step.
Then...
They saw Professor Damien's public acknowledgment during the Spring Festival Gala.
Henry: "???"
Marie: "???"
Their son, Don, who had been quietly eating and trying to stay out of his parents' conversation, froze mid-bite.
'...Wait.'
'What did I just hear?'
Don stared blankly at the television, watching Professor Damien's lips move as he spoke.
Henry and Marie gasped audibly, contributing further to global warming.
"That just now..." After the exhibition and acknowledgment segments ended, Henry turned to his wife for confirmation. "I didn't mishear, did I?"
Marie nodded gravely. "It seems we both heard the same thing..."
The couple turned to their son simultaneously.
Don: "?"
"Son, you heard it too, right?" Henry and Marie asked in unison.
Don opened his mouth, looking aggrieved, and let out a reluctant "Mm."
That was all the confirmation they needed.
"If even Don, who doesn't get along with Little Ash, admits it, then it must be true," the couple concluded.
Don's head filled with question marks.
'Are these people really my biological parents?'
If he dared to voice this thought, his parents would likely retort with a cold laugh: 'What? If we weren't your real parents, do you think we'd tolerate your nonsense for this long? If only Asher were our child... but alas, fate had other plans.'
The two professors sighed, resigned to their reality.
———
Meanwhile, Asher lay in bed, using the tablet Vicky had left him to play the Spring Festival Gala as background noise. Holding Little Raven, he was playing a game on his phone.
The game was a blend of farming, pet-raising, monster-fighting, and marriage, featuring beautifully illustrated characters that had charmed countless players into calling them "husband" or "wife."
Asher had started playing on Vicky's recommendation.
It was amusing, but only slightly so. Soon, he began to feel sleepy.
After harvesting his final crop of red berries, he assigned all his clingy in-game pets to tasks like farming, weeding, and feeding pigs.
Asher: "Efficiency is key. Everyone's a tool here."
His eyes were fixed on productivity, and productivity alone.
Little Raven, watching Asher's peculiar actions, blinked its beady eyes in surprise.
Little Raven: 'Beastmasters... are terrifying.'
But after a moment's thought, it reassured itself.
'No, no, I'm different from those in-game creatures. My Beastmaster treats me exceptionally well.'
Little Raven: 'Hmph, I'm definitely the favorite.'
And so, as they played, the human and the bird both drifted off to sleep.
———
Late at night.
Feeling quite pleased with himself, Bluewind University's President Boyle finally accepted an invitation to a group chat sent by a neighboring province's second-tier university president.
As soon as he entered the chat, messages flooded in from all directions.
[Jade Dragon University]: "Old Boyle, this isn't fair. I knew something was fishy when you so quickly accepted that student Asher's application. You must have had insider information, right?"
[Flood Dragon University]: "It must be so. You're in such close proximity to NY City—you must've known all about Asher before the rest of us. Sneaky old fox."
Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon were the top two universities in the country, considered the pinnacle of education by Beastmasters and civilians alike.
Boyle chuckled as he read their messages.
From the moment he met Asher, he'd guessed these two universities would regret their decision one day. However, he thought this realization would come only after the Fire Fox Queen's evolution route was finalized and Asher had enrolled.
Who would've thought...
[Bluewind University]: "Oh, come now, you're overthinking it. If I say I had no idea Asher was this talented when I accepted him, would you believe me?"
[Bluewind University: At that time, I was just thinking that our Professor Iris owed Asher a favor, and Asher's abilities weren't bad either. Since you all rejected him, it didn't seem right. I thought giving him a guaranteed admission spot wasn't too much, so I took him in. What's this now? You guys want him too?]
[Bluewind University: Ah! It's all my fault for being too soft-hearted. I recruited that kid into our school, got his name recorded in the education system, and accidentally made him miss the chance to enter one of the nation's TOP2 universities. It's all my fault. I was too careless at the time.]
Jade Dragon University: "..."
Flood Dragon University: "..."
They were all old guys of the same generation, so why was this one so good at showing off?
Wasn't this basically throwing a full-power, 360-degree, no-dead-angle attack right in their faces?
After all...
Thanks to Principal Boyle's reminder, Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon suddenly remembered how, when they were contacted earlier, they had tried every excuse and rejected the idea of giving Asher a guaranteed spot for early admission.
They were part of the nation's TOP2 universities. Did they really need an ordinary genius with some small achievements?
You have to understand, every year, countless students try to squeeze into their campuses through various channels, bringing an endless array of achievements.
Someone like Asher, who created some strange, inexplicable concept... While rare, he wasn't unheard of.
At most, Asher had proven through the Fire Fox Queen's evolution that his ideas weren't nonsense, that they were logical and feasible.
But so what?
The Fire Fox Queen's evolution path hadn't been finalized. Even if Asher's concept wasn't fake, no one knew how effective it would actually be in practice.
After a brief consideration, the TOP2 universities set Asher aside, not deeming him worth further attention.
What they didn't expect was that, less than six months later—before the college entrance exams had even begun—they were already regretting their decision.
Bitterly regretting it.
They regretted
So regretful that their intestines were about to turn green.
If they could go back six months, they'd want to tell Asher: "Come to us! Come to us!"
[Bluewind University: But now, this outcome… it can be considered a mutual pursuit between Bluewind University and Asher, right? Hahaha, it seems that being a little kind sometimes does bring good rewards.]
Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon: "…"
No words.
The other universities: "…"
Jade Dragon and Flood Dragon didn't even dare to speak. What else could they say?
Principal Boyle had already made it clear—Asher's name was already pre-recorded in Bluewind University's files, and there was no way they could snatch him away.
But seeing Principal Boyle's smug expression, they still wanted to shout: Bluewind University, be kind.
Be careful—next year, all the university competitions will start by targeting you.
Principal Boyle: 'Heh~ Anyway, he's already in my school's bowl. You can't dig him away! Keep being jealous of me!'
———
Facing the fierce cold wind, Asher, June, Ivy, and Vicky met up at the entrance of the newcomer training ground.
The last to arrive was Vicky, and the first thing he noticed was the conspicuous trio at the entrance.
One man and two women, with the two girls possessing very different but equally stunning kinds of beauty.
Ivy wore a blue-and-white checkered scarf, a knee-length sky-blue down jacket paired with a white skirt, and fluffy white snow boots. She was exceptionally sweet and charming.
June, on the other hand, stuck to her signature spicy-girl style: a black long-haired warm top, a plush skirt even in winter, and those "bare-leg artifact" tights that perfectly outlined her soft, slender calves. Her tall boots completed the look with flair.
And then there was the striking standout—Asher…
Vicky turned over the complaints in his mind but ultimately said nothing.
Dressed entirely in black, with a black mask covering his face, Asher's look alone was enough to make anyone suspect he was up to no good if he were walking alone on the street.
Yet standing between two gorgeous women with contrasting styles, all the men passing by cast him envious, jealous gazes.
"You're way too late!" June exclaimed loudly when she spotted Vicky. "If you're going to be like this next time, just don't come at all."
Vicky: "?"
"What about our camaraderie as comrades?" Vicky retorted loudly. "We've been training together for six days—how could you treat me like this?"
June sneered, "Camaraderie has nothing to do with me finding you annoying."
Asher and Ivy crossed their arms, watching with amusement as June and Vicky started bickering the moment they met.
Ivy, seeing that June and Vicky weren't about to stop anytime soon, took a few steps over to Asher's side. She curiously studied the half of his face hidden behind the black mask.
"Wearing a mask… Are you afraid someone will recognize you?"
Asher nodded helplessly.
Wasn't that exactly the case?
Due to some special circumstances, Asher had worn a mask for several years in the past. Now, he had an aversion to them—he didn't like them and avoided wearing them if possible.
But as soon as he stepped out this morning, Asher was recognized within just a few steps on the street.
If he hadn't run fast enough, he suspected he would have been surrounded on the spot.
Relying on the good physical condition he'd developed through consistent training, Asher quickly shook off the two or three people trailing him, darted into an empty alley, and used the high collar of his down jacket to cover half his face.
Then he went to a convenience store to buy two masks.
His overly cautious and shifty behavior almost made the store clerk mistake him for a robber.
… In short, it was an eventful, nerve-wracking morning for Asher.
If possible, he didn't want to experience something like that again.
Somehow, June and Vicky had stopped arguing, and they both walked over to Asher.
"Let's go in together. The event should've started already," June said, bouncing on her feet.
Asher nodded.
"By the way, don't you all need to visit family for New Year's today?" Asher asked casually, hands in his pockets.
To avoid being recognized at the training ground, Asher hadn't let out Little Raven today, and his demeanor was even more casual than usual.
"Don't want to go," Ivy replied, frowning briefly.
Asher thought of Ivy's family situation. Her parents were ordinary people, and her most doting grandmother had passed away. Given her poor relationship with her parents, it made sense that Ivy didn't want to join in family visits.
But what about June and Vicky?
June waved her hand, laughing, "Hehe! I told my parents I'd be going out with you today, and they immediately agreed."
"Same here," Vicky nodded. "I've been dreading those boring family visits, especially this year with the college entrance exams coming up. The relatives would definitely bombard me with all sorts of annoying questions."
"When I told my mom I'd be accompanying you today, she didn't hesitate for a second to agree."
"She even told me to hang out with you more and learn from you as much as possible."
As he spoke, Vicky's expression turned increasingly complex. He muttered, "If I weren't in such a rush to leave, I'd have asked her if she even realized—can normal people even learn what you can do?"
Damn.
He couldn't even replicate Asher's way of charming girls, let alone attempt something harder.
Forget it.
Vicky decisively gave up.
There's a saying: "Nothing in this world is impossible if you just give up."
[T/N: 🤣]
Asher: "…"
From June and Vicky's words, Asher once again deeply realized that, unknowingly, he had turned into what other parents called 'other people's child.'
Asher: '… It feels like I've suddenly drawn a lot of aggro.
'
The group laughed and chatted about their New Year's experiences as they walked inside.
And as soon as they entered, Asher noticed the training ground looked particularly different today.
In the usual battle area, a massive, elevated platform about five times the size of a standard arena and two meters tall had been set up.
"That's…" Asher glanced at June beside him.
Since June had invited him, she must know what this was about.
"I know, I know!" June exclaimed excitedly as soon as she saw the platform. "Every year from the first to the fifth day of the New Year, the newcomer training ground hosts some really fun activities."
"Any apprentice beast master can participate," she explained confidently. "The winner even gets prizes prepared by the training ground."
"Last year, they held a pet performance competition. My Little Fire Fox learned its acting skills right here." June finished proudly.
Asher: "…"
He felt the urge to leave immediately.
But Ivy and June blocked his way on either side.
Beside them, an eager-looking Vicky stared at him expectantly.
There was no way out—absolutely no way out.
All Asher could do was sigh and follow them inside.
And then…
Asher witnessed what could only be described as a chaotic circus.
"Borrowed-Item Beast Battles?" Vicky read aloud from the rule board, looking utterly baffled. "What the heck is this nonsense?"
Asher pointed to the fox and snake monster battling on stage, his mouth twitching as he spoke, "Probably something like that."
At first glance, it looked like a normal battle.
But upon closer inspection, you'd notice the fox wore a pair of large, heavy black-framed glasses.
Whenever the fox moved even slightly faster, the glasses would slide down its nose.
In response to its beast master's frantic screams, the fox would quickly stop, use its paws to adjust the glasses, and then rush out again—repeating this over and over.
Meanwhile, the snake monster wasn't much better off.
Attached to its tail was a large, fluffy appendage, roughly a third the size of its body, which severely hindered its movements.
The snake's wriggling on the ground looked bizarrely unnatural.
Asher: '… It's like watching two mutants having a showdown.'
"Oh, I get it now, I get it!" June, the most experienced among them, was the first to react. "Before the match starts, you draw a slip of paper that tells you what object your beast must carry during the fight. Then both sides battle."
"The first to lose or have their object fall off loses the match."
Asher: "That's quite inventive. As a novelty competition, it's pretty interesting."
June nodded enthusiastically.
Ivy also seemed intrigued, her eyes sparkling.
Only Vicky, his eyes practically glowing as he stared at the competition on the stage, wished he could rush up there and take part himself. Yet, he stubbornly muttered, "What's the big deal? Just average stuff, not that interesting."
Asher, June, and Ivy chuckled softly, sparing him from any ridicule out of camaraderie.
Unexpectedly, a young man nearby heard him, sharply turning his gaze toward Vicky, his eyes full of disdain and discontent. "What did you just say?"
"Do you even know how hard these competitions are?" The fashionably dressed, hip-hop-styled youth sized up Vicky, Asher, and the rest, his face revealing an expression of contempt. "Hah! A bunch of country bumpkins."
Vicky: "?"
"I misspoke. If I need to apologize, I will." Vicky frowned and said, "But what's with the personal attack right off the bat? What do you mean by that?"
"Country bumpkins? Oh, so you're somehow superior?"
The youth tilted his chin up, arrogance written all over his face. "I can't be bothered to explain anything to noobd like you."
Vicky's temper flared instantly.
Rolling up his sleeves, he looked ready to throw down in a real fight. He wanted to give this guy a taste of the physical strength he'd built up through days of training.
"You... you stay back!" The young man appeared a bit panicked. "We're all Beastmasters here. Fighting each other? What's the point?"
"If you've got a problem, settle it with a Beast Battle instead."
June stepped forward and shouted, "Is there no limit to your shamelessness? A Beast Battle?"
"We're rookie Beastmasters, sure, but aren't you a bit old to be calling yourself a rookie Beastmaster?"
"Heh."
That single scoff was the epitome of mockery.
The youth's face gradually turned beet red. He opened his mouth to argue but seemed at a loss for words.
At this moment, a burly, tattooed man walked over, his stern gaze immediately landing on the young man. "Barbie, what are you doing? Bullying a group of kids?"
"Brother Drake, I wasn't..." Barbie panicked, trying to explain. "They just—"
"It was me who said this competition looks average and uninteresting. He then mocked all of us as country bumpkins. That's all there is to it." Vicky stepped forward and said, "I was wrong, so I apologized. But what's with his wide-reaching insults?"
"On top of that, he wants to settle the issue with a battle, just to take advantage of us being students?"
The burly man, Drake, darkened further upon hearing this.
"Extra training for a month," Drake said coldly, glancing at Barbie.
Barbie's face turned pale, yet he dared not utter a word of rebuttal.
Then Drake turned his gaze toward Vicky, Asher, and the others, scrutinizing the four of them as if assessing their age and strength.
"Don't dismiss this competition as too trivial. It's actually a convenient and straightforward method to train a Beast's control abilities," Drake explained to them seriously, showing none of the sternness he had for Barbie. "If a Beast can flawlessly prevent any object on its body from falling off during a battle, it means it has achieved perfect control over every part of its body. This significantly improves skill usage and combat rhythm."
Asher listened, finding it intriguing.
However…
"In normal combat, this level of control isn't really necessary, is it?" Asher asked.
The training method seemed too niche.
Since the school hadn't explicitly recommended it, Asher felt it wasn't a common training practice.
Drake nodded, a hint of a smile on his face, as if impressed by Asher's quick grasp of the situation. "That's right. This is a training method used by club teams."
'Club teams?'
Asher froze momentarily, quickly piecing it together.
As a Beastmaster's strength grows, they eventually hit a bottleneck. To break through, they either need talent or an accumulation of resources.
But what if a regular job doesn't pay enough to afford advanced resources?
Club teams become an option for some Beastmasters.
The name says it all.
However, club teams lean more toward entertainment.
Beastmasters with strong abilities who join battles have a chance to become star players, adored by fans and recruited by major teams.
Once you become an official member, the salary compared to regular jobs skyrockets.
At the same time, the requirements for a Beastmaster's skill at the same level are incredibly demanding.
To Asher, it felt somewhat similar to certain live-action games from the old world.
He'd watched one club team battle before… In a word, its entertainment value far outweighed its competitive nature, with little to actually learn from it.
For a strong Beastmaster, power trumps all obstacles.
"So, are you here to recruit?" Seeing Drake's amiable demeanor, Vicky's tone softened. He curiously and eagerly asked,"Looking for new members for the team?"
Club teams: It takes at least five Beastmasters of similar strength to form a team. Each club typically has multiple teams of varying levels, ranging from first-tier to third-tier Beastmasters.
Above that, there are only five teams composed of fourth-tier Beastmasters, representing the elite of the club world.
Watching their coordinated use of dazzling skills in multiplayer battles was simply exhilarating.
Vicky's face practically glowed with interest.
"Want to give it a try? You can team up with this year's rookie Beastmaster recruits and take part in a four-on-four," Drake suggested with a smile, clearly noticing Vicky's curiosity.
Vicky was tempted to agree immediately but turned to look at Asher and the others behind him.
"Godfather!"
Vicky's exclamation startled Drake, but Asher, June, and Ivy remained unfazed.
Vicky calling Asher "Godfather" in times of need and "my kid" otherwise was a habit they were long used to.
"Kiddo, it's not that I don't want to agree, but did you forget one thing?" Asher smiled slightly at Vicky's confused expression. "June and I are official Beastmasters now."
June proudly puffed out her chest in response.
Vicky looked as if he'd been struck by lightning.
Damn.
For a moment, he'd completely forgotten.
Both Little Raven and the Fire Fox Queen had already broken through to the fourth tier. That meant Asher and June were now official Beastmasters.
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