Asher was not very concerned about the result. He lifted his foot and walked toward the Jade Silver Snake.
"Good job," Asher squatted down, reached out to stroke the Jade Silver Snake a few times, and then put the Jade Silver Snake back into the spiritual sea beast-taming space.
'Continuous battle is impossible now. Better to go back and rest well, and take a turn in the medical pod.'
'Just right to review the previous battle.'
———
[On the Other Side]
Jacob also strode to the side of the Violent Bear lying on the ground.
Compared to Asher and the Little White Snake, things here were not so warm.
Jacob snorted, then knelt on one knee to check the injuries on the Violent Bear.
The more he looked, the more Jacob felt a little scared.
It looked like the injuries weren't too serious.
But they were all over the place.
Jacob could even imagine the situation.
If, he meant if, the Jade Silver Snake's strength were a bit stronger, peak Tier 4, or just breaking through to the fifth stage.
This battle wouldn't have ended in a draw so easily.
The Violent Bear not receiving a fatal blow was due to Asher showing mercy.
Thinking of this, Jacob couldn't help turning his head to glance at Asher.
'What?'
'Such a powerful beast-tamer, how come I have never seen him in Star City before?'
'That skill. One look and one can tell he couldn't have grown up just in school or clubs.'
Jacob was completely puzzled.
Then...
"Asher... Professor?"
Jacob followed Asher to the exclusive lounge.
Let's just say, money spent right brings top-notch service.
There were medical pods here specifically for guests to use.
Paid service.
But Asher didn't lack that bit of money.
He decisively sent the Jade Silver Snake in.
Jacob also didn't lack that bit of money.
As Asher the financial backer didn't mind, he also found a medical pod for the Violent Bear and sent it in.
During the waiting period.
Jacob casually chatted with Asher about the previous battle.
Donna beside them also very naturally joined in.
Felter: "?"
Why did it feel like he was the only one being excluded?
No problem. What exclusion or not. He could also smoothly join in this exchange.
Unexpectedly, as soon as Donna called Asher "Professor," Jacob froze.
When the referee had called Asher "Sir" earlier, Jacob had simply thought Asher's name sounded somewhat familiar.
But for the moment, he couldn't recall exactly where it felt familiar from.
The moment the word "Professor" came out.
Jacob immediately reacted.
He widened his eyes abruptly, looking at Asher with an incredulous expression.
"You... you're that Professor Asher?", As he spoke, Jacob gestured with his hands, trying to describe.
Asher couldn't help but smile, "The person you're trying to describe is probably me."
Jacob took another deep breath, and his gaze toward Asher sparkled with a special light.
After hesitating repeatedly, Jacob couldn't hold back. Rubbing his hands excitedly, he leaned in toward Asher and whispered, "Professor Asher, um… I heard the Violent Bear has an evolved form, and you…"
Donna and Felter also heard what Jacob said.
The expressions in both their eyes were similarly confused.
Only Asher immediately understood why Jacob was so excited after learning his identity.
Understandable.
"You mean the Sky-Shaking Bear, right?", Asher calmly nodded, admitting the existence of a new evolved form above the Violent Bear.
Then Asher added, "This isn't an easy thing. Just from the fact that the evolution path of the Sky-Shaking Bear hasn't been publicly released, you should already have a clue."
Asher changed the topic.
"But how did you find out about this?", Asher looked at Jacob with curious eyes.
"Uh…", Hearing Asher's words, the expression on Jacob's face stiffened for a moment.
Then Jacob came back to his senses, coughed lightly twice, and said haltingly and a little embarrassedly, "Well, just… happened to have some channels, some connections…"
Under Asher's gaze, Jacob's explanation became softer and softer.
In the end, he finally said in a low voice, "…I almost participated in that operation. Later, I heard something happened, and someone I knew dug into it more."
Actually, it was similar to Jacob's previous explanation.
But now he described the cause and course of the matter in more detail.
Only then did Asher nod.
"I was just asking, nothing else," Asher smiled at Jacob and said, "Though it hasn't been made public, it's not like nobody knows."
Like the residents near the NY City research institute.
When the Violent Bear evolved into the giant Sky-Shaking Bear, everyone saw it clearly.
Saying a word or two about it in private wasn't impossible.
Asher's question was just to get a reasonable explanation.
"No problem!", Jacob waved his hand, "I asked first anyway. Explaining it is normal."
To avoid any misunderstanding. Just as it looked like Jacob still wanted to say something, Donna spoke up, "Professor Asher."
Asher turned his head toward Donna.
The moment Asher looked over, Donna pushed up her glasses and pointed to the now inactive medical pod beside them.
"When are we starting our battle?"
"Ah…", Asher followed the line of sight from her finger and saw the Little White Snake curled up inside, lying there with its big round golden eyes wide open.
"Awoo…"
As soon as its eyes met Asher's, the Little White Snake stared at him without blinking.
Asher stepped forward and opened the medical pod.
Whoosh!
Before he could react, the Little White Snake was already wrapped around Asher.
Even someone as battle-hardened as Asher felt suffocated at the moment the Little White Snake latched on.
Asher took a deep breath.
'This strangling force. Really top-notch.'
Asher helplessly reached out and patted the Little White Snake's head, "Relax, relax, I can't breathe with you squeezing me so tight."
Little White Snake: *innocent*
Spectating Jacob: "..."
Jacob showed a toothache expression.
'Hiss—this thing actually looks pretty cute like this.'
Totally couldn't tell that in the battle arena, it had fought his Big Bear to a draw with such intensity.
Thinking of this, Jacob still felt a bit upset inside.
'His Big Bear, just lost like that!'
'He, a Tier 4 beast-tamer, what a disgrace!'
Asher had no idea what Jacob was thinking. After confirming the Little White Snake's injuries were fully healed, he turned and looked at Donna.
With a smile he said, "Now?"
"Sure," Donna had no objections.
She directly turned and walked toward the battle arena.
Watching the two figures disappear from view, Jacob clenched his fists and placed them on his knees, clicking his tongue, "Tsk!"
"Still feel a little upset!"
"This time I'll take a good look at what the Jade Silver Snake is really capable of."
A whole stage difference. How did it manage to fight him to a draw?
———
The battle ended.
Jacob still couldn't figure it out.
He even started to suspect, 'After quitting the expedition team, has my strength gone down?'
'Otherwise how could this happen?'
"Hmph!", Hearing the unspoken meaning in Jacob's words, Felter snorted softly, his tone lazy, "Sometimes you don't have to be so diligent in reflecting on yourself."
"You can consider, maybe the problem lies with the opponent."
Jacob: "?"
Jacob looked at Felter with confused eyes.
Didn't quite understand. What did that mean?
"What I mean is—", Felter dragged his words out, with a deliberately annoying tone, "The reason you lost isn't because your strength declined, but because Asher's strength was just that strong."
Jacob: "..."
Well, it's not like he hadn't considered that possibility, Asher was that amazing pet professor.
Could someone really be both a top-notch researcher and not slack at all in pet training and development?
Jacob and Felter locked eyes.
Jacob saw affirmation in Felter's gaze.
Not really wanting to believe it, but the truth seemed to be right there.
Jacob silently looked away.
'Let's watch the battle again. Maybe by watching I'll gain some insight?'
Felter chuckled.
'Stubborn adult who won't admit defeat.'
'Tsk tsk tsk!'
———
In another exclusive lounge.
Aria, drenched in sweat, exited the battle arena and collapsed ungracefully onto the sofa.
"Ah… so tired."
"Don't want to move even a step."
"Sis, help me put Susu into the medical pod."
Aria groaned.
Waited a while.
Luna didn't move.
Waited a bit longer.
Still no response.
Aria: "?"
Aria sat up straight, puzzled, looking at Luna.
Luna didn't spare her sister a single glance, "Move yourself. I'm watching the battle."
"Wait?", Aria's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, "You didn't watch my battle just now?"
Luna didn't even glance at her.
Aria puffed up her left cheek in anger, looking like an indignant, ready-to-pop little pufferfish.
"No way!"
"I need to see who stole my little sister's—", Aria said indignantly, turning her gaze to the big screen.
Then was shocked to see a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar. Someone the two of them had talked about privately for ages.
"Asher?", Aria's voice twisted like a roller coaster.
Her cry nearly burst out of the lounge.
Fortunately, the lounge's soundproofing was excellent.
The second before she'd looked exhausted and spiritless, Aria instantly became energetic.
She straightened her skirt and stared intently at the screen with bright eyes.
"How many battles has Asher had?"
"Haven't seen this sparring partner before… wonder what their strength is like."
"Haven't seen Asher for over a year… wonder how strong he is now… I really want to fight him once," Aria mumbled to herself, sounding like a monologue or a conversation.
Luna calmly said, "You can't beat him."
Aria: "?"
'Excuse me?'
'You call that human talk?'
"How do you know I can't beat him!", Aria almost exploded from rage.
"Not the same level," Although based on the Little White Snake's strength, Luna couldn't definitively determine Asher's beast-tamer level.
But Asher's previous opponent… Luna had some impression.
A fairly well-known Tier 4 beast-tamer in this club.
Tier 4. If you didn't have real skill, who'd dare go up against a beast-tamer of that level?
Anyway, as someone still striving for first stage, she wouldn't dare.
But Luna didn't discuss this deeper with her sister Aria.
Some surprises are best seen for yourself.
Hearing it from others just doesn't hit the same.
Aria, once again dealt a critical blow by her sister: "?"
What? When did her sister become such a riddle-speaker?
She couldn't keep this sister anymore.
———
Asher still didn't know that, because of him, a pair of sisters almost had a falling out.
He was now standing face-to-face with Donna on the battle arena.
Only…
The atmosphere was just a little bit weird.
Looking at the Little White Snake in front of Asher, Donna's eyes carried a hint of satisfaction, scrutiny, research, and exploration as she nodded.
"Nice presence."
Donna didn't rush to release her own pet.
Seeing Asher's puzzled look, she smiled, touching the two small moles at the corners of her mouth, and said, "Though the medical pod can heal a pet's injuries in a short time…"
"This does not mean that the pet beast can truly achieve seamless connection and continue to the next battle."
"When I saw you let the Jade Silver Snake enter the field, I thought I would see a Jade Silver Snake that resisted fighting."
Asher: "?"
As she spoke, Donna also paused for a moment. She seemed to understand Asher's confusion and continued, "Mm, the reason I didn't remind you before was because I wanted you to suffer a loss."
Asher was silent.
'This really is… okay okay okay.'
'This indeed is also a kind of learning method.'
"Didn't expect the Jade Silver Snake to still be full of fighting spirit."
"The previous draw, and the Violent Bear's powerful strength, did not bring psychological trauma to the Jade Silver Snake," Donna looked at the little white snake with even more satisfied eyes.
At the same time, the look in her eyes toward Asher also became more satisfied.
The psychological state of the pet beast and the nurturing method of the beast tamer, and the way they usually get along, are closely related.
Innate personality is one aspect. Postnatal nurturing advantage is another aspect.
Donna did not expect that, in a situation where Asher had not received specialized learning and guidance, he could instinctively achieve this step.
What Donna did not know was.
Hearing her words, Asher once again fell into silence.
'That is to say… is there a possibility it has little to do with me?'
Asher recalled the time when they were repeatedly beaten, healed and then continued to fight, with basically no rest time in between, like the time when Little Raven was violently abused by the Flame Dragon…
This was definitely not his negligence.
"Since the Jade Silver Snake has no problem, then let's prepare to start the battle."
"Little Ice Fox," Donna waved her hand, and a Little Ice Fox with blue and white fur, also carrying decorations like snowflakes on its body, with a long tail and big ears, appeared in front of Donna.
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