Chapter 115: The Evolution Path of Cat-Worm and the Punishment of Night Wandering Bird! Asher: After all, I'm not a devil

Night Wandering Bird: *Defeated*

Night Wandering Bird shut its mouth.

Trembling.

At the same time, it didn't forget to use its wide wings to protect the two pet eggs and the Cat-Worm beneath it.

Run away?

Night Wandering Bird glanced at the pet eggs under its body, then at the tombstone in front of it.

Running was impossible.

"This…",Daryll was stunned at the sight before him.

He had never expected something like this to happen right in front of him.

A beast would actually risk its life to protect unborn offspring—ones that weren't even its own.

Daryll knew that Asher wouldn't harm the Weaving Bird, but the Weaving Bird itself, which didn't know Asher and only sensed danger from the other pet beasts, didn't know that.

"I think we can have a proper conversation now, right?",Asher didn't stop Little Raven's actions. To make a beast cooperate, the best way was to first establish dominance.

As he spoke, Asher reached out toward Little Raven in midair and directly pulled it into his arms.

One second ago, Little Raven was showing great might.

The next second, it was nestled in Asher's embrace like a chick caught by its wings, even its gaze turning obedient.

Little Raven: (￣へ￣)

'Alright!'

'Since you're a Beast Master of birds.'

'Birds will pamper you.'

'For now, it wouldn't lay a hand on that guy!'

Night Wandering Bird: "…"

*Angry*

But didn't dare to show it.

Little Raven's suppression over it wasn't about strength or level—it was an innate bloodline suppression. If not for its instincts to protect its Beast Master and the young overriding its urge to flee, Night Wandering Bird wouldn't have stayed here for even a second.

If it could escape, it would flee as far as possible.

Asher: "Can you tell me why you stole the pet eggs?"

Night Wandering Bird didn't want to respond at all, nor did it want to look at Asher.

But… Little Raven's burning gaze landed on its feathers, a silent threat:

'Not talking? Then I'll burn all your feathers off!'

Reluctantly, as if being forced, Night Wandering Bird finally opened its beak.

"Chirp! Chirp!"

'Of course, because they are all my children!'

Asher: "…"

Going in circles again. Asher felt like he was back where he started.

Even with the ability to communicate with pet beasts, actually talking to them was still so difficult?

Asher sighed.

"Senior Sister Sasha." Asher turned to Sasha. "Can you come over for a moment?"

He couldn't do this alone. He needed to use emotional ties to get through to Night Wandering Bird.

Asher decisively pulled Sasha into this.

Night Wandering Bird: "!"

Upon hearing Sasha's name, its pupils dilated, as if it didn't want to face her, or perhaps didn't dare to.

At the same time, it secretly glared at Asher in frustration.

Night Wandering Bird: 'Damn humans!'

'Always poking at its weak spot!'

Asher, who was glared at, wasn't the least bit angry. "You're the one who stole my companions first."

He pointed at the pet eggs and Cat-Worm in Night Wandering Bird's embrace.

Night Wandering Bird stubbornly lifted its head to meet Asher's gaze.

'What do you mean 'steal'?'

'These are my children!'

Asher smiled.

Hearing Asher's words, Sasha immediately ran over.

She had already wanted to step in when Asher, Little Raven, and Night Wandering Bird clashed, but Daryll stopped her, telling her to trust Asher and not interfere at that moment.

And now.

The moment Asher called her, Sasha didn't hesitate at all and rushed forward.

"Professor Asher, the Weaving Bird, it…",'It has no ill intentions.'

Sasha wanted to explain, but words felt too weak. She moved her lips a few times but didn't manage to say anything.

"It firmly believes that the pet eggs it stole are its children. Can you help me communicate with it?",Asher smiled, not taking it personally,"Solving the problem is more important."

"I'll be here to help explain."

Hearing Asher's gentle voice, Sasha's tense heart relaxed a little.

It seemed like Asher wasn't angry. That was good. That was very good.

Without hesitation, Sasha agreed to Asher's request.

"Weaving Bird, you still remember me, right?",Without needing Asher's guidance, Sasha immediately played the emotional card with Night Wandering Bird,"It's been two and a half years… It feels like you've changed a lot."

"If possible, can you tell me what happened?"

The always indifferent Sasha from Flood Dragon University now had a completely different expression when facing Night Wandering Bird—familiarity mixed with warmth.

"Senior Sister… Senior Sister must also want to know, right?",Sasha glanced at the tombstone in front of Night Wandering Bird and took a few steps closer.

Unlike when Asher approached, Night Wandering Bird didn't react with rejection this time. Even as Sasha got closer, almost right next to it, Night Wandering Bird only stared at her, appearing reluctant but not moving a muscle.

Finally.

Sasha stopped less than half a meter from Night Wandering Bird, squatted down slightly, and shifted her gaze from Night Wandering Bird to the tombstone in front.

On it, a colorful, unframed photo showed a long-haired woman with bangs, smiling with curved eyes. She had one hand against her cheek, making a playful kissing gesture.

[A farewell kiss! I'll go ahead first!]

"I remember this photo. I was the one who took it for Senior Sister.",Sasha smiled lightly at the tombstone.

Her eyes reddened slightly, but no tears fell.

"I also remember how you loved to compete for attention with Water Dragonfly. Every time you'd fight over it, it would turn into a scuffle for no reason, and then Flame Dragon would take advantage of the situation."

Night Wandering Bird's tense body relaxed, and its wary gaze softened as it looked at the tombstone. It let out a low cry.

"Chirp… Chirp…"

'Beast Master… Flame Dragon… Flame Dragon, Flame Dragon… Children…'

Asher: "?"

'Why is it suddenly talking about children again?'

'Something feels off.'

A sudden thought flashed through Asher's mind.

"Weaving Bird… is it male or female? Has it ever had children before?"

The moment Asher asked this, not only Sasha but also the background-character-like group behind them all froze.

Huh?

They had never thought about this before.

Judging by how obsessed Night Wandering Bird was with these pet eggs, wasn't this kind of like… human PTSD?

The description wasn't completely accurate, but it did feel a bit like that.

Daryll, June, Ivy, and Vicky all thought they understood now.

"I get it! Weaving Bird must have been pregnant at the time, then through some unfortunate events, it lost its baby… Losing both its Beast Master and child was too much for it to handle, so it…"

As June spoke, she and Ivy turned to look at Night Wandering Bird, eyes filled with sadness.

Tragic.

Night Wandering Bird was too tragic.

Losing both its child and Beast Master.

Maybe even its mate too.

Sasha: "…Doesn't something feel off?"

Sasha hesitated.

Pregnant with cubs?

Children?

Stress trauma?

"But if I remember correctly... the weaving bird should be male, right?",Sasha said with hesitation and uncertainty in her tone. She silently turned her head to look at the Night Wandering Bird. If it weren't for the Night Wandering Bird looking like it was refusing to cooperate, Sasha might have taken action herself.

It doesn't matter if the memory is unreliable, just confirm it on the spot.

June, Ivy, and Vicky: "?"

'Male?'

'Really?'

The three of them looked at the Night Wandering Bird in complete shock and disbelief.

Let's not talk about whether the weaving bird had lost a child before. Just look at how much it cares about and protects the children now... It's really just overflowing with maternal love.

So, male beasts have maternal instincts like this?

"Uh... For beasts like the weaving bird, the male-to-female ratio is indeed skewed to 2:8, so at least eight out of ten weaving birds are male.",Daryll also cooperatively explained to June, Ivy, and the others,"However, male weaving birds have a special gene. When mating with other beasts, the pet eggs they eventually lay are highly likely to be weaving bird eggs."

So, weaving birds don't have problems with reproduction.

"Speaking of which, weaving birds don't have the instinct to protect their young, but male weaving birds are rare and are one of the beasts that can care for both their children and their mate." Daryll, thinking of something, touched his chin and said, "Is that the reason why the evolved weaving bird seems so maternal?"

"So, it was the flame dragon that was pregnant." Asher said affirmatively.

The others: "?"

Night Wandering Bird: "..."

The Night Wandering Bird chose to bury its head into its wings, staring at the few cubs that were about to be born.

What?

There are still people here, it's not safe?

Night Wandering Bird: Whatever, anyway, it can't get stressed anymore.

"No... that's not...",Sasha felt like her tongue was about to tie itself in knots,"How did you know?"

Were the weaving bird and the water dragonflies a couple?

She had never noticed it.

Sasha's mind was in a whirl, and the images of the weaving birds and water dragonflies fighting over love in her memories suddenly felt strange.

Back then, was the weaving bird really just playing with the water dragonflies, letting the flame dragon take the upper hand and successfully monopolize the Beast Master's hugs and affection?

No!

According to this logic... the weaving bird did it on purpose, to give the flame dragon the chance to cuddle and get close to the Beast Master.

Sasha: "..."

Well, she had just had her eyes opened today.

She had gained knowledge.

"…I didn't expect it, but back then, you little bird were already a scheming one.",Sasha looked at the Night Wandering Bird with a shocked expression.

The Night Wandering Bird didn't even lift its head.

"No... but the flame dragon and Night Wandering Bird... this size doesn't seem right?",Ivy, who had searched up an image of the flame dragon on her phone, showed a confused expression.

The flame dragon, dragon + fire attribute, is entirely red, not like an Eastern or Western dragon. It looks more like a dinosaur, with a row of fiery red barbs running from its back to the sharp tail tip.

How did these two vastly different beasts come together, and eventually, have a love child?

And also... a dragon laying a bird egg, doesn't anyone find that strange?

The Night Wandering Bird continued to play dead.

Speak?

Say what?

It's incubating eggs.

Sasha rubbed her forehead, as if she was struck by a delayed realization, but quickly came to another conclusion.

Although the weaving bird wasn't female, for the weaving bird, it still lost its Beast Master, lover, and children at the same time.

Moreover, the weaving bird's lover was the flame dragon, also the strongest pet beast of Carol.

At that time, the weak weaving bird couldn't protect its Beast Master, let alone protect its powerful lover, and had to be protected by its lover instead, eventually becoming the last one left alive... Sasha let out a long sigh from her chest.

"Weaving bird...",Sasha reached out towards the Night Wandering Bird, as if wanting to stroke its feathers to comfort it.

But halfway through, Sasha remembered... oh, the Night Wandering Bird was still very wary of them.

Just as Sasha was about to withdraw her hand, the Night Wandering Bird, who had been pretending to ignore everything, suddenly raised its head, gently nudging its head under Sasha's palm, so fast that Sasha didn't even have time to react before the bird pulled its head back.

Night Wandering Bird: *Nothing happened*

A smile appeared on Sasha's face.

"Don't forget there's still important business.",Just then, Asher's calm voice rang out.

To Sasha and the Night Wandering Bird, it was like a thunderclap.

Oh... oh!

Right!

Sasha lightly furrowed her brows. "Weaving bird, I know you're sad because you lost your children, but... you can't take other people's children. Moreover, these pet eggs and beasts already have Beast Masters."

The Night Wandering Bird glanced at Sasha and silently turned its head away.

Night Wandering Bird: 'Didn't hear, don't understand, I said these are my children, they are mine!'

'Beast Masters won't blame me!'

Perhaps because it had been scared by Little Raven or because of Sasha's familiar presence, the Night Wandering Bird, which had been cautious at first like a feather duster, now seemed a bit childish.

Although it didn't understand what the Night Wandering Bird was saying, Sasha couldn't help but slightly curl the corners of her mouth, then she forced herself to press them back down.

"Weaving bird."

"Do you think your senior would be happy if she knew what you did?"

Sasha stared intently at the Night Wandering Bird, as if she were asking it on behalf of the now-absent Carol.

The Night Wandering Bird trembled, wanting to turn its head away.

This time, Sasha wasn't being polite.

She suddenly took a step forward, shortening the already small distance between them. She cupped the Night Wandering Bird's fluffy bird face in both hands and forced the Night Wandering Bird to look at her.

This move shocked not only the Night Wandering Bird but also Daryll and the others.

Goodness!

She really wasn't afraid the Night Wandering Bird would suddenly go wild.

On the other hand, Asher... well, he was a bit surprised, but using the emotional card really worked quickly.

At least when Asher used his talent skill to look at the Night Wandering Bird, its inner thoughts were already in such confusion that they were about to turn into a tangled mess.

Now, feeling the emotions of the cat bug...

Sleeping soundly.

Very pleased.

Ignoring the outside sounds and disturbances?

Didn't hear it.

Nurturing Offspring Talent skill was so powerful, striving to give all the pet eggs the best hatching environment.

The Night Wandering Bird, caught.

Not moving.

It opened its mouth, as if to reprimand: "Chirp.."

'Human, hurry up and let go...'

The Night Wandering Bird knew Asher could understand its words.

But Asher wasn't buying it.

Threatening him?

Where did the Night Wandering Bird get the courage?

"It refuses to admit its mistake, won't repent, and even says it has no relation to you, why should it listen to you?",Asher calmly said, in a way that could pierce the heart... oh no, not that, the bird's heart.

Night Wandering Bird: "!"

The Night Wandering Bird suddenly widened its eyes, its head twisting violently as if to give Asher a murderous glare.

Unfortunately.

Sasha firmly held its head, not giving the Night Wandering Bird a chance to escape.

"Heh!",Sasha sneered,"Am I meddling in your business?"

Night Wandering Bird: "…"

Scared.

Just a little bit.

Just a tiny bit.

"Come on, look at your senior, tell me, you didn't do anything wrong."Sasha coldly and decisively turned the Night Wandering Bird's face to face the tombstone with Carol's photo,"Say it, if you say it, I won't bother you anymore."

"Better to kill you."

"Your senior isn't here, the flame dragon isn't here, and you're sad, right? You're upset, right?",Sasha sneered, and the Night Wandering Bird felt like its little heart skipped a beat,"Come on, just admit you're not wrong, and I'll personally send you down to meet them."

"By the way, you'll explain to your senior and the flame dragon why you're going down to join them now."

Night Wandering Bird: QAQ

'Who among my family can understand me?'

Right now, it really wants to admit its mistake, but it doesn't even dare to open its mouth.

It's afraid that the only human nearby who can understand what it says and even translate it might deliberately twist its words again. Asher seemed to understand what it was thinking and specifically looked at it, giving it a slight smile.

Night Wandering Bird: "..."

Didn't its anger just spike up instantly?

It wanted to be rude… but the moment it glanced sideways, it locked eyes with the little black bird in Asher's arms.

Night Wandering Bird: …Better behave and just stare at the Beast Master's tombstone.

Even the tombstone's temperature wasn't as cold as its heart.

"You actually still have the mind to space out?",Sasha noticed Night Wandering Bird's wandering gaze, and her tone suddenly rose, turning sharp. Night Wandering Bird shuddered, hugged the pet beast eggs in its arms tightly, and opened its mouth, about to explain.

"Chirp?"

At that moment—

The three eggs in its arms… no, wait, two of the pet beast eggs remained still, but Cat-Worm let out a long cry.

Asher lowered his head and looked toward Night Wandering Bird's embrace, and Little Black Bird also perked up.

The bird's little underling woke up?

They saw Cat-Worm shaking its head and bouncing out of Night Wandering Bird's embrace.

"Meow! Mewo!",Cat-Worm stepped on Night Wandering Bird's feathers as it climbed onto its head. If no one was holding it up, this would have been a classic "The Lion King Simba" scene.

Asher: "…"

"Had a good sleep?",Asher looked at Cat-Worm and asked in a neutral tone.

Cat-Worm, which had just been excitedly puffing out its chest and howling to the sky, turned its head and met the chilly gazes of Asher and Little Black Bird. In an instant, the overly excited Cat-Worm calmed down.

'Maybe… perhaps… the dragon forgot to inform the Beast Master when it voluntarily left with Night Wandering Bird?'

Cat-Worm: ∑(O_O;）

'Is it still in time to apologize to the Beast Master now?'

With a "whoosh," Cat-Worm leaped off Night Wandering Bird's head and started running on its seven… hmm?

Asher noticed that when Little Black ran, it didn't look as chaotic as before. Looking closely, Cat-Worm's legs had finally become a normal even number?

Six legs?

Shouldn't it have grown an extra one instead?

Looking closer… oh, there was originally no tail on its rear, but now there was a short, round bump that looked like a tail.

Asher: "…"

Cat-Worm scurried up to Asher, looked up from below, and gazed at him with its still-messy doodle-style big eyes, looking pitiful.

"Meow! Meow!"

"Meow! Meow!"

"Meow! Meow! Meow!"

'Dragon knows it was wrong, Beast Master!'

'Don't be mad at Dragon!'

'Dragon just went to get stronger!'

'Look!'

As it spoke, Cat-Worm couldn't help but proudly lift its head.

Indeed.

After running off with Night Wandering Bird, Cat-Worm's appearance had changed slightly—not much, but noticeably so at first glance.

For example, its limbs had become more proportionate.

Six legs, the previously missing tail had appeared, the scales on its body had become harder, taking on a matte, velvety sheen under the sunlight, and most obviously, the two small horns on its head—ordinary people would previously struggle to determine what they were—had now become much clearer.

The dragon horns had grown from around ten centimeters to over twenty centimeters, with more detailed features characteristic of dragon horns, making it easier for people to recognize them at first glance—these were indeed dragon horns.

Cat-Worm's body also became a bit slimmer.

Not visibly so.

Asher realized it when he bent down to pick up Cat-Worm and felt the difference through touch.

And finally…

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Pet Beast: Cat-Dragon*](*Form Fixed)

[Attributes: Fairy + Dark + Poison]

[Breed: Mid-level Extraordinary (Upgradeable)]

[Level: Tier Four Mid-Level]

[Skills: Psychic Guidance, Shadow Sneak… Forbidden Blade]

[Bloodline: A unique extraordinary being naturally born from the fusion of various consciousnesses and energies within the Forbidden Land. Survival rate is extremely low. Successfully incubated and hatched. Currently lacks sufficient attributes, and bloodline remains dormant.]

[Innate Skill: Reversal]

[Reversal (Upgradeable): Any skill normally learned will be reversed in Cat-Worm's case.]

[Evolution Paths: Multiple choices based on attributes, not fixed (More attributes mean more evolution forms). Current Choices: Black Phantom (Poison + Dark), Ender Dark Dragon (Fairy + Dark + Poison)]

[Beast Master, don't be mad. Look at Little Pretty Dragon—isn't it super pretty?]

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

Cat-Worm blinked its innocent big eyes.

But in its heart, it was actually saying: Admit mistakes enthusiastically, and still dare next time.

Asher helplessly reached out and lightly flicked Cat-Worm's dragon horns with his fingers.

In the next second, Cat-Worm let out a whining sound.

"Meow! Meow!"

'Beast Master, bad!'

'Horns are off-limits!'

'This is the symbol of Little Pretty Dragon's identity!'

'The symbol of a dragon!'

Asher: "…"

'Symbol of identity?'

'Symbol of a dragon?'

Asher nearly rolled his eyes.

Look, look, look.

Among the two current evolution paths, just tell him—which one has anything to do with dragons?

None.

Absolutely none.

Ender Dark Dragon… sounds like some badass dragon-type extraordinary being, but in reality, not a single one of its three attributes is dragon-related.

"What if you evolve and still don't have a dragon attribute?",Asher asked lightly.

Cat-Worm: Σ(゜ロ゜;)

'Beast Master, why say such cruel words?'

'Just because this dragon ran off with another beast without reporting it?'

QwO

'Give Dragon a chance to explain!'

'Don't just hand down the final verdict!'

Cat-Worm almost cried out with a "Meow!"

Asher sighed and reached out, avoiding Cat-Worm's precious dragon horns, and rubbed its head. "We'll talk about evolution when we get back."

The fact that Cat-Worm had hatched was something worth celebrating.

Its strength had improved, and its complex condition could now be analyzed… but that didn't mean there were no issues.

This wasn't the place to study it.

Solving Night Wandering Bird's issue came first.

Asher didn't explain further. After ruffling Cat-Worm's head a few more times, the little creature succumbed to his expert petting technique, dizzy and relaxed in his arms, completely forgetting what was said earlier.

"Right, where were we?",Asher, holding one Cat-Worm in one hand and Little Black in the other, looked entirely at ease as he calmly turned to Sasha.

Sasha looked dumbfounded.

Just now… her emotions were suddenly interrupted, and now her brain was blank.

She was still holding Night Wandering Bird's face, but far less forcefully than before.

It was only because Night Wandering Bird was afraid of angering Sasha that it hadn't pulled its head away.

"I was saying…",Sasha blinked, struggling to recall.

Night Wandering Bird panicked.

'No way!'

She absolutely couldn't be allowed to remember.

Now was the perfect time to admit its mistake.

Just as Night Wandering Bird was about to speak, Asher's voice rang out again,"Weren't you just saying you were going to send Weaving Bird down to see its Beast Master and wife?"

The rhythm was instantly broken, bringing Night Wandering Bird right back into it.

Night Wandering Bird: "…"

It turned to glare furiously at Asher… and then locked eyes with Cat-Worm in Asher's arms.

Cat-Worm was swaying its six little legs, looking smug while clearly standing on Asher's side, enjoying the show.

Night Wandering Bird: "…"

A surge of anger, like that of a mother seeing her ungrateful child, welled up.

Night-Wandering Bird: "..."

A surge of anger, like that of a mother seeing her rebellious child, instantly filled its heart.

"Chirp—Chrip—"

'You ungrateful brat! I raised you for nothing!'

Cat-Worm: [w?]

'But... a dragon is still its beast master's baby!'

'Though I am grateful to my "wild dad" for delivering me...'

'A dragon, in the end, must return to its dear beast master and stand firmly on the same side.'

'Isn't that right?'

'Isn't that how you feel about your own beast master?'

Completely unaware of what had happened in between, Cat-Worm once again struck straight at Night-Wandering Bird's heart, stabbing it in its most painful spot with a single sentence.

Night-Wandering Bird: "..."

'Very well.'

'Eye contact confirmed.'

'This brat is absolutely not my child.'

Fuming, Night-Wandering Bird turned its head away, refusing to even look at Cat-Worm. It no longer cared for the already hatched brat. The more important ones were the ones still in its embrace.

'My dear little ones...',Night-Wandering Bird's wings gently caressed the two beast eggs.

Sasha also withdrew her hands from holding Night-Wandering Bird's big face. She patted its head with a backhand motion.

"The confusion is cleared up, Asher's beast is fine, but that doesn't mean stealing beast eggs was the right thing to do."

"Now, tell me—what do you plan to do?"

"Admit your mistake, or show hostility? If it's the latter, I'll send you to meet your wife and kids.",Sasha shrugged,"After all, once Flame Dragon sees you, I doubt it'll mind giving you a good beating, right?"

Night-Wandering Bird, gazing lovingly at the beast eggs: "..."

Hearing the keywords Flame Dragon + beating + punishment involuntarily made Night-Wandering Bird recall memories of its time as a Weaving Bird...

Not that those memories weren't... pleasant. Getting beaten up by its wife had its own kind of fun.

"Chirp..."

'I... my children...'

Night-Wandering Bird lifted its head, looking pitifully at Sasha, then at the humans behind her.

It admitted its mistake.

But it refused to repent.

Those pitiful eyes conveyed exactly that.

Asher glanced down at Cat-Worm, then at the Night-Wandering Bird across from him.

"This really is your wild dad. Even that stubborn refusal to repent—you're identical."

Cat-Worm: ╭(╯^╰)╮

Night-Wandering Bird: "..."

'Thanks, but that didn't feel like a compliment!'

Seeing that Night-Wandering Bird wasn't showing any further aggression, Daryll let out a sigh of relief.

'Good, good!'

If possible... he really didn't want to issue a hunt order on the only surviving beast of a beast master who perished in the beast tide. That would be an incredibly painful thing to do.

Many beasts that once fought alongside their beast masters against the tide ended up spiraling into agony and madness after losing their partners, sometimes to the point of losing all reason.

For them, death was the kindest fate.

Fortunately, this evolved Weaving Bird hadn't fallen to that point yet.

But necessary consequences still had to be enforced.

"You like taking care of beast eggs, don't you?",Daryll stepped forward, looking at Night-Wandering Bird,"If you accept punishment, once it's over, we can arrange for you to work at the Hatchery Center. You'll also have the freedom to visit your beast master."

Daryll glanced at Carol's tombstone, then turned back to Night-Wandering Bird.

"What do you think?"

"I assume you spent years gathering the emotions and energy needed to evolve, right? You probably haven't been evolved for long."

"Acting irrationally in such a short time—it's understandable."

Handling these cases caused by beasts wasn't exactly second nature to Daryll, but he was no stranger to it either.

"Professor Asher, what do you think?",Daryll turned to Asher, explaining,"According to Star City's punishment levels for beasts, Night-Wandering Bird would be assigned to the Forbidden Zone to eliminate highly dangerous beasts. The number required depends on the severity of its crime."

"If you want a harsher sentence, the alliance will consider your input."

As an uncontrolled beast, fighting wild ones would push Night-Wandering Bird closer to a berserk state.

The more it fought, the more it would resemble an untamed, instinct-driven beast—bringing it one step closer to death.

Asher glanced at Daryll.

"I'm not a devil."

Daryll and Sasha were just about to breathe a sigh of relief—Thank goodness, they knew...

"No need for a harsher sentence." Asher continued. "But if you ask what I want..."

"After Night-Wandering Bird's punishment, you're planning to assign it to Flood Dragon University's Hatchery Center for mandatory work, right?"

"Then I request that its working hours be fixed at eight hours per day. Outside of work hours, it is not allowed inside the hatchery."

Daryll and Sasha: "?"

Night-Wandering Bird: "..."

June, Ivy, and Vicky exchanged glances.

'Yup! Asher is still the devil we know.'

Not taking Night-Wandering Bird's life was one thing, but making sure it didn't have an easy time was another.

Eight-hour shifts?

That might be the limit for humans.

But not for beasts—especially not one like Night-Wandering Bird, which treated every beast egg as its own child.

If it had its way, it would probably sleep in the hatchery.

Asher: "What do you think? Am I not extremely humane?"

"A thief stole my reward and kidnapped my beast, yet in the end, I didn't even hold a grudge. I even planned out its bright future.",Asher said, looking serious.

"Mmm! mmm! mmm," Sasha and Daryll were left speechless.

June, ever the voice of sarcasm, chimed in. "You really are a kind-hearted devil."

Daryll & Sasha: "Cough!"

...Though, they had to admit, Asher had a point.

"Alright... eight hours sounds fine.",Daryll glanced at the evolved Weaving Bird, silently mourning for it.

Ah.

The consequences of one's actions must be borne, right?

Asher's punishment wasn't harsh. Just... a slight test of Night-Wandering Bird's willpower.

Surely, it could handle it!

Night-Wandering Bird: "..."

Did anyone ask for its opinion?

Sasha shot it a glance.

Night-Wandering Bird immediately fell silent.

"Admit your mistakes, face them. Next time, I'll come with you to visit Senior Sister.",Sasha said flatly,"Then, we can tell her everything that happened these past two years. I'm sure by then, she and Flame Dragon will be more than happy to see us. Right?"

A rebuttal stuck in Night-Wandering Bird's throat.

Its evolved, emotionally unstable mind slowly regained clarity.

Reluctantly, it handed over the two beast eggs from its embrace.

"Chirp—Chirp—"

'I mustn't disgrace my beast master... I must control myself... Beast master, my wife... Next time, I'll visit you openly!'

'Wait for me!'

'Just wait for me!'

'I promised—I will live well and never seek death.'

'I'm stronger now.'

'Maybe I can even fight in the next beast tide!'

'If I live—I'll wait for the next time.'

'If I die—we'll be reunited!'

Before leaving East Mausoleum for the Beast Alliance's custody, Night-Wandering Bird gently rubbed against Carol's tombstone, then obediently followed Daryll and the others away.

———

The next day.

Asher returned to Flood Dragon University. Compared to yesterday's unfamiliarity, he now carried a slightly more practiced demeanor.

After the Night-Wandering Bird incident was resolved, it was reported to the Beastmaster Alliance.

Since Asher did not request severe punishment, the Beastmaster Alliance, after evaluating the Night-Wandering Bird's condition, imposed an appropriate penalty.

"Kill ten sixth-rank beasts.",Daryll chuckled as he informed Asher of the punishment result,"Then, we injected a subcutaneous tracking chip into the Night-Wandering Bird, officially bringing it under control. This allows us to monitor its movements more effectively while granting it a certain degree of freedom."

Asher had no objections to this outcome.

In fact, the Cat-Worm had been recovered, and it even hatched… ahem, in a way, Asher should actually thank the Night-Wandering Bird.

Thinking about it this way, Asher suddenly felt a tiny bit guilty.

Just a fingernail's worth.

"Oh right, let's add a time limit to the Night-Wandering Bird's punishment—six months. After six months, the eight-hour restriction will be lifted.",Asher said calmly.

The main thing was…

Work hours are ultimately decided by people, aren't they?

If Daryll or some other staff member at the university couldn't bear to resist the Night-Wandering Bird's pleading eyes and decided to turn a blind eye, then what?

Might as well set a fixed period. At least for these six months, the Night-Wandering Bird's working hours would be strictly maintained at exactly eight hours—not a minute more.

Perfect.

A flawless balance between punishment and kindness.

Hearing this, Daryll couldn't help but laugh,"Professor Asher, sharp tongue, soft heart, huh?"

As he spoke, his gaze toward Asher grew even more admiring.

I mean, a Beastmaster who's both knowledgeable and skilled, powerful yet compassionate—what school wouldn't want that?

Flood Dragon certainly did.

Asher just smiled without responding.

"Oh, right. This is the reward you should have received after the competition. Didn't expect it to be delayed for so long, with all these twists and turns…",Saying this, Daryll turned around and opened the incubation vessel behind him, carefully lifting out a pet egg. He placed it on soft fabric and gently wiped off the special liquid on its outer shell.

"We re-examined this pet egg yesterday—there's no damage, and its condition is excellent. It should hatch within the next couple of days."

"As an apology, we're also providing these resources as compensation for you, Professor Asher."

═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═

patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator

🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.

https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y