Chapter 197: Trauma and Stress! Damn It! This Must Be My Senior!

"What happened? What happened?"

People nearby all turned to look in the direction of the female contestant and the Silverfang Tiger.

Asher also observed from a distance.

The rules for the second round of the competition were very simple.

Both Beast Tamers and ordinary people would draw lots to receive a competition-provided pet beast that had some degree of psychological trauma.

These pet beasts all belonged to Beast Tamers.

The psychological trauma was caused by factors such as experiencing a berserk period, facing a beast tide, or encountering an overly powerful enemy.

Normally, the Beast Tamer would be responsible for soothing their pet beast, but there were always cases where the Beast Tamer was unable to do so. Pet beast care had an important segment dedicated to psychological care.

The competition organizers specifically sought out pet beasts in need of treatment and negotiated with their Beast Tamers.

This not only enriched the event but also helped Beast Tamers resolve their current problems, while the competition organizers benefited from both sides.

It was a win-win-win situation.

Everyone was happy.

However, since this was only the second round of the competition, the psychological trauma of the included pet beasts was not too severe.

With experience, plus the contestant's personal techniques, charm, and other supportive factors, passing the round was not as difficult as one might imagine.

But for Ivy, a complete newbie. Well, not a complete newbie, but definitely a novice, it was still quite challenging.

"Why did the Silverfang Tiger suddenly become so aggressive? Did that woman do something?"

"Doesn't seem like it! Oh right, where's the Silverfang Tiger's Beast Tamer? Why hasn't he stepped in to stop it? What if something really happens?"

"He's right there! Look, the man standing next to that woman is the Silverfang Tiger's Beast Tamer."

Even without deliberately listening, the murmurs of discussion naturally reached Asher's ears.

He instinctively looked in the direction they were talking about.

Indeed.

Beside the female contestant stood a man.

In his thirties, with an ordinary, unremarkable appearance. Small eyes, a big nose. If Asher had to describe him, he'd say this was the kind of guy who would be impossible to find in a crowd.

Though the distance was a bit far, Asher's excellent vision allowed him to clearly see the expressions on their faces.

The female contestant's name tag read [Lydia].

Her expression was a mix of embarrassment and anger, but Asher could tell that these emotions were not directed at the Silverfang Tiger.

Instead, they seemed to be aimed at the man beside her.

As for that male Beast Tamer… Asher swore he wasn't the type to judge people based on appearances.

But this guy really didn't look like a good person.

He gave off a sneaky, unreliable vibe.

And the Beast Tamer's expression was even more telling. Indignation, humiliation, resentment, and pure, burning rage.

No doubt, all of it was directed at the Silverfang Tiger for disobeying his orders.

At that moment, the competition organizers' prearranged Rank 5 Beast Tamers, pet beast professors, and breeders all stepped in, trying to help calm the Silverfang Tiger.

After thinking for a moment, Asher activated his talent skill and took a look at the Silverfang Tiger.

Then… Asher furrowed his brows deeply.

Originally not planning to intervene, he now pushed through the crowded onlookers and strode toward the scene.

"Kael, try to recall the Silverfang Tiger!", a breeder called out loudly.

Kael, the Silverfang Tiger's Beast Tamer, looked utterly insulted, "I can't recall it. If I could recall it, do you think I'd have agreed to this treatment in the first place?"

"You think this is fun for me?"

The breeder's face instantly darkened and turned toward the competition staff.

The staff wiped the sweat off their foreheads, apologizing to the breeder while also looking at Kael with a slightly desperate gaze, "You never told us your pet beast's condition was so severe that it couldn't even be recalled into your mental sea!"

Was it a big deal if a pet beast couldn't be recalled into the mental sea?

It could be minor or major.

But if they'd known earlier, they never would have assigned the Silverfang Tiger to the second round of the competition!

There were various reasons why a pet beast might not be able to return to the mental sea.

The most common was that the Beast Tamer's mental sea had been affected. Whether by external or internal forces.

In most cases, as long as the Beast Tamer meditated regularly and the damage wasn't irreversible, the issue could be resolved.

Clearly, this wasn't Kael's case.

They knew he was a Rank 2 Beast Tamer, and his other pet beasts could all be recalled. Only the Silverfang Tiger couldn't?

That meant the problem lay with the Silverfang Tiger itself.

But what exactly was the problem?

Was it excessive psychological trauma?

A disruption in the bond between Beast Tamer and pet beast?

Or was it some rare external factor?

There were too many possibilities, and solving it would not be easy.

"You told us before that the Silverfang Tiger was just experiencing severe stress and needed calming. That's a completely different matter!", The staff member glared at Kael, practically shooting daggers with his eyes.

Meanwhile, the breeders and pet beast professors trying to analyze the Silverfang Tiger's sudden outburst all frowned.

They couldn't get close.

"Did you do something during treatment just now?", Wren glanced around, unable to figure out the cause of the Silverfang Tiger's rampage. He could only turn to Lydia.

Faced with the professor's question, Lydia quickly shook her head, "I really didn't do anything to stress it out!"

"I just had my Fairy Butterfly try communicating with the Silverfang Tiger. Since it looked too tense, I wanted to see if the Sweet Honey Nectar could help it relax a little."

"But as soon as my Fairy Butterfly spoke a few words to the Silverfang Tiger, it suddenly lost it."

Even Lydia looked helpless.

She had done nothing.

How did things turn out like this?

Wren sighed, "If you had a contract with your Fairy Butterfly, you could ask it exactly which words triggered the Silverfang Tiger's reaction. But now…"

He left the rest unsaid.

"This is all your fault!", Kael suddenly exploded, pointing the blame at Lydia.

Lydia was stunned.

Just as she was about to speak, he cut her off.

"As a Beast Tamer, you should know what kind of pet beast you're dealing with. It must have been your Fairy Butterfly that provoked my Silverfang Tiger."

"If anything happens to it, you'll have to take responsibility!"

Lydia's expression darkened with frustration, "I… I may have made mistakes, but didn't you prepare yourself mentally before agreeing to have your pet beast treated?"

"I might have done something wrong, but it wasn't the communication between my Fairy Butterfly and your Silverfang Tiger."

"On the other hand, you. Why are you so quick to assume the Silverfang Tiger will get hurt and start trying to frame me for compensation?"

She glared at Kael.

She wouldn't back down.

As if her Fairy Butterfly wasn't her precious baby too.

Trying to push all the blame onto her?

What a joke.

"Alright, stop arguing," Wren exchanged a helpless glance with his colleagues.

'Seriously, what kind of mess is this?'

Pet beasts rarely rampaged during treatment. Especially with their Beast Tamers assisting in calming them.

Yet, this Silverfang Tiger and Kael…

Wren had a nagging feeling something was off.

But before he could pinpoint it—

Asher stepped forward, "Miss Lydia made a very good point."

Everyone: "?"

'Wait, where did this guy come from?'

Lydia, Wren, and the rest all instinctively turned their gazes toward Asher, who wasn't far away.

The protective barrier, as tall as a person, that separated the audience seating from the competition area was nothing in Asher's eyes.

With a light grip and an effortless leap, he was inside, his movements unbelievably agile.

"Call the police."

Before anyone could question Asher, he spoke again.

The crowd was once more filled with confusion.

"You… What nonsense are you spouting?", The others hadn't even reacted yet when Kael looked like he was about to explode.

Asher glanced at him, "I can't be bothered to waste words on someone like you."

"Oh, right," Asher paused briefly before adding, "Beast Tamers abusing their contracted beasts… Calling regular police won't work. We need the Beast Tamer Alliance to handle this, right?"

Fortunately, the Beast Tamer Alliance system in Radiant City was the same as in NY City.

Asher sent a message to President Robb. The response was instant.

[Arriving in three minutes.]

Hearing what Asher said, Lydia, Wren, and even the surrounding competitors, Beast Tamers, and spectators all showed expressions of shock.

'Huh?'

'What did we just hear?'

'Abuse of a contracted beast?'

They turned their gazes to the Silverfang Tiger on the opposite side… Its angry, clouded eyes were locked firmly onto its Beast Tamer, Kael.

Earlier, everyone had assumed its reaction was just a normal stress response.

But now that they looked again… This was clearly something else.

Kael still wanted to explain.

Standing beside him, Wren didn't give him a chance. He covered his mouth directly.

'You little brat.'

'No wonder.'

'So you came just to stir up trouble, huh?'

Kael was taken down immediately.

President Robb had said three minutes, and he really meant three minutes. In fact, less than two minutes later, an official Beast Tamer from the Beast Tamer Alliance arrived and took Kael away on the spot.

The entire process was so smooth that, besides Asher, no one present had fully processed what had just happened.

"Uh…", Wren wasn't really keen on speaking at this moment.

But he had no choice.

He glanced left and right, trying to find a suitable companion to take his place.

Unfortunately—

Whether it was Lydia, Wren, the other contracted beast breeder, or even the staff members, when Wren shifted his gaze toward them, they all silently averted their eyes.

'Don't look at us.'

'We're all socially anxious.'

'We can't handle this.'

Most importantly, the aura radiating from this big shot in front of them was just too overwhelming.

They were scared.

Wren, being forced into this position: "…"

'Deep breath.'

'Stay calm.'

'If you get angry, no one will take your place.'

After repeatedly reassuring himself, Wren finally managed to compose himself. With a beaming smile, he turned to Asher, "Hello? May I ask how you figured out… that he was abusing the Silverfang Tiger?"

It wasn't that Wren or the others present didn't want to question this more thoroughly.

It was just that Asher had called in the authorities too fast.

And he didn't even need to explain.

Anyone with a bit of reasoning ability would realize that this meant Asher's identity wasn't ordinary. He could easily bypass the evidence collection process and still have the Alliance believe him.

And the Alliance wasn't some private organization.

Its credibility was beyond doubt.

So everyone simply chose to believe Asher's words.

"Also, about the Silverfang Tiger… What should we do with it now?", Wren's brows furrowed, "If a contracted beast has been abused, forcing it to battle could…" He trailed off, his headache worsening.

'It could very likely worsen its already poor stress response!'

Wren was at a loss.

Asher glanced at him.

Even though Asher was wearing a mask, making it impossible for Wren to see his expression, everyone could easily read the meaning in Asher's gaze—

'Are you serious?'

Wren: "?"

Shouldn't he be the one asking Asher that?

Asher pointed toward the Silverfang Tiger, "Can't you see? The Silverfang Tiger has already stopped showing signs of aggression."

'Huh?'

'Huh? huh? huh?'

Wren was startled.

He quickly turned his head toward the Silverfang Tiger—

And was shocked to find that the previously frenzied beast was gradually calming down.

Wren's eyes widened.

Wren was stunned.

What was going on?

What just happened?

It had only been a few minutes.

And Asher sounded so confident—

'Could it be…'

Wren slowly shifted his gaze back to Asher.

"May I ask who you are…?"

'Exactly what kind of god-tier figure is he?'

'How did he do this?'

It's not like he even approached the Silverfang Tiger.

Off to the side, the beast breeder was also intrigued.

"Clearly, you're my senior!", the beast breeder said enthusiastically, loudly addressing Asher.

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