Chapter 207: There’s a Mole! Stop the Deal!

Everything Can Be Learned.

"We don't believe it either."

The entire headquarters of the Star City Beast Tamer Alliance was once again in chaos.

From a bar filled with ambiance and a relaxed atmosphere to an office packed with documents and office supplies, Charlotte was so filled with resentment that she could probably sustain an Evil Sword Immortal with it.

Not to mention the others in the building.

A perfectly good vacation, forcibly interrupted for overtime work—who could put up with that?

But no matter what…

This was something they just couldn't accept.

"If it were simply some genius from another country discovering that favorability was another key point for evolution… Alright, honestly, I wouldn't believe it either," Charlotte sat in front of her computer, her phone on the desk playing audio on speaker.

Meanwhile, the inspection team was conducting a thorough investigation, inside and out.

First, they had to determine how the information got out.

If information about favorability evolution related to the Ultimate Project had leaked, what about other information?

"If this thing was so easy to discover, it wouldn't have taken all these years for Professor Asher to find it."

"And integrating favorability into the Ultimate Project. Well, that was originally a stroke of inspiration from Elder Damien, a result of various coincidences."

"That was the real coincidence."

First, Asher announced favorability.

Then Elder Damien used favorability to complete the evolution of the Ultimate Defense Pet Beast.

The two complemented each other, achieving mutual success.

Yes.

The reason favorability evolution gained recognition and importance was largely due to the later success of the Ultimate Project.

Otherwise, back then, for Asher, just a young newcomer, it wouldn't have been impossible to convince people that favorability played a crucial role in evolution.

It just would've taken much longer, with many more steps to prove it.

Like this time, with Cold Nation and the Eastern Nation.

If they had only presented a half-finished product of favorability evolution… no one would have taken it seriously.

Favorability?

Is that reliable?

You haven't even figured it out yourself, haven't confirmed it, so why should we believe it?

Because you had a dream?

Because it sounds nice?

But when they directly tied favorability to the Ultimate Project, when they bound favorability and ultimate evolution together, the significance of this half-finished research changed instantly.

The Ultimate Project!

That was the Ultimate Project.

Every country was striving to break through, to gain the upper hand in the Ultimate Project.

And now, someone claimed to have discovered the key to success in the Ultimate Project?

If they dared to bring it out, then there had to be at least some truth to it.

That made the so-called genius seem much more legitimate.

Hmm.

Unless two "geniuses" suddenly appeared at the same time.

And both "geniuses" presented the same research findings.

That only further confirmed one thing, the authenticity of this half-finished research had increased significantly.

"Click!", Charlotte clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"What the hell is this?", Charlotte grumbled, "We worked so damn hard to research this, and now some nobody just casually publishes it?"

"Son of a—! ****!", Charlotte cursed viciously.

Jasmine, wearing headphones, made no move to stop her.

Mainly because cursing didn't really suit her, but if it did, she'd be cursing right now too.

Just listening to Charlotte swear made her feel better.

'Well said.'

'This deserves cursing.'

"Don't get worked up yet. The most important thing is to find the culprit," Jasmine said solemnly.

"And actually, this situation isn't as bad as it seems."

It could be said…

Whoever leaked this information might have had a flicker of conscience, or, more likely, they simply didn't know much. The latter seemed far more probable.

Favorability evolution was indeed the key to Little Fire Fox evolving into the Fire Fox Queen.

It was also the key to Little Elephant evolving into the Ultimate Defense Titan Armored Elephant.

However—

Neither the complete evolution route of the Fire Fox Queen nor the Titan Armored Elephant, especially the latter, was easily obtainable.

"This information likely didn't come from one of our own. Otherwise, it would have included the Fire Fox Queen's evolution route," Jasmine deduced.

"The Titan Armored Elephant's evolution route has never been disclosed and cannot be obtained through any means."

"The Fire Fox Queen's evolution route is different. It's available for purchase on the Beast Tamer website. But even that purchase has restrictions."

In short—

Narrow the scope.

Lock onto the target.

They had to find out who leaked this information, no matter what!

———

Asher, receiving the news: "?"

"Hmm… this is interesting," Asher looked at the file Charlotte had sent him.

It was the so-called "half-finished" research paper from the geniuses of Cold Nation and Eastern Nation. As he flipped through it, an intrigued smile appeared on his face.

"This is interesting," After reading the Angel's precise translation, Asher smiled with even more curiosity.

"First off, this report was written in Soren Language."

Charlotte and Jasmine, still on the call: "?"

'Wait—'

'What do you mean?'

"The reports from Cold Nation and Eastern Nation do use their respective languages, though the wording and sentence structures are slightly different. However, the core content is almost identical, and the thought process behind them is clearly connected."

"This tells us that neither the research findings nor the thought process behind them could have originated from Cold Nation or Eastern Nation."

Charlotte spoke while furiously hammering her keyboard, so forcefully that Asher wondered if the keyboard would survive the assault.

"No, no, that's not what I meant."

Even though the two couldn't see him, Asher shook his head and absentmindedly petted his beasts one by one.

Even the Silverfang Tiger, which had approached him, didn't escape.

"You guys can read Cold Nation's and Eastern Nation's languages, so you didn't need another translation into Soren Language."

But Asher was different.

He could barely read Eastern Nation's language, but once it was used in an academic paper? That was completely out of his league.

Ahem.

Not that Asher was ashamed.

Everyone has their flaws.

It's not his fault he can't read other languages. It's the world's fault for not being unified under one writing system.

Asher thought with absolute confidence.

Fortunately, this wasn't a problem for him.

If it wasn't in his native language, he could simply let Angel handle it.

A mere translation function was nothing to a system that once controlled the Mecha Crisis.

Angel: 'Flattery, flattery.'

Angel not only translated the text but also provided precise interpretations of complex terms, converting them into corresponding Soren Language phrases.

After fully translating both reports and comparing them. Yes, they had the same structure and core ideas.

But the most interesting part was, "The person behind this only knows about favorability, but nothing else."

"They might have only seen scattered information connecting favorability to the Ultimate Project."

Asher concluded.

A lot can be inferred from a person's writing habits.

Unfortunately, Asher wasn't an expert in that field.

And this wasn't the original document. It had been rewritten twice.

He could only make educated guesses based on the overlapping phrases.

Jasmine and Charlotte exchanged startled glances.

So…

["There's a chance this wasn't leaked internally, but rather some critical information just got out?"], Charlotte's voice carried a mix of shock, disbelief, and frustration.

This was a headache.

A massive headache.

If this was the case, then tracking down the source would be even more difficult.

To this…

Asher could only offer sympathy.

"Good luck. I can't help much with that," He glanced at the research papers again.

"Oh, and if you do find out who's behind this, let me know."

Charlotte: "?"

["What are you planning? Gonna pick a fight?"]

Asher chuckled, "I just want to chat. Their ideas are… interesting."

Because of possessing a talent skill.

Always locking onto the most correct path, Asher's path in pet research had almost never taken a detour.

Naturally, they had never come into contact with some rather... hmm. Asher looked at the paper, unable to describe it properly. In short, it was more whimsical, as if it was inspired by hallucinogenic mushrooms.

At first glance.

Poisonous.

A second glance.

A little interesting.

A third glance... maybe it's not impossible to try?

If not for knowing that this operation had no feasibility, just reading the methods written in the paper, Asher themselves would have wanted to give it a try.

At the same time.

Asher became even more interested in the person behind this.

What kind of talent was needed to precisely use various arguments and data in a paper to strike at human nature, making the reader feel that as long as they followed it, there would be great promise?

But for those who knew the truth, this paper wasn't much different from those used to scam funding.

Anyway, Asher found it inexplicably interesting.

"I'll read it again. Maybe I can even learn something in the future," Asher muttered.

Hearing Asher's words over the phone, Jasmine and Charlotte: "?"

'Wait?'

'You wanna expand on that?'

'What are you trying to learn?'

'Good heavens!'

'Our own kid is about to go astray.'

["Uh, about this matter..."], Charlotte's brain spun quickly, trying to divert Asher's attention, ["Professor Asher, please don't lose heart! No matter what, even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we will definitely find the person who leaked the information!"]

["And make them give you an explanation."]

"Huh?", Asher, listening, let out a somewhat dazed sound.

"Why do they need to give me an explanation?", Asher's voice was full of genuine confusion, "This matter doesn't seem to have much to do with me, right?"

Charlotte: "..."

["After all, the affection evolution research is your achievement, Professor Asher. But now, this achievement has been stolen and publicly revealed on an international level. We thought you would care."]

Jasmine had a certain understanding of Asher.

She didn't go in circles and just laid it out directly.

Asher accepted it.

Charlotte almost choked.

That was way too blunt.

But Asher didn't think there was a problem.

"Oh, oh, I see," Upon hearing this, Asher's voice remained as calm as ever, without the slightest hint of anger or any other emotions, as if this wasn't an important matter at all.

"If you put it that way...", Asher paused for a moment, "Then I really don't care much."

Saying that, Asher picked up Little Raven again.

Little Raven: *Lying flat*

'Whatever.'

'Beast Tamers can do whatever they want.'

Asher looked at Little Raven, who was enjoying the petting so much that its facial expression was about to drift away, and the corners of their mouth lifted slightly.

"Not to mention that for me, affection evolution was already a completed research project. I've already produced results, and I don't care about the outcome anymore."

"As long as I want to, and as long as I'm willing, I can continue researching more projects and produce even more astonishing results."

Listening to Asher's words.

On the other end of the phone, Charlotte, Jasmine, and their colleagues were all deeply shaken by Asher's statement.

'Wait... Is Professor Asher being a little too arrogant?'

Before they could voice their thoughts—

Asher continued.

"For example, the research project I'm working on now is also quite interesting."

"It's related to mutated beasts."

'Huh?'

The people secretly eavesdropping next to Jasmine and Charlotte all perked up their ears.

At first, only a few people leaned in, so it wasn't obvious. But as more and more people grew bolder and their numbers increased, even if Jasmine and Charlotte didn't want to notice, they had to.

They were speechless.

What could they do? Chase these people away?

Everyone was just overworked employees forced to stay late. They weren't heartless enough to be that cruel.

Fine, fine.

If they wanted to listen, let them listen.

Consider it a small reward for their hard work.

But...

Mutated beasts?

Was there an ongoing research project about mutated beasts?

Besides, as long as a mutation was positive, it was usually powerful. What else needed researching?

Unless...

Before they could sort out their thoughts, Asher's voice came through.

"I've discovered that those so-called negative mutations, or mutations leading to undesirable states in beasts, aren't as people imagine. Where mutations simply weaken an beast's original abilities."

"Their mutations still hold value and have exploitable potential."

Asher's words were nothing short of a thunderclap to everyone's ears.

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