"My name is Atu."
"You can call me Haynel."
The two people introduced themselves to Asher one after the other.
They looked Asher up and down with curious eyes.
"Oh, you look very young," Haynel, being female, had a livelier personality.
Just now when the fight started, she was also the first one to strike.
Haynel stood beside Asher, more than two heads taller than him.
She looked at Asher with a loving gaze, without malice, and said, "Are you also a pet beast professor here? Are you really an adult?"
Asher: "…"
Although.
He didn't care that much about height, but being treated with this kind of coaxing-a-child tone and gaze, Asher still felt a bit speechless.
"Hahaha," Seeing Asher not speaking, Professor Hubert let out a good-natured laugh.
He looked at Asher, then at Haynel, "This kid indeed just came of age not long ago."
"He's a genius, you understand," Saying this, Professor Hubert winked at Haynel.
Haynel and Atu beside her both showed an enlightened expression on their faces.
Haynel's gaze toward Asher also changed from loving to full of admiration.
The speed of this change was so fast that Asher didn't even react.
Asher continued to remain silent.
He really didn't want to understand how much unnecessary imagination Haynel had in that gaze.
"I just knew, Soren wouldn't allow those two clowns to swagger around," Mentioning Cold Nation and those from the Eastern Nation, Haynel's expression instantly turned extremely disdainful.
Her whole emotional energy surged to an unbelievable extent.
"Of course," Professor Hubert didn't find anything wrong with those words, nodding calmly.
'Exactly.'
'That's how it is.'
He cast a look of approval at Asher.
Asher nodded.
'Understood, understood.'
'I got it.'
———
The Eastern Nation team and the Cold Nation team were arranged in different rooms to rest.
"Dustin, you must perform well this time, show Soren some real color, understand," Cleveland Haymore said loudly with a furious face.
The pet beast professor leading the Eastern Nation team had a naturally shrewd appearance, no matter how he pretended, scheming intentions leaked from the corners of his eyes and brows.
"Yes!", Dustin Hersher, whom Cleveland placed great hopes on, answered loudly.
Then both of them couldn't hold back, inhaling sharply.
"Hiss—"
'Ouch ouch ouch!'
'It really hurt!'
'Damn Soren people!'
'Damn Alan warrior!'
'And those Cold Nation people, none of them are good birds either!'
During the pulling (fighting) and dragging (brawling) process.
Both of them accidentally got hit on the corner of the mouth and the corner of the eye, and couldn't help but complain loudly in their hearts.
It was all others' fault.
Their Eastern Nation had not a single mistake.
"Hmph!"
The pain from the wounds on their faces was like adding fuel to the fire.
"Hmph!"
"Let Soren be proud for a little while longer! When we...", Cleveland said through gritted teeth, his voice vague.
———
On the other side.
The atmosphere of the Cold Nation team was not much better.
But compared to the arrogant Eastern Nation, their atmosphere was a bit more solemn.
"Are we really going to do this next? This is, after all, Soren's territory, and their strength..."
"You say it like we have a way out now!"
"If we tell Soren..."
"Then we'll die even faster!"
As they spoke, the group became even more dejected.
"Anyway, since we've taken this step, it's hard to turn back now," Nance, with brown hair and blue eyes, a robust figure not matching a research leader, took a deep breath and said.
"Everyone now... just go with the flow."
The part where they should act arrogant must not be reduced even a bit.
But they had just overdone it and got taught a lesson.
So being a bit more well-behaved next, letting Eastern take the front, wasn't strange, right?
Thinking of this, Nance nodded.
Exactly.
Even though the outside world speculated a lot about Cold Nation and Eastern, unable to understand why these two countries would unite to trouble Soren.
They didn't know what Eastern was thinking.
Anyway, Cold Nation never truly regarded Eastern as an ally.
Share the fortune.
But bear the hardship alone.
No problem with that at all.
———
"Can you hear what they're all saying?", Professor Desmond asked.
The security staff in the monitoring room shook their head, "Both the captured footage and transmitted dialogues are blurry, they probably used extraordinary powers to interfere."
Upon hearing this, Professor Desmond nodded.
'As expected.'
'A bit of a pity.'
"Thought we might catch something...", Professor Desmond muttered a few lines, "Just keep watching them while they're here."
"There'll be a chance to catch their fox tails."
No matter what these people were secretly planning or discussing.
Since they stepped onto their territory, they better be ready to pay the price.
Professor Desmond was already mentally prepared to deal with the two troublemaking national teams next.
But what he didn't expect was that Cold Nation and Eastern suddenly quieted down at the same time.
Professor Desmond: "?"
'Wasted emotion!'
Professor Desmond kept grumbling.
He went to find Professor Hubert and pulled him along to complain.
Asher was listening on the side, suddenly asked, "What projects did they bring?"
"And then, the materials and resources they need for these projects, who provides them?"
Very practical questions.
Professor Desmond: "…"
Still grumbling!
Asher stopped asking.
'Got it, got it.'
"We certainly won't agree to provide extremely precious resources."
So that means ordinary resources might still be provided a bit.
Professor Hubert gave Asher a look, "So sometimes, some people always use little tricks to disgust you."
"Totally sounds like a sucker," Asher nodded calmly.
Stifled Professor Desmond gave Asher a roll of the eyes.
Then Professor Desmond heavily patted Asher's shoulder, tone full of expectation.
"I've long heard your brain works lightning fast!"
"Your talent skill works well too."
"As long as it's a plan you propose, it almost always succeeds on the first try."
"Next, we're counting on you."
Professor Hubert also looked at Asher happily, nodding, looking like he agreed with Professor Desmond.
Asher: *Boarded a pirate ship.*
But since it's their own pirate ship, Asher didn't mind too much.
Just said those two countries wouldn't act up, then both Professor Hubert and Professor Desmond's phones rang.
Looking down. Messages from the leaders of the two sides respectively.
"Heh," Seeing the message from the Eastern Nation pet beast professor, Professor Desmond sneered, "They really are synchronized, even the timing is almost the same."
"What?"
"More people, more momentum, so they think they can pressure us?"
'Dream on!'
As soon as Cleveland entered the lab, he faced Professor Desmond's arrogant stinky face.
Though a bit annoyed, Cleveland didn't feel anything wrong.
Unhappy to see them?
Heh!
Worse is yet to come.
Thinking of this, the smugness on Cleveland's face deepened.
"Professor Desmond, this is the lab for our use, right?", Saying this, Cleveland's eyes wandered around the instruments.
He didn't say anything.
But just from that look... fists clenched.
Really clenched.
After looking around, Cleveland added annoyingly, "A bit simple, but we can barely use it."
"Oh? Then can I see what equipment you have in your lab, whatever's missing, we can supply it," Professor Desmond chuckled coldly.
Saying that, Professor Desmond stepped forward two steps, looking ready to see.
Just pretending to be cool, Cleveland: "…"
"The lab isn't a place where photos can be taken."
Cleveland spoke stubbornly.
Look at what?
Look at their research institute that's only half the size of Soren's, and the equipment is neither new nor old?
No no.
Just don't have it.
"We don't mind if you contact your country now," The four characters "go with the flow" simply did not exist in Professor Desmond's dictionary.
Giving them face?
This nonexistent thing is worthy of being shown off?
Cleveland couldn't help turning his eyes to Professor Hubert.
Before, it was always Professor Hubert who came out to smooth things over.
Now he really hoped Professor Hubert would say something fair.
But no.
Professor Hubert kept smiling happily.
As if he didn't take Cleveland's words to heart, and also didn't find anything wrong with what Professor Desmond said.
Friend, we're all friends here, aren't we having a nice exchange.
Cleveland: "…"
"Ahem, let us first tell Soren about the research topics we've been working on recently," Unable to get off the stage, Cleveland could only choose to shift the topic himself.
'If the mountain doesn't come, I'll go to it!'
'That should be okay now, right?'
Hearing Cleveland's words, Professor Desmond indeed stopped making things difficult.
At the same time, he gave Asher behind him a look: 'Listen carefully.'
Asher nodded.
'Listening, listening.'
Cleveland didn't notice Professor Desmond's small gesture.
His body also happened to block Dustin and the others behind him.
But the Cold Nation team's Nance and their researchers did notice Professor Desmond's action to some extent.
In that instant.
Many from the Cold Nation research team cast subtle glances at Asher.
'Looks very young?'
'Why give such a look to a young man?'
'Could it be this young man has something special?'
Cold Nation's researchers suppressed their speculation.
But they also paid some attention while listening to Eastern Nation's research project.
"This time, the beast we mainly researched is the Drilling Bug."
Asher paused.
'Hmm?'
'Drilling Bug?'
'Drilling Bug, a Ground + Fire attribute beast, its most common evolution path is the Drilling Demon Dragon.'
Asher had also looked at the Drilling Bug's evolution path.
'Doesn't seem to have anything special.'
"Wait a minute," Professor Desmond interrupted Cleveland's long speech, "Eastern's Drilling Bug is Ground + Steel attribute, right?"
Cleveland nodded, "Is there a problem?"
"No, you may continue," Professor Desmond showed no expression.
As if purely nitpicking.
At least to Cleveland, it seemed that way.
His face instantly darkened again.
But Asher standing behind Professor Desmond understood what this question meant.
He probably guessed that Asher didn't know.
So he used this seemingly annoying method to remind him.
Thinking of this, Asher couldn't help curling the corner of his mouth.
'Didn't expect this fierce-looking Professor Desmond, who seems rebellious, disdains everyone and claims young people can't match him—'
'In reality...'
'Ahem!'
Asher didn't say it out loud, but actually, just one look at the Drilling Bug they brought, and he'd know everything.
Asher accepted the good intention.
Being interrupted by Professor Desmond, Cleveland looked a bit sour, and his tone was stiffer when he resumed speaking.
"We all know, the evolution path of the Drilling Bug is the Drilling Demon Dragon, but the Drilling Demon Dragon is just a Ground + Rock attribute pet beast, far from a true Dragon-type beast."
"But!"
"But we discovered..."
"Drilling Bug has a chance to evolve into a Dragon-type beast," As he spoke, Cleveland's emotions surged again.
He raised both hands high, face turning red, eyes sparkling with joy.
"Really?"
"Drilling Bugs can evolve into dragon-type beasts? Impossible!"
Alan and Cold Nation's scholars spoke one after the other.
The two had completely different emotions about this.
Atu and Haynel were simply curious.
They even looked a bit eager to try, wanting to have a proper discussion with the Eastern Nation.
Cold Nation, on the other hand, was pure rejection.
'We do not believe it.'
'Impossible.'
'The Eastern Nation must be lying.'
'What, Drilling Bugs can evolve into dragon-type beasts?'
'Isn't that just a complete joke!'
'How could something like that be real!'
'Although, however.'
'Drilling Bugs also belong to the insect-type beasts.'
Insect.
Dragon.
These are entirely two different species.
Asher: "..."
He was drenched in sweat.
Mainly because Asher thought of his Cat-Worm.
Of course.
These two aren't the same thing anyway.
Professor Desmond glanced at Asher again.
'What?'
'Drilling Bugs can't possibly evolve into dragon-type beasts?'
'Then ordinary dragon-type beasts still can't evolve into Dragon Kings!'
Compared to the former, the latter is even more shocking.
Yet Asher even managed to do the latter...
Professor Desmond, who originally still had a bit of concern for Asher, instantly had no thoughts left.
'Trust!'
'Asher can definitely do it!'
'Just a mere Drilling Bug!'
'Could it be harder to study than the Ancestral Dragon from before?'
'That's impossible!'
Professor Desmond's emotions suddenly became high and full.
At this moment, Cleveland also sensed that something was off.
As for Cold Nation's loud questioning, Cleveland and his team didn't take it to heart at all.
Questioning?
Then just keep questioning.
They were only one step away from success.
They would never doubt themselves.
However, what they wanted to see was doubt and shock from Soren, only then would the demonstration later feel even better.
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