Chapter 41: A Moment of Spiritual Connection!
[🎉 Shoutout to SASQS_asQSzS, Toad, Derek & Natalie for joining patreon. Thank you very much.🤗]
'Huh?'
'Huh-huh-huh?'
Just a second ago, June was sprawled out on the ground with a "Don't even think about making me get up" look on her face. Suddenly, she bolted upright.
"Are you serious?"
Even through the phone, Asher could imagine June's overly excited expression just from her voice.
Asher felt a bit embarrassed.
Did he really come across as such an unreasonable person?
Sure, he wanted the little Fire Fox to evolve faster, which would make it easier for him to snag some fire-based skills.
But that didn't mean he was a reincarnated slave driver, intent on pushing June and the little Fire Fox into relentless, non-stop training. Anyone would break under that kind of pressure.
Asher hadn't mentioned it before because he thought June would regulate herself.
What he didn't expect was that after he said it would be best for the little Fire Fox to learn six skills, June actually endured for a full eleven days without rest.
The moment she hit her goal, she collapsed flat on the ground without waiting a single second.
Asher: "…"
An imaginary sense of guilt pricked at his nonexistent conscience.
"It's true, really. You can go home right now if you want. Don't push yourself and the little Fire Fox so hard that you develop a stress response," Asher said helplessly.
He wasn't some kind of devil, and he definitely didn't believe in exhausting resources for short-term gains.
June chuckled awkwardly. "No worries! I'm already here, and I can handle it. I'll leave after four, okay? I'll send you my address, so make sure to come over after work."
Without waiting for Asher to reply, June hung up on her own.
Getting up from the ground, June looked invigorated again as she stared at Pitou, who was responsible for sparring with her today.
Dusting off the crimson dirt on her clothes, she shouted unbothered by her disheveled appearance, "Again!"
Since it was the last day, she wanted to finish with a flourish!
"Got your energy back after chatting with your boyfriend?" Pitou teased with an amused smile.
Before June could retort, Pitou launched another round of attacks. "Lightning Mink, Lightning Prayer!"
The crackling lightning filled the air, making June and the little Fire Fox shudder instinctively.
"Wait…" June's eyes widened in shock.
Lightning Prayer?
One of the lightning element's ultimate skills?
'Isn't this a bit much?'
She was only here for sparring, wasn't she?
Wasn't this supposed to be an ordinary practice session?
Pitou flashed a gentle smile, but her words were anything but: "Well, since it's the last day I'm sparring with you, as someone who's trained with you all these days, I have to see how much you've grown, right?"
"If your skills are too weak, you'll be ruining our reputation." Pitou winked playfully.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I wouldn't hurt a paying customer."
She continued, "If you don't move now, the next round of attacks will be coming soon~."
"!!!" June reacted instantly. "Little Fire Fox, Thermal Energy."
"Then follow up with Fire Dance!"
No holding back now
Since it was the last day, she might as well go all out.
———
At 6:10 PM, Asher arrived at Rose Villa Garden.
Looking at the luxurious and elegant mansion in front of him, he couldn't help but marvel again.
'Having money really is great.'
If he could choose, he'd also want to start life as a golden-spoon beast tamer.
Since June had already informed the security, Asher passed through without issue.
"Asher, over here!" Ivy called out, waving her fair arm enthusiastically.
She was dressed in a loose, casual dress, her hair casually draped over her chest, with her Fairy Butterfly fluttering nearby. Her face was radiant with joy.
Asher strode toward her.
"Long time no see," he greeted with a smile.
Ivy returned a sweet smile.
She led Asher through a garden filled with roses and climbing vines until they reached June's house, where they found her sprawled on the couch like a boneless creature.
"June, Asher is here," Ivy called out loudly.
Without lifting her head, June groaned, "So what… I'm completely out of it right now…"
Her voice dragged lazily.
"What's wrong with her?" Asher asked, curious.
Ivy pursed her pink lips and whispered in a voice only Asher could hear, "Apparently, everyone in her training group gave her a farewell challenge match today."
Asher immediately understood.
'Wow.'
'The team gave her a series of farewell sparring matches, huh?'
'Considering the power gap between June and her teammates...'
'Yeah.'
Asher silently lit a candle for her in his heart.
Not his fault. How was he supposed to know they'd be so ruthless?
"June probably needs a few days of proper rest," Ivy said, smiling apologetically.
"Understandable. Balance is important. Eleven days of intense training to master three skills… That's way too extreme," Asher nodded.
Even someone as shamelessly opportunistic as Asher felt they'd pushed June and the little Fire Fox too hard.
As he approached, he opened his Eye of Insight to check on the little Fire Fox.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Pet Beast: Little Fire Fox]
Attribute: Fire
Species: Intermediate Extraordinary, Low Tier
Level: Tier 4–
Skills: Flame Bite, Fire Assault, Fireball, Thermal Energy, Smoke Screen, Fire Dance
Evolution Routes: Flame Fox, Fire Fox Queen
Evolution Conditions Met
Body feels warm… um… sleepy…
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Asher blinked in surprise.
'Wait, what?'
'little Fire Fox met all the conditions for evolution?'
'But which evolution path is fulfilled?'
'And if the conditions are met, why hasn't it evolved yet?'
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Flame Fox Evolution Path
Requirements:
Breakthrough to Tier 5 (Not Met)
Master 4 Fire-type Skills (Met)
Consume Fire-type High-tier Food for 30 Consecutive Days (Met)
Consume 7 Fire Attribute Energy Stones (Met)
Consume a Scorching Fruit (Met)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Fire Fox Queen Evolution Path
Requirements:
Bond Level 100 (100/100) (Met)
Breakthrough to Tier 4 (Met)
Master 6 Fire-type Skills (Met)
Consume Fire-type High-tier Food for 60 Consecutive Days (Met)
Consume 15 Fire Attribute Energy Stones (21/15) (Met)
Consume a Lava Fruit (Met)
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Asher fell silent.
'...How to put this?'
He'd thought the issue might be a lack of bonding or the missing Lava Fruit—things he could help with.
Instead…
'Rich people really are something else.'
Not only had they fed the little Fire Fox over 20 Fire Attribute Energy Stones when it only needed 15, but they'd even given it the rare and high-tier Lava Fruit without him noticing.
"What's wrong?" Ivy asked when she saw Asher staring at the little Fire Fox in silence, concern evident on her face.
Hearing the key word, June perked up from her limp position on the couch.
"Is something wrong with the little Fire Fox?"
Seeing the two girls getting anxious, Asher didn't tease them. He looked at June seriously and said, "No, the little Fire Fox is in great condition. So great, in fact… that I think you can try evolving it."
Ivy: "!"
June: "!"
June shot to her feet, clutching the little Fire Fox tightly, and dashed to Asher's side.
Ivy joined her, sitting on Asher's other side. They practically pinned him to the couch, and someone handed him a cup of sweet floral honey water.
"Explain in detail. Are you sure?" June and Ivy stared at him, eyes wide.
Asher nodded. "Based on the little Fire Fox's state, it's ready to evolve."
"The bond between you and the little Fire Fox has significantly deepened. You must have felt it yourself, right?" Asher gestured with his free hand.
It was a sensation hard to put into words.
June immediately understood. "Yeah… I think I get what you mean."
"There was this one moment… just a single moment." June stroked the little Fire Fox thoughtfully, trying to find the right words. "I felt completely connected to the little Fire Fox."
June said seriously: "It's not like, seems like, vaguely, or feeling something uncertain. It's that I truly understood what the little fire fox was thinking."
But it was only for a moment.
That moment passed in the blink of an eye, and June didn't know when the next moment of mental connection would come.
Asher nodded, as if he thought of something and had a guess.
"Try to recall that feeling now, and try to actively connect with the little fire fox mentally," Asher said gently. "You can try to do it like when you meditate, using your spiritual sea to actively communicate with the little fire fox."
June closed her eyes to Asher's almost hypnotic voice.
She slowly gathered her spiritual power, really following Asher's advice, trying to link her spiritual sea with the little fire fox.
"Slowly."
"Even slower is fine."
Asher's voice was very calm, and he even used his talent skill, [Affinity], to lower June's resistance towards him.
"Then... imagine letting the little fire fox adjust its power and evolve..."
As Asher's voice slowly faded.
A dazzling light suddenly erupted from the little fire fox in June's arms.
A scarlet, burning, familiar evolution light.
At that moment, the little fire fox evolved.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
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