Chapter 28: Academic Conference Announcement – News Explosion

Asher stared at his phone, which had completely frozen. After trying everything from tapping to shaking it, the device refused to come back to life.

He sighed, glancing at the video call requests before his phone had gone haywire.

Among the callers was none other than Arthur, his homeroom teacher. It seemed like something important had happened.

Grabbing Little Raven, Asher turned back into the service station. He connected his phone to the charger, hoping the charging resurrection method would work.

As he plugged in the phone, the equipment room door slammed open.

Ron strode out, but when he saw Asher, his footsteps froze mid-step.

"Ron?" Asher asked, puzzled by the older man's strange expression.

Ron gave him a complex look, his face a mix of exasperation and disbelief.

"What's going on?" Asher asked, tilting his head.

Ron took a deep breath before replying, "About ten minutes ago, Professor Iris held an academic press conference."

Asher blinked after understanding what it meant, 'So, Professor Iris's paper on Honeybug is complete.'

'But… a press conference?'

"That's good. Honeybug evolving will help a lot of Beastmasters." Asher nodded casually, his tone calm.

And then? His eyes signaled Ron to continue.

The sight made Ron's temple twitch. Asher's utter indifference to the significance of what had happened left him speechless.

"Professor Iris mentioned your name during the conference," Ron finally said with a voice indicating his frustration.

Asher's brows furrowed. "Mentioned me? For what?"

"Apparently, she credited you for discovering the Honeybug's evolution."

Asher was even more confused, 'Credit me? For accidentally finding out about the Honeybug's potential? That doesn't make sense.'

He shook his head, 'Unless Professor Iris somehow figured out my innate skill, it's not possible.'

Noticing Asher's visible confusion, Ron sighed deeply.

"You'll figure it out when your phone turns back on," he muttered before turning away. "I need some peace. Don't ask me any more questions."

Ron left a baffled Asher standing there.

———

After half an hour of waiting, Asher's phone finally revived.

Setting aside the book he'd been reading, Beast Evolution Studies: Five Centuries of Practice, he cautiously powered the phone back on. Thankfully, no incoming calls or messages overwhelmed it this time.

"Let's see what all the fuss was about."

He opened his messaging app. Immediately, a deluge of notifications flooded the screen:

Class group chat: 999+ messages.

Private messages: §

Asher opened his conversation with Vicky first. The first message he saw was a video link and a short recording.

Curious, he played the recording first.

The clip featured Professor Iris, standing on a stage in a large auditorium. The backdrop displayed an extensive presentation of the Fairy Butterfly's anatomy and evolution process.

"... And that concludes the critical factors determining Honeybug evolution."

Professor Iris's white coat gave her a professional aura, her hair pinned neatly in a bun. Her voice was steady and filled with scholarly gravitas. The atmosphere was intimidating, commanding attention from everyone in the room.

But then, her icy demeanor melted into a gentle smile. It was a rare, breathtaking moment, like the blooming of a snow lotus.

"The evolution process is more demanding than I initially anticipated. It turns out that only unwavering love and trust can nurture a Honeybug brave enough to undergo such a transformation."

Professor Iris's gaze softened as she continued, "At this point, I must thank someone who played a vital role in this discovery—Asher from the Aspengrove Village service station."

"Asher was the first to save a Honeybug, breaking the 1,200-year misconception that Honeybug cannot evolve."

"Moreover, during our experimental process, he proposed including individuals who genuinely care for their Honeybug. This suggestion proved invaluable."

"Without Asher's discovery and insight, this academic breakthrough wouldn't have been possible."

"I am sincerely grateful to him and hope that one day, Asher will become my student. I believe he will carve out a groundbreaking path in pet beast evolution."

The video ended, leaving Asher stunned.

'Did she… just spend half her speech praising me?'

Scratching his head, he muttered, "That was... a bit much."

After replaying the video twice to process everything, he opened the link Vicky had sent. Unfortunately, it was for a live stream that had already ended.

Shaking his head, Asher scrolled through the rest of Vicky's messages.

[Li Gan]: Dude! You're alive? I thought you abandoned us peasants after becoming a star overnight.

[Asher]: My phone crashed. Only just got it working again.

[Li Gan]: Classic you. Anyway, bro, YOU. ARE. LEGENDARY! I watched the whole conference. Who'd have thought the quiet, low-key Asher in our class was actually a hidden prodigy?Seriously, man, when are you gonna let me hug your thigh?

[Asher]: Call me "Daddy" and I'll think about it.

[Li Gan]: Daddy ༼⁠ ⁠つ⁠ ⁠◕⁠‿⁠◕⁠ ⁠༽⁠つ

After some lighthearted banter, Asher got a clearer picture.

When Professor Iris announced her academic findings, Class Teacher Arthur was the first to notice the connection to Asher's earlier hints. He shared the live stream link in their class chat.

At first, no one believed it. But when Professor Iris explicitly thanked Asher, the group chat exploded.

Now, Asher's name was associated with one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in recent pet beast history.

"Well, this escalated quickly."

Asher sighed, glancing at the dozens of unread messages in his inbox.

Beyond the class chat, there were also messages from Professor Iris herself, Ivy, June, and even President Robb, the NY City Beastmaster Association president.

The sheer scale of this buzz was far beyond what he'd expected.

"Looks like I underestimated how big of a deal this really is," Asher muttered.

Pausing, he decided to cut through the noise and go straight to the source.

Dialing Professor Iris's number, he pressed the call button.

It barely rang twice before she picked up.

Her warm voice carried through the line, "Did you enjoy the press conference?"

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