Chapter 13: No Cash to Burn? Get Ready to Grind!

Seven-Colored Glimmer Flower, Sunlight Crystals, Moonlight Crystals, special energy stones, light-element energy stones, and that elusive Fairy Tree Fruit.

Not a single one of these items comes cheap.

And when you add it all up, the price casually starts in the millions.

'But, only a 50% success rate in the end?' Asher shook his head.

'Yeah… no way I can pull that off with my shitty luck.'

Sometimes a man's just got to admit his limits.

Of course, this was just Asher's situation. If other Beast Masters knew that spending a few million could guarantee their beast's evolution, there'd be a line of people eagerly throwing money.

But he didn't have that luxury.

Poverty is a strict master; he had trouble just keeping himself fed.

With a sigh, Asher tapped on the Three-Legged Golden Crow evolution path.

Hmm…

He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Compared to the spend-happy Radiant Peacock evolution path, the Three-Legged Golden Crow seemed… gentler on his wallet.

[Evolution Method: Beast Master and beast must reach 100 points in Affection and Sync. The Beast Master's spiritual sea and Beast Space must expand fourfold. This achieved, evolution requirements can proceed.]

[Daily exposure to sunlight and moonlight is needed, with the pet's spiritual energy reaching parity with the Beast Master's. Additionally, mastery of fire and special-attribute skills is required. Only upon achieving the exclusive Essence Fire will evolution into the Three-Legged Golden Crow succeed. (Entire process must be completed within 400 days from the moment evolution begins; failure means this evolution path can no longer be attempted.)]

Compared to the Radiant Peacock, the Three-Legged Golden Crow evolution method looked straightforward enough.

But Asher knew better.

It wasn't that simple.

If Radiant Peacock was about throwing enough money at the problem until it went away, Three-Legged Golden Crow was filled with uncertainties.

A hundred points of Affection and Sync?

What other evolution paths require a beast's affection points, of all things?

Asher swore he'd never heard of such a requirement.

And then the Beast Master's spiritual sea and Beast Space needed to expand fourfold?

Four times.

What did that mean?

He could contract three more pet beasts.

Four beasts in total, including Little Raven. If he achieved that, he'd be at least a Tier 3 Beast Master.

Most Beast Masters who could reach that level within two years after graduation were already considered geniuses.

'Tier 3 in 400 days? Is that even possible?'

Soaking up sunlight and moonlight was no big deal—basically just sunbathing and stargazing.

But to make his pet's spiritual energy match his own and to train it in fire and special-attribute skills…

Asher felt a row of question marks forming in his mind.

'What is this madness?'

'Is this even feasible?'

Little Raven's attributes were flying and special-attribute, so mastering a special skill was tough, but not impossible.

As for fire skills, something entirely unrelated?

In theory, Little Raven could learn them.

But mastering them would be another story, full of trial and error.

The only way Asher could think of to help Little Raven learn a fire skill was through his talent—by snatching it from another beast.

"So… it's either burning cash or burning myself out?"

Either pay up or grind endlessly.

Realizing what was in store for him, Asher turned his gaze to Little Raven, who was busily preening her feathers with her dainty, pale-yellow beak.

Little Raven: ·△·?

Asher smiled warmly, extending a gentle finger to smooth down her tufted little crest.

"Little Raven," he murmured softly, his tone as tender as could be. "You're a hardworking little bird, aren't you?"

'Grinding wouldn't be a problem for Little Raven—she'd be more than up for the challenge.'

Eyes bright with purpose, Asher watched Little Raven closely.

He didn't have a family legacy, couldn't afford to be a spender.

That left only one option: grinding, hard work, and even more hard work.

But he wouldn't let Little Raven shoulder the load alone.

In fact, he would lead by example, grinding even harder than her.

Little Raven, perhaps understanding his words, shook her head, trying to free herself from his gentle hand.

"So, you agree, right, Little Raven?"

"Good, it's settled."

Relying on Little Raven's inability to protest, Asher happily finalized his decision.

Theoretically, he had two paths to choose from, but in reality, there was only one way forward.

Following the Three-Legged Golden Crow path meant he'd have to complete everything within 400 days.

That worked out to about a year and a month.

Come fall, he'd be starting his senior year of high school. If he played his cards right…

He might even be able to secure extra credits for college admissions, perhaps even earning a spot at a top university.

Thinking all this, Asher laid out a rough plan for himself.

First, he'd add meditation to his daily routine to push his spiritual sea to evolve within six months.

Basking in sunlight and moonlight? Easy, that was a daily task.

And boosting their Affection, Sync, and special skill proficiency? That could all be done simultaneously.

The main challenge was helping Little Raven learn fire skills.

"And that 'Essence Fire'... a unique skill that only pets who truly grasp the essence of fire can wield… I'll put that on the back burner for now."

Asher muttered to himself.

That was the final step.

Before he could reach it, he needed to figure out where to harvest skills.

Fairy Butterfly?

Not feasible.

Fairy-type Fairy Butterflies could learn two fire skills, but getting one of those rare fire skills out of their skillset?

It would be easier to evolve a fire-type pet and borrow a skill from it.

He didn't own a fire-type pet, nor could he afford to contract one anytime soon.

Which left him with the option of helping other people evolve their pets.

Asher was open to the idea.

He was just worried that other people wouldn't be so open to it.

What Beast Master would believe a high school student could help their pet evolve?

"...The journey is long, and I'll seek the way step by step."

One step at a time.

Asher wasn't going to pressure himself or stress over things beyond his control.

No one knew what tomorrow held, so why overthink it?

With a rough plan in place, Asher decided to start by giving Little Raven a bath.

"Even though pet beasts are a class apart from regular animals, the first order of business at home should be personal hygiene."

That said, he pulled out a large soup bowl.

"There isn't a better container here, so let's make do with this," Asher said, looking at Little Raven.

Little Raven: ·△·!

Her tiny black eyes suddenly reflected a sense of pure horror.

Flapping her little wings furiously, Little Raven tried to escape Asher's evil grip.

Treachery! A coup against the throne!

But Little Raven's escape attempt was in vain.

With one hand, Asher held down the squirming Little Raven, and with the other, he filled the soup bowl with warm water.

Testing the temperature, he placed Little Raven into the bowl.

"It's just a bath. No need for the theatrics."

Since he didn't have pet-specific shampoo, Asher didn't dare use his cheap body wash on her either.

He had to settle for gently cleaning her feathers with water alone.

He moved carefully, wiping each feather in the direction it lay.

Initially, Little Raven struggled, but as he continued cleaning… she gradually relaxed.

Thanks to her naturally oily feathers, she floated comfortably on the water's surface instead of sinking.

When he scrubbed her wings, she'd lift them; when he reached her tail feathers, she'd obligingly raise them.

Not too shabby.

Seeing her look so content, Asher couldn't help but chuckle.

'No matter what, this is a promising first step toward our bond, right?'

Little Raven was small, so the bath didn't take long.

After finishing, Asher treated himself to a hot shower, then finally sank into his soft bed.

It had been a full day.

Before long, he drifted off into sleep.

The moonlight streamed through his window, casting a soft glow over his bed.

At some point, Little Raven hopped out of her little nest by his pillow.

With delicate steps, she tiptoed across his hair, until she found a cozy spot on his pillow, nestled right by his face.

She patted his cheek with a gentle wing.

'Goodnight'

———

When Asher woke up, he nearly jumped out of bed.

For a second, he thought he'd somehow sleepwalked.

"You little troublemaker."

He tapped the tuft on Little Raven's head. She chirped, hopping happily atop his head.

Chuckling, Asher set about preparing breakfast for her.

One look outside, and he was greeted with perfect weather—bright and sunny.

"Starting today, we're soaking up that sun."

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