Chapter 30: The Indispensable 1% Inspiration

The room was packed with professors specializing in pet evolution from across NY City.

These experts were usually hard to pin down, either buried in their lab work or chasing fleeting sparks of inspiration on the road.

Yes, inspiration.

The discovery and research of new evolutionary pathways for pets relied on 99% solid theory, tireless effort, and—most crucially—that rare, brilliant 1% spark.

When news broke at today's academic conference about the evolution of the honeybug, everyone flocked to the Beast Tamer Alliance in NY City.

The fairy butterfly's evolutionary process was discovered in a small town under NY City's jurisdiction?

How could they have not known about this until now?

They were desperate to take a closer look at the very first successfully evolved honeybug.

But contacting the young girl directly? Too risky—what if they scared her off?

Reaching out to Asher, on the other hand, seemed like a better option.

After all, as the first person to successfully assist a honeybug in evolving, Asher might hold the key to their next big breakthrough.

However, all of them were firmly blocked by President Robb.

His reasoning? Simple and straightforward.

With a solemn expression, President Robb had explained that if they all went to see Asher, it could disrupt his mindset. After all, Asher was about to start his final year of high school—Grade 12.

It was only after President Robb showed them two surveillance videos from the incident—over and over again—that the professors reluctantly backed down.

Disrupt Asher's mindset?

Why not talk about how Iris' public address at the conference was far more likely to affect Asher's mental state instead?

And to make matters worse, President Robb even had the audacity to brag about Asher in front of them.

The nerve!

The professors' gazes toward President Robb grew increasingly murderous.

Sensing the tension, President Robb let out an awkward chuckle and quickly stepped aside, revealing the massive snow wolf behind him.

Thinking of attacking him? Better think twice!

After a long tug-of-war, President Robb finally sent the surveillance footage to each of the professors. Only then did he manage to shoo them out of the building.

Left alone in the now-empty conference room, President Robb stretched his sore back and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Ah, finally got rid of them."

Being the president of NY City's Beast Tamer Alliance was no easy job.

But when he thought about how the first evolved honeybug came from NY City, and the resources and prestige this would bring to the Alliance, President Robb felt it was all worth it.

As the saying goes, never forget the one who dug the well when drinking its water.

Both Iris and Asher deserved full credit for this achievement.

With a smile of satisfaction, President Robb dove back into the extensive follow-up work required.

———

In the luxurious Rose Villa District of NY City, Henry Epstein and Marie Wayne, father and mother of Don, had opted to return home instead of immediately diving back into their research.

"Honeybug evolution... Iris' luck is better than ours," Henry said with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"It's been six years. We've only just scratched the surface of a feasible evolutionary pathway for the little fire fox and the blazing flame hound. Even if everything goes smoothly, we're looking at another three years—at least—from our first success to validated results."

Marie patted her husband's shoulder, unsure how to console him.

She wasn't alone in this sentiment. Every professor present at Iris's conference felt the same way.

Was it Iris who discovered the honeybug's potential for evolution?

No.

Was she the key to proving the honeybug's evolution was viable?

Also no.

So, what role did Iris play?

Given the same clues and opportunities, any one of them could've achieved the same results.

"That student, Asher..." Marie frowned slightly, unsure how to evaluate him.

The answer to both questions was Asher.

It was Asher who discovered the honeybug's evolutionary potential and played a critical role in proving it. Yet Asher wasn't even part of their pet evolution research circle.

He was just a student—a high school senior, no less.

A student with only basic knowledge from school, little understanding of pet evolution, and an uncanny knack for miraculous success.

Even knowing that Asher was a Beast Tamer in training, supposedly self-studying pet evolution, Marie couldn't help but feel uneasy.

'What is this? Beginner's luck? Every cast a catch?'

For a moment, Marie even considered steering her son toward pet evolution research.

Surely this "beginner's luck" couldn't be exclusive to Asher, right?

But no—she dismissed the thought.

Their experiment had been six years in the making, and they were so close to results. There was no way they would let a child meddle in it.

Unaware of his wife's wandering thoughts, Henry took a deep breath to calm himself before turning to console her instead.

"Alright, let's not focus on others. Whether it's Iris or Asher, we should respect and admire their discoveries."

"And besides, their success isn't without benefits for us."

The honeybug's evolution report would undoubtedly earn the NY City Beast Tamer Alliance substantial rewards and resources, which would trickle down to local professors like them.

Their visit to President Robb earlier wasn't just about the shocking honeybug news. It was also to subtly inquire about upcoming resource allocations.

Unfortunately, President Robb was as cunning as ever, refusing to commit to any promises.

Still, they were sure that increased resources were coming. All they had to do was wait.

Marie nodded, though her emotions lagged behind her rational acceptance.

Six years of effort versus someone else's one month... Marie sighed deeply, attempting to calm her restless heart.

———

Meanwhile, Asher remained unaffected by the storms brewing outside, thanks to the dual protection of Iris and President Robb.

He focused on his routine, steadily guiding Little Raven forward step by step.

The most significant impact from Iris's academic conference was the soaring public awareness of the fairy butterfly's evolution.

In just two days, the public recognition points for the fairy butterfly had skyrocketed to an astonishing 57,300.

This meant over 5,370 people now fully understood the fairy butterfly's evolutionary process.

Two days—that growth rate was mind-blowing.

However, Asher knew this was an exception. The rapid increase in recognition didn't mean all new pet evolution pathways would gain popularity as quickly.

It was simple to understand.

Who would bother to learn the complete evolution of a supernatural creature?

Other than researchers, students, and Beast Tamers with specific needs, most people wouldn't.

But the honeybug was different.

Its evolution appealed to a wide audience, including ordinary people and every Beast Tamer. It didn't matter if they planned to contract or raise one—knowing the process could come in handy someday.

Contracting a honeybug was easy, after all.

Other supernatural creatures? Not so much.

"If only public recognition points were universal. Then, when Little Fire Fox evolves, I could immediately do a ten-skill draw," Asher lamented with a hint of regret.

A nice thought—but impossible.

Still, it wasn't a problem.

If Little Fire Fox evolved into the [Fire Fox Queen], her unique status and power as a species leader would naturally attract attention from many Beast Tamers.

Would he even need a ten-draw? Unnecessary.

Between the fairy butterfly and Little Fire Fox, their combined skill pool didn't even reach ten.

"So, let's do a single draw today," Asher said with a smile, feeling particularly confident as he got out of bed.

After carefully washing his hands and face, Asher prepared himself for the draw with great focus.

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