Chương 40: Chapter 40: Little Fire Fox’s Evolution? Flame Fox Doesn’t Look Like This!
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'Professor Iris publicly expressing gratitude?'
Just hearing this name in connection with such a term made Jane feel utterly incredulous.
As a Beast Breeder, Jane had a well-known reputation in the industry. Although there was still a considerable gap between her and the top-tier breeders with deep prestige, she was undoubtedly a standout among her peers.
Being officially invited to participate in a special project was proof of her capabilities.
As a result, Jane knew many outstanding figures in the field, and Professor Iris was one of them.
Professor Iris was about ten years younger than Jane, with a strong specialization in beast evolution. Her academic achievements were stellar, and she always had major projects in hand.
She wasn't arrogant, but she certainly wouldn't bow down to someone inferior to her.
For Professor Iris to publicly express gratitude… Jane's gaze toward Asher's photo gradually grew strange.
"How did he manage this? I refuse to believe that Professor Iris would thank a young boy for no reason," Jane muttered, looking at the photos Don had sent her again, inspecting them closely to see if Asher had three heads or six arms.
No matter how hard she thought, Jane couldn't figure it out. "The last time I met her at a seminar, her attitude toward me was just the polite courtesy a junior shows to a senior. Respect? Gratitude? That's impossible!"
Unable to glean anything unusual from Asher's photos, she was at a loss.
Harry chuckled.
"Isn't it possible that Professor Iris's discovery and validation of the evolution process of the Honeybug is connected to Asher?"
Jane immediately rejected the idea. "Impossible! That's even more absurd."
She looked at Asher's photo again.
He was about the same age as her daughter.
Helping Professor Iris confirm the evolution of the Honeybug?
What a joke!
Jane looked at Harry, waiting for a better explanation.
Harry just smiled at her, blinked, and said nothing more.
Jane's expression shifted from disbelief to doubt, and then to shock.
"Seriously? He… a young boy, helped Professor Iris?"
Harry nodded, pulling up articles from several academic public accounts on his phone. "Take a look. After the press conference, Professor Iris publicly stated that Asher discovered the secret to the Honeybug's evolution and provided critical suggestions during the validation process."
After reading, Jane remained in a daze.
"I… I only participated in a secluded special project for less than three months. How do I feel like I've been left behind by the world?"
Not left behind, but the world seemed to have hit the fast-forward button.
The evolved Fairy Butterfly, upgraded from the Honeybug, had jumped in grade from "Unranked" to "Intermediate– Low Tier," an unprecedented leap that was nothing short of astonishing.
After repeatedly confirming that the Asher Professor Iris was thanking was indeed the same as the one in the photos, Jane's initially prickly attitude toward Asher underwent a complete transformation.
She stared at Asher's photo, then glanced at her daughter, who usually only knew how to spend money. She suddenly remarked:
"If this is true… he probably wouldn't bother tricking June for money or love. With Professor Iris's endorsement, if he wanted to con someone, he could easily find someone better than my daughter."
Harry nodded. "Exactly. As for the stuff Don sent… better not look at it. Probably just his exaggerated imagination because June doesn't want to play with him and complains to us instead."
Then Jane's brows furrowed again.
"If he isn't scamming June, does that mean… he's serious about finding a new evolution path for her Little Fire Fox?" Jane's tone was grim. "Doesn't that make our gullible daughter his experiment subject?"
'Um…' Harry didn't know how to respond to that.
He could understand the ambition of kids at this age to achieve something.
"I think we should just leave it alone," Harry said sincerely.
Jane was furious. "Leave it alone? She's your daughter. You're just going to let her mess around like this? This is pure nonsense!"
She pointed to the last two photos—one showing June and her Little Fire Fox leaving the Forbidden Zone in the morning, and another of them returning at night, battered and exhausted.
"If we don't step in, she'll start treating the Forbidden Zone like her backyard. Does she think it's a playground? Asher must have said something to make her do this." Jane said angrily.
"No way. I have to go home!"
She couldn't sit still any longer and snatched back her phone to book a flight. She wanted the earliest one, not willing to delay even a minute. She had to go back tonight.
Breeding beasts was never a simple, overnight task.
Before, when June was slacking off, Jane didn't pressure her because the Little Fire Fox's potential was limited.
As long as June eventually woke up with a desire to grow stronger, Jane, as a Beast Breeder, could easily plan the Little Fire Fox's future direction.
At most, June would waste a few years. Not a big deal.
But reckless training and breeding could cause irreversible damage to both Beast Masters and their beasts.
Jane couldn't tolerate even the slightest risk of that happening.
Just as Harry was about to try persuading her again, Jane's phone rang.
It was a special, serene ringtone like mountain streams flowing.
She had set this ringtone specifically for messages from June.
For years, this ringtone had almost never gone off. But today, it rang…
Something big must have happened!
Harry and Jane exchanged uneasy glances.
They had just been discussing their daughter—did something really happen to her?
"Quick, check what it is!" They couldn't worry about anything else now.
Jane fumbled with her phone and almost dropped it. With Harry's help, she finally managed to open the message from June.
It was a photo.
The image showed June holding a never-before-seen beast in her arms.
In the photo, June radiated pure joy from within.
It wasn't some catastrophic incident they couldn't handle.
The couple sighed in relief before their professional instincts kicked in. As a professor of beasts and a Beast Breeder, they immediately turned their focus to the mysterious beast June was hugging tightly.
Large, fluffy ears marked it as a fox-like beast.
Its body was covered in warm, fiery red fur, with shorter white fur on its cheeks and a small patch of white on its belly.
Its bright fox-like eyes and faintly smiling mouth exuded a majestic aura. One look was enough to tell it wasn't an ordinary beast.
Standing upright beside June, it was a full head taller than her.
Behind it were three fluffy tails, resembling blazing flames.
After carefully analyzing its features, both Jane and Harry's expressions turned strange.
"Why do I feel like…" Jane hesitated, glancing at Harry.
Harry's serious expression confirmed her suspicion. "It looks a lot like the evolved form of the Little Fire Fox."
But the problem was…
The Flame Fox didn't look like this.
The evolved Flame Fox was about twice as large as the Little Fire Fox, with only its tail's color becoming more vivid. Overall, its appearance didn't change much.
But what was this fox in the photo?
Their earlier argument immediately came to mind.
A mind-blowing thought flashed through their heads, and they simultaneously exclaimed:
"A new evolution path for the Little Fire Fox?"
Neither of them could stay seated anymore.
Both Jane and Harry were desperate to go home.
"We need the earliest flight. You text June and ask her what's going on. Is this really the Little Fire Fox's evolution?" Harry urged.
Division of labor.
They couldn't waste another second.
———
NY City.
It was the eleventh day since June had insisted on taking the Little Fire Fox to the mines. Even with Asher's promise as motivation, she was reaching her limit.
Completely exasperated, June called Asher. "Asher, my Little Fire Fox has already learned six skills. I'm done! I can't go on anymore! We're both completely drained."
She was ready to give up.
She was ready to slack off.
Even Asher couldn't make her get up again.
"Hmm? Is that so?" Asher's gentle voice came through the phone, as soothing as cool rain on June's weary body.
"Well then, let's stop here for now. I'll come by after work tonight to check on your Little Fire Fox's progress."
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