"This is... the evolution route!?"
Seeing the glaring information that appeared beneath the character panel of the forest deer, Naib's eyes couldn't help but widen in stupefaction. So great that he hasn't noticed his footing unknowingly stepped into a not-so-deep pit, causing him to tumble to the surface of the stream.
Splash~
Sure enough, just after the splashing sound echoed from afar, the green eyes of the forest deer suddenly constricted.
Without further ado, it immediately stopped drinking before fleeing from the scene; its body drew the attention of the wind around it as it vanished from Naib's sight in an instant.
Despite watching the forest deer vanish in front of his eyes, Naib doesn't react too much; instead, his mind is still occupied with the information that he had seen.
"It's actually the evolution route; I hit the jackpot!"
Based on the memory of his predecessor, the beast taming started to appear and can be traced back 10,000 years ago. During that period, most humans can only bind the beast with the lowest bloodline — with an occasional lucky person who can bind a beast at the elite grade and above.
However, despite that, humans still remain in the lower tiers of this world in terms of overall prowess and technology, which can mainly be attributed to the limits of the beast they had initially formed a contract with (which is the beast bloodline).
Hence, to change their fate, they began experimenting madly.
They began researching and looking for a way to forcefully upgrade the bloodline of their bound beast in order to help them reach a new perfected state that was comparable to the beasts that have had a rare bloodline for thousands of years!
Unfortunately, despite having some results, in the end, they all still end up in failure or unsatisfactory — they couldn't artificially create a beast with a rare bloodline!
Mercifully, when it felt that humanity was heading to a certain doom, a person accidentally encountered a wild beast with an average bloodline undergoing an evolution under the eaves of the night.
There, he sees everything unfold, from the spiritual herb that the beast accidentally consumed, to the ritual it made, and until its bloodline finally stepped into the peak of the elite grade.
Hence, the official start of the beast taming era and how the evolution route came to be.
...
However, the thing that Naib hadn't expected was that, the talent that the system bestowed upon him can actually allow him to see the possible evolution route of a beast!
Frightfully, he unlocked this new ability just after entering the mid-stage of the beast apprentice realm, making him scared and at the same time eager about the next ability that the talent would awaken after he advanced further.
Although the evolution option right now was quite limited due to his pathetic strength, if people learned about this ability of his, it would be enough to shock everyone on the continent, including non-humans.
Heck, he might even be hunted down due to this ability of his, both by humans and beasts, just to take advantage of him or kill him due to the fearful aspect of this talent.
It can be said that, even learning one evolution route was enough to make a person wealthy... enough to sustain tens of his/her generation or even start his/her clan!
"I can't show this talent of mine, or else it will be game over for me.'
Thinking of it, Naib finally stood up from his location, eyes wandering around before heading down the stream.
His target? Of course, the mutated salamander that he had been feeding for weeks.
...
"Weird? I haven't encountered any aquatic beasts despite walking for a while. Did something happen when I was breaking through earlier?'
Soon, time passed by, and after walking for a considerable amount of time, Naib couldn't help but suddenly halt in his tracks. His brows furrowed deeply as his eyes gazed afar while feeding star force to the potential seeing talent to maximize its area of effect.
Unfortunately, despite all of the effort, other than the unawakened fish that he had encountered so far, Naib couldn't find a beast around him; even their shadows were nowhere to be found, giving him a deep sensation of unease.
It could be said that, even though it's uncommon to find a beast in this stream, he should have already encountered one by now after roaming for an hour, yet...
"Strange, they all vanish without prior knowledge, as if they had all encountered something terrifying that caused them to flee far away here.
"I think it's better if I leave this place for now.'
Looking at the empty dwelling not far away from him — hidden beside the streams and covered by medium stones and twigs — Naib's face unfolded a thoughtful look, regretful that he might abandon the thought of finding that mutated water salamander today, as this place gives him an extremely unsettling feeling.
A sensation that his predecessor unlocked and honed upon living in this hateful place for months.
Splash~
Blobb! Blobbb~
However, before Naib could move toward the stream bank, a sudden sound of agitated splashing, followed by the bubbling of waters, entered his ears.
Instinctively, upon hearing the sound, Naib immediately shifted his gaze toward its origin. In an instant, his eyes widened as he couldn't help but step backwards a couple of times in pure shock.
There, less than 7 meters away from him, a greatly injured beast — seemingly floating lifelessly on the surface of the stream — appeared in his line of sight.
However, the thing that dumbfounded him wasn't that; instead, it was due to the identity of the beast.
"Isn't this the mutated water salamander I was looking for!?'
Looking at the long gush of wounds on the belly part of the salamander and at its completely missing left upper limb, Naib's eyes constricted, unable to fathom what kind of battle this beast participated in that led to its current situation.
With its current ability, escaping from the grasp of most mortal realm beasts in the water shouldn't be a problem.
"Unless..."