Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 270 - Tamer’s Battle Week - 8

Cracks spread across the entire surface of the Stone Lurker, connecting with each other and deepening with each passing second. The sound of stone giving way under tremendous pressure filled the arena, a symphony of destruction that held the audience captivated.

Finally, with a deafening boom, the Big Stone Lurker collapsed. Its core remained suspended in a network of roots, entrails, and debris before completely fading out.

Silence fell over the arena, followed by enthusiastic applause. Even upper-year students who had finished their battles clapped with genuine appreciation for the strategy demonstrated.

”Victory for Team Three of Group A,” Yang announced, his voice carrying a hint of approval. ”Time: Six minutes, forty-eight seconds.”

”They beat Roranʼs time,” Taro pointed out, impressed.

”Elemental advantage,” Ren nodded. ”Plants naturally have superiority over rocks, especially when empowered by water. Their synergy was nearly perfect.”

While the auxiliaries cleaned the arena and prepared the next Stone Lurker, conversation in the stands intensified. Each battle revealed new strategies and possibilities, generating technical debates among students from different years. Animated discussions broke out as veteran students pointed out nuances that first-years had missed.

”Team Three of Group B, prepare to enter,” Yang announced.

”Here they come,” Min murmured, his expression tightening slightly.

Jin, Kai, and Cass advanced toward the arena with the characteristic confidence of those who still considered themselves the elite of the first year. Jin, in particular, walked with an unmistakable air of superiority, his eyes occasionally drifting toward where Ren and his friends were seated.

”Jin has evolved his beast,” Ren observed, noticing the subtle differences in the aura surrounding the student. ”Itʼs no longer a spirit tiger.”

”How can you tell?” asked Taro, narrowing his eyes to try to see what Ren perceived.

”The mana pattern is a bit more complex,” Ren replied, his mushrooms pulsing while analyzing. ”Heʼs reached Bronze 1. Itʼs now a Greater Spirit Tiger.”

”So more first-years than our group have dared to evolve,” Min muttered with suspicion. ”His family must have their own cultivation technique if he didnʼt wait to learn more before starting.”

The three students took positions in the arena. Unlike previous teams, they showed neither nervousness nor doubt. Every movement denoted absolute confidence.

”Weapons?” offered the auxiliary, presenting the rack that had been repeatedly rejected throughout the day.

Jin shook his head, an arrogant smile on his lips.

”We donʼt need them,” he responded, looking directly at Ren, who was carrying his spear, while saying it. ”My beast is enough.”

The challenge in his gaze was unmistakable, a direct message to the mushroom boy watching from the stands.

Cass invoked her red eagle, a majestic creature with scarlet plumage that rose above the arena with powerful wing beats. Its wingspan was impressive, nearly twice the girlʼs height, and its talons gleamed like polished daggers in the stadium light.

Simultaneously, Kai manifested his green lizard. The greenish scales shimmered under the stadium lights, and its movement was fluid and fast.

Jin, unlike his companions, did not invoke his beast externally. Instead, he began to merge with it. Black and blue markings appeared on his skin, forming patterns resembling those of a tiger. His eyes acquired a supernatural glow, and his hands partially transformed, developing translucent claws around them that seemed to be made of pure energy.

”Beginning in three, two, one...” Yang counted.

The roots retracted, releasing the Stone Lurker from its containment. The massive creature stood motionless for a moment, as if assessing its new opponents.

Instead of all attacking directly, only Kaiʼs green lizard launched itself toward the Stone Lurker, moving with surprising speed. It didnʼt attempt to cause damage, simply scurrying around the monster, jumping on its surface and constantly provoking it.

The Stone Lurker, confused by this elusive attacker, began to turn heavily, trying to follow the lizard.

”The fast and defensive lizard is an effective distraction,” commented Taro. ”But whatʼs the real plan?”

The answer came immediately. While the lizard kept the Stone Lurker occupied, Cassʼs red eagle began generating air currents. Unlike previous teams that had tried to use wind as a weapon, Cass was employing it in a completely different way.

”Sheʼs creating a circuit,” Ren observed, his eyes tracking the patterns forming in the air. ”An accelerated wind path.”

Indeed, the currents formed a specific route that passed directly over the Stone Lurker and returned in a wide arc.

”Now!” shouted Jin, crouching slightly in preparation.

The red eagle intensified its wing beats, and the air currents captured Jin, propelling him at a dizzying speed along the circuit that Cass had created.

”Itʼs accelerating him quite a bit,” Min murmured, fascinated despite his antipathy toward Jin. His eyes widened as he tracked Jinʼs increasing velocity.

Jin followed the air circuit. When he passed near the Stone Lurker, which was still distracted by Kaiʼs lizard, he struck it before exiting the monsterʼs attack range.

The impact was extraordinary. Jinʼs spiritual claws penetrated the rocky surface of the monster as if it didnʼt exist. They didnʼt cause large visible cracks, but seemed to pass through matter itself. Where they connected, the stone briefly glowed with an eerie blue light.

”Spirit Wave,” Ren recognized. ”The new ability of the Greater Spirit Tiger. It can ignore physical defenses and attack directly the interior.”

Jin landed gracefully on the other side of the Stone Lurker, which had gone completely still. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, a thin beam of light emerged from the exact point where Jin had struck, rapidly expanding inside the stone beast.

The team repeated the attack several times... A hit-and-run strategy that kept them safely beyond the Stone Lurkerʼs reach while systematically targeting its vulnerable internal structures.

With one last, weak growl, the Big Stone Lurker collapsed.

Unlike previous defeats, where the creature broke apart dramatically, this one simply seemed to lose all its strength and turn off.

The total time: barely five minutes.

An incredulous silence dominated the stadium before applause erupted.

”Victory for Team Three of Group B,” announced Yang. ”Time: five minutes, twelve seconds. A new record for this battle week of the first years.”

Jin, Kai, and Cass accepted the ovation with confident smiles. Before leaving the arena, Jin looked directly at Ren, his expression halfway between challenge and mockery. The message was clear: Beat that if you can.

”The ability to ignore defense is very useful,” Taro admitted reluctantly, remembering their old confrontation. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists at the memory.

Ren remained silent, his mushrooms pulsing with a steady rhythm. His face betrayed no emotion, but the light from his mushrooms intensified slightly.

”Ren?” Min finally asked, concern edging into his voice. ”What do you think?”

A slight smile appeared on Renʼs lips as he watched Jin and his team leave the arena amid applause. It wasnʼt a smile of worry or resignation.

”I think,” he responded quietly, ”that itʼs good to see all the cards on the table.”

His mushrooms suddenly glowed with a more intense pulse, as if responding to some internal resolution.

”Our turn will come,” he added. ”And we have a surprise or two of our own to show. Right?”