Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 780 - Taming the Fifth Year - True Challenge - 4

What the mana had accomplished in the blade-arms of Renʼs beast was something sheʼd never witnessed in other creatures at comparable rank. There were beasts that managed developing powerful natural weapons that allowed them to injure opponents one rank higher through specialized evolution... But this exceeded those rare cases by a significant margin.

Selphira didnʼt know that Ren was testing theories systematically, and that part of this unlikely success came from Liuʼs vampire having very little physical defense for a Gold rank while Renʼs mantis was a specialized creature with enormous attack potential. But undoubtedly the new knowledge about runes and the precise mana control had much to do with bridging the impossible gap.

And Ren still hadnʼt tested everything he wanted to verify.

♢♢♢♢

The vampire attacked again with renewed aggression. This time using wind gusts to accelerate its descent toward the smaller target.

The mantis counter-attacked with its own wind manipulation. The currents collided in mid-air and partially cancelled each other with advantage going to the insect through superior control.

The vampire had air control as a natural ability. Could manipulate currents, generate gusts that enhanced mobility and offensive options.

But the mantis had more than basic proficiency. Approximately double the elemental control precision.

And in critical moments when it mattered most...

The mantis cancelled the vampireʼs wind completely through the overwhelming elemental superiority.

The vampire tried using currents, the mantis dispersed the currents with an explosion of contrary wind that scattered the attack.

It attempted creating vacuum to suction the mantis closer into grappling range where its absorption would matter. The mantis filled the space with pressurized air that equalized pressure instantly.

Each time the vampire tried using air tactically or for positional advantage...

The mantis neutralized the attempt through superior elemental manipulation.

The combat became an aerial dance with both beasts moving in three dimensions that terrestrial fighters couldnʼt access. Ascending, descending, rotating and dodging in patterns that made observers dizzy trying to track their movement.

The vampire launched sonic attacks in rapid succession. The mantis evaded them by a few meters.

The mantis counter-attacked with its blade-arms whenever opportunity presented itself.

When hits connected, when the blades reached the vampire and opened new wounds that sprayed blood...

They closed in seconds through blood manipulation.

Every single time without exception.

The vampire was a Gold-rank beast with a regeneration that wasnʼt a minor ability. It was a fundamental capability that made it extremely difficult to kill through pure physical damage accumulation.

But Ren had been testing different approaches systematically... And although he already knew the theory behind most of them, he still wanted to observe the practical effects in real combat.

He thought about his recent training with weapons over the past weeks. The last several sessions practicing with his arsenal. Imbuing elemental power into them for enhanced effects.

The bow hadnʼt worked well yet. Too complex to maintain stable elemental energy in a projectile that was fired and separated from direct control.

But the spear... that had responded better to channeling. The dagger especially showed promise. He could channel fire, wood, and other elements directly into the edge with good stability.

And the mantis...

The mantis had blade-arms that functioned identically to weapons in terms of mana channeling. And the same way the mimic ability worked to help him… It could easily go the other way around.

This was why Ren didnʼt change beasts.

He ordered the mantis to use concentrated water mana in the next attack.

The cuts that connected dealt minor damage that healed almost instantaneously too, water doing nothing to slow regeneration.

Earth element next. This created small layers in the wound that absorbed blood slightly and interfered with flow.

The vampire destroyed them rapidly through sheer gold rank strength.

Wind element next… Created wider cuts with sharp air blades that enhanced the physical damage.

The vampire found itself enveloped in strange currents after the attack too but dispersed them with its own air control and power. Inferior to the mantisʼs mastery, yes, but sufficient for defending against basic elemental attacks that ultimately remained physical damage in a certain sense.

Each attempt failed to produce a lasting effect. The vampire regenerated from everything. The mantis couldnʼt achieve durable damage that would accumulate into victory.

And the longer the battle continued without resolution...

The more opportunities the vampire had to close distance. It just needed to hit once… Or to trap the mantis in range where its blood absorption would become a decisive factor that turned the tide.

In the stands, students observed with growing tension that made conversations sparse.

”Can it actually win?” someone murmured with doubt clear in their voice.

”Nothingʼs working. Nothing it does lasts long enough.”

”The vampireʼs going to wear it down eventually. Going to force an error and then...”

They didnʼt need to complete the sentence. Everyone knew what would happen if the mantis committed a single mistake that left it vulnerable.

The vampire could heal from any of the attacks by the beast that miraculously could damage it despite the huge rank difference. But if the Bronze-rank beast received a direct hit from the Gold-rank opponent...

It would be over in a single exchange.

TACTICAL SHIFT

Ren observed the latest cut closing on the vampireʼs side with analytical mind.

His mind worked through observations, analyzing in detail what his curiosity had pushed him to test systematically.

ʼPhysical cuts are indeed useless. Water, earth and wind... donʼt interrupt regeneration at all. I need to start using something that blood control canʼt simply close. Something that persists. That damages in a way regeneration canʼt ignore.ʼ

It was time to stop playing with experimental approaches and commit to his known solutions.

”Enough games… Imbue fire,” Ren ordered in a voice low enough that only his beast could hear through their bond while giving the mimic pattern to the mana.

The mantis responded instantaneously without hesitation.

Its blade-arms began glowing with inner light. Orange first. Then red as temperature increased. Flames manifesting around the chitinous edge in ways that suggested the fire was part of the weapon rather than an external coating.