Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 791 - Taming the Fifth Year - Immovable - 9

Liu observed his exhausted hyena standing there panting. Then looked at the undamaged hydra waiting patiently. Then his gaze shifted to Ren standing calmly behind his beast.

And he saw the small knowing smile on Renʼs face.

ʼHe knew,ʼ Liu thought with a mix of frustration and genuine respect. ʼHe knew the sound attack wouldnʼt function. Thatʼs precisely why he chose the hydra.ʼ

It wasnʼt just about selecting beasts of similar size for fair confrontation. Wasnʼt just about wanting to give spotlight to a beast that hadnʼt shined recently in combat.

It was a perfect tactical selection. Choosing the specific beast that possessed natural advantage against Liuʼs complete arsenal.

Did Ren want to see what Liu could accomplish in this disadvantageous situation?

The hyena could still fight with what remained. Still had its claws, its fangs, considerable physical strength from its Gold rank.

But without its primary sonic advantage that had carried it through previous battles...

It was simply a Gold-rank beast with good defensive armor facing a Gold-rank beast with superior defense and the advantage of two independent heads.

The odds of forcing Ren to deploy his final and presumably most flexible beast, despite the slight lower rank, had just changed dramatically in the wrong direction.

And Liu understood exactly how much the situation had shifted against him.

In the stands above, the audience murmured with growing admiration that spread through the crowd.

Not just admiration for the hydraʼs impressive defensive capabilities.

But for Renʼs tactical acumen.

Who had converted what appeared to be a balanced battle into an almost assured victory with a single decision about which beast to manifest.

Who had understood the strengths and weaknesses of both sides so completely that heʼd selected the perfect counter without even considering all the elemental advantages of his other beast most adapted to versatile combat... essentially winning the match before the battle had even truly begun.

Liu frowned while analyzing rapidly. ʼIs he really waiting for me to try something more before counterattacking? Testing my adaptability?ʼ

But Ren didnʼt wait for Liu to formulate a new strategy anymore.

He simply raised one hand in a casual gesture that suggested the demonstration phase was complete and the hydra attacked with an immediate response.

The first head rose smoothly on its serpentine neck. Mouth opening to reveal the glowing interior. Light concentrating in the throat with visible energy buildup.

It wasnʼt a slow manifestation that telegraphed the attack well in advance. There was no prolonged charging time where the attack announced itself with obvious preparation.

It was almost instantaneous in its execution.

One moment the hydra stood motionless and patient. The next moment, a beam of pure light was shooting forth from the first head with huge devastating force.

It was the signature move that Ren had used many times throughout his academy career with varying degrees of success. The attack that had once cost him considerable effort to manifest properly.

But that had been years in the past. Before the cultivation had reached this current level. Before the second head had emerged. Before the hydra had achieved its present development.

Now Ren could deploy it casually without any significant strain.

The beam of concentrated light crossed the arena in a fraction of a second.

Liu barely had time to react to the threat. ”Dodge!” he shouted through their bond with urgency.

The hyena threw itself laterally in a desperate movement. Barely sufficient to avoid a direct impact.

The light beam passed so close that it grazed the hyenaʼs side, coming within centimeters of connecting. So close that Liu felt the searing heat radiating through their mental connection despite not being struck himself.

But the hyena had successfully dodged the attack.

And then Liu realized his critical error.

The first beam hadnʼt been a genuine attempt to hit at all. It had forced the hyena to move in a specific direction through threat of impact. Had blocked certain evasive options. Had created a predictable path of movement that any experienced fighter could anticipate.

And the hydraʼs second head was already firing before that realization could help.

Another beam of pure light. This time without any warning buildup. Without time for the hyena to dodge because it was still landing and recovering its balance from the first evasive movement.

The second beam impacted directly where it wanted with devastating force.

It struck the hyenaʼs exposed flank with power that resonated through the entire field. Light so brilliantly intense that several spectators had to avert their eyes to avoid being blinded by the glare.

The bone armor that had resisted so many attacks...

Began to break under the assault.

Not shattering completely into fragments. Not being utterly destroyed. But fracture lines were forming across the surface. Spreading outward from the point of impact.

The hyena howled with a sound that made observers wince. Not its weaponized attack scream but genuine pain vocalization.

Because the light beam wasnʼt a normal Gold-rank attack with standard power output.

It was an attack amplified by elemental resonances from the other beasts in Renʼs collection that provided support. The wolverine contributing its superior elemental control. The mantis adding its light affinity. Even minor contributions from beasts and a seed that werenʼt currently active but whose connections remained active through Renʼs enhanced bonding capacity.

Everything adding together. Multiplying through synergistic effects.

Five times the normal power output that a single beast should generate.

It could have been even greater if the light-and-mana mushroom was accessible for direct channeling. If Renʼs rings could channel additional power. If the seed wasnʼt cracked.

But even without those additional resources being utilized...

The amplified attack was sufficient to nearly end the battle with a single devastating strike.

The hyena collapsed partially under the accumulated damage. Its front legs giving out beneath it. Armor cracked and compromised. Breathing labored and difficult.

It wasnʼt dead. Wasnʼt completely incapacitated beyond ability to fight.

But it was very close to that threshold.

Extremely close to being eliminated entirely.

Liu observed his injured beast struggling to stand. Then looked at the hydra that remained in its attacking position, both heads still glowing faintly with residual energy that suggested they could fire again immediately.

He searched desperately for a way to continue the confrontation. To not concede a completely one-sided victory without further resistance. To demonstrate something more of value before the inevitable defeat occurred.

But then he noticed something that made his analysis shift entirely.