Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 205 - Tamers Expedition - Finals Preparations

”Done,” Ren declared with satisfaction, stepping back to admire his handiwork. ”Now I just need to cultivate with the correctly processed crystals.”

Without wasting a moment, Ren took one of the special crystals he had prepared. Unlike normal crystals, these had a distinctive internal glow, as if they contained liquid light.

”Are you going to absorb it now?” Taro asked with surprise. ”Shouldnʼt you rest first? You already took that large crystal for your mushroom this morning, and we spent a good while at considerable depth.”

”I donʼt want to lose time,” Ren responded, his fingers caressing the crystalʼs surface. ”Every day that passes without advancing the cultivation is a day wasted.”

Without further preamble, he began the absorption process, closing his eyes while the crystal gradually dissolved and was absorbed into his body. The mushrooms in his hair pulsed with renewed intensity, and for a moment, they all could see lines of light forming under his skin, following a specific rhythmic pattern for the hydra.

When the crystal completely disappeared, Ren opened his eyes. For an instant, it seemed a flash of light gleamed in them before fading away, leaving behind a momentary afterimage.

”How do you feel?” Taro asked, leaning forward with concern.

”Good,” Ren responded with a small smile. ”The crystal is small for what Iʼm used to and had exactly the type of energy I needed. The hydra is responding positively.”

”How long will you need to maintain this one?” Liu asked.

”One hundred days as always,” Ren responded without hesitation. ”With the proper crystals and maintaining the correct pattern, any beast Bronze 2 or lower should evolve completely by then.”

Liu shook his head with both disbelief and admiration while looking at his eccentric roommate.

”I never thought Iʼd say this,” he murmured, ”but Iʼm genuinely curious to see what youʼll do with that head tomorrow.”

Ren simply smiled.

♢♢♢♢

The next morning...

”Skip the exercises? Again?” Lin arched an eyebrow, her arms crossed as she observed Ren with a skeptical expression.

”Just today,” Ren explained, his mushrooms pulsing with what he hoped was a calm and persuasive rhythm. ”I need time to prepare the cultivation materials for Taro and get some weapons for our outing with Zhao.”

”Weapons?” Lin studied him for a moment... Finally, to Renʼs surprise, she nodded.

”Fine I wanna see what kind of weapons youʼll prepare... But this afternoon youʼll do double exercise.”

As she walked away, Ren couldnʼt help wondering if Lin was softening since he gave her the potion. For an instant, he imagined a smiling and understanding Lin, forgiving mistakes in postures and reducing the intensity of training sessions.

He violently shook his head to dispel that absurd image.

No, Lin surely hadnʼt become softer. She was probably just accumulating reasons to torture him even more later. Getting his hopes up would be a mistake.

With the first hour free, Ren headed first to the exchange storehouse. Jessy was organizing some bottles when she saw him enter.

”Ren!” she smiled, accidentally knocking over a small flask that she caught at the last second, her catlike reflexes betraying her nervous energy. ”What can I do for you today?”

”I need cleansing liquid, the foamy nymph blood one,” Ren responded, his mushrooms pulsing softly. ”Undiluted.”

Jessyʼs eyes widened with surprise. ”The pure extract? Thatʼs... unusual. Itʼs quite dangerous undiluted, it can dissolve skin with simple contact, you know?”

”I know,” Ren nodded. ”Thatʼs why Iʼll also need the special container.”

”Okay but... Iʼll have to register this,” Jessy murmured while searching the back shelves. ”Not many students request such reactive substances.”

While Jessy prepared the order, Ren added other materials to his list: several meters of resistant thread, basic Iron-rank beast feathers, and perfectly straight and resistant sticks produced by wood beasts. Nothing particularly expensive or flashy, but exactly what he needed.

”Here you go,” Jessy placed a specially sealed container on the counter. Through the reinforced crystal, Ren could see the bubbling liquid with iridescent hues shifting like oil on water. ”Be very careful with this, okay? And, uh...” she hesitated a moment, ”may I ask what you need it for?”

”Material processing,” Ren responded vaguely, paying the corresponding crystals, which werenʼt even half of what he obtained yesterday. ”Thanks, Jessy.”

With his purchases secure in his specially compartmentalized backpack, Ren headed to Isaacʼs workshop on the third floor. The craftsman was polishing his tool when Ren entered, the rhythmic scraping sound filling the otherwise quiet space.

”Well, well,” Isaac smiled beneath his thick beard. ”If it isnʼt the mushroom boy. More hides to process?”

”Something different today,” Ren placed his materials on the workbench, adding a bag full of worm teeth that clinked together with a sound like tiny chimes. ”I want to learn how to make arrows and a spear.”

Isaac examined the materials with a critical eye, lifting one of the worm teeth to study it in the light, turning it over between his calloused fingers.

”Arrows with worm teeth?” he frowned. ”Itʼs feasible, but uncommon. Most shooters prefer to use feathers, spines, or scales from their own beasts. Better cadence, more precision, less uncomfortable, lower monetary and energy cost...”

”I know,” Ren nodded, his mushrooms pulsing while he explained. ”But for now I need something with range, and I donʼt have any of those options. My beast doesnʼt offer good options for distance attacks yet either, and throwing rocks is not that effective.”

”Youʼll have to make a bow too,” Isaac pointed out. ”And aiming isnʼt as easy as it seems, especially in combat.”

”Iʼll learn, and... I was hoping you could suggest the best material for the bow,” Ren smiled slightly.

Isaac scratched his beard, thoughtful. ”For someone of your build... Iʼd use cartilaginous bone from a marine beast. And for the string, nothing in bronze rank beats the black fiber from marine Sarracenia.”

”An aquatic carnivorous plant for an aquatic bone,” Ren understood. ”Its fiber will naturally adhere to the bone, I suppose it would be resistant and relatively easy to work with.”

Isaac nodded. ”Not cheap, but not exorbitant either. Itʼll be hard for it to break.”

Ren pulled out the Deep Assassinʼs proboscis that he had brought with him, its gleaming surface catching the workshopʼs lights.

”I also wanted to ask you about this.”

Isaacʼs eyes opened with surprise and professional respect. ”You killed a Deep Assassin? Impressive for your age. But if youʼre thinking of making a spear with this, it wonʼt work. They rot quickly once separated from the beast.”

”It wonʼt get damaged,” Ren clarified. ”But I need a way to inject this into its acid sac.”

Isaac studied the proboscis and the nymph liquid with new appreciation. ”Would this neutralize the internal acid? Interesting approach. We could create an injection mechanism with the container... But, I still think it wonʼt work.”