Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 250 - Taming the Sky Stone

The throne room of Yino had never been a place for warmth. The walls of polished obsidian reflected the purple light of the abyssal crystals, creating an atmosphere as oppressive as it was majestic.

The air seemed denser here, charged with the barely contained power of the beasts pulsing beneath the skin of those who occupied positions of power.

The King reviewed the scroll with an impenetrable expression, his eyes absorbing every detail of the report while Lord Ravenspire remained silent, awaiting his reaction. Only the occasional purple flash that traveled through the monarchʼs veins betrayed the agitation the message caused him. These luminescent veins briefly illuminated his face from within, casting his features in an otherworldly glow.

”Is this everything?” he finally asked, his voice deliberately controlled.

”All they could report after reaching our borders and before receiving attention from the healers, my lord,” Ravenspire responded, his posture rigid with tension. ”The complete details will be provided when they arrive at the capital.”

The King placed the scroll on the carved armrest of his throne. His fingers, partially transformed into claws, drummed on the surface with a rhythm that would have made anyone nervous who wasnʼt accustomed to the manifestations of his impatience amplified by his abyssal beast.

”The seed was opened,” he pronounced, not as a question but as confirmation of a regrettable fact. ”But the ring wasnʼt there.”

”Our agents were quite clear on this, my lord. After eliminating several Yano assets during the assault, they confirmed that the ring was not in the academy leaderʼs possession, nor did it arrive with any of the reinforcements to the battle.”

A heavy silence filled the hall as the King processed this information. The loss of the only power ring they could steal, especially the last one Yano needed, represented another significant setback in plans that had been developing for decades.

”And our first triples remain in one piece?” he inquired, slightly changing the subject.

Lord Ravenspire adjusted his posture, obviously uncomfortable. His hands clasped behind his back to hide their slight tremor. ”They were... effective in combat, my lord. But they demonstrated a certain lack of discipline.”

”Elaborate.”

”The combined power of three beasts seems to have affected their judgment capacity. They remained fighting long after determining the target wasnʼt present, apparently for mere personal satisfaction. This considerably complicated their retreat when additional Yano reinforcements arrived.”

The King didnʼt seem surprised, only slightly disappointed. ”Intoxicated by their own power. A foreseeable side effect, although I had hoped our conditioning would have been more effective.”

He rose abruptly, his beasts partially manifesting as he descended the throne steps.

”Kassian reported correctly about the academyʼs temporary vulnerability,” he continued as he walked through the hall, each step resonating with an unnatural echo. ”They sent too much security to protect the nobles during their excursion, neglecting their seedʼs main base. The opportunity was there.”

”And our agents took advantage of it as best they could, my lord,” Ravenspire attempted to appease him, though his voice carried a hint of uncertainty.

”Did they?” The King stopped, turning to face his counselor. His eyes glowed with an inner light that made Ravenspire take an involuntary step backward. ”First that Harold fails to obtain the ring during the seedʼs opening. Then we send our first triples, our most valuable assets, and they return empty-handed too.”

His frustration was palpable, making the abyssal crystals pulse with greater intensity, bathing the hall in purple shadows that seemed to move with a life of their own.

”What concerns me,” he continued, his voice dropping to an almost meditative tone, ”is what this means. If the ring wasnʼt in the seed, and isnʼt in the possession of Yano authorities... where is it?”

A messenger entered hurriedly, stopping at the entrance with a deep bow. ”My lord, Lord Bloodwyn sends word: Hagen is fully prepared for the operation.”

The King considered this information for a moment, strategies and possibilities reconfiguring in his mind like pieces on an invisible board.

”No,” he finally decided. ”Inform Bloodwyn there is a change of plans. Hagen will not be deployed yet.”

”My lord?” Ravenspire couldnʼt hide his surprise.

”This situation smells like a trap,” the King explained, resuming his pacing. ”If Yano doesnʼt have the ring, or is very skillfully hiding its possession, attacking now could be catastrophic. We need more information, to know who has it.”

He stopped before a map carved in black stone, where the cities of Yino and Yano glowed with contrasting light, separated by the abyss rift. His finger traced the border between the kingdoms, lingering on the jagged line that marked their division.

”Redirect our efforts to intelligence gathering. And accelerate the triple program. Every soldier with a Gold-1 level beast or higher must be prepared for conversion.”

”All our nobles?” Ravenspire couldnʼt help asking. ”The process isnʼt 100 percent safe yet, my lord. We could lose valuable warriors.”

”Itʼs an acceptable price for what we will gain,” the King responded coldly. ”Even if Yano has all 3 rings in the hands of the wandering king, they wonʼt be able to resist all our triples once they are well-trained.”

Ravenspire bowed his head in acceptance, but dared to raise an additional concern. ”And if they manage to open the upper door before we are prepared?”

The King slowly returned to his throne, his beastsʼ manifestations gradually retracting beneath his skin. A humorless smile briefly crossed his face.

”Then the war we have been preparing for decades will come to us on its own. And weʼd better make sure weʼre in the best possible position when it does. But in our territory at least... The entity protects us.”

He sat down, his posture regaining the royal formality he had momentarily abandoned. ”The sky stone gave us a unique opportunity. But this series of failures has forced us to adopt a defensive stance. However, patience, Lord Ravenspire, has always been Yinoʼs most valuable virtue.”

In the purple darkness, no one could see the shadow of concern that briefly crossed the monarchʼs face.

What none of them knew, what not even their most efficient spies or traitors had discovered, was that Yano wasnʼt hiding the ring as a trump card.

They too didnʼt know its exact location with certainty.

And so, the precarious balance between the two cities remained unaltered. The opening of the first door, the objective that both kingdoms had pursued for generations, would have to wait.

Meanwhile, in the space between them, in the depths where beasts reigned supreme, the forces that would determine the fate of both kingdoms continued evolving, oblivious to the human ambitions trying to control them.