Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 271 - Tamer’s Battle Week - 9

The auxiliaries worked quickly to remove the Big Stone Lurker defeated by Jinʼs team.

In the stands, even more students from all years, now free from their own trials, discussed the strategy employed with growing enthusiasm. Many scribbled notes in their journals, sketching movement patterns or writing down tactical observations.

Liu had departed before Team Four of Group A entered combat. It wasnʼt disinterest that motivated him, but quite the opposite: an opportunity he couldnʼt afford to miss.

”Where are you going?” Min had asked upon seeing him rise from his seat.

”To the north stadium,” Liu responded. ”Itʼs gonna be Zhou Liweiʼs turn soon.”

The name sparked a flash of recognition in Renʼs gaze.

”The one with the Silver Steator Vulture,” he commented, his mushrooms pulsing with that particular rhythm that appeared when he discussed beast synergy. ”Good idea. His approach to combat must be similar to what I suggested for you.”

Liu nodded, grateful for his friendʼs understanding.

”Iʼll be back for your combat,” he promised before hurrying toward the exit.

♢♢♢♢

”Team Four of Group A, prepare to enter,” announced the auxiliary, his voice cutting through the excited discussions.

Three students advanced toward the arena, their expressions mixing determination and nervousness like almost all who had come before them. They possessed earth and water beasts, a combination that had already demonstrated certain effectiveness against the monster.

Especially the digging beast, whose claws could potentially penetrate the Stone Lurkerʼs less resistant underbelly.

”They donʼt have the plant element to exploit the advantage,” observed Taro as the students took positions.

”But the combination of their beasts could be sufficient if executed correctly,” Ren responded.

When the combat began, the team implemented a strategy similar to what they had seen work: the earth beast began digging tunnels beneath the Big Stone Lurker, while the aquatic creatures saturated the ground with moisture to soften it and then began to restrain the enormous beast.

During the first ten minutes, the strategy seemed promising. The constant skirmishes of the digger and the water erosion began weakening the Stone Lurkerʼs base, creating cracks in its belly.

”They seem close,” Taro murmured, leaning forward with interest. ”They just need a little more time.”

But time proved to be precisely what they lacked. At the twelve-minute mark, the water beasts began showing obvious signs of exhaustion.

”Theyʼre losing momentum,” Min observed.

”They should have concentrated on a single point or used all their abilities,” Ren commented. ”Theyʼre dispersing their efforts too much and donʼt seem to know their beasts that well.”

As if the Stone Lurker sensed its opponentsʼ weakness, it executed a devastating attack at exactly the right moment.

”Watch out for its crushing move!” Ren shouted from the stands, recognizing the monsterʼs stance shift.

But the warning came too late. As the mole emerged to conduct another skirmish, the Big Stone Lurker struck the ground with brutal force. The impact was a direct hit that eliminated the digger underground.

The two remaining tamers tried to regroup, directing their creatures in one last coordinated effort.

But the Stone Lurker could no longer receive sufficient damage.

Without the ability to continue weakening the structure from below, the water beasts couldnʼt maintain their offensive. After three more attempts that only slightly widened existing cracks, Yang finally raised his hand.

”Enough,” he declared. ”The trial concludes.”

”Victory for the Big Stone Lurker,” Lin announced. ”Team Four of Group A, although you didnʼt defeat the target, you managed to cause significant damage. You will be evaluated accordingly.”

The students left the arena with expressions of disappointment but also determination. They had been close, and everyone knew it.

”Almost,” Taro sighed. ”If they hadnʼt gotten desperate with their digger, maybe they would have succeeded.”

”They wouldnʼt have had so many problems if they had changed their approach,” added Ren. ”They scattered their attacks instead of concentrating on a single vulnerable point.”

The auxiliaries worked again, preparing the arena for the next combat. A new Stone Lurker waited, seemingly identical to the previous ones.

”Team Four of Group B, prepare to enter,” announced the auxiliary.

Han, Jun, and Sora advanced toward the arena. Unlike previous teams, they showed a peculiar cohesion: Han maintained a certain physical distance from his companions, but his movements were clearly coordinated with theirs.

♢♢♢♢

Moments earlier...

Liu was departing, so he nodded gratefully for his friendʼs understanding.

”Iʼll be back for your combat,” he promised before hurrying toward the exit.

The corridors between stadiums were relatively empty, most students focused already on the highest level battles, the new students or their respective trials.

Liu advanced quickly, his banshee hyena partially manifesting in his legs to enhance his speed even further.

He had carefully studied the matchups. Fortunately, his turn was the last in his group, giving him this precious window of opportunity. Moreover...

He knew Zhou Liwei would soon fight.

The battle he was about to witness could offer invaluable lessons about the potential of his own beast combination. His heart raced with anticipation, not just from the physical exertion.

The north stadium, reserved for upper-year students, was considerably larger than the one designated for first-years. The stands rose higher, the protective barriers were visibly more robust, and the arena itself showed signs of more intense combat: partially repaired craters, burn marks, and residual crystallizations from previous battles.

Liu found a seat in the lower stands, where younger students typically gathered to observe their seniors. The stadium was approximately at half capacity, with scattered groups of students discussing strategies and analyzing previous battles. Their conversations were more technical, their gestures more precise as they debated advanced techniques.

”Team Three of Group D, prepare to enter,” announced an auxiliary with an amplified voice.

He had arrived early; the seventh-year battles seemed to take a bit longer. Liu watched the battle, which fortunately took only 15 minutes. And finally...

Liuʼs heart accelerated with anticipation. It was Zhou Liweiʼs teamʼs turn.

Three seventh-year students advanced toward the arena with the characteristic confidence of experienced tamers. Their uniforms had different colored lines than Liuʼs and bore silver insignias; one of them even displayed a gold emblem that caught the light with each movement.

Zhou Liwei stood out even among his advanced-level companions...

Tall, with a slender but evidently strong build, he moved with a grace that suggested years of intensive physical training. His Silver Steator Vulture was partially manifested, giving him distinctive features: feathers integrated with his hair, ears with a singular shape, and skin with a silvery undertone.

His companions, though less striking, were equally impressive.

The first, a girl with short hair and a serious expression, wielded a Major Digger Cricket at Bronze 2 level.

The second, a well-built young man with visible scars on his exposed arms, displayed a Deep Menace, the third evolution of the digger mole, already at Silver 1 level.

”Interesting composition,” murmured a fifth-year student seated near Liu. ”Two diggers and a sound master. Containment and destruction strategy.”

”Containment?” asked another, apparently less familiar with advanced combat.

”Watch and learn,” responded the first. ”The diggers donʼt just move earth; they control it. Theyʼll create a distraction so Zhouʼs attack can be maximized, and by staying hidden, there wonʼt be any friendly fire.”

Liu listened attentively, absorbing every detail. Each fragment of information was valuable.

In the arena, preparations took on a much more serious aspect than in first-year trials. Professors specialized in containment reinforced the barriers with higher-rank beasts.

”Thatʼs not a Big Stone Lurker,” Liu noted with surprise. The creature emerging in the center of the arena was considerably larger and more imposing.