Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 106 - Tamers Progress

”True hordes...” Wei loosened his robeʼs collar, visibly sweating, ”follow a cycle of several years and appear in specific seasons... and require the intervention of the complete army.”

Another glance at Ren. Was he sick? Had the encounter affected him more than it seemed?

”Does anyone want to... add something?” he looked meaningfully at Ren. ”Comment on any error in my explanation?”

”Actually,” Ren straightened up, and Wei almost sighed with relief, ”Iʼd like to know more about the defensive tactics used against different types of abyssals.”

Several students laughed discreetly at seeing the expression of total bewilderment on Weiʼs face.

”Well… Tactics against asarous monsters like those are just about finding the weakness by trying multiple options and… This... this isnʼt normal,” murmured Wei, passing a hand across his forehead. ”Are you feeling well?”

”Why do you ask, professor?” Ren tilted his head innocently.

”Because you seemed like someone who always had something to say!” Wei finally exploded. ”Have you learned your lesson and become a new person in these months?”

”Oh,” Ren smiled. ”Itʼs just that I donʼt know anything about this, professor. My mushrooms donʼt have information about abyssal beasts.”

”Your mushrooms... donʼt know anything?” Wei blinked in confusion.

”No sir. Thatʼs why Iʼm listening. Although,” and here the mushrooms in his hair pulsed, ”according to what Taro has told me about your cultivation classes, youʼre still wrong about many things...”

Weiʼs face went through several shades of red in rapid succession.

”YOU… I THOUGHT YOU HAD CHANGED YOUR…!” he began, but stopped, breathing deeply. ”You know what, I prefer when you donʼt know anything. Letʼs continue with the lesson about what you DO want to learn... And I hope you remember that soon youʼll only have less than half the semester left to fulfill your word in our bet!”

”Of course, professor,” Ren nodded seriously. ”Though about the cultivation method you mentioned to Taro last week...”

”NO! ENOUGH!” Wei raised his hands in defeat while the students burst into laughter. ”Ten points less for... for...! For existing!”

The mushrooms in Renʼs hair pulsed to the rhythm of laughter while Wei tried to regain control of the impromptu class, muttering something about ”thinking he had changed” and ”returning his pity.”

♢♢♢♢

The day of the second exploration is near, but itʼs not the only thing happening soon...

”Well?” Liu observed while Taro absorbed another processed crystal. ”Do you feel closer to becoming a living tunnel yet?”

”Donʼt be like that,” Min laughed. ”Clearly Ren is transforming him into a deep assassin. Canʼt you see how his mouth is lengthening and his shell glows differently?”

Taro almost choked while dealing with the crystal absorption. ”Donʼt joke while Iʼm cultivating, idiots!”

The mushrooms in Renʼs hair pulsed with amusement while he continued absorbing the next crystal for his own cultivation.

”Though...” Min moved closer to examine Taro more carefully. ”Your mana does flow differently lately.”

Liu nodded with fake seriousness. ”And your markings are more defined. Maybe the fungus knows what heʼs doing after all.”

”Of course I know,” Ren smiled while finishing his absorption and storing the saturated tentacle. ”Thatʼs why you too should...”

”No no no!” Min raised his hands defensively. ”First letʼs see if Taro survives.”

”Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Taro muttered.

”Hey, youʼre our brave guinea beetle,” Liu patted him on the back. ”If you survive and evolve like Ren says, weʼll be first in line begging for help.”

”And if I donʼt survive?”

”Then weʼll be first at your funeral,” Min smiled. ”With flowers and everything.”

The four laughed, though Taro looked slightly darker as he finished absorbing.

”Well, Iʼm off,” Liu stood up. ”Some of us still have to study normal and safe cultivation methods at this hour and Professor Agatha is just as bad as Wei...”

”Coward,” Taro shouted as he left, provoking more laughter.

Once alone, Ren, Taro, and Min also prepared to leave while discussing something more serious.

”Professor Yangʼs mid-semester evaluation...” Min began.

”We need a strategy,” Taro nodded. ”Weʼre the only team without an offensive beast and I donʼt know if Iʼll have time to rank up... Hope they delay the date more because of the horde problem.”

Ren studied his companions thoughtfully. The mushrooms in his hair pulsed while analyzing each oneʼs capabilities.

”We have to use our strengths,” he began. ”Min, your snake has our best attack range. Taro, your beetle is perfect for defense, especially now that your mana flows better. And I...”

”You have the brightest mushrooms,” Min completed with a smile.

”Also Linʼs training,” Taro added.

”True,” Ren straightened. ”And lots of normal beasts knowledge... Which means we can use interesting strategies depending on who we face...”

”Well, Iʼm off to Professor Dorothy, good luck with Wei and Lin, haha,” Min mocked while walking away.

Taro clenched his fist, Ren frowned, that lucky one had the calmest teacher of first year.

The boys separated to go to their first classes and Ren went to hide from Lin.

He failed again.

♢♢♢♢

After a brutal training session with Lin, a punishment that had been going on for several days after his escape to the caves...

Ren was dragged by Lin to Yangʼs class, for more training.

”Five more laps!” Yang watched while the students ran around the training field.

The mushrooms in Renʼs hair pulsed steadily… it wasnʼt actually so bad since training with Lin had significantly improved his endurance. Min, on the other hand, was breathing heavily beside him.

”How... do you... do this... 4 times... every day?” he managed between breaths.

”Lin is worse lately,” Ren smiled, remembering his morning session.

When they finally finished, Yang gathered all the students.

”Well, I have an important announcement,” his voice resonated across the field. ”As you know, you would normally have the gathering trip in the middle of the fourth month of the semester...”

”Would have?” Cass, Jinʼs friend, interrupted. ”What do you mean by ʼwould haveʼ?”

”Professor Zhao will be... indisposed,” Yang continued. ”Therefore, weʼll take advantage of that day to hold a small friendly mid-semester tournament.”

Murmurs of discontent spread quickly among the students.

”But we need those materials!” someone protested from the back.

”The collection is crucial for generating profits and paying for our cultivation!”

Ren also felt some disappointment. The collection trip would have been an excellent opportunity to obtain many materials again... though thinking about it, without Zhao present and the noble kids being targets, it could be more dangerous than last time.

”Silence!” Linʼs voice cut through the complaints. ”To compensate for the loss of the trip, special prizes will be awarded to the teams with the best performance.”

This immediately caught everyoneʼs attention.

”The prizes,” Yang smiled, ”will include materials equivalent to what you could have obtained on the trip. Possibly more, depending on your performance.”

”Now,” Lin took out a small box, ”weʼll proceed to draw the matches for the first round.”