Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 372 - Taming Origins

The ground trackers converged at the point where the fugitivesʼ footprints abruptly ended.

An Excavator tunnel opened before them like the mouth of some primitive beast, exhaling dense, humid air that smelled of fertile earth and something else... something none could identify but which provoked an instinctive wariness.

”Are you certain they entered here?” asked the leader, his tiger markings subtly intensifying as he studied the suspicious opening.

The lead tracker, a thin man with slight canine features, sniffed the air. ”Without doubt. Their trail is clear to the entrance, then disappears underground.” He crouched.

The six men exchanged uncomfortable glances. All were experienced hunters, all possessed beasts of Bronze 2 rank or higher, but none seemed eager to enter that hole.

”Tunnels are Excavator territory,” murmured one of them. ”Even with our beasts being more powerful, we would be at a disadvantage in such confined spaces and in their domain.” His practical assessment gave voice to their shared reluctance.

The leader considered his options for a moment, weighing duty against caution.

”Weʼll send the beasts in first,” he finally decided. ”Let them explore and fight first... We canʼt afford to lose the targets.” His tone brooked no argument, though his own reluctance was evident in his face.

Following his orders, the trackers continued advancing behind their bestial companions. Each summoned their contracted creatures, a varied collection of predatory beasts suited for tracking and combat.

What none anticipated was the effect of the golden spores that subtly covered the tunnel floor. The beasts, focused on following the fugitivesʼ trail, didnʼt show the same care that Ren had taken when stepping. Their paws raised small clouds of spores with each step, the small particles swirling in the disturbed air like golden dust motes.

The first summoned beast began showing small signs of weakness barely fifty meters into the tunnel. The second and third soon exhibited similar symptoms.

”Somethingʼs not right,” murmured the lead tracker, feeling discomfort through the bond they shared. ”The beasts are losing energy here.”

The leader advanced, cautiously observing his surroundings but saw nothing dangerous nor felt fluctuations in the mana, so they werenʼt under the effect of a distance ability. His own beast seemed less affected than the others, but even it moved with less vitality than usual.

”I canʼt understand whatʼs happening... But we must continue or they might have a route to the other side of the border through here and we could lose them.” His determination overrode his instinctive caution, the missionʼs importance outweighing the unexplained threat.

The beasts carried with them tiny golden particles adhering to their fur. Other small particles floating gently in the air around them fell on the trackers without them noticing.

”They donʼt appear to have wounds,” observed the leader, examining the beasts with growing confusion. ”They just... look weakened.”

None of them perceived the minuscule golden spores already beginning to work on their bodies, imperceptibly absorbing small quantities of their mana and life energy.

♢♢♢♢

The tunnel narrowed until becoming a passage barely sufficient for an adult to pass through. Ren advanced without difficulty, while Lin followed with greater effort.

”Weʼre almost there,” announced Ren, pointing to what appeared to be a dead end. ”The chamber is right above.”

”Are you sure itʼs safe?” asked Lin, her usual confidence slightly diminished by the supernatural environment surrounding them.

”Last time it nearly killed me,” Ren responded with alarming honesty, ”but now we have protection and I understand better how it functions.”

The passage ended in a sloped wall that led upward. The last time, Ren had struggled desperately to ascend, his weakened body barely managing the climb. Now, with his strength multipliers increased, the ascent proved surprisingly simple.

The chamber that opened before them resembled the core of a living organism. The walls, carpeted with enormous mana crystals and golden fungal structures, pulsed with a constant, uniform rhythm. The crystals, normally indestructible at that size, showed signs of degradation, as if being slowly digested by the surrounding fungi.

Golden filaments, thin but resistant as tendons, crossed the space forming a complex network that converged at the chamberʼs center.

There, where Ren had previously found the life-saving plant, now floated a sphere the size of a fist, suspended in the air. Its surface, semi-transparent, revealed an interior liquid that pulsed with the same rhythm as the walls. The golden filaments connected to it, feeding it.

”What is this?” asked Lin, her voice reduced to an involuntary whisper before the spectacle.

Ren shook his head, equally disconcerted. The mushrooms in his hair shone with unusual intensity, as if responding to the sphereʼs presence.

And then, something unprecedented occurred.

Instead of the usual direct information flow he received from his mushroom, a high-pitched, slightly whiny voice resonated directly in his mind. The sensation was entirely different from his normal communication with his beast, this was a fully formed voice with distinct personality and inflection.

«Isnʼt it obvious? Itʼs a processing core for us, silly.»

Ren froze, surprised by the sudden direct communication. The mushrooms in his hair brightened momentarily, as if pleased by his startled reaction.

ʼYou can talk in my head now?ʼ he thought in response, directing his mental voice toward the presence he felt.

«I always could», responded the little voice with a tone suggesting that Ren was particularly obtuse for not having known this. «There simply was no reason to do so before.»

The mental voice carried a distinct smugness that somehow perfectly matched the mushroomʼs usual expression.

ʼAnd what changed?ʼ

«You said youʼd bring me where I wanted to go and you did...», responded the mushroom with what sounded suspiciously like poorly disguised shyness. «So... I guess I can talk to you directly as your species prefers. Not that I care much, though itʼs more inefficient.»

Despite the dismissive words, an unmistakable hint of affection colored the mental voice.

Lin observed Ren with curiosity. His expression had gone blank. ”Are you alright? You seem... distant.” Concern colored her voice as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

”My mushroom is talking to me,” explained Ren, pointing to the small mushrooms in his hair. ”Directly. With its own voice. Itʼs... new.”

”What is it saying?” Linʼs interest overrode her unease.

Ren listened attentively as the voice continued, translating the complex concepts into words his human mind could grasp.

«This organism is not part of the worldʼs natural fauna», explained the mushroom. «I can feel It was created by people, much longer ago than recorded in your usual books. The humans like you from before.» The mental voice carried the weight of ancient knowledge, as if reciting facts preserved through countless generations.