Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons

Chapter 438: Chapter 438 - Tamers War - Hidden Advance (1/2)

”Again!” Larissa shouted, extending her hand toward Ren while the mineral fairy within her pulsed with luminous energy amplified by mineral crystals.

Her beast’s power had grown substantially since reaching Bronze rank 2, allowing feats that would have been impossible before.

The light jump enveloped them, and for an instant Ren felt that strange sensation of being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. When they reappeared, they had advanced almost fifty meters.

The experience was unlike anything in his life. For those brief moments during the jump, reality became fluid, distance became meaningless, and the physical laws that governed normal existence seemed to bend around them.

”It’s an incredible sensation,” Ren murmured, still not quite accustomed to Larissa’s new ability.

”I never thought reaching Bronze 2 would already allow me to take someone with me.” Larissa panted, wiping sweat from her forehead. ”I didn’t even know it was possible before Silver 3 until you suggested it. But you’re right about the energy cost... it’s like the fairy has to wrap both my light and yours.”

The strain was visible in her face, but she pushed through it with the determination of someone who understood the stakes.

”It’s because I need to support the process,” Ren explained while they ran down a particularly dark street. ”My hydra has light affinity too, so it can synchronize with your mineral fairy. Without that elemental resonance, paired jumping simply wouldn’t work at this level.”

The technical explanation helped distract from the physical exertion, but the underlying truth was more complex. Ren’s understanding of beast synergies went far beyond what any normal eleven-year-old should possess.

”The bad thing is it uses more energy and I can only do it with tamers who have the same light elemental affinity supporting the process.”

Liora rolled her eyes remembering what Ren had said.

That process was something only someone with Ren’s privileged knowledge could achieve. Probably even Luna with her light cat and accustomed to jumps would be incapable of replicating it.

Luna, who had been running in silence, suddenly stopped and raised a hand. ”Wait.”

The shadows around her expanded, creating a mantle of darkness that hid them from view. Her shadow wolf materialized partially, its eyes glowing while scanning the area with supernatural senses that could detect threats long before human perception registered them.

”What’s wrong?” Liora whispered, her Will o’ Wisp floating nervously near her shoulder like a small pale blue flame.

The tiny spirit’s agitation was contagious, its flickering light casting dancing shadows that made the already tense situation feel even more ominous.

The group crouched among the shadows Luna had expanded while observing the soldier who came out of his house and headed to support the bridge.

The man moved with the purposeful stride of someone responding to a call to duty, unaware that he was being watched by four children whose mission could determine the war’s outcome.

”Do we wait for him to get further away or...?” Liora began to ask in a whisper, but stopped when she saw Ren’s thoughtful expression.

”Or what?” Larissa interrupted, discretely wiping more sweat from her forehead.

”Or nothing,” Ren added, ”he’s not part of the guards pursuing us, there’s no need to knock him out like the one at the inner wall... Which we could have avoided by jumping over if Liora had hidden her flash.”

The reminder of their earlier close call brought embarrassed color to ”Cool Spy” Liora’s cheeks. Her Will o’ Wisp had given away their position at a critical moment, nearly compromising the entire mission.

”Ok ok, it was just a joke...” Liora sighed, her spirit dimming with her mood.

”How much further to intercept those heading to the bridge?” Larissa asked, trying to hide her exhaustion.

The repeated use of her abilities was taking its toll, but she refused to admit weakness when the mission was so critical to their kingdom’s survival.

”At the pace we’re going and reading the mana patterns underground... maybe 30 or 40 more minutes.”

Ren’s ability to read the underground mana flows like a map continued to amaze his companions. It was navigation elevated to an almost supernatural level.

”We can rest... I think we lost them,” Luna murmured, her voice strangely satisfied. ”I haven’t detected any mana signatures pursuing us in the last ten minutes.”

Her shadow wolf had been constantly scanning their rear, its supernatural senses attuned to the unique mana patterns of their pursuers.

Ren felt both relief and guilt. The guards Selphira had left to watch over them weren’t enemies, they were protectors who were now probably desperate to find them before ’something terrible’ happened.

These people cared about their safety, and here they were deliberately putting themselves in danger while making their protectors’ jobs impossible.

”When we claimed we were going to train in the farthest part of the courtyard, and then disappeared in a jump...” Luna made a grimace.

The deception had been necessary, but it left a bitter taste in her mouth. Lying to people who cared about their wellbeing felt wrong, even when done for the greater good.

”Searching for four children who can teleport without having the special abilities to control or follow those jumps must be a real headache,” Larissa added.

”Especially with the soldier shortage the war has generated,” Ren added, feeling even more guilty. ”They probably had to reduce security personnel.”

Every able-bodied warrior was needed at the front lines. The guards left to protect them were likely spread thin, trying to cover areas that would normally require twice as many people.

”And they must think that if they don’t find us and something happens to us,” Liora completed the thought they were all having, ”Grandma, Sirius, and the princes will surely cut off their heads.”

”That’s why they’re following us with such... enthusiasm,” Larissa murmured. ”Basically, they’re screwed if they don’t find us.”

The desperation in their pursuers’ efforts suddenly made more sense.

”That’s why we have to do this right,” Ren said, taking out a small vial from his backpack. The liquid inside was a disgusting purple color that made Luna immediately wrinkle her nose.