Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 196

Larissa laughed. "Isn't Luna adorable?"

Ren was about to respond and Luna about to shout when the ground began to tremble.

"That's not a lesser worm," Taro warned, his Living Tunnel approaching the invader's exit point.

The vibration intensified and suddenly the ground exploded before them. A worm much larger than the previous ones emerged, its four-meter-long body betraying its rank.

"A greater worm!" Min exclaimed, his snake adopting a combat stance.

"We're at 250 meters," Ren analyzed quickly. "This is today's digging limit for us..."

The Greater Worm rose menacingly.

The worms have a different ranking structure than all normal beasts and though not yet a true Bronze-rank Deep Worm, its size made it nearly as strong as Taro's living tunnel.

"All together!" Ren ordered. "Send in your beasts!"

The worm attacked. Taro used his living tunnel to create a barrier while Maria's wolverine struck from the side. Min's snake launched a pressurized water stream, but it barely seemed to affect the creature.

"Its rings are too hard!" Mira observed, her giant rat creating coverings to help Taro's beetle better hold the opponent as she couldn't damage it.

"Luna!" Ren called. "Target the joints between the ring plates!"

Luna nodded, her blush completely forgotten as her wolf merged with the shadows to attack.

Ren's hydra used its Light claws on the joints affected by the shadow attacks, the synergy further weakening the plates.

"Now, Taro!" Ren shouted. "Crush it against the wall!"

The living tunnel charged, pushing the worm sideways for the final blow.

After a crunch, the worm collapsed, finally defeated.

"That was..." Han panted, "intense. It was... impressive how you knew exactly what to do."

"Just basic observation," Ren responded modestly, though his mushrooms pulsed with what might have been pride.

"And very professional," Larissa added with a wink, making both Ren and Luna blush again.

"This is as far as we'll go today, we can create a larger chamber and collect the deep earth and crystals that were left buried in the rock remains along the tunnel path." Ren hurried to say, turning to hide his face.

The greater worm had been a clear signal they were near truly dangerous territory.

"Please finish covering the tunnel walls first," Ren asked Taro.

"Why don't we continue?" Mira asked, clearly disappointed.

"First because the mana must already be affecting some of you, and second because the next things we'll find are deep assassins," Ren explained. "A greater worm is as you saw easy to beat with this group, but those beasts..." he shook his head.

"...The noise and vibrations we make would inevitably attract them and although we would win they're dangerous. We also won't be able to dig the tunnel so easily there since the Living Tunnels of that depth create their own ones."

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When Taro's enormous beetle finished covering the tunnel, the group began to disperse to collect, each choosing a different area of the safe tunnel.

While everyone was distracted, Liora stealthily approached Ren.

"The day the hydra appeared down here," she whispered, her eyes gleaming with intelligence, "I reached a similar depth and direction to where we seem to be heading. Did you make it to the end of this route somehow that day?"