Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 213

"Are you sure you can hit it?" Han asked, studying the distance with a critical eye. "It’s a complicated shot."

Ren hesitated a moment before admitting: "I don’t know, I’ve never tried it before."

Min, Roran, Jun, Trent, and Taro clamped their hands over their mouths to stifle laughter that might attract the sentinel. Their shoulders shook with suppressed mirth, eyes watering with the effort of containing their amusement.

Above, in the branches of nearby trees, several white weavers observed with feline curiosity, their moth wings folded while their bright eyes followed every movement of the group. Their antennae twitched occasionally, sensing the subtle changes in the air.

"Why don’t we just attack all together?" asked Liora, clearly anxious for some action. "We’re more than enough to defeat it."

"Because I want to see if I can do it alone and because it’s not just the male," explained Ren without shifting his gaze from the target.

"...In the cave there are hundreds of females that would respond to his call. If we attack with too many people and it perceives a threat, they’ll all come to its aid. That’s why the arrows are to lure it and draw it away from the entrance. If I can attract it to the forest edge, even better… I’ll have a more certain shot."

Ren drew the bow, the string taut against his fingers.

Han observed Ren’s posture and shook his head. "You won’t hit like that."

"Do you have a better suggestion?" Ren asked, without a trace of defensiveness in his voice.

"Actually, yes." Han approached and adjusted the position of Ren’s arms. "Raise your elbow... like this. And when you breathe, do it deeply. Release on the exhale, not the inhale. And remember to compensate for distance and wind by aiming higher."

Ren nodded, focusing intensely as he aimed. With a fluid movement, he released the arrow.

The projectile crossed the air, tracing an elegant arc... that ended almost 5 meters to the left of the target. The jellyfish-bat didn’t even seem to notice it.

"Not bad at all for a first attempt," Han commented diplomatically.

"It was terrible," Mayo murmured, earning an elbow from Luna.

"Try again," Han encouraged. "This time, aim a bit higher and to the right to compensate."

Ren prepared another arrow, incorporating the suggested corrections. He inhaled deeply, his mushrooms pulsing with intensity. For a moment, it seemed everything around him vanished, leaving only him, the bow, and the target. With a new understanding of his weapon, he released the arrow.

The second arrow embedded itself in one of the monster’s tentacles, provoking a furious hiss but dealing no significant damage. The entire appendage contracted like a spring before slowly unfurling again.

"Good shot," Luna acknowledged, her tone revealing genuine admiration despite herself.

"It’s detecting something," Lin warned, her posture tensing as she prepared to intervene if necessary.

The creature emitted a sharp screech, its tentacles thrashing violently as it turned in the direction from which the attack came. The air seemed to ripple around it as its sensory organs expanded to their full capacity.

"It saw us," Taro warned when the creature began advancing toward them.

"Not yet, it’s searching for the culprit with its sensors, but we’re still far from them," Ren announced calmly, setting down the bow and taking his spear. "Luckily that screech of pain wasn’t a call for the females… And it won’t be able to distinguish us among the trees and bushes from there. Now comes the dangerous part."

"More dangerous than attracting that thing?" Min asked incredulously.

The shadow stalker began cautiously advancing toward them, its sensors methodically scanning the area, sending out barely visible pulses of energy that disturbed the air.

"Now or never," Ren positioned himself ready to go, mentally measuring the maximum distance he could maintain from the monster without sacrificing precision in his throw.