Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Chapter 23 - Taming Battle - 2

"First pair," Lin read from the scroll, "Jin and..."

The tiger boy straightened, his eyes fixed on Ren, waiting for his opportunity like a predator spotting wounded prey.

"...Taro."

Ren could see the disappointment flash across Jin's face. The tiger boy had been hoping for a different prey.

However, as he watched both students descend to the arena, the mushrooms in Ren's hair pulsed softly, revealing the patterns of both beasts with startling clarity. Knowledge flowed through his mind like a crystal-clear stream.

The spirit tiger versus the digger beetle, it would be an interesting combination for Ren to study. Each beast's strengths and weaknesses became apparent to him, like reading an intricate map of their capabilities.

'The digger beetle has a natural ability,' Ren thought, the information unfolding in his mind. 'Earth Shield, a mana layer that reinforces the exoskeleton using earth energy. And the tiger... its spirit claws follow a pattern of five strikes before needing to recharge energy.'

The knowledge felt both foreign and familiar, like remembering something he'd always known but never realized.

"Enter the circle," Yang ordered, his voice echoing in the amphitheater. "Show us what you can do."

Taro descended nervously into the arena, his digger beetle fusing with him and manifesting as a brown exoskeleton that covered his skin like living armor.

Jin followed with a predatory smile, tiger markings becoming more pronounced on his face, his movements fluid and confident.

"Begin."

Jin attacked immediately, his movements flowing like water. Taro instinctively activated his Earth Shield, his exoskeleton glowing with a deep brown hue.

Jin's fists, enhanced by the spirit tiger's 30% strength bonus, hammered against Taro's exoskeleton. The impacts resonated through the amphitheater like war drums, but barely left marks on the beetle's defense.

"Not bad," Jin smiled, backing away with predatory grace. "But how about this?"

His eyes blazed with golden light as the spirit tiger manifested its fangs, covering Jin's fists with ethereal energy that seemed to bend the very air around them.

"Spiritual Fang," Ren murmured, recognizing the tiger's basic technique, seeing the intricate patterns of mana that made it possible.

The next blow partially penetrated Taro's defenses, drawing a cry of pain that echoed in the arena. The spiritual energy had found a weakness in the physical armor, exploiting it with cruel efficiency.

"What's wrong, cockroach? Only know how to hide?"

The exoskeleton had held, but the spirit energy had penetrated like water through stone. Each new blow seemed to find another crack in the seemingly impervious defense.

"Counter-attack!" Yang shouted from the sidelines, his voice carrying an annoyed tone. "The best defense is worthless if you never strike back!"

But Taro only retreated, protecting himself with his arms in an increasingly desperate defense. Each new 'Spiritual Fang' found a different weak point in his armor, like a predator testing its prey's defenses.

'The problem isn't the defense,' Ren observed, seeing the pattern with perfect clarity. 'It's that Taro isn't using the shield's rebound to counter-attack. Each time he absorbs a blow, he could...'

After the fifth spirit strike, Jin had to pull back momentarily to recharge. It was just an instant, but Ren saw the opportunity Taro was missing, a perfect moment for a counterattack that never came.

The fight continued with the same pattern until the Earth Shield finally gave way before a last Spiritual Fang, cracking like ancient pottery under too much pressure.

"Pathetic," Jin taunted between blows, his confidence growing with each successful strike. "Is this the level of the rotting boy's friends? I guess trash attracts trash."

The fight ended shortly after, with Taro on the ground and Jin barely winded, his tiger markings still glowing with unused power.

"Jin, good attack rhythm, though you need to manage your spirit energy better. Taro, your Earth Shield is solid, but you wasted every counter-attack opportunity. Perfect defense is useless if you don't learn to turn it into offense. In a real fight, passivity will kill you." _{ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm}