Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 281

For Klein, in practical terms, the honor of first place had slipped from his grasp.

Even if he decisively won the two remaining team battles, he wouldn’t achieve it... He could change public perception to make it known that he was more powerful than the mushroom boy, but only if he could crush him.

That was all.

If Ren didn’t perform extremely poorly in the other two categories... Klein could only maintain the illusion of superiority, but the real honor... Was lost.

And that meant much more than simple academic prestige.

In the upper stands, Kassian Goldcrest watched the celebration with a coldness that contrasted with the storm in his eyes. The agreement with Sirius’s uncle, a marriage contract very useful for the Goldcrests’ ambitions, largely depended, according to what was agreed upon with the old fox, on Klein proving himself a worthy match, an exceptional tamer up to the prestige of both families.

"This complicates things," thought Kassian, his mind already calculating alternatives, compensations, possible ways to mitigate the damage.

Selphira, meanwhile, had abandoned all pretense of neutrality. A genuine smile illuminated her face as she watched the trio celebrate. Her eyes, as perceptive as always, caught something that few had noticed: Ren’s hydra wasn’t enough to increase his strength to such levels.

In her youth, she had known someone with a hydra, and the lines of light weren’t a quality that could be attributed to it either... There was something more behind the boy’s power.

"A fascinating strategy," she murmured, her mind working at great speed. "Absolutely fascinating."

Sirius Starweaver had stood up, but not because of the commoner’s interesting victory; his eyes were fixed on Luna, evaluating her reaction to Ren’s triumph. The smile on his daughter’s face didn’t please him at all.

While the stadium continued in chaos, while celebrations and recriminations mixed in the air, one truth had crystallized for all present:

The world they believed they dominated and understood perfectly had just surprised them.

And all thanks to a child who, just a few months earlier, had been universally ridiculed for having the worst beast ever recorded.

♢♢♢♢

The training field was empty at that late hour. Lin preferred this schedule; the silence allowed her to think clearly while exercising her combat techniques.

Her fire panther-lizard adding power to her crane’s enhancements helped her execute new sequences of kicks against a specially reinforced training dummy, producing a sound of claws tearing through resistant material.

It was an almost meditative ritual that she repeated every night after training Ren, and although her pupil was resting... She couldn’t take a break for herself; it was already her way of processing the day’s events.

When she perceived the approaching presence, she didn’t interrupt her routine. The silent flight and subtle alteration in air currents had already revealed the visitor’s identity.

"From your agitation," she commented without turning, "I imagine you’ve already heard."

Zhao advanced until he was in her field of vision. There was something different about him, perhaps it was the new military tunic he wore, clearly designed for long-range missions, or maybe the thoughtful atmosphere that surrounded him before an important expedition.

"Fifteen seconds," he responded, incredulity still present in his voice. "The director almost choked when he told me. I thought he would at least restrain himself from using the lightning that scared away the abyssal from our last gathering exam."

Lin smiled, finally stopping her exercise to fully focus on her colleague.

"No, he didn’t use it. I was there," she confirmed, reaching for a towel to dry her sweat. "Ren and his friends pulverized the record with the same simple strategy from his diagnosis exam against iron rank monsters. It was simple and at the same time... extraordinary."

Lin explained the battle details...

Zhao shook his head, still processing the information. "A single spear strike through that small opening? On the first attempt? That kid is going to steal my title as the most precise thrower when he grows up…"

"I don’t think it’s gonna be just that," Lin specified, her voice instinctively lowering although they were alone. "Aunt Selphira already thinks he has the ring, probably Liora is giving her hints accidentally to... But she told me she wouldn’t inquire for now, though I don’t believe her too much."

She sat on one of the side benches, indicating Zhao to do the same. "But that doesn’t worry me right now; if she wanted to make sure, she would have done it already... Although she refuses to accept it, Liora’s opinion matters too much to her since Laura’s death."

Zhao nodded slowly, seeming to absorb every detail, categorize it, file it for future reference.

"Are you leaving again right now?" Lin asked, pointing to his expedition attire.