Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 285

Ren helped Cass to her feet once Taro deactivated the restraints. The girl took his hand with grudging respect and a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Your beast is Iron rank," she said, as if that statement alone should invalidate everything that had just happened. She brushed dust from her uniform, her gaze darting between Ren and her fallen teammates. "How is it possible that you defeated Jin like that...?"

"Beasts are important," Ren replied as he deactivated the fusion with his hydra, the scales gradually disappearing from his skin, "but never underestimate the big difference that two bodies can have with the right training."

A crowd of murmurs followed Ren and his team as the auxiliaries attended to the injured and everyone cleared the arena. Within a day, they had transformed from objects of ridicule to walking anomalies that defied all expectations.

And for certain observers lurking in the shadows, this made them something far more dangerous: unpredictable variables in plans carefully crafted over decades. _{freewebnøvel.com}

"Did you see that? One hit against a higher rank!"

"The mushroom boy is a monster... Maybe there's something wrong with the records about hydras."

"But have you seen his original beast? It's still a useless spore..."

The whispers spread through the stands as students rearranged themselves after a brief break. Ren's team's lightning victory had triggered an avalanche of contradictory comments, theories, and wild speculation.

Ren walked between Taro and Min. They could feel the stares drilling into their backs, catch fragments of conversations that cut off abruptly as they passed, notice how some older students watched them with interest.

"There must be some trick. Nobody with those beasts could possibly..."

Min clicked his tongue in annoyance, adjusting his uniform while quickening his pace to catch up with Ren.

"Did you hear that?" he muttered, leaning toward Ren so only he and Taro could hear. "After everything you've proven, they still think it's just luck." His eyes flashed with indignation. "As if luck could knock out a Bronze-rank beast tamer with a single punch."

Taro, walking on Ren's other side, wore a more pragmatic expression.

"Let them talk," he replied with a serenity that was surprising coming from him. "Their ignorance is their problem, not ours."

Ren maintained his steady pace. His hydra was no longer fused with him; instead, the characteristic luminescent mushrooms rested on his head.

"It's more convenient this way," he finally commented, stopping to check the board displaying the next pairings. "Let them keep underestimating us."

♢♢♢♢

The battles continued throughout the day. One by one, teams faced off in the arena, some displaying impressive strategies, others succumbing to the tactical or elemental superiority of their opponents.

Han's team demonstrated flawless coordination against their adversaries. His weaver spider, combined with Jun's monkey in Rage Mode and Sora's deer, created an elaborate trap that immobilized their opponents in less than a minute.

Luna and her companions showed their characteristic efficient style. Luna's shadow wolf disappeared and reappeared between the shadows and mist created by her teammates, neutralizing each opponent separately.

Klein, still visibly affected by his earlier defeat, fought with an intensity that bordered on alarming. His phantom claws, now executed with greater fury, shredded through his opponents' defenses while Astor and Feng complemented his attacks with precise strikes of their own. The healers had their work cut out for them after that match, frantically treating the unfortunate team that had faced Klein's wrath.

When the first round finally concluded, sixteen teams remained in competition. The eliminated withdrew from the arena, some with dignity, others visibly frustrated by their early exit from the tournament.