Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 301

Taro descended in free fall, but Ren wasn't satisfied with that...

He captured him in mid-flight and pulled to increase his falling speed, directing him head-first toward the ground with brutal force.

The impact would have knocked any normal opponent unconscious, but Taro had an ace up his sleeve.

Just before his head struck the ground, he channeled his beetle's elemental control, instantly softening the earth. His head and part of his torso sank into the modified terrain, considerably cushioning the impact.

"Ingenious!" exclaimed Min from the stands, impressed by his friend's adaptation.

But Taro didn't stop there. While partially buried, his mineral armor began to transform rapidly, sharp spikes emerging from its surface in all directions like a defensive hedgehog. The crystalline protrusions glinted in the arena light, forming a deadly barrier around his body.

Ren jumped back just in time to avoid being impaled, but his expression showed more satisfaction than frustration. "I knew it wouldn't be that easy," he murmured, as Taro freed himself from the ground with a powerful elemental push that sent dirt flying in all directions.

Without giving Taro time to completely stabilize, Ren counterattacked. This time, he covered the surface of his feet into something similar to diamond. The kick connected cleanly with Taro's side, breaking several of the spikes and sending him flying several meters through the air until he landed heavily.

"That..." gasped Taro as he got up, small cracks now visible in his armor where the reinforced foot had impacted. "Hurt a bit."

Ren observed how Taro's armor regenerated while he circled him cautiously, evaluating his strategy. The blows were effective in destabilizing Taro, but not enough to overcome his extraordinary defense. The Living Tunnel's minerals reformed almost as quickly as they were damaged, flowing like liquid before hardening again.

He needed something more decisive.

Taro had completely recovered, so Ren decided to change tactics again. He launched himself forward as if he were going to repeat the previous attack pattern, but at the last instant he slid under Taro's guard, aiming directly at one of his joints.

With another technique learned from his teacher, Ren caught Taro's right arm in a perfectly executed lock. Using his superior strength, he began applying pressure, seeking to force a surrender without causing real damage.

"Surrender!" Ren urged, increasing the tension.

Taro grunted with the effort of resisting, but he had another resource. His mineral armor, controlled by the hunter bug, began to flow like a liquid, trying to envelop Ren and trap him in a crystalline embrace that would harden around his limbs.

"Too good of a defense!" Ren freed himself with an explosive movement, moving away just before the armor could solidify around his extremities. "I think I shouldn't have given you such a problematic beast combination."

Taro smiled, his breathing labored but his determination intact. "Ready for another round?"

Ren studied him for a moment, his mushrooms pulsing as he made a decision. He had been avoiding a certain tactic considering it potentially unfair to Taro, but his friend's resistance left him no alternative.

"Sorry about this," he murmured, more to himself than to Taro.

With an explosion of speed that surprised even those familiar with his capabilities, Ren launched himself forward. In a movement almost imperceptible due to its rapidity, he swept Taro's legs with a perfectly executed circular kick so fast that it didn't give his friend even time to transform his armor.