Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Chapter 35 - Taming the First Crystal

Dawn was barely breaking, the first hints of light creeping through the dormitory windows, when Ren carefully extracted a small package from his bag.

The early morning silence was broken only by his roommates' soft breathing and the distant calls of morning birds.

While his companions slept peacefully, unaware of what was to come, he measured out a precise amount of black powder, deep earth that he had been discreetly collecting at the limit of the permitted zone.

The powder seemed to absorb even the weak pre-dawn light, appearing more like a void than a substance.

It was a rare and difficult material to find, earth that had managed to absorb mana without transferring it to nearby crystal deposits.

At the depths they were allowed to reach, it was truly challenging to locate, but Ren's knowledge had made the task considerably easier, showing him exactly where to look and how to identify the genuine article among similar-looking but useless samples.

The deep earth was the perfect sealing agent for Taro's beetle, though this detail appeared in none of the books his friend had so diligently studied.

Ren could recall seeing Taro poring over tome after tome in the library, searching for information that had been right in front of him but misinterpreted by generations of scholars.

Liu had mentioned deep earth as a necessary component for some earth beasts, but he had incorrectly associated it with processing rather than sealing. It seemed to have been pure luck and coincidence that he'd mentioned it at all...

He could have perhaps used Liu's argument to make it easier for Taro to accept, but he knew Taro read several books about his beast. Therefore...

To avoid further discussions and potential interference, Ren had decided to keep this step secret.

The fewer questions asked about his methods at this stage, the better.

Under the protection of his sheets, he worked with surgical precision. Each grain of the black powder was measured exactly, his movements careful and deliberate.

The crystal they had processed with moonlight the previous night reacted immediately upon contact with the black powder, its glow gradually shifting until it acquired an earthy brown tone.

The transformation was fascinating to watch, the crystal's inner light seemed to pulse and swirl as it absorbed the powder's properties, like watching soil dissolve into clear water but in reverse.

This was the kind of subtle interaction that the books missed entirely, focusing instead on dramatic reactions and flashy transformations.

When Taro began to stir, showing the first signs of waking, Ren had already completed the crystal's preparation. The timing was perfect, any longer and the sealing might have been too strong, any shorter and it might not have taken properly.

"Good morning," he smiled, holding the finished crystal. "Your first crystal is ready."

"Ah, yes... yes, of course," Taro mumbled, still half-asleep.

"Here," Ren extended the glowing crystal to a barely-awake Taro, who accepted it with sleep-heavy hands.

Still drowsy and trusting, Taro took the crystal without examining its brown glow too closely. After all, he had decided to put his faith in his friend. With a yawn, he activated the absorption process.

For a moment, nothing happened. The room remained still, the early morning light casting long shadows across the floor.

Then, the mana began to flow.

Taro's eyes flew wide open as the first wave of power coursed through him. It was more intense than he had expected, far more potent than the practice crystals he had used before.

The sensation was like plunging into icy water, shocking, overwhelming, yet somehow invigorating.

Another wave hit, stronger than the first.

And another.

And another.

Each pulse of power seemed to build on the last, creating a cascading effect that made Taro's entire body hum with energy.