Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 356

They took them outside where they would have more space to use the long whip.

The procession was slow, deliberate.

The man with the whip unrolled his weapon, making it whistle in the air. He spent several minutes practicing his swings, building anticipation and fear.

"On your knees," ordered the man with the whip.

With dignity, Reed knelt, keeping his back straight.

The first lash fell cruelly, tearing through the thin fabric of his shirt. Reed clenched his teeth, determined not to give them the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

The second lash. The third. Time seemed to slow, each strike carefully spaced to maximize suffering. By the fifth, his shirt was in tatters, and by the tenth, his back showed red lines beginning to bleed.

The patrollers took their time between strikes, discussing technique and admiring their handiwork.

Fern watched, her hands covering her mouth to contain her sobs. The shadows grew longer as the punishment continued, marking the passage of painful time.

"That's half," commented the leader with indifference, examining his nails. "I must admit he has endurance, the old man."

Reed breathed heavily, sweat mixing with blood on his back. He trembled from the effort of staying upright, but refused to fall. Each lash was preceded by a pause, a moment of anticipation that made the pain worse.

When lash number twenty fell, the lizard man paused, flexing his wrist. "This is getting boring," he commented. "The woman should receive the remaining ten."

"That wasn't the agreement!" Reed protested, his words coming out broken by pain.

The leader shrugged. "I changed my mind. Besides, disobeying a direct order merits... readjustments in punishment."

The third patroller, who until now had remained silent, grabbed Fern by the arms, dragging her forward. She struggled, but the man was much stronger.

Something in Reed broke upon seeing his wife treated like this. Decades of obedience and resignation evaporated in an instant, replaced by a fury he hadn't felt since his youth. The plants on his arms glowed with unusual intensity.

With strength that surprised even himself, Reed launched himself at the tiger leader. Momentum and surprise played in his favor, allowing him to reach the man's legs, making him stumble and fall. The impact sent both men sprawling in the dirt.

"Reed!" Fern screamed, both horrified and amazed.

The leader roared with indignation as his uniform became stained with mud, his tiger markings glowing furiously as he pushed Reed several meters away and stood up. "You're going to pay for that, stupid old man! Attack him!"

The man with the whip dropped it, his hands rising as he invoked his red lizard beast's energy. A fireball materialized between his palms, growing rapidly.

The fireball shot toward Reed. Fern, seeing the danger, managed to break free from fear's paralysis momentarily and control the ground vines, pulling Reed out of the way.