Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 371

Prepared with their improvised protection, Ren and Lin continued advancing through the tunnel. The density of mushrooms increased exponentially, until they were practically walking on a pulsating golden carpet.

The air grew denser, charged with invisible spores that danced around them, recognizing, evaluating, but allowing them passage thanks to their disguise.

♢♢♢♢

Outside the tunnel...

The searchers had deployed in a perimeter around the strange clearing of golden mushrooms, their confusion evident in the glances they exchanged. None dared approach too close to those pulsating structures that seemed to breathe collectively.

"What the hell is this?" murmured a tracker. "There shouldn't be anything like this in this forest."

"The commander will want a detailed report of this anomaly when we mention it," responded another, his eyes never leaving the mushrooms. "But finding the fugitives has priority... After that, we can take samples."

Among the two flyers who soared above the clearing, Kieran stood out not only for having been the first to arrive but also for the restlessness of his Vulture Fox. The Silver 2 ranked beast, a creature with brownish-black fur and membranous wings, allowed him to sniff the air, but also received evident agitation within its tamer's body with each mouthful.

His eyes, reddish from the fusion, were fixed on the pattern formed by the mushrooms.

The layout wasn't random, from above, Kieran could discern an unmistakable deliberate organization, as if the fungi were forming a directional sigil line across the forest floor.

"I'm going to explore further," announced Kieran to his Silver 1 subordinate, adjusting the straps of his flight support equipment. "This doesn't seem natural. It appears to follow a very direct and specific direction."

The subordinate, his second-in-command, frowned. "The perimeter where they should be by now isn't that large."

"I know," Kieran responded, already rising. The powerful beat of his wings stirred the air around them. "But all this and the timing seems strange to me... Cover me to watch the crossing while I return. Keep your flying companions making rounds near the clearing and monitor the routes toward the border. I'll be back soon."

Without waiting for a response, Kieran used his Vulture Fox's wings to ascend much higher in the air. From that height, the vision was revealing: the mushrooms formed a golden, luminous line that extended toward the interior of the Bronze forest, following what appeared to be the direct route to the increase in mana concentration.

Kieran beat his powerful wings, advancing at a speed that no land tracker could match. In minutes, he left behind the limits of the Iron ring, venturing into Bronze ring territory. The air grew denser here, charged with greater mana concentrations that made his Vulture Fox's fur stand on end.

Here, the trees grew taller and more lush, their canopies forming almost impenetrable domes of vibrant lights. The golden mushrooms continued their advance, growing in size and brightness as they penetrated zones richer in mana.

A golden carpet had replaced most of the vegetation in what appeared to be the highway of the new fungi. Native plants withered where the mushrooms spread, their vitality seemingly absorbed by the advancing golden tide.

"Incredible," Kieran murmured, descending slightly to better appreciate the phenomenon. "They're eliminating everything in their path to reach the Silver ring."

In a few more minutes, he would reach the unmarked but universally recognized border of the Silver ring. Kieran rose higher, halting his advance. He wasn't stupid; he knew the dangers lurking beyond.

The common and superior Mirror Mantises of the Bronze 1 and 2 ring, though lethal, didn't represent an aerial threat. Neither did the Ghost Frogs, Explosive Larvae, or Robust Excavators.

But the Silver ring was another world: Flash Mantises capable of cutting the air with their scythes, Explosive Cicadas that could launch themselves in the air and embrace you with enormous strength from the Ghost Trees' canopies.

A potentially deadly territory for someone even of his level, especially alone. He could handle one of those monsters, but not two simultaneously.

An irregular movement patch near the ground, in a clearing close to the mushroom carpet between the trees. The disturbance was subtle, the desperate thrashing of something large engaged in a life-or-death struggle. _{freewebnσvel.cѳm}