Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons novel Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Chapter 38 - Taming the Trap

The Academy's corridors were left behind him as Ren ran toward the mines.

A month of Lin's brutal training had transformed his once scrawny frame, his pursuers could barely keep pace now, their heavy breathing betraying their exhaustion.

"He's getting away!" Jin's breathless voice resonated in the distance. "Don't let that rotting boy reach the mines first!"

Ren smiled as he descended swiftly down the path toward the caves, each step sure despite the growing darkness.

The mushrooms in his hair glowed softly, not just providing light but revealing intricate mana patterns in the walls that only he could see, a roadmap of power written in light and shadow.

Though these fools pursued him and wanted to ruin his day, he couldn't afford to miss even a single day of gathering.

The sixty-some Bronze-rank crystals he'd accumulated over the month, while impressive for a beginner, fell far short of his needs. The thirty days of relentless mining had yielded decent results, but nowhere near enough.

After spending 500 iron crystals on the lens to process Taro's crystals, only 200 remained in his reserves. He urgently needed to replenish his stocks.

The exchange rates weren't helping either, trading his remaining iron crystals for Bronze ones would also be wasteful with the school's exchange tax raising the cost from 10 to 13, yielding a mere 15 Bronze crystals from his 200.

Not worth it... Especially considering the other costly materials his evolution would require.

And that wasn't all, the deep earth needed for Taro's sealing and the large crystals grew increasingly scarce in the permitted levels.

The past month had stripped the easily accessible areas bare, leaving only remnants where rich veins once flowed. Second and third-year students had already claimed the prime safe locations, forcing newcomers to work harder for lesser rewards.

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The sound of clumsy footsteps and labored breathing faded as Ren delved deeper into the tunnels.

'Perfect,' he thought while navigating the dark tunnels with precision, the mushrooms in his hair barely glowing now, adapting instinctively to his need for stealth.

'They'll follow exactly where I need them to go.'

He paused at an intersection, studying mana patterns invisible to normal eyes. The official mining zone's deepest point at 100 meters loomed ahead, but the real treasures lay beyond.

Untouched veins of Bronze crystals gleamed faintly in the depths, visible only to his specialized sight.

Distant footsteps echoed through the tunnel, Jin and his group weren't exactly masters of stealth, their heavy steps and whispered curses giving away their position.

"Over here!" one of Jin's followers shouted, voice bouncing off the stone walls. "I saw his stupid mushrooms glowing!"

Ren continued deeper into the tunnel, each step precise and soundless. The mushrooms in his hair dimmed further, becoming barely visible specks of light.

His knowledge showed him exactly where to step, which patches of ground to avoid, which walls could bear weight and which might crumble at a touch.

'They're still following,' he confirmed, briefly increasing his light to draw them on, listening to their unsubtle pursuit echoing through the tunnels.

Ren stopped near the 100-meter mark.

The mushrooms in his hair pulsed more slowly now, struggling to process the dense mana saturating the air.

A guard hummed distractedly beside the access to the next level, clearly bored with his assignment.

Incorrect Maturation: 31/1000.