Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons - Chapter 293 - 293 - Tamer’s Battle Week - 29
Taro was wrapped in what seemed like a cocoon of earth, a formation that was rapidly solidifying around him.
The Living Tunnel was slowly transforming the earth into living mineral.
But that didn’t stop Jin. If anything, it reinforced his conviction that his opponent only knew how to defend.
“Hide all you want!” he shouted, charging toward the cocoon with his fist surrounded by spiritual energy. “My Spirit Wave will penetrate any defense!”
And he was right. The Spirit Tiger granted him the ability to ignore physical defenses, sending waves of spiritual energy that directly affected the interior.
But what Jin didn’t know was that Taro no longer relied solely on his beetle for defense.
Inside the earth cocoon, Taro had silently invoked his second beast. The Hunter Bug, the pre-evolution of the Deep Assassin, was considerably smaller than the beetle, barely the size of a large dog and still at Iron rank…
But its value didn’t lie in its size, it was in its unique capabilities.
“Trophy Collector,” whispered Taro, activating the Hunter Bug’s passive ability.
Just as Jin’s fist was about to connect with the cocoon, the living mineral that now formed it, generated by the beetle but now adhered to the Hunter Bug’s shell, underwent an instantaneous transformation.
Instead of remaining a static barrier, it transformed into a series of long, sharp spikes that extended outward at a surprising speed.
Jin, completely unprepared for this metamorphosis, couldn’t stop his attack. His fist crashed against the spikes, which not only stopped his momentum but inflicted acute pain when several points pierced his hand.
“Argh!” he shouted, retreating with surprise and fury. “What the hell…?”
The cocoon dissolved, revealing Taro, but not as Jin or any of the spectators had seen him before. He was now completely covered by living mineral armor. Most impressive were the extensions on his arms, which ended in long, curved claws, reminiscent of those Ren used in combat, but made entirely of living mineral instead of light energy.
“Surprised?” asked Taro, his voice calm but firm, without a trace of the nervousness that characterized him. “I’m not the same as in our first encounter, Jin.”
From the stands, Ren observed with approval. The work they had done was bearing fruit. The symbiosis between the Living Tunnel and the Hunter Bug was perfect: the beetle provided the raw material and basic transformation, while the Hunter Bug’s Trophy Collector ability allowed much finer and faster control over the living mineral.
“What’s happening?” Mira asked Ren. “I’ve never seen Taro fight like this.”
“Taro’s Hunter Bug, with its Trophy Collector ability, can attach anything to its shell and manipulate it as if it were part of its own body.”
Trent nodded, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. “So the beetle provides the material and the Hunter Bug controls it. That’s brilliant.”
In the arena, Jin was recovering from the initial surprise. Blood dripped from his injured hand, but his expression showed more irritation than pain.
“An interesting trick,” he acknowledged, flexing his fingers while assessing the damage. “But you’ll need more than spikes and a pretty armor to defeat me.”
Taro didn’t respond with words. Instead, he adopted an offensive posture that Lin immediately recognized. It was one of the basic stances she had taught Ren: perfect balance, low center of gravity, arms positioned for both attack and defense.
Jin let out a dismissive laugh. “Now you think you can attack? You’ve always been a defensive coward. You can’t change what you are from one day to the next.”
“People change,” Taro responded simply. “Beasts evolve. And I’ve learned that the best defense…”
Without finishing the phrase, Taro launched himself forward with a speed that surprised everyone present. His living mineral armor, instead of slowing him down as one might expect, seemed to flow with his movements, adapting to each movement and acceleration.
“…sometimes is a good attack,” he completed as his mineral claws headed directly toward Jin’s face.
The tiger tamer dodged by pure instinct, his enhanced reflexes saving him from a blow that would probably have ended the combat right there. But even so, one of the claws stretched at the last moment and managed to graze his cheek, leaving a superficial cut that bled freely.
Jin counterattacked immediately, his own spirit claws seeking to penetrate Taro’s helmet armor. But each time he approached, the living mineral stretched or reorganized instantly, pushing him away with an attack longer than expected or avoiding the impact of the spiritual energy.
“This is impossible!” growled Jin, frustrated. “Armor shouldn’t move!”
“Normally you’d be right,” confirmed Taro, launching another attack with his hand transforming into a mineral sword. “But mine is a living armor.”
Jin retreated, reevaluating his strategy. The combat clearly wasn’t going to be the triumphant walk he had anticipated.
With a roar that mixed frustration and determination, Jin channeled more energy to his claws, making them shine with greater intensity.
“Let’s see if your little trick resists this!” he shouted, launching himself back into the attack.
This time, his movement was more elaborate. He feigned a direct attack, only to abruptly change direction at the last instant, seeking Taro’s blind spot.
“Mineral Trap,” murmured Taro, activating the technique that Ren had taught him.
Just as Jin’s claws were about to connect with his unprotected flank, the living mineral around Taro restructured itself. Instead of forming a solid barrier, it stretched from Taro and created a huge mouth that launched itself against Jin.
“What is…?” Jin couldn’t finish the question.
Jin’s expression changed from confusion to horror when he understood what had happened.
He was trapped in minerals now.
But he wouldn’t surrender so easily… He had more combat experience than Taro and he would prove it.
Jin decided to invoke his tiger and sent it directly against Taro.
The enormous tiger launched into attack against the inexperienced boy who had gotten rid of most of his armor.
But what Jin hadn’t contemplated was that Taro had something better than experience: he had two beasts.
The Living Tunnel, which had approached from behind Jin, finally arrived and charged the trapped boy, managing to catch the tiger in mid-flight and crushing it in a herculean grip.
Jin received the charge with minor damage thanks to the mineral trap in which he was caught, but what damaged him more was the loss of his tiger, which exploded into light under the powerful embrace due to its low defense.
Taro didn’t waste his opponent’s moment of weakness and confusion at losing the connection with his beast. With a fluid movement that denoted hours of practice, he counterattacked. His mineral-covered fist connected directly with Jin’s solar plexus.
Jin doubled over, the air escaping from his lungs in an agonizing gasp. The blue glow of his eyes vanished completely as he fell to his knees, struggling to breathe.
Taro stood firm, his mineral gloves positioned for a second blow if necessary. But it was clear to everyone present that it wouldn’t be.
Jin collapsed, knocked out for the second consecutive day.
Lin advanced to the center of the arena, briefly evaluating Jin’s condition before raising her arm in Taro’s direction.
“Victory for Taro Terragon!” she announced, her amplified voice resonating throughout the stadium.
