Weakest Beast Tamer Gets All SSS Dragons-Chapter 345 - - Taming Hearts

The crystal categorization and collection class had gained followers after Professor Song's sacrifice, but in Ren's opinion, it had lost its magic without Zhao's presence as its heir.

The substitute auxiliary professor was competent, certainly, but he lacked that special warmth that had characterized Song. And for now, gone were those cunning survival lessons that Zhao had sporadically delivered when he wasn't on mission.

Deciding his time would be better spent elsewhere than in an optional theory class, Ren headed toward the library. Three pending projects awaited him that wouldn't correct themselves, and the library's silence was perfect for concentrated work.

Thanks to Finch and Theodore and their dramatic words (and performances) of encouragement, the knot in his chest had loosened considerably. He still felt responsible for the potential chaos his 'stolen' ring might cause, or his parents' situation, but it no longer weighed on him as heavily.

Something about hearing a sincere "you're a promising boy" or "continuing to work hard will make them much happier when the time comes for you to see them" from that pair of jokesters was strangely comforting. Ren wanted to trust in that "and believe me, that moment will come", it somehow calmed his negativity considerably.

The academy library was his sanctuary since he'd started working with Wei.

He navigated familiar aisles, passing through popular sections where students typically clustered, until reaching his favorite corner: a table hidden in shadows behind three massive columns of books on "Mana Manipulation Theories" and "Pre-Gold Ring Crystalline Patterns."

It was ironic that this section, considered useless by most, sat right next to the collection of popular cultivation methods, a situation Ren found amusing when correcting errors in current "popular books".

He pulled out his three manuscripts and spread them on the table.

The first: a cultivation method for Darkness Marsh Frog written by some "expert" who clearly had never seen one outside a drawing. The author claimed the frogs needed fire-mana exposure to evolve, which was so incorrect that Ren had to read the passage three times to ensure he wasn't dreaming.

The second: his own book on Sora's deer evolution, now halfway on silver levels. This was his original work, detailing methods he himself knew. The complexity of absorption and processing methods increased considerably at higher levels, and he was struggling to keep his explanations clear yet complete.

The third: a "popular" and "revolutionary" method for different plants that contained so many errors and extra useless steps Ren suspected the author had been sampling their hallucinogenic products instead of studying the beasts.

The mushrooms in his hair provided perfect lighting as he worked, automatically adjusting to what his eyes needed. It was a minor benefit of his contract, but one he'd learned to deeply appreciate.

♢♢♢♢

Luna walked through empty corridors, her steps echoing softly in the morning silence. Most students were in class, and she... well, she was avoiding her cousins.

Liora and Larissa had been insufferable since last night's incident, asking uncomfortable questions and smiling mischievously whenever they mentioned Ren or his adorable beast. As if she... as if he...

Her cheeks heated remembering the small mushroom and its enormous eyes. The way it had spoken with that high-pitched voice and... And then... the way he had...

"Why am I feeling like this?" she murmured to herself, shaking her head vigorously. The wolf in the shadows at her feet wagged its tail, as if finding her dilemma amusing.

She decided to find Ren. Not to talk about... what had happened. Just to... clarify things.

Yes. That was all.

♢♢♢♢

The search proved more difficult than Luna had anticipated. First she checked the crystal processing class. Ren wasn't there.

She discreetly asked some students in the hallway if they'd seen him. Min looked at her curiously before mentioning that sometimes Ren skipped classes he "already mastered since birth" to work on his own projects.

"Where does he work on those projects?" Luna had asked, forcing herself to sound casual.

"Oh," the boy smiled knowingly, "he's usually in the library. Has a secret spot in the old books section. Says nobody bothers him there."

Luna nodded stiffly and continued her search, feeling increasingly like a stalker. But she couldn't leave things unresolved. Last night's misunderstanding needed... resolving before her great-aunt Selphira interrogated her.

The library felt like a different country after the hallways' bustle. She navigated aisles she'd never explored before, passing sections with titles she couldn't even pronounce.

It was in the "obsolete theories" section where she finally found him. His back to her, bent over what appeared to be several manuscripts. The mushrooms in his hair glowed with a soft but steady light, creating an ethereal halo around his focused figure.

Luna stopped, uncertain. Part of her wanted to retreat and pretend she'd never looked for him. But the other part, the part that had spent all morning feeling strange and confused, pushed her forward.

She dragged a chair as silently as possible, but in the library's absolute silence, the sound seemed to echo like thunder. She sat across from him, hands flat on the table, preparing for... whatever she was about to say.

Ren looked up, marking his place in the manuscript. "Luna," he greeted neutrally.

The silence stretched between them, heavy. Luna could feel her cheeks warming, but couldn't meet his eyes. Her gaze found a fascinating point on the bookshelf behind his left shoulder.

How long had they been like this? A minute? Five? To Luna, each second seemed to stretch endlessly.

"Is something wrong?" Ren's voice finally broke the silence. "Did you need something?"

Luna opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. Finally, words rushed out: "Did you tell Mooshito to trick me?" freewebnoveℓ.com

Ren blinked, clearly puzzled. "Mooshito?"

"Your mushroom," Luna clarified, feeling her ears burn. "I... I named him that."

"Oh." Luna could hear the suppressed chuckle in his voice. "No, I didn't tell him anything. My beast is a bit mischievous and does what it wants sometimes. Especially when it detects... certain power traces. But I apologize if he did something bad to you."

Luna shook her head abruptly. "Then it was my fault. Don't worry."

Another silence descended, more awkward than before. Ren scratched his cheek, a nervous habit Luna had noticed he had. He seemed to be searching for something to say.

'She looks very uncomfortable and stressed... It's not like I'm going to hit her or anything, but... Can I help her calm down? What do women like?' Ren thought frantically. 'What makes women happy? Mother always smiles when Father...'

And suddenly, without fully thinking it through, Ren reached across the table and took Luna's hands in his.

"Look," he began, trying to imitate the comforting tone his father used when his mother was upset, "everything's fine. You don't have to feel bad or embarrassed..."

The effect was instantaneous and catastrophic. Luna's eyes widened to impossible sizes, her face cycling through various shades of red in rapid succession. She froze completely, like a deer before a torchlight.

Ren, too focused on trying to comfort her, didn't notice his initial impact.

"What are you doing?" Luna asked, her voice impossibly high note and low volume at once.

"My father always holds my mother's hands when she's sad, and she says it helps her a lot, so I thought..."

He stopped when he finally registered the absolute shock on Luna's face. His hands were still holding hers, and suddenly he realized what he'd just done.

"I didn't mean to...!" He yanked his hands back as if burned.

Luna was trembling slightly, still staring fixedly at where their hands had been intertwined. Her lips opened and closed without making sound.

"I'm so sorry," Ren hastened to say. "I wasn't thinking about... I didn't mean to make you more uncomfortable. It was just... mother and father always... and I thought maybe..."

The more he spoke, the more tangled he became. Luna remained in absolute shock, and every word from his mouth seemed to worsen the situation.

"Maybe we should forget this happened!" Ren finally declared, burying his face in his hands while the mushrooms in his hair flickered erratically, reflecting his embarrassment.

Before Luna could recover enough to respond, a familiar presence filled the space between shelves. Selphira Ashenway emerged like an apparition, her eyes taking in the scene with supernatural speed.

"Young Ren," her voice cut through the air like a sharpened blade. "It seems our scheduled meeting for tonight will be earlier than expected."

Ren jumped to his feet, absurdly grateful for the interruption. "Lady Ashenway."

Selphira's eyes rested on Luna for a moment, noting the color in her cheeks and how she avoided all direct gazes. Something gleamed in her eyes... understanding, perhaps, or maybe amusement.

'Liora will fall behind if I let this continue much longer,' thought Selphira. 'I was planning to interrogate them together to save time, but...'

"Luna, dear," she said with a smile that didn't quite reach kindness, "I believe Liora and Larissa are looking for you. Something about a joint training session. I'll speak with you separately about last night afterward."

Luna's expression was a comedy of relief, confusion and... disapproval? She stood so quickly her chair nearly tipped, nodded stiffly to both, and practically fled the library.

"Interesting," Selphira murmured, watching her retreat with narrowed eyes. Then she turned to Ren, who was hastily gathering his manuscripts. "Come, we have important matters to discuss."