Beast Tamer Era: Capturing SSS-ranks with the Strongest Taming System-Chapter 123: The Castle Guards fully assembled

The restriction imposed on the Flying Serpent was no laughing matter. It ensured it wouldn’t act against Ray’s interests in any way or form. If it ever did that, no matter the reason, the restriction would trigger, and it would immediately die.

The Flying Serpent valued its life above all else. It wouldn’t sacrifice it for someone else’s sake.

As a result, even though it could foresee the humiliation one of its most valuable and highly cherished clansman was about to suffer, it didn’t move an inch to stop it.

Ray wasn’t ignorant of its dilemma, and a faint smile crossed his face. He felt pleased with the choice it had made.

Its wisdom hadn’t dulled with age, and its cowardice ensured it would never betray him. He could already feel it. Although it was totally forced, the Flying Serpent was going to make an excellent subordinate in the future.

The restriction he had placed on it was just as absolute as he had made it seem.

One misstep. One mistake. And it would die, ensuring its loyalty. It didn’t come from the heart, but it did exist. It would be a fool to betray him.

Ray’s gaze drifted away from the Flying Serpent and settled on Sarthan. A snake-men stupid enough to fall for his schemes and challenge him despite there being clear signs that he could wipe the floor with a peak bronze ranker.

Actually, Sarthan knew all that. Still, he challenged Ray because he believed he could win since all he needed to do to win was get a single good hit in. Besides, it had been made clear a while ago that he was faster than his master, so the odds might just be in his favour. After all, the faster you were, the less the chances of you getting hit.

"Put me in my places you say? Ha! Even your master wouldn’t dare be so arrogant toward me. But then again, you can’t possibly be clear about what I’m capable of. I’ll be the bigger man and excuse your arrogance," Ray said dryly, his tone laced with cold disdain that made the other party feel small and insignificant.

Sarthan’s pupils narrowed into slits, and he let out a low, venomous hiss. "You speak too boldly for someone who’s about to receive cuts all over his ugly skin."

"Sarthan, the Seventh General of the Snake Tribe," Ray stepped towards him challengingly as he spoke, "I have bad news for you. You won’t be winning the honour of putting me in my place because you’re simply not capable enough."

Sarthan flicked his forked tongue, drawing two curved blades from his belt. His body coiled and tensed like a serpent ready to strike.

"You’ll regret those words, human!"

Ray met his glare without flinching, the corner of his lips curving into a cold smirk. "Come show me how you’re going to make me regret them."

With a roar that split the air, Sarthan lunged forward with terrifying speed.

Two craters were left behind where he once stood as his serpentine body became a streak of green, shooting through the air like a falling star

In an instant, he was upon Ray. His twin blades radiated a bright green aura as he brought them down upon him with lethal precision.

Anyone familiar with the Snake Tribe would know that when their weapons glowed like that, they became the deadliest tools in existence.

A single cut from those blades could poison a healthy Iron-ranked hunter to death. A Bronze-ranked one might survive the same situation a single breath longer before succumbing to the venom.

The blades cut towards his vitals.

But before steel could meet flesh, Ray’s eyes flashed purple.

In that instant, his body flickered, leaving behind a faint afterimage. Sarthan’s blades sliced through empty air, dispersing the illusion.

In that very instant, a sharp thud echoed behind him, born from the unnatural force of Ray’s boots meeting the stone floor as he appeared behind him.

And then, his fingers pressed against the side of Sarthan’s neck, and a sharp chill ran down the Snake-Man’s spine.

"There," Ray said quietly, his cold fingers pressing against Sarthan’s skin. "You died."

A shudder ran through Sarthan’s body. He could feel the strength leaving his limbs, the cold of Ray’s touch sinking into him like the hand of death itself. If Ray had truly meant to kill him, he would already be dead.

"I... I accept my loss," Sarthan said, lowering his head.

He was young and hot-blooded, but not shameless. To act stubborn despite being utterly outclassed would only make him a fool in front of everyone. So he swallowed his pride and bowed to reality.

"You understand what that means, don’t you?" Ray asked, his voice calm but carrying the weight of a man not born into power but still holding plenty of it.

"I will serve you from now on," Sarthan replied with a nod.

Ray clapped his hands once. A faint ripple appeared in the air beside him before a rift tore open space itself.

"Go inside," Ray said.

Sarthan hesitated only for a heartbeat before stepping toward it. Ray had defeated him fair and square and had shown mercy. That alone made him indebted beyond measure. By the ancient right of domination and mercy, he was now bound to serve him faithfully.

"Aren’t you curious where it leads?" Ray asked, watching as the serpent general approached the swirling rift.

"Since you have commanded me to go inside, what’s there to hesitate about?" Sarthan replied, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. Walking into a spatial crack wasn’t an everyday event, and not every being had the courage to step into the unknown at a mere command.

"It leads to my castle," Ray said with a faint smirk. "You have nothing to worry about. You’ll find it... hospitable enough."

The show he had put on just now was nothing short of stunning.

A castle with an entrance that could open in midair with just a thought?

That was beyond anything the Snake-men, Snake-women, and other serpentine creatures of the Serpent Tribe had ever imagined, and to add to that, he had defeated one of their most respected generals in a single exchange.

They had known from the beginning that he wasn’t ordinary, but now, before their eyes, he seemed less like a man and more like an enigma, a being wrapped in such a dense layer of mystery they could neither see through nor comprehend his existence.

He clearly looked like a human, but he was nothing like one!

The way they looked at him began to change. He wasn’t relying on overwhelming weapons, traps, and other such stuff to win. He was relying on his strength alone, which they found rather admirable.

Watching hints of fear, awe, and reluctant respect flicker in those same eyes that once brimmed with hatred toward him and his kind, Ray couldn’t help but smile faintly. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Strength could change a lot of things.

But strength, when used with wisdom? It could change the world.

Ray was no master strategist, but the way he used every tool, every opportunity, and every inch of leverage at his disposal... it was satisfying to watch.

His gaze swept over the gathered crowd of the prideful warriors of the Serpent Tribe.

"Anyone else?" he asked, his voice calm, clear, and cold as steel.

The crowd stirred. A few exchanged uncertain glances. Then, from the mass of scaled bodies, a figure stepped forward.

Tzharakh.

He wasn’t a general like Sarthan. He just an advanced stage bronze ranker.

To become a general in the Serpent Tribe, one needed to reach the peak of Bronze rank, but he had yet to achieve that.

Still, he had a Glorious reputation in these parts of the Misty Swamp Region. His hunts had never ended in failure. He always returned to the tribe with something. Sometimes it was food for the young, other times it was herbs for the sick. He was known for his cunning.

Ray’s eyes met his and sparks flew.

"You think you can do what your superior failed to do?" he said, his tone laced with quiet amusement.

Tzharakh said. "I am not one to waste time. I wouldn’t have challenged you if I wasn’t sure I could."

Ray tilted his head slightly, smiling. "I don’t know what you have in mind, but this battle will end no differently than the last one."

"We’ll see," Tzharakh said flatly before lunging at him, only to see him vanish before the very eyes. He responded to what he saw quickly, thrusting his sword backward, expecting Ray to appear behind him. After all, that’s what happened when he fought the Sarthan, but his sword met no resistance. Ray wasn’t there.

Bam!

A stinking boot, reeking thickly of the swamp’s putrid stench, slammed into his face with such force he was pounded into the stone floor like a hammer on a nail.

"Idiot," the Flying Serpent muttered under its breath, clicking its forked tongue in disdain at what it saw. "Did he really think that human was some dumb beast who’d follow the same attack pattern twice? He was asking to get beat up."