Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!-Chapter 655: Abandon the Castle

Prince Adrian’s face twitched. "Abandon the castle? Have you gone mad?"

Ria didn’t flinch. Her gaze was calm, but her tone was firm. "If we stay here, we’ll die anyway. The monster cores will run out. The barrier will fall. It’s only a matter of time before those demons walk through our gates like it’s nothing."

Adrian’s fingers drummed slowly on the throne’s armrest. His breathing was shallow.

Abandon the castle? The idea was shameful. This was the Vermilion Kingdom’s royal symbol. If they left, it was the same as declaring their total defeat.

At that moment, his mother, the queen, stepped inside the hall as well. She was an older version of Ria and even more beautiful. Despite the collapsing kingdom, she still held her noble posture.

But even she knew it was over.

"Adrian..." she called softly.

"Yes, Mother?" he replied.

"Your sister is right. We should abandon the castle. I’m sure if your father were here, he would do the same."

His jaw tightened, and a flash of irritation crossed his eyes. "I’m not a coward like him."

The Queen’s gaze trembled faintly, but she smiled. "I know."

"I will not run," he muttered. "Even if the castle falls... even if this entire kingdom crumbles... I will die fighting."

She looked at him for a long moment. She wanted to tell him to run. To live. But she already knew her son wouldn’t listen.

’He’s his father’s opposite in every way...’

Ria frowned and raised her voice, her tone sharp like a knife cutting through his pride. "We’ve already lost the capital. The city belongs to them now. All we’re doing is delaying our deaths."

The guards in the hall all kept quiet, no one daring to interfere.

"You’re asking me to flee just like that coward we called Father?" Adrian’s voice turned cold. "I refuse to follow that man’s footsteps."

Ria sighed. "Brother... this isn’t about pride. It’s survival."

She took another step closer, lowering her voice. "There’s still a chance to turn things around. If we move now, we can regroup, search for help, and maybe... just maybe... we can strike back later."

Adrian’s eyes narrowed. "And where do you suggest we run to? Our closest kingdom, Snowhelm? Even if those weaklings are still standing, they’d rather watch us burn."

Ria bit her lips, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, "There’s still the western region... There’s someone there... someone gathering forces."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

She hesitated. "The boy who killed Ainsworth."

His brows rose slightly, but then he chuckled. "Oh? Him? The so-called son of the mad dog."

"Maybe..." Ria smiled faintly. "But right now, he might be the only one left fighting."

"What makes you think so? So many experts were killed. How will he be of any help?"

"Because... because the other day, I saw it." Her voice trembled. "At first, I saw him in my visions, returning to save trapped students from the Royal Academy."

Everyone leaned forward. As a priestess, Ria possessed a unique ultimate-tier ability that let her glimpse into the future at random times.

"I didn’t pay much attention to him then, but a few days later, from my window, I saw him."

Her voice trembled as if she was struggling to recall everything. "He was aboard dragons, along with the students and the headmistress."

"It was faint, but I saw him."

"D-Dragons!"

Everyone, including Adrian, gasped in shock.

What were dragons? freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

They were powerful creatures rumored to reside in the non-human continent.

Because of how difficult it was to find them even there, most didn’t believe they existed.

’If what she’s saying is true, Your Highness, it’s good to have someone like that as an ally.’

Adrian fell silent, his fingers tapping again, faster this time, his mind racing with thoughts.

Dragons... they were said to be the true overlords of the non-human continent. During his teenage years, he had been fascinated by them and wanted them as mounts, so he studied them.

If what his sister was saying was true, the grandson of the mad dog was their only hope.

But there were several variables to consider.

"Even if we abandon the castle, we’ll have to break through the demon lines. It’s a suicide mission."

"Better than waiting to be slaughtered like cattle," Ria said firmly.

Adrian stared at her for a long time. His throat felt dry. His mind spun, calculating.

He glanced at the guards, seeing in their eyes that they too wanted to leave.

"Prepare a detailed escape route. I want all possible paths marked by dawn."

Ria’s and the Queen’s eyes brightened, but Adrian raised a hand. "I’m not agreeing just yet. I need more information."

"Understood." She turned swiftly and left the hall with a slight hop in her step.

Adrian slumped back into his throne, dragging a hand across his face.

’Damn it... abandoning the castle... Am I really that desperate now?’

These dragons she talked about... and that vision.

He usually didn’t trust his sister’s visions, but this time, he might as well take a leap of faith.

Because deep down, he knew.

There wasn’t much of a choice.

---

Meanwhile, the capital’s landscape was barely recognizable. The streets that once buzzed with life were now crawling with demonic patrols. Bloodied banners with strange symbols fluttered in the wind, replacing the Vermilion Kingdom’s proud flag.

Black smoke rose from the ruined districts, and the demons treated the city like their playground.

Captured humans were dragged away like livestock, some struggling, some broken, most silent.

A group of patrolling blood demons marched through the streets, their grotesque faces twisted in lazy grins as they sniffed the air for survivors.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the distance.

A long, grey-haired man with a blindfold walked confidently down the center of the street. His steps were steady, his head slightly lowered, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as if he were out for a casual stroll.

The demons noticed him immediately.

"Oi! An overconfident human!" one of them barked, stepping forward.

The man didn’t answer. He kept walking, his pace unchanged.

"Hahaha, fool!"

He raised his head slightly, revealing sharp, elongated teeth that had a trace of blood on them.

"Kill me?" His lips tugged into a crooked smile. "No, no... I’ve been starving... for far too long."

The demons tensed. Even for reckless beings like them, there was something off about him.

Without warning, the man vanished from his spot. The demons’ eyes shrank.

BANG!

A thunderous impact echoed as one of them was sent flying, his body smashing into a distant wall, his torso caved in.

The others barely registered what happened before the man reappeared behind another, his hand piercing straight through the demon’s chest before sinking his teeth into its neck.

"Usually, I wouldn’t settle for your disgusting blood, but if I want to travel to the western region and meet up with Young Master... then I have no choice," Zarek said.

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