Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!

The eyes of Drake, Valkor, Elise, Celestis, Raziel, Galen, and Nyxirith all widened when they heard that mighty roar, which caused their bodies to tremble like leaves in a storm.

With a shaky, barely controlled voice, someone shouted, "That... that roar belongs to a Champion! We need to leave here immediately!"

Most of the people present didn't know the origin of the roar—only that it was powerful and caused their bodies to freeze in place. However, that wasn't the case for Valkor and the heirs of the Eight Dragon Kingdoms.

They had all heard that roar at least once in their lifetime, and they all knew it belonged to none other than a Champion—a type of Scourge Dragon that served as the personal lackey of the Scourge Alpha.

Just like the heirs, even Nox knew about these roars. In fact, he had encountered one not too long ago and understood their terrifying power. The last Scourge Champion he had encountered alongside Dracos had been at the Legendary Tier.

"This one shouldn't be far behind," Nox muttered. There was no fear or panic on his face—only calm resolve. Panic wouldn't help here. It was better to think about the way forward.

When the others heard what he said, Galen couldn't help but bellow in a loud, angry voice, "What do you mean 'not far behind'? Let's get out of here! Do you even know how powerful a Scourge Champion is?!"

"Although I don't usually agree with the wind brat, I think he might be right this time," Raziel, the Lightning Prince, added, earning a glare from Galen.

"Leader, at your command, we all escape," Celestis said in a respectful tone, her gaze never leaving Nox's handsome features.

Nox remained quiet for some time, simply watching the roaring corrupted dragons. His expression was unreadable, which only thickened the tension in the air. Everyone could tell he wasn't in the best state of mind from the way he had been slaughtering enemies. They feared he might make a reckless decision, like ordering them to fight the Alpha.

He tightened his grip on his greatsword, prompting silent whispers from the group.

"He's lost it."

"Is he planning to fight the Alpha?"

"He's crazy!"

The whispers were so faint that Nox didn't hear a word—not that he cared to.

Contrary to their fears, he wasn't planning to fight the Scourge Champion. He could be reckless, yes, but he had limits. He wasn't stupid. Both the Frost Monarch and the Frost Elder had warned that killing a Champion could trigger the Alpha's arrival.

And the Scourge Alpha was an entity no monarch or elder wanted to face—not after what happened last time. The only times they dared kill Champions were either deep inside the ancient forests—where one had to flee immediately before the Alpha appeared—or during full-scale wars, when the Scourge beasts were too occupied to use their special skills.

Nox made his decision. He let out a deep breath and said, "All of you, move forward."

"Huh? What do you mean? Aren't you coming with us?" Zara asked, stepping forward. She no longer looked nervous. A frown appeared on her face—she didn't like the resolute expression on Nox's face one bit.

"Yes, what do you mean by that?" Drake narrowed his eyes.

Though the others didn't voice their thoughts, it was clear they were all wondering the same thing. Why did it seem like Nox didn't plan to leave with them?

Feeling the weight of their gazes, he finally answered, his voice sharp and slightly annoyed. "Someone needs to mislead the Scourge Champion. I've encountered one of them before. They're relentless. Their senses are on another level. If we all move in one direction, it'll catch up sooner or later."

"We could just go two different ways," Elise suggested, surprisingly. This earned her glares from the others, especially Valkor, who knew how she felt about Nox. But the Inferno Dragon didn't seem fazed and went on to explain.

"If we split into two or more groups, then the dragon will be confused about who to follow."

"The Champions are wise. It'll pick the weakest group and chase after them," Nox countered.

"I..." Elise tried to work her jaws, but the words caught in her throat.

"So it's final. You all head deeper. I have a copy of the map with me. When I'm done, I'll catch up with you."

"That's just stupid!" Zara shouted. "Don't you get it? The Scourge Champion is at Legendary Tier. They're very powerful. What if something happens to you?"

"She's right. Are you sure you can shake it off your tail like you said? The Champions are extremely relentless. What if... you eventually get tired?" Drake added.

A small smile appeared on Nox's face.

It wouldn't be a lie to say he was touched by Zara and Drake's concern. Aside from his sister, Serena, his mother, grandfather, and the people of his barony—these were the first outsiders who had shown him such care.

His eyes burned even brighter, his resolve growing fiercer. He felt a sudden urge to protect the two siblings no matter what.

"It's getting closer! I can sense its aura!" someone shouted.

"Damn it! If he wants to stay, let's just leave him!" Galen shouted, his body trembling with a mix of rage and fear.

Nox met the gaze of his new friends and said in a reassuring tone, "Not to brag, but if anyone can survive in this forest, it's me."

"Y-you bastard..." Zara's eyebrow twitched. She wanted to say more, but Nox made subtle eye contact with Drake, who nodded back and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder.

She hesitated, but eventually began to walk away.

"You said you'll survive, right? Don't you dare die!" Raziel grinned as he slapped Nox's shoulder like an old friend.

"That's not happening anytime soon." Nox chuckled.

One after the other, the rest began to leave.

That's when Valkor finally spoke. "I'm staying behind."

"Me too."

Nox heard a soft voice and glanced behind him—only to find Lumi staring up at him with a frown.

He felt a slight headache, but he remembered—these two were the actual strongest of their generation. Technically, he didn't belong here.

"Fine then. Suit yourselves," Nox muttered.

Elise hesitated. She too wanted to stay.

"That's allowed?" Even Zara turned her head back in surprise.

Valkor nodded toward Elise. She clenched her fists before turning around to join the others.

One after another, they transformed into their dragon forms and flew off into the night sky.

Once they were gone, Nox stepped forward and sliced off the head of one of the Scourge Dragons. He was pissed that the other dragons had ignored their presence just to honor their Champion's roar.

Suddenly, an overwhelming aura swept through the vicinity, causing trees to snap apart and twist into odd shapes. The hair of Nox, Valkor, and Lumi whipped wildly in the air.

And then… the Champion appeared.

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Author's Note:

Thanks to everyone supporting Supreme Beast Tamer! I appreciate all of you. But it looks like we're lacking Reviews—don't forget to drop yours if you enjoy the story! Also golden tickets and power stones are approaciated