Chapter 38: Ambush
A/N: Hi, Book’s will change to. SSS Awakening: Rise of the Strongest Beast Master. (for future references)
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Draco moved steadily through the terrain with Zephyr scouting ahead, their coordination smooth and practised after weeks of training together. The open field stretched before them, offering excellent visibility and advantages for their hunting strategy.
Zephyr’s body tilted at the last second as an arrow whistled through the air, passing dangerously close to Zephyr’s small body. The hummingbird’s reflexes had kicked in instantly, allowing him to dodge the projectile with a sharp banking maneuver.
[Master! Someone just tried to shoot me! (°△°)]
"Zephyr, fly higher immediately!" Draco commanded, his voice sharp with controlled anger.
As his companion gained altitude to escape the archer’s range, Draco’s eyes immediately locked onto the position where the attack had originated.
[Nano-Vision] Activated!
His enhanced vision allowed him to trace the arrow’s trajectory back to its source.
He’s behind that large rock boulder. That’s the only possible place.
A figure crouched behind the stone boulder, clearly believing he was well-concealed despite having just revealed his position through his failed attack.
If that arrow had hit Zephyr, I would have skinned him alive,
Draco thought, cold fury building in his chest. Since it didn’t, I’ll settle for disqualifying him and taking whatever cores he’s managed to collect.
The student behind the boulder seemed to realize he had been spotted. Instead of retreating or attempting to negotiate, he emerged from cover with what appeared to be misplaced confidence. A small smirk played across his features as he faced Draco directly.
Draco approached the archer with slow steps, his hand resting casually on his sword hilt. His expression remained perfectly neutral, but anyone with real combat experience would have recognized the dangerous calm of a predator preparing to strike.
"Give me your examination storage ring, and I’ll let you go safely," Draco stated without any trace of emotion in his voice.
"And if I don’t?" the student replied, his smirk widening as if he held some secret advantage.
Before Draco could respond, three more figures emerged from behind another large boulder positioned nearby.
It was an ambush. The student had lured him here with that attack, this was no chance encounter but a deliberate trap.
Four against one, It shouldn’t be challenging with my current power.
Draco’s expression didn’t change in the slightest despite the revelation that he was outnumbered. If anything, his calm demeanor became even more pronounced as he reassessed the situation.
"That’s a good question," he said, his tone remaining perfectly level. "Let me rephrase: all four of you need to give me your storage rings. Otherwise, you’re not leaving this place."
The four students burst into laughter at what they perceived as an absurd threat. Their amusement was genuine, from their perspective, a single student making demands against a coordinated group was either insane or delusional.
"Look, the bastard thinks he’s Glade or something!" one of them called out, wiping tears from his eyes.
"Yeah, I heard rumors that he was disowned by his family," another added with mock sympathy. "I guess that clearly had an effect on his mental state."
"Hahaha!" they continued laughing and smirking before the apparent leader stepped forward with confidence.
"Here’s how this is actually going to work," the leader said, drawing his weapon. "You’re going to give us your storage ring, along with whatever cores you’ve managed to collect. Then you’re going to walk away and pretend this never happened."
The group’s confidence was based on what they considered solid tactical reasoning. They knew Draco possessed a B-rank Beastmaster talent, but they were four students with C-rank combat-focused abilities. Against one newly awakened beast master, they believed they would easily wipe the floor with him.
Beastmasters are known to be weak in direct combat, especially one partnered with a tiny hummingbird, the leader thought smugly. This is going to be easier than I expected.
What they failed to understand was that their information about Draco was catastrophically outdated. They were operating under assumptions about his capabilities that no longer bore any resemblance to the harsh reality.
From their perspective, they were facing a newly awakened student who had spent most of his life as a talentless outcast. They expected someone with minimal combat experience, basic equipment, and a weak beast companion that would provide little support in actual fighting.
They had no knowledge of his solo expedition into the Swift Gate, his victory against an elite-rank beast, or the weeks of intensive training that had transformed him from a helpless bastard into a genuine threat. Most critically, they had no understanding of Zephyr’s evolution or the true capabilities of their shared skills.
[Master, should I prepare for combat? These guys seem really stupid! (・_・)]
’Stay ready, Zephyr. This is about to get gruesome.’
The four students began spreading out in what they believed was an effective combat formation, clearly preparing to attack. Their weapons were drawn, their stances confident, and their expressions showed the anticipation of easy victory.
The leader raised his sword and pointed it toward Draco with menace. "Last chance, bastard. Hand over your storage ring, or we’ll take it from your unconscious body."
"You know what?" Draco replied, his voice carrying a subtle edge that hadn’t been there before.
"I was going to be merciful and just take your rings. But since you tried to hurt Zephyr and now you’re threatening me...I think I’m going to enjoy teaching you the difference between confidence and competence."
He drew his sword in one fluid motion, the blade catching the strange gate-light as it cleared its sheath.
The four students tensed, finally beginning to sense that something about this encounter wasn’t developing according to their expectations. They had expected him to cower away and give his belonging.
Still, they believed they could win easily, and it was far too late to reconsider their choices. They had committed to this confrontation, and backing down now would mean losing face in front of their teammates.
"Hmph. You think you are so high and mighty? Let’s teach this bastard some manners," One of the students scoffed before turning to his friends.
The group of students snickered and cracked their knuckles as they prepared to teach Draco some ’manners’.