Return Of The Supreme Beast Tamer
Chapter 130: Training Map

Chapter 130: Training Map

"You guys will be placed in different locations... But your teammates will appear in one group... Christopher, you guys will be first," Monica announced, her voice echoing slightly in the training field.

Christopher and his four female companions — exchanged quick glances, a collective nod passing between them. Without hesitation, they moved purposefully towards the shimmering gateway, their steps resonating with quiet determination.

Behind them, a chorus of envious whispers erupted from the other students.

"What a stroke of luck that bastard has!"

"Indeed! Four absolute beauties! Even if one is his sister, she’s still stunning."

"Oh, how I wish I were in his shoes right now."

"So incredibly fortunate."

The boys murmured, their gazes fixed on Christopher and the girls as they stepped into the portal and vanished from sight.

"Next up... Adrian, you and your team." Monica’s voice cut through the lingering murmurs.

Adrian, with a serious expression on his face, simply nodded. He then turned and led his four companions towards the gateway, the group following him with a similar sense of quiet resolve.

"These two teams are stacked with powerful teammates; it’s going to be absolutely frightening to run into them," someone muttered, a tremor of apprehension in their voice.

Monica, observing the ripple of fear, offered a small, reassuring smile.

"Don’t worry too much. Just stick together, and you’ll make it through. You might not reach the top ten, but securing a spot among the top thirty is still a significant achievement."

Her words seemed to calm the students somewhat. They nodded, a renewed sense of purpose flickering in their eyes, before they began marching towards the gateway, team by team, ready to face whatever lay beyond.

_____

[Training Map.]

Christopher emerged from the swirling gateway, his companions — Leyla, Katherine, Advika, and Chloe, materializing beside him.

Their eyes swept across the landscape that greeted them: a vast, vibrant flower field stretching out to the horizon.

The group raised a collective eyebrow, confusion clouding their features.

"This? I honestly thought we’d appear in a graveyard or a dense forest," Advika murmured, her voice tinged with surprise.

"I was expecting the exact same thing," Leyla chimed in, mirroring her confusion.

Christopher, however, merely squatted down, placing his palm on the ground. A subtle smirk touched his lips.

"This," he stated, his voice low, "is an illusion."

He then channeled a minuscule sliver of his life force, directing it into the earth beneath him.

BOOM!

The ground convulsed violently, a deep tremor causing the girls to frown, momentarily losing their balance. Before their astonished eyes, the very space around them began to fracture, spiderweb cracks spreading like fragile glass. With a deafening crash, the illusion shattered and collapsed, revealing the true landscape: a desolate, barren wasteland of blackened earth and skeletal, dried-up trees.

A chilling, frigid wind whipped across their skin, forcing involuntary shivers from them all.

"What kind of place is this?" Leyla asked, her voice laced with mild confusion, the stark contrast to the previous scene jarring her.

"Oh, right. You, Christopher, and Advika just joined the academy, so I should probably explain." Katherine said, offering a comforting smile.

She began: "As you can see, we’re in what’s called the Training Map. It’s essentially a separate dimension, intricately designed by the Principal. Each of these maps has its own unique structures and indigenous enemies, preventing students from cheating or specifically preparing for one type of opponent. The primary objective of this particular map is simply to train the students."

She instinctively moved her hand to the hilt of the sword hanging at her waist.

"The academy initiated this kind of specialized training just last year," she continued. "Their plan is to significantly enhance our overall strength. Miss Monica strongly believes that through hands-on experience, we’ll learn how to effectively navigate real-life combat situations."

"Her plan isn’t inherently bad," Chloe interjected, shrugging. "It’s just that most of the students don’t truly listen, and some of them aren’t even from the training department to begin with. Honestly, my challenge to Christopher is what drew most of them here in the first place."

"Well." Christopher said, rising to his feet:

"They’re already in the Training Map now; we can’t change that fact. I’m quite sure Miss Monica is aware of this but chose not to say anything. So, why are we bothering ourselves with this issue?" he asked, his tone pragmatic.

The four girls looked at one another, then nodded in agreement, acknowledging the futility of further discussion.

["WELCOME!"]

A booming, disembodied voice echoed from above. The four girls quickly placed their hands on their weapons, their gazes snapping skyward to behold a majestic woman descending gracefully towards them.

She landed lightly on the barren ground, a serene smile gracing her lips.

["Oh, please... I am only but the tutorial of this map."]

The woman spoke, and with a fluid wave of her hand, five ancient-looking scrolls shimmered into existence, hovering directly before the five of them.

["Congratulations on passing the illusion in less than a minute. Your team has received 1,000 points."]

Christopher reached out, taking the hovering scroll and unrolling it. Inside, he found a detailed map, clearly marking the locations of four castles. The fifth, however, remained conspicuously absent.

"Where exactly are we?" he inquired, his eyes still scanning the map.

["You are in the Undead Territory, approximately five miles from the third castle."]

Christopher nodded in understanding. As if on cue, a luminous green arrow materialized on the map, indicating his current position, while four smaller blue arrows appeared around him, representing his teammates.

"Alright... Are there any helpful pointers or warnings you’d like to give us before you go?"

["Survive and win."]

The woman replied, her voice resonating with an almost ethereal quality, before she dissolved into a shimmering trail of lights and vanished.

"Well, that was incredibly helpful," Katherine remarked with a heavy dose of sarcasm.

"So, what’s the plan now?" Leyla asked, turning to Christopher.

"We have two options," Christopher mused, his gaze sweeping across the desolate landscape. "Either we stick together and launch a full assault on the Undead Castle, or we split into two groups and tackle two castles simultaneously."

"But then what about the others? They won’t gain anything if we take all the objectives," Leyla said, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"The ’others’ as you call them," Christopher stated, his tone hardening slightly, "are perfectly capable of killing you given any opportunity. This is a game of survival, and I have no intention of losing."

He moved his gaze around the bleak terrain, then nodded decisively:

"You guys will head South. There, you’ll find the Wolves Castle. Attack them, and make absolutely sure to conquer it."

"What about you?" Advika asked, her brow furrowed in mild confusion.

"Me?" Christopher replied, a glint in his eyes. "I’ll be heading straight for the Undead Castle. You have twenty-four hours to conquer yours. Understand?"

The four girls exchanged perplexed glances, then unison, asked, "What about the other students?"

"Kill them. Nothing, absolutely nothing, must impede our success."

With that chilling directive, Christopher turned and began walking away, leaving the stunned ladies rooted to the blackened soil behind him.

"Can you... Can you actually face them alone?!" Katherine yelled, her voice laced with genuine concern.

"No worries at all, little sister." Christopher called back over his shoulder, not pausing in his stride.

"Just focus on winning. I know almost all of you strive to be the best in everything you do... This is your chance to prove that to me." He paused for a moment, glancing back at them.

"Succeed, and I will teach you invaluable information about beasts. With this knowledge, you will never lose a battle against opponents of comparable strength."

"....?!"

The girls watched in bewildered confusion as he continued walking away, his figure gradually shrinking until he disappeared into the desolate expanse, leaving them utterly alone on the charred ground.

_____

[Training Ground.]

"Hmm... Splitting up right at the start. What exactly is he planning?" Monica mused aloud, her eyes fixed on Christopher’s image displayed prominently on the large screen.

"At least they’re still standing," she muttered, glancing over her shoulder at the ten students huddled behind her. They were clearly not from the training department, judging from their expression.

"What happened to you guys again?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of exasperation.

The ten students sat slumped on the ground, their faces stark white with palpable terror.

"A... A girl... it felt like... like we were being hunted," a girl stammered, her eyes wide and filled with horror.

"Before we knew it... we were all killed. It felt so incredibly real."

"That’s what you get for sneaking into another department’s training... How can farming students stand blood?" Monica stated, her arms crossed, a stern expression on her face.

"My students are already accustomed to this. Now, pull yourselves together and get back to your respective classes."

Those who could manage it slowly pushed themselves up, their limbs trembling, and began to shuffle out of the hall.

"Wait."

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