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

"Did all of them leave without me?" Nox spoke aloud as he picked up the parchment lying casually just outside his temporary room. Nox picked up the letter, but he didn't hurriedly open it to read.

On Earth, there had been more than one case where people were killed through letters such as this... Though he had crossed over to this fantasy world, with all the powerful tunesmiths who could breathe life into anything, it was within the realm of possibility.

This was even more true because of the current war with the elemental beasts; this letter could be from any of the other factions. You might wonder why they would target Nox? It was pretty simple. He was one of the biggest competitors likely to get the elemental crystal with the help of his beast companions.

Considering all this, Nox walked through the abandoned ship, his steps silent like those of an assassin, a habit he had learned after staying so close to Eve.

Nox checked all the rooms one after the other, yet he still didn't find anyone. The ship was so silent that he could hear the creaking of the doors and rodents running around.

[Hey human, you want a piece of me?]

[Come catch me if you're man enough!] One rodent stood on its legs and balled its fists as if it were challenging him. Nox briefly used *Analyze* on the magical beast but frowned in disappointment as he squatted down to the rodent's level.

The red-eyed rodent flinched back with a terrified expression. Humans were large, and one stomp was all it would take to crush it into paste. The rodent didn't think the human would be petty enough to take offense at its little thought and was ready to run for its dear life.

However...

"Little guy...where are the others?"

Huh? Who said that?! The red-eyed rodent heard a booming voice in its head and jumped up in fright. It looked around with a panicked expression crossing its face. Where did that voice come from? It sounded so divine, like that of a higher being.

Seeing the beast's frightened expression, Nox laughed in an amused voice. "I'm the one speaking to you, doofus." He was now accustomed to beasts' reactions whenever he used his class utility skill—telepathy—to communicate with them. Still, he found it quite funny.

"Y-you...how are you talking to me?" the rodent stuttered uncontrollably. Could it be that the human had heard the degrading words he had just spoken? What sort of strange human was this?

"I'm just like every other human, but a bit special," Nox explained as he heard the thoughts of the rodent.

"H-how are you talking to me?"

"It's a little trick of mine," Nox responded and looked at the rodent with a serious expression on his face. "Now, seriously, where are the others? Did they really leave without me, and what is this letter?"

The red-eyed rodent, still visibly shaken but now curious, cautiously pointed a tiny paw down the corridor. "They... they went that way," it squeaked, trying to sound brave despite its obvious fear of the towering human before it.

"I think it's about the elemental beast you guys are after?"

"H-how did you know about the elemental beast?"

The rodent's face squeezed up in an annoyed yet cute way. "I live here, remember? I overhear everything you guys discuss." He sounded as if he was stating the obvious, and a look of understanding flashed through Nox's midnight eyes.

The rodent, now much more comfortable with Nox, leaned forward, its red eyes sparkling with mischief as it whispered in a quiet voice, as if it didn't want anyone to overhear, even though no one was close by.

Nox thought the rodent was about to tell him important information about the Maverick Guild that he didn't know about. ԋо?ѕ*т!ƹ#ɗ?-?

However...

"Do you want to know what the big man—what's his name again? Cormach?—oh, and that beast—I mean Brenda—do every night?"

"I don't care and don't wish to know...did they leave this behind for me?" Nox asked as he showed the gossipy rat the parchment, to which it nodded.

"Thanks, little guy," Nox said with a grin, patting the rodent gently on its head. "You should probably lay off the challenges, though. Some humans might not be as friendly as I am." With that, he opened the letter without hesitation and started to read through it.

"Hey, this is your brother Jack! So, we found the location of the elemental beast and will be heading there... there's a map behind this parchment...when you're done with your self-care—I mean whatever you're doing—you can come over!"

'They found the elemental beast's location?' Nox didn't jump up in excitement like other times. After witnessing the terrifying power of the elemental beast, there was no way he could be excited.

Instead of rushing over like the others, Nox decided to spend a bit of time formulating a plan, a foolproof plan that would let him defeat the elemental beast and steal the coveted elemental crystal right under the noses of all the factions.

Yes, their alliance or whatever they called it didn't apply to him. He wouldn't engage in a bloody fight for the crystal unless things escalated.

It took a while, but Nox finally thought of something as he flipped the paper and studied the map. It wasn't too complicated, unlike the maps on Earth Nox was used to... Those things were so complicated that he sometimes wondered how people studied them.

Fortunately, this map was noob-friendly.

Before he left, though, the red-eyed rodent called out, "Hey, can I join you?"

"Sure!" Nox didn't see anything wrong with it. If the rat got itself killed on the battlefield, then it was its fault.

Activating [Divine Velocity], Nox moved at the speed of light through the streets of Coastal City. His eyes were fixed on the map, but he still expertly dodged all obstacles in his path.

"Dammit, this is the second time this hateful wind has destroyed my shade this week!"

"Dammit my roof."

"Curse you wind!"

Though he could dodge all obstacles, the wind current was just out of his control.

Soon enough, he arrived at the indicated spot just in time.

"Asta," Nox narrowed his eyes as he watched the fierce blue ice hurricane that was devouring everything in its path and called forth his new pet, who appeared with a radiant expression on her beautiful face.

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Don't give up on this poor Authur. He needs your support to stay motivated.