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

Finally, they arrived at the kitchen doors.

It was an iron door, and it seemed sturdy.

Theo tested the handle, a frown appearing on his face.

"It's locked."

"Step back," Jack spoke softly as he stepped forward. His eyes scanned their surroundings.

Nyx, her arms folded across her chest, frowned, wondering what he was up to this time.

"Found it!" Jack suddenly exclaimed when his gaze fell on two slim iron rods. He quickly picked them up, resting his odachi to the side. Pressing his lips together, he began to wiggle the two rods inside the lock.

Theo and Nyx exchanged a glance, confused but choosing not to interrupt Jack, who looked extremely serious.

Soon, a low click echoed.

"Phew, still got it in me," he smiled proudly as the door creaked open slowly.

"You mean burglary?" Nyx rolled her eyes as she stepped into the kitchen.

Inside, the kitchen was ransacked—pots overturned, meat torn open and rotting. But there was still food: salted jerky, grain sacks, dried fruits, and a few sealed crates of water and wine.

Nyx grabbed a half-broken basket and stored it inside her inventory.

They moved quickly, stuffing what they could into their inventories.

Of course, they only took the goods that were in good condition. The last thing they wanted was for their classmates to suffer an upset stomach during a fight with the demons.

Just as Theo zipped the last satchel of supplies shut, a loud metallic clang echoed from the hallway.

CLANG!

Nyx's head snapped toward the door, eyes widening slightly. "What was that?!"

Jack cursed under his breath. "I think someone—or something—is coming this way."

Theo unsheathed his sword, the blade gleaming dangerously.

BOOM!

The kitchen door burst open before they could even move.

Seven low-level armored demons stormed in—horned, with blood-soaked blades and armor.

"INTRUDERS!" one howled. "TEAR THEM APART!"

Nyx didn't wait. "[Divine Lance]!"

A spear of golden light shot from her palm, piercing the first demon's torso and slamming it into the far wall with a wet crunch. The others surged forward.

Jack stepped in, his odachi gleaming. "Theo—cover her!"

"Already on it!" Theo blocked a cleaver swing, sparks flying from the clash. He pivoted, slashing through the demon's leg and slamming it to the floor. "One down!"

Another demon leapt at Nyx, snarling.

She ducked, spun low, and let out a burst of radiant flame—BOOM!—incinerating the creature's upper half instantly. Blood sprayed across the cabinets.

Jack parried a twin-blade strike and retaliated with a clean horizontal slash—SHING!—decapitating two demons in one fluid motion.

A winged demon launched into the air and dove after them.

Theo turned mid-run and hurled his sword like a spear at the last demon—right into the creature's throat.

THWACK!

He retrieved his sword just as quickly, but there was no time to catch a breath. More were coming.

From the hallway, a second wave of demon soldiers poured in, attracted by the noise and flames.

"Shit!" Jack cursed.

Nyx's expression changed as a hundred demons rushed toward them.

Theo's grip on his sword tightened.

The situation looked extremely bleak.

Atop a makeshift tower built by the demons for a clearer vantage, General Vom stood unmoving, his massive clawed hand resting on the hilt of his giant axe as he stared down at the carnage.

The battlefield before the gates was a massacre.

His soldiers, his hounds, his commanders… reduced to ash and ice.

All by one human.

That cursed, lightning-fast blur with elemental control and impossible strength.

"He's very impressive, without a doubt," Vom muttered, his voice a low growl.

The ground was painted in demon blood, and yet the human still stood—unscathed. His blade dripped with the blood of his enemies. Flames danced across his back, frost steamed from his weapon, and stone spikes jutted from the battlefield where demons once stood.

A true calamity.

Behind Vom, his advisor—a smaller, grey-skinned demon clad in bone armor—stepped forward nervously.

"General… shall I order the third elite squad? Or perhaps—perhaps you should intervene? Before we lose the rest…"

Vom didn't answer.

He simply watched as Glacier's End tore through another formation of demon guards like paper.

His frown deepened.

The advisor grew more anxious. "Sir, please. If we wait too long, the front gate will fall. This intruder… he's not ordinary!"

Vom slowly turned his head.

His crimson eyes locked onto the trembling demon.

The advisor flinched.

"Do you doubt my power?"

"N-No! Of course not, my lord! I just—I only thought—"

Vom raised one massive finger, silencing him.

The winds howled behind them. The fortress trembled slightly from another shockwave outside.

Vom turned back to the window.

He flexed his fingers slowly. "I will observe for now. Let him dance. If he truly wishes to reach me…"

He bared his fangs.

"…Then let him climb over the corpses of my entire legion."

The advisor gulped.

"And if he does?"

Vom's grin widened.

"Then I'll crush him myself."

Outside, Nox looked up at the makeshift tower.

Their eyes didn't meet—but the tension had begun to boil.

He halted his attacks for a moment, scanning the bridge that now showed faint cracks.

"Drake, Valkor, I need you both to infiltrate the academy," he said without turning back. "It seems more effort will be needed to draw this Vom out."

"On it!" they echoed in unison and dashed toward the academy like flickering shadows, cutting down any demons in their path.

"Tch. So you've been hiding like a coward," Nox muttered, brushing blood off his cheek. "Well then, let's see if you won't come out after this!"

He raised his arms and activated Shadow Oblivion in quick succession—

BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!

All the demons on the bridge were obliterated, unaware of how they even died. A large chunk of the bridge was destroyed.

At that moment, a crushing killing intent exploded from the far side.

"Enough!" a booming voice echoed. "You've done enough!"

A towering figure stepped out, surrounded by black mist. His skin was dark crimson, and black horns curled around his head like a crown. His eyes burned like hellfire, and in his hand was a massive axe nearly twice the size of Nox.

"Heheheh… I knew that would work!" Nox chuckled.

His expression darkened in an instant and his voice turned cold and sharp.

"You're Vom right? I'll give you five seconds. Tell me what happened to the city while I was gone. Your time starts now."