SSS Rank Dragon Tamer: Unleashed-Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Footprints in the Foothills

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The pine forest thinned as Zephyr, Fenna, and Star pressed south. Behind them, thread‑thin smoke from Lowmoor's chimneys faded into the pale winter sky. Ahead, the land rolled into rugged foothills where snow gave way to patches of frosted grass and shattered granite. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Star flew short bursts now—gliding fifteen, twenty meters before dropping onto Zephyr's shoulder. Each landing thumped a little heavier; the dragonling's molt had left him denser, muscles packed with new power. His wingspan now measured nearly forty centimeters, violet membrane humming with life.

"Careful, little scout," Zephyr chuckled as claws pricked through his cloak. "I'm not a tree branch."

Star chirped, unrepentant, and nuzzled Zephyr's ear. Fenna laughed, wind carrying her bright voice across the ridge. She pointed toward a river valley below. "Water and shelter. Perfect first camp."

They descended a rocky path, boots crunching on brittle sedge. Star circled overhead, Tremor Sense pinging small critters scurrying under roots. Night shadows stretched when they reached the valley floor, and a half‑collapsed stone tower came into view—overgrown, leaning, but walls still intact on three sides.

"A watchtower from the border wars," Fenna said, examining moss‑eaten carvings. "No fires here for decades."

Zephyr ran a hand over cold stone. "It will serve as a lair." The System chimed approval:

Objective A (Secure Lair) — Location accepted.

Conditions: Weatherproof, hidden entrance, basic resources.

They went to work.

Fenna collected willow branches and dried reed. Zephyr dismantled rotten beams for planks. Star Spark‑Dashed skyward to break dead limbs for kindling, returning with a triumphant trill each time. In the tower's dry corner they built a platform nest of straw, cloth scraps, and heat stones—Star's new bed.

Zephyr filled cracks in the wall with mud and moss, then dragged a fallen door slab across the ground‑floor arch, wedging it tight. Fenna set smoke‑ward herbs to mask their scent: thornmint, sleep‑sage, and frost petal.

By moonrise a faint warmth filled the space. Star curled in the nest, puffing sparks that died in the cold air. Zephyr spread blankets near the wall. Fenna rested beside him, shoulder against his. For a moment the world shrank to a circle of lamplight, the howl of wind buffered by stone.

"We did it," she murmured.

"First step." Zephyr tucked the moth‑eaten cloak tighter around her. Outside, snowflakes danced past the open slit of a window, but inside, safe heat hummed.

Sunlight slanted through the roof gap, waking Zephyr to the sight of Star balanced on the window ledge, batting at light dust motes. Fenna still slept, hair fanned over wool. Zephyr rose quietly, stepping outside.

The river cut a silver ribbon through the valley. To the east, slate ridges rose into the foothills proper. Somewhere beyond, Stage 3's second demand awaited: a beast core—not just any, but B‑Rank or stronger.

He consulted the System:

Task: Acquire B‑Rank core.

Tips: Predators in Stonejaw Range hold crystallized cores in nests.

Warning: Host rank low; employ stealth, allies, or traps.

Stonejaw Range bristled with stories: raptor packs with granite hides, rock‑eating ursines, even the rare Cliff Basilisk that turned prey to petrified statues.

Zephyr's stomach clenched. We can't fight B‑Rank beasts head‑on. He needed a plan.

When Fenna woke, they pored over a hand‑drawn map Grent had once shown Zephyr, marking miner trails along the eastern ridges. Star stood on the parchment, tail tracing routes.

"We start by scouting," Zephyr said. "Measure beasts, find a weak pack member."

Fenna set her jaw. "And brew stronger salves."

Three hours later they hiked a goat path up the first ridge. Star glided ahead, disappearing behind boulders, returning with chirps. Zephyr's Dragon Sense felt for heavy mana pulses—none yet.

Near midday, they topped a granite bluff. Below, a plateau stretched like a cracked table. On its far edge, skeletal pine trunks encircled a shallow pit filled with bones and gemstones.

Through his Sense, Zephyr counted three heavy signatures and many lighter flickers. They craned their heads over the rock lip.

Stoneclad Raptors—muscular creatures covered in plates of granite‑gray scales. Two adults ripped flesh from a furry carcass. A juvenile paced the pit, pecking at crystals embedded in bones. Within the nest gleamed a single green‑blue orb the size of Zephyr's fist: a condensed B‑Rank beast core.

Fenna's breath caught. "There."

Zephyr's heart hammered. "Yes. And two adults."

Star hissed, hackles rising. He flared wings, muscles tensing as if to dive. Zephyr steadied him. "Not yet, little one."

They crawled back. Star's scales dimmed. Zephyr's head spun with plan fragments: Trap? Lure? Wait until night? He remembered Command Aura—Tier 1; it could spook lesser dragons, but raptors were avian‑reptile hybrids, unaffected.

"We observe tonight," Zephyr decided. "See if adults leave to hunt."

Back at the tower, they spent the remaining daylight drilling.

Spark Dash Relay: Star shot between two posts fifteen meters apart, banking mid‑air. Each successful dash earned a sliver of fireheart moss.

Agility +2. Wing power +1.

Command Calm: Zephyr honed aura to soothe Star's restless energy, a skill vital for long stakeouts.

Bond harmony up.

Fenna's Herb Work: She brewed a brew of frost petal and ember thistle—"Chillflare tonic"—capable of numbing raptor jaws or igniting if tossed onto a torch. Testing on an old blanket left half charred, half frozen.

Star watched, fascinated, tail beating.

Night fell golden‑orange. They ate simple stew: river fish, dried roots. Star nibbled pellets, then curled under Zephyr's cloak. Exhaustion tugged at them, but tomorrow demanded courage.

Before dawn, they returned to the bluff. Frost glittered on granite. Raptors slept in the pit below, talons curled.

Hours crept. A midday breeze carried burned‑iron scent—blood or hot stone. Star sat still, only his eyes tracking every movement.

At dusk the adults stirred. One raptor screeched, wings beating dust; the other followed into dark pines, hunting. The juvenile remained, guarding.

Zephyr tensed. Core only lightly guarded now. But juvenile still strong.

Time trickled past. Moon climbed.

The juvenile prowled the nest rim, restless. Suddenly it bolted uphill, chasing a fleeing slope hare.

Zephyr breathed, "Now."

They slid down the bluff's backside, circling under rock ledges until they reached the pit's edge. Crystal shards crunched under boots. The core gleamed on a pile of brittle bones.

Zephyr dashed forward—grasped the orb. Cold lightning shot up his arm—the raw power of condensed life. He stuffed it into a rune‑lined pouch Fenna had stitched.

Star hissed a warning.

Juvenile raptor lunged back into the pit, mouth wide.

Fenna hurled the Chillflare tonic. It shattered on stone, releasing a twin blast of frost and flame. Steam billowed, confusing the beast.

Zephyr shouted "Spark Dash!" Star streaked like a comet, slashing the raptor's snout. The beast recoiled, screeching.

They ran, scrambling up the slope.

Behind, angry screeches echoed. Adults answered, thunderous wings smashing branches.

Zephyr's lungs burned. They dove beneath a ledge tunnel Star had scouted earlier. The tunnel tightened, too small for raptors.

They crouched, panting. Raptors screamed outside, talons scraping rock. Star trembled—half fear, half thrill.

After an eternity the wingbeats faded. Silence returned, broken only by wind.

Zephyr opened the pouch. The core pulsed, blue‑green light dancing in Star's eyes.

System: B‑Rank beast core captured.

Objective Two complete.

Stage 3 progress 100 %.

Processing rewards...

Host Blood‑line purity +3 % → 21 %

Star can now absorb core fragments for next evolution (Juvenile+).

Fenna sagged against the wall, laughing weakly. "We did it."

Zephyr drew her into a hug, Star wedged between them. For a moment all the fear, cold, and exhaustion fell away beneath warm triumph.

Back at the tower lair, they set the core on a straw mat. Star circled it, eyes wide, nose twitching at raw power.

"Tomorrow we start controlled absorption," Zephyr said. "Slow pulses only, to avoid backlash."

Fenna rinsed blood off her gloves. "We need rest. And a plan for the Guild—they'll still search."

Zephyr looked at Star, at the glowing core, and out the window to a sliver of dawn beyond peaks. "Stage 3 may be over," he whispered, "but the climb has just begun."

The little dragon settled beside the core, wings wrapped around it protectively. Zephyr's Dragon Sense expanded, now fifty meters; he felt squirrels sleeping in trees, felt Fenna's steady heartbeat, felt the deep dormant hush of ancient mountains.

Beyond lay open country—and unseen storms.

But tonight, in the half‑ruined tower, a dragon's fire burned brighter against the dark, and three hearts beat with unbroken hope.