Insect Tamer's Ascension

Chapter 539: 539. Three beasts, all out to kill

Theo’s pupils shrank as he looked at the three silhouettes that had entered his spatial senses. And his spatial sense only covered a little area around him like a dome.

Two were moving on the ground and one was above, from what he could tell. And all three of them seemed to be moving slowly toward him.

"Professor..." Theo muttered and looked at Velra, who was standing far enough away to not get involved in what was happening.

The man’s grin had only widened.

"I told you I would make you uphold your claim, student," Velra spoke loudly enough for Theo to hear.

"Three academy-level challenges. Survive them and show me that your words are worth listening to."

Theo clenched his jaw and looked ahead again.

The first one that came out from the left side was a beast that Theo had seen a few times, yet the breed was way different from the normal kind.

It looked like a panther but its full body was wrapped in small metallic scales that looked like overlapping plates. They looked like that of the little dragon’s scaly skin, only a lot more dangerous.

Its eyes were golden and had a wildness in them that made Theo’s instincts scream. He knew the beast was not going to be easy to deal with.

The second one was from the right. A long reptilian beast with four thick legs, an elongated mouth, and a tail with rough bony spikes all over.

Its skin was muddy brown with dark green patches, making it look like something that should have stayed inside swamps and not the academy.

But the one that made Theo’s scalp go numb was the third one, and it was above.

There was a bird circling in the sky with wings so broad that even when it was a mere silhouette, Theo could tell its descent would become a disaster if he was not careful.

’What the hell is this old man trying to prove?!’ Theo thought while his sword already came out of the scabbard.

The mantis had come close to his shoulder and was already making restless sounds.

’Three... all three at once?’ Theo asked in the bond and felt only the same battle excitement in return.

’This is insane’

The mantis didn’t care for that and kept its big eyes on the incoming beasts. Theo looked at Velra one time and saw how he was unfazed by the mantis’s suppression.

Just when he thought he was ready, he went on to ask the professor one vital piece of information.

"Am I allowed to kill them?" he asked in a loud shout.

Velra folded his arms and shouted back, "Only if you are too weak to do anything else!"

Theo clicked his tongue.

That answer meant no proper killing, as he had given this answer some time ago to one of the team members.

The panther-like beast was the first one to reach him, and unlike normal beasts, it didn’t roar before attacking.

It moved in silence.

Its footsteps were like those of a cat. Even while running fast, there was no sound to it.

Only the shift in Theo’s spatial senses told him where it was truly aiming for.

Theo moved to the right instantly while the mantis did the same as if trying to go along with Theo’s directions this time.

The black panther’s claws came very close to Theo’s new armor but he was able to beat it by inches.

Yet when one of the panther’s paws went down on the ground, it moved ahead again, this time scratching Theo’s new armor and making a ’SCREECH’ sound.

Theo’s eyes widened.

It wasn’t painful at all but at the same time, Theo could feel the pressure behind the panther’s paw. It looked fluffy but there was a kick to it.

’This armor... it’s definitely good. But is it as good as my lesser dragon armor?’ Theo thought and then got no more time to appreciate the thought.

The reptilian beast was already there, its mouth opening fully while its legs pushed it into a brutal charge.

Theo hyper-jumped backward just in time and the beast’s head rammed into the ground where he was standing a second ago.

’Is this guy serious?? Do I even have any defense on me right now? I don’t see the assistants right now.’

Theo thought to himself.

For some reason, this battle felt a lot more real than an academy one should feel like.

Dust flew up all around the place and that was when the bird in the sky folded its wings.

’Mantis!’ Theo shouted in the bond.

The mantis moved by instinct and just when the bird beast dived down with its talons shining under the sun, the mantis became a streak of white and metallic light.

The bird’s scream and the mantis’s screech collided in the air at the same time.

Theo did not even look up for more than a second.

The panther had turned around again.

All this was happening in a matter of seconds and Velra was looking at the interaction without the grin this time.

The panther’s body was low, its eyes were on him and its tail was moving from side to side.

’Fast and smart...’ Theo thought and put the sword in front of him.

The beast moved again and this time, Theo saw it in full focus.

Its foreleg came first but that was only a distraction.

It wanted to use the other claw for the neck.

Theo angled the sword and felt the claw scrape against the blade before he moved his foot and turned his body.

The momentum of the beast carried it a little past him and Theo smacked the blunt side of the sword right at its rib area.

The beast grunted and moved away quickly with no major damage.

"Its skin is tough too?" Theo muttered and then felt something shake the ground.

The reptilian beast had turned around and this time, it swung its tail toward Theo with all the spikes on it.

Theo bent low and the tail passed above him with enough force to make the air move in his ears and somewhat hurt them.

The moment he got up again, he saw the bird descend from above with the mantis still close to it.

The mantis had managed to make a small wound near one of the wings but the bird’s speed in the air was ridiculous.

It shouldn’t even be able to fly right now, yet here it was doing it right in front of him.

’We need to bring one of them out first...’ Theo thought and then his eyes quickly went to the reptilian beast.

That one was the heaviest and the least agile one among the three.

And if Theo was right, he could handle the fast one, but for the slow one to surprise attack him, Theo knew he might not be able to get out of it unscathed.

’Mantis, poison the bird and come back to me. We will focus on the lizard first.’

Theo gave the command and the mantis abruptly changed direction mid-air.

The bird seemed to get furious from being ignored and followed right after it.

Theo, on the other hand, ran directly toward the reptilian beast, making Velra’s eyes widen from afar.

The beast opened its jaws and a brownish fluid started building near its throat.

’No you don’t.’