Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!-Chapter 591: The Mysterious Girl
Western Side...
After an hour of walking, Valkor and Celestis arrived before a building. The last few minutes hadn't been peaceful for the duo, as they had unfortunately run into two Scourge Dragons.
Fighting the Scourge beasts wasn't the problem—what had prolonged the fight and put a strain on them was trying to kill the creatures without making any noise, so as not to alert the patrol dragons above.
Fortunately, both of them were skilled enough to pull it off.
"This place is… eerie," Valkor muttered, pushing aside a heavy curtain of moss hanging from the cracked ceiling. Each step echoed through the air.
The marble tiles beneath them were cracked, stained, and half-sunken into the earth, as if the ground had been swallowing the building whole for centuries.
"Too quiet," Celestis replied, her eyes locked on something ahead.
A fountain.
It stood in the middle of the corridor. Its bowl was broken, its statues chipped, and vines curled around the feet of what might've once been a dragon's snout.
But it wasn't the craftsmanship that caught her attention.
It was the faint shimmer of light reflecting off the water still gathered inside.
"Mana water?" Valkor asked, stepping up beside her and peering in. "Or just stagnant sludge?"
Celestis shook her head slowly. "No. This isn't mana-infused water. It's something else entirely."
She raised a hand. Water gathered into a small sphere above her palm. She guided it gently into the fountain, drawing out some of the glowing fluid with magic.
"It's alive," she whispered.
Valkor raised a brow. "Alive? What do you mean by that?"
"Not in the literal sense… but it's holding something. I can feel it." Her voice dropped. "You Fire Dragons might not know this, but water is very special."
"Special?" Valkor chuckled. "That's funny, because in the Dragon Realm, water is considered one of the weakest. But let's not talk about that."
A pout appeared on Celestis's face. She wanted to refute his claim but eventually let it go. She spoke again, more seriously. "Water holds memories. My technique isn't as refined as Mother's, but let me try something."
The moment her water sphere made contact with the fountain's liquid, a pulse rippled through it. The orb glowed a dull blue—
Then abruptly collapsed into a puddle, splashing everywhere.
An awkward silence followed for several seconds.
"Was that what you intended to do?"
"No, you dumbass," she muttered, gritting her teeth as her cheeks flushed red.in embarrassment.
"As I thought… it didn't work." She sighed after her failed attempt to read the water's memories. "If Mother were here, I'm sure she'd easily decipher it."
Suddenly, a sound broke the quiet—footsteps. Human ones.
Celestis gasped and nearly dropped the remaining water sphere floating above her palm.
Valkor stepped forward instantly. "You alright? What happened?"
"I heard… footsteps." She looked at him, confused. "Didn't you?"
"No. I didn't hear anything." His voice lowered. "I think you—"
Before he could finish, he froze.
Footsteps.
Slow. Deliberate.
He heard them too.
"Come, let's hide!" Valkor said, pulling the petite Celestis aside. They ducked behind a half-fallen mural and held their breath.
A shadow moved into the corridor. At first, it wasn't clear—but then they saw her.
A girl.
She was young—maybe sixteen—cloaked in deep green, her hood pulled low. Her skin was pale, and she looked far too out of place in this corrupted world.
She paused in front of the fountain.
Celestis held her breath. Purple flames danced around Valkor's hand.
The girl said nothing.
But then… slowly, she turned her head.
And stared directly at them.
"You shouldn't be here," she said.
"Huh?" The two looked at each other, stunned. They couldn't believe the girl had spotted them so easily—without even trying.
Was their hiding spot really that terrible?
More importantly, why was a little girl like her in this realm at all?
They remained still for several seconds. Then, sharing a glance, they both jumped out at once.
Fire danced around Valkor's arms. Tendrils of water coiled around Celestis.
---
The northern side, in a ruined tower...
"This tower's unstable," Elise muttered, carefully navigating a narrow ledge of crumbling stairs. Her boots dislodged bits of stone that clattered loudly below.
"Be careful," Zara warned from above, already nearing the top. She moved with sharp, deliberate steps, her motion elegant despite the ruin.
"The higher we go, the better the view," she added.
Elise didn't argue and picked up her pace.
They finally reached the top.
The air was harsh here. Cold winds swept through the shattered opening where the roof once stood. Only broken railings remained.
But the view…
The ruined city stretched for miles. Tower after tower. Road after road. Blackened scars marred the land. Corrupted mana clung to the sky like a disease.
But in the far distance, a towering structure stood out—surprisingly intact. Not only that, several Scourge Dragons circled the area, and the corruption seemed denser there.
After a brief glance at the cityscape, Zara retrieved a piece of paper and began to sketch.
Elise craned her neck to peek over. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized what Zara was doing. "You can draw?"
"Yup," Zara replied, not looking up. "My father taught me when I was a kid."
"Oh, I see." Elise nodded. It was no secret that Dracos was talented. She vaguely remembered that he was the one who'd sketched the map that guided them here.
Satisfied, Zara smiled at her rough map. "This reminds me—I should probably sketch a drawing of Nox if we ever return."
Her mind couldn't help but drift back to the time she'd seen him naked.
"Focus on the mission," she muttered to herself, shaking the image from her mind. Just as she reached down to pick up the map again—
Elise held out a hand. "Wait. Don't move."
Zara froze.
Elise's eyes were locked on something in the distance.
Far below, in one of the massive destroyed courtyards, two figures hovered.
They were Humanoind.
Not one—but two.
