The announcement came through a booming voice across the town:
"Today's Arena Challenge begins! All beast tamers, report to the Colosseum!"
Lin Z gulped. The Colosseum. Where legendary tamers with dragons, phoenixes, and even beasts that could level mountains gathered. And here he was… with Scrappy, the tiniest, saddest-looking dragon anyone had ever seen.
"Don't worry," Lin Z whispered to Scrappy. "We'll figure this out… somehow."
Opponent 1: A tamer named Kael, with a massive black dragon that radiated power. His dragon's scales shimmered like obsidian, claws sharp enough to slice boulders. He smirked at Lin Z.
Ha! That's your dragon" Kael laughed, pointing at Scrappy, who looked more like a fire breathing lizard. "Pathetic."
Lin Z gritted his teeth. Weak? Maybe. But clever… that's something.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
Battle Start
Kael's dragon charged, roaring, fire streaking from its mouth. Lin Z had one second to act.
"Scrappy! Dodge and… confuse it!"
Scrappy sneezed, sending a tiny puff of fire that barely reached Kael's dragon but the smoke clouded its eyes just enough. Lin Z activated a feature of his Beast Tamer System he had just discovered:
"Beast Coordination: Multiple Actions Allowed for F Rank Tamer."
Suddenly, Scrappy ran in unpredictable patterns, flicking flames and tail whips in all directions. Kael's dragon stumbled, confused by the erratic movement.
"Use… all of your weak attacks together!" Lin Z yelled.
The combination of tiny fire bursts, tail flicks, and lunges from Scrappy created a pattern so chaotic it disoriented Kael's dragon. With a final sneeze fire puff, it tripped over its own feet, sliding across the arena floor.
The crowd gasped. A Level 1 "weak dragon" had just defeated a top tier dragon in a single maneuver.
Kael turned red with fury. "Impossible! How
Lin Z wiped sweat from his forehead. "Never underestimate the weak… if they're smart."
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
Battle Won. Rewards: XP + 100, Scrappy Level Up: 2, Bonding Increased.
New Ability Unlocked: 'Scrappy Chaos': Small beasts cause unpredictable effects that can disorient larger opponents.
The spectators erupted into cheers, whispering in disbelief. Lin Z might be the weakest tamer on paper, but he had just turned the tables in a way no one expected.
Lin Z looked down at Scrappy, who sneezed again and puffed a tiny flame. "Not bad for a weak little dragon, huh?"
Scrappy blinked, smoke curling from its nose like a proud little crown. Lin Z laughed. If this was just the first battle… imagine what we can do next.