Beast Tamer Era: Capturing SSS-ranks with the Strongest Taming System-Chapter 122: Right by Conquest & Mercy

A long time ago.

Before the rise of the Three Kingdoms, there was no Great Wall dividing the southern region from the rest of the world.

Unlike Earth, Veloria had only a single vast landmass. A sprawling continent divided into countless regions, each distinct in its climate, terrain, and fortune.

The northern region was the harshest of them all. There food was scarce, warmth was fleeting, and surviving itself was a daily struggle. There was little there to sustain prosperity or comfort, and even less to nurture ambition.

In contrast, the southern region was a realm of abundance. It was rich in minerals, fertile in soil, and overflowing with flora and fauna. Rivers meandered through green plains, mountains glittered with ore, and the weather was mild enough to nurture various cultures and civilizations. It was a paradise compared to the frozen desolation of the north.

The other two regions were worse off than the southern region, but compared to the northern region, their situation was incomparably better.

During that ancient time, the southern region was ruled by a confederation known as the Hundred—a collection of one hundred distinct tribes bound together by a web of customs and oaths.

Though the tribes often clashed over territory, resources, and pride, their wars rarely ended in annihilation or big losses. There existed a set of laws that all were bound to obey, laws ensuring that defeat never meant despair, that the losing side wouldn’t face losses they can’t recover from.

These laws were what allowed the Hundred to prosper steadily, generation after generation.

However, their peace shattered when invaders came from the east.

The invasion was swift and merciless.

More than half of the Hundred’s forces were wiped out overnight.

Those who survived fled into the Misty Swamp region, seeking refuge from the slaughter that had claimed their kin.

They abandoned their ancestral lands to survive.

The invaders seized those lands and built their own realms atop the ashes of the Hundred. That was how the Three Kingdoms came into existence.

Among the survivors of that tragedy was the Serpent Tribe.

Unsurprisingly, everyone within the Flying Serpent’s dominion was a descendant of those who had their homeland stolen by the founders of the Three Kingdoms.

As a result, they hated the Three with a venom that ran deeper than blood. And their hatred only grew with time, for the Three Kingdoms never stopped sending punitive expeditions into the Misty Swamp, testing whether it could be conquered and colonized. At times, they even enlisted the aid of the Hundred Nations scattered across the western region, hoping to claim what they considered "untamed land."

Ray didn’t know a thing about the bloody history of Veloria.

He had been thrown into this world without warning, in the middle of a trial he hadn’t even finished. He wasn’t given the chance to study it’s nations in depth and familiarize himself with its rich history.

He had no idea that the hatred between the tribes and the kingdoms ran deeper than generations, built upon endless cycles of conquest and vengeance.

So, it was only natural that he found himself utterly confused by how hostile the Serpent Tribe was acting toward him.

Noticing his confusion, the Flying Serpent said, "Master, there’s something you should know."

"Does it have something to do with why your underlings are against serving me, even though you, their master, have already given in?" Ray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, it has everything to do with it," it replied.

"Go on," Ray said, giving it permission to continue.

And so, the Flying Serpent explained everything of importance to him.

It told him how their lands had been stolen.

It told him that the Three Kingdoms were born atop the bones of their ancestors.

It told him that the hatred between their kind and the races of the Alliance of the Three had festered for centuries without end and it was impossible to resolve it in a day or two.

Humans were part of it, so their hatred naturally extended towards him.

’I was wrong.’

By the time Ray had digested it all, he couldn’t help but realize how ridiculous his expectations had been.

He had thought that the monsters of the labyrinth would serve as his palace guards simply because their master had already submitted to him, but now it was clear that wouldn’t be enough.

Loyalty born from hatred was not so easily reshaped, after all.

Furthermore, not everyone was a coward like the Flying Serpent.

They might just choose death over serving him if he forced them as, in their eyes, he was a member of the race who had laid ruins to their golden days, and it was better to die than to spend the rest of their days in his servitude.

Now, there was another reason why using force was out of the question.

Inside the palace, they could be forced to obey him, but outside of it, they would not follow his orders and they would betray him at the first chance they got.

However, he had a choice.

He could use unique techniques to force them into a lifetime of servitude one by one, but it would take too long, and he simply didn’t have that kind of time. It also didn’t align with his aim. There was also a risk that once they realized what was happening they might choose to commit suicide rather than fall into his clutches.

"I have to win them over in a way I have never utilized before," he thought. "I have to make them want to obey me, not be forced to. But how do I do that?"

His gaze wandered over to the Flying Serpent as countless monsters glared daggers at him. Their desires were clear as day, written across their faces. They wanted to draw his blood, cut him into pieces and stuff those pieces into their mouths to vent out the anger and frustration that has been brewing and festering inside them for years.

The only reason they hadn’t acted upon said desire was the respect they held for their master.

"Any idea how I can bring them under my command?" Ray asked his new slave.

The Flying Serpent looked back at him, giving him a fitting reply,

"Because of what we have been through in the past, we respect strength above all. Challenge them to a duel. Demonstrate overwhelming strength while showing mercy. You can win them all through decisive domination and honorable rule."

Upon hearing its words, Ray immediately went to stand before the gathered army of serpentine creatures.

As they stared at him, their slit-pupiled eyes glimmered with hostility and disbelief. His presence, a lone human standing amidst their kind, felt almost sacrilegious to them. The air was tense, thick with an resentment that could not be dispelled with words alone.

"As you can already tell, your master has already submitted to me," Ray announced the truth they all feared to be real.

His voice echoed through the vast stone chamber as he continued speaking in a strong persuasive voice.

"But if any of you are dissatisfied with that decision, then now’s the only time you can do something about it. I’ll give you all a chance. Step forward and challenge me. If anyone here can so much as scratch me, I’ll immediately relinquish your master of his duty and leave without as much as a squeak. But if I knock you down before you can even land a hit on me, you’ll swear fealty and serve me faithfully as per the right of conquest."

Hisses erupted throughout the gathered crowd of Serpentine Creatures. His words had riled up the entire crowd.

To add fuel to the fire, he added, "So what do you say. Does anyone here have to guts to fight for his beliefs?"

"You dare!" shouted a deep, resonant voice. From the crowd, a massive snake-headed warrior stepped forward. His emerald scales glistened under the chamber’s dim light, and the golden crest atop his head marked his high standing. "You think you can command us, human? I am Sarthan, the Seventh General of the Snake Tribe, sworn blade of the Misty Swamp’s first lord, the Sky Dominating Flying Serpent! And mark my words! I’ll be the one to put you in your place and free my master from your control."

The Serpent Tribe was extremely old.

Once known as one of the Hundred, they had been divided into clans ruled by seven great generals.

The ranking among the Seven Generals of the Serpent Tribe was decided purely by age and ancestry. It wasn’t earned through strength.

As a result, Sarthan, who was the lowest ranked general in the Serpent Tribe, was the third strongest Sanke-Man in the entire tribe excluding the Flying Serpent.

He was the prodigy of the Serpent Tribe!

The Flying Serpent watched silently from behind, eyes almost overflowing with pity for his fellow clansman.

’Poor guy, he is in for a rude awakening. This human defeated me before I could get the chance to attack. He is at least an initial stage silver ranker. There’s no one here who can force him to take a single step back, much less harm him.’

Although it felt pity for Sarthan, it couldn’t stop the fight from taking place. Doing so would mean death, after all!