I am Just an Average Tamer

Somewhere deeper in the forest maze, the dappled sunlight filtered through the thick canopy, casting flickering patterns onto the moss-laced ground.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves above, but otherwise, the jungle remained eerily still.

A girl, around seventeen moved with careful steps through the brush, her blonde hair catching the light like gold threads.

A few loose strands clung to her cheeks, damp with sweat. Her green eyes scanned the terrain, alert and unwavering, fingers twitching beside the hilt of the short dagger sheathed at her side.

Unlike many others, she wasn't dashing about wildly in search of tokens.

No, Aria had patience. She didn't want to stumble into a fight.

Not yet.

"Calm mind wins the race," she muttered under her breath, echoing the words her mentor once drilled into her.

The vines parted as she pushed ahead, ducking under a fallen branch. That's when a glint caught her eye.

She froze mid-step.

A faint shimmer, just ahead, nestled between two twisted roots.

A small, silver-colored token—not so much larger than a coin—rested there. Its surface shimmered softly under the sunlight, like a polished mirror.

Her breath hitched.

'A token?'

She crept closer, boots soundless on the moss.

Every instinct screamed for her to grab it.

But her brows knit together.

It was too perfect.

Not buried. Not hidden.

Just there, lying openly in a shaft of sunlight like some glowing prize.

Aria narrowed her eyes. Her hand twitched toward her dagger but didn't draw it.

She studied the ground.

There—barely visible—a fine line etched in the soil surrounding the token. Almost like a circle. No, a pressure plate. And faintly embedded into the nearby root…a thin metal tube.

Her stomach tightened.

'Trap.'

A slow exhale escaped her lips. One more step, and her foot would've pressed down.

She didn't take another.

Instead, she bent down and picked up a nearby twig.

"Let's see what you were planning…"

She extended the twig and tapped it lightly on the token.

Click.

The ground beneath it instantly dropped open, revealing a hidden pit lined with sharpened, vine-wrapped wooden spikes.

Not deep enough to kill. But definitely enough to cripple.

Aria stared.

One more step, and she would've been skewered like a roast.

"…Sneaky bastards," she whispered, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

Then she reached just over the edge, careful not to set off any additional triggers, and plucked the token out using the tip of her dagger.

It shimmered in her palm, real and warm to the touch.

She stared at it for a second longer—then tucked it into the pouch on her belt and stepped back into the shadows, vanishing between the trees without a trace.

She was quiet again.

Eyes sharper.

Now she knew what kind of games they were playing.

And she wasn't about to be outplayed.

Her breath rushed out in a cold gasp.

"Figures," she muttered, backing off. "Someone's been setting traps."

She triggered two more deliberately—spring-loaded snares and hidden spike pits, dodging each one with smooth, practiced grace.

But then… her eyes caught something.

A faint glint in the trees to the left. Not another token—but the glint of a blade. The light bounce off an edge. Someone had been watching. Someone had set the traps.

Aria's fingers tightened.

With a soft whistle through her teeth, a shadow emerged from the trees.

A sleek, muscular panther, its fur dark as iron and its fangs glowing faintly with a metallic sheen, landed beside her.

Its eyes glowed golden, and a low growl rumbled in its throat.

"Iny," she whispered. "Mark the glint and engage."

The Ironfang panther turned toward the direction of her gesture and launched forward in a silent blur.

The bushes exploded.

A figure rolled out of the foliage, barely dodging the pounce of the Iny.

A girl with short copper-colored hair, clad in an armored tunic layered with leaves and bark, somersaulted onto a rock and skidded to a stop.

She snapped her fingers. A beast burst from the shadows—a long-limbed vine wolf with twisting ivy for fur and glowing amber eyes.

"Oh, so it's you," the girl muttered, dusting off her knees. "You weren't supposed to find me so soon."

"You've been laying traps across this section," Aria said calmly. "You've wasted your token bait."

The copper-haired girl grinned, pulling out a token from her pouch. "You mean these tokens?"

Aria's eyes narrowed.

"You're hoarding them."

"Not just for myself. I sell them. Favor for favor. Power in numbers, you know?" She tilted her head. "But you ruined my afternoon sneak, so now I guess I'll have to take yours."

She raised her hand—and the vine wolf lunged.

"Iny, engage!" Aria shouted.

The two beasts collided in mid-air, snarling and tumbling across the mossy ground in a flurry of claws and leaves.

The vine wolf lashed out with thorned tendrils, trying to ensnare the panther, but Ironfang twisted out, fangs flashing as it tore through the vines.

Aria took a step back, steadying her stance.

With a soft chant, her hands glowed.

A green aura pulsed from her palms, and her second beast shimmered into view behind her.

A Frostspine Hare—larger than any ordinary rabbit, with icy blue fur and jagged frost-tipped antlers—bounded forward, cold mist curling around its feet.

"Go," Aria commanded, pointing at the rock the opponent had climbed.

The Frostspine Hare leapt with a burst of icy wind, launching itself at the girl.

The opposing tamer dodged and summoned a second beast—an Embertooth Lynx. It hissed, fire crackling in its fur, and intercepted the hare mid-air in a crash of ice and flame.

The glade lit up as magic flared between the beasts.

"Not bad," the copper-haired girl called. "Most can't handle two at once."

"I'm not most," Aria replied.

The Ironfang Panther, now free from the vine wolf, joined the fray again, this time slashing at the Lynx with its claws while the Hare launched another frost shard spell.

The ground trembled with the impact of spells and roars. Ice formed across branches and scorched patches marred the grass.

The Frostspine Hare took a swipe from the Lynx and staggered, its antlers cracked. Aria winced.

She reached into her pouch, pulling out a glimmering beast bond rune and whispered a reinforcement chant.

A third beast emerged behind her—a Skygleam Wyrenling, its wings sparkling like stars, scales reflecting light in a spectrum of pale blue and gold.

Gasps echoed in the audience watching through magical artifacts.

From their vantage point in the observatory, professors leaned forward.

"Skygleam?" murmured one. "That's one of the rarest class. That girl's hiding real strength."

"She's holding her own against an aggressive double-beast combo," another professor added. "That synergy between her Frostspine and Ironfang… impressive."

"She isn't wasting mana either. That's a tactician's mind right there."

Back in the forest, Aria's eyes remained locked on her opponent.

The opposing tamer gritted her teeth. "Tch. You've got three out already?"

Aria raised her hand— and a sleek wand-like branch carved from crystalroot wood, veins of soft blue glowing through its surface, and a crescent gem embedded at the top, emerged in her hand.

"Still want to try me?" Aria asked quietly.

The copper-haired girl hesitated.

Then she clicked her tongue and retreated. "Tch. I'll find another. You're not worth it if it means losing all my beasts."

She vanished into the trees.

Aria lowered her staff slowly, breathing heavily.

"Haa... haa..."

The beasts gathered around her. Iny, panting. Frostspine, injured but standing. Skygleam, hovering above with a soft gleam in its wings.

She gently touched the Frostspine's antlers, channeling a mild healing pulse. The cracks faded slightly.

"Good work," she whispered.

Then she glanced toward the trees.

Another trap shimmered faintly ahead—undisturbed. But she didn't smile.

Instead, she whispered to herself, "Still far from enough…"

And deeper in the forest, the battle continued.

Aria rose slowly, her fingers brushing along Frostspine's icy fur as she stood.

The beast leaned into her touch with a soft trill, the cold mist around it thinning slightly.

Ironfang prowled at her side, ever alert, its metallic tail swishing through the grass, while Skygleam circled above, wings outstretched, casting shimmering reflections on the forest floor.

She let out a breath.

Skygleam fluttered lower, landing gently beside her. The tiny dragon-like beast rubbed its scaled head against her elbow. Aria smiled faintly, reaching up to stroke its glistening neck.

"Thanks," she murmured. "You all were amazing."

A pulse from her crystalroot staff reminded her to keep moving—mana was limited, and the forest wasn't done testing her yet.

Then, she heard it.

A faint rustling—not from her, not from her beasts.

Aria froze, holding up a hand. Ironfang tensed. Skygleam lifted its head.

A shadow flitted between the trees. She turned, her green eyes narrowing.

Was it another participant? Another trap-setter?

No.

A beast. But not one of hers.

Her grip on her staff tightened.

But then, nothing emerged. The rustling faded, and the silence fell again.

She exhaled slowly.