I am Just an Average Tamer

A low chime echoed through the forest—sharp, clear, and oddly ominous.

Then came the voice.

"All tokens have been claimed. As per the rules, the forest will now begin to fill with miasma from the outskirts inward.

The mist will cover the entirety of the trial grounds by tomorrow's evening.

Survivors who retain their tokens until then, or reach the designated safe zones at the center, will pass. Good luck."

A moment of heavy silence hung in the air.

Then it shattered—shouts, panicked footsteps, beasts roaring in confusion.

Participants all across the forest froze mid-action.

Some cursed aloud. Others immediately began sprinting toward the center, following the carved paths or forging ahead blindly through thick brush and moss-laden trails.

One girl screamed as the first tendrils of violet fog began to seep between the roots behind her.

A boy climbed a tree in desperation, only to be yanked back down by a startled avian beast that took flight with a screech.

The forest, moments ago quiet in tension, was now a chaos of urgency and survival instinct.

Meanwhile, in the great coliseum above Auralian City, the crowd erupted into excitement.

Spectators leaned forward, pointing at the dozens of floating screens that showed participants scrambling from all corners of the forest.

The professors murmured among themselves, eyes sharp, noting each reaction, each mistake, each stroke of brilliance.

And in the front row of the VIP stand, seated upon her cushion with a small paper bag resting on her lap, Elina calmly nibbled on a round cookie, legs swinging with innocent contentment.

Liliana, seated beside her with a polished elegance, glanced over with a giggle. "Aren't you nervous, Elina? You're not even watching the screens. What if Kai gets hurt?"

Elina munched slowly, swallowed, and then shook her head.

"Nope," she said confidently between bites. "Big brother's gonna win."

She held up the cookie bag and offered one to Liliana with a wide smile.

Liliana blinked, lips parting, then let out a soft laugh and took the cookie. "Well… you're braver than most adults here, I think."

Elina nodded sagely, her cheeks puffed with crumbs.

Then her gaze lifted to the central screen—hovering largest of all, showing a zoomed-in view of the chaotic forest below.

Her eyes sparkled for a moment, as if searching for something—or someone—in that swirling mess of branches and beasts.

Liliana leaned forward, her fingers laced under her chin. "Let's see what he does now."

The crowd behind them roared louder as another clash appeared on-screen—a student barely dodging a creature that had gone wild in the fog.

The arena pulsed with excitement, and the storm of this final phase had just begun.

----

Kai rose slowly from the thick branch he had been lounging on, the bark creaking slightly under his weight.

He stretched with a soft groan, arms raised above his head, spine cracking in a satisfying pop. His shadow lengthened behind him as the golden hue of the setting sun dipped below the canopy, drenching the moss-covered forest in twilight.

The wind rustled softly, and the forest felt quieter than before—as if holding its breath.

Vael fluttered off his shoulder for a moment, circling once before returning, perching lightly again. Vex, hidden as always, remained blended into the dimming surroundings, footsteps inaudible, presence a phantom.

Kai exhaled slowly, then began walking forward—calm, unhurried. No tension in his shoulders. No fear in his steps. Like he had all the time in the world.

One of the screens displayed Kai's figure moving leisurely across the forest floor, hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded with indifference.

Murmurs swept through the crowd.

"Is he serious? It's already dusk. The miasma's started creeping in."

"He's moving slower than a snail."

"Maybe he thinks he's already passed?"

A noblewoman in the front row scoffed behind her fan. "Overconfidence. How typical of commoners who get lucky once or twice."

"Or maybe he's waiting for someone stronger to show off against?" a young nobleman chuckled beside her.

Professor Durell, seated among the examiners, narrowed his eyes at the screen. He tapped a rune-inscribed monocle at the side of his face, zooming in on Kai.

"He's the boy who put down two participants already, isn't he?" he said, voice casual.

Professor Saela, arms folded and expression cold, sneered. "Barely. One fell unconscious without even landing a spell, and the other ran off with a burn and bruised ego. That one is still crying somewhere in the west quadrant."

Durell hummed. "Still, that barrier he used earlier… not bad for a tamer. His beasts are well-trained."

Saela rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter. He's acting like the forest is his backyard. Strolling through the mist like some wandering bard… he'll regret it when the stronger ones find him. Or when the forest itself turns."

Another professor leaned forward, intrigued. "Or maybe," she mused, "he's waiting for the right kind of fight. He might just know what he's doing."

The crowd snorted again when Kai stopped briefly to glance at a small bush rustling in the wind—then kept walking without even drawing his weapon.

"Cocky little bastard," someone muttered from the noble seats.

But no one noticed the faint smile that curled at Kai's lips as the miasma began creeping ever closer behind him.

He was waiting.

Waiting for something interesting.

Or someone.

The night had just begun.

---

Kai's steps were steady, boots crunching softly against the undergrowth. The light was dim now, shadows thick and growing as the miasma spread faintly at the edges of the forest, curling low along the ground like crawling fingers.

His gaze flicked around until he paused—eyes narrowing.

A natural formation jutted out ahead, half-shrouded by vines and gnarled tree roots. A small opening yawned between rocks, hidden unless one was looking for it.

A cave.

He ducked inside with minimal noise, Vael gliding silently in after him. The air inside was cooler. Dry. Still.

It wasn't too deep, but just enough to offer a blind spot—something that could be used.

Kai tilted his head upward, assessing the ridges and crags above. A few stones lay scattered on the cave floor. Cracks in the rocky ceiling. Enough material for his kind of setup.

He knelt, rummaging through the small pouch at his waist and pulled out thin steel wires—nearly invisible in low light.

His hands moved swiftly, threading them between narrow gaps and loose stones, tying them taut and anchoring their ends to pebbles with barely a sound.

Then came the pressure triggers: a trick using moisture-sensitive runes he'd drawn with beast ink. Anyone who stepped near the cave's center would unknowingly trigger a chain reaction.

Finally, he set bait.

A faint shimmer—supposed to be a silver token—rested at the center of the trap circle, propped against a small rock and illuminated by a shard of moonlight through a gap above.

Just inviting enough to tempt someone careless.

He stepped back into the shadows at the cave wall, Vex swirling low nearby, almost indistinguishable from the darkness itself. Vael perched on a small ledge near the ceiling, still.

Now, he waited.

---

Ten minutes passed.

Then, movement.

Two boys crept into the cave, whispering and cautious—but clearly green.

"See it?" one murmured.

"Yeah… a token. Told you we'd get one."

The other boy stepped forward, and click—

The moment his foot touched the center, the rune lit up.

"What—"

SNAP!

The steel wire zipped through the air, the stone above it cracking loose and smashing down, not on the boy—but to the side, kicking up dust.

He stumbled, panicked. Then a barrage of tiny, fast projectiles—sharp pebbles Vael had enchanted—shot from hidden corners, whizzing past the boys like shrapnel.

One of them yelped, raising his arms to block. The other tripped and fell, groaning.

Kai stepped out, gaze cold.

Their eyes widened.

"Shit—run!"

One boy scrambled out, dragging the other behind him, arms flailing as Vael snapped his wings threateningly.

Kai didn't bother chasing. They weren't the ones he was waiting for.

He reset the mechanism, fingers efficient and cold, the faint glow of his beast mark dimming as Vael finished channeling energy into the runes.

And then—

Snap!

But not the one he set.

The sound came from above.

A faint string had been pulled, but not by the trap. It was... redirected.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

From the mouth of the cave, a figure slowly emerged—lean, quiet, calculating. A boy, maybe seventeen or eighteen. His eyes were mismatched—one silver, one black—and he held a short crescent blade in one hand. A glimmer of magic sparkled between his fingers.

"You're good," the boy said smoothly, stepping over a rune with precision. "But not perfect."

Kai didn't move. "Who are you?"

"I could ask you the same," the stranger said, then looked around. "Not many tamers I've seen using assassin-style traps. You hiding something?"

"No," Kai said flatly. "Just don't like being watched."

"Too bad."

Then the boy moved.

Fast.

Kai barely shifted to the side as a throwing knife whizzed past him, embedding itself where his head had been.

Vael shrieked—a sonic burst—but the boy rolled, throwing up a shimmering light barrier mid-air and bouncing the wave off its surface.

He landed on his feet, sliding slightly, then lunged.