I am Just an Average Tamer

"Hmm?"

Syver came to a halt, his gaze sharpening as he narrowed his eyes at something in the distance.

"What happened?" Rashira asked, her voice quiet.

She followed his line of sight, then tilted her head. "What's that?"

Syver shrugged. "Not sure… Only one way to find out."

Rashira gave a small nod, and the two moved forward together, stepping cautiously toward the slightly elevated platform at the center of the forest clearing.

As they crossed the faint shimmer of the barrier, a subtle warmth washed over them.

The tension in their shoulders eased instantly.

"A safe zone, huh?" Syver muttered, reading the faint glowing text hovering above the orb in the middle.

Rashira rolled her shoulders with a quiet groan, then yawned. "Mmm… I'm getting sleepy…"

Without warning, she reached out and grabbed Syver's hand, tugging him gently toward the stage.

Syver let out a soft chuckle but didn't resist. "Bossy tonight, aren't we?"

She didn't respond—just gave him a sleepy glance and motioned for him to sit.

Once he did, she eased herself down, laying her head in his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.

With a small sigh, she reached up, guiding his hand to her head.

He smiled and began running his fingers gently through her hair.

And just like that, the world around them melted away.

No tension. No noise. No lingering anxiety about the outside.

Just the soft hum of the safe zone, the steady rhythm of their breaths, and the calm.

They lost in their own world, completely ignoring everything else, including the silver-haired girl passed out just a few feet behind them, snoring like a drunken beast.

While they were having their little peaceful moment, another party was fighting with their lives on the line.

Though not exactly, since they could be just teleported outside, if they got a serious hit.

But still they were fighting none the less.

----

Kai forced his body upright, his breath ragged.

The air stank of blood and scorched stone. Every movement hurt. His shoulder throbbed with each heartbeat, his ribs grinding like cracked glass. But his eyes burned with resolve.

The saber-tooth gorilla stood less than twenty paces away now, one eye bleeding, fur blackened from the lightning, muscles twitching under the paralysis—yet its presence was still suffocating.

Corrin barely stood, leaning heavily on his crescent blade.

"Gonna need that miracle now," he muttered.

Kai didn't answer. He didn't need to.

He closed his eyes… and reached inward.

Vael.

The connection sparked to life instantly—sharp, focused, eager. Windsight Falcon didn't wait for words. She burst from the soul space in a blaze of wind, her wings slicing the air like steel blades.

A sonic boom cracked across the chamber.

The gorilla's head jerked upward—

Too late.

"Sonic Dive!"

Vael came down like a bolt of wrath.

It slammed into the gorilla's upper back, the impact shattering bone. A gust of wind exploded outward, forcing Corrin to raise an arm and Kai to dig his feet into the ground. The gorilla stumbled forward, its arms flailing to catch itself.

Vael didn't stop. She wheeled upward in a flash, spun midair, and let loose a shriek.

"Echo Ball!"

A sphere of compressed wind burst from his beak, drilling into the beast's chest. It grunted, staggering again—but it didn't fall.

Kai moved.

He popped his dislocated shoulder back in with a grunt, then sprinted.

Pain blazed down his side, but he grit his teeth and pushed through.

He leapt onto a boulder, then launched himself into the air. Vael caught his motion and dipped low, giving him a platform mid-flight.

His boot hit her wing once—twice—then he launched off, flipping forward in the air, twin daggers glowing.

[<Falcon's Sight!>]

Everything slowed.

The beat of the gorilla's pulse.

The weak points in its stance.

The exact timing of its breath.

Kai twisted his body midair, angling straight for the shoulder socket Veal had just cracked with her dive. Both daggers plunged in deep—dark poison seeping directly into exposed veins.

The gorilla roared in agony and spun.

Kai was flung like a ragdoll.

But he twisted just enough to land into a roll. His ankle screamed in protest, but he rose immediately.

Vael kept up the pressure, diving again with slicing wind trailing his wings. This time, the gorilla raised an arm and caught her mid-swoop—but not before she sliced across its eye.

Blood spurted. One eye went blind.

It bellowed, slamming her into the ground.

"Vael!" Kai shouted.

It flapped once, hard, kicking up a gale that forced the gorilla back a step. She rose, barely—her wing trembling, feathers ragged—but she was still airborne.

Corrin's voice rang out behind Kai.

"Kai!"

Kai turned.

Corrin tossed something through the air.

His crescent blade.

Kai caught it by the hilt, his twin daggers already tucked back into his waist.

The weight was heavier than he was used to—wider arc, slower swing—but the edge was absurdly sharp. It crackled faintly with kinetic force, a hidden enchantment built into its steel.

Corrin limped forward, breathing heavy. "I'll distract. You finish it."

Kai didn't hesitate.

Corrin dashed right.

Kai bolted left.

The gorilla turned—confused for a second—then swiped at Corrin with a low sweeping backhand.

Corrin ducked, rolled, and jammed a throwing dagger into the beast's foot.

Kai blurred behind it.

[<Phantom Slash.>]

He reappeared mid-swing, channeling his assassin skill through the crescent blade. The arc of the slash wasn't just physical—it carried phantom force, trailing a wave of ethereal blades that slashed deeper than flesh.

The attack carved through the beast's back in a wide X-shaped gash, slicing muscle, tendon, and the remains of its mangled shoulder.

It screamed.

Corrin lunged in front of it now, slamming his fist into a sigil on his belt.

A flash of light burst from the rune, coating his gauntlet. He leapt, drove a punch directly into the gorilla's snout, and staggered it backward into Kai's waiting stance.

"Echo Ball!" Kai barked.

Vael shot one last sonic orb straight into the beast's chest.

The gorilla stumbled back…

Right into Kai's final blow.

He drove the crescent blade deep into the creature's side, right below the ribcage.

And then twisted.

Poison, shadow, and kinetic force exploded from the wound.

The gorilla let out a guttural groan—then dropped to its knees.

Blood poured from its mouth. Its muscles trembled violently.

Then—just when they thought it was done—

Raw energy poured out of the gorilla's wounds—twisting its muscles, swelling its frame, pushing its Peak-Great Core body beyond the threshold. Its dark fur rippled as bone plates erupted from its back like jagged armor.

The broken tusk reformed, longer, denser. Its one good eye gleamed crimson.

The air trembled with killing intent. The earlier pain it endured? Meaningless now.

Corrin coughed blood. "You've gotta be shitting me…"

Kai didn't waste time. He darted toward Corrin and grabbed him by the arm, hauling him back toward a rock outcropping.

"We can't take it head-on anymore," Kai hissed. "We'll die."

"Got a better plan?" Corrin snapped, but he didn't resist.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

"We split. I draw aggro. You find an opening. We've got maybe one shot left."

He looked up.

Vael was still airborne, but barely. Its wingbeats were uneven. Blood dripped from his talons.

"Vael—last dive. Then back."

It gave a shrill cry and flapped hard, gaining altitude.

The gorilla roared, veins glowing under its hide. It dropped to all fours and charged, the ground shattering with every step.

Kai activated Ghost Steps, blurring between shadows. He zigzagged across the chamber, daggers flashing.

Vael dropped like a missile.

[<SONIC DIVE!>]

It struck the gorilla's head once more, but this time, the beast grabbed her mid-impact with both hands.

It smashed her into the stone wall.

Hard.

A screech tore from her beak, wings crumpling under the force.

"VAEL!" Kai yelled.

It didn't rise.

Rage ignited in his chest.

Dark aura erupted around him. Poison spiraled off his skin like steam. His eyes glowed violet as he dropped his daggers—and drew out three senbon.

Each needle glimmered faintly. Paralysis. Decay. Mind-breaker.

He blurred forward and leapt high, twisting in midair. He hurled all three senbon at once—each aimed at a joint: elbow, thigh, shoulder.

The gorilla roared and twisted to swat them.

But Corrin was there.

He reappeared like a viper, using Kai's earlier maneuver as bait. His crescent blade was glowing, enchantment fully charged.

"Eat this, you overgrown slab of piss—"

"MOON CLEAVE!"

He brought the weapon down with all his weight behind it.

The crescent blade carved deep into the gorilla's upper thigh, cutting through muscle and core threads. The beast screamed, dropping to one knee—right as the senbon hit.

One.

Two.

Three.

The beast locked up.

Even in its overflow state, its nervous system shorted from the combined toxins.

It staggered, trembling violently.

Kai was already moving.

He merged from shadow at the beast's blind spot, poison-laced daggers drawn again.

This time, there was no hesitation.

[<Phantom Slash!>]

He struck with every ounce of remaining core energy, channeling dark affinity, assassin skill, and poison mastery into a single strike. The slash tore across the beast's spine, rupturing its core threads.

The gorilla let out a half-roar, half-whimper.

And collapsed.

Dust fell.

Stone cracked under its weight.

Kai stood over the twitching corpse, blood trickling down his cheek. His breaths came shallow and raw.

Corrin limped beside him, collapsing to his knees with a grunt. "Tell me… that thing's dead."

Kai didn't speak. He just stared down.

And then—

The glow in the gorilla's eye faded.

It was over.