I am Just an Average Tamer

"T-They did it?" Professor Kalden murmured, eyes wide, his voice barely above a whisper.

The others gave subtle nods. Some mirrored his surprise, others remained impassive. A few wore faint grins of approval, clearly excited by what they had just witnessed.

"But... this was—"

"Hahaha! That's my boy!" Professor Lysenna suddenly exclaimed, nearly leaping out of her seat, she slapped her thigh, sound echoing in the chamber.

"You made your master proud! Don't worry, I'll reward you properly once you're mine!"

Professor Halvar scoffed, arms folded tightly over his broad chest. "You ain't his master. And the brat hasn't even cleared the trial yet. When did he become your student?"

"Aw, jealous of my precious student, are you, kitty-cat?" Lysenna winked playfully and gave a short giggle. "And come on, did you see that? He's already proved how worthy he is."

Halvar snorted. "Don't forget—if he didn't secure a token or isn't in the safe zone, his chances of passing are still slim. We don't grade on flashy moves alone."

Lysenna rolled her eyes and huffed. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You lot always spoil the fun." She turned her head away, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips as she reached down and gently stroked her serpent's head.

"Hehehe... You'll soon have a wonderful little friend to play with," she whispered to the creature, her voice dripping with anticipation.

In one of the velvet-draped VIP booths, a little girl with blonde hair and deep sapphire eyes sat nestled on a luxurious red sofa. Her small hand gently stroked the obsidian-colored wyrm curled peacefully in her lap, its tail twitching ever so slightly in its sleep.

"Heheh." Liliana chuckled softly, as her gaze shifted to the other end of the sofa.

Where Elina was slumped forward, eyelids drooping but stubbornly fixed on the glowing screen in front of them.

With a smile, Liliana reached over and gently tugged Elina by the waist, lifting her into her lap.

"B-Big sis?" Elina blinked in confusion, her voice squeaky with fatigue.

"Sleepy?" Liliana asked, patting her head gently, her voice warm and teasing.

Elina shook her head furiously, flailing her arms in protest like a kitten refusing a nap.

Liliana let out a playful pout, her bottom lip jutting out dramatically. "What? Can't your big sis hold you for a little while?"

Elina paused, glanced back, and saw Liliana's exaggeratedly pitiful expression. She gave in with a tiny sigh and leaned back, resting her head on Liliana's chest. And again glued her eyes to the large screen, eyes half-closed.

Elina mumbled, "Big bro gonna sleep now?"

Liliana nodded gently, brushing a strand of hair from Elina's face. "Mhm. It's late. Everyone's tired. That cave he's in should be safe enough... Why don't we also—"

She trailed off as she looked down.

Elina was already asleep, her tiny breaths slow and even.

The Abyssal Wyrm stirred slightly and nestled itself deeper into the folds of her lap, joining the little girl in slumber.

Liliana's smile softened.

She carefully lifted the little creature and placed it gently on the polished table nearby, where it curled into itself without complaint.

Then, with practiced care, she scooped Elina up into her arms.

The girl murmured something unintelligible, but didn't wake as Liliana tucked her into the bed placed at the corner of the room.

She then walked towards the booth window, taking in the view of now almost empty arena.

Then Liliana cast one last glance at the glowing screen — still showing the image of the dark-haired boy sitting silently within the cave.

"Good night, Kai." she whispered softly.

She closed the magical viewing window with a flick of her fingers, then turned and climbed onto the bed beside Elina, drawing the covers up over them both as the room dimmed into silence.

In another one of the VIP booths, two figures sat quietly on a plush green velvet sofa.

A middle-aged man, striking with his neatly groomed silver hair and deep blue eyes, reclined back with an air of composed nobility. Duke Elsworth—one of the Empire's pillars, and a veteran of many battlefields.

He stroked his beard thoughtfully as he observed the screen in front of them.

"That boy, Arven… he's quite proficient with the spear."

His voice was deep and composed.

"His body's not yet molded to match the level of his technique, but give him a few more years... House Blake has produced a fighter worth watching."

Beside him sat a young woman with matching silver hair, though hers flowed like silk under the chandelier's glow. Her emerald-green eyes reflected the magic screens in front of her—Lira Elsworth, his daughter and heir.

She nodded.

"Princess Rashira is showing promise too. Her spells are sharp, calculated, even though she's primarily a beast tamer, she handles magic with finesse."

The Duke chuckled.

"Typical elves. Magic runs in their veins, no matter what path they walk."

He turned slightly toward her, raising a brow.

"So? Anyone special caught your eye? Someone you think you'll need to watch out for in the future?"

Lira's gaze remained fixed on the screen, expression calm, unfazed.

"No, Father. They're competent… but none pose a danger worth noting. Not yet."

Duke Elsworth smiled faintly—pleased, but unsurprised. Then, with a tired groan, he stood and stretched, rolling his shoulders.

"Alright, dear. I'm heading to rest. You coming?"

Lira shook her head politely.

"No, Father. I'll stay a while longer."

Duke Elsworth offered a soft, knowing smile, then turned and exited the booth—his steps calm and unhurried, leaving his daughter alone in the dimly lit chamber, the glow of the screen reflecting in her sharp eyes.

----

Corrin dropped onto the ground with a loud thud, groaning as he stretched out his legs.

"The hell were they thinking, putting that thing in a trial? You'd think they're trying to kill us! I'm definitely filing a complaint with my grandpa after this."

Kai slumped down beside him, his body aching all over. "We couldn't have died, remember?" he lifted his arm, showing the faintly glowing protective sigils etched across his skin.

Corrin snorted. "Tch. You're even dumber than I thought."

"What?" Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Corrin muttered, gritting his teeth as he peeled off his light armor.

Beneath it, his torso was a patchwork of deep cuts and bruises, dried blood crusting around several gashes. "Ugh... Got any potions, buddy?"

Kai tapped his storage bracelet.

A soft shimmer rippled in the air as two vials appeared in his hand, filled with a viscous, glowing green liquid.

He tossed one to Corrin, who caught it with a grunt.

"You're a lifesaver." Corrin popped the cork and hissed as he poured some over his wounds.

The potion sizzled faintly, stitching torn flesh together.

He downed the rest in a single gulp and exhaled, slumping further back. "Tastes like troll piss."

Kai chuckled faintly, doing the same. As the cool sensation washed over his wounds, he leaned back, closed his eyes, and slipped into his soul space.

A swirling darkness enveloped his senses as his consciousness descended inward.

In the soul realm, the forms of his three beasts were faintly glowing—wounded, drained, but alive.

Vael's wings were singed and matted with blood, Vex lay curled in the shadows nursing a limp, and Stromeon twitched occasionally, sparks sputtering weakly from his body.

Kai clenched his jaw. "That bastard..." he whispered, thinking of the saber-toothed gorilla that had nearly wiped them all out.

"How are they?" Corrin's voice brought him back.

Kai opened his eyes slowly. "Same as us. Beaten to hell. Can't use them for a while, they need rest."

Though beasts resting in soul space can get healed over time, (if not fatally injured) but the recovery time's pretty slow compared to healing through potions and herbs, though faster than natural healing.

He stared at the now-empty vial in his hand. "Also... those were the last healing potions I had. We need to be more careful from here on."

Corrin gave him a sharp nod, face unusually serious for once. "Noted."

"Haah…" Kai let out a long breath as he dropped down onto the ground, eyes fluttering shut. Every part of his body ached, but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind.

'Hey.'

[<Yeah?>]

'Lend me some of your essence.'

[<Hoh~! And what do I get in return, brat?>]

Kai's brow twitched. 'Come on, don't start with that. Just hurry up, you idiot.'

[<Tch… fine, fine. You're so demanding.>]

A pulse of energy surged through him. It felt like cold fire rushing through his veins.

"Haaah!" Kai exhaled sharply, his breath fogging for a moment. He raised one arm, palm open to the air.

[<Warding Veil activated!>]

Whoosh!

A shimmering wave of mana burst out from his hand, rippling across the ground in a dome-shaped aura.

The faintly glowing veil covered the area around them in a soft, translucent shield—warding off lesser beasts, masking their scent, and muffling any sounds within the perimeter.

"That should do it," Kai muttered, lowering his arm.

He crossed his arms behind his head and shut his eyes again.