I am Just an Average Tamer

As the announcer's voice echoed across the arena, declaring the end of the trials, a wave of stunned silence still hung in the air.

The crowd remained frozen—baffled by the sudden twist, the sneak attack that stole victory in the final moments.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the stands.

Some called it unfair.

Others whispered admiration.

But then, slowly…

The cheering returned.

Because in the end, to most of them, it didn't matter who won or who lost.

They hadn't come for honor, fairness, or rules.

They came for spectacle.

And the youth on that field had delivered one hell of a show.

Cheers rose again, louder than before—this time, not for one victor, but for every fighter who'd stepped into that trial.

For every clash.

Every twist.

Every shock that had them on the edge of their seats.

"Heh, that was best."

"Yeah, I had seen my princess Rashira fighting beautifully, now I can die in piece."

"Hah, the top elven girl is way better than the princess."

"Hey, take that back."

"Nuh, uh, it's the truth."

"You little..."

The arena shook with applause.

As the crowd roared with excitement, drunk on the thrill of youth clashing for glory, a quieter storm brewed behind the scenes.

High above the arena, in the reserved balcony lined with velvet seats and floating rune lanterns, the professors and elders watched with sharper eyes, minds already moving past the show and toward the future.

Conversations murmured between them, laced with interest, calculation, and the weight of old experience.

They weren't just watching a trial.

They were analyzing future powerhouses.

Weighing talents.

Marking potential investments.

Noting who to approach, and more importantly, who to worry about.

Some names were already being whispered between guild masters and house heads.

Others… silently crossed out.

Of course, they all knew the truth: raw talent in youth doesn't guarantee future dominance.

Just because someone stood at the top now… didn't mean they'd remain there forever.

And those scraping the bottom? They weren't out of the race, not yet.

History had shown them time and time again:

Some of the fiercest monsters didn't start as prodigies.

They clawed their way up from the mud—

From pit bottom to the cliff's edge.

And sometimes... those ones burned the brightest.

Meanwhile, in one of the VIP booths at the stadium...

Elina slumped in her seat, arms crossed and cheeks puffed in a pout.

Liliana leaned over and pinched her cheek gently.

"What's with that face, huh?"

"Big bro lost," Elina muttered, eyes glossy and lower lip trembling.

The little Wyrmling nestled in her lap let out a soft, sympathetic chirp, nuzzling closer to her tummy.

Liliana smiled softly. "Come on, Elina. He didn't lose. Making it to the top ten out of thousands is a huge deal, you know?"

"But he still didn't come first..." Elina mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

Liliana shook her head, brushing a strand of hair behind the girl's ear.

"Look, sweetie. I know you admire Kai and see him as your perfect big brother, stronger and better than everyone else. But that's not how the world works. No matter how strong someone is, there's always someone stronger. That's why we train, why we grow. Even your big bro knows that."

Elina stared at her for a moment, then looked down at the little wyrm as it gave her a tiny nudge. Her pout faded slightly.

Then Liliana clapped her hands and brightened her tone, changing the subject.

"How about we check out the snack stalls before we go see Kai, hmm?"

Like flipping a switch, Elina's eyes lit up.

"Yay! Let's go!" she chirped, jumping to her feet with the little wyrm cradled against her chest like a plush toy.

She grabbed Liliana's hand with both of hers and began dragging her toward the exit.

Liliana chuckled, letting herself be pulled along.

----

"Argh…" Kai groaned as his eyes fluttered open, squinting against the soft light pouring in.

The first thing he noticed was an unfamiliar ceiling above him—smooth, pale stone etched with faint glowing runes.

He sat up slowly, clutching his side. His muscles screamed in protest, throbbing from the brutal fights earlier.

But strangely, there were no bandages.

'Must've been high-tier potions,' he thought, rolling his shoulders to test them.

But it was a mistake.

"Urgh…" He winced as a sharp pain lanced through his upper back.

"Oi, oi, little guy," came a familiar voice, cocky and amused.

"Don't you think you shouldn't be moving like that after getting beaten like shit?"

Kai turned toward the voice.

Riven stood at the foot of the bed, grinning ear to ear. His arms were crossed, and his shirt hung loose like he'd just tossed it on without a care. A couple bruises still peeked through.

Aria followed calmly behind him, her steps quiet and composed.

Kai scoffed. "Says the guy who got eliminated by this 'little guy.'"

Riven's smirk widened as he rolled his shoulders with exaggerated ease. "Yeah, yeah. But getting eliminated's better than getting your ass handed to you so bad you can't even lift a hand. Hahah!"

Kai's lips twitched in annoyance.

Before he could fire back, Aria stepped forward and nudged Riven in the ribs.

"OW! Hey! What the hell was that for?" he snapped, rubbing the spot.

She gave him a blank stare, then let out a quiet sigh.

Her expression softened slightly as she turned at Kai. "Are you okay?"

Kai leaned back onto the pillows, resting his head. "Other than frequent dullness and whole body stinging like hell with pain. Yeah. I'm totally fine."

That made Riven laugh louder. "Well, that's what you get for knocking me out early! Karma, bro."

He then leaned forward and patted Kai's shoulder, making him wince in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Let him rest," Aria sighed, grabbing Riven by the ear and dragging him away.

"Ow, ow—okay, okay! I won't do it again, I swear!"

Riven yelped, trying to pry her fingers off, but Aria paid him no mind.

Kai watched them go, sighing with mild amusement.

Then a familiar blue panel flickered into view in front of him.

[<Well, you did better than expected.>]

'Of course I did. Who do you think I am?' he shot back mentally.

[<A useless brat who can't do shit unless his little minions carry his ass.>]

Kai narrowed his eyes.

'Oh? Then what does that make you?'

[<Your grandpa.>]

Kai stared at the panel with a deadpan expression for a second.

'Fuck off.'

His pupils narrowed into two imaginary hands, flipping off with glowing, translucent middle fingers.

Then a voice brought him out of his little banter with Zer.

"So, all of you are awake? Good."

Kai turned his head. A professor wearing the academy's uniform stood at the infirmary door.

"First of all, congratulations on making it to the top 10," the professor said with a pleasant smile, clapping his hands a few times.

The sound echoed through the quiet room, earning a few proud grins and nods from the students.

"Now, you'll all be awarded shortly. The ceremony starts in a few minutes, so get ready and don't be late." With that, he gave a curt nod and left.

Kai winced slightly as he sat up, the lingering soreness in his muscles flaring up again.

He stretched his neck slowly, swallowing the pain, and glanced around the room.

There were ten beds in total. Though only eight were occupied, including his.

'Where's Corrin?' he thought, narrowing his eyes and scanning the room. No sign of him.

Just as Kai took a step forward, a dramatic voice made him freeze.

He turned—

And his lips twitched.

"This guy…" he muttered, shaking his head.

A few steps away, two familiar faces were engaged in what could only be described as a… heartfelt standoff.

"Hey, just lie down, you're hurt," said the white-haired elf boy, trying to gently push Rashira back onto the bed every time she got up.

"I'm fine," Rashira sighed, clearly annoyed.

"No, you're not. You got banged up pretty bad. You can't lie to me, Rashira, I can see it on your face."

At that, Rashira's eyes softened, but a flicker of frustration remained. Then she reached up, cupping his cheek gently.

"I'm really fine, Sey," she said, voice calm. "I'm used to this by now. And the award ceremony's about to start, we don't want to be late, right?"

She gave a sweet smile which melted the last bit of resistance in him.

And he let go reluctantly.

Across the room, Serena snorted. "Tch. Lovebirds."

She rolled her eyes and made her way to the door. As she passed Kai, her gaze briefly flicked his way.

Noticing it, Kai turned, only to see her change direction and walk up to him.

"Woke up, pretty boy?" she asked, smirking.

"Guess I did," Kai said, shrugging and casually slipping his hands into his pockets.

She tilted her head, rubbing the side of her neck, the exact spot where Kai had aimed to eliminate her.

"Not a great way to treat a warrior lady, y'know."

Then she leaned in, face just inches from his.

"I'll remember the treatment."

With a final smirk, she turned and walked out of the room, hips swaying with her usual confidence.

Kai blinked, tilting his head.

'What did she mean by that?'