I am Just an Average Tamer

"Right on time, Vex."

The Phantom Lynx didn't answer.

She didn't need to.

With a flick of her tail, Vex vanished into a shimmer of black mist, then reappeared mid-air—

[<Phantom Slash!>]

Bringing her claws down in a streak of black energy.

The creature snarled as another gash tore across its armored shoulder. Its tail lashed out to retaliate—

CRASH!

A chunk of debris exploded off to the side.

Stromeon burst through it, eyes lit with fury, sparks racing down his fangs.

The rubble that had buried Kai, now cracked and scattered, tossed aside like paper.

He stood up, bloodied but focused, nodding once.

"Cover me. I'm going for the temple."

Without waiting for a reply, he darted toward the far chamber, toward the pulsing structure behind the creature, nestled deep in the heart of the pseudo-dungeon.

The temple.

Meanwhile—

The obsidian beast roared and unleashed a wide sweep with its massive claws.

Vex blinked aside.

[<Ghost Steps!>]

And reappeared on the creature's flank, pelting it with a quick charge:

[<Shadow Ball!>]

A sphere of condensed shadow and ether shot out, exploding across the beast's head.

It staggered, but not for long.

Stromeon came in like a meteor.

[<Thunderclap!>]

BOOM!

The sound was deafening. Lightning flared in a circular burst, the floor beneath him fracturing from the raw pressure.

The creature reeled again, its obsidian hide sizzling where the energy hit, but it didn't fall.

It lunged, tail swinging, claws slashing—

But this time, it was two-on-one.

Vex was a blur, shadow, smoke, then claws.

Stromeon tanked the hits, strikes that would've crushed stone, but only made him snarl harder.

For a moment, it looked like they were in sync.

A lightning beast and a shadow lynx, raw power and precise lethality, dancing around a monster that refused to die.

But they were only buying time.

---

At the back of the temple, Kai arrived at the base of a cracked pillar, its surface pulsing faintly with dark violet glyphs.

Kai reached into his storage bracelet, pulling out a crystal and two small sphere-like canisters, each marked with etched runes.

He pressed them against the base.

"Come on... arm already," he muttered, fingers shaky but practiced.

A red glow activated.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

He jammed in the second one just beneath it.

Then he knelt by another pillar, the glow of the first detonator pulsing red beside him.

He pulled out two more explosives, both compact, rune-inscribed charges designed for structural annihilation.

Clink!

He slapped one against the pillar's opposite side.

Then crawled under a broken altar where a cracked root of the core veins lay exposed, beating faintly with violet light. He placed the third charge there.

A low hum vibrated through the floor as the temple seemed to shudder, reacting to the magic disturbance.

"Just one more..."

He reached back, slid a final crystal charge, and jammed it under a glyph socket.

Click!

The rune lights turned orange.

Then red.

"All set."

He wiped blood from his brow and looked back toward the battlefield.

---

The fight was chaos incarnate.

A blur of lightning, steel claws, and shadow trails streaked across the shattered temple floor.

The obsidian-skinned creature, glowing violet with hate and bloodlust, lunged at Vex first, its massive claw arcing with enough force to shatter a wall.

But Vex was gone.

[<Ghost Steps!>]

She reappeared under its jaw, then—

[<Phantom Slash!>]

Claws coated in umbral mist raked upward, gashing a trail across the beast's throat. Black blood hissed on the stone.

GAAAAR!

The creature roared and Stromeon charged.

[<Groundbreaker Slam!>]

BOOM!

The floor cracked like glass under his weight as he launched forward, body crackling with electricity.

He smashed into the creature's ribs, bone and hide crunching under the blow and forced it staggering back.

The obsidian monster snarled in fury and unleashed a shockwave, throwing both of them away in opposite directions.

Vex slammed into a pillar and rolled.

Stromeon skidded across broken floor, blood leaking from his shoulder.

And still—

They rose again.

Panting.

Snarling.

Vex's fur was matted with blood, one eye squinting from a bruise.

Stromeon's armor-like scales were scorched and cracked, breath heavy, thunder fading from his claws.

The obsidian beast stood tall, chest heaving, black ichor pouring from several wounds. It trembled… but didn't fall.

For a moment—

All three were still.

Just breathing.

Panting.

Watching.

Waiting.

Then—

BOOOOOM!

A blast from deep within the temple ripped through the walls.

A pillar exploded behind them.

The ceiling groaned.

Chunks of stone and crystal rained down, shattering across the battlefield as the floor cracked in every direction.

The glyphs on the walls sparked and fizzled—

Kai's charges had gone off.

"Fall back!" Kai's voice echoed from deeper in the chamber, barely audible under the roaring destruction.

The obsidian beast turned in fury, but it was too late.

Another section of the roof caved.

A beam collapsed between them.

Flames and dust surged outward.

Vex and Stromeon shielded themselves.

She crouched, cloak flaring with shadow as she dug claws into the floor.

He slammed a paw down, thunder cracking around his body to block debris.

The creature howled—

Then the ceiling gave in.

The entire temple collapsed.

Everything went black under the rubble.

Thud!

The obsidian creature collapsed in a twitching heap, steam rising from its cracked hide.

Its violet glyphs flickered violently, then went dark.

Silence.

Only the groaning of the ruined temple, the soft hiss of wind through shattered stone.

Kai took a staggering step forward, smoke curling around his shoulders, cuts stinging across his arms.

His voice rang out, hoarse and sharp—

"RUN!"

Vex's ears flicked toward him.

Stromeon's muscles bunched, ready to leap.

But before they could even turn—

[The #$%@$# Trail: Passed]

Thump!

Kai's heart skipped.

He froze on the spot.

A tremor spread under his boots like the earth itself was choking.

His eyes widened as he turned his head mechanically.

And then—

Like fate mocking him with a grin.

[The @%#%$#$#: Commence]

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

A soul-splitting roar ripped through the ruins, far louder and deeper than before.

A fresh gust of wind slammed against Kai's back.

Then the smoke parted, and Kai's pupils shrank as he the abominations in front of him.

Not one or two.

But. Four.

Each identical to the monster they had just killed, but stronger. More refined. The violet glyphs burned brighter, now tinged with red.

Their eyes gleamed like molten obsidian. And their bone spines... longer. Sharper. Coated with twitching shadow.

The collapsed one on the floor?

Its body was gone. Disintegrated. Absorbed. Reborn. Multiplied.

Evolved.

One of them stepped forward, claws clicking.

Another snarled, its chest expanding unnaturally.

Grrr!

Vex bared her fangs, stepping protectively in front of Kai.

GAAR!

Stromeon growled low, sparks already crawling across his shoulders.

"I ain't taking any fucking retrieving missions from now on."