I am Just an Average Tamer

"Urgh!"

Kai groaned, eyes fluttering open.

The ceiling above greeted him with silent indifference. He shifted to his side, and instantly—

"Fuck, it still hurts," he muttered, a sharp jolt of pain shooting through his ribs and lower back like a nasty reminder of what he'd just survived.

He lay there for a few more minutes, breathing slow and shallow, letting the ache dull just enough.

Then—

With a grunt, he sat up and swung his legs off the bed and stood up, rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck with a few muted pops.

His body protested with every movement, but it was the kind of pain he could live with.

Slowly, he made his way to the bathroom.

The cold water hit his face like a slap, clearing the last haze from his mind.

He splashed more onto his arms, then ran his fingers through his hair to straighten it out.

After washing off the grime and sweat from earlier, he dried himself quickly and changed into a fresh, spare academy uniform from his wardrobe.

Before heading out, Kai glanced inward—

Into his soul space.

Stromeon rested at the front, lying down on all fours, his thunderous form mostly healed save for a few faint scorch lines and gashes. His breathing was calm. Steady. He'd be fine by tomorrow.

But the same couldn't be said for the others.

Vael lay curled in one corner of the space, his feathers slightly dull, wings tucked in tight. His breathing was shallow but consistent.

Vael, meanwhile, had bruises running down her hide. Neither of them were in life-threatening danger, but…

They'd need time.

Kai exhaled softly and withdrew from the soul space.

He then stepped out of his room.

The hallway greeted him with silence.

He took the stairs down, boots making soft thuds on the steps.

A few empty corridors later, he reached the canteen.

The air there smelled like baked grain, spices.

He grabbed a plate, some rice, meat, soup and made his way to an empty table near the corner.

He sat down, shifted slightly to ease pressure off his ribs, and started eating.

After finishing his meal, Kai placed the tray on the return counter and stepped out of the cafeteria.

The sky overhead was cloudless, a pale blue stretching above the academy grounds. Sunlight filtered through the trees lining the cobbled pathways, painting dappled shadows across the ground.

He slipped his hands into his pockets and began walking.

It was relatively quiet.

Afternoon hours often were most lectures were either underway or just ending.

A few students roamed here and there, lounging on benches or walking in pairs. Some were alone. Like him.

As he passed a small group of girls, a few of them glanced at him, then quickly turned their heads aways.

One girl nudged her friend subtly.

Another offered a soft smile and a casual, "Hey."

Kai gave a short nod in response, but didn't slow down.

He wasn't cold, just focused.

He didn't miss the way some turned their heads slightly as he passed, whispering something behind cupped hands, giggling.

But.

He moved on.

His goal lay straight ahead, the administrative buildings.

The covered corridor muffled his steps, the soft tap of his boots echoing faintly against the polished floor tiles. Gentle gusts of breeze filtered in through the open arches, carrying the mingled scents of damp stone, beast musk, and the faint metallic tang of mana residue.

He passed by a few students and staff, some chatting quietly, others sorting scrolls and beast logs, but none paid him much mind. Everyone had their own world to manage.

Then Kai turned toward the structure on the eastern side, the one marked with a carved symbol of a coiled beast.

The Beast Taming Department.

The structure stood proud, sturdy yet elegant, made from pale sandstone and veined gray marble, with statues of beasts lining the front path.

A stone Wyvern, rearing with wings half-spread. A Shadowmane, crouching low with its tail curled like a whip.

Intricate engraved emblems decorated the upper walls, sigils of beasts both common and rare. Some familiar. Others... he only vaguely recalled from books.

A few steps past the entryway, the main hallway opened up, shaped like a wide L, its interior lined with notice boards, beast logs. To one side, a long counter behind which sat a few neutral staff members handling assignments and reports.

To the far end were doors marked for faculty and senior tamers, where department heads and researchers worked.

Soft beast cries echoed faintly from beyond a side archway that led to the habitat rings, where students kept and trained their bonded companions. Kai could even faintly sense a few nearby, dormant, passive mana signatures. Some aggressive. Some timid.

But he didn't head there.

He approached the admin desk, his eyes scanning the staff.

A young man behind the counter looked up from a stack of scrolls. "Yes? Can I help you?"

Kai gave a short nod and took out his ID card, placing it on the counter.

"I'm here to request supply for my beasts."

The young man blinked, then nodded. "You're eligible for Academy-supported purchases under contribution credit."

He tapped a few times on the slate, and a list flickered into view across the small display orb embedded in the counter.

"Here's the catalog," he said, rotating the orb so Kai could see.

Beast Feed Options:

Standard Dry Feed – 5 Credits/day per beast (basic grain and energy packs)

Essence-Infused Feed – 20 Credits/day per beast (helps replenish low reserves)

High-Grade Feed – 60 Credits/day per beast (for battle-trained or injured creatures)

Specialized Feed Packs – 120–200 Credits/day per beast (customized per beast type – elemental, draconic, spectral, etc.)

Beast Recovery & Nutrition Kits:

Basic Kit – 50 Credits (bandages, minor energy balms, herbal mix)

Standard Kit – 120 Credits (includes minor mana potion and trauma patches)

Advanced Kit – 250 Credits (includes high-grade beast salves and fatigue cleansing tinctures)

Regenerative Kit – 400 Credits (includes mana-silk wraps, internal wound treatment, and nutrient syringes)

Elite Restoration Pack – 600 Credits (used by academy elites and combat faculty. Fast-track healing and stamina recovery, tailored per species)

Kai crossed his arms and stared at the options, mind already moving.

Stormoen's fine… won't need anything special. Maybe dry feed for a couple of days.But Vex and Vael... they're still messed up from that fight. Can't risk lingering damage. Not now.

He looked back up. "Give me two Advanced Kits and one Standard Kit. That's... 620."The staffer nodded and tapped it in.

Kai continued, "And three days' worth of Essence-Infused Feed for 2 and three standards."

"Alright. Three Essence-infused times two beasts is 120. Three standard for the third is 15. That totals 135."

"Add it."

"Final total is 755 Credits," the staffer confirmed, then tapped the screen. "Order placed. Go to Depot-2 in ten minutes, they'll have your packages ready."

Kai gave a simple nod and turned away.