I am Just an Average Tamer

Kai slowly pulled back and stared at her.

She had now begun to calm down.

He let out a sigh, rubbing his temples.

"I left you alone for one day and…"

Ethan raised his hand awkwardly.

"B-Big brother, I was—"

"Not helping, Ethan."

He flinched and lowered his hand.

Kai turned, motioning with his head. "Let's go, before I regret letting you both stay alive today."

Vex stepped forward, keeping an eye on Elina.

The falcon hesitated before landing on Kai's shoulder, but its head still twitched toward

the girl, feathers puffed.

Kai didn't say anything else… but in the back of his mind, he made a silent note:

Something is wrong with that girl.

And he was going to find out what.

'Is it true? Is she really cursed?'

[<If she were, you wouldn't be standing here.>]

Sigh!

'Whatever… I'm so tired. I just wanna rest.'

Ethan excused himself and headed straight to the orphanage, while Kai led Elina to the inn where they were staying.

As they entered.

Kai's gaze—for a moment—flickered to a lone girl in green robes, sitting in a corner, sipping from her cup.

As if sensing him, she looked up and stared back, raising a brow.

Kai didn't say anything and continued toward his room.

Elina sat silently on the edge of the bed.

While Kai took his seat on the chair.

He let out a deep sigh.

'What should I do with her?'

[<Take her in. Simple.>]

The blue panel hovered in front of him again.

'I'm not a babysitter.'

[<You keep denying it, but act like one.>]

'And how is that, Mr. Genius Undead?'

[<Oi, brat. Watch your tongue.>]

'I will—if you stop your bickering and let me think. If you've got nothing useful to say, then shut up and fuck off.'

Zer paused—and finally went silent.

Kai exhaled deeply, then turned to Elina.

"It's already evening. You can stay here for today."

Elina lowered her gaze and nodded.

She took off her sandals and crawled to the corner of the bed, pulling her knees close to her chest and hugging them tightly.

Kai stood up, stretched lightly, then sat on the floor cross-legged and began meditating.

He had used more Soul Essence than he'd imagined he would.

His posture was relaxed.

His breathing calm.

The mana around him flickered, slowly sinking into him—as if he were some kind of black hole.

His Essence Core absorbed it greedily, then guided it toward his mana nodes, where it could be stored.

The process continued automatically.

After a few moments, small ethereal dots began to form inside his body.

Kai's Essence Core swirled, drawing in all the Soul Essence within it.

Meanwhile, Elina watched him silently.

Her gaze flickered toward the small vortex forming above him.

But she didn't flinch or seem surprised—

As if this wasn't the first time she had seen such a phenomenon.

Hours passed as Kai continued absorbing Soul Essence and mana.

Elina remained still, her gaze locked onto him.

Just as he opened his eyes and stood up—

Garr!

Elina's stomach growled in hunger.

Kai glanced at her, then moved toward the door.

"I'll bring something to eat," he said, opening it.

As he walked toward the counter, he noticed Lina heading to her room with a tray filled with nothing but salad.

"I didn't know you had a little sister," she said, coming closer.

"She's not my sister," Kai replied quickly.

"Then why is… Wait a minute. Oh! Don't tell me…" She gasped, covering her mouth.

"I didn't know you were that kind of person." She sighed, shaking her head.

Kai furrowed his brows. "I don't know what you're imagining. She just doesn't have anywhere to go, and… I'm just letting her stay temporarily."

Lina raised a brow. "Really?"

"Yeah. Until I figure something out. I can't just leave her on the streets now, can I?"

Kai sighed, rubbing his neck.

Lina nodded.

"Hm, good. I knew you were a kind and decent guy when I first saw you. You helped me and my cute little hare, and now you're even helping out a homeless kid. We need more people like you in our society."

"I didn't help you. I merely held up my end of the deal," Kai retorted.

But Lina just giggled and turned toward the stairs.

"Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow," she said, waving as she headed upstairs.

Kai then turned toward the counter—only to see Garth grinning.

When Garth noticed him looking his way, he gave a thumbs-up.

Kai ignored the silent banter and leaned against the counter.

Before he could place his order, Garth spoke.

"See? Not everyone's built for the long run."

Kai narrowed his eyes but chose not to entertain him.

He ordered his usual dish—not too fancy, but not cheap either—especially since he'd already made quite a fortune looting the bandits.

Taking the tray, he headed back to his room.

****

"Mnnnn… just five more minutes," Kai grumbled in his sleep.

Poke! Poke!

But Elina kept nudging his cheeks with her finger.

Finally, Kai opened his eyes and raised his head from the table.

"What?" he mumbled, turning to the culprit.

"Umm…" Elina averted her gaze and mumbled, "I'm hungry… B-Big brother."

Yawn!

Kai stretched his arms over his head and stood up.

"Alright, I'll bring the food. Just stay here."

Elina nodded, and Kai headed to the bathroom to freshen up.

A few minutes later, he headed downstairs, and he came back with a tray full of breakfast.

He had also summoned Vex and the Windsight Falcon.

After eating, Kai sat down to meditate for a while, while Elina played with Vex and the Falcon.

Kai then stood up and headed downstairs.

Elina trailed after him.

Since Kai had saved her a couple of times, given her food, and offered a place to stay, she had decided to trust him.

As they left the inn, a familiar voice echoed from behind.

"Hello, Big Brother!"

Ethan waved at them and rushed over.

Stopping in front of Elina, he grabbed her hand and said, "Let's play!"

Elina turned her head toward Kai, as if asking for permission.

He raised a brow. "Why are you looking at me? Go if you want to."

Elina's expression brightened. "Yeah! Let's go!"

The two of them bolted away from Kai, holding each other's hands and laughing.

Kai watched their fleeting figures, then turned around.

"Elina!" Ethan said, slowing his pace.

"Yes?" She slowed down too.

"Should we follow Big Brother Kai?"

"W-What? Why?" She halted.

Ethan turned toward her. "Don't you want to know what he does in his free time?"

"But—"

"I want to know what he does! He's strong, and I want to become like him."

His eyes twinkled with awe and admiration.

"So that I can protect you from bad guys too, like this... Heeyaah!"

He started slashing his wooden stick through the air, mimicking Kai's moves.

Elina giggled, watching him.

Seeing her laughing at his incredible dagger—well, stick—play, Ethan puffed his cheeks.

"What's so funny? Hmph!"

"It's nothing." She shook her head with a smile.

"Let's go, or we'll lose him!"

He grabbed her wrist and dragged her along with him.

****

Kai walked through the cobbled streets, his steps steady, hands tucked in his pockets.

The Windsight Falcon hovered above him.

He narrowed his eyes—someone was following him.

But he didn't look back.

He didn't need to.

[<They're persistent.>]

'Doesn't matter.'

Ethan and Elina were tailing him.

Kai turned down an alley, then another, weaving through the quieter parts of town.

He slipped into a narrow path between two buildings, stepped through a bustling market crowd.

They were still behind him.

He reached the edge of town—dusty roads, scattered trees, and fences marking the boundary of Bramwell.

And then—

Whoosh!

Kai vanished into thin air.

Ethan blinked, staring at the empty space where Kai had just been.

"What the... where did he go?"

Elina frowned, scanning the surroundings. She took a few slow steps forward, squinting toward the treeline beyond the fence.

"…I think I know where he is," she said quietly.

Ethan looked at her. "Really?"

She didn't answer right away.

Instead, she closed her eyes, placing a hand over her chest—feeling something pulling her. Faint, but certain.

"This way," she said, opening her eyes.

Then she started walking, with Ethan reluctantly following behind.

"Are you sure?" Ethan asked, glancing at her.

She bit her lip, then gave a hesitant nod. "I think… he's that way."

As they stepped past the last tree marking the edge of the forest, Elina suddenly stopped.

Her feet refused to move as the forest deepened around them.

"…I don't think we should go in," she muttered.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "What? Why not? You said he's here."

"I said maybe," she shot back, clutching her sleeve. "It feels… weird here."

Ethan looked around. "Come on, it's just a forest. What's the worst—"

Ruuus!

A low rustle cut him off.

Then another.

From both sides.

The bushes stirred, and three shadowed figures slowly emerged.

Ethan froze.

Elina gripped his sleeve tightly.

The beasts crept closer, their eyes locked onto the two.

Both of them started trembling.

****

{Daily Task}

Push-ups: 100 ✅

Pull-ups: 100 ✅

Running: 10 km ✅

Crunches: 100 ✅

Plank: 10 min ✅

[Ding!]

[You've completed your daily task.]

[Here are your rewards: 3 pts]

{Current Gacha Points: 18/100}

--

"Haa... Haa..."

Kai gasped for air, as he finished doing his daily task.

Then—

He let out a deep sigh.

"Tch… kids."

And—

Whoosh!

He vanished.

A blur of motion shot through the trees.

From branch to branch.

Within seconds, he landed on the branch above the kids.

He crouched silently.

But didn't move, as—

The beasts—Mosscoat Lizards didn't screeched.

They just… watched.

Without any hostility.

One of them, stepped toward Elina.

She instinctively flinched.

The beast paused—then, almost respectfully, took a step back.

A moment later, all three beasts turned and vanished into the forest.

Kai's eyes widened.

'What happened?'

[<She's a Funari.>]

'She's what?'

[<Faunari: It is a rare class with a deep connection to beasts' emotional essence. This class grants the ability to influence and soothe the emotions of beasts, and sometimes some of the Tamers too. It is not limited to controlling emotions but rather fostering a harmonious balance between their emotional states. Beasts, respond to the Faunari's presence with heightened affection loyalty, and find themselves calmed or soothed in the Faunari's aura.>]

[<Additionally, a Funari can control and command wild beasts without even taming them. That's why they're feared by almost everyone. It's also the reason their kind is nearly extinct.>]

'Extinct?'

[<Yes. Because of their class's nature, they were considered even more dangerous than most tamers. There are records of some attacking towns and cities singlehandedly—turning beasts against their own masters—just because someone offended them.>]

Kai's jaw dropped. "Wait... seriously? You mean she could wipe out an entire city just because she feels like it?"