I am Just an Average Tamer

Kai sat on the bench outside the infirmary, elbows resting on his knees, head down, hands clasped tight.

The hallway was quiet.

His mind was a blur.

Then shuffling sound made him lift his head.

He looked up—and saw Riven limping toward him, half his body wrapped in bandages.

Kai raised a brow. "You look like hell."

Riven chuckled, wincing slightly as he dropped onto the bench beside him.

"Eh, nothing serious. Just someone decided to hand me my ass today."

Kai snorted lightly, shaking his head. "Figures."

Before Riven could reply, the infirmary door swung open again.

The healer, an older woman with sharp eyes and tired hands, gave a short nod. "You can come in."

Kai stood instantly. Riven limping after him.

Inside, Drakelet lay on a padded table, bandages wrapped tightly around his small body.

His chest rose and fell—slow, but steady.

Kai's heart squeezed.

The healer, after checking some scrolls, spoke gently.

"He's stable... but," she paused, choosing her words carefully.

"But he's crippled. His core's damaged. He won't be able to grow to his full potential anymore. You should avoid using him in battles now."

Kai froze.

His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

A storm brewed inside him. A silent, furious promise.

'I'm going to destroy that masked bastard.'

Before the thought could settle, a familiar blue panel popped up right in front of his face.

[<What happened to you now? Someone stole your new girlfriend or what?>]

Kai glared at it.

Before he could punch it out of the air, the panel flickered and quickly changed the topic.

[<By the way…... What happened to the little lizard?>]

Kai sighed heavily and explained everything—how Ghost crushed Drakelet brutally—and then, almost under his breath, he added.

'Thanks… for sharing your essence earlier. Before I collapsed.'

The panel buzzed smugly.

[<Hah. Almost put myself into comma by helping your sorry ass. You owe me big time, brat.>]

Kai gave a dry, humorless chuckle, mentally.

Riven stepped beside him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

Kai glanced at him.

"What the hell happened?" Riven asked, serious for once.

Kai sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair.

Then he leaned back against the wall, his voice low as he told Riven everything.

When he mentioned Ghost's name, he caught the slight flinch in Riven's shoulders.

Kai narrowed his eyes. "You know him?"

Riven exhaled sharply, gaze distant. "Yeah... He's the one who did this to me."

Meanwhile, back at the arena—

Aria stood across from a timid-looking girl, who clutched her beast's leash like it was a lifeline.

The match began.

The girl tried to put up a fight, but she barely held her ground—as Aria moved like a storm.

The timid girl's beast, a small creature, barely made a move before Aria's Ironfang Panther lunged.

Within two minutes, it was over.

The girl's beast was knocked out cold, and the arena went silent for a split second, before the crowd erupted in cheers.

The announcer's voice boomed across the arena, electric with excitement. "AND THAT CONCLUDES THE SECOND PHASE!"

The crowd buzzed with restless energy as the participants were led offstage.

"Now, folks!"

The announcer's voice grew even louder, filled with enthusiasm.

"Get ready! Because next—we're diving straight into an ALL-OUT BATTLE ROYALE!"

Cheers exploded like fireworks.

At the same time, the ground of arena rumbled.

Teams of earth mages stepped into the arena, raising their arms, chanting in unison.

The stage began to shift—stone rising, splitting, growing wider and taller, reshaping into a massive battleground.

It was a sight to behold.

The announcer kept talking, hyping up the crowd even more:

"The rules are simple. Every remaining participant will release up to THREE beasts! They'll all battle at once! And the LAST ONE STANDING WINS!"

The crowd went wild, stomping their feet, clapping, shouting at the top of their lungs.

------

Kai stayed with Riven for a little while longer, the two chatting for few minutes.

Well... though it was Riven who chatted, Kai just remained silent, hearing his words, bearing with it.

But deep within his heart, he wished it to finish quickly.

Having enough.

He gently put Drakelet in his soul space and left the infirmary, door closing shut behind him.

Outside, he saw Aria was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, waiting.

And began walking towards her.

The moment she spotted him, her expression softened.

"Is your beast... okay?" she asked.

Kai gave a small nod, voice rough. "Yeah... kinda."

Before Aria could say anything more, a loud groan echoed from behind Kai.

"Urgh!"

Riven stumbled out dramatically, one hand clutching his chest like he was dying.

"Ohhh, the betrayal!" he wailed.

"Aria found someone new and forgot about poor ol' me! sniff"

Kai sighed.

Aria just raised an eyebrow.

She was about to roll her eyes—but then she noticed the bandages wrapped around Riven's side.

Her gaze softened.

"You idiot," she muttered, stepping closer, her eyes scanning him. "What happened to you?"

Riven chuckled, waving it off. "Just a little love tap from fate. Nothing serious."

Aria just sighed, "Feeling better?"

Riven rolled his shoulder, "What do you thi—Argh!"

And immediately regretted it.

Aria let out a small giggle and turned around.

"I think I should go now."

With a small nod to Kai, she headed toward the waiting rooms.

Riven watched her go, then blew out a dramatic sigh. "Guess it's just us now, brother."

Kai shrugged.

"So," Riven said, bumping Kai lightly with his elbow, "what do you wanna do?"

Kai shoved his hands into his pockets. "Just watch the next phase..."

Riven grinned wide, already slinging an arm around Kai's shoulders before he could protest.

"That's the spirit. C'mon, let's go."

Dragging Kai along, the two weaved through the gathering crowd, past groups of excited spectators and the tamers that were still buzzing from their earlier matches.

Then the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium again, "All participants, ready yourselves! The next phase will begin in fifteen minutes! Spectators, please take your seats!"

Kai and Riven found an open stretch in the stands, squeezed between a few loud teenagers and a group of silent veterans, and dropped themselves into the empty space.

Kai leaned back, arms folded, his sharp eyes already scanning the upgraded stage below.

The real battle was about to begin.