I am Just an Average Tamer

Before Aria could give her beasts the next command, a blur of black and purple streaked through the battlefield.

In the blink of an eye, her Frostclaw Lynx and Direhound were slammed harshly into the ground.

Time seemed to freeze.

Aria's breath caught in her throat.

She stood there, frozen, as dust and shockwaves rippled out from the impact.

What... just happened?

She blinked once, then twice trying to make sense of it.

But then the announcer's voice boomed across the arena.

"And the winner is — GHOST!"

The crowd exploded into deafening cheers, chanting Ghost's name as if he were some untouchable hero.

'No...'

Aria barely heard any of it. She stumbled forward, falling to her knees beside her beasts.

Her hand trembled as she reached out to check them.

Healers rushed the field.

They carefully checked over her beasts—some bruises, some strain—nothing life-threatening.

A wave of relief washed over Aria.

She nodded to the healers and carefully returned her partners to her soul space.

Lowering her head for a moment to collect herself, she finally stood up, squared her shoulders, and made her way back toward the waiting area.

Up in the stands, Kai shot up from his seat.

Beside him, Riven cursed loudly under his breath, face twisted in frustration.

"Damn that masked freak," Riven growled, his fists clenching.

Kai didn't say anything.

He just stared at the stage where Ghost stood alone, the very picture of cold dominance.

The tournament was over.

Although the royal rumble had only one true winner—Ghost—there were still additional awards to hand out, based on performance throughout the whole tournament.

Kai spotted Aria sitting alone in the corner of the waiting area, her hands loosely clasped in her lap, her shoulders slumped, gaze fixed blankly at the floor.

Without a word, he walked over and sat beside her.

She gave a dry, almost bitter chuckle when she noticed him.

"Guess the three of us are equals now," she muttered. "All crushed by Ghost."

Kai hummed low in his throat, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

After a pause, Aria muttered, voice laced with frustration.

"It's... humiliating. To be defeated like that. So easily."

Kai turned his head slightly toward her.

"You're not alone," he said quietly. "Everyone who faced him ended up the same way."

She gave a tired nod, exhaling sharply.

Just then, the stadium's voice crystals buzzed to life.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer shouted, "as we conclude this year's Junior Wing Tournament, would all 200 participants please gather onto the stage!"

Kai and Aria stood up, moving with the others toward the grand arena.

The crowd cheered and clapped as the participants slowly made their way onto the grand platform.

An elegant figure walked out from the VIP stands—a high-ranking official from the Royal Academy, clad in flowing robes marked with gold embroidery.

His aura alone commanded respect as he approached the stage.

After a brief formal speech—congratulating the participants, praising their spirit, and encouraging them to continue striving for greatness—the ceremony moved forward.

"Now," the announcer called, his voice rich with excitement,

"Announcing the Champion of the Junior Wing Beast Taming Tournament..."

"Ghost!"

The stadium erupted with deafening cheers and chants,

"GHOST! GHOST! GHOST!"

From the line, Ghost stepped forward onto the elevated platform, expressionless.

The official presented him with a shimmering medal shaped like a phoenix wing, and a shining silver storage ring.

The official announced, "This storage ring contains a prize fitting for a champion. Hundred Gold Coins, Five high-grade Essence Stones, a Beast Egg, and a personal letter of recommendation for Royal Academy!"

The crowd gasped and broke into another wave of applause.

Ghost nodded once, received the items without a word, and stepped down to join the others.

"Next!" the announcer continued. "Our outstanding performers who showed remarkable skill and spirit throughout the tournament!"

Several names were called one after another.

Participants stepped onto the stage to receive smaller medals, rare potions, beast gear, and training manuals.

Aria's name was called too. She straightened up, hesitated just for a second, and then strode up to the platform.

She received a silver medal, a bag of rare herbs for beast healing.

Kai clapped quietly as he watched her.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Aria's lips when she glanced his way.

"And finally," the announcer said, "Kai!"

Kai blinked, surprised, but made his way forward.

The official handed him a bronze medal—a medal that earned a lot of murmurs and nods of respect from the crowd.

Then the official handed him a second reward:

"For the rescue of an endangered Mystic Beast cub," he said, handing Kai a white envelope marked with the seal of the Tamer's Alliance.

"This is a Sponsorship Token. After graduating from any academy, you can have access to Tamer Alliance Resources and Missions reserved for Trainees."

Kai blinked in shock—

Even Riven, back in the stands, whistled loudly in appreciation.

Getting selected into Tamer Alliance wasn't easy.

Because the Tamer's Alliance wasn't just any guild.

It was one of the high-ranking organizations in the entire continent.

A place built for Elite tamers to tackle against the calamities that roam free in the unknown—and even known lands, from wild beasts to rouge tamers that have power to threaten even the kingdoms.

Getting into it wasn't easy. Not by a long shot.

Normally, a tamer had to graduate from a prestigious academy with top scores, complete a series of entrance tests, and often have a recommendation from a high official or elder.

But Kai?

Without even graduating yet... without even a formal academy certificate...he had just earned an access.

It wasn't a small feat.

It was the kind of achievement that could change someone's future overnight.

As Kai stepped down, Aria nudged him lightly, smirking,

"Guess someone's getting famous."

Kai just chuckled under his breath, tucking the envelope into his pocket.

But in the back of his mind, he wasn't thinking about fame.

He was thinking about Ghost—and the storm that was brewing just beneath the surface.