I am Just an Average Tamer

As the gavel struck and the auctioneer cried, "Sold! To VIP Room One!" a ripple of murmurs surged through the hall.

"Who the hell bids five hundred gold just like that?" someone whispered near the front row.

"Must be a royal," another guessed, eyes scanning the curtained booth that had remained silent the entire auction—until now.

Kai leaned back slightly in his seat, arms crossed, expression unreadable behind the mask. But his mind was already racing. That laugh… it wasn't just confidence. It was arrogance. Like he knew no one could touch him.

Beside him, the nobleman that brought Kai gave a low whistle."Well, that just killed the party," he muttered with a crooked smile. "Guess we found out who brought a bottomless purse."

The auctioneer, still riding the high of the moment, tried to smooth the tension."Such a thrilling end to the night! Truly, an unforgettable finale! You never know what treasures—or titans—you'll find at a Vendric auction!"

The crowd slowly began to stir again, voices rising in speculation.

"Was it House Velkner?""No way, they never bid on beast items.""Could be a disguised envoy from the capital...""Maybe even someone from the Tamer's Alliance?"

The whispers tangled in the air, suspicion and curiosity thick as smoke.

And all the while, high up in the shadows of VIP Room One, the winner sat motionless—silent again, as if they'd never spoken at all.

Kai narrowed his eyes.Whoever you are… you're not just rich. You're a threat.

As the final bids echoed into silence and the crowd began to shuffle toward the exits, Kai and the nobleman rose from their seats. The noble handed over a pouch heavy with gold while Kai followed suit, quietly paying the 85 coins for his winnings. He slipped the items into his storage bracelet without fanfare. Everything seemed routine.

Until it wasn't.

A loud clang echoed through the auction house—metal slamming shut. The wide double doors leading out of the chamber had sealed tight. Cries of confusion broke out from the remaining buyers and staff still inside.

"What's going on?! Open the doors!""We've paid! Let us out!"

The auctioneer, now clearly nervous, called out, "Guards! Escort our guests out—guards!"

But no footsteps came.

Instead, a sharp crash cracked through the tense air—one of the side doors burst open and several armored bodies were thrown into the hall like ragdolls. The guards who should've responded now lay groaning or unconscious on the floor.

From the shadows near the high walls, five figures emerged—hooded, cloaked in black, each step they took silent, calculated.

One of them stepped forward, voice cold and mocking."Looking for them?"

A chill swept the room.

Kai instinctively stepped in front of the noble, his eyes flicking to the figures. He activated his scanning technique—and his breath caught.

Peak Great Core… and that's the weakest one.

He felt his heartbeat thud louder, but he didn't let it show. Muscles tense, he lowered slightly into a fighting stance, weighing his chances—not of winning, but of surviving.

The noble behind him cursed under his breath."Dante didn't mention a damn ambush."

No, Kai thought grimly, he didn't.

And now they were locked in a den with wolves.

The lead figure in black raised a hand, palm open toward the frightened crowd. His voice came out calm, almost reassuring."Fear not. We mean no harm to you. We only want..."

He pointed—direct, cold—toward one of the VIP balconies."...him."

Kai's eyes sharpened, following the motion. It was the man—the mysterious bidder who had won the primordial beast's essence.

Tension twisted in Kai's gut. So it wasn't a random attack after all.

He subtly scanned the exits again—still sealed. No escape, not unless he could punch through a thick steel door... and he doubted he could make it in time.

Before he could think further, a rich, mocking laughter rang through the hall."You want it?" the buyer sneered, standing at the balcony's edge with an arrogant grin. "Then come and take it!"

With a flourish, he summoned his beasts—five Mid-Great Core-ranked monsters, their auras pressing down like a storm. The air grew heavy; many of the lesser nobles and adventurers instinctively backed away, their faces pale.

A sixth beast appeared with a roar—larger, wilder, emanating a Peak-Great Core pressure that rattled the floorboards.

"Kill them," the buyer ordered lazily, like swatting flies.

The five mid-rank beasts charged toward the hooded figures, shaking the ground with every step.The hall exploded into chaos. Screams echoed as guests bolted for corners, flipping over tables and chairs in their panic.

But the hooded figures didn't flinch.

In a blur too fast for most eyes, they moved—silent and surgical.A beast lunged—its throat was slashed before it landed.Another roared—a figure sidestepped and drove a dagger through its eye socket.Three seconds. That's all it took. All five mid-great beasts collapsed, lifeless.

A horrified gasp rippled through the remaining crowd.

Meanwhile, the buyer didn't sit idle—he had already called his Peak-Great Core beast forward and, in the same breath, handed over a small, shimmering crystal—the ancient beast essence.

The creature devoured it instantly.Its body trembled violently, veins bulging. A savage, unnatural energy began to pulse from its core.

Kai narrowed his eyes, heart pounding.

This... just got a lot worse.

The temperature dropped. A chilling frost crept along the marble floor, curling up the pillars, frosting over the golden trim of the auction hall. The air grew heavy and biting cold—unnaturally so.

The beast, now glowing faintly from within, snarled—a deep, guttural growl that shook the walls. Its eyes shimmered with a bestial red, unblinking, unknowing. The energy pulsing from it felt wrong—as if something ancient and feral had awoken inside.

The buyer—still standing at his balcony—threw his head back in laughter.

"Hah! You see that?! That's the power of a primordial—!"

"Kill them!" he commanded, pointing toward the cloaked figures. His grin was manic.

But the beast didn't move.

Not toward them.

Its massive head slowly turned… toward him.

The smile on the man's face froze.

"...What?"

Down below, the lead hooded figure let out a low breath."You shouldn't have done that," he said flatly, voice echoing with grim certainty.

The beast roared, a terrifying, thunderous sound that rattled the crystal chandeliers.

Then it lunged—straight at its master.

Before the man could summon another word—or even blink—the beast crashed into the balcony. Stone cracked, wood splintered.

Blood sprayed.

The man's scream was cut off almost immediately, torn apart by the very monster he had so proudly flaunted. His body dropped from the balcony in two halves, slamming onto the tiles below with a sickening thud.

The entire hall went silent.

Even the other nobles, the cloaked figures, Kai—everyone—stood frozen.

The beast turned, now breathing heavily, its eyes even more feral than before.

The essence had taken root.

It was no longer just a beast.

It was something else now.