Rise of the Primordial Dragon beast tamer

Azvoid exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "This day just keeps getting weirder."

Sylva. Who the hell was she? And why did it feel like she knew way too much about him? The fact that she had vanished so cleanly—without even a trace—meant she was either an absurdly powerful assassin… or something else entirely.

Noctis chuckled darkly in his mind. What's the matter, boy? Flustered? I didn't think you'd be so easily distracted by a woman.

Azvoid groaned, rubbing his temples. "Not flustered. Suspicious."

Mmm. That's what they all say.

Azvoid really didn't have the patience for Noctis's teasing right now. He had barely recovered from his brutal training, fought off a bunch of nobodies, and now a mysterious woman had just up and vanished after cryptically testing him? Yeah, he needed answers. But first—

His stomach growled.

"…I need food."

You need training.

"I need food first."

Weak excuse.

"You literally eat worlds when you're hungry, so shut up."

Noctis let out a deep, rumbling laugh. Fair enough.

Azvoid stretched his arms, shaking off the lingering tension from the alleyway fight. It was late, but that didn't mean he couldn't find something to eat. A quick warp would get him back to his apartment in no time, and he had some instant noodles there. Sure, it was garbage-tier food, but right now? It was exactly what he needed.

Just as he was about to activate Space Vector Master and teleport away, another notification from the system appeared.

Warning: Multiple high-energy signatures detected nearby.

Threat Level: Uncertain.

Proceed with caution.

Azvoid narrowed his eyes. "…Oh, come on."

Noctis, surprisingly, went silent.

That wasn't a good sign.

Azvoid turned his head slightly, activating Phantom Reflex on instinct. Everything around him sharpened—the rustling of leaves, the distant murmur of voices, the subtle vibration of the ground beneath his feet.

Then he heard it.

The sound of something heavy shifting above him.

Azvoid moved.

A blur of black metal crashed into the spot he had been standing, sending chunks of stone flying. He twisted mid-air, landing in a low crouch as the dust settled.

And there they were.

Three figures emerged from the shadows of the buildings above—each clad in dark armor, their faces obscured by featureless masks.

Assassins.

Great. Just what he needed.

Noctis hummed in his mind. Interesting.

Azvoid sighed, rolling his shoulders. "You know, I was really looking forward to those instant noodles."

One of the assassins tilted their head slightly before, without warning, lunging straight at him.

Azvoid grinned.

Fine. He'd work up an appetite first.

With a flicker of Space Vector Master, he vanished.

The battle was on.

Azvoid reappeared behind one of the assassins mid-air, his body twisting as he drove his knee toward the back of their skull. But before impact, the assassin vanished in a flicker of movement, reappearing a few feet away with a near-soundless landing.

Azvoid's grin widened. Fast.

But not fast enough.

Before the assassin could react, Azvoid manipulated Space Vector Master, forcibly twisting the space between them. The air itself distorted, reality warping in an instant. The assassin staggered as his body was yanked sideways against his will. Azvoid was already there, foot swinging upward—

Phantom Reflex activated.

Time seemed to slow as his instincts flared. A second assassin had already moved in from behind, blade flashing toward his neck.

Azvoid bent backward in a split-second reaction, the weapon barely grazing past him. Using the momentum, he flipped mid-air and launched a devastating kick toward the second assassin's chest—only for his foot to phase right through their body like mist.

Illusion? No—afterimage!

The real attack came from the side. A dagger, curved and humming with energy, aimed for his ribs.

Azvoid gritted his teeth. Smart. But not smarter than him.

He twisted, warping space inside his own body—his form flickering as he phased a few inches sideways at the last possible moment. The dagger barely missed, and in that instant, he seized the assassin's wrist and pulled.

A simple motion, but with Space Vector Master behind it, the force was unnatural.

The assassin's body snapped through the air as if caught in an invisible gravitational pull, their balance utterly destroyed. Azvoid didn't waste the opening—his fist lashed out, Phantom Reflex guiding his aim. His punch met the assassin's faceplate with bone-crushing force.

The assassin collapsed, their body skidding across the ground before lying still.

One down.

Azvoid turned, eyes gleaming. "Alright, who's next?"

The remaining two assassins exchanged glances before one of them pulled out a strange, pulsating orb from their belt.

Azvoid's smirk faded.

"Oh, hell no."

The orb cracked—black energy surging outward.

A summoning artifact.

The air ripped open.

A jagged portal formed behind the assassins, swirling with unstable energy. From within, something began to emerge—twisted, malformed limbs clawing their way into reality.

Azvoid's stomach dropped. That thing—whatever it was—didn't belong in this world.

Even Noctis stirred in his mind, his voice suddenly serious. Azvoid. Stop that summoning. Now.

Azvoid didn't need to be told twice.

With a flicker of Space Vector Master, he closed the gap in an instant, hand outstretched to intercept—

Too late.

The portal exploded outward, tendrils of dark energy lashing in all directions. From the abyss, a massive figure emerged—its body shifting between solid and ethereal, a grotesque fusion of shadow and metal.

It had no face. Only a singular, spiraling void where a head should be.

Its presence made the air heavy.

Azvoid cursed. "Okay. That's just cheating."

The two assassins backed away, their job apparently done. They had no intention of fighting alongside the monster they had just unleashed.

Azvoid clicked his tongue. Cowards.

The creature moved. No—it blurred.

One second, it was standing there. The next, it was directly in front of him.

Azvoid's instincts screamed.

Phantom Reflex activated.

He barely dodged as a massive clawed limb tore through the space he had just occupied, the force alone sending a shockwave through the alleyway.

Azvoid landed on a rooftop, narrowing his eyes. "Noctis. Any ideas?"

…Yes. And you're not going to like it.

Azvoid already knew where this was going.

"You want me to summon you."

Obviously.

Azvoid exhaled slowly. He hated relying on Noctis. It felt like cheating. But looking at the thing below—he didn't have a choice.

His system flickered to life.

Supreme Dragon Beast Tamer System – Summoning Authorization

Ancient Chaos Celestial Realm Connection Established.

Summoning: Noctis, the Shadow Render.

Reality itself shattered.

The sky turned black.