I am Just an Average Tamer-Chapter 38: Vex-1

Kai groaned as he opened his eyes.

His body ached everywhere—his ribs throbbed, his legs felt like lead, and his stomach was painfully empty.

A boot nudged his side.

"Get Up," Raven said, towering over him.

Kai groaned again, rolling onto his stomach. "Five more minutes..."

Raven poured a waterskin over Kai's head.

Kai spluttered, jerking upright. "What the hell?! That's drinking water!"

"Then be faster next time." Raven shrugged.

Kai glared at him, wiping his face. "You could've just—"

Raven flicked a small knife at him.

Kai rolled aside just in time—the blade buried itself in the ground.

A thin line of blood traced his cheek.

"What was that for?!"

Raven smirked. "You dodged it. Congratulations. Now get up."

--

They both were standing in a denser region of the forest.

They had chosen this place for combat practice.

"I already told you this. But still, I'll remind you again," Raven said. "You are not physically strong. You are not a combat genius. But you're not useless."

"Uh... thanks." Kai forced a fake smile.

"You're agile, you adapt quickly, and—you're not completely stupid. So, we're training you to use what you have."

Kai tilted his head. "And how exactly do we do that?"

Raven smirked. "Like this."

He kicked Kai's feet out from under him.

Kai barely caught himself before eating dirt. "HEY—"

"Lesson one: Awareness. You should never let your guard down."

Raven swung at him again. Kai scrambled back, dodging—only for Raven to sweep his legs again.

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"Lesson two: Predicting movement. You saw me attack the first time, but you didn't expect the follow-up."

Kai rolled away, trying to get some distance, but Raven was already moving.

"Lesson three: Adapting under pressure."

He kicked a small rock at him.

Aiming straight at Kai's face at a blinding speed.

Kai froze in his tracks.

On pure instinct, he raised his arm and—

He caught it.

Raven stopped. "Huh."

Kai blinked. "What?"

"You're learning faster than I thought."

Kai huffed, tossing the rock aside. "Yeah, well, maybe I'd learn better if you didn't try to kill me."

Raven grinned. "Then where's the fun in that?"

Kai was still rubbing his sore arm when Raven dropped another bomb on him.

"Alright, kid. Time for your next test."

Kai gulped. "Please tell me it's not another 'figure out how to survive' lesson."

Raven smirked. "Oh, no. It's not."

Kai sighed in relief.

"Today, you are going to tame a beast."

Kai's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

Raven crossed his arms. "You're a tamer, Kai. You need a beast that fits your combat style."

Kai hesitated. He was a tamer, but so far, all he had was Luna.

Normally, he would have been excited at the thought of getting a new beast.

But—

He was more... panicked.

After training with Raven for even a few days, he had come to understand what kind of person Raven was.

"Will you—"

"Enough talking. Let's move." Raven turned around without waiting for Kai's response.

"Wait!" Kai trailed after him.

Raven led Kai deeper into the forest, past towering trees and thick undergrowth.

Sunlight dimmed as the massive shadows of trees blanketed the forest.

Caves of territorial beasts dotted the landscape.

"So, uh..." Kai started, breaking the silence. "What kind of beast am I looking for?"

"That depends on you," Raven said. "You're agile, not strong. You're not some musclehead who tanks hits. You also adapt fast, but you don't plan ahead much. Your beast should complement that."

Kai nodded slowly. "So... something fast?"

"Fast. Smart. Unpredictable."

Kai frowned. "Like a fox?"

Raven shook his head. "Don't you already have one trickster?"

"A bird then?"

"Too predictable."

Kai crossed his arms. "Then what?"

"Figure it out yourself."

"..."

Kai groaned, rubbing his face. "Why do I feel like you're enjoying this way too much?"

Raven smirked—then vanished without a trace.

"..."

Kai stood there, blankly."..."

Sigh.

Deep down, he knew something like this would happen.

So, he moved cautiously, trying hard to avoid any dangers.

After walking for a few minutes, he heard faint growls.

His head snapped in the direction of the sound.

He smirked.

'Ah... perfect timing.'

He climbed a nearby tree to get a clear look at his prey.

He didn't want to alert them.

Just as he settled atop the tree, he gazed toward the source of the noise.

Kai gave a sheepish smile and climbed back down.

'Nope! Those boars don't fit the criteria for my beast.' He shook his head and moved forward.

A short while later, he spotted a plant with large berries on it.

Kai plucked a few berries and began eating them while sitting against a tree.

Then—

He noticed a pair of glowing eyes staring at him from a distance.

Kai gulped. A shiver ran down his spine as the eyes inched closer.

Grrr!

It hissed before lunging at him.

Kai's eyes widened, and he instinctively rolled to the side.

He quickly recovered, stepping back slightly.

The glowing eyes moved forward cautiously.

As it emerged from the shadows, its dark grey fur shimmered faintly with ethereal patterns.

It had large, pointed ears with tufts of black fur.

A fluffy tail swayed behind it.

"Eh?" Kai furrowed his brows, tilting his head as he took in the full sight.

The creature stood at least 25 cm tall and 35 cm long.

It lunged at him again, its small maw open.

Kai sidestepped.

He smirked. "Damn, a Phantom Lynx cub. I sure am lucky."

He quickly created some distance.

Before it could attack again, Kai lowered his stance, slowly raising his hand.

The Phantom Lynx hesitated, its tail twitching.

Kai carefully pulled out a berry—about the size of his palm—and placed it on the ground.

Then, he slowly stepped back.

The Phantom Lynx eyed him warily. It hesitated at first but eventually stepped forward.

It sniffed the berry while keeping a cautious eye on Kai.

Then, it began eating.

As it finished, Kai pulled out another berry and extended his hand toward the little Lynx.

This time, the Phantom Lynx gazed at him curiously.

It sniffed his hand, hesitating for a moment before taking a bite.

Kai slowly raised his free hand and began stroking its head.

At first, the little Lynx hissed, but then it allowed him to pet it.

I wonder if I can contract it now...?Never mind, I still have time—

A sudden screech snapped him out of his thoughts.

Just as he turned his head, his soul nearly left his body.

Hiss!

A massive, five-meter-tall serpent loomed before him.

Its sleek, flexible body shimmered in the dim light, its purple scales glowing faintly with intricate blue patterns.

A chill ran down Kai's spine as its golden, slit-pupiled eyes locked onto his hazel brown ones.

Hiss!

It hissed again, clearly displeased by the presence of Kai and the little Lynx.

Shit! It's a Mist Barrage Serpent!

Before Kai could react—

Grrr!

The little Lynx bravely stepped in front of him, standing its ground against the uninvited guest.

To the Lynx, this giant snake wasn't just a threat—it was an enemy daring to harm the kind human who had given it delicious berries.

The Mist Barrage Serpent lunged at the Phantom Lynx, its fangs bared.

But the Lynx was quick. It sidestepped and leapt onto the serpent, aiming to sink its tiny fangs into its enemy.

However—

Thwack!

The serpent's tail whipped through the air, striking the Lynx mid-leap and sending it flying.

Kai barely had time to process what had happened before his instincts flared.

Move!

He leapt backward—

Sizzle.

The spot where he had stood just moments ago was now a bubbling mess, the grass melting under the serpent's acidic venom.

Before he could gather his thoughts—

Hiss!

The serpent lunged.

Kai barely managed to roll to the side.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the serpent followed up with a sweeping tail strike.

Kai ducked—

Whoosh!

The tail missed him by a hair's breadth, stirring up dirt and leaves as it crashed against the ground.

Then—

The serpent hesitated for a split second.

It flinched.

Kai's eyes darted to its body. A deep cut along its belly.

'It's injured...'

Before Kai could act on the discovery—

Slash!

The little Lynx pounced from behind, raking its claws across the serpent's back.

Hissss!

The Mist Barrage Serpent screeched in pain, whipping its head around toward its attacker.

The Lynx was already moving, its small body a blur as it narrowly dodged the retaliatory strike.

Meanwhile, Kai moved.

His fingers brushed against the ground, picking up a few small stones. He clenched them tightly, waiting patiently for an opening.

The serpent struck again—

Swoosh!

Kai hurled a stone, aiming straight for its eye.

Hissss!

A sharp screech tore through the air as blood gushed from the serpent's wounded eye.

It lashed out in pain, whipping its tail toward him—

Kai jumped away just in time.

The Phantom Lynx seized the opportunity, lunging at the serpent.

Bang!

The serpent slammed its head forward, sending the small beast flying through the air.

Kai's breath hitched.

The serpent thrashed violently, its patience wearing thin. Its golden slit eyes locked onto Kai with pure hostility.

Then—

Its body shimmered.

Two more serpents materialized at its sides.

Kai's blood ran cold.

Illusions.

Before he could react, all three lunged at him in unison.

Kai dodged right—narrowly avoiding the one on his left.

He backflipped, escaping the fangs of the center one—

Then ducked low as the third's tail swept just inches above his head.

The first serpent recovered quickly and struck again.

But—

The Phantom Lynx pounced from the side.

It slashed at the serpent's body.

Only to pass right through.

Kai's heart dropped.

Before the Lynx could react, the real serpent's tail slammed into its side, sending it hurtling through the air.

Straight toward a massive tree.

Kai bolted forward—

Caught it midair.

And crashed onto the ground, skidding to a painful stop just before the tree trunk.

"Argh...!" He groaned, pain shooting through his back.

Then—

His face paled.

The three serpents now stood in front of them.

Their jaws parted wide.

Thick, white mist began to seep into the air.

Kai's stomach twisted.

'Shit!'