I am Just an Average Tamer-Chapter 155 - 141 updated

[Don’t buy. It’s not a real Chapter, real one will be updated soon.]

"The whole academy’s buzzing, you know? You and that overgrown ape just made history. Third trial hasn’t seen a solo takedown like that in years."

"Wasn’t solo," Kai corrected. "You were there."

Corrin paused, then grinned wider.

"Damn right I was. That last combo—beautiful. Almost made me cry. If I wasn’t busy trying not to die, I would’ve written a poem or something."

Kai sighed. "You’re loud."

"You love it."

Kai didn’t respond—but didn’t push him off either.

❖ Scene: Eyes in the Halls

The two walked side by side through the wide inner corridor, headed for the mess hall. Other participants passed by, giving sidelong glances.

Some nodded with hesitant respect.

Some looked away, pretending not to notice them.

And some just stared.

Kai could feel it. The weight of eyes. The shift in air whenever someone recognized him. His senses were attuned to it after years of hiding — after years of hunting.

"They’re all watching now," he muttered.

Corrin’s gaze flicked around. "Good. Let ’em. Better to be known than forgotten."

Kai didn’t answer.

❖ Scene: The Mess Hall Murmurs

The academy’s mess hall was carved into the cliffside itself — a vast chamber with enchanted firelight flickering across dozens of stone tables. Floating lanterns pulsed overhead like lazy fireflies.

Kai and Corrin sat at a corner table, food trays untouched.

Kai poked at a bowl of grilled meat and steamed roots while Vex — now visible in passive mode — curled under the table like a shadowy beast rug.

Corrin leaned back, arms folded behind his head.

"You hear who’s next on the rankings board?" he asked, casual.

Kai shook his head.

Corrin leaned in, lowering his voice just slightly.

"Cassian took down that Ice-Horned Ravager with one arm disabled. Got bumped straight to second."

Kai looked up. "Second?"

Corrin nodded. "You’re fourth now."

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "Aria?"

Kai didn’t flinch. "Let them try."

Corrin chuckled, but the sound was quieter now.

"I’m serious, Kai. You made noise. The kind that draws knives and contracts."

Kai leaned back, eyes calm.

"Then I’ll sharpen mine too."

❖ Scene: Aria’s Arrival

The sound of metal boots echoed through the mess hall.

Heads turned as Aria strode in, her crimson-accented armor gleaming faintly under the lantern light. Her long black hair was tied in a sleek braid, and her Icefang Panther — silent and graceful — padded behind her.

She made a direct line for Kai’s table.

Corrin muttered, "Oh boy."

Aria stopped a few steps from them.

"Kai."

He looked up, nodding once.

"That was an impressive fight," she said plainly. "The gorilla... you read its aggression patterns and movement timing. Not many can do that mid-battle."

Kai shrugged. "Its left knee was weakened. Old fracture."

Aria’s eyes lit up briefly. "I saw that too."

There was a moment of mutual understanding between them. Tactical respect. She wasn’t here to flirt, nor to warn. Just to measure.

"You’ll be targeted," she said bluntly. "So will Corrin."

Corrin raised a hand. "Hey, I exist!"

Aria ignored him.

Kai met her gaze. "I know."

She gave a firm nod.

"She’s third. Took on a dual-beast tamer and won. Big crowd."

Kai let the info settle. Not out of ego. Just strategy. Every ranking shift meant a new threat. A new puzzle.

But Corrin kept going.

"Thing is... the ones above you? They’re not worried about you.""It’s the ones below that are sweating."

He jabbed a thumb toward a nearby table where a group of silver-ranked students were pretending not to stare.

"Half of ’em already changed their trial strategies ’cause of you. Some are talking about ’accidents’ in the next phase."

The stone corridors behind the arena were quieter now.

Not silent—but the echoes of applause had dulled into a distant hum behind enchanted walls. Kai walked with his usual ghost-footed grace, boots barely tapping against the ground. The cool air of the underground stone hall brushed against his skin, drying the sweat still clinging to his collarbones.

He turned a corner—and found himself face-to-face with a group of people waiting.

Correction—waiting for him.

A girl with deep green eyes and long jade-colored hair stood among them, fidgeting with her robe’s sleeve. She wasn’t dressed for battle—no armor, just loose mage’s garb and a pale-blue brooch clipped near her collarbone.

Rashira.

She looked up the moment she saw him, worry and awe blending awkwardly in her expression.

"Kai," she breathed, stepping forward before hesitating. "You... you won."

He blinked. "Yeah."

There was silence.

Rashira bit her lip. "Are you okay? That slash to your side—"

Kai waved it off with a shrug. "Minor. Already healing."

He didn’t smile. Not because he didn’t want to—but because his body was still in battle calm. That stillness after the fight. It hadn’t drained from his blood yet.

"Thanks for watching," he said, voice quiet.

Her cheeks flushed. "I—I didn’t mean to. I was walking by and I saw the match—well, the end of it. Then someone said it was you and I just... stayed."

She looked down, embarrassed.

Kai didn’t answer. But he gave a faint nod that might’ve been approval. Or maybe gratitude.

But then came a voice that cut through the fragile calm like a blade.

"Quite the display, Kai of House Valkros. Or should I say... the ghost of the arena?"

They both turned.

Standing at the far end of the corridor was a noble youth dressed in wine-colored robes, trimmed in gold and marked with House insignia. His hair was styled in polished waves, eyes like polished opal, and a smug smile that didn’t reach the ice-cold stare beneath it.

Vaerin Drelvain.

Theron’s older cousin. An Apex-Core cultivator and noble heir in his own right.

Rashira stepped back instinctively.

Kai didn’t move.

Vaerin approached slowly, clapping once—mockingly.

"You made quite a name for yourself today. From unknown to silver-ranked. Not bad for a shadow pup."

Kai remained still.

Vaerin continued. "But you do realize you’ve upset the balance, yes? The nobles had their favorites. The sects had their scouts. You’ve forced everyone to re-evaluate."

He stopped a few steps away, smile sharpening.

"Do you know what happens to those who disrupt the board before the game is ready?"

Kai’s gaze didn’t flicker. "They get targeted."

Vaerin smiled wider. "Good. You’re not stupid. That’ll help you survive the next wave."

Then, without another word, he turned and vanished into the shadows down the hall—his guards trailing behind.

Rashira exhaled sharply.

"He’s warning you..."

Kai shrugged again. "I know."

❖ Scene: A Quiet Walk

The two walked side by side down a quieter corridor.

After a long moment, Rashira looked over at him again, voice gentler.

"Are you scared?"

Kai raised an eyebrow.

"Of what?"

She hesitated, then gestured vaguely. "Of... them? All these people watching now? Wanting things from you?"

Kai tilted his head.

"I’m used to being hunted."

He said it so plainly, so casually, that Rashira stopped walking for a second. She looked at him as if seeing him anew.

Not just the quiet boy who spoke little.Not just the sharp-eyed fighter with strange, stealthy beasts.

But someone who had survived something far darker than this academy.

"You... weren’t always at House Valkros, were you?" she asked quietly.

He didn’t answer.

And that silence was answer enough.

❖ Scene: Rest and Reflection

Kai finally found solitude in one of the resting alcoves built into the stone corridors. A small room—dimly lit, cold, and blessedly silent. He sat down on the edge of a cot, breathing deeply.

His muscles still ached. The adrenaline had worn off, leaving behind the quiet throb of bruises, cuts, and fatigue.

Vex appeared from the shadows beside him, curling up without a sound.

Kai reached out, running a hand down the lynx’s phantom-slick fur. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"You did good."

Vex rumbled softly in response.

From his sleeve, he pulled a small vial—a restorative blend that dulled pain and cleansed minor poison traces. He popped the cork with one hand and drank it in a slow swig.

"You’re in the open now."

His own voice, whispering in his mind.

No more hiding behind anonymity. No more silent scouting from the shadows.

He’d made a move. A big one.

And everyone was watching.

❖ Scene: Elsewhere in the Academy...

High above in a secluded chamber of floating stone islands, a professor sat alone at a rune-etched table, drawing symbols in the air.

Elaron, the Headmaster, was viewing scrying streams of multiple candidates.

His fingers paused over Kai’s display.

"Early-Great Core... beast tamer, assassin build... and a psyche that resists probing."

He clicked his tongue.

"Either someone trained him in anti-scrying wards, or... he’s hiding something far older."

He touched the floating image—and it shimmered, revealing an older file.

One sealed with red wax and marked:

’Valkros – Black Tier Clearance Only’

Elaron frowned.

He didn’t open it.

Not yet.

But his gaze lingered.

"You’ve earned my interest, Kai Valkros."

"Let’s see if you survive it."