I am Just an Average Tamer-Chapter 147: dont buuuuy

The fallen beast lay sprawled in a pool of black ichor, its massive chest rising no more. But its body shimmered faintly—runes across its fur glowing in flickering pulses before fading into stillness.

Kai crouched near the body, ignoring the sting in his ribs. His fingers brushed over one of the rune-scars. Now that the fight was over, he could finally examine it.

"Corrin," he called, "These aren’t just any seal runes. These are from the Archaic Binding script—the same type used in ancient beast prisons."

Corrin wiped blood from his mouth, limping over with a wince. "You saying this big guy was locked up here?"

Kai nodded. "Not locked. Buried. Like a guardian... or a warning."

Just then, the gorilla’s chest pulsed.

A soft, resonant glow emerged from the center of its sternum.

Both of them stepped back cautiously as the light intensified, becoming a smooth orb of greenish-white energy. It hovered for a moment, then slowly descended toward Kai—drawn like a magnet.

A system message flickered across Kai’s vision.

[Beast Core Absorbed: Peak-Great Core]

The essence of a fallen guardian has been accepted.

Choose:

▸ Convert to Beast Contract

▸ Store as Raw Core Energy

▸ Absorb into Beast Slot [Warning: Rank Lock – Beast Slot Unavailable]

Kai stared at the options.

"Whoa..." Corrin blinked. "Did you just get a core drop?"

Kai didn’t answer immediately. His mind was calculating. That much pure essence could push one of his beasts to a new level—or be stored to refine himself. But fusing a Peak-Great Core ranked beast without a reinforced contract could backfire.

Too unstable for now.

He tapped the second option.

[Raw Core Energy stored.]

Energy Quota: 47% toward next Core Rank.

Kai let out a breath as the orb vanished into his palm. A comforting warmth filled his core—a rare feeling, like tasting liquid power.

Then... the chamber rumbled.

They both looked up.

Runes along the far wall—previously dormant—lit up with a steady, deep blue glow. Dust crumbled. A section of the wall began to grind open, revealing a narrow passageway beyond. Cold air spilled out, laced with the scent of time—old stone, decay, and ancient magic.

Kai narrowed his eyes. "That gorilla wasn’t just guarding the ruins. It was the key."

Corrin straightened, exhaling slowly. "Let me guess. We’re going in."

Kai smirked faintly, though his eyes never left the passage. "Of course."

Before moving, he pulled out a vial from his satchel—a dark purple liquid. He drank it quickly. A healing tincture laced with poison-resistance and minor regeneration. He offered a second to Corrin.

Corrin sniffed it. "Tastes like rat piss."

"Still better than dying," Kai said, already walking forward.

As they entered the hidden tunnel, the air grew colder. The walls were lined with weathered murals—scenes of beasts, humans, and war. One image caught Kai’s attention.

It showed a humanoid figure, cloaked in shadows, standing atop a mountain of slain beasts. At his side, four creatures loomed—beasts of immense size and power.

Below the image, a faded phrase remained legible:

"He who commands the primal four shall awaken the Deep Crown."

Kai felt a chill creep up his spine. "The Deep Crown..."

Corrin blinked. "You know what that is?"

"No. But I’ve heard that phrase once—back at the Beast Archives in Auralian. It was in a sealed manuscript about Forbidden Taming."

They pushed further.

The corridor opened into a secondary chamber—this one smaller, circular, lined with stone pedestals. Four of them. Only one had something on it.

A metallic mask.

It floated slightly above the stone, suspended by thin chains of light. The mask had jagged edges, sculpted like a beast’s snarling face—part lion, part dragon.

And it whispered.

Not with sound, but in the mind.

Kai stepped closer and felt the whisper slide into his thoughts.

"You... who walks with beasts... do you seek dominion, or balance...?"

Corrin flinched. "Did you hear that too?"

Kai nodded. "Mental relic. Probably cursed."

"Great. You’re gonna touch it, aren’t you?"

Kai didn’t answer.

He reached out.

The moment his fingers brushed the mask—blinding light filled the room.

In a flash, the room dissolved.

Kai found himself standing in a vast, starless void.

Floating in the dark was a figure—tall, draped in beast hide and chains. Its eyes glowed a deep, animalistic red.

"You... are unworthy of the mantle."

"But you may earn it... if you survive."

The chains wrapped around Kai’s arms, dragging him down.

"Face the primal trial."

"Or be consumed by it."

Then—

Darkness.

❖ Back in the Cave ❖

Kai’s body collapsed in the chamber, eyes open but unfocused.

Corrin cursed. "Kai?!"

He rushed forward, checking Kai’s pulse—it was there, strong but irregular. Like he was in deep sleep... or trapped in something else.

The mask still hovered above the pedestal, now pulsing with rhythmic light.

Corrin stood, blade ready.

"...We’ve definitely woken up something we shouldn’t have."

"Hahaha! That’s it—go kick that overgrown bastard’s ass!"Professor Lysenna slapped her thighs, eyes sparkling with amusement."Show ’em who rules the damn world, brat!"

"To think that kid can use Beast Merging at his age... now that’s fascinating," Professor Halvar muttered, clearly intrigued now.

"To hell with age—just being able to use Beast Merging is a damn feat. Who even is this boy?" Gellad said, furrowing his brows.

He turned to Maelora."You know anything about him?"

Maelora shook her head with a shrug."Not a clue. Just a regular commoner—no background, no backing."

"Then we’ve found ourselves a hidden gem." Kalden leaned forward, smirking."Hah! Bet those snobby Royal Academy bastards are burning with jealousy already." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

With that, every eye in the room locked onto Kai’s screen. The rest of the participants were completely ignored.

"That’s it—he’s mine," Lysenna declared, leaning forward, her fist clenched and a grin spreading on her lips."Don’t even think about snatching him, you fossils."

Gellad raised a brow."Well, I object."

"Me too," Kaelden added.

"Make that me three," Halvar chimed in.

Lysenna’s voice dropped, eyes narrowing."What did you just say...?"

Gellad shrugged with a sly grin."We all know how you are, Lysenna. And that kid’s clearly a rare gem—we can’t just hand him over to you. We need to nurture him properly."

"You saying I’m not capable?" she growled, her serpent curling protectively around her arm.

"Wha—" Gellad began, but Maelora cut in.

"As much as I hate to admit it... I have to agree with Lysenna."She let out a long sigh."She’s the best choice we’ve got. Aside from the principal, she’s the only one who understands Beast Merging at that level."

Gellad clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. The others had similar reactions—reluctant, grumbling acceptance.

"Hahaha~" Lysenna leaned forward, resting her chin on her knuckles, eyes glinting with smug delight."Jealous, are we?"

"Why would I be?" Gellad grunted.

"Oh, come on—don’t be shy now. Admit it: you’re jealous. Just say the word, and this big sis will give you a private lesson too."She poked his chest playfully.

Gellad swatted her hand away and turned his gaze back to the screen, clearly done with her teasing.

Lysenna simply chuckled again, leaning back as she gently stroked her serpent’s scaled head, a satisfied smirk still playing on her lips.

"Hmm?"Syver came to a halt, his gaze sharpening as he narrowed his eyes at something in the distance.

"What happened?" Rashira asked, her voice quiet. She followed his line of sight, then tilted her head. "What’s that?"

Syver shrugged. "Not sure... Only one way to find out."

Rashira gave a small nod, and the two moved forward together, stepping cautiously toward the slightly elevated platform at the center of the forest clearing.

As they crossed the faint shimmer of the barrier, a subtle warmth washed over them. The tension in their shoulders eased instantly.

"A safe zone, huh?" Syver muttered, reading the faint glowing text hovering above the orb in the middle.

Rashira rolled her shoulders with a quiet groan, then yawned. "Mmm... I’m getting sleepy..."

Without warning, she reached out and grabbed Syver’s hand, tugging him gently toward the stage.

They completely forgot about everything else—including the silver-haired woman passed out just a few feet behind them, snoring like a drunken beast.

Syver let out a soft chuckle but didn’t resist. "Bossy tonight, aren’t we?"

She didn’t respond—just gave him a sleepy glance and motioned for him to sit. Once he did, she eased herself down, laying her head in his lap like it was the most natural thing in the world. With a content sigh, she reached up, guiding his hand to her head.

He smiled and began running his fingers gently through her hair.

And just like that, the world around them melted away.

No tension. No noise. No lingering anxiety about the trial outside the barrier.

Just the soft hum of the safe zone orb, the steady rhythm of their breaths, and the calm that settled like dusk around them.

They completely forgot about everything else—including the silver-haired woman passed out just a few feet behind them, snoring like a drunken beast.