I am Just an Average Tamer-Chapter 37: Training

"Huh?" Kai tilted his head, staring at the sight before him.

Growl!

His breath hitched, and the color drained from his face.

A group of Earth Boars stood in his path.

"Aaah!"

Without a second thought, he turned on his heels and bolted in the opposite direction.

But the boars weren't willing to let their prey escape so easily. With a thunderous charge, they barreled after him.

"Haa... haaa..."

His lungs burned as he sprinted through the dense forest, branches tearing at his skin.

The boars were still on his heels.

Growl!

Their menacing cries echoed in his bones, sending a chill down his spine.

He didn't dare to look back.

He just kept running.

His feet barely touched the ground as he leaped over a fallen log.

His mind screamed at him—Run, hide, do something! But no matter how fast he pushed himself, the boars were still gaining.

Then, the ground beneath him vanished.

Kai's stomach lurched as he tumbled down a steep slope, rolling uncontrollably before crashing into a tree.

"Argh!" Pain exploded in his ribs, forcing the air from his lungs.

Silence.

The forest, once alive with growls and rustling leaves, now felt eerily still.

Gritting his teeth, Kai forced himself upright. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he frantically scanned the area.

There was no sign of any beast.

But his relief was short-lived.

Growl! Growl!

Chilling snarls echoed through the air.

He swallowed hard. His blood ran cold.

Slowly, he turned his head.

His expression twisted into a grimace.

The boars were right there.

Watching.

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Waiting.

Grinning.

'Shit!'

He cursed in his mind.

'How did I end up here?'

--

A few minutes earlier...

Kai stood there, blinking.

Meanwhile, Raven casually stretched his arms, while Luna nestled atop his head, sleeping soundly.

Just as Raven was about to turn away, Kai spoke.

"Wait, wait, wait—you're leaving me? Alone? And you're taking Luna with you?"

Raven smirked. "That's the plan."

Kai's eye twitched. "You can't be serious."

Raven crossed his arms. "Oh, I'm very serious. You wanna survive out there? Then prove it. No Luna, no fancy tricks—just you, your instincts, and the wilderness."

Kai glanced around at the dense forest. The sun hung high in the sky, but the thick canopy cast long, eerie shadows.

"You know, this feels less like training and more like attempted murder," he muttered.

Raven ignored him. "You have three days. Find food, find water, and don't die. If you do, well..." He shrugged. "That just means I wasted my time."

Kai exhaled sharply. "You're actually serious."

Raven's smirk widened. "Now you're getting it."

Before Kai could argue, Raven casually stepped back, gave a lazy wave, and vanished in a flicker of dark energy.

"...."

Kai stared blankly at the empty space.

A few leaves rustled. A distant howl echoed through the trees.

He sighed, rubbing his face. "Yeah. I'm so gonna die."

--

"Haa... haa..."

Kai panted, sitting on a thick tree branch, gasping for breath.

"Fuck, that was close," he muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Phew!" He exhaled in relief as he watched the wild Earth Boars scatter, losing sight of their prey.

He waited patiently for them to disappear completely from view.

Once they were gone, Kai slowly descended from the tree and began moving.

The forest was silent, except for the rustling leaves and the soft crunch of scattered branches beneath his feet.

The sun hung high in the sky.

It had been hours since he began wandering aimlessly in the dense forest.

His clothes were torn. His muscles ached.

He winced, clutching his chest.

Pain still lingered in his ribs from the earlier impact.

His stomach growled.

Garr!

He scanned his surroundings—trees upon trees, bushes upon bushes.

But he found... nothing.

Not a single fruit, berry—anything edible.

There was nothing to ease his hunger.

And worst of all—he had no idea how he would survive.

He licked his dry lips.

'Water...I need water!'

He moved carefully, scanning the ground for damp soil or animal tracks. But before he could go further—

SNAP!

A twig cracked to his right.

His breath hitched.

Slowly, he turned his head—just in time to see an earth boar lunging straight at him.

Kai threw himself sideways as the earth boar's claws ripped through the air where he had just been.

He rolled, heart hammering, barely managing to get back on his feet. The beast charged again.

He knew he had to fight.

Desperate, he grabbed a nearby branch and swung it with all his strength. It snapped instantly against the beast's thick hide.

"Oh, come on—"

The beast's tail slammed into his side. Air left his lungs as he crashed into a tree.

"Argh!"

His vision blurred. He struggled to stand, legs shaking.

The beast stalked toward him, slowly this time. It knew. It knew he was finished.

'Shit...Get up!'

Kai's mind screamed at him to move, but his body refused. This was it.

The beast loomed over him, saliva dripping from its exposed fangs.

Its maw widened as it tried to bite him.

But—

A shadow flickered past.

The next second, the beast's body froze. Its eyes widened. Then—it collapsed.

A figure clad in black robes stood over it, casually flicking his dagger clean.

Raven turned to Kai, smirking. "Not even a full day? That's embarrassing."

"Argh!" Kai groaned as he pushed himself up from the ground.

"Alright, let's call it a day," Raven said.

Kai panted, clutching his side as he slowly walked toward him.

--

The next morning.

Kai stood tall in front of Raven, back in the same forest.

His hair swayed with the flowing wind.

Nearby, Luna was curled up on a flat rock near the river, sound asleep.

Silence stretched between them until Raven finally spoke.

"Land a hit on me..." He smirked. "If you can."

Kai stretched his arms, loosening his muscles, then bent his knees slightly into a stable stance.

He raised his left arm in front of his face, fingers curled into a loose fist, while his right arm hovered slightly higher, angled outward.

His body leaned forward just enough to stay balanced, his eyes locked onto Raven.

Kai observed Raven for a moment.

Then—

Swoosh!

He lashed out with a punch aimed straight at Raven's face.

But Raven simply tilted his head.

Kai didn't waste a second. He spun and aimed an elbow strike at Raven's stomach—

Only for Raven to catch it effortlessly and hurl him away.

Kai tumbled across the ground but quickly rolled back onto his feet.

Again, he launched a flurry of punches, kicks, and jabs.

Not a single one landed.

Finally—

"Haa... haa..."

Kai panted, gasping for breath.

A chuckle rang in his ears.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" Raven's amused voice snapped him back to reality.

"Fifteen minutes!" Raven said before vanishing without a trace.

Thud!

"Phew..." Kai exhaled deeply, throwing himself onto the ground.

His chest rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath.

Closing his eyes, he let himself recover from the exhaustion.

Five minutes later, he pushed himself up and walked toward the river.

He drank some water, splashed his face—

Splash!

—then sat on a flat stone next to Luna.

Crossing his legs, he closed his eyes and began meditating.

Ten minutes passed. He remained seated, cross-legged, breathing steadily.

Behind him, Raven stood silently, grinning beneath his mask.

Without warning, he raised his fist—

Smack!

"Ow!" Kai winced, rubbing his head. "What was that for?!"

"It's part of the training, of course," Raven said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kai scowled. "You're just bullying me."

"Brat, you need to be self-aware at all times."

Kai just grumbled, getting to his feet.

"Okay, time for some light training," Raven declared.

"Survive for ten minutes without getting hit."

Before Kai could react, Raven suddenly vanished.

A chill ran down Kai's spine. The hairs on his neck stood.

Then—

A blur.

A rush of air.

Smack!

Kai barely registered the pain before he hit the ground.

"Too slow," Raven muttered.

Kai groaned, trying to push himself up—

Whoosh!

Raven disappeared again.

Without warning, a relentless storm of punches and kicks rained down on him.

Between the blows, Raven's voice cut through the pain.

"You're nothing but a nobody."

A sharp kick to Kai's torso sent him flying backward.

"You're physically weak."

A punch struck his back.

"You don't think things through."

A kick to the head.

"The only thing you have going for you is speed."

Another strike sent Kai staggering.

He groaned, his body aching. Raven wasn't going easy on him.

"What good is speed if you lack strength, endurance, and the ability to think ahead?"

Another punch flew toward his face—this time, Kai barely managed to raise his arms, dulling the impact.

"So what you need to do now is..."

Raven launched a kick at Kai's head.

But—

At the last second—

Kai ducked.

Raven's leg whooshed past, grazing his hair.

He had dodged it.

"...Adapt."

But before Kai could react—

Raven twisted mid-air, changing the trajectory of his kick—

Smash!

It connected with Kai's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.

"...And become unpredictable."

Kai lay there, gasping for breath, his heart pounding, his throat dry.

Raven stepped toward him.

Kai saw him approaching and groaned, "That... that was light training?"

Hearing this, Raven smirked.

Arms crossed, he looked down at the battered Kai.

"That was just the warmup."

His voice turned cold.

"Your real test starts now."

Kai's breath hitched.

His words caught in his throat.

A chill crawled down his spine as he saw the icy expression on Raven's face.