I am Just an Average Tamer-Chapter 39: Vex-2

'Shit!'

Kai cursed in his mind.

The mist coiled around them like a living veil. It dulled his senses, making everything feel distant, unreal.

Then—

"Kai!"

A soft, melodic voice pierced the haze.

His head snapped toward the sound.

And. Then. He saw.

A figure emerged from the fog, graceful yet familiar. A gentle smile tugged at her lips, silver hair neatly braided.

Emerald-green eyes—warm and filled with relief—met his.

"Lira," he whispered, barely audible.

His vision blurred. Slowly, he straightened up, reaching out for her.

But—

"Argh!"

A sharp pain snapped him back to his senses.

He furrowed his brows and glanced down, spotting fresh bite marks on his hand—left by the little Lynx.

"What was that for?" he complained, rubbing the sore spot.

But the Phantom Lynx only growled, its ears flattening as it turned toward the approaching threat.

Kai quickly shook off his daze and focused, his gaze locking onto the Mist Barrage Serpent.

'Damn it! I almost fell for its trick.'

The figure—Lira—was gone, vanishing like a mirage.

But three silhouettes of the Mist Barrage Serpent remained, coiling ominously in the mist.

'Which one is real?'

His mind raced as they closed in.

He steadied himself, preparing to run—waiting for the right moment to evade. Slowly, he stepped back.

Suddenly—

His gaze dropped to the ground, where pebbles and small stones lay scattered.

But what caught his attention was—

A long, sharp, pointed stone, almost resembling a knife.

'Good!'

Kai grabbed it and braced himself for the confrontation.

However—

To his surprise, the Phantom Lynx was gone.

It was just here... No, it doesn't matter now. I have to survive first. I can find that beast later.

The Serpents lunged.

Kai leaned forward, muscles tensed, ready to fight.

But—

He gasped.

Something flickered in the mist.

Hiss!

A sharp, agonized hiss filled the air as one of the Serpents thrashed its tail wildly.

Kai's gaze landed on the small creature standing beside him.

Before he could piece everything together, the Phantom Lynx lifted its tiny paw and stepped forward with calculated, silent movements.

Then—slowly—it vanished into the mist.

Kai's eyes widened at what had just happened.

Without a sound, the Phantom Lynx reappeared near the Serpent and slashed at its side.

Hiss!

The Mist Barrage Serpent screeched in pain, thrashing violently.

Kai tightened his grip on the sharp stone as more agonized hisses filled the air.

The illusionary mist—the Mist Barrage Serpent's greatest weapon.

It created illusions to trap and confuse its prey.

But now, it had become its greatest liability.

The little Lynx moved like a true assassin, slashing at the Serpent from all sides.

Kai took a deep breath.

Then, he dashed forward, determined to end the fight once and for all.

He didn't confront the Serpent head-on. Instead, he maintained his distance, circling the battlefield.

His focus sharpened, searching for the slightest shifts in the mist.

Then—

Just as the Phantom Lynx struck again—

Hiss!

The Serpent screeched, blood gushing from its eyes, mouth, and the numerous scratches covering its body.

The Phantom Lynx stood a few meters away, panting. Trails of blood ran down its small frame.

But it didn't falter.

A second later, it vanished into the mist once more—

And clashed with the Serpent.

Kai halted, narrowing his eyes, his gaze locked onto one figure.

Without wasting a second, he rushed toward it.

Whoosh!

Before he could get close, a tail lashed out from the side.

But—

He tightened his grip.

Clenched his teeth.

And kept running, trusting his instincts.

Gulp!

The tail made contact.

And—

It passed right through him.

Another Serpent lunged, its maw wide open.

But—

He didn't stop.

The second one also phased through him the moment it touched his body.

He had found it.

Now, just an arm's length away from the real one.

The Mist Barrage Serpent finally turned its full attention to Kai.

Hiss!

It let out a sharp hiss before diving in to bite him.

But.

Hiss!

A screech of pain cut through the air as the Phantom Lynx struck again, slashing at the Serpent's exposed back.

Before the Mist Barrage Serpent could recover—

"Aah!"

Kai drove the sharp stone deep into its stomach.

By sheer luck, he struck the already injured spot.

The Serpent thrashed violently as the wound deepened, its body convulsing in pain.

The Serpent glared at Kai and lunged at him.

But the Phantom Lynx struck again, slashing at its back.

Screeching in pain, the Serpent whipped its head around, fangs bared, ready to bite.

But Kai moved fast.

Appearing right behind it, he leaped—landing on its head.

Before the Mist Barrage Serpent could react—

Swoosh!

Phack!

Kai drove the sharp stone deep into its eye.

Hiss!

The Serpent screeched, thrashing violently, and flung him off.

Kai crashed into a nearby tree.

"Argh!"

He groaned, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself up.

Meanwhile, the Phantom Lynx continued its relentless assault—appearing and disappearing like a ghost, slashing in rapid succession.

The Mist Barrage Serpent recoiled, its body shuddering.

Then—

It retreated into the mist.

It knew the fight was pointless now.

Soon, the dense fog began to disperse, and the Serpent was nowhere to be seen.

"Phew..."

Kai exhaled in relief and dropped to the ground.

'Puur!'

A soft purr made him glance down. The Phantom Lynx nuzzled against him.

Kai chuckled and ran his fingers over its head, scratching under its ears.

"Want to join me, buddy?"

He placed his hand on the Lynx's head, inhaling deeply to steady his mind.

Then—

A thin streak of his soul essence flowed from his palm, passing gently through the Lynx.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

The little creature didn't resist.

It welcomed it.

Kai opened his eyes, smiling.

The contract was formed.

Kai wiped the sweat from his forehead—

"Not bad, kid. Thought you were gonna get mauled there for a second."

A voice resonated beside him.

Kai snapped his head around.

Raven stood there, arms crossed over his chest, watching calmly.

Kai's eye twitched.

"How long have you been here?"

"From the start," Raven replied with a smirk.

Kai's jaw clenched.

"Then why didn't you help?! I could have died—"

"But you didn't."

Kai opened his mouth—then shut it.

No words came out.

With a sigh, he admitted defeat and turned to his new partner, who now sat beside him, calmly licking its paw.

"So... what should I name you?" he murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm... Ah! How about... Vex?"

The Phantom Lynx perked up, looking at him curiously.

"You like it?"

The little beast responded by licking his palm.

Raven nodded approvingly. "Good. You've got a beast now. Time to train with it."

Kai groaned. "Can I at least rest first?"

Raven smirked.

"Nope."