After taming the Beast, the Beast Tamer was able to harness part of the creature's abilities — the strength of the Beast was his to wield, if only in small measure.
Alan had tamed the Nighthound, a beast renowned for its agility and mastery over Darkness Magic.
While his control over its power was still weak, it was enough to give him a distinct edge in combat.
Now, standing over the lifeless body of the goblin he had just slain, Alan could feel the lingering tremors in his hands, a reminder of the force he had used to defend against the goblin's attack.
His palms shook, but his focus remained sharp. He didn't waste any time.
With his Sword still in hand, he reached down and plunged the blade into the goblin's skull, carving through its flesh with practiced ease.
A single orb, glowing an eerie green, appeared in his palm. The monster core. It was the prize of every monster slain, the commodity that hunters like him traded for money in the Guild.
Alan had learned that much quickly. He pocketed the orb, wiping the blood from his Sword with a swipe of his sleeve.
The faint glow from the core still lingered in his hand when he heard a movement behind him. A second goblin, its face twisted in a snarl, was already charging at him.
It brandished a rusty spear, which gleamed menacingly in the dim light of the dungeon.
Without thinking, the goblin hurled the weapon at Alan, the spearhead cutting through the air like a deadly arrow.
Alan's heart raced. His instincts screamed for him to dodge, to lean out of the way, but his body didn't respond fast enough.
The spear was too close.
It was fast... too fast.
Just as the sharp tip of the weapon was about to pierce his skull, a force slammed down on his head, shoving him to the ground.
The spear whooshed past, missing him by inches, and embedded itself deep into the stone wall behind him with a sickening thud.
Alan barely had time to process what had just happened before he felt the pressure on his head release.
He blinked, disoriented, and looked up to see a figure standing over him.
The same person who had helped him earlier, the one who had placed his arm around Alan's shoulder with that odd, protective gesture.
"Easy there," David said, his voice calm but firm. His arm was raised, and the air around his fist crackled with a golden energy — lightning.
Alan's eyes widened as he realized the power emanating from David's hand wasn't normal.
"It's normal to freeze the first time you're up against beasts like this, I did so in my first time," David continued, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the goblin that had attacked Alan.
His fist pulsed with more energy, and Alan could feel the electricity in the air.
"Just remember, fear is the enemy here. Try to stay calm next time because I won't always be there to save you."
Before Alan could respond, David moved in a blur. He dashed forward, his movements almost too fast for Alan to follow.
In an instant, David was in front of the goblin, golden bursts of lightning sparking from his fist. With a sharp motion, David slammed his fist into the goblin's chest.
The impact was like thunder. Alan winced as he saw the goblin's body launch backward, propelled by the force of the blow.
The goblin was sent crashing into the far wall of the dungeon, its lifeless body crumpling to the floor with a sickening thud.
The scent of burnt flesh filled the air, and Alan stood frozen, his mind reeling.
David stood over the fallen creature, his chest rising and falling with controlled breaths. The lightning dissipated from his fist, and the room fell silent except for the faint crackling of the electricity in the air.
Alan felt a knot in his stomach as he processed what had just happened. David had saved him but there was something else in the way he fought.
The speed, the power… the ease with which he had ended the goblin's life. It was unnerving... especially for a C-Rank Beast Tamer.
David turned back to him, his gaze steady. "You're lucky I was here. Goblins are one of the easiest monsters to deal with, but even they can be lethal when you don't know what you're doing."
Alan swallowed hard, the words hitting him harder than he expected. "I... I froze. I couldn't do anything."
David's expression softened, just for a moment, but his voice remained firm. "It happens. First time fighting monsters, you're bound to freeze up. The key is to learn from it. Next time, trust your instincts."
Alan nodded slowly, feeling the weight of David's words settle in his chest.
He'd been given a gift and he needed to learn how to use it properly, to exploit it to his advantage. He looked at the summon over his shoulder and sighed.
David took a step back, gesturing toward the other side of the room. "We're not done yet. You still need to finish the job. There are more goblins in here."
Alan looked down at his Sword. He could feel the connection to the Nighthound, the faint pull of its dark energy inside him, but it was still weak.
He couldn't rely on it just yet. Not unless he wanted to risk drawing more attention than he could handle. He had to be smart. He had to be patient.
"I'll be fine," Alan said, more to himself than to David, though he hoped his words didn't sound as uncertain as they felt. "I just need to keep going."
David raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, but didn't argue. "Suit yourself. Just don't do anything stupid."
Alan offered a tight-lipped smile, his hand tightening around the Sword's hilt. He could feel his heart racing, but this time it was different.
The fear was still there, but so was a sense of determination. He wasn't going to rely on anyone else to fight his battles. He couldn't afford to.
Alan took a deep breath, focused his mind, and stepped forward.
The dungeon was far from empty, and if he wanted to make it out alive — and make his mark as a Beast Tamer — he would need to face his fears. And this time, he was going to do it on his own.
Maybe Bianca would notice him...