Chapter 4: Ambush

While attempting to make small talk, Ain was observing the second person. It was a large man, almost two heads taller than him. Ain felt a sense of foreboding as the man stood there quietly, like a shadow looming over him.

‘He's dangerous!’ This thought appeared in his mind, repeating like a metronome.

Ain's thoughts flew by fast, and he quickly realized that this was a warning from his new ability, Premonition. He could even faintly sense a unique aura from this man.

"You used small tricks to defeat me and stole my clients!"

Ain was already vigilant in his heart, but he didn't let it show and continued the conversation.

"You're mistaken, Instructor Jason. I defeated you fairly, and it's the client's choice who they wish to learn from. How can that be my fault?"

"Stop trying to act smart! Brother Bruce, let's get him!" Jason took on an aggressive stance, as if he was about to attack. The man beside him did the same.

But before they could make a move, Ain suddenly looked behind them in shock and hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Head Instructor!"

As soon as he finished, the scene suddenly froze. His attackers were momentarily stunned before they turned around with a jerk. Traces of fear and caution were apparent in their actions.

It was because they both understood who Ain would refer to as the "Head Instructor." That would be the owner of Steel Lion Martial Arts Gym, a spirit tamer who recently reached Rank-2.

Although Jason's accomplice, Bruce, was not from the martial arts gym, he was aware of Jason's workplace. Bruce was only a Beginner Rank-1 Spirit Tamer and was no match for the Head Instructor. Not only that, but his identity as a spirit tamer would also be revealed.

Even though Ain had awakened, he had yet to condense his spirit core and reach Rank-0. Thus, according to the law, he couldn't be considered a spirit tamer yet. There were severe penalties for spirit tamers who oppressed and assaulted regular humans.

Jason, on the other hand, was even more scared. As a regular human, antagonizing a spirit tamer wouldn't bode well for him. Wealth and power were synonymous to spirit tamers, and Jason could afford to go against neither.

During the previous two ambushes, Jason only brought along regular humans. One reason was that Bruce wouldn't agree, and the other was fear of the Head Instructor.

It was only because he knew that Ain would resign today that he finally convinced Bruce and made a move.

All these factors led to apprehension and fear. But when they finally looked behind, there was only a shady alleyway, with no one in sight.

Jason was a little slow to realize, but Bruce quickly reacted and shouted, "You idiot, he fooled us!"

By this point, Ain had already broken into a sprint towards the alley's exit.

Seeing this, Bruce subconsciously brought his hands forward and yelled, "Spirit Blast!"

Before the sound of the voice faded, Ain sensed a disturbance behind him as the sense of foreboding in his heart intensified.

With a slight turn of his head, he glanced back, only to see a ball of light being launched from Bruce's hands.

It approached him rapidly, scattering the air in its way. At this point, it didn't need a genius to figure things out.

‘He's a spirit tamer!’ Ain shouted internally as traces of panic began to sprout in his heart. But his thoughts didn't stop. Rather, they flowed faster than ever before.

Although the alley was narrow, Ain still had enough space to dodge. But his body couldn't keep up with his thoughts. Knowing this, he could only hope for the best.

Ain was already within three meters of the exit when he felt a powerful impact on his back.

The wind was knocked out of his lungs, and he felt his bones creaking. The blast directly propelled him out of the alley. Ain fell and slid across the ground.

Although he was in pain and out of breath, his consciousness remained unexpectedly clear. His next course of action had already been decided.

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He tried to ignore the pain and stood up staggeringly. Without looking back, he ran into the crowd and quickly left the scene.

The sudden bright light in the usually dim alley had already drawn people's attention. But before they could think further, they saw a figure fly out, slide across the sidewalk, and then run away at full speed.

This scene was clearly caught by some surveillance devices nearby.

Jason turned around just in time to see Ain falling onto the sidewalk. But before he could act on his excitement, a large hand suddenly dragged him backward at breakneck speed.

"What are you still standing around for?! Run! I'll be doomed if I get caught here. Even the boss might get in trouble if they really investigate this."

Bruce pulled along Jason with one hand as he fled in the opposite direction. He held up his free hand in a desperate attempt to cover up his face.

The original plan was for Bruce to use his enhanced physique to attack Ain, a regular human, while hiding his own status as a spirit tamer.

But after being tricked by Ain, he lost his cool and subconsciously used a Rank-1 spell against Ain. Although he did hold back at the last second, the facts wouldn't change because of that.

He cursed at Jason as he tried to think of a way to avoid the trouble he had landed in. If Ain had even half a brain, he would definitely report today's incident to the authorities.

It was too late to chase after Ain to finish him off. He couldn't just rush out into the open and kill him. Even if he managed to silently dispatch Ain, he wasn't confident of escaping the ensuing investigations.

A simple stroll out to teach some kid a lesson had suddenly turned into an incident with grave consequences.

Bruce cursed again as he kept running. He could only rely on his boss now.

…

Ain ran for a few minutes while occasionally glancing back. He had noticed that he wasn't being followed, but he only stopped after he was far away from the alley.

His destination was a nearby park. He had walked past this park before when he was exploring. There were some regions with dense trees and shrubbery, providing good cover for Ain.

Upon reaching safety, Ain's body relaxed, and the rush wore off, giving way to the pain.

Ain glanced at the lacerations on his arms from the fall. There was fresh blood flowing down the wounds.

He tried to move his upper body. Each motion would bring him pain, but it was not as intense as he had originally thought.

‘Doesn't look like I broke any bones. Is that all a Rank-1 Spirit Tamer's attack can do? Or was he holding back?’

Ain considered both possibilities. He was more inclined to believe the second one. It was in line with why they hadn't chased him. The chase would've definitely drawn more attention.

Ain thought back to the incident. He could already see the effects of his innate talent, Wisdom Root. Premonition had warned him of the incoming danger. Although Ain was unaware of the details, it allowed him to prepare himself for an escape.

He noticed a considerable increase in his thinking speed. He had devised the distraction instantaneously while also considering possible outcomes.

After realizing that his opponent was a spirit tamer, he also realized Bruce’s mistake. That's why he decisively ran away. As long as he was able to escape and report to the law enforcement, the aftermath would take care of itself.

Although he didn't consider everything due to his lack of knowledge, Ain believed that he did a good job.

Glancing at the sun overhead, Ain moved to a more shaded area and lay down to rest. He wasn't gravely injured, but the pain and exhaustion still made it difficult for him to move.

After about twenty minutes, Ain stood up and made his way towards the hoverbus station. He deliberately boarded from a different station.

Ain's disheveled appearance attracted some attention, and he arrived at his destination in less than ten minutes.

He looked at the dark gray building in front of him and promptly walked in. This was the local law enforcement agency.

By the time Ain came back out, it was already eight at night.

After Ain's initial report, he had to wait and provide a more detailed narration of the incident.

During the narration, a spirit tamer arrived to heal Ain and left in less than thirty seconds, without exchanging any words.

After another long wait, he was informed that the agency had identified the suspect and issued an arrest warrant.

Then, Ain was sent on his way.

At first, Ain couldn't help but be exasperated at their casualness. He had expected a somber mood. A spirit tamer making a move against a normal person was a grave crime. This had been instilled into every citizen since childhood.

But soon Ain realized that he was being naïve.

If even a thug could be a Rank-1 Spirit Tamer, maybe they weren't as important as he thought they were.

It was a difference in mentality. With hope for the future, spirit tamers didn’t seem as distant anymore. Moreover, he would also be a Rank-1 Spirit Tamer soon.

Ain decided not to think further and boarded another hoverbus, making his way back home.

The sky was already red as the sun was making its way back home as well.

As he walked on the concrete path towards the building, Ain cast his gaze at the open window to his room. The setting sun cast a dark shadow on this side of the building, so the window was barely visible. A small figure could be seen moving around on the windowsill, gazing outside forlornly.

‘The cat is hungry.’ Ain had already expected this. He had not planned to return this late, so he didn't leave out enough food.

Soon, the cat also caught sight of Ain walking over. As if it had seen its savior, it let out a loud cry and hurriedly climbed down along the grooves in the wall.

A smile crept up Ain's face as he gazed at the cat rushing over to him, yelling, "Meow! Meow!!"

Soon, the cat reached Ain's feet and pulled at his pants. Ain reached down and picked it up.

This cat wasn't his pet, or rather, it wasn't at the beginning.

Ain would often train and practice in the adjacent park. One day, about two years ago, he spotted it staring at him from behind a tree.

It was still a kitten at the time, with no parents in sight, so Ain decided to feed it the next day.

One day turned into two, two into four and so on.

Then one morning, Ain woke up to see the little kitten dozing off on his floor. It had probably climbed in through the open window during the night and made itself at home.

Ain had no opinions and just continued on as usual. There was just an extra bag of food in one of the cabinets.

Carrying the cat in his arms, Ain entered his apartment.