STRIKER: Independent Beast Tamer

4th Zone-Special Base

That evening, Jeremy Night ended the practice. He felt progression in his techniques. He would soon reach the expert stage in all of them.

He then walked out and closed the door. He was about to find the washroom down the hall, but he came across a few familiar faces.

He saw the same young man with red curly hair and the young woman standing next to him. There were a few known faces standing behind them.

He had seen them previously in the Edith Store. He didn’t expect to see them here. Then he realized they were from the 4th zone as well.

With their talent and influence, they could add their names to the replacement list.

”You are that talented Tier-3 Beast Tamer. Impossible...” Oscar said in shock.

The woman named Sarah had the same reaction as well. It was full of disbelief. The people standing behind them didn’t know what to say.

They knew this person wanted to follow the experimental breathing method. They had made fun of him inside the Edith Tower.

They didn’t know what to say right now. They had just heard the glorious tales. The person in front of them could kill a Tier-5 Beast. They gulped in fear.

Jeremy Night saw them. He wanted to speak up, but then his eyes flickered. He recalled the words of Elder Leah. There were factions inside the base.

These people could be backed by an Elder. Their families were also influential in the 4th zone. Because of them, he had been evicted from the Edith Store.

His mind quickly considered various things. He then made a decision. He silently walked past them without saying anything.

He noticed the other members were in the facility as well. Some of them were seniors. They were observing him as well. He wanted to go down the hall.

But he changed his direction and went towards the exit. He was going to his room first.

Oscar recovered his thoughts. His anger flared up. He felt disrespected by the person. He recalled the person had the same attitude back in the Edith Store.

At that time, they didn’t have time to deal with him. But he didn’t expect to see him here. It was just that the person’s momentum was already stronger here.

He could not make a rash decision. He then turned towards his friends. Everyone exchanged glances. They all felt disrespected.

Sarah said, ”I heard he was recommended by Elder John. So he has backing here. He also had a connection with the Edith Store back then.”

”What are you trying to say?” Oscar asked.

”It’s not easy to deal with the person. We should first increase our ranks in the leaderboard rankings. Elder Carter is expecting that,” she added.

Hearing that, Oscar’s gaze softened. He calmed his heart.

”Let’s go to the wilderness tomorrow,” he said to the others. Everyone agreed and temporarily put aside the matter.

...

Office

Elder Sandra was following the updates of the genius students. She learned about Jeremy Night as well.

Knowing that Jeremy Night had hunted down 21 beasts, she was convinced and didn’t want to dwell on Jeremy Night’s appointment.

She thought the other elders agreed as well.

”Elder John made the right bet,” she said to herself.

Why did everyone want the special base to do better? It was an opportunity for the genius students to get a foothold in the top three zones.

It was not easy to enter the top three zones. People’s movements were restricted between zones. Unless you knew someone or got permission from a local force inside, you couldn’t get inside the top three zones.

But the special bases were different. They were nurtured by the Human Alliance. They were future powerhouses. After graduation, they would be hired by different forces in the top three zones.

She now thought Jeremy Night stood a good chance. Despite being a Striker, he had the ability to fight across Tiers.

It would be highly looked upon by the higher-ups. She decided to pay attention to Jeremy Night as well. The higher-ups were already disappointed with her previous mistake.

This time she didn’t want anything bad happening to the base. Many young heirs from 4th zone families had replaced the available slots in the first year.

Those families might have reservations. So she decided to be careful.

...

The next day,

After getting ready, he went to the common canteen. He self-served his food and ate it. Everyone else sat in groups. The members had clearly chosen their factions.

He was alone. He didn’t mind it. After having breakfast, he left the place.

The members here wanted to talk to Jeremy Night, but they were afraid of Elder John. Elder John was one of the important elders.

He was also the one with the golden hawk flying Lifeline beast. He played an important role here and was a pillar of the base. He had killed numerous higher-tier beasts in the previous battle.

So they didn’t want to offend the Elder. They left Jeremy Night alone. Even those dissatisfied with the selection of a Tier-3 Beast Tamer kept their silence.

The leaderboard rankings were clear. They couldn’t continue to make fun of the young man. If they involved themselves in such activities, they could be replaced as well.

The special base had gone through a calamity. The elders wouldn’t want to see another crisis.

Meanwhile,

Jeremy Night looked for Elder Leah. He didn’t find her. He wanted to have a chat with her. He recalled her advice. He knew that Elder Leah had no bad intentions.

Like with Elder John, he wanted to have a good relationship with Elder Leah. He hoped for their support during times of crisis.

He then collected his thoughts and went towards the administration building.

He was looking forward to the mission.

He understood one thing: if he wanted to rise faster in the leaderboard rankings, then he had to do missions daily. He couldn’t afford to have leisure time.

It was about his chances of going to the top three zones. At this point, he had learned a few things.

After graduation, forces from the top three zones would select talent from the special bases, which included theirs as well.