STRIKER: Independent Beast Tamer

Wilderness (5th Zone)

Jeremy Night used his eye power to check the surroundings. He didn’t see any beast movement, especially the movement of higher-tier beasts.

But the Tier-8 Beast was an exception. He hadn’t even sensed the presence of the beast until its massive claws caught the Forest Black Scorpion.

Usually, the size of a Tier-8 Beast gave away its presence. But this time, an eagle beast had appeared from the sky.

Under the heavy downpour of rain, no other sound was louder. He then collected his thoughts and stood up from the muddy water.

He was completely drenched. The rain showed no signs of stopping, so he decided to find some shelter.

The appearance of the Tier-8 Beast earlier confirmed that he was indeed close to the border. The battle at the border might be intense.

He wished his lifeline beast could fight alongside him, but his lifeline beast was not ordinary at all. Only Lord Martha knew its origin.

Back then, she had told him that the unknown beast egg was the only inheritance left by her deceased friend. He also remembered her saying that it had a bloodline limit of Tier-6 and above.

He once again calmed his heart; he was overthinking. He knew that the unknown beast egg was special. Just his starlight power and eye power were enough to tell how extraordinary the beast was.

He was going to provide as many resources as possible to the unknown lifeline beast egg. Until it hatched, he wouldn’t stop. With that, he pushed away any unnecessary thoughts.

He decided to deal with the current situation and began investigating the surroundings. After traveling a few miles from the area, he came across a group of Beast Tamers.

They were from a medium-sized organization, and they were shocked upon sensing his strength.

”What is a Tier-4 Beast Tamer doing here?”

”This is a core area,” a female Tier-5 Beast Tamer said, asking the question.

From Tier-3 to Tier-4. What an upgrade, Jeremy thought to himself.

Earlier, everyone had thought of him as a Tier-3 Beast Tamer. Now his strength had risen closer to Tier-4, so everyone viewed him as a Tier-4 Beast Tamer.

”Senior, don’t you remember me?” Jeremy asked her.

Hearing that, the six Beast Tamers gathered there were surprised, including the female Beast Tamer.

”Who are you?” she asked.

”I’m Jeremy Night, a Beast Tamer from the Red Moon Chamber,” Jeremy replied.

”Jeremy Night...” the female Beast Tamer uttered.

Then, a few among the group recognized the name.

”Hey, it’s you!”

”We know you!”

The seniors spoke one after another.

”He’s the young man who fought across tiers a few months ago during the Beast Tide attack. Back then, he was only a Tier-3 Beast Tamer, yet he had the record of slaying Tier-4 beasts,” a black-haired, middle-aged man said.

After saying that, the middle-aged man looked at him with a deep gaze.

Gasp!

A low exclamation occurred.

”So it was you,” the female Beast Tamer replied.

Everyone recalled the news; they all knew about such a talented young Beast Tamer.

”I didn’t expect to meet you here. My junior sister, who is studying at Central University, talked about you,” another member said.

”Your name is famous in the Beast Taming Association as well,” a senior member added.

Hearing that, Jeremy Night felt glad. He hadn’t expected to have such a warm conversation under the heavy downpour of rain.

While he was talking to them, his eye power suddenly spotted something. A three-meter-long snake beast was slithering toward them.

He quickly figured it out: it was a solitary Tier-5 Snake Beast. It must have caught their scent.

The six Beast Tamers were still chatting happily when the senior member noticed Jeremy Night’s expression change. He realized Jeremy Night was staring intently in a specific direction.

He turned around to look, but he couldn’t see the beast; his vision was limited.

”What happened?” the female Beast Tamer asked, noticing his reaction.

She too turned around to see what was going on, and the other four members followed suit.

Thud!

Under the heavy downpour, they couldn’t hear the approach of the beast.

Hiss!

Jeremy Night’s heightened senses kicked in, and he caught the faint hissing sound.

”A Tier-5 Corrupted Snake is coming in our direction. I’ll handle it. Just watch from behind.” After saying that, he unsheathed his blade and charged forward.

Swoosh!

In a flash, he darted ahead. The Beast Tamers were stunned.

”What is he going to do?”

”He didn’t even summon his lifeline beast to fight?” the female Beast Tamer asked with worry.

”How can he face it alone?”

”The Corrupted Snake Beast will eat him alive!” the other Beast Tamers fretted.

Only the Senior Beast Tamer remained calm. He recalled a past conversation he had had with his friends.

They had discussed Jeremy Night’s lifeline beast because there was virtually no public information about it. Collecting his thoughts, he focused on Jeremy Night.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Night didn’t even use his starlight power. He used his eye power to pinpoint the weakness of the snake.

Swoosh!

As he closed the distance, the Tier-5 Snake seized the initiative to attack. It coiled and sprang forward like a released spring.

Boom!

Its sheer speed created a sonic boom in the air. The snake’s fangs aimed directly at the human, a single deadly bite would be enough to kill him.

Jeremy Night’s eyes tracked the beast’s trajectory. In his perception, the surroundings seemed to slow down.

At the same time, the group of Beast Tamers felt dread, certain that Jeremy Night was about to die.

They had never seen a Beast Tamer confront a corrupted beast with their own body instead of relying on a lifeline beast.

The female Beast Tamer and the others prepared to summon their lifeline beasts, ready to intervene if things went south.

Only the Senior Beast Tamer stayed composed. He had deduced something, though he needed to verify it with his own eyes first.

Meanwhile, the Tier-5 Snake Beast closed in.

Right as it struck, Jeremy Night sidestepped to evade the massive fangs.

Swoosh!

He dodged the attack cleanly, and the Snake Beast shot past him like a bullet.