STRIKER: Independent Beast Tamer

Special Base (Wilderness)

Both of them were heading toward their destination, arriving just before dawn. Jeremy Night looked toward the cliff. This lonesome cliff brought back memories to him. He couldn’t forget the place.

A six-winged butterfly circled midair, searching for potential threats.

However, no beasts were lurking in the area at the moment. He turned toward her. Knowing she had been a great help, he asked Stella to take some rest.

Stella agreed this time. Her consciousness was stronger than Jeremy Night’s; even if higher-tier beasts appeared within the surrounding miles, she would know.

Swoosh!

The next second, she vanished from the spot and entered Jeremy Night’s mental zone.

Jeremy then walked up to the single large tree near the cliff and sat underneath it. He recalled this tree as well. Then, he settled in and waited for the beasts to appear.

...

Time went by.

Meeting Hall:

The elders had gathered in the meeting hall once again. Elder Sandra sat in the head seat, while the rest of the elders sat to both her left and right.

Elders Leah, Smith, Carter, and John were present as well. They were all slightly curious and confused; it had not even been two days since the last recruitment.

Naturally, they wondered what this meeting was about. A few of the elders wondered whether the Beast Taming Association from the First and Second Zones had sent word.

Their eyes were filled with anticipation. However, other elders had their own guesses about what the meeting could entail.

Elder Sandra watched everyone’s expressions, unsure of how they would react.

She said, ”I know you must all be curious right now. I called you here to discuss the wilderness situation in City A. The situation there has worsened.”

”A fight between Tier-8 Beast Tamers and Tier-8 Corrupted Beasts is currently taking place,” she added.

Silence!

When she finished speaking, silence enveloped the room. The elders had not expected the meeting to concern the wilderness situation in City A.

In fact, most of the elders were from City A, so they were already aware of the situation. However, they had not anticipated that Elder Sandra would bring it up.

Elder John raised his eyebrows. As far as he knew, City Governor Evelina had requested aid from other cities in the 4th Zone. They were part of the 4th Zone as well.

He wondered whether she had requested help from the special base.

Suddenly, one of the middle-aged elders said, ”Elder Sandra, we cannot send members into the wilderness there. Recruitment is underway. The families backing these members would be worried.”

He assumed Governor Evelina had requested assistance directly from the base.

Right as he finished speaking, the other elders began chiming in one after another, sharing the same sentiment. They feared Elder Sandra would take forceful action.

A few other elders remained quiet, holding different views on the matter. The special base housed the greatest gathering of beast-taming talent in the 4th Zone.

If its members went there to fight the corrupted beasts in the wilderness, the burden on City A would be drastically reduced.

Elder Sandra remained silent. She had anticipated opposition—especially from the elders sponsored by prominent beast-taming families, who had no choice but to toe the line.

Still, she was glad that a few elders remained rational. The base’s members formed the strongest combat teams in the entire 4th Zone; ordinary family beast tamers stood no chance against them.

She then said, ”I knew there would be opposition. But remember, City A is our last line of defense. There have been reports of large numbers of higher-tier beasts crossing the border.”

”If this many higher-tier beasts are mobilizing at the same time, a Tier-9 beast must be behind it. It is our duty to assist them. Therefore, I have already discussed this matter with the Human Alliance,” she added.

Gasp!

A chorus of sharp gasps rang out across the hall. The elders who had voiced their objections were especially stunned. If the alliance’s higher-ups had already issued an order, their protests were entirely moot.

Elder John and the others were taken aback as well; they had not expected Elder Sandra to be so proactive.

Elder Sandra took in everyone’s expressions before continuing: ”The alliance higher-ups understand our circumstances. Since Beast Taming forces from the top three zones could arrive at any moment, they have made participation voluntary. Any members who wish to aid the beast tamers in City A are free to do so.”

”There will be no compulsion in this matter,” she added.

Hearing this, the elders were stunned. They glared at Elder Sandra with slight annoyance—she should have clarified this from the start, sparing them an unnecessary burst of frustration.

Elder John frowned as a specific individual instantly came to mind: Jeremy Night. If Jeremy caught wind of this, he would undoubtedly rush to City A to help.

That had always been the young man’s track record.

John was relieved that the young man was not currently present, having already departed on a mission into the wilderness. The meeting concluded shortly thereafter, and the elders returned to their offices.

Shortly afterward, a notice was issued by the administration office:

[Volunteers may head to City A in the 4th Zone to assist the Beast Taming Teams in the wilderness. Participation is strictly voluntary. Those who wish to focus on recruitment may continue their preparations in peace.]

When the notification arrived, the members were uniformly shocked. Naturally, many wanted to help, but recruitment was a rare opportunity.

Missing it meant forfeiting their chance to enter the top three zones in the future.

The local beast tamers from the 4th Zone were particularly torn- especially the Tier-6 and Tier-7 tamers, who had the highest chances of being recruited.

The Tier-5 Beast Tamers, on the other hand, were ready to deploy.

Their chances were slim this year, and with two more years remaining at the base, they could easily participate in next year’s recruitment. Without hesitation, they prepared to depart.