STRIKER: Independent Beast Tamer

Wilderness

The last team met with the same fate; they had become food for the Tsetse Fly Beasts. The new Darkshade members met a tragic end, with the exception of their team leader.

The Tsetse Fly Beasts were overjoyed. The blood of human beast tamers tasted better than that of corrupted beasts.

The two Tier-6 beasts could sense only two people remaining underground, one of them being their earlier target. The second person was a beast tamer who possessed strength similar to their own.

The two Tier-6 beasts were apprehensive. They didn’t know whether these two people would join forces to deal with them. The beasts decided to wait further. If either person appeared outside, he would certainly meet his death.

...

Inside

Jeremy Night used his X-ray vision to scan the surface. He could see that the beasts had not left. They were still there.

He withdrew his gaze and began to ponder. In fact, he couldn’t stay here forever; he needed to submit the mission materials before the time limit.

Since this was a hideout, he figured that sooner or later, the illegal organization would find out there was a problem.

He decided to use that chance to leave the place. His gaze then shifted toward the office room. The cowardly person was still there. In fact, Jeremy’s heart wanted to kill him, but his mind remained rational.

He would wait and see. If this person did not die at the hands of the fly beasts, then Jeremy would kill him himself.

...

Time Passes

Morning came. The Tsetse Fly Beasts were resting. They had now found an easy place to hunt human beast tamers.

They had also acquired human-like intellect. The two Tier-6 beasts were hoping for more humans to appear so they could enjoy their food.

...

5th Zone, City A

The higher-ups of the Darkshade members received word that their shipment had not been delivered.

Both the product and the members were supposed to be at their hideout in the wilderness. Normally, they should have delivered the package yesterday.

Earlier, one of their teams had been wiped out during a delivery. They had encountered dreadful beasts and none survived.

The higher-ups feared a similar incident had happened again. This time, a senior beast tamer left the organization to investigate.

He was a Tier-7 beast tamer, accompanied by six others: three Tier-6 beast tamers and three Tier-5 beast tamers. This lineup was enough to drive away even terrifying corrupted beasts.

Their hideout was located in an isolated place where the trespassing of higher-level beasts had never been recorded before. These recent incidents were a first.

While on missions, the teams used different paths to deliver goods, making it difficult for corrupted beasts to trace their location. Thus, the organization was eager to find the root cause.

...

Melinda and her team were already in the wilderness.

Earlier, Melinda had reported to Head Harold that Jeremy Night had picked a solo mission from the Association. Harold was surprised at the time, but he had learned about the attitude of the team members.

Harold decided to let Jeremy Night do his own thing. He had put enough pressure on him before.

Since Jeremy Night was a Tier-3 beast tamer and an official member of the Red Moon Chamber, he could do as he pleased. There was no compulsion to perform team missions, and Jeremy Night hadn’t broken any rules.

...

Wilderness

The senior members of Darkshade left the city and entered the wilderness.

They used their legal identities to pass through; apart from their Darkshade affiliation, these members held important positions in the Beast Taming Forces. Consequently, no one suspected them.

It didn’t take long for the seven people to reach the hideout. But before they could get close, the Tier-7 beast tamer felt the presence of powerful auras right next to the base.

The faces of the beast tamers changed. Now they understood where their problems came from. Their hideout had been exposed not by other beast tamers, but by corrupted beasts.

The Tier-7 beast tamer frowned. He recognized the Tsetse Fly Beasts. These insect beasts were something he didn’t expect to encounter here.

Now he understood why there had been no response from the team. Corrupted beasts can fight across ranks due to their strong bodies.

Insect beasts, in particular, are dangerous. Some use deadly poison to kill higher-ranked beasts.

The Tsetse Fly Beasts specifically drink the blood of both beasts and humans. Once they attack you, it is hard to escape.

The three Tier-5 beast tamers were already showing signs of wanting to leave.

They too recognized the beast group, which was usually only found in unexplored areas. Yet, they were witnessing them right now.

The Tier-7 senior weighed the pros and cons. He wondered whether it was worth it to confront the swarm. His gaze spotted corpses across the ground, the bloodless bodies of twelve members.

There was no sign of Team Leader Mike. He didn’t know if Mike was alive or dead. If he were dead, it wouldn’t explain why the beasts were still lingering.

He knew that Tsetse Fly Beasts were vengeful; they wouldn’t let go of a tamer who had attacked them. He suspected the current team leader might have done something to provoke them.

Buzz!

The Tsetse Fly Beasts sensed the arrival of the seven beast tamers. The two Tier-6 beasts detected a threatening aura from one of them: the Tier-7 beast tamer.

Buzz!

The swarm of Tsetse Fly Beasts stood their ground. Their numbers were greater than the arriving team.

The two Tier-6 beasts believed they could take down the Tier-7 tamer, while the rest of the swarm could handle the remaining members.

The seven members had little chance of survival. The three Tier-5 beast tamers, especially, would likely die quickly.

The Tsetse Fly Beasts were excited to hunt the humans, waiting only for the order from the two Tier-6 leaders.

Quiet!

The atmosphere was quiet. Both the sides were looking at each other. The senior team knew the importance of the goods inside the hideout.