STRIKER: Independent Beast Tamer

5th Zone—City B

Blue Grand Hotel

Jeremy Night reached the hotel. After paying the fare to the driver, he walked into the hotel lobby.

He went to the front desk and proceeded to book a room. It was still daytime, and there were several people in the lobby.

Through his exceptional hearing, Jeremy overheard their conversations. Undoubtedly, they were talking about the rumored relic. Jeremy was surprised.

”Head Harold was right,” he thought.

The administrative staff gave him a key and told him the room number. He received the key before heading toward the lift. It was a six-story hotel.

His room was on the second floor. He quickly reached the second floor via the lift. He arrived in front of the room and used the key to enter.

Once inside, he used his senses to check the room. He didn’t find anything abnormal; there were no spying devices.

The whole city was mad about the rumored relic. He wouldn’t be surprised if hotel businesses tried to collect information. He then entered the bathroom to take a cold shower.

The shower lasted for 20 minutes. He then walked out and changed into new clothes.

He didn’t waste any time. He quickly left the hotel and made his way toward the nearest beast-taming store.

He found a shop within walking distance. When he stepped inside the small store, he came across a crowd.

Everyone was shouting here and there. Jeremy was stunned. The staff were few in number, but the customers had come in large crowds. Seeing this, Jeremy didn’t know whom to contact.

He figured he wouldn’t be able to get anything there, so he walked out of the shop. He looked at the sky above and made a decision.

There was an online map available, but it was a general map of the wilderness; it didn’t have important areas marked.

However, he had no other choice. Wasting time was not a good thing. He decided to go with the general map.

He quickly found a cab driver. He entered the car and sat in the back seat, telling the elderly driver to drop him at the main gate.

While on the way, Jeremy began to download the online map. The driver saw that his passenger was a young Beast Tamer.

He assumed the boy was going to the wilderness because of the rumors. The driver didn’t know whether the rumors were true or not, but they were certainly bringing in business.

Swoosh!

The cab departed and moved toward the city gate. After downloading the map, Jeremy started small talk with the driver. He wanted to know the current situation in the city. The old driver was talkative and began sharing the news.

Almost every local force had sent teams to the wilderness. However, the rumored relic’s location was not accurate.

The clues were random, and because of that, everyone was having a hard time finding it. Because of the delay, the news had reached other cities as well.

The driver asked him about his home city. Jeremy didn’t hide it; he told the driver that he was from City A. The driver was not surprised; he had seen many others from City A entering the wilderness.

Their talk continued until they reached the main gate. But the scene at the gate stunned Jeremy once again. There was a huge crowd in front of the entrance.

”Young man, you won’t be able to enter the wilderness,” the old man said.

Jeremy furrowed his eyebrows. He had underestimated the situation. It appeared as if half of the population wanted to enter the wilderness.

They came to a stop. Jeremy stepped out and paid the fare. The driver gave him a friendly tip, mentioning that some of the guards were greedy.

He suggested Jeremy offer something to get into the wilderness. Jeremy’s mouth twitched. He then thanked the old man.

He connected the dots. The officials were using the opportunity to make money; otherwise, they would lose out on the chance.

He made his way toward the queue. His gaze swept across the area, looking for a way to get into the wilderness quicker.

When he got closer, his sensitive ears picked up conversations. There were people ready to bribe the guards.

Jeremy followed them. He found out that a group of Beast Tamers was bribing a guard.

They were being allowed to walk through another entrance, one used by the guards for emergency purposes.

Jeremy was stunned. He didn’t expect the guards to use the emergency entrance. In this way, they could hide their exploitation.

Jeremy followed the group, wondering what they were offering. He saw Beast Taming products, including healing herbs, beast repellent powder, and other items.

Understanding the situation, Jeremy reached for his own bottle of beast repellent powder. He followed the group. When it was his turn, he showed his I.D. and handed over the powder.

The guards saw that he was from City A, and their attitude changed. They accepted the bottle before allowing him to enter.

Jeremy sighed in relief. He had been worried they would change their minds. After stepping into the wilderness, he found that the land ahead was barren.

There was no forest; it appeared to be a semi-desert. Dry trees and leaves were everywhere. He started traveling and it didn’t take long for him to find a safe spot.

He then used the map to understand the wilderness. There were many rumors circulating online about the relic, but there was no accurate location.

Everyone was saying something different online. He noted down all the rumored locations. Since he had an eye ability, he planned to use X-ray vision to search for these spots.

Jeremy was confident. If such a relic existed, it wouldn’t escape his eyes. He found the nearest location and started heading toward it.

Not long after, he saw a group of Beast Tamers moving toward the same spot. They were Tier-4 Beast Tamers. He ignored them and continued on his way.

On the other hand, the group of Beast Tamers noticed the young Tier-3 Beast Tamer as well. They were all surprised. They didn’t expect someone to venture alone into the wilderness.