STRIKER: Independent Beast Tamer

City C (14th Zone)

The trio ventured into the heart of the wilderness, a place they had never explored before. In their childhood, they used to hunt near the outer edges.

"Should we go further?" one of them asked.

"The time has passed noon," Petra said.

Hearing her concern, Jeremy understood their worries. He paused, turned toward them, and said, "Let's take a break here."

Petra and Levy relaxed and asked the guard teams to rest as well. However, the guards refused, as they had to stay vigilant and keep an eye on the surroundings.

Jeremy relayed the same instruction to the head of his team, but he, too, remained on duty. Jeremy shook his head before sitting on a small bedrock.

The others found similar boulders to sit on. Petra wanted to ask about the 10th Zone, her curiosity piqued, but with the guards present, she held back.

Levy Glass felt the same. He recalled Jeremy Night's mother urging them to stay tight-lipped about the zone, so he avoided the topic as well.

Instead, they began discussing other matters.

A few minutes later, as everyone chatted happily, Jeremy felt a sudden sense of danger. His smile vanished, and he stood up from the bedrock.

Using his eye ability, he scanned the surroundings. Seeing his behavior, Petra and Levy also stood, alarmed.

"Jeremy, what's wrong?" Petra asked.

Levy, equally confused, silently surveyed the area.

The head guards of the Night, Ross, and Glass families grew alert and began scanning the surroundings as well.

They knew something was amiss, Young Master Jeremy wouldn't act this way unless the danger was real.

Jeremy didn't respond, his focus fixed on the environment. He was determined to find the source of the crisis.

His eyes scanned the distance, then shifted to the ground. He noticed something unusual on the surface a few hundred meters away.

His vision sharpened. He could see small sand particles vibrating on the ground. His eyes flickered, and he turned his gaze to another direction.

The surface elsewhere was calm. Returning his focus to the vibrating spot, he confirmed the sand particles were still trembling.

He activated his second eye ability, causing the first few layers of sand to become invisible. But as he tried to probe deeper, a sharp pain shot through his eyes.

He stopped, blinking rapidly for a few seconds, then turned to Petra and Levy.

"What's wrong?" Petra asked again.

They had been watching Jeremy's actions closely, sensing he was searching for something.

"Did you find anything?" Levy added.

The head guards of all three families, along with the other patrol members, looked to Jeremy for answers.

Jeremy saw their expectant faces. He knew they deserved the truth.

"Everyone, start retreating slowly," he instructed.

Petra and Levy's expressions turned serious. They trusted Jeremy, who had faced two beast invasions and could handle pressure.

Even their head guards, Tier-4 Beast Tamers, were formidable, and the team included Tier-3 and Tier-2 Beast Tamers.

The Night Family's head guard retreated first, followed by the heads of the Ross and Glass families.

Petra and Levy followed their family guards, while Jeremy trailed slowly behind.

Boom!

The next second, the ground a few hundred meters away exploded, and a worm beast emerged from the surface.

They were in the heart of the wilderness, where corrupted beasts were known to dwell. That's why Jeremy had chosen this spot for a break, though he remained cautious.

When he saw the worm beast, his eyes flickered with understanding. He realized why the ground had been vibrating earlier.

"Worm beast!" Petra screamed in surprise.

Levy Glass was shocked to his core. He hadn't suspected something so dangerous was hiding just a few hundred meters away.

Swoosh!

In an instant, the three head guards appeared in front of them, ready to protect.

"Young Master, retreat. I'll handle the corrupted beast," said the Night family's head guard.

Jeremy nodded and stepped back. He observed the worm beast closely. It was relatively small, just over eight feet long.

The Ross and Glass family head guards sprang into action.

"Stay with me," Jeremy said to Petra and Levy.

Hearing this, they moved to his side. Jeremy began using his eye ability to scan the ground around them.

He doubted the worm beast was alone, he had encountered groups of them before.

Boom!

The three head guards, all Tier-4 Beast Tamers, engaged the Tier-3 corrupted worm beast in combat.

"Jeremy, how did you know?" Petra asked.

Jeremy turned to her, noticing Levy watching him as well.

"I felt a sense of danger, like something was approaching. Maybe I'm still on edge from the beast invasion," he explained. "That's how I knew something was wrong with this place."

Petra and Levy were convinced, unable to think of any other explanation.

Boom!

The worm beast put up a fierce fight, but other team members joined in. They summoned their lifeline beasts and began attacking the creature.

Their attacks landed on the worm beast's body.

The head guards held back from summoning their lifeline beasts, as any injuries to them would affect the tamers. Instead, the other members provided support.

Their lifeline beasts didn't directly confront the worm beast, attacking only with long-range abilities.

Boom!

The worm beast endured a barrage of fire and wind elemental attacks. Though the attacks weren't powerful enough to be life-threatening, they made the creature uncomfortable.

Swoosh!

The worm beast suddenly burrowed back underground.

The Beast Tamers tried to attack the tunnel it left behind, but the hole filled with sand within seconds, a powerful ability of worm beasts, allowing them to move effortlessly underground.

The head guards and team members returned to their young masters' sides, recalling their lifeline beasts.

Meanwhile, Jeremy continued scanning the surroundings. He hadn't found another vibrating surface, but he saw that the worm beast had escaped underground.

It wasn't safe to stay. Jeremy made the decision to retreat and change direction. The last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by worm beasts.

Others heard his decision as well and agreed to retreat.