Chapter 29: New Home

Inside a room on the second floor of the Hunter Guild, a pattern resembling a formation appeared within the chamber where Zhou Ming was.

After placing the materials in their corresponding positions, Zhou Ming once again recalled the knowledge required for the Beast Space Opening Ritual.

This time, in addition to the knowledge of opening the Beast Space, the required materials had also completely exhausted almost all the contribution points Zhou Ming had painstakingly earned.

If he failed, then Zhou Ming would have to spend his own money to buy the materials needed for the ritual.

Although the materials for the Beast Space Opening Ritual were not too expensive—only about two to three hundred thousand Alliance Coins—Zhou Ming did not want to waste them casually.

As for why he did not simply buy them himself but instead exchanged his precious contribution points, that was a decision Zhou Ming had made after careful consideration.

This was because exchanging for advanced Beast Tamer knowledge required not only contribution points but also a corresponding Hunter rank.

Given his current Hunter rank and contribution points, he was still far from being able to obtain the higher knowledge he needed. It was better to use his points for now and save the Alliance Coins.

After all, Alliance Coins had broader uses, and as long as one found the right channels, almost anything could be purchased.

Moreover, as long as he completed missions from the Hunter Guild, the points were practically given for free. As long as his strength continued to grow, contribution points would never be a problem.

After confirming that everything was in order, Zhou Ming sat cross-legged in the center of the formation and used his Spiritual Power to activate the ritual.

The complex and mysterious lines drawn with special ink on the floor suddenly emitted a platinum-colored radiance.

Under Zhou Ming’s control, the formation connected the surrounding materials, channeling a unique power into the Voidstone placed before him.

The Voidstone was a material with spatial attributes and the core material for the Beast Space Opening Ritual.

It was almost entirely controlled by the Alliance government and the major factions.

There was plenty of it in existence, but only a few official channels were allowed to sell it.

Under the guidance of the formation, the activated Voidstone emitted a slender silver beam that shot directly toward Zhou Ming’s forehead.

As the ritual continued, the once somewhat illusory Spiritual Sea within Zhou Ming’s mind began to solidify with a sense of tangible reality.

An hour later, Zhou Ming’s Spiritual Sea had completely evolved into a Beast Space.

In truth, the Spiritual Sea and the Beast Space were essentially the same in nature, but the Beast Space could seal the tamed beasts of a Beast Tamer.

Through spiritual threads, the Beast Tamer could draw the beasts into the Beast Space, where they would enter a dormant state—making it convenient for the Beast Tamer to carry them.

Zhou Ming opened his slightly serpent-like eyes, a look of joy spreading across his face.

The opening ritual had been entirely successful without any mishaps.

Under his control, the Ironthread Snakes hidden beneath his clothes were all withdrawn into the Beast Space.

The next moment, he closed his eyes again to check on their sealed condition.

He saw nearly a hundred Ironthread Snakes coiled together in a circle, appearing in the place where their Spiritual Seeds once resided, now forming a part of Zhou Ming’s star-cloud-like Spiritual Sea.

Seeing no abnormalities, Zhou Ming exited the Beast Space.

He then summoned his top general—Inkband—to check if there were any issues.

“Hiss, hiss…”

Dissatisfied with being sealed earlier, Inkband expressed its displeasure.

“You little thing, still refusing to stay in the Beast Space? You’ve really grown used to freedom,” Zhou Ming said with a tone full of fondness, sensing Inkband’s emotions through their spiritual link.

“All right then, from now on, you can just stay hidden in my clothes.”

Zhou Ming didn’t force Inkband—after all, his top general deserved special treatment.

Besides, keeping Inkband outside allowed him to respond instantly to unexpected situations.

After all, summoning a beast required the Beast Tamer’s own reaction time.

And since the Beast Space was mainly for convenience, Inkband’s small size made it easy for him to slip into the pockets of Zhou Ming’s clothing.

After settling Inkband, Zhou Ming left the room on the Hunter Guild’s second floor.

As for the scroll containing the ritual knowledge, he immediately returned it—he had no desire to invite unnecessary suspicion.

It was also then that Zhou Ming understood why, in this seemingly modernized world, only the most basic Beast Tamer knowledge was widely circulated.

The answer lay within the scroll he had just read.

That scroll had been specially crafted from the treated hide of a Ferocious Beast, inscribed with Spiritual Power as ink to record the intricate knowledge.

Readers could directly feel the knowledge within the scroll through their minds. If it had been written in ordinary text, even lengthy passages would fail to convey the profound intricacies of such knowledge.

After handling everything, Zhou Ming left the Hunter Guild.

Those harboring secret intentions in the shadows hesitated and temporarily suppressed their thoughts upon seeing the Black Iron Emblem on Zhou Ming’s chest.

After all, the Black Iron Emblem not only represented a Hunter’s rank but also denoted danger level—and confirmed Zhou Ming as an official member of the Hunter Guild.

To attack a Black Iron Hunter within the city would draw unwanted attention, even if no one investigated deeply.

Moreover, everyone tacitly agreed that the strong were entitled to more.

With just one subtle action as he left the guild, Zhou Ming had preemptively dispelled any unnecessary trouble.

After leaving the Hunter Guild, still dressed in his combat uniform, Zhou Ming rented an apartment in the inner city—finally able to abandon that shabby kennel in the outer district.

The apartment wasn’t large, just a one-bedroom with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom.

Apart from personal items, it came fully furnished with furniture, appliances, and kitchenware.

Its only drawback was the high rent—ten thousand Alliance Coins per month—but Zhou Ming ultimately accepted it and paid for a full year in advance.

After securing his new residence, Zhou Ming began purchasing his own clothes, shoes, and various toiletries.

By the time he finished all his errands, night had completely fallen.

Zhou Ming flopped onto the bed, inhaling the clean scent of the sheets as his entire body relaxed.

He had returned to Qinshan Base in the morning, handed in his mission items at noon, exchanged for the Beast Space Opening Ritual, and spent the afternoon house-hunting and shopping for personal belongings.

It could be said that Zhou Ming hadn’t stopped all day, and now, lying on the bed, he didn’t want to move an inch.

Only Inkband, having been accidentally squashed by its master, wriggled free from beneath Zhou Ming and lifted its snake head to curiously observe the new surroundings.

The night passed peacefully.

By the time the next day neared noon, Zhou Ming was awakened by hunger.

After washing up, he prepared to head out for a meal.

“My eyes!”

Seeing the change in his reflection, Zhou Ming was shocked—his toothbrush even fell to the floor unnoticed.

After rinsing his mouth quickly, he examined himself repeatedly in the mirror. When he confirmed that there was no real adverse effect, he finally relaxed.

Still, Zhou Ming decided to find an opportunity to properly examine the changes in his body.

Once he had calmed himself, the smile he once wore disappeared, and his expression darkened slightly as he stepped out of his new home.