Chapter 143: A Plain Day
The apartment balcony was battered by the howling north wind, filled only with bone-piercing cold, without the slightest warmth of sunlight.
However, with Zhou Ming’s current physique, he could already ignore it.
If the limit of ordinary martial arts could only contend against mutated animals, then Zhou Ming, who had yet to advance to a Professional Beast Tamer, could now rely on his own strength to contend against low-tier Ferocious Beasts.
Of course, the low-tier Ferocious Beasts referred to here were bottom-level existences such as Jungle Wolves.
Sitting on a lounge chair on the balcony, with a steaming cup of honey water brewed using Blood Jade Royal Jelly, he was finally able to enjoy a brief moment of tranquility.
Blood Jade Royal Jelly was brewed by Tiger-headed Golden Needle Bees using Ferocious Beast flesh and blood. It was a premium supplement that nourished the spirit and replenished the body’s qi and blood.
There was no drug resistance, its nature was mild, and even ordinary people could consume it, achieving effects such as prolonging life. Thus, Zhou Ming did not submit it to the Hunter Guild to complete a task, but instead kept it for his own use.
“Now all that’s left are the class advancement materials. Once I have those, I can begin the Class Advancement Ritual and complete the final step.”
Setting down the wine cup in his hand, Zhou Ming looked at the leaves blown down by the cold wind and quietly pondered how to obtain the class advancement materials.
Knowledge, resources, and equipment beyond the Apprentice Beast Tamer level were things ordinary Beast Tamers found extremely difficult to purchase.
Aside from requiring large sums of money, special purchasing channels were also needed, and many resources even required Source Crystals to buy.
This kind of semi-monopolistic behavior, judging from the current situation, was something the Alliance had tacitly approved.
As for the purpose, Zhou Ming could easily understand it with a bit of thought.
The Blue Star Alliance had to contend against Ferocious Beasts and foreign races, and this inevitably required people to bleed and make sacrifices.
How could citizens with Beast Tamer qualifications be made willing to bleed and sacrifice?
The solution was simple: control resources.
What if one could sense the Spiritual Sea but could not condense a Spiritual Seed?
Either join a major faction and sell one’s life, or join the Alliance officially and become a member of the military.
Compared to the former, where one became a servant or lackey, the latter at least still held hope of rising to high positions.
As long as they were unwilling to accept an ordinary life, most citizens who could sense the Spiritual Sea but could not condense a Spiritual Seed would basically choose to join the military to obtain the necessary resources.
This was also why the City Defense Army in every base possessed a large number of Beast Tamers.
What if one had decent talent and could rely on one’s own ability to condense a Spiritual Seed and become a Beast Tamer?
No problem—just block them at the stage of advancing to Professional Beast Tamer.
After all, citizens who could condense a Spiritual Seed through their own talent generally possessed the potential to advance to Professional Beast Tamer.
Faced with powerful strength and the opportunity to extend one’s lifespan, very few people would not be tempted.
But without access to the necessary resource channels, the only options were to join private factions or the Alliance officially.
Compared to private factions, the Alliance offered much better待遇 and upward mobility, so under normal circumstances, people would choose the Alliance.
Thus, in reality, monopolizing resources benefited the Alliance even more, which was why such monopolistic behavior was tacitly permitted.
Given Zhou Ming’s own situation, he naturally could not join any faction.
Even if he advanced to Professional Beast Tamer, the research value on his body far exceeded the benefits brought by a Professional Beast Tamer status.
“The only hope may be a place like the Black Market, where there’s a chance to purchase the class advancement materials I need.”
The Blue Star Alliance had been established for hundreds of years, and not all Beast Tamers were willing to join a faction.
Where there was demand, there would naturally be people secretly selling these controlled resources. This was also the origin of Wild Professional Beast Tamers.
Toward such situations, the Alliance turned a blind eye. After all, blocking all paths would instead benefit the private factions within the Alliance.
Class mobility could be slow, but it could not become a stagnant pool.
Drinking the honey water brewed with Blood Jade Royal Jelly and feeling the cool breeze, Zhou Ming quietly considered his future plans.
Just as Zhou Ming was enjoying this moment of tranquility, a seductive voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Handsome guy, it’s so cold. Want to come over and have a cup of milk tea that I personally brewed?”
On the neighboring balcony, a sexy woman sized up Zhou Ming’s body, a trace of desire flowing from her eyes.
With the help of the Snake King Body martial path, Zhou Ming’s physique not only far surpassed ordinary people, but his figure was also exceptionally perfect.
There was not the slightest sense of bloated muscle; instead, his streamlined muscle contours were like twisted steel wires—slender yet filled with explosive power.
His skin was wheat-colored, yet faintly displayed a jade-like texture on the surface, smooth and warm.
More importantly was his temperament. After completing the Snake Swarm Will plan, he exuded a trace of nobility, mystery, and a faint, sinister charm.
Because he had just completed the Snake Swarm Will plan, Zhou Ming had yet to restrain the aura emanating from his body. As a result, after just one glance, the woman next door took the initiative to invite him for milk tea.
“Thanks, but I’m not used to drinking second-hand milk. I prefer original honey water.”
With a smile, Zhou Ming raised the cup in his hand to indicate his refusal.
“Hmph, no sense of romance.”
With a coquettish snort, she turned around and returned to her room.
This was the benefit of being attractive. Even if he rejected someone bluntly, he would not receive angry curses in return.
Regarding this little interlude, Zhou Ming merely smiled slightly, then joked with himself.
“Looks like I qualify to live off a rich woman now.”
As the words fell, Zhou Ming no longer paid attention to what had happened earlier.
As for purchasing class advancement materials and his future plans, he temporarily set them aside.
It had been many years since he had relaxed so quietly.
Looking at the fallen leaves blown down by the cold wind before him, Zhou Ming recalled his time at the Qinshan Base Library, when he first ventured into the wilderness—it seemed to have been in early autumn.
In the blink of an eye, several years had quietly passed.
Setting aside the honey water that had already cooled, Zhou Ming leaned back against the lounge chair and took a short nap.
Today, he treated it as giving himself a day off.
……
The next day, Zhou Ming headed to the Giant God Group to prepare to order a Thunder Type-3 Revolver.
Although he was already close to advancing to Professional Beast Tamer, if he could enhance his strength before the advancement, he naturally did not want to miss such an opportunity.
Previously, while studying at Qinghui Scientific Research University, he had been busy with his academics and hardly needed to leave Qinghui Base. Coupled with the lack of spare funds on him, Zhou Ming had not gone to order a Thunder Type-3 Revolver.
Now that he had money, and with the Qinghui Base’s Black Market located outside the base, he naturally needed to make thorough preparations.
After all, no one knew what might happen when purchasing class advancement materials. Spending money to enhance his own safety was not a waste.
Moreover, the power of the Thunder Type-3 Revolver was enough to threaten Professional Beast Tamers. Ordering one might come in handy in the future.
It was precisely because of this plan that Zhou Ming did not choose to head to the Black Market immediately.