"Cultivation value?" Ethan repeated to himself, stunned.
The words of the shopping guide echoed in his mind like a challenge: "Poisonous fire ants? They're so weak even someone who failed their job transition could crush one underfoot."
But that dismissive tone only made Ethan more certain.
He wasn't just anyone.
He had something no one else had—the SSS-grade talent: "Infinite Alienation".
Even the principal's gifted epic relic, the Heart of Fairwind, which boasted the ability to awaken hidden bloodlines, was pale in comparison to the power Ethan now possessed.
With "Infinite Alienation," the growth and mutation potential of any summoned beast had no upper limit.
From what Ethan recalled from past lives—insects of equal size would always beat out mammals in raw efficiency. Their survival instincts, adaptability, and biological design were just more optimized.
So what if the poisonous fire ant was currently seen as trash-tier?
With Infinite Alienation, even a discarded creature could become a godlike beast.
Suddenly, the principal's earlier words made sense.
> "The best summoned beast isn't the strongest. It's the one that suits you."
At that moment, all the shiny bronze-ranked beast eggs in Darunhua lost their appeal.
Ethan's eyes hardened with resolve.
He wasn't going to waste money on so-called "recommended" starter beasts. Not when the ant—considered weak and ignored—might just be the perfect match for his evolution path.
Ethan turned sharply and walked straight out of the Darunhua marketplace.
The shopping guide watched, puzzled, as the young man left without a word.
Outside, a familiar bearded taxi driver leaned against his car. It was the same driver from earlier. Without hesitation, Ethan slid into the backseat.
But this time, he didn't risk negotiating. He opened the ride-sharing app and booked directly through the platform. After all, the guy had tried to overcharge him earlier.
As the ride began, the driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"You must've just completed your job transition, huh?"
Ethan tensed immediately. "How'd you know?"
His thoughts jumped to the epic relic stored in his Beast Master Space. Had the driver somehow sensed something?
The man chuckled warmly. "Kid, it's not hard to guess. You rushed out of No. 3 Middle School, straight to Darunhua, and now you're headed outside the city."
"If you'd failed your transition, you'd have stayed at Darunhua to apply again or take up a temp role. But since you're heading into the wild… I figured you must've succeeded and picked up some gear."
His words made sense, but Ethan still didn't let his guard down.
"Just follow the navigation," he replied curtly.
The warmth drained from the driver's face instantly. He had seen the alert pop up on his phone:
> "Ping! Do not engage passengers in unnecessary conversation."
Ethan had reported him to the platform.
While there were no fines, repeated strikes meant lower priority for ride assignments. His smile faded, replaced with restrained frustration.
So this kid is cautious… but bold enough to go into the wild alone?
Strange combination.
Little did Ethan know—the driver wasn't just anyone either.
He was actually a tutor at Fairwind University. Driving was a hobby, a way for him to unwind and observe new talents from the grassroots level.
Now curious about Ethan, he made a decision.
> "I'll wait and see if this kid comes back alive. No need to follow—if he's weak, he'll return fast enough."
---
As the taxi pulled up to the city's outer gate, Ravenshade's great wall came into view.
Ethan stepped out and stared in awe.
The ancient, moss-covered stones stretched endlessly, a fortress against the chaos outside. It gave the illusion of a peaceful, historic kingdom—until you looked beyond.
On the other side, twisted trees and tangled vines grew wild. A shadowy jungle loomed just past the 200-meter perimeter of trimmed grass. The contrast was striking.
Inside the city: civilized order.
Outside: untamed nature, full of monsters, danger, and opportunity.
He registered at the gate, receiving another reminder:
> "Newcomers are advised not to stray far. The closer to the wall, the safer you are."
Ethan nodded but already knew his goal.
He didn't plan on going far.
Only a few dozen meters away, near a small grassy knoll, he spotted what he was looking for.
A bowl-sized hole in the earth.
He crouched down and waited.
Sure enough, after a moment, a single poisonous fire ant crawled into view.
It looked much like a regular ant from his past life—but enlarged to fist-size, with sleek black armor and a faint reddish fuzz glowing on its abdomen and legs. Its mandibles were like miniature scythes, sharp and glinting in the light.
> "That thing would definitely hurt if it bit me."
But Ethan wasn't afraid.
He was studying, calculating.
One thing stood out—the nest didn't seem densely populated. Maybe thirty ants total, max.
> "Strange… In my past life, wild nests had hundreds, even thousands."
But this wasn't Earth.
These were wild monsters, not just insects. Even the common ones like this could be deadly if ignored.
Time to act.
Ethan quietly approached and stepped down on one ant, pinning it gently underfoot. It thrashed, clicking its jaws angrily.
> "If it were a bit bigger, I might be the one on the ground..."
Then, Ethan activated his Taming skill.
A glowing seal appeared at his fingertip and shot downward, imprinting itself on the ant's head.
The ant buzzed and twitched—but then stopped.
> "Taming successful!"
> "You have obtained: Poisonous Fire Ant."
As soon as it bonded, Ethan felt a strange link open between them. A kind of mental connection.
He could sense the discomfort of the creature underfoot.
He quickly lifted his boot.
Then, opening his panel, he inspected the ant's details:
---
Summoned Beast: Poisonous Fire Ant (Non-Evolved)
Stage: Mature
Remaining Lifespan: 3 Months
Strength: 9
Constitution: 6
Agility: 6
Spirit: 2
Skills: Bite, Microtoxin
Overall Combat Power: ½ Star
---
Ethan stared at the numbers, impressed.
For something so small, these stats were close to what an average untrained human could manage.
> "Not bad at all… if it were bigger or had evolved, this would already be dangerous."
But one stat gave him pause:
> "Remaining Lifespan: 3 Months"
A timer. Counting down.
> "Wait… do all summoned beasts have expiration dates?"
He hadn't thought about it before, but it made sense. Especially with insect-based summons. Their life cycles were short in nature. The system must have preserved that realism.
Still, he couldn't help but worry.
> "What if all Zerg-type beasts are this fragile? What if I spend time training them, and they die anyway?"
But then again—he had Infinite Alienation.
That talent didn't just evolve beasts. It could likely extend lifespans, repair aging, and override natural limits.
He wasn't bound by the rules of ordinary tamers.
He would change the rules. Rewrite them.
And this humble poisonous fire ant?
It would be the first building block of a beast empire.
---
End of Chapter 8
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