A taming space served as the foundation of a tamer's power in this world.
After a person awakened their taming space, the next step was to determine what affinity they had awakened and then proceed to form a contract with a pet possessing a similar affinity.
As the name suggests, a taming space is essentially a place for a tamer to house their tamed beasts if they had a reason to keep them out of the real world. This served as its secondary main function.
Its primary function, however, was to grant the tamer access to a pet core, the very essence that bestowed pets with their power, allowing the tamer to draw upon a portion of that power for themselves.
A taming space resembled a miniature world, and the traits it exhibited depended on the affinity of the tamer. To put it simply, the tamer's affinity influenced the characteristics of their taming space.
For instance, a tamer with an affinity for the fire element might find a bonfire within their taming space. This bonfire served as a symbolic representation of the tamer's elemental connection.
However, not all fire-affinity tamers shared the same representation.
Some might have a bonfire, while others might encounter a flaming tree, a burning sword, a small pool of lava, and various other manifestations.
As the tamer's power grew, so did the size of their taming space, gradually transforming it into a paradise that vividly reflected their unique affinity.
"I just need to close my eyes and let my consciousness sink in, right?" Leo mumbled as he adjusted his position on the counter chair to make himself more comfortable.
Taking a deep breath, Leo gradually closed his eyes, and with an exhale, he allowed his consciousness to sink deep into the core of his being, his taming space.
A few seconds later, Leo opened his eyes.
He found himself in a dimly lit space with a hard, grey ground.
A few metres ahead of Leo, a small lake emanated a brilliant radiance, drawing all attention to it within the space.
This was Leo's taming space, and the lake was the representation of his affinity, the water element.
However, even if someone knew their affinity from the start, a formal testing process was still required and conducted by federation officials, essentially the government of the region in the part of the world Leo was in, before someone could purchase a beast egg. This was because there were instances where elements within one's taming space might be overlooked.
This exact situation had occurred with Isabella.
According to Isabella, the primary manifestation of her affinity with ice was a frozen tree located in the centre of her taming space. However, it was only after having her affinity tested by the federation that she discovered she also had an affinity for illusions.
The illusion element was a mist in Isabella taming space, surrounding the frozen tree. Isabella had initially ignored it, assuming it was a side effect of her ice element's manifestation.
Some might argue that it was a mistake on her part to think this way, but there were cases where the darkness, similar to what Leo was experiencing in his taming space, was indeed the manifestation of an individual's affinity with the dark element. However, this was not the case for Leo.
Situations like Isabella's were relatively rare, but they weren't uncommon.
Satisfied with his curiosity about his taming space and the foundation of his power, should he ever acquire a pet in the future, Leo should have brought his consciousness back from his taming space and resumed his daily activities in the real world, such as cleaning the store or replenishing the dwindling stock. However, Leo didn't.
Leo remained in his taming space, not because he hadn't seen enough but because he noticed something out of place.
Something that shouldn't be there.
According to the original Leo's memories, the most remarkable feature of his taming space should be the radiant lake, and nothing else. So why was there a door situated in the centre of the lake?
A frown crept across his face as he contemplated a few possibilities.
'Did this change happen because I took over the original owner's body?' he wondered.
'Is the door a manifestation of an affinity, or is it something else?'
Upon seeing the door in his taming space, Leo's immediate thought was whether the door had appeared as a result of his transmigration.
He considered the possibility that the door might be a manifestation of an affinity linked to an element that should belong to him, given that he was essentially a different soul in the same body.
This idea was reminiscent of characters in transmigration stories who often exhibited stronger spirits or souls after taking over the original owner's body. It raised questions about how his presence in this world might be influencing his taming space and the elements within it.
His frown wasn't only due to the presence of the door but also his ignorance of what it signified.
Leo didn't know if the appearance of the door was a good or bad thing.
Leo also believed it wouldn't be wise to inform others about the sudden change in his taming space for several reasons, most of which were connected to his transmigration and potential scrutiny. Thus, he could only investigate the door within his taming space on his own.
Although Leo was cautious about the door's origin and its significance in his taming space, he couldn't help but be equally curious.
With a mere thought, Leo's consciousness materialised next to the door, which appeared to be floating on the surface of the radiant lake.
The door stood without a clear foundation, not sinking into the water. It defied logic, but Leo had long realised that Earth's common sense had little place in this magical world.
The door was of a flush design, made of wood and displayed a plain appearance. However, Leo wasn't deceived by its unassuming looks.
As he pondered the reason for his transmigration, Leo couldn't help but wonder if there was a purpose behind it and why it had happened.
Even with the appearance of the door in his taming space, Leo knew better than to think that its plain exterior determined its purpose and function.
It was highly probable that the door's appearance was linked to his transmigration, making it unique, but the question of whether this was good or bad remained.
Leo briefly considered the notion that this might be his transmigration cheat, akin to what he had read about in novels in the past. If it were the case, then authors of those stories would be akin to omnipotent beings who had no awareness of their power.
Then again, they also had no idea that transmigration was a real thing, did they?
In this world, when a tamer's consciousness sank into their taming space, it appeared in the form of a physical, gaseous representation of their body, albeit intangible.
If Leo attempted to use his 'body' to touch the ground or the lake in his taming space, he would only sink through it and feel nothing.
However, when Leo attempted to wave his hand through the door, he was shocked to discover that he could actually 'touch' it.
Before Leo could react, his vision darkened, and a sucking sensation enveloped his gaseous form.
The next moment, the chirping of birds filled Leo's ears.
Opening his eyes, Leo found himself in the midst of a wilderness, with a forest appearing to stretch out behind him.
Shocked and frightened, he let out an audible yell and took a step backward, only to trip and fall on his backside.
"Ouch!" Leo reacted in pain, but then he realised that he could feel his 'body' in this new form.
Leo also noticed he was wearing different clothing, although that wasn't his immediate concern.
Despite the sudden and bewildering change in environment, panic began to well up within Leo. However, he forcefully calmed himself down and stood up.
Just as he was about to pinch himself, wondering if this was all a dream, Leo's attention was suddenly drawn to something in the sky.
In the sky, Leo spotted three individuals standing on a sword in mid-air, flying in a specific direction.
At first, Leo believed he might be seeing things, as the sight resembled something he had read about back on Earth.
"Don't tell me I've transmigrated to another world again, and this time to a cultivation world?" Leo pondered aloud, grappling with the incredible scenario unfolding before him.