Lord Of Beasts

One Month Later...

{Welcome back to the Tower of Beasts!}

{Floor Ten: Fog Marsh (E)}

A thick, pale fog blanketed the entire swamp.

It wasn’t the kind of fog that simply obscured vision.

This one swallowed it.

Visibility stretched barely a metre ahead before dissolving into a grey void. The air was damp and heavy, carrying the stench of stagnant water and rotting vegetation.

Twisted trees rose from murky pools, their roots half-submerged in black sludge. Every step in the marsh produced a wet, sucking sound, as if the ground itself was trying to drag anything that walked on it down beneath the surface.

It was disorienting, claustrophobic, and scary.

And yet, Ethan sat casually atop a thick, moss-covered root, one leg hanging lazily over the side as if he were watching a show.

”This is honestly getting too easy.”

Not far ahead, the fog churned violently, and something massive moved within it. Then, a guttural screech tore through the marsh as the beast revealed itself.

{Boss Beast Status}

{Race: Mirefang Basilisk

Growth Stage: Mature

Beast Rank: D

Strength: 33

Speed: 26

Stamina: 27

MP: 24/24}

The creature was a grotesque fusion of reptile and swamp predator.

Its long, serpentine body slithered through the mud, thick scales coated in slime and algae. Four clawed limbs dragged behind it, each step sinking deep into the marsh.

The beast’s head was wide and flat, with jagged teeth protruding from its jaws, and a pair of glowing, murky-yellow eyes that cut through the fog like lanterns.

A forked tongue flicked through the air.

It was searching and hunting, but then it suddenly became the prey...

In response to its appearance, Ethan simply waved his hand and summoned two of his beasts.

Swoosh!

A blur shot through the mist as Talon descended like a streak of silver, its speed even more terrifying now. The hawk was so fast that one moment it was above the fog, the next its claws raked across the Basilisk’s face.

Shrkkk-!

Scales split, and dark green blood sprayed into the swamp.

The Mirefang Basilisk recoiled with a furious hiss, its tail lashing out violently, but it hit nothing.

Talon was already gone - a streak of motion vanishing back into the fog.

”It’s fucking fast,” Ethan muttered, resting his chin on his hand.

Then, the ground exploded.

Wolfy burst forward from the marsh like a cannonball. The Ulfen was no longer the small, scrappy beast Ethan had first summoned. It was massive now, easily larger than any natural wolf.

Muscles rippled beneath his dark fur, each movement precise and powerful. Its yellow eyes burned with intelligence and ferocity, and every step carried weight.

It slammed into the Basilisk’s side.

Boom!

The impact knocked the creature sideways, its massive body crashing through mud and water. Wolfy didn’t stop, lunging again with its teeth bared as its claws tore into the Boss Beast’s flank.

The Mirefang Basilisk roared, twisting its body and snapping its jaws toward Wolfy, but that’s when Talon struck again.

Swoosh!

A blur from above and...

Shrkkk-!

This time, even without making physical contact with the Boss Beast, it was still slashed across its exposed eye. The monster immediately reeled, off-balance and overwhelmed by the formidable duo of beasts.

Ethan watched quietly.

”Yeah, this will be easy.”

Both his beasts had completely taken control of the fight.

A month ago, a beast like this would have decimated them both with ease, and yet now they treated it as nothing more than another prey.

You might be wondering how they changed so much.

It was simple.

Ethan had summoned them day in and day out, facing all kinds of creatures, and as they fought and consumed beast meat, they developed.

Moreover, he had also evolved them both.

Not that it had been easy.

He spent days grinding through the Tower until he finally managed to complete both the objectives he had remaining.

{Objective 2: Kill 100 E Rank Beasts}

{Objective 3: Evolve one Beast to D Rank}

D Rank Boss Beasts allowed him to complete Object 3 before Objective 2 since each one had granted him 10 Evolutionary Shards.

He evolved Wolfy first and received a reward from the system.

{Reward: 5 Stat Points}

Not long after, he completed Objective 2, which became much easier with his D Rank Beast.

He then received another reward from the system.

{Reward: 5 Stat Points}

Ethan exhaled slowly, recalling how underwhelmed he had been at the time.

Stat Points were useful and all, but he could train and improve his stats over time on his own. What he really wanted was skills, which gave him innate and instant mastery over all kinds of abilities.

That he definitely couldn’t do on his own.

Still, he didn’t complain and put all 10 points into MP.

He needed it, now more than ever, since he now had a D Rank Beast, which cost him 2 MP to summon and 2 MP for each minute he maintained the summoning.

Without enough MP, he was nothing.

But those rewards for the objectives were nothing compared to what the evolutions had given him.

Ethan managed to evolve Talon in a matter of days after evolving Wolfy, which went to show just how much easier it was to hunt with a D Rank Beast.

Even though the races and growth stages of his beasts hadn’t changed, the difference was obvious, palpable almost.

They were stronger, sharper, and more complete.

And most importantly, they gained skills.

Ethan glanced at their statuses, which had improved massively since evolving from all the intense battles and the beast meat they had consumed.

He started with his first beast, who was literally and figuratively closest to his chest.

{Name: Wolfy

Race: Ulfen

Growth Stage: Juvenile

Beast Rank: D

Beast Potential: C

Strength: 30

Speed: 30

Stamina: 30

MP: 15/15

Skills: Predator’s Frenzy (D) - Temporarily amplifies strength and speed, increasing damage with each consecutive hit at the cost of stamina and 3 MP/min.}

His second beast didn’t lag behind in the slightest.

{Name: Talon

Race: Skyrend Hawk

Growth Stage: Juvenile

Beast Rank: D

Beast Potential: D

Strength: 15

Speed: 60

Stamina: 20

MP: 10/10

Skills: Gale Rend (D) - Converts speed into cutting force, allowing high-speed passes to cut targets with wind-augmented strikes at the cost of physical strain and 2 MP.}

All D Rank Beasts seemed to have a skill, and even some of the Elite E Rank Beasts had something that resembled one.

But depending on the skill, it could elevate one’s abilities exponentially.

Ethan smirked.

”Honestly... those skills are kinda broken.”

Though one thing still annoyed him - the system didn’t show enemy skills, only those of his own beasts.

”Would’ve been nice...”

His thoughts drifted to something he couldn’t wait for.

’Beast Assimilation...’

The skill had updated after his beasts evolved and gained skills.

Now it was clearer.

He could only use their abilities once he unlocked Partial Assimilation, and even then, only at half efficiency. It would also cost him additional MP the same way it did his beasts.

The full power of their skills would be accessible once he unlocked Complete Assimilation.

Ethan sighed.

’I’m not sure how long it will take to unlock Complete Assimilation, but even Partial Assimilation is a B Rank Skill, so it will probably be a while.’

Not that it mattered.

Right now, he had progressed massively and continued to improve alongside his beasts steadily.

Predator’s Frenzy.

He watched as Wolfy activated his skill, its body tensing before surging forward with explosive force. Each of its strikes grew heavier, faster and more brutal as it tore into the Basilisk relentlessly, not giving it a moment to recover.

At the same time, Talon descended in a perfect arc.

Gale Rend.

The air split, and a slicing current followed its path as it cut straight across the Basilisk’s back.

Ethan watched with a satisfied smile on his face.

After an entire month of effort, it hadn’t been for nought, and now each of his beasts felt like a Boss Beast in their own right. Well, a D Rank one that would be found on mere E Tier Floors, but it was still tremendous growth.

He stood up slowly, stretching his arms.

”Not bad.”

Then his gaze sharpened slightly.

Because he knew, they weren’t the only ones who had grown.

A faint smile crept onto his face.

”But I’m not exactly weak anymore either.”