Lord Of Beasts

Ethan watched quietly as the C Ranks began choosing members for their groups.

The D Ranks were picked first, then came the other E Ranks.

One by one, they were chosen and assigned to one of the four groups, until only two of them remained.

Ethan blinked.

”Wait...”

He glanced around.

Everyone else had already been selected, except for him and the A Rank.

’What the fuck...?’

His gaze slowly shifted toward her.

She stood slightly apart from the others, her head lowered, her shoulders tense, and her hands fidgeting faintly at her sides. It was clear that she was nervous; nothing about her was intimidating, overwhelming, or powerful.

Ethan frowned.

If she were an A Rank, shouldn’t she move alone like Darius, their B Rank leader?

And if she were to join a group, wouldn’t picking her first be a no-brainer?

’Maybe she’s some kind of ticking time bomb.’

That was the only thing that made sense to Ethan, since A Ranks were supposed to be revered beings that were the closest thing to those S Rank freaks.

”Alright,” the last of the C Ranks called out after sighing.

”Guess you two are with us.”

He didn’t seem thrilled to have them in his group, but he didn’t bother complaining about it.

And just like that, their groups were set.

Each group had: 1 C Rank, 2 D Ranks, and 1 E Rank.

It was balanced and efficient, with everything being built around the more capable and experienced C Ranks who answered directly to Darius.

As for Ethan’s group?

They had 1 C Rank, 2 D Ranks, an E Rank, and... an A Rank!

He was still struggling to wrap his head around the fact that an A Rank could come across as so pathetic.

That’s when his group leader stepped forward.

The group Ethan was assigned to was under Jared Flint, the giant man who was easily the largest man he had ever seen in his life. He made Mark look like a frail child.

He stood at over 2 metres, nearing 7 feet tall, like a professional basketball player. But it wasn’t his height that was most alarming; it was his width.

’This guy’s a fucking unit.’

Seeing him up close, Ethan couldn’t help but be in awe.

’It doesn’t even feel like we’re the same species.’

He was so thick with muscle that it was like his skin threatened to burst at any moment. And as if he wasn’t intimidating enough, he was clad in giant metal-plated armour all around his body.

Each of his steps shook the ground slightly, and even without the armour, he was easily over 200kgs, probably nearing 500lbs.

’He’s definitely a defensive type, a tank to take on aggro for the rest of the group.’

Splitting up made sense, especially for an unscouted Gate, and it gave their leader freedom of movement. A controlled spread lowered risk, and it allowed for quick reinforcement if anything went wrong.

Each of the groups gathered briefly.

Jared crossed his arms, his giant body more than enough to command attention.

”Alright. Listen up.”

His voice was steady, experienced, and very deep, fitting his appearance.

”It’s simple: stay close, stay alert, and fight around me.”

He banged on his armoured chest.

”I’ve cleared plenty of C- Rank Gates with Darius, Lena, Marcus, and Rina. Most of what we’ll see will be D Rank monsters, which we can easily handle.”

That eased some of the tension, albeit slightly.

”As for my Title, it is Iron Rebound,” he continued. ”I can reflect a portion of the impact I take.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

’That’s actually a pretty good ability.’

”I’ve got a few other tricks too,” Jared added. ”And it works well against most creatures.”

He glanced around the group.

”The others also have strong Titles, especially Darius. We will do most of the heavy lifting.”

A few nods followed.

”So don’t panic and just follow our lead.”

Then his gaze shifted.

”E Ranks, you probably won’t need to do much fighting, just provide support where needed.”

Ethan didn’t react.

”D Ranks, while I endure any enemy attacks, unleash everything you have.”

Jared then looked at the A Rank and paused.

”And you...”

Ethan paid close attention.

”Just don’t get in our way.”

He blinked again.

’What?! Telling an A Rank to stay out of the way?’

He glanced at her, but once again, there was no reaction.

She wasn’t offended, nor did she seem to have any pride; she just gave a small nod in agreement.

Ethan’s confusion didn’t linger long, as they took turns telling each other their Titles and the gist of their abilities. Most of them were simple and one-dimensional, as expected.

He didn’t need a system window to know that their skills were limited; he could feel it. But then it was his turn, and Ethan wasn’t exactly in a position to refuse to answer.

”My Title is Attack Dog, and it simply allows me to increase my physical abilities and gain the senses of a dog for a short period of time.”

He received a few puzzled looks, and some were almost doubting, but nobody questioned it aloud. It wasn’t the weirdest ability out there, and most E Ranks had something similar.

Basic augmentation was the most common form of Title, especially in the lower ranks.

Then everyone’s attention was on the red-eyed A Rank, curious to hear what her Title and ability were. Though she simply remained silent and shook her head, as if to say she wasn’t going to answer.

Nobody bothered pressing her about it.

But weirdly, it wasn’t because they were afraid of her. It was more because they didn’t care.

Minutes later, they were all ready to go.

Equipment was adjusted, roles were understood, and abilities were shared.

Ethan observed everyone’s gear and weapons.

’That shit would just slow me down.’

A faint smirk crossed his face.

’Though it probably would’ve saved me a lot of blood, sweat, and tears a month back.’

Still, the system had made one thing very clear: he was the weapon and didn’t need to rely on anything else.

”Move out.”

Darius stepped forward without hesitation and walked straight into the gate.

Just like that, he vanished into thin air.

One by one, the others followed, the C Ranks entering the swirling black and purple rift next. It was incredible just to look at, as it shifted unnaturally, like something straight out of a video game.

Ethan’s heartbeat was steady.

There was no fear or nerves, but excitement for his first real Gate.

’This is outside the Tower, and my condition won’t reset,’ he reminded himself.

The real risk and consequences just made it even more thrilling, but one thought echoed clearly in his mind.

’I’ve got a bad feeling about this...’