Lord Of Beasts

After seeing his Fenrir in action, Ethan couldn’t help but want to experience its power and new skills first-hand.

And when better than right away?

’Partial Assimilation: Wolfy.’

The response was instant, violent, and primal.

It felt like something ancient had just awakened inside him.

A surge of power erupted from his core, flooding through every vein, every muscle, every fibre of his being.

His heart slammed against his chest.

Once.

Twice.

Then faster...

Much, much faster.

{Name: Ethan Crowe

Title: Lord of Beasts

Titled Rank: C

Strength: 28 +30

Speed: 29 +30

Stamina: 28 +30

MP: 54/68 +18

Beasts: 3/4}

”Holy...”

Ethan’s voice came out low and rough.

And it wasn’t just his voice that had changed.

His muscles tightened instantly, condensing and expanding at the same time as raw strength flooded into them. It was not just an increase, but an overwhelming amplification.

Ethan’s entire frame felt lighter, sharper, and more explosive.

His posture also shifted, with his shoulders hunched slightly forward and his stance lowering instinctively, like a predator ready to pounce at any moment. Most noticeably, his fingers elongated slightly as dark, curved claws extended from his nails, glinting faintly with a crimson sheen.

They felt natural, as if they had always been there.

His skin prickled, his hairs standing on end, and his senses expanding.

He could hear everything: the bubbling of the acidic swamp, the faint hiss of corrosive vapours eating away at the surrounding terrain, and even the distant movement of beasts.

Then his face shifted.

His jaw tightened, teeth sharpening slightly as his expression took on something more feral. His stubble transformed into a thick, dark beard, becoming rough and wild, spreading more aggressively along his jaw and chin.

This was no longer a mere human.

His hair followed, also somehow darkening despite already being black and thickening, becoming just as wild as the beast he was transforming into.

And last, but most prominent, were his eyes.

They went from a piercing blue to a burning crimson, a deep, predatory red that reflected something far darker beneath the surface.

Ethan inhaled slowly.

’This is crazy’

His body felt unreal.

That entire insane transformation had happened in a second, without pain or discomfort, as if this were the form he was always supposed to be in.

It was difficult to put into words how he felt.

’It’s like I’m roided and drugged out of my mind at the same time.’

That wasn’t a great explanation.

But his strength, speed, and stamina had more than doubled, so it was only natural he felt powerful.

Every breath felt charged, like his body was itching to let loose.

Ethan flexed his hand slowly, watching the way the muscles shifted beneath his skin.

’I feel strong as fuck.’

In this state, his overall physical stats were even higher than Wolfy’s.

That alone was absurd.

Ethan laughed quietly under his breath, but he knew better than to think it made him stronger than his Fenrir. Because this power, these instincts, these abilities, they belonged to Wolfy.

He was merely borrowing half of them.

But he also wasn’t far from his beast either, and in this fused state, Ethan could definitely hold his own against a B Rank.

Not only that...

’I’ve got multiple beasts, so I can assimilate with Wolfy and summon the others, or vice versa.”

He rolled his shoulders slowly, feeling the sheer weight of power within his body.

Then he couldn’t hold himself back anymore.

’Let’s test it.’

He shifted his stance slightly, lowering himself instinctively as his claws flexed.

Even without a target or enemy, he still used the skill.

’Crescent Fang.’

Swoosh!

His body blurred forward in a sudden burst of speed, his jaw snapping open as energy surged toward it.

And then he bit.

There was nothing there, just air, but the result was still terrifying.

A sharp, crescent-shaped wave of energy exploded outward from the motion, slicing through the air with terrifying precision. The ground ahead split cleanly like a giant had swung his axe down on it.

Ethan froze, eyes wide.

’What the fuck...’

He could feel it.

The way the energy had gathered and condensed before being released. Biting wasn’t just an action anymore, but a deadly weapon that he could even use at range.

He exhaled slowly.

’That’s... insane.’

And it only excited him to use Wolfy’s second new skill, which was a B Rank Skill.

’Sovereign Howl.’

Ethan straightened slightly and inhaled deeply.

Then it all came out.

It was similar to the Skyshatter Cry in that it was an uncontrollable sound that left his throat, but this was even more incredible. He unleashed a dominant howl that made the air itself tremble.

The sound carried outward in waves, pressing down on the surroundings with invisible force.

Ethan felt it.

It wasn’t just sound, but it had an authority behind it.

Then came a wave of power that surged within, amplifying and empowering him even further.

His strength and presence expanded.

At the same time, the world around him felt smaller and weaker, as if everything nearby had just been forced into submission.

Even without a target, he could feel its effect.

”This is... amazing.”

His voice came out rougher now, still laced with that primal undertone.

Ethan stood there for a moment longer, feeling and understanding this newfound power.

Then, he slowly relaxed.

He looked down at his clawed hands, at the crimson glow in his vision, at the power running through him, and smiled.

”I can work with this.”

And experiencing the power of a B Rank definitely put things into perspective for Ethan.

’I was a weak E Rank...’

The memory felt distant, faded, and almost unreal.

’I saw C Ranks as untouchable.’

Back then, they were something he feared, and even going toe to toe with one would have felt like an achievement.

’But now...’

A faint smile formed on his lips.

’I can beat pretty much any C Rank, and easily.’

The thought felt absurd and somewhat arrogant, but it was far from it.

’I’ve literally got a B Rank beast that serves me. A fucking Fenrir at that.’

He let out a short laugh, shaking his head.

”I really have come a long way.”

Wolfy had been his first beast, and also the first that he evolved to D Rank, C Rank, and now B Rank. It had literally been with him from the jump and had saved him in his last gate, and now would hopefully do the same in this gate.

Then, his smile suddenly faded.

’But I’ve still got a long way to go.’

Because this power and progress weren’t enough, not yet, and maybe not ever.

His mind snapped back to reality, to the gate and what was waiting for him. Almost an entire day had passed in his mind, but he could still see the trio of giant insects clearly.

Ethan rolled his shoulders slowly.

”Alright.”

His voice was calm, steady, and grounded.

But beneath it, there was a new sense of confidence that wasn’t reckless, but earned as he summoned his Wolfy one last time.

He glanced at it proudly.

The Fenrir stood ready, its body coiled with quiet power, its crimson eyes locked forward as if already anticipating the coming battle.

Ethan smirked.

”Let’s run it back.”

Because now he had a B Rank of his own, a powerful one at that...