Lord Of Beasts

Ethan hadn’t spent too long linked with each of his beasts.

He didn’t want to strain himself, annoy them too much, or leave his actual body vulnerable to attack.

Unlike the previous times he’d used Beast Link, however, he seemed capable of splitting his consciousness to some degree. Not entirely, but enough that while he experienced everything through the bodies of his beasts, he remained somewhat aware of what was happening to his own body.

It was almost as though Spark, the beast he was assimilated with, was protecting him from within his own body.

Even so, Ethan wasn’t willing to take unnecessary risks.

Unlike the Tower, his condition wouldn’t reset if he suffered a major injury, and no second chances were waiting for him if something went wrong. Still, using Beast Link again after so long had been incredible. Not only had it put into perspective just how much Wolfy and Talon had progressed, but it had also given Ethan several new ideas.

’I should really use it to scout more often. Spark is so small I could use it to infiltrate places. And once I unlock Complete Link, I’ll be able to control their bodies.’

He smiled just thinking about it.

’It’s also kinda like training for when I eventually get Complete Assimilation and should be able to transform into them.’

His gaze shifted towards the battlefield.

Wolfy was still fighting, Storm was still darting between the trolls, and Talon remained high above them, watching everything. Ethan could feel the battles continuing around him, but one problem remained.

Mana.

’I can’t afford to have all three fighting like this.’

That mysterious woman was somewhere inside this Gate, and Ethan had no idea what she was capable of beyond what she’d already shown him. He wasn’t about to drain himself fighting random monsters only to encounter her later with nothing left.

Ethan smiled.

’And honestly, I want to let loose a little, too.’

Now that he’d experienced the battlefield through all three beasts, he knew what he was working with and had no reason to hesitate.

As such, he raised one hand, focusing on his summons.

"That’s enough."

The three beasts were recalled almost immediately, the tattoos returning to his body.

Wolfy was clearly unhappy about it, while Storm was even less pleased. If Wolfy’s thoughts could have been translated directly into words, they would have sounded something like:

"What the fuck?! I was just starting to have fun!"

Storm wasn’t much happier.

"Yeah! Let us out again!"

Ethan couldn’t help laughing.

’Sorry, guys. I only have so much mana.’

His gaze moved towards the surrounding woodland.

’And I can’t afford to keep all of you out there.’

The complaints continued, with Wolfy particularly unhappy about being pulled away after finally getting into a proper fight. Storm was equally annoyed that its competition with the Fenrir had been interrupted just when things were becoming interesting.

Ethan responded sternly.

’Not with that vampire bitch somewhere inside this Gate.’

He sighed.

’But I’ll let you guys out again later.’

He paused before adding the final reassurance.

’I promise.’

Wolfy still wasn’t happy, and Storm definitely wasn’t either, but at least they stopped complaining. Talon, on the other hand, hadn’t complained at all, which didn’t surprise him. The Griffling was smart and understood the difference between fighting for fun and fighting to survive.

As a C Rank beast inside a B Rank Gate, it had every reason to avoid unnecessary risks.

As for Wolfy and Storm...

Ethan shook his head.

’Those two would probably fight until they dropped.’

And that was exactly the problem.

They had been competing since the moment they encountered the trolls. Neither wanted to let the other get more kills, and neither wanted to be outperformed. If Ethan left them together for too long, one of them would eventually overextend and get hurt.

Wolfy and Storm would also continue draining his mana while doing it.

Ethan wasn’t interested in either outcome, but he couldn’t deny that they were his two strongest assets.

That’s when another possibility immediately came to mind.

He looked down at his hands.

’If I can’t have both of them out...’

A slow smile appeared on his face.

’I’ll use Storm myself.’

It made sense.

Storm’s abilities were perfectly suited to Ethan’s fighting style. He already relied heavily on explosive movement and dynamic attacks, so adding lightning-based acceleration and abilities made him a force to be reckoned with.

’And if I’m using Storm’s abilities myself...’

His eyes shifted towards Wolfy.

’Then Wolfy can stay beside me.’

The combination was obvious.

Wolfy’s physical strength, Storm’s speed, and Ethan’s combat prowess and intelligence.

’That could be interesting.’

It was the best combination and was the most efficient, the least draining on his reserves.

He raised his hand.

"Wolfy."

Mana gathered beside him, and the air distorted as the enormous Fenrir materialised. The moment its paws touched the ground, its ears perked up, and it immediately looked towards Ethan, its tail beginning to wag.

Ethan laughed.

"Yeah, yeah."

Wolfy bounded towards him, and Ethan reached out to scratch the enormous beast behind the ears.

"You’re coming with me."

Wolfy’s tail wagged even harder.

Ethan stepped back and closed his eyes. He focused on the familiar connection between himself and Storm, and the Lightning Dragonfly’s presence responded immediately. He could almost feel the creature’s resistance, but also excitement, through the connection.

He smiled before taking a deep breath.

’Partial Assimilation: Storm.’

The transformation happened instantly.

Electricity erupted across Ethan’s body, with blue sparks crawling over his arms, chest, and legs in branching patterns. Lightning replaced the faint flames that had previously surrounded his transformed body, while the surrounding air began crackling with electrical energy.

His muscles tightened, and his fingers twitched as a flicker jumped between them.

Ethan opened his eyes, and a grin spread across his face.

"Nice."

He could feel the difference immediately.

The power wasn’t simply sitting inside him. It was moving through him, waiting to be unleashed. He could feel the potential for explosive acceleration coiling within his muscles and the electrical energy gathering around his body.

Beneath it all was the constant awareness provided by Volt Sense.

Ethan’s grin widened.

’It still feels fucking amazing.’

But Storm’s abilities were still straining and expensive, even with Kinetic Charge, and he couldn’t exactly fly like his Lightning Dragonfly.

Ethan looked towards Wolfy.

The Fenrir lowered itself, instantly understanding him without words.

He smiled.

"Ready?"

Wolfy gave a low growl.

Ethan climbed onto its back, settling himself between the beast’s shoulders before grabbing a handful of fur.

Then he grinned.

’I save some energy, and I get some style points.’

Wolfy’s ears twitched, then a second later-

Boom!

The Fenrir launched forward.

The ground cracked beneath its paws as grass exploded behind it, Wolfy’s enormous body accelerating across the field with shocking speed. Ethan leaned forward as electricity crawled across his arms and the wind rushed past his face.

Holding on tight, he pictured the incredible duo he and Fenrir would make.

’First, I’ll let Wolfy handle the close-range pressure.’

His eyes narrowed.

’Then I’ll use Storm’s abilities to control the distance and punish anything that tries to escape.’

The combination felt almost natural.

’And since we can actually work together...’

His grin widened.

’It’ll look a lot better than those two idiots fighting over kills.’

A roar suddenly echoed through the woodland, shaking the surrounding trees.

His compound eyes narrowed, and Wolfy’s ears immediately perked up as electricity crackled across Ethan’s body.

"Sounds like we’ve got company."

Wolfy growled.

Then the two charged deeper into the Gate.