Lord Of Beasts

Hearing the roar in the distance, Wolfy accelerated, tearing through the tall grass as Ethan leaned forward on its back. The grass parted beneath the Fenrir’s enormous body, and within moments, the woodland disappeared behind them.

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly when they entered another clearing.

Six enormous creatures stood waiting.

Trolls.

They were even larger than the ones Wolfy and the others had fought earlier. Each one stood over four metres tall, with massive bodies covered in thick grey-green skin and crude scars. Heavy tusks protruded from their lower jaws, and their crude, brutish faces were dominated by tiny dark eyes buried beneath heavy brows.

’Beast Link didn’t do these giant fuckers justice.’

Two carried enormous stone clubs. Another wielded a crude iron axe, while one held what appeared to be a sharpened tree trunk. The remaining two carried no weapons at all, relying entirely on their enormous fists.

Ethan slowly pulled Wolfy to a stop.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the six monsters.

’There really is no status window.’

He narrowed his eyes, but nothing appeared.

Ethan had expected that, but seeing it was still strange.

He studied the trolls carefully, relying on their appearance, movements, and the pressure he could sense from them instead of numbers. The trolls similarly seemed to be trying to gauge the abilities of the giant wolf-like creature and the electric man riding it.

One of the massive creatures raised its head, its tiny eyes locking onto Ethan before it let out a thunderous roar.

The other five immediately joined in.

"ROOOOOAR!"

The sound shook the surrounding trees.

Wolfy’s lips curled back, exposing its fangs, while its muscles tightened beneath its fur.

Ethan smiled.

"Yeah."

He leaned forward slightly, electricity crawling across his arms.

"Let’s see what you’ve got."

The first troll charged.

Its massive feet tore through the grass as the stone club in its hands rose above its head. Wolfy didn’t wait for the attack to come. The Fenrir sprinted forward, carrying Ethan directly towards the monster.

The troll swung.

BOOM!

The club smashed into the ground with enough force to blast dirt and grass into the air, but Wolfy had already disappeared from the impact zone. The Fenrir twisted around the strike and continued circling the troll, its movements quick and precise despite its enormous size.

Ethan stayed low against Wolfy’s back, watching the monster’s movements while simultaneously sensing everything around them through Storm’s Volt Sense.

The troll’s muscles shifted.

Its electrical signals changed.

Ethan felt the movement before he saw it.

"There."

Wolfy continued circling.

Then Ethan spotted the opening.

"Left!"

Wolfy immediately changed direction.

The troll barely had time to react before Wolfy’s claws crossed.

Cross Slash.

Two condensed arcs of force tore through the air.

Shing!

Shing!

The attacks struck the troll’s side, ripping through its thick flesh as blood sprayed across the grass. The monster staggered, but the fenrir was already moving again.

Wolfy rushed forward, its fangs tearing across the troll’s thigh.

The creature roared and swung its free hand.

Wolfy ducked beneath the attack, the massive claws passing harmlessly over its head.

Ethan grinned.

"Good."

Then he suddenly pushed off Wolfy’s back.

His body launched into the air.

Electricity erupted beneath his feet as he landed several metres away, his boots skidding violently across the grass. Ethan twisted his body and continued moving, deliberately refusing to slow down.

"Kinetic Charge."

The words left his mouth almost casually.

Electricity began gathering around his body as he lowered himself and burst forward.

Ethan didn’t attack.

Instead, he began skirting around the trolls.

His movements were fast and erratic, his body constantly changing direction as he moved around the massive creatures. Every step, every turn, every sudden acceleration fed more kinetic energy into his transformed body.

Just like a predatory Lightning Dragonfly.

And as he moved, Ethan couldn’t help but stare.

’They really are fucking huge.’

He had fought plenty of beasts inside the Tower, many of which were enormous, but this felt different.

Each troll stood many metres tall, towering over Ethan even when he stood at full height. Their bodies were thick with muscle, their arms unnaturally long, and their enormous hands ended in filthy claws capable of crushing a human with ease.

Yet despite their monstrous appearance, there was something undeniably humanoid about them. They stood on two legs, had arms, hands, and faces, moving around like crude, gigantic versions of human beings.

Ethan found himself studying them as he moved.

’They’re jacked.’

A troll swung its club at him.

Ethan ducked beneath it and continued running.

’And those arms are fucking ridiculous.’

Another troll tried to intercept him.

Ethan changed direction instantly, electricity crackling beneath his feet as he accelerated away.

The troll’s fist slammed into the ground behind him.

BOOM!

Dirt exploded into the air.

Ethan laughed.

’They’re basically giant ugly motherfuckers.’

He wasn’t sure why, but the thought amused him.

Maybe it was because he’d spent so long fighting beasts in that game-like tower that this insanity just felt refreshing.

’Six enormous humanoid monsters trying to kill me...’

His grin widened.

’Perfect.’

Electricity continued crawling across his arms.

The more Ethan moved, the more energy Kinetic Charge accumulated within his body.

He could feel it building.

A reservoir of specialised lightning mana slowly filling with every movement.

’Linking with Storm really helped.’

He pushed himself harder.

Ethan accelerated around one troll, then immediately changed direction and darted between two others. Their enormous bodies struggled to follow him, but as powerful as they were, they weren’t nearly as fast.

’Speed really does make a difference.’

Ethan glanced towards Wolfy.

The Fenrir was already moving, understanding what he was doing without needing an explanation. Wolfy charged towards the nearest troll while Ethan continued circling the battlefield, creating chaos among the monsters.

The coordination felt natural.

Ethan didn’t have to worry about Wolfy getting in his way, and Wolfy didn’t have to worry about Ethan stealing its attack.

They simply moved together as a dynamic duo.

And they were just getting started...