Chapter 358: Demon’s Advice

’Thunder Dash!’

Ethan burst forward, his body launching across the reinforced training chamber with explosive speed. The distance between him and Mark disappeared almost instantly, leaving Mark barely enough time to react before Ethan was already upon him.

Mark had grown stronger as they clashed.

His body could adapt to almost anything thrown at him, and the hardened exterior covering it could withstand attacks that would have crippled an ordinary person. His strength was steadily increasing, his speed was improving, and his durability was already monstrous.

But against Ethan, none of that was enough.

Mark barely had time to raise his guard before Ethan was already in front of him. Their fists collided with a heavy crack that echoed throughout the reinforced chamber, and the impact sent a tremor through the floor beneath their feet.

Mark’s feet slid backwards across the floor, a rush of electricity zapping his body.

Ethan didn’t give him time to recover.

He followed immediately, pressing forward before Mark could properly regain his balance. His first punch was blocked, but Ethan immediately followed with another from a different angle. Mark twisted his body and narrowly avoided the strike, only for Ethan to already be moving again.

The difference between them wasn’t simply raw strength.

It was experience.

Mark was learning how to use his abilities, and his natural adaptation allowed him to improve rapidly during combat, but Ethan had fought more beasts than he could count. He understood positioning, timing, and momentum, and he knew how to recognise the subtle movements that came before an attack.

More importantly, Ethan had a far wider skill set.

Mark could adapt to what Ethan threw at him, but Ethan could change the entire way he fought before Mark had enough time to adapt. His opponent was also much weaker than when he had previously gone on a rampage.

’After what that demon did to him, Mark has been in control of himself.’

But Ethan had a feeling it wouldn’t last forever.

’Oh well, we can deal with it when it comes, just like we do with everything else.’

The large man swung a heavy punch toward Ethan’s head.

Ethan ducked underneath it and immediately moved into Mark’s blind spot. He stopped trying to strike Mark’s metallic exterior directly, especially around his arms and vitals. There was little point in wasting energy against an area that was clearly designed to absorb punishment.

Instead, Ethan lowered his body and swept his leg toward Mark’s feet.

Mark’s eyes widened as he realised what Ethan was doing.

He barely managed to shift his weight, but Ethan’s leg still connected with enough force to disrupt his balance.

Mark staggered.

Ethan immediately stepped forward and continued the assault.

At first, they had been sparring.

Now Ethan was picking up the pace and testing Mark’s limits.

Every movement became sharper, and every strike came faster. Ethan’s attacks flowed into one another without giving Mark an opportunity to properly reset his stance. Whenever Mark began adapting to one pattern, Ethan changed his rhythm and attacked from somewhere else.

A punch was followed by a kick, which was followed by a feint and then a sudden change in direction. As Ethan fought, the demon’s advice repeated in his mind about how to deal with Mark and the like.

’You don’t fight a monster like this by matching it...’

Rather than trying to overpower Mark directly, Ethan moved around his defences and attacked the gaps between them. He forced Mark to constantly react, never allowing him enough time to settle into a rhythm.

’You overpower it until it has nothing left!’

To anyone watching, it almost looked as though Ethan was using the fight to vent every frustration that had been building inside him.

And they would be right.

Every unresolved thought seemed to find its way into Ethan’s fists.

Mark could tell.

But rather than lashing out, he grinned through the beating and used it as a learning experience. Ethan stepped forward and drove another explosive strike into his chest, the impact forcing Mark to stumble backwards.

"You’re really taking this out on me, huh?"

Ethan didn’t answer.

He simply charged again, electricity crackling around his body.

As time went on, Ethan was gathering more and more energy with Kinetic Charge, which Mark noticed. His hair was standing on end, and each time they made contact, the large man’s nerves were assaulted by the violent current.

’This is not looking good.’

Mark couldn’t see a way to beat Ethan, and this was without him using his skills and zapping him from a distance. He raised his arms and braced himself for another attack, but before the two could clash again, the intercom crackled overhead.

A slightly nasal voice came through the speakers.

"Sir, those people are here again."

Ethan stopped.

His fist remained raised for a moment before he slowly lowered it.

A sigh escaped him as he allowed the gathered electrical energy to disperse.

’Of course they are.’

Apparently, the universe had decided that Ethan wasn’t allowed to have a peaceful day and that he wouldn’t be left alone until he faced what he was avoiding.

He looked toward the intercom before answering.

"Alright."

Ethan turned back toward Mark.

"We’re done."

Mark lowered his guard and rolled his shoulders.

"Saved by the bell."

Ethan didn’t respond with his usual sly, funny remarks.

Instead, he reached out with his mind and unsummoned Wolfy, severing the stream of mana. The massive Fenrir vanished in a faint shimmer of light, his enormous body disappearing as the connection returned to Ethan and the tattoo representing him returned to Ethan’s chest.

Kaela immediately looked over.

"Come on, we were just getting started."

Ethan glanced at her.

"Next time."

Kaela crossed her arms, clearly dissatisfied with the interruption, but she didn’t argue.

Not because she agreed.

Mostly because even she could tell Ethan had a lot on his mind.

It was strange seeing him so irritable.

The blue-eyed man was almost always calm and carefree, and even when he was annoyed or angry, there was normally some sort of amusement hidden behind his expression. But ever since he had received those two letters, he had seemed distracted.

Of course, that didn’t stop Kaela from teasing him as she looked him up and down before grinning.

"You haven’t been getting much stronger lately. No time for that Tower, huh?"

Elara immediately blushed at the implication.

Ethan, however, didn’t even seem to care.

"Mhm."

The response was absentminded, and he wasn’t even looking at Kaela.

His mind was clearly somewhere else.

Elara glanced at him, and for a moment, her expression softened.

Ethan noticed.

He always seemed to notice when it came to her.

’Elara’s probably the only thing keeping me sane right now.’

The thought came naturally.

With everything happening around him, having someone beside him who could simply be there without demanding answers was becoming more valuable than Ethan could put into words. She was supportive without being intrusive and was extremely emotionally intelligent.

’I really lucked out with her.’

She had the perfect amount of crazy to match his own, and they had grown much closer over the past week after passing that physical stage. He didn’t know what the future held, both personally and in the world as a whole, but with Elara and the others, he felt like he could take on almost anything.

’So my past should be easy.’

Though he had a feeling he was about to open a can of worms he could never close...