Lord Of Beasts

Ethan assessed the battlefield, planning to give it his all.

’I need to conserve mana,’ he thought, his gaze sharpening. ’And I can’t afford to take too much damage.’

That left him very restricted as an individual.

Wolfy ran amok around him, while Talon was a blur of motion, attacking independently. Both his beasts were protecting him and doing a good job of it, but that left him feeling useless.

His only active weapon was Beast Impact, and it was powerful, but almost too much so. If he used it recklessly, his own body would give out long before that of the beasts did.

So, for a brief moment, Ethan held back and observed.

His eyes naturally locked back onto Darius, who was a force to be reckoned with.

"Damn, son."

This was the first time he had truly seen a skilled and somewhat high-ranked Titled fighting seriously, and the difference was undeniable.

Darius did not simply attack; he moved with purpose and precision, each action flowing seamlessly into the next. The spear in his hand was not just a weapon, but an extension of his body, responding to his will with perfect synchronicity.

Every thrust was deliberate, every movement refined.

Explosions erupted from his limbs, yet they were not wild or uncontrolled. Instead, they were carefully measured, each burst serving a specific purpose within his sequence of attacks.

His abilities intertwined flawlessly.

He accelerated forward using explosive propulsion, redirected his movement mid-motion with controlled detonations, and delivered devastating strikes that culminated in explosive impacts upon contact.

It was overwhelming to watch, yet there was no chaos in his movements.

He was controlled.

That was what fascinated Ethan the most and left him with some ideas on how he could adjust the use of his own abilities...

-

Despite wielding such a destructive and volatile ability, Darius maintained absolute mastery over it. There was no wasted energy, no unnecessary output, and no hesitation.

Every explosion was intentional, and every action calculated.

"He’s strong as fuck," Ethan murmured, his mind racing.

A thought began to form as he watched.

’It’s similar...’

Spark’s flames and Darius’s explosions were not identical, but they shared a fundamental concept: a controlled release of destructive energy.

’If he can control it like that... why can’t I do the same?’

The idea lingered, both dangerous and enticing, but there was no time to dwell on it. His beasts had grown stronger, especially Wolfy, but they were far from invincible.

Activating Predator’s Frenzy, the Ulfen’s body tensed before it exploded into motion, becoming faster, stronger, and far more aggressive. It tore through a nearby Ant Commander, its claws ripping through hardened chitin as its jaws clamped down with brutal force.

Green ichor splattered across the ground as the beast collapsed, but Wolfy had plenty more ants to take on.

Above them, Talon maintained constant motion, diving and rising in swift arcs as it targeted weak points in the ants’ bodies. With Gale Rend, it sliced through joints and exposed segments, crippling enemies before they could react.

Together, they created some space.

But it was diminishing by the second, and Ethan needed to start lifting his own weight soon.

He stepped forward, his eyes locking onto an approaching D Rank Ant Troop.

’Let’s try this.’

Clenching his fist, he activated his skill.

’Beast Impact!’

His punch connected.

Boom!

The impact was violent and unrefined, carrying raw, unrestrained power as a burst of force erupted outward like a miniature explosion. Sparks scattered from his fist while arcs of energy crackled through the air, followed by a faint wave of heat that quickly dissipated.

Its skull instantly caved inward as its body jerked violently before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

Meanwhile, his arm smoked faintly, his skin scorched as his muscles screamed in protest, though thankfully, there was no bone damage this time.

"Tch."

He exhaled through clenched teeth, acknowledging the pain.

Ethan had held back slightly, hesitating at the moment of impact to reduce the damage to himself, but the backlash was still severe. It was essentially an ultimate attack, one that he couldn’t comfortably use repeatedly.

It was also one that drew attention.

The A Rank glanced at him with wide eyes, while even Darius spared him a brief look.

But Ethan paid them no mind.

Instead, he focused inward, his thoughts racing as his ideas started to take shape.

’If Beast Call allows variable output depending on mana... then Beast Impact can work the same way.’

His gaze sharpened as the logic became clearer.

’It’s simple: If I can control the input, then I can control the output.’

His breathing steadied as the concept solidified in his mind.

’That means it doesn’t have to be a single, all-or-nothing attack. It can be a flexible skill.’

At that moment, the system responded.

{Congratulations on creating a skill!}

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly as he moved, weaving between attacks while reacting and adapting to the chaos around him. For the first time, he wasn’t given a skill; he had created one.

{Variable Beast Impact (C) - Unleash the power of the beast that the host is assimilated with at controlled outputs.}

The notifications echoed in his mind as Wolfy leapt in front of him, intercepting an incoming ant and tearing it apart.

This was the first time he had unlocked a skill through pure understanding and intent, and the realisation opened up endless possibilities in his mind.

’I can create skills!’

But for now, he needed to focus.

And now he had a weapon he could wield more diversely.

Before, Beast Impact had been like a rocket launcher: powerful, but limited and costly.

Now, it was closer to a pistol: controlled, efficient, and reusable.

Ethan did not hesitate to test it.

’Variable Beast Impact!’

He was able to intuitively limit the MP he channelled into the skill, using 2 MP.

This time, his punch carried much less flame and significantly reduced explosive force, yet it still struck with enough power to somewhat damage his target.

Most importantly, there was less backlash.

Ethan followed it up immediately, chaining attacks together as he used both fists in rapid succession, each strike delivering a controlled burst of energy.

The damage stacked quickly.

"Yeah," he breathed, a faint grin forming. "This is way better."

There were countless ways he could develop this skill further, but now was not the time for experimentation.

Right now, survival came first.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel the attention.

’So much for Attack Dog.’

There was no hiding it anymore.

The flames accompanying his strikes and the summoned beasts that clearly weren’t those of the A Rank made it obvious that he had lied about his Title.

Darius had already figured it out.

Yet he said nothing, because it simply did not matter at that moment.

They needed everything they could get.

But even with Ethan’s unexpected abilities, the situation continued to deteriorate.

Darius pushed forward relentlessly, attempting to reach the Ant Queen, but Ant Commanders swarmed him, intercepting his path and forcing him back again and again.

Even with his overwhelming power, he could not break through.

And even if he could, defeating the Ant Queen was another problem in itself.

Meanwhile, Ethan continued fighting alongside Wolfy and Talon, striking down enemies while simultaneously protecting the A Rank. The irony was not lost on him, but as he watched her movements, it was clear.

’She really has never fought before,’ he thought, frustration creeping in despite the circumstances.

Their only hope rested on Darius defeating the Boss Beast, but that hope was fading by the second as reality sank in.

’We are totally fucked.’