Chapter 203: I’m Back, Baby!
Ethan let out a quiet breath before calmly closing his eyes once more to focus on using Beast Recovery.
Minutes passed slowly and steadily until he finally felt it.
’I’m back, baby!’
His body had stabilised, his mana completely restored, and his body injury-free. Of course, some strain still lingered, especially on his mind, which was strained while using most of his skills.
But he had long grown accustomed to that pain.
He stood up, stretching his tight body that was bursting with energy and already ready to get back into action.
As soon as he did, Wolfy turned toward him, wide-eyed and expectant.
Ethan smirked, knowing exactly what that look meant.
"We’ll find you something to eat."
The Fenrir’s tail shifted slightly, its posture straightening with clear interest.
Ethan glanced around.
The battlefield was mostly empty now, with the Steel Scarab long gone and the Dreamveil Monarch completely incinerated. That left only the charred Rotwing Fly, which was disgusting and probably unsafe to consume.
It was still lying where Ethan had showered it in flames.
Wolfy looked at him again, as if asking him for permission to eat it.
"I mean... you can if you want," Ethan said with a slight shrug.
Honestly, it looked foul.
Even as a corpse, it seemed to rot everything around it; the ground beneath it darkened and corroded by its presence.
But he trusted Wolfy.
The Fenrir had already proven its resilience, and since acid hadn’t affected it, he assumed this wouldn’t either. And even if it could, Wolfy would instinctively be able to tell and not injure itself, or at least that’s what Ethan hoped.
Without hesitation, the Fenrir lunged forward.
Its jaws tore into the carcass, ripping through the decayed flesh with brutal efficiency.
The already unbearable smell worsened significantly.
’It’s like shit mixed with vomit, and everything else disgusting you can think of.’
Ethan grimaced slightly, taking a step back.
But he watched curiously as his massive beast consumed something nearly its own size piece by piece until somehow it was gone entirely.
’How is that even physically possible?’
He had seen it before, but it amazed him every time.
Wolfy lifted its head with a satisfied look in its eyes while its body radiated renewed energy, its presence sharper, more alive.
Ethan nodded slowly.
’Maintaining this summon is expensive...’
But as he looked at the towering Fenrir that was both frightening and reliable.
’It’s definitely worth it.’
He gestured slightly.
"Come on."
Wolfy moved immediately, falling in beside him.
Ethan exhaled once.
Then he looked out across the gate.
’Five bases. Five, what I assume are A Rank Boss Beasts. And twenty-four hours..’
He grinned, his eyes focused but excited.
’That’s light work.’
Deep down, he knew that it definitely wasn’t, but it was a funny thought that also helped ease his nerves.
-
Now that Dave and the Bulldozer had seen that he could summon Wolfy, there was no longer any point in hiding it.
Ethan did not even bother pretending otherwise.
With Beast Recovery, the cost of maintaining the summon became far more manageable, and Ethan had a pretty large MP reserve anyway. A few minutes of rest and he could recover the MP spent without too much trouble.
Of course, it was not perfect.
There was a constant pressure at the back of his mind that reminded him that none of his skills came without a price.
But Ethan could endure that and had endured much worse.
And most importantly...
’It is cool as fuck to ride it.’
He could assimilate with it and match its stats, but that was physically draining, and this was much more comfortable. As such, without hesitation, Ethan stepped forward and jumped onto Wolfy’s back. His hands instinctively gripped its thick, dark fur as if it were reins, his body settling naturally into place.
The Fenrir let out a low rumble but did not resist.
If anything, it seemed pleased.
Ethan smirked.
"Let’s get moving."
Behind him, Dave and the Bulldozer exchanged a look before quickly scrambling after him.
Their earlier hesitation had completely vanished.
Now, they hovered close.
"How are you so calm?" Dave asked, his voice still strained from earlier. "Did you not hear what the system said about Phase Three?"
"And what even is that thing?" the Bulldozer added, eyeing Wolfy with clear unease. "You just... summoned it out of nowhere."
Ethan did not even look back, and they got the hint to stop asking him questions.
He had considered ditching them.
Leaving them behind and moving alone would be easier, and definitely quieter, but he decided they might end up being useful. It also made more sense for them to move together, especially since he had no idea what else might come with Phase Three.
’You see, I’m not a complete evil asshole.’
It was almost as if he was trying to convince himself, which made him laugh.
"Make sure you can keep up," he said casually.
That was all the answer they got.
And just like that, they were moving.
The group began traversing the floating islands, leaping from one to another. The reduced gravity made each jump feel lighter, longer, almost surreal, as if the world itself was slightly disconnected from reality.
Wolfy moved with ease, graceful and effortless.
Each leap carried them further than any normal beast could manage, while the others followed behind, doing their best to keep pace.
For a while, there was nothing.
Just the endless void, countless floating islands of varying sizes, and silence.
That was until...
Ethan frowned, feeling that something was off.
It wasn’t something he could see or hear, but it was there, a faint disturbance and subtle wrongness in the air.
His instincts flared.
And Ethan always trusted his instincts.
Behind him, Dave slowed slightly.
"You feel that too?" he asked quietly.
That just further confirmed things to Ethan, who was already convinced.
’Partial Assimilation: Spark.’
The shift was immediate.
Energy surged through his body, his senses sharpening as his connection to mana deepened. The world around him changed, and he could now feel the flow of the mystical energy that almost all Titled relied on.
Ethan closed his eyes and focused, and that’s when he felt it.
There was a distortion, one that was faint and almost imperceptible, but undeniably there.
His eyes narrowed.
Then, without hesitation, he began walking straight towards it...
