Lord Of Beasts

{Sub-Skill Created: Absolute Suppression (B)}

Ethan blinked.

’Sub-skill? That’s new.’

He immediately opened the description.

{Absolute Suppression (B) - An adapted application of Beast Suppression that allows intimidation of beasts, monsters, and humans alike. Effectiveness decreases significantly against non-beast lifeforms.}

’That makes sense, I am the Lord Of Beasts and not the Lord Of Everything. But I wonder just how much less effective it is, and what it feels like for a normal person to experience it.’

A slow smile appeared on Ethan’s face.

’And I know the perfect guinea pig for that.’

He couldn’t wait to use Absolute Suppression on Mark once he recovered his MP, but that’s when another thought crossed his mind.

’It’s only considered a sub-skill... I guess that’s how the System categorises it now.’

It actually made perfect sense.

’That would make Variable Beast Impact a sub-skill too.’

The System seemed to recognise creative adaptations of existing skills instead of forcing him to invent entirely new ones every time. It also seemed to reward experimentation and had an infinite possibility of skills he could discover.

Ethan liked that very much.

’I wonder how many more I can create...’

Before Ethan could test any more of his theories, he was suddenly dragged out of the Gate and sent back to Earth...

-

Without warning, the world twisted.

There was no familiar spatial rift or tunnel through distorted space. One moment they stood inside the Gate, and the next, every member of the surviving clearing squad was abruptly dragged back into reality.

Fresh air filled their lungs, and they were even more relieved now that they were certain it was over.

That’s when...

Flash!

Flash!

Flash!

Cameras erupted from every direction, military personnel immediately raised their rifles, and dozens of Titled moved into defensive positions.

The atmosphere was tense for only a heartbeat before someone shouted, ”They’re back!”

Everyone seemed to let out a breath at the same time.

To them, the sequence had been utterly baffling and only made the spectacle more intriguing. The clearing squad had entered the Gate nearly twenty-four hours ago, and the Gate itself had vanished.

But just as suddenly as it had disappeared, it had now reappeared.

And half of those who had entered were spat back out by the Gate, as if finished with them. It was clearly the stronger half, though they were all bruised, bloodied, and exhausted. Not that they would trade places with the C Ranks who had been slaughtered by giant insect beasts in Phase Two.

Though there was one person among them who confused them.

It was the lone C Rank who had spent the entire time repeatedly punching through a series of ruins. Now he walked out alongside the others as if he had been with them the entire time and everything had gone perfectly.

Though it seemed like it had for him.

He was the only person who looked completely uninjured, without so much as a scratch.

It was almost as though the System had looked at his unwavering dedication to punching things and decided to leave him alone after the first phase.

Even Ethan couldn’t make sense of it.

His shattered right arm hung limply at his side, every slight movement sending sharp pain shooting through his body.

He stared at the large man.

”How did you survive?”

The C-Rank blinked.

”I punch.”

”Right...”

”Then, light.”

Ethan nodded as though to get him to continue.

”Then I keep punching.”

A pause.

”Now, here.”

He stared at him blankly.

The man spoke as though English was his first language, without an accent, yet somehow managed to make it sound like he’d only learned five words.

’He’s definitely not all there.’

Ethan wasn’t sure how to respond, with Liora beside him scratching the back of her head.

”I honestly don’t know whether that’s impressive or concerning.”

Kaela burst out laughing despite barely having the energy.

”I like this guy.”

Without another word, the large C Rank simply wandered off.

Apparently satisfied that the adventure had concluded, he was already looking around for the next object that might benefit from several thousand consecutive punches.

Nobody stopped him, and strangely, nobody wanted to.

Despite seeming almost brain-dead at times, there was something oddly admirable about someone so utterly devoted to one thing.

Ethan watched him disappear into the crowd before slowly shaking his head while chuckling lightly.

’What a weirdo.’

Then another thought surfaced, one far less amusing.

’Titan...’

His expression became serious.

’That freak said he cleared something like this... alone.’

Not only had the S Rank conquered a Gate of comparable difficulty by himself, but he then flew across the world and casually fought both Kaela and the Blood Demon afterwards. And they weren’t exactly easy opponents, let alone taking them both on at once.

Experiencing this Gate firsthand put that achievement into horrifying perspective.

The difference between ranks wasn’t simply linear.

It was exponential.

A-Ranks were monsters, and each possessed power that ordinary Titled could scarcely comprehend.

Yet...

S Ranks existed on an entirely different level.

They weren’t simply stronger; they felt almost untouchable.

Ethan was reminded of that, and it only relit the fire in his chest. He wasn’t going to settle for being a mere pawn in this twisted chess game between the world and humanity, and unlike others, he still had plenty of room to grow.

He looked down at his shattered arm and his battered body.

Then he smiled.

’At this rate, I can actually see it happening.’

Each time he entered a gate, he grew dramatically stronger after completing all the objectives the system threw his way. New beasts, skills, and rewards - they all pushed him another step forward.

Both times, he gathered an incredible amount of Evolutionary Shards, which would have previously taken him weeks to gather in the tower. And while he was forbidden from entering gates, he wasn’t exactly one to follow the rules.

His criminal record could attest to that.

But Ethan wasn’t thinking about entering a gate just yet, and was more perturbed by how much his life was going to change from now onwards...

-

Most of them could barely remain standing.

They had spent almost an entire day without food or water, constantly travelling across floating islands, battling one colony after another before enduring the Golden Flutterer’s mental assault.

The only things that had kept them moving were grit, willpower, and adrenaline.

Now that the Gate was over...

Their bodies were finally collecting the debt.

Even Kaela looked ready to collapse. Darius leaned heavily on his spear. Liora swayed on her feet, her complexion pale after exhausting herself maintaining barrier after barrier. Dave held a hand over his eyes, still recovering his sight after the unimaginable amount of mana they had witnessed.

Yet, as the cameras continued flashing, every single one of them instinctively straightened their backs.

No one wanted the public to see their heroes broken.

Flash!

Flash!

Flash!

Questions were shouted from every direction.

”How difficult was the Gate?”

”Did you encounter an A Rank Boss Beast?”

”How many casualties were there?”

Association staff desperately tried to keep the reporters at bay, but they surged forward like starving wolves. Among the surviving Titled, two figures drew the overwhelming majority of attention.

Not because they possessed the strongest presence, but because they were unfamiliar faces.

The public already knew the veterans: the Barrier Bastion, the Riot Valkyrie, the Verdant Warden, the Pink Flash, and the Explosive Spear.

Each had built their own reputation over years of service.

Even the Bulldozer and Dave, who was dubbed the Monk for obvious reasons, were recognised in Titled circles. But their C Rank status naturally limited the attention they received.

Though Ethan didn’t seem to suffer from that limitation.

And Elara certainly didn’t.

Despite his shattered and scorched arm, Ethan stood half-naked in the middle of the crowd.

His lean, battle-hardened physique was covered in dried blood, soot, insect ichor, and countless scars, while messy black hair framed sharp blue eyes that refused to close despite his obvious exhaustion.

Rather than making him look worse...

The battle damage somehow only added to the intimidating aura surrounding him.

Beside him stood Elara.

Unlike Ethan, she appeared almost untouched.

The way she fought had kept her safely at range for much of the Gate, leaving the clothes she borrowed from Ethan almost completely unblemished. Only the fatigue visible in her crimson eyes betrayed everything she had endured.

Her long blonde hair flowed gently in the breeze, contrasting beautifully against those striking scarlet irises that seemed almost unnatural beneath the camera flashes.

Ethan leaned heavily against her, his remaining good arm draping across her shoulders. He had exhausted every last drop of mana, and even maintaining consciousness felt difficult.

The reporters certainly didn’t miss the sight.

”She’s the Blood Demon! The one that used to be called the weakest A Rank, but is now rumoured to be one of the strongest!”

”Who’s the man beside her?”

”Were they fighting side by side inside the Gate?”

”Are they a Titled couple?”

”Can we get a photo of the two of them?”

Camera shutters became even more frantic, each of them looking for the best and quickest scoop for their respective companies. Association personnel stepped in again, preventing the increasingly excited media from getting any closer.

The reporters were utterly relentless.

They had remained outside the entire time despite the ever-present possibility of a Gate Break wiping them out alongside everyone else.

Luckily for them, the risk had paid off.

But unluckily for Ethan, as he dreaded, he was about to garner more attention than he could ignore, like he managed to after the previous gate...