Lord Of Beasts

”Is there anything you actually want?” Ethan asked Elara, genuinely curious.

She’d contributed just as much as he had to the pile of money, not to mention that she’d become the person closest to him, almost as much as Mark.

If there was something she wanted, he’d find a way to get it.

Elara looked directly into his eyes and nodded without the slightest hesitation.

”You.”

She said it clearly without blushing, stuttering, or looking away.

Ethan’s brain completely stopped working, and for once, he was the one who seemed flustered.

”...Huh?”

Even Mark was taken aback.

’It doesn’t feel like I should be here for this.’’

Before Ethan could even process what she’d said, Elara stepped closer and rose slightly onto her toes.

Then, she kissed him gently on the cheek.

It lasted only a moment before she pulled back, her expression still surprisingly composed.

Ethan remained completely frozen.

Mark, meanwhile, felt like he was in the middle of a romantic drama.

That was until Ethan ruined the moment.

”Is that it?”

He grinned mischievously.

The words had barely left his mouth before Elara’s face turned scarlet, realising what he was implying.

She lightly punched him in the chest.

Thump!

It wasn’t enough to hurt, but it expressed her embarrassment. Then she immediately turned around and hurried into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

There was a moment of silence before Ethan burst out laughing.

Mark sighed and was almost annoyed at his friend for messing up the advancement in his relationship.

”Did you really have to say that?”

Ethan smiled.

”You know I did. It was too good an opportunity to tease her.

Mark wasn’t laughing and instead found himself watching Ethan thoughtfully.

’He’s definitely not stupid.’

Ethan knew exactly how Elara felt; anyone with functioning eyes could see it. He also seemed to feel the same way, yet he always joked and dismissed it.

Was it because he wasn’t ready?

Or was it because getting close to someone scared him?

Either way, he was missing out.

”You’re both good for each other, so you should-”

He paused, seeing Ethan’s amused expression, which spoke volumes.

”You’re giving me romantic advice? It’s not like you have a girlfriend. And even when we were younger, you were like some asexual monk. Did you not get laid that whole time I was locked up?”

Ethan flipped the script on his friend, who rushed upstairs to avoid the conversation, using the excuse of opening up the bar.

The last thing he said was, ”I guess we were both destined to be alone.”

”Nah, bro, speak for yourself.”

With that, for the first time in what felt like forever, Ethan finally had a moment to himself. Mark was opening up the bar upstairs, and Elara had locked herself in the bathroom, letting him finally breathe.

’To think I’d miss being alone in a cell.’

Of course not for the majority of seven years or while having the constant threat of danger, but just to be alone for a while. Planning to make the most of it while it lasted, he sat cross-legged on the floor and slowly closed his eyes.

”Haaaaaa.”

He let out a deep breath before activating Beast Recovery.

Warm mana began circulating naturally throughout his body, and though there was less than within the Gate or Tower, it was still soothing. The process felt almost like meditation, as he fell into a trance where his breathing and heart rate slowed.

It soothed his strained body, gradually washing away the aches accumulated from days of relentless fighting.

Unfortunately, the skill wasn’t relaxing for his mind.

Maintaining such precise control over the channelling and circulating mana demanded complete concentration. His already exhausted mind protested almost immediately, as a dull headache settled behind his eyes.

Even maintaining the skill became increasingly difficult.

’But I’ve endured much worse.’

And just like that, several hours passed without him even realising it.

The Black Howl above had come to life: muted conversations echoed through the ceiling, glasses clinked together, and music drifted faintly through the floorboards. Only then did Ethan slowly open his eyes, his bright blue irises reflecting the dim basement lighting.

”...”

He immediately noticed someone sitting opposite him.

It was Elara, sitting cross-legged, back perfectly straight, with her eyes closed and hands resting on her knees. Even her breathing matched his as Ethan simply stared at her.

”You’re... copying me?”

Her eyes slowly opened, looking at him directly.

”Yes.”

Ethan couldn’t help smiling.

At first, he found it amusing, but that was until he realised she wasn’t merely imitating the pose. She had managed to replicate everything from his concentration to the very flow of mana, just like he’d copied Dave.

Except there was one enormous difference.

Ethan had relied heavily on the System, and once he’d grasped the basic principle, the Tower had transformed that understanding into a usable skill. Elara had no such advantage, and she had learned it herself, even without the assistance of the strange entity dwelling within her.

’Her talent really is frightening.’

He’d known she was gifted, but now he was beginning to understand just how absurdly so. Then again, he wasn’t a slouch either and also grasped things alarmingly quickly.

Ethan slowly stood, rolling his shoulders.

His body felt...

Good.

Surprisingly good.

Considering everything he’d endured inside the Insect Gate, it bordered on miraculous. He’d refused almost all medical treatment after leaving the Gate, aside from aligning the bones in his shattered arm.

And he was right to believe he didn’t need them.

The lingering effects of all the beast meat he’d consumed certainly helped, but even that didn’t explain his natural healing factor and ridiculous resilience.

’I guess I’m just built different.’

It wasn’t anywhere near Kaela’s absurd regenerative ability, who could practically shrug off fatal injuries. But compared to most Titled, Ethan healed unbelievably quickly, and his recovery speed seemed to be scaling with his power.

He smiled as he looked down at the cast on his right arm.

”Let’s see how you’re doing.”