Lord Of Beasts

Wolfy bounded across the field, his giant body quickly disappearing into the tall grass as he headed towards the woodland. Talon launched into the sky to survey the area from above. And Storm vanished in a flash of blue lightning, his tiny body becoming almost impossible to track as he accelerated across the field.

Ethan watched his beasts disappear in the distance.

Once they were gone, he found a large rock and sat down, resting his arms casually against his knees as he settled into a position from which he could observe the surrounding area. He intended to let them clear the surrounding area while he remained alert for any sign of the vampire woman.

While fused with Spark, he could sense any disturbances in the surrounding mana and had more MP to sustain his summons. His beasts would also act as scouts while decimating everything in their path.

’It’s perfect.’

As such, he relaxed.

The peaceful field remained almost completely unchanged, with only the occasional movement of grass beneath the wind breaking the stillness.

Ethan frowned after a few minutes.

’That’s strange.’

He hadn’t received a single notification of a beast being eliminated.

Ethan slowly closed his eyes.

Through Beast Communication, he could still feel his beasts moving across the Gate.

A sudden burst of aggression from Wolfy passed through the link, followed by a brief sensation of movement from Talon. Then came the crackling surge of electricity that could only have come from Storm.

’They’re definitely fighting something.’

His brow furrowed as he considered the possibilities.

’So where are my Evolutionary Shards?’

That’s when it clicked.

Ethan’s eyes slowly opened before widening.

"It’s... monsters."

The words left his mouth almost quietly.

But his reaction to that realisation was unusual, to say the least.

A smile slowly spread across his face.

’It’s a shame I won’t get some shards from this gate, but it’s fine. I can get plenty in the Tower.’

He stood up.

’Now, I finally get to fight one.’

His excitement was difficult to hide.

After all the beasts he had faced, he had been waiting for the chance to see what a genuine monster was capable of. And after hearing about Elara’s experiences in the gate she had just cleared, he was even more curious.

’I’m sure my beasts are enjoying themselves too.’

-

It wasn’t long after dispersing that the three beasts found their first group of monsters together.

Wolfy, Talon, and Storm had moved as a group through the field, reluctantly following Ethan’s order to stick together while hunting. They eventually reached the edge of the woodland, where the tall grass suddenly parted and three enormous creatures emerged.

They were trolls.

Each one stood over four metres tall, with thick grey-green skin stretched over bodies covered in crude scars. Their arms were disproportionately long, hanging almost to their knees, while their hands ended in thick, dirty claws. Heavy tusks protruded from their lower jaws, and their crude, brutish faces were dominated by tiny dark eyes buried beneath heavy brows.

One carried a massive stone club, another wielded a crude iron axe, while the third simply raised its enormous fists.

The three trolls spotted the beasts.

Then they roared.

Wolfy’s ears immediately perked up, while Storm’s body crackled with blue electricity. Above them, Talon spread his wings and climbed higher, surveying the battlefield from above.

Wolfy glanced upward.

Storm did the same.

Then the two B Rank beasts exchanged a look.

Neither wanted to be outdone by the other, and even at a distance, Ethan could feel their competitive spirits flaring.

He sighed.

’Of course.’

The first troll charged.

Its enormous feet tore through the grass as it raised its stone club and swung it down towards Wolfy.

BOOM!

The weapon smashed into the ground with enough force to send dirt and grass flying into the air, but Wolfy had already moved. He darted around the impact, bit into the troll’s leg, and immediately tore away.

Thick green blood sprayed across the grass.

The troll roared.

Storm immediately shot past Wolfy in a flash of blue lightning, sending a bolt slamming into the troll’s back. The creature convulsed from the impact, and Wolfy’s ears flattened as Storm crackled triumphantly.

The troll then swung wildly at Storm, but the Lightning Dragonfly vanished before the attack could connect. Storm reappeared behind it and fired another bolt while the Fenrir charged from the front.

Wolfy slammed into the troll’s leg, knocking it off balance and causing the enormous creature to stumble. It then immediately went for its throat, but before he could reach it, Storm streaked past his head and fired another bolt directly into the troll’s face.

Wolfy growled.

Storm darted away.

The Fenrir immediately went for the next troll.

Above them, Talon remained completely unimpressed. The Griffling didn’t feel like stooping to their level, so instead, it continued circling high above the battlefield and watched for an opening.

The second troll suddenly charged towards Wolfy, its crude iron axe swinging through the air.

Wolfy ducked beneath it as Storm fired from above.

The bolt struck the axe, sending electricity through the troll’s arms. The creature roared and staggered, giving Wolfy the opening he needed. His claws ripped across its stomach, tearing through the thick hide and forcing the troll to stumble backwards.

Then Talon finally moved.

Its wings folded as he dropped from the sky like a spear. At the last moment, its wings spread, allowing the Griffling to sweep past the troll while its talons tore through its shoulder.

Blood sprayed, but the cut was shallow.

Talon immediately climbed back into the sky without even bothering to look at Wolfy or Storm. The two beasts stared at it, and neither seemed particularly impressed, competing to finish off the monster instead.

Then the third troll charged.

This one was slightly larger than the others. It raised both fists and slammed them together before charging directly at the beasts.

Wolfy met it head-on while Storm attacked from above.

The troll swung at Wolfy, but the Fenrir dodged beneath the massive fist as Storm fired another bolt. The troll roared and turned towards the Lightning Dragonfly, only for Wolfy to leap onto its back.

His claws dug into the thick hide as the troll reached behind itself and tried to grab him.

Wolfy tore into its shoulder before jumping away.

Storm immediately streaked past him.

A concentrated bolt of lightning struck the troll’s chest, making the creature stagger.

Wolfy growled and charged again.

The Fenrir slammed into its side, forcing the massive troll to stumble.

Then Talon’s Skyshatter Cry echoed across the battlefield.

The powerful shockwave exploded outward, causing the troll to stagger. Grass flattened beneath the force of the attack, while the monster grabbed its head in disorientation.

Wolfy immediately took advantage.

He lunged forward and tore into its throat.

Crunch!

The enormous creature collapsed, and silence briefly returned to the field.

Wolfy stood over the body with blood dripping from its muzzle, while Storm hovered beside him, electricity crackling faintly across its vibrant body.

The two looked at each other.

Neither appeared satisfied.

Above them, Talon landed on a nearby branch and calmly cleaned its talons against it. It looked down at the two competitive idiots below before turning its head away.

It clearly wanted nothing to do with their nonsense.

Through Beast Communication, Ethan felt the entire exchange.

He shook his head.

’At least they seem like they’re working together.’

Wolfy’s ears suddenly perked up, while Storm’s attention shifted towards the forest.

There were more monsters.

As such, the two immediately started moving, with Talon taking to the sky once again.

The three continued deeper into the Gate together. Wolfy and Storm remained locked in their intense competition, each trying to outdo the other with every monster they encountered, while Talon remained above them.

Whenever the opportunity presented itself, his Skyshatter Cry would tear through the battlefield, stunning or disorienting groups of monsters. Or he would swoop down, carve into the monsters with his talons, and immediately return to the sky.

They weren’t fighting as three separate beasts anymore.

They were fighting as a team, even if two of them weren’t exactly fond of each other.

Back in the field, Ethan sat alone on the rock, smiling to himself.

’They seem like they’re having fun.’

He slowly stood, stretching lazily as flames danced in his eyes.

’There should be some fun monsters in a B Rank Gate.’

But that raised a question.

’How did the system takeover a Gate that has nothing to do with beasts?’

Ethan had always assumed that was the relation, but it seemed as though the mysterious entity guiding him was even more capable than he already gave it credit for.

’I’m just glad that it’s on my side.’

Or at least it seemed like it.

Though thinking back to some of the objectives and predicaments it put him in, maybe not so much.

He didn’t dwell on it and looked towards the distant woodland.

’It’s my turn to have some fun.’

He wasn’t sure what kind of monsters awaited him or how facing such creatures differed from beasts, but he was eager to find out...

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