Spark was a tiny, insect-like beast, a firefly of sorts, only far more literal in what it represented.

Back when Ethan had first obtained it, the creature had been little more than a fragile flicker of light, its flame dim and unstable, its body so small it could barely be seen unless you looked closely.

Now, though, it had grown, though it was still tiny.

Physically, if it had manifested in front of him, he could probably still cup it in both hands, but the actual insect at its core would be even smaller than that. Now it was imprinted on his right forearm, its presence warm and alive, like a small ember that refused to go out.

And yet, despite its size, it carried impressive power.

Which leads us to why Ethan was even thinking so deeply about what his third acquired beast looked like. His thoughts were spiralling as he pranced around, trying to stay warm by constantly moving.

’What will happen once I use the second stage of the skill with Spark?’

’Will I be covered in flames?’

’Will I grow wings?’

’Will I-’

He stopped himself.

There was no point speculating, not when he could just try it.

A slow breath left him, mist curling faintly in the cold air.

"Alright..." he muttered.

’Partial Assimilation: Spark.’

Something shifted instantly, and he felt it.

The cost hit first, a heavier drain than usual, noticeably more demanding than when he had used the Minor Assimilation. Then his MP surged, as mana flooded into him. It wasn’t violent, but steady, like a second stream of energy layering itself over his own.

"Huh."

It was... strange.

He used mana to activate the skill, only to gain much more in return.

Ethan quickly took stock.

’I started with 52 MP. Spark has 76. Half of that is 38. Which means...’

A low whistle escaped him.

"90 MP is crazy."

He could feel it, the sheer increase.

It wasn’t just a number; it was tangible. His body thrummed with energy, like it had been overcharged.

And that wasn’t all.

There was also a subtle shift in his speed and stamina, with both increasing by 10 points each, half of that of Spark. His strength, however, remained the same, without any noticeable improvement.

"Makes sense," he muttered.

Spark wasn’t built for physical confrontation, and its strength stat was practically negligible. But what it lacked in strength, it definitely made up for in MP as well as its unique constitution.

Ethan looked down at himself, blinking repeatedly as if not believing what he was seeing.

Tiny sparks danced across his skin, faint at first, then more noticeable. They were little flickers of orange light that crackled into existence and vanished just as quickly, like miniature fireworks going off all over his body.

"What the fuck?"

He raised his hand, watching as a spark leapt from his fingertips and fizzled out mid-air. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

It didn’t hurt or burn.

If anything, it felt good, especially since the cold that had been biting at him since he entered the tower was now completely gone. A deep heat replaced it, coursing around his body intensely. It felt like he was standing too close to a fire, except the fire was inside him.

"This is..." he exhaled slowly. "Amazing."

And it really was.

He could feel it, not just the power, but Spark itself.

It wasn’t separate anymore; it was intertwined with him, its presence subtle but unmistakable. On his forearm, the tattoo that represented it began to glow faintly, then it melted, sinking into his skin and fading from view as if it had been absorbed into his body.

When using Beast Summoning, the tattoos would peel off his skin, and when using Minor Assimilation, they would glow faintly. But now it had integrated within his body for the first time as he partially fused with his beast both in body and spirit.

Ethan closed his eyes, focusing.

Instinctively, he could feel the flow, the way mana moved through him, not just as a resource, but as something alive. It was as natural as breathing, and he felt like he could control it intuitively.

Without even thinking about it, he began to suppress it.

The tiny sparks dancing around his body stopped, his body calmed, and the excess mana no longer spilt out into the air.

’It’s just like when Spark runs out of MP, and his flames reduce.’

Then he pushed it in the opposite direction, and instantly he was engulfed in flames, not sparks this time. Actual flames flickered along his arms, crawling up his shoulders like living things before spreading all around his body.

His eyes snapped open, studying his body in awe.

The more he increased the mana output, the lighter his body felt, as if gravity had loosened its grip on him. For a brief moment, he genuinely felt as if he pushed just a little further, his feet would lift off the ground entirely.

He frowned slightly.

It wasn’t exactly painful, but it was straining and very uncomfortable, like his body wasn’t used to it yet. As such, he dialled it back, the flames around him immediately dying down.

Even at a reduced output, his eyes remained different, flickering as if flames were dancing behind his pupils. And his body was still hot, not enough to burn the environment around him, but enough that the cold couldn’t touch him anymore.

’I guess it really is only partial.’

Ethan tilted his head slightly.

If he was being honest, as incredible as it was, it was still a little underwhelming.

He had half-expected something more dramatic, wings and a full body transformation, but this was subtle, and he could control its effects. That wasn’t exactly a bad thing, especially since what really mattered wasn’t the appearance, but the ability.

A grin slowly spread across his face.

"Now this..." he muttered.

"This is what I’ve been waiting for."

{Ember Pulse (D) - Ignites volatile sparks that latch onto targets and burn continuously, scaling with MP output.}

In simple terms, he could become a living flamethrower.

And conveniently, he wasn’t alone, with something stirring in the distance.

Ethan’s head turned slightly.

He hadn’t heard or seen it, but had felt it.

This wasn’t through any of his physical senses or even his instincts, but through mana, which almost all Titled seemed to have. Even the slightest fluctuation and disturbance felt like a ripple in the air itself, one that in this form he picked up on with ease.

"There you are."

He stood there calmly and confidently.

From between the frost-covered trees, a shape emerged, one that was low to the ground and covered in thick, pale-blue fur that seemed to shimmer with a thin layer of ice. Its breath came out in sharp, freezing bursts, its claws crunching into the frozen earth as it prowled forward.

Its eyes locked onto him, predatory and hungry.

{Common Beast Status}

{Race: Frostfang Lynx

Growth Stage: Mature

Beast Rank: D

Strength: 30

Speed: 45

Stamina: 32

MP: 12/12}

Ethan rolled his shoulders slightly.

’Perfect.’

A grin tugged at his lips.

"Time to roast me some lynx."

The beast lunged, impressively fast and agile, but not fast enough.

Ethan didn’t move or dodge; he simply raised his hands and released his surging mana.

’Ember Pulse.’

A stream of blazing sparks erupted from his palm, surging forward like a controlled explosion. They latched onto the attacking lynx instantly, its fur catching fire even in this cold.

Its reaction was immediate and violent.

The beast let out a sharp, guttural cry as flames spread across its body, clinging to it unnaturally, feeding off the mana Ethan continued to pour into the attack.

It thrashed and rolled trying to put it out, but it didn’t work.

The flames Spark wielded weren’t normal; they were like an extension of his very being and didn’t seem to need oxygen. As long as he poured mana into them, they burned and stuck to their target, scorching them endlessly.

He watched calmly as the Frostfang Lynx howled in agony.

Then, overcoming the pain and through sheer predatory instinct and rage, it pounced towards him again. He could almost understand its cries, "If I’m going to burn, I’ll take you down with me."

Ethan wasn’t fazed.

"I’ll put you out of your misery."

He stepped forward as the beast lunged at him, driving his fist forward with practised precision.

’Variable Beast Impact.’

The blow landed with explosive force, a burst of flames detonating on contact, and the Lynx was launched away like a ragdoll. It slammed into a tree, thrashing and whimpering until its body finally went still.

{Beast Eliminated!}

Just like that, silence returned to the frozen forest.

Ethan exhaled slowly.

’A D-rank beast...’

He glanced down at the corpse.

’Defeated just like that.’

Sure, he had used a big chunk of MP, but it had still been too easy.

"We’re the same rank, yet it can’t even put up a fight."

Ethan smiled, picturing his abilities in the future. He was also eager to use Partial Assimilation with his two other beasts, especially Wolfy.

’And there’s no time like the present.’