The Frostshard Ursine moved first, lunging forward without warning.

It was a sudden, explosive burst of speed that shattered the ground beneath it as it charged forward, its massive arms spreading wide.

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

"-!"

He dropped low instantly, evading on all fours as his body reacted before his mind could fully process it.

The bear surged past him...

Boom!

A tree behind him exploded on impact.

The sheer force of the bear’s charge splintered the trunk completely, wood fragments scattering across the frozen ground.

Ethan skidded to a stop, turning sharply.

"That’s definitely a skill."

He could tell.

That wasn’t just raw movement; that was something like Bear Hug, the Graveback Bear’s crushing charge. All its mass, all its power, all condensed into a single devastating attack.

"Good thing I dodged instinctively."

The Ursine turned again, roaring, its icy armour glinting.

Ethan grinned.

"Alright then."

He dropped low again.

"Let’s play."

Ethan moved like a wild beast, guided by his fusion with Wolfy.

He darted forward, claws slashing, teeth snapping, weaving around the Ursine’s heavy strikes with brutal efficiency. His movements were sharp and reactive, relying on instinct rather than calculated thought.

But as he tried to attack as he had against the lynx, his claws met resistance.

"Tch."

The hide was thick, alarming so.

His strikes cut, but not deep enough to deal any significant damage, barely drawing any blood.

And it wasn’t like the polar bear-like creature was just sitting still and allowing him to attack. It retaliated each time, its massive paw swinging, threatening to smash his very bones.

Ethan leapt back, barely avoiding the crushing blow as the ground beneath him cracked.

"You’re tough."

And that made it perfect.

’Finally, something that can last.’

A grin spread across his face, eager to test Wolfy’s skills, starting with the first one his Ulfen acquired.

’Predator’s Frenzy.’

The effect was immediate.

A surge of power exploded through his body, his muscles tightening and his heartbeat accelerating violently as something primal clawed its way to the surface.

"-!"

Ethan’s vision sharpened as his eyes tinged red, just like when Wolfy used the skill, not that he could see it. This wasn’t a demonic crimson like Elara, but one filled with pure, unfiltered rage.

His breathing grew heavier, more aggressive, a low growl rumbling in his throat without him realising it.

The power felt dangerous, but he didn’t stop it.

Instead, he embraced it.

Zoom!

He burst off the ground fiercely, overcome with overwhelming fury. There was only one thing on his mind.

’Kill! Kill! Kill!’

Ethan became the personification of violence.

Each strike hit harder than the last, his claws tearing deeper into the Ursine’s hide as he overwhelmed it with sheer aggression.

Slash!

Claw!

Bite!

He didn’t give it space to breathe or time to counter.

The Ursine staggered back, roaring as Ethan pressed forward relentlessly, his attacks becoming more brutal with each passing second.

’This...’

His grin widened, feral.

’This feels good.’

For the first time, he wasn’t relying on tactics, his summons, tricks, or even luck. He was winning, relying solely on raw power, which was new to Ethan.

The massive beast began to falter, its movements slowing, its defences breaking under the relentless assault.

Ethan stood before it, breathing heavily, eyes glowing red.

"Time to finish this."

His body moved on instinct as his mana surged, and his claws raised, the muscles in his arms tensing as veins bulged unnaturally.

"Cross Slash!"

He burst forward.

Two arcs of force crossed through the air, his claws cutting in a precise, devastating motion as compressed energy surged outward.

It was devastating and explosive.

The Ursine’s body jerked violently as the attack carved deep across its torso, tearing through its defences and leaving a massive, cross-shaped wound.

It staggered, trying to remain on all fours, but it failed.

That final attack was the cherry on top after decimating it through unbridled brutality and physical power.

"And that’s game."

Ethan exhaled slowly.

{Beast Eliminated!}

The moment it died, he deactivated the assimilation with Wolfy, a single thought on his mind.

’Killing that bitch was definitely fucking worth it.’

But that’s when it hit him.

The backlash was instant and like a tidal wave, alongside the biting cold.

His body trembled violently, muscles spasming as his form reverted, his bones readjusting back to normal. The aftereffects of using Predator’s Frenzy worsened the strain even more.

"Ah, shit!"

His head throbbed, his limbs felt heavy, and his mana was almost depleted.

He staggered, barely staying upright.

"Yeah..."

Ethan let out a shaky breath.

"...that’s not sustainable."

His entire body ached.

Changing forms repeatedly had taken its toll.

But there was a way to reduce the pain and recover quickly, just like any beast would.

"Spark."

With what little mana he had left, he summoned the tiny flame.

"Cook it."

The firefly-like beast buzzed eagerly, drifting toward the Ursine’s corpse and igniting it instantly. Flames devoured the body rapidly, reducing flesh to consumable remains.

Ethan didn’t hesitate.

He ate the charred, fatty meat without hesitation or disgust.

"First time eating bear meat," he muttered between bites, chewing through the strange texture, "and it’s not bad."

He didn’t bother overthinking it, and he’d eaten much worse.

The life quickly returned to Ethan, and within a matter of minutes, his MP had begun re-accumulating. His body’s condition had also improved slightly.

Once he recovered enough, he summoned Wolfy.

"You earned it."

The C Rank beast began devouring the remains, and Ethan leaned back slightly, exhaling.

His mind raced.

’This power...’

It was incredible, but equally costly.

’I burned through almost all my MP.’

That couldn’t happen in a real fight, not consistently if he wanted to survive.

"And hiding this..." he muttered, glancing at his hands, "yeah, that’s not happening."

These transformations weren’t subtle, not even close. If he used them publicly, it would instantly become clear that he wasn’t a normal E Rank.

"But..."

A thought clicked.

"...I should still be able to use Minor Assimilation, right?"

He smiled.

’Why wouldn’t I be able to?’

Just because he unlocked a higher stage didn’t mean the lower one disappeared.

’That solves a lot.’

He could use Minor Assimilation to save MP and hide his abilities, and Partial Assimilation for power against stronger opponents. Then he could overlay it by summoning his remaining beasts when needed.

"Yeah."

A slow grin spread across his face.

"This works."

He stood up fully now, rolling his shoulders despite the lingering pain. An unshakable confidence settled in as he looked deeper into the Frostbitten Forest.

"I’m gonna clear this tonight."

That wasn’t an empty promise to himself, but a fact.

With that, he was a man on a mission, setting off without hesitation...