Beast Impact with Talon wasn’t just speed; it was execution.

It unleashed the power of the beast he was assimilated with, and in this case, that was through a single, perfect line of motion. Ethan became a living blade of wind that cut through everything in its path.

With Mace already weakened, his armour breaking, and his opponent pouring everything into that final attack, he had never had a chance.

Only a handful of people in the entire arena had actually seen it happen.

The rest?

They just saw Ethan disappear and reappear behind Mace, whose head rolled moments later.

Ethan didn’t turn around, look back, or acknowledge the result.

He just stood there silently, his thoughts drifting back to everything that had led him to this point, especially their last encounter.

A slow breath left his lungs.

’It’s done.’

The tension in his chest eased.

Something that had lingered, unresolved, was also gone.

There was no more looking over his shoulder or wondering when Mace was coming back after him.

’No more loose ends.’

His gaze lowered slightly as a sudden thought crossed his mind.

’Imagine if that idiot had actually pulled the trigger.’

He recalled battering those two youths who worked for Mace, then pressing the gun to his own head in a desperate gamble. But in that moment, he truly didn’t fear death, feeling as though he had nothing to live for.

Yet that very same night, he was born anew on Floor Zero of the Tower Of Beasts.

In another reality, that could have been it.

’The story of the Lord Of Beasts would’ve ended before it even started.’

He laughed to himself.

’Boy, am I glad he didn’t.’

Because as brutal as everything had been, all the literal blood, sweat, and tears - he wouldn’t trade it.

Not for anything.

And almost as if responding to that thought, a familiar notification appeared, reminding him exactly why he had stepped into this arena in the first place.

{Congratulations on completing the Objective: Defeat Mace in a battle within the UFC}

{Reward: Instant Tower Token}

Ethan stood still in the centre of the arena.

Blood still dripped from his hands, clothes, and the severed body behind him.

But his attention wasn’t on any of that.

It was on the translucent blue notifications floating in front of his eyes.

The roar of the crowd, the mix of cheers, boos, and stunned silence, all of it faded into the background, like someone had turned the volume of the world down.

’I guess I’m an official killer now.’

The thought came casually, almost amused.

’And the system seems to be rewarding me for it.’

There was no guilt or sudden wave of horror at what he had done.

’Been there, done that.’

The first time had been scary, the second time was partly self-defence, but this time, the third time, it just felt right.

’Killing really does become easier and easier.’

It didn’t even feel wrong anymore.

If anything, it felt justified and reminded him of the absolute solution it provided.

His gaze drifted slightly toward the corpse.

’That honestly felt no different from killing a beast.’

If not, more satisfying.

Mace deserved it for what he had done, and even more so for what he had tried to do.

Ethan exhaled slowly, refocusing on the reward.

’What even is that?’

He had never seen anything like it before.

Tower Tokens and Return Tokens, those he understood.

One let him enter once a day, while the other let him leave if he wasn’t engaged in combat or within range of a beast.

But this was neither.

The system responded immediately.

{Instant Tower Token - Allows the host to spend up to 24 hours within the Tower instantly, without time passing in reality}

’Okay...’

Ethan blinked once.

’I’m not exactly blown away.’

Sure, it was useful, but it definitely wasn’t game-changing.

’Just means I don’t have to enter the tower in my sleep that night.’

In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t some legendary reward, and he still had to endure the pain of hunting in the tower.

Still, he wasn’t about to complain.

"Better than nothing," he muttered under his breath.

And with that, Ethan turned.

Leaving behind the headless corpse of Mace in the middle of the arena like discarded trash, there was no final glance or dramatic exit.

He simply walked back toward the blue gate he had entered the arena from, only now he was covered in blood and carrying the weight of another life taken.

And yet, was strolling casually as if he had just finished a workout.

-

Behind the gate, the atmosphere was very different.

It was quiet and tense.

The woman who had escorted him earlier stood frozen in place, her eyes wide and locked onto him. She had obviously seen what had happened, and now Ethan was in front of her, up close.

He stepped into the preparation room without hesitation.

"..."

She didn’t move or speak.

Ethan didn’t pay her much attention, stripping off the bloodied outer layer of clothing and balaclava before grabbing a fresh set from the rack provided. He wiped the worst of the blood from his arms, his neck, and his hands.

"..."

She remained silent.

It was rare to see a death like that, which was clean and clearly intentional.

Most deaths in the arena were accidents and consequences of overwhelming force, but they were rare, since the UFC strived to ensure the matchups were somewhat even.

But this?

It was practically an execution, and he had been in control of the fight since he decided to take it seriously.

Ethan glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

"You going to take me back," he said flatly, "or just keep staring at me?"

She flinched, like she had just been snapped out of a trance.

"Y-Yes! Of course, sir."

Her voice trembled slightly as she moved, nervously looking back at him every couple of seconds.

Ethan didn’t care, silently following her back.

But when he stepped back into the VIP suite, everything shifted again...