Lord Of Beasts

"What the fuck was that?!"

His skin crawled after she bit him on the neck.

’Am I going to turn into a vampire like her as well now?’

Aisha merely smiled.

"Nothing."

"That definitely wasn’t nothing."

Ethan rubbed the spot, his fingers finding a strange mark left behind on his neck.

He glared at her, but he was taking it surprisingly well.

"You bite everyone you fight?"

"Only the interesting ones."

Ethan stared at her.

"...That’s fucking creepy."

Aisha laughed softly, but then her expression changed as she glossed over the fact that she had just bitten his neck.

"Tell me something."

Her gaze shifted briefly toward the enormous corpse behind her.

"Why do you think the Association is so afraid of us?"

Ethan’s brows furrowed.

"Us?"

"The Titled."

Aisha’s slitted eyes gleamed.

"Governments have always tried to suppress the truth. Visionaries have always appeared crazy since the dawn of civilisation."

She took another step toward him.

"Those who possess power are always feared by those who don’t."

Ethan remained silent.

Aisha’s smile became darker.

"Ultimately, it is the victor who rewrites history."

Her eyes gleamed.

"And as the blessed, we can’t lose."

Ethan’s expression hardened.

There was something about the way she said those words that bothered him. But before he could question it, another thought surfaced.

"Wait. Before you die, answer this question for me."

Aisha laughed.

"You’re assuming you’ll kill me."

"Obviously."

If he didn’t, that means either he’d die, or he would be stuck in this gate with her forever.

’I mean, there are worse people to be stuck in here with, like that ugly fucker Darren. But I’d rather not have to do either, and that means I have to kill her.’

"What is it?" she questioned with a smile.

"Vessels..."

Aisha’s amusement faded slightly.

"What are we vessels for? I keep hearing the fucking word, and nobody is giving me straight answers."

His frustration was clear.

But it seemed as though this mysterious woman might be the one to end the cycle.

"We are vessels for superior beings."

Ethan’s expression became serious.

"Superior beings?"

"Some are more powerful than others, and among them, some can manifest through their vessels in different ways."

Ethan’s thoughts immediately raced.

’Like the system or a demon...’

It still didn’t entirely answer the question, but it was more than he ever had before.

Her eyes shifted toward the enormous corpse behind.

"It’s my turn to ask a question. How did this gate get taken over?"

Before he could answer, she continued, "I don’t think you’re capable of doing something like this alone. There are only a few people I know who can manipulate Gates, let alone alter their power."

He paused, his expression changing as her words settled in.

"People can manipulate Gates?!"

Aisha’s smile returned.

"You have so many questions, but no answers."

Ethan laughed.

"Tell me about it."

Aisha laughed as well, amused by the beast-like man who had lightning crackling around his body. But before he or she could answer any more questions, she glanced down at her wrist, which had a small watch strapped around it.

Ethan’s eyes followed her gaze.

"What?"

Aisha sighed.

"I suppose I should tell you."

She looked at the time.

"It’s been two hours and fifty-nine minutes."

Ethan’s stomach dropped.

"And...?"

"I activated the failsafe when I entered this Gate."

Her tone remained almost casual.

"The entire compound will be destroyed when the timer reaches three hours."

Ethan froze.

His mind immediately jumped to his companions, and most importantly, the Untitled among them, whom he was closest to.

"You-"

Aisha continued.

"I thought three hours would be more than enough, but you sure took your time getting here with your beast and hunting those trolls."

Ethan’s fists clenched.

’So that’s what this was.’

His eyes hardened.

’I should’ve known that she wouldn’t let the Association get their hands on that tech and those drugs.’

But now there was no more time for questions, experimentation, or hesitation.

Blue lightning exploded across Ethan’s body.

Aisha’s eyes widened.

"What are you-"

’Variable Beast Impact!’

Ethan vanished.

He poured more mana into Minor Impact than the skill was designed to handle. Mana surged violently through his transformed body, while the electrical energy accumulated through Kinetic Charge during their intense exchange flooded into his arms.

Ethan reappeared directly in front of Aisha, so fast that even she wasn’t able to evade.

Or maybe she simply didn’t want to.

Either way, his palms slammed into her body.

ZAAAAAAAAAAP!

A devastating surge of lightning erupted at point-blank range.

Unlike Electric Blast, there was nowhere for the current to escape, with every volt pouring directly through Aisha’s body.

Her eyes widened, and her entire body convulsed.

For the first time, genuine surprise appeared on her face.

Ethan pushed harder.

"Die!"

The lightning intensified, and Aisha’s body shook violently.

Then-

Crack!

A thin fracture appeared across her skin.

Another followed.

Then another.

The cracks spread across her body like a shattered statue.

Aisha looked down at herself.

Then slowly raised her eyes toward Ethan as a strange smile settled on her face.

"So..."

Her body began breaking apart.

"...that’s how it ends."

Ethan stared.

Her body crumbled, her skin shattered into fragments, and her flesh dissolved into ash.

Within seconds, nothing remained.

Only a pile of dust lay where Aisha had stood, just like a vampire scorched by the sun.

Ethan slowly lowered his hands, staring at the remains.

"...That was easier than expected."

It almost felt anticlimactic.

He rubbed his neck, then paused as his fingers touched the strange mark Aisha had left behind.

"Ew."

A chill ran through him again.

"Am I really a vampire now?"

There was no answer, nor was now the time to try to find it.

The Gate had been conquered, and his way out of it had appeared above the enormous corpse of the Boss Monster. He didn’t care about the Objective’s reward nor about the numbing strain spreading through his body.

His friend was the only thing on his mind.

"Move!"

Wolfy immediately lowered himself.

He climbed onto the Fenrir’s back, and the moment he settled in, Wolfy exploded forward. Ethan’s muscles screamed from the accumulated stress, while the lingering effects of Beast Assimilation continued dragging at his stamina.

But he ignored all of it as they charged straight through the Gate.

The moment they crossed the threshold, he looked toward the compound.

Ethan barely had time to take a breath before-

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The world behind them exploded.

A colossal fireball swallowed the compound, and the shockwave tore across the surrounding area, sending dust and debris flying through the air.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

’Mark!’