Last but definitely not least was Talon, the Skyrend Hawk that transformed into a Griffling.

He brought up its status, and he was instantly impressed.

"Now this is what I’m talking about."

{Name: Talon

Race: Griffling

Growth Stage: Juvenile

Beast Rank: C

Beast Potential: C

Strength: 20

Speed: 80

Stamina: 30

MP: 22/22

Skills: Gale Rend (D) Skyshatter Cry (C)}

Ethan stared at one particular number for longer than the rest.

"Eighty."

He let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair.

"That is literally broken."

His lips curled slightly into a grin as he did the math in his head.

’And with Partial Assimilation... I get half of that.’

His eyes sharpened.

’That puts me at nearly seventy for speed.’

He scoffed under his breath, a hint of disbelief still lingering despite everything he had experienced.

’Do you fucking understand how fast that makes me?’

It was absurd.

That was the kind of speed that turned fights into executions, that made reactions meaningless, that blurred the line between movement and teleportation in the eyes of anyone weaker.

"No wonder C Ranks are so powerful..."

Ethan muttered, leaning his head back against the wall as he thought it through more carefully.

Most C Ranks also had skill-like capabilities that amplified their stats the same way his did, which was why base stats couldn’t be taken at face value. Once stacked with other abilities, it was truly on another level.

"They’re all freaks of nature."

And yet, he wasn’t just keeping up with them.

He was ahead.

His gaze then shifted to Talon’s second skill.

{Skyshatter Cry (C) - Releases a concentrated sonic shriek that disrupts enemy senses, damages internal structures, and repels nearby targets with compressed soundwaves. Cost: 4 MP per use and causes temporary vocal and internal strain with repeated use.}

"Yeah," Ethan muttered. "That one’s weird."

But it was also undeniably powerful.

He had already tested it inside the Tower, the memory replaying vividly in his mind. It started similarly to Beast Call, with a strange pressure building deep within his abdomen.

Something coiled and compressed inside him, then it rose up.

It travelled up through his torso, forcing his body to react: his ribs expanded unnaturally, his chest stretched, and his jaw opened far wider than it should.

"That part still feels wrong," he admitted quietly.

Because it was wrong.

Human bodies weren’t meant to move like that.

But in that state, he was only half-human and was also half-griffling after fusing with Talon.

When the sound finally burst free, it was just a scream but a weapon.

There was a visible distortion in the air itself, vibrating outward in a focused cone-shaped stream, like invisible waves crashing forward with violent intent.

The first time he had used it, he had actually staggered himself from the sheer force.

"It’s not just loud," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "It hits."

It disoriented, damaged, and pushed enemies back, just like the skill description stated.

’Another useful skill in my arsenal.’

Ethan exhaled slowly, dismissing the status window for a moment as he glanced across the room. Elara was still trying to perfect her Mini Crimson Flashes, wanting to reduce the activation time and increase their potency.

He watched as she attempted to condense the energy again, before losing control and it bursting outward in a small, uncontrolled flare.

She flinched slightly, with Ethan suppressing a laugh.

"Nice one," he said sarcastically.

She glared at him, then sighed, a mixture of frustration and determination on her face.

He chuckled, "You’ll get it, so don’t stress."

Elara returned her focus to her violent red energy, and Ethan brought the interface back up.

This time, he navigated to the Tower tab.

{Floor: 21/69}

For a moment, he just looked at it.

Then, a slow smile spread across his face.

’Nearly a third of the way in less than two months.’

"Not bad," he murmured.

Then his expression sharpened slightly, his thoughts racing ahead.

"If I keep this pace..."

He factored in everything: the increasing difficulty, the size of the floors, the plateau in his progress.

"...And don’t get cocky..."

His smile returned, sharper this time.

"I could be S Rank by the end of the year."

The thought sent a thrill through him.

It wasn’t just ambition; it felt feasible, and that was the dangerous part.

Though it was impossible to account for the system’s tendency to throw curveballs at him or its rogue objectives. There might be other variables that might get in the way, like constant gates or unexpected encounters.

Ethan’s expression dimmed slightly for a moment.

"Yeah," he muttered. "It’s never that simple."

But still, he welcomed it and was going to overcome it all, whatever it took.

Across the room, Elara lowered her hands, glancing at him again.

She had long since grown used to his strange habit of zoning out and interacting with something only he could see.

At this point, she had simply accepted it.

’He’s a little crazy,’ she thought, smiling. ’But so am I.’

With that, she walked over to him and signed that she was tired and finished with her training. Mana drain was real, and unlike when Sir Demon took over and seemed to have infinite energy, she definitely had limits.

Ethan was done too, so they did the usual: showered, put on a bunch of layers, got some food, then stopped by Mark’s place.

The atmosphere was as warm as ever, grounding for both of them.

Living a life as unique as he did, it was nice to have somewhere like this to go to feel normal. Ethan chatted briefly, checking in with everyone, but today he didn’t stay for long.

Even shorter than usual.

He had something else on his mind and was eager to return to the basement he called home. Elara followed him, confused as to why he was so fired up to go to sleep.

"No rest for the wicked," he said casually.

She gave him a questioning look, since he was literally about to rest, at least externally. But he just grinned in response, reaching out to tap something before instantly dozing off.

That night was Ethan’s first taste of a C Tier Floor within the Tower Of Beasts, and it did not disappoint...