Without hesitation, Ethan acted.

There was no room for doubt or second-guessing now.

He had already committed the moment he chose Wolfy, and everything since had only reinforced that decision.

"Let’s finish this," he muttered.

He instantly poured the evolutionary shards he had received in exchange for his remaining B Rank Race Crystal earlier straight into Wolfy.

The system responded immediately.

{10000 Evolutionary Shards have been expended to evolve Wolfy to B Rank}

The energy moved instantly.

A massive surge of power erupted from within Ethan, rushing through his body like a violent current before pouring outward through the invisible bond he shared with his beast.

The changes began immediately.

It was subtle at first, like a faint vibration beneath the surface of reality, but it rapidly intensified into something undeniable.

The ground beneath them cracked, thin fractures spidering outward from where Wolfy stood as the sheer density of energy being poured into him distorted the surrounding space.

A deep, resonant sound filled the air.

It was not quite a roar or a growl, but something in between, something ancient and heavy, like the echo of a beast that had existed long before anything Ethan could comprehend.

Wolfy’s body began to glow again.

But unlike before, when the transformation had been wild and unstable, this was controlled and refined.

Ethan couldn’t look away again.

The dark fur along Wolfy’s body rippled as the energy coursed through it, each strand shimmering faintly with a crimson undertone, as if embers burned beneath the surface.

His frame shifted again.

It wasn’t drastic, but it was definitely noticeable.

His body grew slightly larger, yet remained compact, dense, and terrifyingly efficient. His muscles tightened and expanded simultaneously, coiling with a restrained power that felt far greater than his size suggested.

His claws lengthened, carving into the ground as if anchoring himself against the overwhelming force surging through him.

His breathing deepened, steadier and more controlled.

And lastly, his eyes burned brighter than before, more intense. It was a crimson that didn’t flicker or fade, like his eyes were windows into the depths of hell.

Ethan felt it all.

Every change, every surge, every shift.

Through their bond, it was impossible not to.

After transforming into a Fenrir and now evolving to B Rank, Wolfy had ascended in power massively.

Ethan was in awe.

"Now that’s more like it."

Because whatever stood before him was something even more terrifying.

The light faded.

Wolfy’s rank evolution was complete.

A faint aura surrounded him now, subtle yet unmistakable. It pressed outward into the environment with quiet confidence, not explosive or chaotic, but controlled and assured, like a predator that knew exactly how dangerous it was.

Ethan just stared.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Then...

"Holy shit."

His lips curled into a grin as he shook his head slightly.

’A B Rank... and a Fenrir on top of that. Fuck me, I’m going to become overpowered soon.’

The thought came naturally.

But almost immediately, Ethan felt the difference.

The drain.

The cost.

Maintaining Wolfy’s summon now took noticeably more MP, the connection heavier, more demanding.

He exhaled slowly.

’Yeah... that’s going to take its toll.’

Then he glanced back at Wolfy: the aura, the presence, the sheer weight of its power.

A grin spread across his face again.

’But, boy, is it worth it.’

Without wasting another second, Ethan pulled up Wolfy’s status.

The familiar interface appeared before him.

{Name: Wolfy

Race: Fenrir

Growth Stage: Prime

Beast Rank: B

Beast Potential: B+

Strength: 60

Speed: 60

Stamina: 60

MP: 36/36

Skills: Predator’s Frenzy (D), Cross Slash (C), Crescent Fang (C), Sovereign Howl (B)}

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

"Yeah. That’ll do it."

The stats alone were insane.

As always, Wolfy’s physical stats were high and balanced. And now his total base stats were already above what he would expect from a freshly evolved B Rank. And the scary part was that it didn’t account for the Fenrir’s natural predatory advantages.

Moreover, Wolfy had just evolved and would only grow stronger with time and after consuming more beast meat, yet he was already ahead of the curve.

Ethan let out a low whistle.

"And you’re at Prime already..."

That caught his attention.

He had been at the Juvenile Growth Stage for a while, and Ethan recalled Wolfy as an Infant, which didn’t feel too long ago.

’They definitely grow fast.’

It had only been a couple of months, during which Wolfy had gone from a puppy to now being a fearsome Fenrir. Ethan remembered his first time summoning Wolfy like it were yesterday. The euphoria he felt that day after officially receiving his Title was unmatched to this day.

He smiled just thinking about it.

’Time flies.’

Still, Ethan suspected this stage would last longer, the same way Juvenile had lasted longer than an Infant.

But that was not what truly caught his attention.

His eyes locked onto the list of skills.

’Two new skills?!’

That was unexpected.

He had assumed beasts gained one skill per rank increase, since that had been the case so far.

But once again, the system proved him wrong.

His gaze focused.

And the descriptions appeared.

{Crescent Fang (C) - Channels concentrated energy into the jaws, delivering a high-speed biting strike that releases a crescent-shaped shockwave capable of slicing through multiple targets. Costs 5 MP per use.}

{Sovereign Howl (B) - Unleashes a domineering howl infused with primal authority, suppressing nearby enemies, reducing their speed and coordination while temporarily boosting the Fenrir’s stats. Costs 6 MP per use and scales with the target’s rank.}

Ethan went silent as he read over their descriptions.

"That’s insane."

He could already picture it.

Crescent Fang tearing through enemies in a sweeping arc, not just a physical attack but something enhanced, extended, amplified.

And Sovereign Howl, that was something else entirely.

It controlled the battlefield, debuffed its enemies, and buffed itself all in one.

’Now that’s a B Rank Skill...’

There was no other way to describe it.

If Ethan had learned anything, it was that skills mattered far more than raw stats.

Stats gave you a foundation, but skills decided fights, and Wolfy had both.

And as if he hadn’t already gained enough, he was about to receive the reward for completing another of those ominous objectives...