The beetle approached more cautiously now, wary of his unexpected resilience. Ichor dripped from its wounded belly.
Ethan pushed himself up, wincing at the grinding sensation in his chest. His sword had been lost in the impact. The bow was still strapped to his back, but he had no time to nock an arrow.
Everything he had, all at once.
Ethan's Enhanced Speed talent erupted around him in a pale blue aura, the world slowing as his perception accelerated.
He shot forward like a bronze bullet, closing the twenty-meter gap before the beetle could snap its pincers twice.
"Let's see how tough you really are!"
The massive insect's mandibles opened wide, ready to sever him in half. At the last possible instant, Ethan's Protective Shield materialised as the pincers crashed against it.
The impact sent vibrations up his arms, but the shield held.
'Shit is so painful,'
In the same motion, Ethan activated Iron Enhancement, his arm taking on a metallic sheen as the talent hardened his flesh to weapon-grade density. His fists became living hammers, each knuckle reinforced to withstand impacts that would shatter bones.
He slammed into the beetle's carapace with the force of a battering ram, the ground beneath them cratering from the impact. His iron-hardened fists found the hairline crack from their earlier exchange, each blow landing with precision born of Bronze-rank Intelligence. The crack spread with each impact, spider-webbing across the shiny black surface.
"Break, damn you!"
The beetle fought back with terrifying ferocity, its remaining wing creating a high-pitched screech as it beat frantically. One serrated leg caught Ethan's side, slicing through cloth and flesh.
Another raked across his back, opening a gash that would have paralysed a normal man.
"Aughh!"
He let out a pained scream as blood ran freely down his body, soaking into the forest floor beneath them.
But with each wound, his Regeneration talent pulsed, sealing damaged vessels, knitting muscle, preserving his fighting strength.
The beetle's mandibles snapped at his face, the sharp edges missing his eyes by millimeters as he ducked. Acidic spittle sprayed from its mouthparts, sizzling where it touched his skin.
Yet still. Neither would yield. Neither could afford to.
A fight to the death.
The crack in the carapace widened under Ethan's relentless assault, the sound of splintering chitin echoing through the forest. With a final, devastating punch, his fist broke through, plunging wrist-deep into the beetle's internal cavity.
The creature went absolutely berserk. Its legs became a blur of motion, one catching Ethan across the face with horrific force.
His skin split from ear to chin, blood spraying in an arc that painted the nearby foliage crimson.
Another appendage punched completely through his shoulder, the tip emerging from his back in a spray of gore.
Stars burst behind Ethan's eyes, the pain so intense it threatened to shut down his consciousness.
But deeper than the pain, something drove him forward.
His fingers closed around something solid within the beetle's body—a warm, pulsing crystal that radiated power.
The core.
"You're MINE!" The roar that tore from his throat wasn't human—it was the battle cry of a predator claiming its kill.
With a savage yank, he ripped the core free. Viscous fluid gushed from the opening, coating his arm to the elbow. The beetle's movements instantly changed, frantic aggression giving way to uncoordinated thrashing as its power source was torn away.
Ethan staggered backwards, his legs almost giving out, but he continued.
He pushed forward, slamming his fist against the beetle until its legs curled inward, and with a final shudder, it went still.
The glowing core clutched in his bloody fist pulsed in sync with his racing heartbeat.
Ethan lay spread-eagled in the dirt, his body a battlefield of wounds.
Blood pooled beneath him as his F+ Regeneration talent was at work.
The edges of his facial wound pulling together, the puncture in his shoulder gradually closing from the inside out.
After resting for a few minutes, Ethan got up from the floor slowly.
<Ferocious Beast: Black Beetle>
<Iron Enhancement Talent: E> <Devour>
<Rank: Mid-Bronze>
"Devour,"
<You have devoured the Black Beetle>
<You have evolved the Iron Enhancement Talent>
<You have gained +5 Strength>
<You have evolved the Black Beetle transformation>
Ethan felt the increase in his power immediately. Glancing at the core in his hand, Ethan had no choice but to devour it.
"It would've been nice to trade the core for a few more low-bronze cores."
After the altercation and his mistake of exposing his power due to his jealousy. He could no longer enter the core exchange pavilion in the second district.
After devouring the core, Ethan's strength surged even higher.
<+10 Strength>
"Status."
<Human: Ethan Brandon>
<Rank: Low-Bronze>
<Talents: Enhanced Speed (F), Protective Shield (F+), Iron Enhancement (F+), Accuracy Enhancement (F+), Regeneration (F+), Dagger Wield (F-)>
<Transformations: Shadowfang Wolf(Peak-Iron), Razorback Boar(High-Iron), Black Beetle(Mid-Bronze), Brown Bear (Mid-Bronze)>
<Level 2>
<Health Points: 700>
<Mana Points: 600>
<Strength: 75> <Agility: 60> <Intelligence: 60> <Vitality 70>
<Free Attributes: 5>
<Skills: Basic Footwork (Novice - 10%)>