Ethan's chest heaved, his breath ragged—but his eyes, suddenly, were calm.
Amid the chaos of battle, a single detail snapped into focus.
Aside from Malakar, the local guards… weren't high-tier.
And in that instant, a wild, desperate thought surged up—mad, but maybe the only shot he had:
—If he could wipe out the small fry fast enough, absorb the energy released at their deaths…
—Maybe he could force a Tier breakthrough.
—And then, just maybe, he'd have a fighting chance against Malakar.
The idea came fast—and vanished faster.
Ethan let out a dry, bitter laugh.
In front of a Tier 28 monster?
What, was he supposed to "grind levels" mid-fight?
But then—
His pupils contracted.
There was a chance.
As long as he wasn't the one doing the killing.
As long as someone else could do it for him.
As long as he could still absorb the energy…
His gaze dropped, almost instinctively, to a point deep within himself.
—Auri.
