The creature's status flashed in front of his eyes mid-motion.
{Elite Beast Status}
{Race: Skyrend Hawk
Growth Stage: Prime
Beast Rank: E
Strength: 8
Speed: 30
Stamina: 12
MP: 0}
Just like with that damned owl in the trial, he barely had time to process the window as it blurred past.
But even without getting a good look at its status, he was sure of one thing.
'It's fast as fuck.'
A speed of 30 while his was 11 - even with Assimilation, he was still far off.
'Elite Beast,' he realised instantly. 'Has to be.'
But before he could try to deduce anything more, the beast that had been perched in the distance was now already upon him.
"Shit-!"
Ethan hadn't even decided whether to use Beast Summoning or Beast Assimilation.
It was too late.
Swoosh!
All he managed to do was throw his arms up to shield his face as its claws raked across his forearms.
Pain exploded instantly, hot and sharp.
"Ahh-!"
The sheer momentum behind the beast's dive slammed into him, sending him tumbling backwards across the stone. His shoulder hit first, then his back, as the impact knocked the air out of him.
By the time he rolled onto his side, the hawk-like beast was already airborne again, circling upward. He hadn't even managed to get a good look at the beast, as it now blurred against the yellow sky, preparing for its next attack.
The beast didn't seem to be much larger than an ordinary hawk, but its speed stat didn't do the creature justice. It soared through the sky with such momentum that it was likely a living cannonball with claws.
"Fuck me, it's even faster than I thought," he groaned, pushing himself up. 'It must've been trailing me while I was running, seeing me as easy prey.'
Blood dripped from the gashes on his arms, and yet...
He smiled - a wide, almost manic grin.
'I think I've found my next beast.'
Its stats were amazing, and having a flying beast was exactly what he needed.
All he had to do now was kill it, which is much easier said than done.
Swoosh!
The Skyrend Hawk dived again, blitzing through the air, but this time Ethan activated Beast Assimilation just in time.
Power surged through him, but more important than the physical buffs was the sharpening of his senses. The world almost seemed to slow as the hawk closed in on him, but it still wasn't enough.
He twisted out of the way, barely avoiding a direct hit.
The claws grazed his back instead, and pain immediately flared again, assaulting his nervous system.
He stumbled forward, teeth gritted.
"Bastard!"
Thus began the cycle of the Hawk Beast's airborne attacks, as it aimed to chip away at Ethan's health and stamina.
It dived.
He rolled out of the way, but not without being cut and stone scraping his skin.
Then it dived again.
He barely ducked under it.
Even after Minor Assimilation with an Ulfen enhancing his reflexes and speed, he was still struggling.
'Speed 30 is no joke, especially for a flying beast.'
Speed 10 for a running land animal compared to a sea creature in water or a bird in the sky is not always the same. In the same way, the strength of a rock-plated creature and that of a monkey may not feel the same.
The Status showed a numerical view, but the nuances and unquantifiable physical attributes played a massive part, especially at this level.
That was becoming evident to Ethan more and more.
While dodging, he remained calm and composed despite the pain and the rapid beast he was facing. And each time it dived in, he managed to get a better look at its Status.
'Strength 8. That's nothing special.'
Its power wasn't overwhelming, and neither was its stamina.
'After stalking me earlier and now attacking me for this long, maybe...'
It wouldn't completely gas out anytime soon, but Ethan didn't need it to.
He just needed it to be slightly slower.
'Each time it dives in, there is an instant where it changes trajectory to shoot back up into the air. And as fast as it is when diving, it can't fly up even half as quickly.'
Ethan smiled.
'That's when I need to get it.'
But despite the opening he had identified, he wasn't sure exactly how he could capitalise on it, at least not personally.
Then came another of the unconventional ideas that so far had been serving him well.
He waited for the next dive that came dangerously close to his throat, and leaned back just in time, feeling the wind from its talons brush against his skin.
'It's now or never.'
His MP wasn't infinite, and he would tire out much quicker than the hawk beast, especially with all the blood he was losing.
So he decided to act.
Deactivating Beast Assimilation, his enhanced perception and physique vanished. He immediately felt vulnerable, and if it attacked him now, he'd struggle to react.
It felt like suicide, but it was a gamble he was willing to take.
As the Skyrend Hawk prepared to burst back up into the air, Ethan then used...
'Beast Summoning!'
Energy surged outward, but this time Ethan didn't summon mindlessly.
He directed it.
It stemmed from the realisation that he had subconsciously been able to control the position of where his summoned beast appeared. In the basement, Wolfy had appeared beside him, and against the rock worm, it had appeared in front of him.
He wasn't sure about the restrictions on range, but for now, he wanted his summon as close as possible.
On command, Wolfy materialised directly in his right hand.
"Sorry, buddy."
The pup blinked up in confusion, but Ethan didn't hesitate; he hurled the Ulfen upward like a living projectile. If it were as large as the other Ulfens he had seen, this would have been impossible, but the beast being an infant worked out in his favour.
The Skyrend Hawk was still pulling upward again after its dive - it was the perfect moment, the dip before it got away out of reach.
Wolfy stretched its paws instinctively as it soared through the air.
It seemed like it was about to fall short when it managed to latch onto the edge of the hawk's wing.
As Wolfy's claws dug in, the Skyrend Hawk screeched and was thrown off balance mid-flight.
"Go on, Wolfy!" Ethan shouted.
The puppy-like beast struggled violently to hold on, tiny jaws snapping.
It managed to bite down hard on the wing, not enough to cripple it, but enough to deal substantial damage to the beast.
The hawk's speed shattered, and its equilibrium collapsed.
But it wasn't over just yet.
As it spiralled awkwardly, it managed to regain partial control and violently shook Wolfy off of it. The small Ulfen went flying and began plummeting to the ground.
"Wolfy!"
Without hesitation, Ethan undid the summoning mid-air, and the pup vanished in a flash of light before it could smash into the ground.
But he couldn't celebrate just yet.
He activated Beast Assimilation again and sprinted after the flying beast.
'Now I'm hunting you, motherfucker.'
The Skyrend Hawk struggled to gain altitude as one wing faltered slightly.
It could no longer dive and attack as it had been, so even as a predator, it did the logical thing and fled. Unlike in the trial, when all the beasts were a test for Ethan, here these creatures seemed to prioritise self-preservation.
Ethan observed that, but focused on chasing after it.
Across the blistering stone plains, they continued: one in the air, one on foot.
Despite the injury, the hawk was still fast, and its brown feathers blended seamlessly with the rocky terrain. The heat and fatigue didn't help either.
Several times, Ethan thought he'd lost it.
He was drenched in sweat, covered in wounds, and the heat pressed down on him like a physical weight.
Eventually, he began slowing down, and the hawk was out of view.
"Damn it…"
He stopped, taking a moment to catch his breath.
It began settling in that maybe it had escaped, and it had all been for nothing.
But that's when his nose twitched, and he caught a faint scent.
'Man, I love being an Ulfen,' he thought to himself as he made his way to the hawk he planned to make his next beast...