The day passed, and news of the general waking up started spreading like wildfire.

“Have you heard? The general’s awake,” a soldier whispered during shift change.

“Yeah. Doesn’t sound like good news though.”

“Don’t say it…” The first man’s voice dropped, fear evident in his eyes.

“Three Mid-Silver rank beasts gathering beyond the forest edge. And they’re not alone – dozens of lesser monsters following them. Looks like they’re preparing to attack the city.”

The soldier gulped audibly. “How did the general even survive an encounter with three Silver ranks?”

“He didn’t fight all three. Just one, apparently the weakest of them. The others were too prideful to bother with humans. That one beast alone massacred his entire squad. We need to request reinforcements from other cities.”

“Impossible. The nearest city is a week’s journey at best. By the time our envoy reaches them and they mobilize the reinforcement troops, we’ll be overrun.”

“All we can do is…pray for a miracle.”

Ethan listened with a deepening frown. His carefully laid plans for advancement suddenly seemed trivial compared to the threat.

‘I can’t sit idle anymore,’ he thought, fingers tightening around his weapon. ‘This is beyond dangerous. My Bronze rank means nothing against Silver beasts…’

Jack nudged him, breaking his concentration. “What’s with the serious face? Writing your will already?” His attempt at humor fell flat.

Ethan didn’t respond.

His mind was racing through the possible strategies he could use to get stronger.

A coordinated Silver-rank beast attack wasn’t just a threat, it was practically a death sentence for the entire city.

…

A few hours later, night descended. Ethan glanced at Jack beside him, watching the man’s eyelids grow heavier with each passing minute. Four days of constant alert had taken their toll.

‘I’ll make my move once he’s asleep,’ Ethan thought, maintaining his vigilant pose while Jack struggled to stay awake.

The opportunity came sooner than expected. Jack’s chin drooped to his chest, his breathing deepening into the rhythm of sleep. No one else was watching this section of the wall – perfect timing.

Without hesitation, Ethan vaulted over the wall’s edge, dropping to the ground below.

Thud.

The impact that would have broken bones in his previous life barely registered now. Bronze-Rank warriors didn’t concern themselves with such minor falls. He was no longer the weak, expendable Ethan.

Activating his Enhanced Speed talent, he disappeared into the forest. Ethan did not transform as his body’s strength exceeded that of his transformations.

The forest welcomed him with its nocturnal symphony.

Shortly after his entry, Ethan heard a snort from the north.

‘That’s a Razorback Boar,’ he thought, changing direction toward the sound.

What he found wasn’t exactly what he expected. Two Razorback Boars, engaged in a rather intimate encounter right in the middle of a small clearing.

‘Seriously? In the open?’ Ethan thought, rolling his eyes. ‘They could’ve at least found some bushes for privacy.’

No time for awkwardness.

Ethan burst forward, his Bronze-Rank speed reducing the distance to nothing in an instant. The male boar barely had time to register the intrusion before Ethan’s fist connected with its skull.

BOOM

The impact was devastating – bone shattered, brain matter scattered. One second, the boar was enjoying a romantic evening; the next, it was dead.

Its head had exploded like a watermelon under pressure.

The female froze, shock evident in her small eyes. Her momentary hesitation proved fatal. Before she could react, Ethan delivered the same crushing blow.

Ethan then devoured their bodies and extracted the two cores.

No attribute gains registered, he’d already maxed out his Iron-Rank potential. Only Bronze cores would advance his stats now. He had only devoured the boars to increase the transformation of their species to High-Iron Rank alongside the iron enhancement talent, and he did.

<Human: Ethan Brandon>

<Rank: Low-Bronze>

<Talents: Enhanced Speed (F Grade), Protective Shield (F Grade), Iron Enhancement (F Grade)>

<Transformations: Shadowfang Wolf(High-Iron), Razorback Boar(High-Iron), Black Beetle(Mid-Iron)>

<Level 2>

<Health Points: 400> <Mana Points: 400>

<Strength: 60> <Agility: 40> <Intelligence: 40> <Vitality 40>

<Free Attributes: 5>

<Skills: None>

“Onto the next target,” Ethan muttered, heading in a random direction.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep