The Apex Mane’s claws gleamed like burnished steel as they reached for his throat, but Ethan had learned from their previous encounter. His pattern recognition kicked in as he identified the subtle muscle tensing that preceded each devastating strike.

There. Left shoulder drops before he swipes his claw.

He twisted aside with millimetres to spare, the creature’s talons carving air where his jugular had been heartbeats before. His counterattack came instantly—a concentrated fire blast that struck the beast’s already damaged left side.

SNARL!

The Apex Mane’s pain-filled growl echoed through the clearing as flames licked at partially healed wounds. But this time, Ethan pressed his advantage instead of allowing the Mane any recovery time.

Water manipulation created pressurised streams that hammered the creature’s scarred face, forcing it to guard its remaining eye while he repositioned for better angles.

Learning its patterns. Every movement has tells.

The beast adapted quickly, feinting left before striking right.

But Ethan had catalogued that particular deception during their first battle—his crystal hardening activated precisely where claws would land, deflecting rather than absorbing the full impact.

Prediction versus raw power. Intelligence wins.

Wind blades followed his defensive success, invisible cutting edges that carved shallow wounds across the creature’s flanks. Each strike weakened it incrementally while his own injuries remained minimal.

The Apex Mane’s fury mounted as its attacks met increasingly effective counters. Enhanced speed carried it through complex assault patterns, but Ethan’s analysis had reduced its seemingly random movements to somewhat predictable sequences.

Right claw, left claw, charge. Always the same combination when frustrated.

Fire erupted exactly where the beast would be, not where it currently stood. Superheated flames consumed space the creature hadn’t reached yet, turning its own momentum into self-inflicted damage.

ROAR!

Pain and rage twisted the Apex Mane’s scarred face as it found itself burning from attacks that seemed to anticipate its movements. Its intelligence struggled against patterns it didn’t realize it was creating.

You’re becoming predictable. That’s always fatal.

Steam rose from the creature’s singed form as it circled warily, golden eye blazing with frustrated fury. Multiple wounds leaked crimson across its once-magnificent coat while burn marks created abstract patterns on its hide.

Ethan remained relatively unmarked—a few shallow cuts on his chest where claws had penetrated crystal armour, nothing that threatened combat effectiveness. His mana reserves sat at sixty percent, still sufficient for extended engagement.

The advantage has swung toward me. Time to press harder.

His next combination attack demonstrated the gulf between planned assault and desperate reaction. Fire and water coordinated in perfect harmony, creating steam lances that struck from multiple angles simultaneously.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Three superheated projectiles hammered the Apex Mane’s torso, each impact creating explosive vapor clouds that obscured vision while inflicting thermal damage. The creature staggered under the coordinated assault.

That hurt it. Really hurt it.

But wounded predators were often the most dangerous. The Apex Mane abandoned its earlier tactics for overwhelming violence, its body launching forward in a berserker charge that relied on pure destruction.

All or nothing. Desperate gambit.

Ethan met the charge with a calculated one; he wasn’t naive to intercept it head-on again, he didn’t want to lose a limb. Wind manipulation created a barrier that slowed the creature’s approach while crystal hardening prepared his defences for impact. Fire magic wreathed his hands as he prepared the killing blow.

The collision shook ancient trees as supernatural forces met in the confrontation.

Despite his efforts of trying to mitigate the damage, it was still impossible to completely dodge the lethal attack.

The Apex Mane’s claws found his crystal-armoured chest, the sharpness carving through his protection to draw blood.

But Ethan’s counterattack landed simultaneously.

Fire-wreathed hands grabbed the creature’s massive head, D-rank flames pouring directly into its brain through damaged eye socket and open wounds.

SCREAM!

The Apex Mane’s death cry transcended sound, becoming a vibration that rattled bones and shattered nearby stones. Its golden eye rolled back as superheated energy cooked neural tissue from within.

Got you. Finally got you.

The massive body collapsed like a felled tree, its muscles spasming as the nervous system shutdown propagated throughout its body. Steam rose from its ruined skull while the scent of cooked flesh filled jungle air.

Victory…finally.

Ethan stood over his fallen opponent, chest heaving from exertion. The battle had pushed his capabilities to their limits, but strategic thinking had triumphed over raw power.

C-grade talent defeated…The human’s biggest advantage truly is intelligence.

The creature’s corpse radiated residual heat from its fire attacks, its magnificent form reduced to cooling meat and potential advancement materials. But more importantly, it represented validation of his approach to power accumulation.

From desperate survival to apex predator elimination. Progress.

He approached the fallen beast with slow steps, enhanced senses confirming that its life signs had completely ceased.

There was no risk of sudden retaliation from a creature playing dead.

The core extraction required careful work—his hands carved through cooling flesh to reach the core of the beast. The golden crystal pulsed with contained energy that made his fingertips tingle.

Mid-Gold core. Significantly more valuable than Silver equivalents.

Without hesitation, he consumed the precious advancement material.

<+16 Strength>

Power flowed through his body as raw force multiplied exponentially.

His muscles didn’t visibly change, but the sensation of gaining strength was there.

But the core was just the appetiser. The real prize lay in the creature’s potential transformation and talent capabilities.

<Ferocious Beast: Apex Mane>

<Strength Talent: C> <Devour>

<Rank: Mid-Gold>

C Rank talent…

The decision required careful consideration. Devouring the body wouldn’t grant him the C Grade Strength Enhancement, unfortunately.

But devouring the body would grant him the transformation that would provide access to the creature’s capabilities during its shifted form.

Talent versus transformation. Both have value. Do I keep the body for future talent devouring? Or do I devour the body to gain strength now…

After weighing options, his mind guided his choice.

The Apex Mane’s transformation would provide Mid-Gold physical capabilities that could prove decisive in the upcoming confrontations.

Enhanced strength, speed, and durability in a package that surpassed his current rank.

Transformation wins. I need immediate strength for the upcoming challenge.

He placed his hands on the cooling corpse, activating his devouring ability with focused intent.

<You have devoured the Apex Mane>

<You have gained +10 Strength>

<Apex Mane(Mid-Gold) is available for transformation>

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep