‘If they find out that I could transform into any monster I kill…it will be a problem. I’m not sure how strong the leader is, once he finds out, he will see me as a threat to his position and kill me…’

The temptation to transform burned through him, but Ethan forced it down. The power would save them now, only to doom him later.

Silver-rank politics were lethal—a mysterious newcomer with unprecedented transformation abilities would be eliminated as a potential threat before he could establish himself.

Secondly, I don’t care whether they live or die. If push comes to shove, I will wait for them to die, then hide for a while before transforming into the ape.

Yes, although he didn’t want them to die, he had to think about his own benefit, especially in a world like this one.

“There are only five beasts left,” he called to the generals, who stood back-to-back against the encircling monsters. “I’ll eliminate them while you keep the Panther occupied.”

The Mid-Silver general frowned. “That thing will tear you apart if we’re not there.”

“It won’t get the chance.” Ethan’s eyes narrowed, tracking the Panther’s movements. “The beast knows we had it on the defensive before. It won’t risk returning to direct combat without its minions. If I eliminate them, it will either flee or be forced to face all three of us again.”

The generals exchanged glances, decades of battlefield partnership communicating volumes in a single look.

“Do it,” the senior general decided. “We’ll keep the cat busy.”

Ethan moved without further discussion, Enhanced Speed carrying him toward the closest Bronze-rank monster. His daggers flashed, finding the junction between skull and spine.

The beast collapsed before it registered his presence.

The Panther roared, sensing his strategy. It abandoned its cautious circling to charge directly at Ethan, claws extended for a killing blow.

Just as he’d predicted.

The generals intercepted perfectly, the Mid-Silver rank’s blade forcing the Panther to abort its charge while his subordinate’s spear kept it from reengaging.

“Go!” the older general shouted, silver aura flaring as he absorbed a punishing blow meant for Ethan.

Ethan didn’t waste the opening. He flowed between the remaining monsters, each strike calculated for maximum efficiency. Crystal Hardening protected him from counterattacks as he systematically eliminated the Panthers’ support.

The first beast fell, its throat opened.

The second followed, its heart pierced.

The third collapsed as Ethan’s blade found the spot beneath its jaw.

The Panther’s fury intensified with each loss, its attacks against the generals growing increasingly desperate.

Silver blood flowed from multiple wounds as the beast sacrificed defence for aggression.

‘It’s working. The creature knows it’s losing control of the situation.’

Two monsters remained, both massive specimens at the absolute peak of Bronze rank. Their coordinated attacks had decimated lesser warriors throughout the day, yet now they were defensive.

The first beast—a hulking bear-like creature with obsidian claws—positioned itself defensively between Ethan and its companion.

Ethan readied himself for the coordinated assault that never came.

Instead, the rear beast—a hyena-like monstrosity crouched over the wolf Ethan had killed moments before.

It tore into the corpse with savagery.

Is it eating the one I just killed?

The creature’s jaws worked nonstop, not consuming flesh, but searching for something specific. When it reached the chest cavity, its movements stopped.

Gulp.

The core of the dead beast disappeared down its throat, swallowed whole as its eyes flashed with primal hunger.

It’s trying to evolve!

Ethan’s first instinct was to attack immediately—to eliminate the threat before it grew beyond his capability to handle. But before he could take a step, a thought emerged.

He deliberately relaxed his posture, focusing exclusively on the defensive beast while appearing completely oblivious to its companion’s activities.

‘Hopefully, it can evolve. With that, I’ll have another silver core, which will increase one of my other stats to silver rank. Which is most likely a strength, since it’s clearly a strength-dominant beast.’

The bear-monster charged, reading Ethan’s apparent distraction as vulnerability.

Unfortunately, it was a fatal mistake. Ethan sidestepped with grace, his daggers once again finding their target between its skull and spine.

The beast collapsed mid-lunge, dead before it hit the ground.

Behind it, the hyena-creature had already moved to another corpse, tearing through flesh with increased desperation. Its bone plates began to glow with faint luminescence as the first core’s energy spread through its system.

Ethan pretended not to notice, deliberately turning his back as he joined the generals in their battle against the Panther.

His hearing caught the distinctive sound of the second core being consumed.

I will launch a surprise attack as it’s evolving. Easiest kill… A cold smile touched his lips.

The Panther sensed something amiss, its silver eyes darting between Ethan and the evolving beast. For a moment, it seemed torn between continuing its own battle and protecting its minion during its vulnerable transition.

However, Ethan’s posture and the way he ignored the evolving beast made it think that Ethan did not notice it. Thus, it chose to focus on the defence until the second beast evolved to help it.

That moment of hesitation cost it dearly.

The Mid-Silver general’s blade caught the beast across its flank, opening a wound that sent silver blood spattering across stone. The Panther snarled, forced to redirect its full attention to immediate survival.

Exactly as Ethan had planned.

He engaged the Panther with calculated aggression, each strike designed not to kill but to maintain its focus entirely on the three Silver-ranks surrounding it. All while the hyena-creature continued its evolution behind them, now working on its third core.

The faint glow surrounding it intensified, bone plates expanding and thickening as its body began to grow.

Its muscle mass doubled, then tripled. Its jaws elongated, teeth reshaping to become deadlier.

Almost there.

Ethan pressed his attack against the Panther, forcing it to expend precious energy on defence.

The hyena-monster, now nearly twice its original size, raised its head from the final corpse.

The transition to Low-Silver had begun.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep