In the last few months, something had changed within Jolthar. The beast king's power had been growing along with him, unlocking the new potential for Jolthar. He can turn into any form of beast if put his mind to it and sufficient mana is present in him.
Each battle, each confrontation, each moment of pushing himself to the limit had unlocked something. New beast forms were becoming accessible—creatures of legend and myth whose shapes he could now assume. He could feel himself progressing further up Tier 9, approaching something greater.
Tier 10 was close.
He could sense it, that threshold where power became something fundamentally different, where mortal limits gave way to something approaching the divine. But it was still distant, like seeing a mountain peak from the valley below. Near enough to recognize, far enough to require a journey.
But for now, Tier 9 was more than sufficient.
