Since he was bound to Ethereal, Ethan could only see this entire situation as a kind of trial, something deliberately arranged to push him forward. That was the only explanation for why the system had interfered at all. It never acted without reason.
He suspected Morzan was behind it. That old geezer never did anything without purpose, and every move he made, no matter how cruel, always seemed to circle back to forcing Ethan to grow stronger.
Yurix was closing in fast.
Ethan remained where he was, head tilted slightly upward as he watched the incoming blur. To everyone else, Yurix's speed was overwhelming, little more than a streak slicing through the air, but to Ethan, it was nothing he couldn't follow.
The ghost noticed his expression and faltered mid-air, if only for a fraction of a second.
Ethan's lips curled into a grin.
Yurix flinched.
"You—"
He abruptly halted, still several yards away, his momentum cutting off unnaturally.
