Power erupted around Ethan in a silver tempest, the air crackling with energy as his transformation took hold.
His body expanded explosively, muscles swelling to inhuman proportions while crystalline structures erupted across his skin, hardening into an impenetrable armour that the Ape once had.
The transformation completed in milliseconds, timed perfectly to counter the Panther's attack.
The beast was already mid-leap, its body a blur of deadly intent, when Ethan's transformation finished.
The Panther's claws, sharp enough to slice through steel, raked across Ethan's crystal-plated chest with a sound like diamond on glass.
Sparks flew from the impact, and Ethan staggered back two steps—the beast's strength was considerable, even against his transformed state.
Pain lanced through him where the claws had left shallow gouges in his armor.
"Damn it, it's still painful," Ethan growled through a crystalline jaw.
