Without wasting any more time, Azrael got to work. Using the lightning dagger, he began cutting into the brown-furred ape's skull. Before long, he had carved his way through the bone and reached the centre, where the beast core was located.Reaching into the opening, Azrael carefully retrieved the core and held it in his palm.Strangely, unlike the first time he had touched the beast core of the gray-furred wolf, the urge to devour the one in his hand wasn't nearly as intense. This time, he seemed to have some degree of control over his body's strange desire, allowing him to decide whether or not he wanted to consume it.Azrael pondered this for a moment before deciding to hold off on consuming the core. He still wasn't entirely sure why the brown-furred ape had been so intent on pursuing him, but he suspected it had something to do with the brief transformation his body had undergone and the mysterious violet aura that had emanated from him.Until he understood what was happening, it

Not wanting to give the beast another opportunity to take the initiative, Azrael immediately launched an attack.Krrrzzzt!Black lightning crackled around his body before he channelled it towards his palm, unleashing several bolts that tore through the air, leaving dark streaks in their wake.However, just as the attacks were about to reach the panther, its figure suddenly blurred and vanished from sight. In the next instant, several panther-shaped figures appeared around Azrael, each moving at astonishing speed as they closed in on him from different directions."Again?!"Azrael frowned, recognising that the beast had employed its bizarre species ability once more.Knowing that they were merely clones, he didn't waste too much energy dealing with them, only destroying those that came too close. Although they were nothing more than copies, he had no intention of taking chances by testing whether they could inflict actual damage or if their ferocious appearance was merely a facade.How