The driver froze.The inspector reached for the flashlight hanging from his belt.By now, the sun had begun dipping below the distant mountains, casting long shadows throughout the facility. Darkness slowly crept over the inspection yard.Click.A powerful beam of light illuminated the cargo compartment.The inspector climbed inside cautiously.His boots crunched against broken wooden crates scattered across the floor.The unconscious soldiers remained motionless.Then…His flashlight caught something else.Tiny crimson droplets.Blood.Not much. But enough.His eyes slowly followed the trail before stopping directly in front of Ares.The giant continued smiling.The inspector’s voice became cold.“…Your identification.”Without hesitation, Ares reached into the stolen uniform and handed over the security badge.The inspector carefully examined it.Then…He looked at the card.Back at Ares.The card again.Then Ares.His breathing stopped.The photograph showed a man of average height

The soldiers froze. Someone actually dropped his rifle. “W-What kind of monster is he?!” Ares suddenly charged. BOOM! The concrete beneath his feet exploded. His gigantic body shot forward with unbelievable speed. The nearest soldier barely had time to widen his eyes before Ares grabbed him by the ankle and casually swung him like a club. CRASH! Three soldiers were sent flying. Without slowing down, Ares drove his shoulder into another group. The impact launched bodies in every direction. One man crashed through a guard post. Another rolled beneath a military truck. A third spun through the air before smashing into a concrete barrier. Every punch. Every kick. Every swing. Dropped another soldier. No one survived more than a single hit. To Ares… Fully armed soldiers weighed little more than children’s toys. He tossed them aside like ragdolls, each movement displaying terrifying strength that defied common sense. The inspection yard descended into complete chaos. Sc

Timothy’s lips slowly curled into a satisfied smile as he folded his arms behind his back, looking at Hannah the same way a hunter admired prey that had unknowingly wandered into his carefully prepared trap. There wasn’t the slightest trace of urgency on his face. Instead, there was excitement, as though he had been waiting for this exact moment for years. “You still don’t understand, do you?” he asked softly, his voice carrying an unsettling calmness that was far more terrifying than shouting. “From the very beginning, we knew someone was tracking your location. We knew the King of War would come looking for you. We even knew he would never abandon Donald Winston.” He took several slow steps around the room, every movement deliberate, every word sounding like another nail sealing a coffin. “At first, my people suggested relocating you to another safe house, but then someone proposed a much better idea.” He stopped walking and looked directly into her frightened eyes. “Why run from th

Meanwhile back at the command center of the Special Forces headquarters was broken only by the constant stream of data scrolling across Hope Ryker’s monitors. Rows of satellite feeds, encrypted signals, and live tactical maps illuminated the dimly lit operations room in shades of blue. Her fingers danced rapidly across the keyboard as she repeatedly attempted to reconnect with one particular signal.“Ares…”She frowned.“…respond.”Nothing.She switched to another encrypted frequency.“Alpha Seven, this is Oracle. Respond immediately.”Static.Her brows knitted together as she initiated another scan. The tracking beacon attached to Ares’ communication device had suddenly gone silent several minutes ago. It wasn’t merely weak reception. The signal had disappeared entirely.Hope leaned back in her chair, her usually composed expression growing noticeably more serious.“…Communication lost.”Not far away, Kaiden Ashcroft lay lazily across a couch with one leg hanging over the armrest whi

“Silence!”Ares’ thunderous roar shook the entire chamber.The sound alone caused several soldiers to instinctively stumble backward.Without another word, he hurled Timothy across the room.BOOM!Timothy’s body crashed into a reinforced concrete pillar before dropping heavily onto the floor. He coughed violently, rubbing the bruises forming around his neck as he slowly climbed back to his feet. Despite nearly being strangled moments ago, an unsettling smile still lingered on his face.He rolled his shoulders before letting out a dry chuckle.“You really are every bit as short-tempered as the reports described.”He adjusted his wrinkled suit and looked directly into Ares’ eyes.“The Iron Warlord…”He paused deliberately.“…or perhaps I should call you by your original title.”A faint grin spread across his lips.“…The Village Protector.”The title struck Ares like a blade to the heart. His fists clenched so tightly that the veins on his forearms bulged. He had not heard those words in