THE DISCARDED SON-IN-LAWS GOD-LEVEL DOMINION SYSTEM

Chapter 8

The hotel room was quiet and dark.

Ethan sat on the edge of the hard bed and cleaned a small cut on his knuckle from the night of the banquet. The system had healed most of the damage, but some small marks remained on his skin. He wiped the cut with a clean cloth and watched the blood stop. Outside the window, the city lights shone through the thin curtains like distant stars. Cars moved far below. The night was deep and heavy.

He had changed into a simple black shirt he bought that afternoon. The wet suit from the morning was hanging over a chair. The room still smelled of dust and old smoke. He had locked the door and put the chain in place. His phone sat on the table, silent. For the first time in days, the room felt almost safe.

A soft sound came from the door lock.

Ethan raised his head at once. His body went still. Every muscle tightened.

The lock clicked open. The door swung open hard and hit the wall with a loud sound. The chain snapped and fell to the floor with a metallic rattle.

Ten men rushed into the small room. They wore black masks that covered their faces. Some held heavy baseball bats. Two held long knives that shone under the weak light. One carried a thick metal pipe. Their boots made heavy sounds on the floor as they spread out and filled the space.

"Damien Kane sends his regards," the leader said in a rough voice. He stood in the middle of the group. "He wants you dead before the sun rises. No mistakes this time. No survivors. Make it look like a robbery that went wrong. Break him first. Then finish it."

Ethan stood up slowly from the bed. His face stayed calm. His hands hung loose at his sides. "Only ten of you?"

The leader laughed. The sound was cold and full of confidence. "Cocky until the end. Kill him. Make it hurt. Start with the legs so he cannot run."

The men charged forward as one. The first bat swung toward Ethan's head. A knife flashed from the side. The metal pipe came from behind in a wide arc.

[War God Template - full power for ten minutes.]

[Activated.]

Power flooded Ethan's body again like a river of fire. The world around him slowed down. He could see every movement. He could hear every breath. His muscles filled with strength that did not belong to a normal man. The pain in his body disappeared completely.

The first baseball bat swung toward his head. Ethan ducked under it and drove his fist hard into the man's ribs. Bone cracked under his knuckles. The man dropped with a scream and did not get up. The bat rolled across the floor.

A knife flashed toward his side. Ethan caught the wrist, twisted hard, and used the man's own speed to throw him into two others. All three men fell in a heap on the floor. One of them groaned and tried to stand. Ethan kicked him once in the chest. He stayed down and did not move again.

The metal pipe came next with a loud whoosh. Ethan stepped inside the swing and hit the attacker hard in the throat with the side of his hand. The man choked and fell to his knees, unable to breathe. The pipe rolled across the floor and hit the wall.

The remaining men hesitated for the first time. Their eyes showed fear through the holes in their masks. One of them stepped back toward the broken door. Another raised his bat but did not swing.

"What is he?" one of them whispered. "This is not normal."

Ethan moved through them like a shadow. Every punch landed clean and hard. Every kick found its target. He did not waste movement. In less than three minutes, nine men lay on the floor, groaning or fully unconscious. Blood from a cut lip mixed with sweat on one man's mask. Another held his broken arm and cried out in pain. A third tried to crawl toward the door and failed.

Only the leader remained standing. He held a knife in a shaking hand and backed toward the open door. His breath came fast. The knife shook in the air. Sweat ran down the side of his neck.

"Who are you?" the leader asked, his voice full of fear. "What are you? Damien said you were weak. He said you were nothing. He said this would be easy."

Ethan walked toward him with calm steps. His breathing was steady. His eyes were cold. "Tell Damien this is the last warning. Next time I come for him myself. No more games. No more men in masks. No more nights like this."

The leader turned and ran out the door as fast as his legs could carry him. His boots slipped on the hallway floor. He did not look back. The sound of his running faded down the corridor.

Ethan did not chase him.

He looked at the men on the floor of his room. Some were still moving. Some were not. He walked to the broken door and looked out into the hallway. Empty. The emergency light flickered at the end of the corridor. No other guests came out. The night stayed quiet.

He called the hotel security desk first. Then he called the police. His voice was calm and clear as he gave a statement of what happened. He told them the men had broken in. He told them he had defended himself. He did not mention the system. He did not need to.

Cameras in the hallway had recorded everything from start to finish. The police would see it soon. The evidence was already there.

When the police left with the injured men, the room was empty and quiet again. The door hung open on one hinge. The chain lay on the floor. Blood spots marked the carpet near the bed. The smell of sweat and fear still hung in the air.

Ethan sat back on the bed. His breathing was steady and calm. The power from the system slowly faded, but the strength still sat under his skin. He looked at his hands. No shaking. No fear. Only control.

The system screen appeared in front of him.

[Ambush survived.]

[Reward: Combat mastery increased.]

[New mission: Destroy Damien Kane's remaining power.]

Ethan looked at the dark window and the city beyond it. Lights still shone across the skyline. Somewhere out there, Damien was waiting for news that Ethan was dead.

He would not get that news.

Ethan spoke quietly to the empty room.

"Next target. Damien Kane himself."