Pain. That was the first thing he felt. Not sharp, but deep—rooted in bone and blood.
Ares opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the bright, sterile light above. His head throbbed, and his vision blurred at the edges. He was… seated. A chair? Cold. Metal. His body slumped forward slightly.
'What happened?'
The moment he tried to remember, a wave of agony crashed through his skull.
Then it came back.
Kendrick. The lab. The experiment.
The screams.
Ares clenched his jaw until his teeth ached. "That bastard of a human…" he muttered under his breath. But then he paused. No… is he even human anymore? He shook the thought away. He didn't have the luxury to dwell on Kendrick. Not now.
His gaze lifted, and he took in the vast room around him—no, not a room. A hall. A city-sized coliseum.
There were others scattered around—lying, sitting, murmuring to themselves. At first glance, there couldn't have been more than forty, and yet the scale of the hall made them feel like ants in a cathedral built for titans. The white walls stretched so far out that the edges were blurred in haze, as though even reality had trouble keeping up with the place.
Some participants were asleep. Others stared blankly at the floor. And one man—smirking, smug—was fondling two women like it was a damn vacation.
Ares scowled. If Sylvie runs into that guy, she's going to rearrange his face.
Then he noticed it—far ahead at the center of the hall. A raised podium, grand and ominous. It resembled the one from the initial assembly but was magnified to an overwhelming scale.
Suddenly, mechanical whirring echoed through the air.
Ares tensed, eyes scanning the front—no, nothing there. But then movement caught his eye to the side.
Figures.
Eight of them emerged in sync from a hidden platform—four men and four women, dressed in high-contrast uniforms: black vests over white tactical trousers, polished black boots, and an unsettling air of authority.
Ares' gaze locked on one of them.
Kendrick.
Emotionless. Upright. Dead-eyed.
Ares' fists clenched as the memories surged again. Kendrick flicked his fingers with a devilish grin.
BZZZZZZZT!
An alarm blared. Participants startled awake. Murmurs exploded into chaos.
"What's going on?!"
"Is this another damn experiment?!"
"Finally," came a cocky voice from the back, "some fun."
A soldier approached Kendrick, trembling, and handed him a mic before bolting away.
"Testing, testing," Kendrick said smoothly. "Well hello, maggots. Sleep well?"
Those who knew him stayed silent, heads low. They knew better.
"I bet some of you are wondering—" Kendrick suddenly shifted into a mocking high-pitched tone, "'Ugh, what's happening? My makeup's ruined! It's too hot in here!'"
Laughter from a few scattered participants. Gritted teeth from others—especially the women.
Then it happened.
"Hey! What right do you have to mock us like that?!" a woman shouted from the back, backed by others.
Kendrick stopped. Smiled politely. Too politely.
Then—
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
Five clean shots. Five bodies hit the ground.
Not Kendrick.
A silver-haired woman, cold as ice, lowered her smoking gun. Her sky-blue eyes gleamed with apathy.
She holstered the weapon. "Low-lives don't talk."
Silence. Deathly silence.
Kendrick beamed. "See? Much better. Now, where were we? Ah yes! We brought you all here. From different sectors, different labs. Welcome to the main event."
Ares' eyes widened. Different locations? He glanced at the person next to him, who mirrored his stunned expression.
"In total, we've gathered close to 200 participants," Kendrick said, proud of his own voice. "And this little dome you're in?" He paused, then grinned. "It's underwater."
Gasps.
Ares froze. So did several of the other Superiors.
Underwater?
A hulking man stepped forward and smacked Kendrick on the back.
THUD.
"Idiot. That was classified."
Kendrick rubbed his spine, pouting. "What? I was just having fun."
But the moment he turned back to the participants, his face twisted into something sinister. His eyes glowed.
Pressure.
Ares collapsed to one knee, choking on air. His heart pounded like it was trying to escape his chest.
All around him, participants dropped to the ground, gasping. The very air had become a weight.
"W-What... is this?" someone whimpered.
And just as suddenly—it stopped.
Kendrick gave a long, fake sigh. "So dramatic."
He turned away, gesturing lazily.
"Amelia, you're up."
A small girl with cotton-candy pink hair, shimmering star-like eyes, and a predator's smile stepped forward. Her presence sent a chill down Ares' spine.
To his left, a man started shaking uncontrollably.
She's dangerous, Ares thought grimly. Maybe even more than Kendrick…
Meanwhile, in Riverside…(The country they reside in)
Celeste stepped out of the grand marble hall, rolling her shoulders with a sigh.
"Damn. That took way too long."
The press conference had been a success. Her new technique was well-received, but she felt like her soul had been wrung out.
"You really outdid yourself," came a familiar voice.
She turned and smiled. "Not as much as clearing an S-class dungeon solo, Leon."
Her brother gave a crooked grin, brushing back his dark hair. His formal suit drew attention from nearby women, but Leon barely noticed.
Celeste punched him lightly on the chest.
"You were supposed to be busy."
"I made time. Couldn't miss my sister's big moment," he said, groaning at her punch. "Still hit like a hammer, though."
Before they could continue, an irritatingly familiar voice rang out.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Princess Mage herself."
Celeste groaned. "Not today…"
She turned lazily. "What do you want, Melissa Lionheed?"
Melissa strutted forward, hair flipping dramatically. Her loyal male attendant stayed behind her like a shadow.
"Just here to remind you that inventing a new technique doesn't make you special."
Leon opened his mouth, but Celeste raised a hand.
"You're right," she said.
Melissa blinked, surprised.
"But I don't do it for status. I do it to help people. You should try it sometime."
The crowd around them started to murmur.
Melissa's face flushed red. "Tch… Ice Arrow!"
A crystal arrow formed in her hand and launched forward. Leon moved instinctively, catching it mid-air.
He stepped forward, expression dark. "What the hell was that?"
Melissa frowned. "This is between mages. Stay out of it."
Celeste chuckled. "Even with your arrogance, I'm still shocked your family ranks second in the world."
Phones started recording. Melissa turned pale.
"L-Lady Melissa" her attendant whispered in panic. "The Master and Grand-Master just summoned you."
Melissa's blood ran cold. Her expression twisted before she stormed off, fuming.
Celeste laughed as she watched her drive away, then gave Leon another light punch.
"Thanks."
"What was that one for?"
"Just because," she said with a grin.
Later — Restville Avenue
Leon sat stiffly in the passenger seat. "Do we really have to visit him?"
"Yes," Celeste said flatly. "Linda asked me to check on him. He's been missing for days."
Leon muttered something under his breath, but she ignored him.
They arrived at the apartment and walked up the stairs.
"No answer?" Leon asked.
"Something's off," Celeste said, her instincts stirring.
She raised her hand, forming a blue circle in the air. A portal opened.
Inside, Ares' apartment was neat. Too neat.
She called out. No response.
Leon wandered into the room and picked something off the table.
A black card.
Celeste's eyes widened. She rushed over and snatched it from him. "This is the card I gave Ares..."
She pulled out her phone, opened the linked account. The money was untouched.
Leon looked worried. "He didn't use it?"
Celeste shook her head. "Something's wrong."
Leon stared at the card, heart sinking. "Something feels really, really wrong."