Lord Of Beasts

After watching the hooded man sink into the ground, Ethan slowly turned towards Elara. She turned to him at almost the same moment, and the two simply stared at each other.

"..."

Neither of them knew what to say.

That hadn’t gone how either of them had expected.

The man was clearly a Titled, a strange one at that. One minute he was pretending Ethan had nearly knocked his organs out, the next he was casually insulting them before phasing into the ground like some kind of ghost.

Ethan scratched the back of his neck.

"No wonder it felt like I didn’t actually hit him," he muttered.

Elara’s gaze remained fixed on the patch of pavement where he’d disappeared. Her fists slowly tightened, and crimson mana flickered instinctively around her fingers.

It was clear that she wanted to give chase.

She could very easily blast a giant hole in the ground and search for him, but who’s to say he wasn’t long gone by now? It also wasn’t worth the trouble, since Ethan already knew what needed to be done.

"Don’t worry, I’ll sort it out."

She looked at him, and though on the outside he appeared calm, she could see the blazing flames in his eyes.

Ethan lit a cigarette and exhaled deeply.

’Those bastards really think it’s fine to spy on me and my family. I don’t care even if this Cyclops guy is an S Rank, he’s got something coming for him if he thinks he can fuck with the people I care about because of Mace or that cash he gave me.’

He took another puff, smiling slightly.

’It’s like that ugly fucker is haunting me from beyond the grave.’

Ethan thought back to the headless corpse he had left in that UFC arena and reminded himself of the whole reason he had killed him.

’No loose ends.’

Leaving anything that could come back to bite him, especially people with grudges, was like asking for danger. And now that he had rekindled his relationship with his family and had his life on track, he wasn’t going to let anyone or anything ruin it.

’Which means I’ve got a one-eyed man to visit.’

But that could wait for the time being.

Elara, on the other hand, wasn’t as patient and could see through what Ethan was trying to hide. She was still seriously considering blasting a hole through the street to try to drag out that mysterious man.

Ethan gently caught her wrist, and she looked back at him.

"We’re not finding him now."

She glanced back at the pavement one last time before reluctantly relaxing.

’Cyclops...’

The name lingered in Ethan’s mind, and even though Kaela had warned that he was dangerous, he wasn’t afraid in the slightest. There was no fear when it came to fighting for your loved ones, and Ethan didn’t feel fear regardless.

’I’ll ask that alcoholic about him again the next time I see her.’

His eyes narrowed slightly.

’And I should probably grind before meeting him.’

Everything was pointing Ethan to getting stronger and was reminding him that he still had a long way to go, as if the world itself was offering him guidance.

’I’d be an idiot not to take the hint.’

But that could wait.

"We’ve just survived a Gate that felt like it lasted months."

He let out a tired laugh.

"I think we’ve earned one peaceful evening."

Elara studied him for a moment before giving a small nod.

"Okay."

It was only a single word, but hearing her speak so naturally made Ethan smile all over again.

’I wasn’t the only one who changed a lot in that gate.’

He studied her as well, both of them lost in each other’s eyes. Elara snapped out of it, getting flustered, which just made him laugh. Then his gaze drifted towards the unconscious reporters and curious onlookers scattered across the front garden and pavement.

There were people everywhere.

Some were sprawled over flowerbeds, while others had somehow collapsed across the driveway. One poor reporter was still hugging a microphone and standing upright despite being completely unconscious.

Ethan rubbed his forehead while sighing.

"But first... We’ve got to get this shit cleaned up."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, which he barely used. He would’ve used the Association smartwatch instead, but unfortunately, it no longer existed. His final clash with the Golden Flutterer hadn’t just obliterated his right arm; it had vaporised everything attached to it.

The watch had been incredibly durable, surviving impacts that would’ve shattered steel. But durability meant little when exposed to flames so impossibly hot that they had seemed to melt even condensed mana itself.

He navigated to his contacts and called one of the handful of numbers already programmed into the device, using the phone like an old man.

The line connected instantly, without even a single ring.

’Around-the-clock service, huh?’

Remembering Harold’s words aboard the aircraft, Ethan didn’t bother introducing himself.

’Let’s see if the old man was serious about fulfilling requests.’

He spoke plainly.

"I need some of those black suits."

The calm voice on the other end answered immediately.

"What for, Mr Crowe?"

"Clear the people away from this place."

His eyes slowly swept over the unconscious crowd in the area.

"And make sure nobody keeps hanging around here."

There was a brief pause.

"Understood."

Just like that, the call ended without any questions or confirmation of identity.

Ethan slipped the phone back into his pocket.

’They’re definitely tracking this thing.’

He wasn’t exactly thrilled by that thought, but if it kept unwanted idiots away from the people he cared about, he could tolerate it.

At least for now.

Less than a minute later, the distant growl of engines echoed down the street.

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

’No way...’

Three sleek black SUVs rolled around the corner before stopping with military precision outside the house. The doors opened in perfect unison, and over a dozen black-suited Association personnel stepped out.

Without wasting a second, they immediately began lifting the unconscious civilians Ethan had knocked out with Absolute Suppression into the vans that arrived soon after. It was similar to those blacked-out ambulances that Titled were transported in.

Some checked pulses, others contacted emergency services, and several more established a perimeter around the area. Their movements were so coordinated it barely looked human and resembled a perfectly rehearsed drill.

’That’s quicker than the cops.’

He honestly wasn’t sure how to feel about it, his gaze lingering on them for a moment.

’Useful... but creepy as shit.’

One of the black suits broke away from the others and approached him, carrying a small reinforced box. He stopped at a respectful distance before opening it, revealing the brand-new Association smartwatch within.

"We were instructed to deliver this alongside your payment," the man explained politely. "But you departed from the headquarters before we could."

Ethan stared at it for a second.

’Already replaced...’

He put on a strained smile.

"Thanks, I guess."

Taking the watch, he slipped it onto his wrist, and it automatically tightened to fit before illuminating. A quiet chime sounded as the device connected, and let’s just say it wasn’t the best feeling.

Ethan flexed his fingers experimentally, but it wasn’t physical discomfort that he was feeling.

Meanwhile, the black suit remained standing there like a soldier at his service.

"Is there anything else you require?"

Ethan shook his head before waving him away.

"Just make sure nobody else disturbs me or those around me, otherwise next time I can’t guarantee that they’ll only be knocked out."

The man nodded once.

"Understood."

And just like that, Ethan’s encounter with the unusual man had ended, though he had a feeling that they would meet again...

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