Chapter 268: The Lord of Beasts Becomes a Servant

Chapter 268: Chapter 268: The Lord of Beasts Becomes a Servant

Outside Barrier, the S-Rank Awakeners stood frozen behind the transparent violet barrier, their attention fixed on the enormous crater that had appeared in the middle of the chamber.

They had witnessed the golden flashes, heard the thunderous impacts, and felt the shock waves hammer against the barrier, but the actual movements of the combatants had been almost entirely beyond their perception. Whenever they attempted to follow Varkhazan, they caught only fleeting streaks of golden light; whenever they tried to locate Ares, they discovered that he was already standing somewhere else, as though the battle were taking place across several moments that their senses could not properly distinguish.

Park Tae-hyun stared into the crater, his face drained of color.

"What... what did we just witness? I couldn’t even follow their movements, and I’m an S-Rank Awakener. All I saw were flashes of light crossing the chamber, followed by explosions powerful enough to shake the entire castle."

Lee Min-jae swallowed hard, unable to tear his eyes away from Ares.

"I couldn’t see the actual exchange at all. One moment Varkhazan was attacking, and the next, his fist was caught. How are we supposed to understand a battle when neither the speed nor the force of the movements is something we can even perceive?"

Yoon Ha-eun’s expression had become unusually grave.

"That transformation increased Varkhazan’s speed to a level where even our enhanced perception was rendered practically useless, but Tae-ho was still following him effortlessly. The fact that we couldn’t see what happened doesn’t mean their movements were invisible; it means the difference between their combat speed and our ability to perceive it is simply too great."

Kang Ji-hoon looked toward the crater, his hands tightening at his sides.

"Even a National Awakener shouldn’t possess physical capabilities of this magnitude merely through conventional reinforcement. I’ve seen the strongest Awakeners in South Korea unleash extraordinary abilities, but what we’re witnessing here goes beyond anything I could reasonably compare to their power."

Soo-jin glanced toward the barrier as another wave of displaced air struck its surface, causing faint ripples to spread across the violet light.

"And the barrier is still standing," she pointed out, her voice betraying the unease she could no longer conceal. "That impact was powerful enough to destroy a substantial portion of the throne room, yet the barrier hasn’t developed a single visible crack. Whatever Tae-ho used to create it, the structure is enduring shock waves that would have demolished ordinary defensive formations."

Ji-hoon slowly turned toward the enormous crater again.

"What kind of power does he possess?" he murmured. "Is he a god or something? Because I cannot imagine even a National Awakener demonstrating this level of physical dominance, much less controlling a battle of this magnitude without showing any signs of exhaustion."

No one answered.

The question had settled over them with an uncomfortable weight, because each of them had begun to understand that the man they knew as Yoon Tae-ho was operating on a level that their existing classifications could not adequately describe.

Inside the crater, Varkhazan finally managed to move.

His golden aura had diminished considerably, and the luminous patterns beneath his skin flickered unevenly as he struggled to draw breath. Blood trickled from his mouth, several deep bruises had formed across his chest and shoulders, and the armor protecting his body had been reduced to fractured pieces that barely remained attached to his limbs.

The Lord of Beasts attempted to rise, only to find that his body no longer responded with the speed and strength he had possessed moments earlier.

Ares stood at the edge of the crater, looking down at him with the same relaxed expression he had maintained throughout the battle.

"Well, that was certainly more interesting," he remarked. "Your speed improved considerably, but you still haven’t managed to land a single hit."

Varkhazan lifted his head, his golden eyes trembling with anger and disbelief.

"How... how can you be so powerful?"

Ares did not answer immediately.

Instead, he looked toward the ruined chamber, the fractured floor, and the remnants of the throne that had once symbolized Varkhazan’s absolute authority over the domain. Then he returned his gaze to the battered monster, whose transformation had failed to accomplish anything beyond prolonging a battle that had never truly been in doubt.

"It’s time," Ares said.

Varkhazan’s expression tightened.

"What are you talking about?"

"It’s time to end this."

The Lord of Beasts forced himself upright, his legs trembling beneath his weight as he attempted to summon another surge of golden mana.

"Don’t underestimate me!" he shouted, although his ragged breathing betrayed the condition of his body. "I am still the Lord of Beasts, and I have not exhausted every ounce of my strength! You may have overwhelmed me in physical combat, but you have yet to witness the full extent of my authority!"

Ares regarded him with a faintly disappointed look.

"Arrogant."

He raised one hand.

Then he snapped his fingers.

"Heavens Collapse."

The words were quiet, almost conversational, yet the moment they left his lips, the entire throne room underwent a transformation that had nothing to do with ordinary mana manipulation.

A tremendous pressure descended upon the battlefield.

The golden light surrounding Varkhazan dimmed abruptly, and the mana circulating through the chamber began to tremble as though an invisible force had seized control of every particle of energy in the surrounding space. The cracks in the floor stopped spreading, the drifting rubble became suspended in midair, and the turbulent currents of mana that had filled the throne room were drawn toward Ares, converging around him in vast spiraling currents.

Above the shattered castle, the heavens seemed to darken.

A colossal, indistinct silhouette manifested beyond the boundaries of ordinary perception, its presence so immense that the surrounding space appeared to bend beneath its weight. Layers of celestial energy unfolded around the battlefield, each one carrying an authority that seemed to transcend the laws governing the world itself, while faint fractures of light spread across the air like cracks in the fabric of reality.

This was not merely an attack designed to destroy an opponent.

Heavens Collapse was a god-level spell that imposed Ares’s authority upon the battlefield, overwhelming the surrounding laws and forcing the space within its domain to acknowledge his supremacy.

Its power did not depend solely on destructive force. The spell could suppress the flow of mana, crush defensive barriers, destabilize spatial structures, and bring the very environment surrounding its target beneath the control of its caster. Against an ordinary enemy, its pressure alone could render resistance impossible; against a powerful existence, it could force their abilities to falter before the spell’s true destructive effect had even begun.

And Ares had activated it with nothing more than a snap of his fingers.

The violet barrier surrounding the throne room filled with blinding streams of celestial light, its transparent surface becoming a luminous enclosure around the battlefield. The energy flowing through it intensified, yet the barrier remained intact, containing the overwhelming pressure within the chamber while preventing even the smallest fragment of the spell’s destructive force from escaping into the surrounding castle.

Outside, the Hunters instinctively stepped backward.

Ha-eun raised an arm before her face as the light intensified, her expression revealing a mixture of confusion and fear.

"What is that power? I can’t even determine where the mana is coming from anymore. The entire chamber feels as though it has been swallowed by something far beyond an ordinary spell!"

Tae-hyun struggled to maintain his footing as the pressure washed over the barrier.

"Is that really something a human is allowed to possess? I’ve never heard of an ability that could make the surrounding space behave like this, much less one that could impose its presence over an entire battlefield!"

Min-jae stared at the celestial radiance with growing dread.

’What kind of existence have we been standing beside all this time? If this is only one of Tae-ho’s abilities, then how many others does he possess that we haven’t even begun to understand?’

Ji-hoon remained motionless, his eyes reflecting the immense light surrounding the throne room.

’Even the strongest National Awakeners would have difficulty confronting a power of this magnitude. This isn’t simply a matter of possessing more mana or having a stronger ability; whatever Tae-ho is using seems to operate on an entirely different level.’

The same realization was spreading among the others, although none of them could bring themselves to voice the full extent of their fear.

They had entered the castle believing they were confronting an exceptionally dangerous monster, only to discover that the human standing before it possessed power so extraordinary that their existing understanding of strength, authority, and combat had become almost meaningless.

Inside the barrier, Varkhazan felt the terror he had been suppressing finally break through his pride.

The golden light flowing through his body flickered, and the mana he attempted to gather dispersed before it could form a stable layer of protection. His instincts screamed at him to escape, but the pressure surrounding the battlefield had already begun to crush his ability to move freely, leaving him standing beneath a celestial presence that made his own authority feel like a dying ember.

’No... this cannot be happening.’

He stared at Ares, who remained perfectly composed amid the immense radiance.

’What is he? What kind of existence can command power like this without even appearing to exert himself?’

Ares lifted his gaze toward the darkened heavens, his expression serene as the celestial energy surrounding him continued to gather.

"Now then," he said, his voice carrying through the chamber with an unnatural clarity, "let’s see whether you can understand the difference between possessing power and standing above it."

The light intensified.

Ares spread his arms slightly, and the energy surrounding the battlefield responded as though the heavens themselves had been awaiting his command.

"Let the heavens lose their light, let the earth forget your name, and let everything beneath my shadow return to nothing... Eclipse."

The moment the final word left his lips, the entire barrier erupted in overwhelming radiance.

Every Hunter outside instinctively closed their eyes, unable to withstand the brilliance pouring through the transparent violet surface. For a brief instant, the world seemed to disappear beneath an immeasurable white light, and even the thunderous sounds of the ruined castle faded into an absolute silence that left no room for thought.

Then—

Nothing happened.

There was no explosion, no devastating shock wave, and no visible destruction spreading across the battlefield.

The silence simply remained.

Varkhazan, who had instinctively raised both arms to shield his face, slowly lowered them as he realized that he was still alive. His breathing came in short, uneven gasps while he cautiously opened his eyes, expecting to find himself buried beneath the remains of the castle or surrounded by the aftermath of a catastrophic attack.

Instead, he found Ares floating above the shattered ground.

The human’s figure was surrounded by an extraordinary manifestation of power, with several distinct forms of energy revolving around him like the celestial bodies of an impossible universe. Vast, translucent silhouettes appeared and disappeared behind his body, each one radiating a different kind of authority, while intricate patterns of light spread through the surrounding darkness like the structure of countless interconnected worlds.

For a fleeting moment, Varkhazan thought he could see the outline of an immense throne beyond Ares, a throne whose presence seemed to stretch across an endless expanse of space. Other shapes emerged within the radiance, some resembling enormous wings of light, others appearing like spiraling galaxies or the silhouettes of primordial beings whose existence seemed to precede the world itself.

He could not understand what he was seeing.

He could only feel the overwhelming authority behind it.

Then the manifestations vanished.

The celestial radiance receded, the oppressive pressure withdrew, and the battlefield returned to its previous state, leaving Ares descending slowly toward the ruined floor as though nothing extraordinary had occurred.

Varkhazan stared at him, his entire body trembling.

’N-No...’

Ares touched down and began walking toward him.

The Lord of Beasts immediately scrambled backward, dragging himself across the shattered stone until his back struck the remains of a broken pillar.

"N-No... don’t come any closer, you monster!"

Ares stopped, then tilted his head with mild amusement.

"Heh. Monster? I thought you were the Lord of Beasts."

Varkhazan’s expression crumpled.

"D-Don’t... please, spare me. I was wrong! I understand now that I cannot defeat you, and I have no desire to continue this battle. Just... just don’t kill me!"

The once-proud ruler dropped to his knees, lowering his head until his forehead touched the ground. His golden hair fell across his face, and his trembling hands pressed against the shattered stone as he abandoned the last remnants of the dignity he had defended so fiercely only moments earlier.

Ares looked down at him.

’Here we go again.’

He released a quiet sigh.

’This feels like déjà vu.’

The scene was remarkably familiar: another powerful creature brought to the brink of despair, another ruler who had mistaken overwhelming strength for invincibility, and another opponent who had discovered that surrender was preferable to confronting the full extent of Ares’s power.

For a moment, Ares considered simply ending the matter and moving on.

Then another possibility occurred to him.

"Why don’t you become my subordinate instead?"

Varkhazan slowly raised his head, his golden eyes widening with disbelief.

"Y-Your subordinate?"

"Yes." Ares folded his arms, looking down at the kneeling monster as though offering him a relatively ordinary proposition. "You possess considerable strength, and your domain appears to have been under your control for a long time. It would be wasteful to destroy you when I could put that power to better use."

Varkhazan stared at him, seemingly unable to comprehend that the same being who had overwhelmed him without exertion was now offering him a chance to survive.

"But... why would you allow someone who tried to kill you to serve beneath you?"

Ares’s smile widened slightly.

"Because I decide what happens to those who stand before me."

The answer left little room for negotiation.

"However, don’t mistake my offer for permission to betray me. If you accept my protection and become my subordinate, your loyalty will be absolute. Should you ever decide to turn against me, I will devour you until nothing remains, and I assure you that the consequences of betrayal will be far worse than anything you have experienced today."

As Ares spoke, a faint light ignited within his eyes.

It was not the ordinary glow of mana, nor was it the brilliant radiance of the spell he had just unleashed. The light carried a deeper, more unsettling quality, as though something vast and ancient had opened its eyes behind his gaze, observing Varkhazan with an authority that extended far beyond the boundaries of the ruined throne room.

The Lord of Beasts felt his soul tremble.

He lowered his head again, pressing his forehead against the ground as he surrendered the last of his resistance.

"I understand, my lord. I swear upon my existence that I will serve you faithfully, obey your commands without hesitation, and never raise my hand against you or act against your interests. From this moment onward, I acknowledge you as my new lord and master, and I pledge my strength, my authority, and my eternal loyalty to your will."

A faint golden sigil appeared over Varkhazan’s chest before sinking beneath his skin, binding the oath to his very existence.

Ares watched the process with an approving expression.

"Good."

Varkhazan remained kneeling, his head lowered.

Ares continued, "For now, I want you to hide inside my spatial domain. I’ll let you out later, once I’ve finished taking care of a few things."

"Y-Yes, Master," Varkhazan answered immediately.

Ares turned slightly, then paused as though remembering something important.

"Before that, there’s one more thing I need to do."

Varkhazan cautiously lifted his head.

"W-What is it, Master?"

"I’m going to give you a name."

The Lord of Beasts froze.

"A name?"

His eyes widened with astonishment, and for a moment, the terror on his face was replaced by something resembling disbelief.

"Are you certain, Master? You would grant me a name yourself?"

Ares gave him a brief, amused look.

"Of course. You do understand that receiving a name from me will allow you to gain greater power, don’t you?"

"Y-Yes, Master, but naming an existence of my level requires an extraordinary amount of energy, and the transformation could be—"

"From now on," Ares interrupted, "you will be called Zeus."

The name resonated through the chamber.

Varkhazan’s mouth opened slightly as the syllables entered his consciousness, settling into the deepest part of his existence with a weight that made his entire body tremble.

"Zeus..." he whispered. "I... I shall carry this name with honor, Master."

At that moment, Ares extended his hand.

A stream of Eclipse Power flowed from his fingertips and entered Zeus’s body, spreading through his veins like a current of primordial light. The energy penetrated his mana channels, enveloped his core, and reached the deepest foundations of his existence, where it began restructuring the power that had sustained him throughout his long reign.

Zeus’s body arched as the transformation took hold.

The remaining golden patterns beneath his skin brightened, then changed into intricate markings infused with a deeper, more profound radiance. His fractured armor dissolved into streams of light before reforming around his body, while the mana that had previously fluctuated under the strain of battle began circulating with astonishing stability.

The effects extended far beyond physical recovery.

His damaged body regenerated, the bruises across his chest vanished, and the fractures in his bones repaired themselves as Eclipse Power strengthened his physical constitution. His mana core expanded, its structure becoming denser and more refined, while the authority he possessed as the Lord of Beasts underwent a profound transformation that allowed him to wield his power with greater efficiency.

Yet the most significant change occurred within his very existence.

The naming process established a connection between Zeus and Ares, allowing the Eclipse Power to reshape his potential and elevate the foundations of his strength beyond the limitations imposed by his previous evolution. The power he had once struggled to control began responding more naturally to his will, and the golden light surrounding him acquired a new depth, interwoven with subtle traces of the primordial darkness that defined his new master’s authority.

Zeus fell forward, catching himself on both hands as the transformation reached its peak.

An immense wave of mana erupted from his body, filling the chamber with a brilliant golden radiance that gradually settled into a powerful, stable aura. The pressure he released was vastly greater than before, and the very air around him seemed to tremble beneath the renewed force of his existence.

Ares watched silently, his eyes glowing faintly as he examined the changes taking place.

For the first time since beginning the naming process, a trace of genuine surprise appeared in his expression.

’Interesting. The transformation has increased his strength far more than I initially anticipated.’

He studied Zeus’s newly stabilized core and the extraordinary density of his mana, observing how the Eclipse Power had integrated itself into the monster’s authority without destroying the essence that had defined him.

’His potential was considerably greater than his previous state suggested. With proper development, he may become far more useful than I expected.’

Ares lowered his hand as the remaining energy faded.

"All right, we’ll discuss your transformation later. For now, you should recover and remain inside my spatial domain until I call for you."

Zeus immediately bowed his head.

"Understood, Master. I shall await your command."

Ares snapped his fingers.

Space folded around Zeus, forming a dark, circular rift that swallowed the newly named subordinate in a single instant. The portal closed without a sound, leaving no trace of the Lord of Beasts behind, while the remaining golden radiance slowly faded from the ruined chamber.

Ares glanced once at the shattered throne, then turned toward the violet barrier separating him from the Hunters.

’Now, let’s see how much explaining I’ll have to do.’

With a faint smile, he began walking toward them.