Lord Of Beasts

Ethan looked around the warehouse again, his gaze moving slowly across the strange machinery surrounding the suppressed Gate.

’I doubt these dumb hillbillies made this technology.’

His eyes drifted from one machine to another, taking in the cables, screens, metal frameworks, and unfamiliar equipment that had clearly been designed for a purpose far beyond anything the Aryan Brotherhood could have produced.

’And I seriously doubt they know how to make those drugs either.’

The Aryan Brotherhood might have money, weapons, and even Titled members.

But this?

This was something else entirely.

The more Ethan looked at the technology surrounding the Gate, the more obvious it became that these people were operating far beyond their apparent level of sophistication. Whatever was happening here, it wasn’t something a bunch of ordinary criminals had simply figured out on their own.

Even the Association didn’t seem capable of this.

Ethan smiled faintly.

’They’re just pawns working for that cult.’

His thoughts immediately returned to the strange man he’d encountered recently, whose abilities and beliefs had already given Ethan a glimpse into the organisation likely behind all of this.

’Just like that kangaroo lunatic.’

The more he thought about it, the more interesting this became.

There was clearly an organisation operating behind the scenes, one with access to technology capable of suppressing Gates, producing strange drugs, and apparently manipulating criminal groups like the Aryan Brotherhood.

And Ethan had somehow stumbled directly into the middle of it.

He couldn’t help smiling.

’This investigation stuff is quite fun after all.’

Ethan could understand why Holt enjoyed it so much.

There was something satisfying about pulling at one thread and discovering an entire web hidden underneath. One answer led to another question, and that question inevitably revealed something even bigger waiting behind it.

Of course, there was always one problem.

Investigations tended to carry risks, and Ethan had just discovered something that whoever was responsible clearly didn’t want anyone to find.

His smile remained, but his eyes slowly shifted.

He could feel someone.

Ethan slowly turned his head.

’Someone’s here.’

He could sense them.

His heightened senses had been overwhelmed by the Gate for several moments, its powerful mana signature filling the warehouse and making it difficult to distinguish anything else nearby. Even then, however, the presence hadn’t completely escaped him.

Someone had been watching him.

Ethan smiled.

”Why don’t you come out?”

For several seconds, there was nothing.

The warehouse remained silent except for the low hum of the machinery surrounding the Gate.

Then...

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

The sound echoed through the warehouse.

Ethan looked upward.

A figure slowly descended from the darkness above.

She had been hanging from the ceiling, concealed against the shadows and watching him ever since he’d entered the warehouse. She had remained completely motionless, hiding herself so effectively that an ordinary person would never have realised she was there.

Even with the overwhelming mana signature of the Gate surrounding him, however, Ethan had still been able to pick up on her presence.

The woman landed lightly on the floor.

She was tanned, with an alluring physique that combined athletic definition with a striking femininity. Her body carried the toned appearance of someone accustomed to physical combat, while her fitted clothing allowed unrestricted movement without sacrificing the mysterious appearance she seemed to cultivate.

The lower half of her face was hidden behind a dark mask, but it was her eyes that immediately caught Ethan’s attention. They were narrow, slitted, and almost unnervingly similar to those of a snake.

She slowly looked him over, studying him from head to toe before finally speaking.

”Beast Man.”

Her voice was smooth, almost serpent-like as the words left her lips.

”Ethan Crowe.”

She took another step forward.

”Enforcer.”

Her slitted eyes narrowed slightly.

”I’ve heard of you.”

Ethan casually reached into his pocket.

”I’m quite a famous guy now.”

He pulled out a cigarette.

The woman watched him with mild curiosity as he placed it between his lips and lit it with his index finger, the small flame briefly illuminating his face before disappearing.

She remained completely relaxed, and so did Ethan.

For the moment, neither appeared particularly interested in attacking the other.

The woman began walking closer.

Her movements were smooth and deliberate, almost unnaturally graceful, with every step carrying a strange fluidity that only made the comparison to a snake more apparent.

She stopped only a few steps away.

Ethan looked directly into her eyes, and something about them felt wrong.

Not just physically, but deeper.

He could feel something attempting to press against his mind, a subtle influence that was almost impossible for an ordinary person to notice.

Ethan’s expression didn’t change.

Instead, he exhaled a slow stream of smoke directly into her face.

”Whatever hypnosis you’re trying...”

He smiled.

”...it won’t work on me.”

”What?!”

For the first time, the woman’s composure cracked.

Her eyes widened, and she instinctively stepped backwards as though the revelation had genuinely caught her off guard.

Ethan laughed quietly.

”Haven’t you heard?”

He took another drag.

”Beasts are resistant to that kind of thing.”

He couldn’t help smiling to himself, but internally he was beyond relieved.

’Thank fuck for Beast Resistance.’

The passive skill was proving rather useful, and had saved his ass for the second time. Meanwhile, the woman stared at him for several seconds, clearly processing what had just happened.

Then, slowly, she regained her composure.

”I know that now.”

Despite her failed hypnosis, she didn’t appear frightened.

If anything, she looked intrigued.

That alone told Ethan a lot about her.

’She’s strong and smart.’

After discovering that one of her abilities didn’t work on him, she wasn’t panicking or attempting to retreat. That meant she still had confidence in whatever else she could do and was still trying to gauge her opponent.

Ethan casually took another drag from his cigarette.

”So...”

His tone became almost conversational.

”You’re part of that cult the kangaroo dude was part of.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed.

”And you believe you’re blessed and chosen by God?”

She remained silent.

”You’re waiting for some Messiah to come back too, right?”

A faint smile appeared beneath her mask.

Ethan tilted his head.

”And what does being a vessel mean to you?”

That got a reaction.

Her smile and posture remained relaxed, but her eyes shook slightly, almost as if impressed and unsettled. But once again it didn’t seem like he was going to get the answer he was looking for about the mystery behind their Titles.

Either way, one thing was clear: Ethan knew far more than he should have.

The woman finally spoke.

”That pesky Bloodhound was looking into us.”

Her voice was quieter now.

”And now they have you on our case.”

Ethan laughed.

”Oh, Holt.”

He shook his head.

”Yeah, he sucks.”

The woman stared at him.

Ethan’s smile widened.

”But unlike Holt...”

He flicked some ash from the end of his cigarette, watching the glowing ember fall towards the concrete floor.

”I don’t investigate.”

He looked directly into her slitted eyes.

”I prefer to get answers after beating the shit out of the target. That’s the new Enforcement Unit’s style.”

The woman remained still.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then her eyes narrowed.

”Is that so?”

Ethan smiled.

”Yep.”

The air between them seemed to change.

Their casual conversation had ended and gave way to their inevitable clash.

The woman’s body subtly shifted, her relaxed posture becoming slightly more prepared as her weight settled into a stance that suggested she could move at any moment.

Ethan’s mana began gathering around him.

The warehouse suddenly felt much smaller and more tense.

Behind them, the suppressed Gate continued humming quietly, surrounded by machinery that concealed a secret powerful enough to threaten far more than the people standing inside this room.

Ethan took one final drag from his cigarette.

Then slowly exhaled.

The mysterious woman lowered herself slightly, her serpentine eyes never leaving his.

Neither needed to say what came next...