Ares stood at the edge of the conquered outpost, watching embers smolder in the fire pit.
Ash spiraled upward in thin gray ribbons—smoke signals to gods who no longer listened.
If gods had ever existed, they had long abandoned this world.
So he would take their place.
Behind him, Octavia paced restlessly, still drunk on the rush of battle. Kael crouched at the treeline, a silent predator, blood drying black on his forearms. Monroe and Miller scavenged the field, piling weapons and armor into neat stacks.
Clarke knelt over a map, spreading it across a flat rock. Her brow furrowed, pencil moving fast.
"They're retreating," she said. "You rattled them."
"They'll rally," Ares replied. "The Grounders never stop. They adapt."
She met his gaze.
"You want them to."
He didn't deny it.
SYSTEM NOTICE:
Strategic Opportunity Identified
New Mission:Smoke and Teeth – Phase Two
Optional Objective: Interrogate captured Grounder commander for tribal intel and supply routes.
They hadn't returned to Camp Drakon.
Not yet.
Ares ordered a hold. The outpost would serve as a message: This ground belongs to the sky now.
The captured commander lay unconscious in the central lean-to, tied to a support beam. His breathing was shallow. His pride would hurt worse than his wounds when he woke.
Perfect.
Octavia threw a rag into the fire, eyes hard.
"You think he'll talk?"
Ares watched the flames climb.
"If he doesn't, I'll break him until he does."
"And if he dies?"
"Then I'll find someone who won't."
By nightfall, the camp was secure. Traps reset. Watches assigned. The team rotated shifts.
Ares didn't rest.
He stood at the perimeter, eyes on the dark trees.
Clarke joined him, arms wrapped against the cold. Her gaze drifted to the prisoner.
"You're not worried about pushing them too far?"
"I'm counting on it."
"You're using pressure to expose weakness."
He nodded.
"And once I find it, I'll tear it open."
Clarke exhaled.
"You scare me sometimes."
"You should."
Her lips quirked.
"And yet I'm still here."
Bond Update – Clarke Griffin
Emotional Sync: 84 %
Behavioral Reflection: Subject now mirrors Host's aggression under tactical stress.
Command Efficiency: +10 % coordination for bonded allies when Clarke issues battlefield orders.
At dawn, the Grounder captain woke.
He tried to speak, but his tongue was swollen. Ares crouched in front of him, offering a waterskin—no kindness, just calculation.
The Grounder drank, spat blood, glared.
"I'm not here to ask questions," Ares said. "I'm here to give you one chance. Talk, and you walk away."
The man hissed something in Trigedasleng.
Ares sighed.
"You're a captain. You know how this ends."
He stepped behind the man and, without warning, pressed down hard—snapping the collarbone clean.
The Grounder's scream tore through the clearing.
SYSTEM ALERT:
Psychological Intimidation Successful
Resistance Threshold Lowered.
New Trait Gained:Voice of Command — Ares's presence alone weakens enemy resolve when isolated.
The man talked.
He gave names. Camps. Commanders. The positions of food caches and supply chains.
And one name more dangerous than the rest.
Lexa.
"She knows," the scout rasped. "She calls you Drakon. Says you broke the balance."
Ares's voice was quiet.
"I didn't break it. I just stopped pretending it wasn't already shattered."
Intel Acquired:
Lexa's clan has begun rallying regional leaders.
Predicted strike window: 2 weeks.
System Prompt:
Preemptive Disruption Suggested.
[Accept Mission Chain: YES]
That evening, they returned to Camp Drakon.
Clarke, Octavia, Bellamy, Kael, Atom, Monroe—all core units assembled around the fire.
The captured intel map spread between them.
"We don't wait for their Commander to strike," Ares said. "We dismantle her army before it marches."
Bellamy frowned.
"So… offense?"
"No," Ares said. "Dominance. We burn their food. Cripple their weapons. Shatter morale before they ever reach our walls."
Octavia leaned forward, eyes alive.
"When do we start?"
Ares looked east, where smoke still lingered on the horizon.
"Tomorrow. At dawn."
New Campaign Activated: Operation Ashwalk
Objective Chain: Conquer or destabilize three Grounder outposts before Lexa's strike.
Bonus: Successful completion unlocks hidden evolution traits for bonded allies.
That night, Ares sat alone in his tent, the low hum of the system flickering at the edge of his mind.
CURRENT STATS — LEVEL 6
Strength: 14
Agility: 13
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 13
Charm: 15
Attribute Points: 6
Skill Points: 3
Passive Aura:Command of the Crown — When Ares enters battle first, all allies gain +10 % morale and -10 % fear for 60 seconds.
He closed the interface and looked at the map again—the red circles of enemy strongholds. Each one a future conquest. Each one a stepping stone to empire.
He didn't sleep.
Kings didn't rest before war.
They watched the horizon, and dreamed of fire.
Because if gods had forsaken the Earth—
Ares Drakon intended to replace them.