Chapter 2 The Price Of a Bastard

Ares stared at the glowing blue words floating in the dark air. His breathing was shallow, each gasp drawing in the foul smell of the rainy alley. He did not understand this magic, but he understood survival.

"Bind," Ares commanded, his voice barely a whisper against the sound of the pouring rain.

The blue screen flashed once and disappeared. Immediately, a wave of cold energy rushed through his chest.

The sharp, agonizing pain in his ribs began to fade, settling into a dull ache. The energy moved to his legs, giving him just enough strength to push himself up off the wet ground.

As he stood up, his head suddenly throbbed violently. A massive wave of foreign memories crashed into his mind, forcing him to lean against the brick wall of the alley.

He saw faces he did not know, heard voices shouting insults, and felt a deep, constant fear that did not belong to him.

He was experiencing the life of Ares Vane. This mortal was twenty-five years old, the illegitimate son of a massive, wealthy family that ruled the city.

The original Ares had been weak, terrified, and treated like a dog by his own relatives. Julian had beaten him regularly, and his father had completely ignored his existence.

Ares shook his head, clearing away the memories. "A pathetic life," Ares muttered to himself, stepping out of the alley and onto the main street. "But this body is mine now."

He walked through the crowded streets of Manhattan. The sights around him were completely baffling to a god. Massive towers of steel and glass stretched high into the grey clouds.

Thousands of bright, artificial lights flashed from giant screens attached to the buildings. People hurried past him, completely wrapped in their own worlds, holding small glowing blocks in their hands.

There was no magic in the air. There were no divine beasts or floating palaces.

Ares focused his mind on the strange voice from earlier.

The blue screen appeared in his vision once again, completely invisible to the people walking past him. He read through the lines of text, analyzing the rules of this new power.

The system informed him that his divine strength was completely locked. To unlock his past abilities, he needed to earn something called Conflict Points. He could only gain these points by engaging in battles, defeating enemies, and forcing others to submit to his will.

Ares smiled, a cold look crossing his face. "Conflict is my domain. This will be simple."

Before he could explore the system further, a large black car pulled up to the side of the road right next to him.

Two large men in heavy coats stepped out of the vehicle. They did not say a word. They simply grabbed Ares by his arms, forcing him into the back seat of the car before driving away into the traffic.

The car stopped in front of a massive, heavily guarded estate. The guards dragged Ares through the wide front doors and threw him into a large, brightly lit study.

Julian Vane sat on a long couch, sipping a drink. At the large desk stood a tall, older man with grey hair and a severe face. This was Charles Vane, the patriarch of the family.

"You survived," Julian said, looking at Ares with a slight frown. Ares did not answer. He simply stood tall, his posture straight and calm. Charles Vane looked up from his papers, his cold eyes scanning his bastard son.

He felt a slight chill from the way Ares was looking back at him, but he quickly brushed the feeling aside.

"It does not matter," Charles said, his voice flat and businesslike. "You are here because you finally have a single use to this family. You are getting married today."

"Married?" Ares asked, keeping his voice steady.

"Yes," Charles replied, walking around the desk. "The Sterling Financial Group is fighting our takeover. To stop their resistance, we have forced a contract marriage between you and their heiress, Vivienne Sterling.

She thinks she is using you to keep us at bay, but you will be our eyes inside her company."

"And if I refuse?" Ares asked.

Julian laughed, leaning forward. "If you refuse, you will not leave this estate alive. You are a puppet, Ares. You will sign the papers, marry the girl, and do exactly what we tell you to do."

Ares looked at his father and his half-brother.

He could easily see through their pathetic schemes. To them, he was a sacrificial lamb, a tool to be discarded when the war was over. But to Ares, this marriage was a perfect opportunity to step into the center of the conflict.

"Fine," Ares said softly. "I will marry her."

An hour later, Ares was pushed into a small, private dressing room inside a grand church. He wore a simple black suit that the guards had forced him into.

The doors opened, and a woman walked into the room.

Vivienne Sterling was stunning. She was tall and slender, her long black hair contrasting sharply with her pale skin. She wore a beautiful white wedding gown, but her face was completely frozen in an expression of pure contempt. She looked at Ares as if he were dirt beneath her shoes.

"Let us get one thing straight, Ares Vane," Vivienne said, her voice cutting through the quiet room like ice. "This marriage is a business transaction. You are a tool for your family, and you are a shield for mine. You will not touch me, you will not speak to me unless necessary, and you will stay completely out of my life."

Ares did not look angry. He slowly walked closer to her, his movements smooth and confident. He looked down into her fierce eyes, recognizing something familiar.

Beneath her cold, arrogant exterior, there was the spirit of a true warrior. She was fighting for her survival, just like he was.

A dark crimson light flashed in Ares's eyes for a brief second, too fast for her to truly see.

"A puppet?" Ares murmured, a small smile appearing on his lips. "We will see about that, wife."

Vivienne frowned, stepping back. She felt a sudden, inexplicable weight in the air around him, a pressure that made it hard for her to breathe.

Before she could demand an explanation, the heavy church bells began to ring outside the room, signaling the start of the ceremony.

"It is time," she said coldly, turning her back on him and walking toward the main hall.

At that exact moment, a sharp ringing echoed directly inside Ares’s head, and the blue screen flared to life in his vision.

[Target 'Vivienne Sterling' showing high emotional turbulence. Subjugation Quest Activated: Conquer the Ice Queen. Reward: 500 Conflict Points. Warning: Assassination

aura detected within 1,000 yards.]