My Ares Son-in-Law

The metal plaque swayed gently in the wind, making a creaking sound, as if the land itself was groaning in pain.

This is a desolate, lifeless world, a corner completely forgotten by time.

There was no sign of life around, no birdsong, no insect chirping, only the whistling wind echoing in my ears, like the sigh of death.

"Well, this is it."

Xiao Chen's voice was calm and still, like a bottomless lake without a ripple.

The horrifying scene before him seemed like nothing more than an ordinary landscape, unable to stir any emotion within him.

He calmly got out of the car and slammed the door shut, the sound of which was particularly loud in the quiet environment.

He didn't look at the driver again, as if the driver was just a passerby in his life, not worth his attention at all.

He walked straight toward the massive, rusted iron gate, each step firm and powerful, as if challenging fate.

His silhouette stood out against the backdrop of wild grass, appearing exceptionally upright, like an unyielding mountain peak.

However, his upright figure also carried a sense of isolation, as if he were cut off from the world and bearing everything alone.

He walked step by step toward the shadowy place that seemed to be deliberately avoided by the sunlight, as if walking toward an unknown abyss, but he did not hesitate or retreat in the slightest.

The taxi driver seemed to wake up from a terrible nightmare, as if he had been granted a pardon. Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking his clothes.

His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, his eyes filled with fear and relief.

He reversed abruptly, the tires screeching wildly over the gravel and overgrown weeds on the ground.

The gravel crackled and splintered under the tires, the weeds were torn apart with a rustling sound, and the tires rubbed violently against the ground, producing a piercing squeak, as if it were a painful wail.

He quickly turned the steering wheel and made a U-turn, his movements frantic and urgent, as if some terrifying monster was chasing him.

Immediately afterwards, he floored the accelerator, and the dilapidated car let out a muffled roar, darting back in the direction it had come from like a startled rabbit.

The car sped along the bumpy road, kicking up a trail of dust that resembled a giant yellow dragon following closely behind.

Soon, the car disappeared at the end of the desolate road, leaving only silence and the gradually dissipating dust.

This desolate, abandoned factory area, seemingly a corner forgotten by the world, now only has the presence of Xiao Chen, a living person.

Everything around was immersed in an eerie silence. There was no wind, no insect chirping, only the occasional faint metallic scraping sound coming from who-knows-where, which added to the terrifying atmosphere.

Xiao Chen walked calmly to the huge, rusty iron gate and stopped.

A cold, rusty smell wafted over, carrying an old and decaying scent, as if it were the marks left by time.

He did not try to budge the heavy iron chains and locks; the steel seemed to be the last guardians of this abandoned factory, hard and stubborn.

He simply raised his right hand slowly, the movement elegant and composed, his five fingers spread out like an eagle about to take flight.

Then, he gently placed his hand on the cold, rough iron door covered with reddish-brown rust.

At that moment, his palm pressed tightly against the iron gate, as if engaging in a mysterious dialogue with the cold steel. "Buzz..."

A very deep, resonant sound, as if from the depths of the earth, spread silently from the center of his palm.

This sound is not a physical sound that travels through the air; it is more like a vibration of energy, a resonance with a peculiar frequency.

It spread like an invisible wave in the surrounding air, making the air seem distorted.

Then, a horrifying scene happened.

The heavy iron chain, which was wrapped several times, as thick as an adult man's wrist, and so rusted that it was almost integrated into the gate, was softened as if it had been burned by an invisible high temperature!
It began to twist and deform silently, like a snake under a spell.

Dark red rust powder fell in a flurry, like a red snowfall, revealing a brief glimmer of dull metallic luster beneath.

The luster flashed by, then quickly turned red and softened under a higher "temperature," like wax being thrown into a furnace, slowly flowing down.

In just a few breaths, the thick iron chain that symbolized confinement mysteriously melted and disappeared under Xiao Chen's palm!

Only a few dark red metal fractures, smooth-edged from the intense heat, remained on the door frame, still emitting wisps of almost invisible heat.

The heat, like a ghost, drifted slowly through the air, as if recounting the terrifying scene that had just unfolded.

The enormous iron lock turned into a pool of dark red molten iron, which dripped onto the weeds and soil below with a "sizzle".

The moment the molten iron came into contact with the weeds and soil, it emitted a pungent odor, and then instantly cooled into an ugly lump of metal.

The lump of metal was like an evil mark left on this barren land.

What stood in the way seemed not to be thick steel, but a thin, fragile layer of ice.

Faced with Xiao Chen's mysterious power, this seemingly indestructible steel was destroyed so easily, as if it were a dreamlike scene.

Xiao Chen remained calm and slowly withdrew his hand.

His movements were light and natural, as if he had just done something insignificant.

Looking at his palm, it was so clean that it seemed as if he had never touched anything, not even a speck of dust, as if the rusty iron door did not exist within his reach.

His gaze remained indifferent, his deep eyes seemingly concealing endless secrets, yet also appearing uncaring about everything around him.

Then he extended two fingers, long and strong, which shimmered with a unique luster in the dim light.

He pushed gently, his movements unhurried, as if he were pushing not a heavy door, but a soft feather.

"Creak...ouch..."

A sickening, grinding sound, as if it came from the depths of hell, suddenly rang out.

The sound was sharp and piercing, like countless needles scraping across one's eardrums, giving one goosebumps.

The massive, heavy, rust-covered iron door, sealed for countless years, actually began to slowly move under the push of Xiao Chen's two fingers. (End of Chapter)