Ethan followed the trembling informant through a hidden hatch on the floor of the village storehouse.

One Falcon stood guard over the bound accomplices, his rifle leveled at their heads, while Jason finalized the ambush positions. Falcon 2 and 3 sprinted toward the ridges, their silhouettes disappearing into the swirling snow to relocate the heavy birds.

Ethan descended a narrow, stone-carved staircase that reeked of damp earth and rot. As he reached the bottom, his flashlight cut through the oppressive gloom, revealing a long corridor lined with iron-barred cages.

It was a haunting sight. Dozens of women and young girls were huddled together on piles of straw. They were of varying ages and builds, but all shared two things in common: they were covered in grime and bruises, and despite their suffering, they possessed a striking, ethereal beauty that explained why they had been targeted.

As the light hit them, a wave of whimpering and gases erupted. They scrambled to the back of their cells, their eyes wide with the raw terror of those who believe their executioners have finally arrived.

"Easy! I'm here to get you out. Don't be afraid!" Ethan said, his voice echoing with a calm authority that seemed to steady the air.

He pulled the iron key from his pocket. It slid into the locks with a heavy, satisfying click. One by one, he threw the doors open.

"Go! Get to the surface. My men are waiting to protect you," Ethan said.

Nearly fifteen women rushed past him, sobbing with relief. "Are you the only ones?" Ethan asked.

"There are more... further down the tunnels. The men and the elders are kept in the deepest part!" one woman cried out before fleeing toward the stairs.

Ethan didn't hesitate. He pushed deeper into the darkness, the temperature dropping with every step. He reached a final, heavy gate and swung it open. Inside were the men—young boys and elders alike—but they weren't running. They were huddled in the corners, their faces gaunt, whispering a single word over and over like a prayer of the damned.

"Monster...monster..." they murmured.

"Is there anyone else? Is this everyone?" Ethan asked.

They didn't answer; they only pointed deeper into the darkness of a jagged passage at the back of the chamber. Ethan signaled for them to leave, watching as they scrambled out in a daze. Once the room was empty, he turned toward the passage, his flashlight beam narrowing as he stepped into the tunnel.

He felt a sudden, massive shift in the Qi of the room. It was heavy, predatory, and ancient.

Ethan rounded a corner, his lamp illuminating a vast underground cavern.

Rising from a mound of bones and frozen earth was a bear the size of a house. Its fur was matted with dried blood and frost, and its eyes—glowing with an unnatural, intelligent malice—fixed directly onto Ethan. Its massive, crystalline fangs glinted in the light, dripping with thick, dark saliva.

The beast didn't roar; it let out a low, vibrating growl that shook the very foundations of the tunnel.

"So, this is how they keep the 'stray' cargo from escaping," Ethan said, his hand slowly reaching for the hilt of his combat blade.

Outside, Falcon 2 reached the lead helicopter. Since it possessed the most significant firepower of the fleet, he had chosen it as his primary vehicle for the upcoming engagement. He vaulted into the cockpit and began the rapid startup sequence.

As the turbines began to whine, a shadow moved in the back of the cargo bay. A woman wrapped in a thermal blanket and tattered furs emerged from the darkness, a surgical scalpel gripped tightly in her hand.

"Who are you?!" Kira said, pointing the makeshift blade toward him.

Falcon 2 glanced over his shoulder, his hands never leaving the controls. "You must be the woman our leader rescued. Easy now. We're on the same side. There's no need to be afraid," Falcon 2 said.

"Where is the young Master?" Kira said.

"He's liberating the captives from the prisons—likely your friends and people. Now stay back. I have to move this bird and prepare for battle. Enemy reinforcements are coming, and they're powerful. We need to be ready," Falcon 2 said.

Kira's eyes widened. She looked at the open cargo ramp, then back at the pilot. Without a word, she sprinted toward the exit.

"Hey! Wait! It's dangerous out there, it's freezing!" Falcon 2 shouted.

But Kira didn't stop. She leapt from the ramp and ran at full speed toward the village center. She dodged the groups of weeping, freed captives who were emerging from the storehouse, pushing past them and diving into the dark tunnel entrance without a second thought, praying she wasn't too late.

Down in the depths, the massive bear exhaled a cloud of frost, its muscles coiling for a lethal strike. Ethan stepped back, his hand gripping his sidearm as he prepared to aim for the beast's glowing eyes.

"Sorry, big guy. You're just in the way," Ethan said.

Just as his finger tightened on the trigger, a frantic scream echoed through the cavern. Kira burst into the chamber, her voice raw as she shouted in an ancient, guttural dialect.

"Stop! Please!" Kira shouted, waving her arms to draw the bear's attention away from Ethan.

The bear froze, its massive head swinging toward her. The low growl in its chest shifted into a high-pitched, whining rumble, and for the first time, the malice in its eyes seemed to flicker.

"Kira? What the hell are you doing here?!" Ethan said.

"Don't kill him! He isn't a monster... he is the guardian of my people! They drugged him, they broke his spirit to make him their jailer!" Kira said, her voice trembling as she stepped between the billionaire and the mountain of fur.

Ethan stared at the scene in disbelief, his hand still hovering over his weapon. The creature was large enough to crush a tank, yet it stood perfectly still as the young woman approached.

"Guardian? This... thing?" Ethan said.

"He is the Great Spirit of the North. My people have lived alongside his kind for generations," Kira said.

Ethan reached out to grab her arm, fearing the beast would snap her in half, but she nimbly dodged his hand. She stepped into the center of the cavern, extending her palm toward the snout that was larger than her entire torso. The giant bear lowered its head, a low, vibrating huff of air blowing her hair back, and allowed her to gently stroke its matted fur.

"Impressive," Ethan said, his [Celestial Qi Resonance Scan] finally picking up a bond between them that wasn't based on fear, but on a strange, ancient frequency.

"He is the reason I am alive. He is the one who helped me escape the first time," Kira said.

"How? He's been locked in this hole acting as a jailer," Ethan said.

"The Great Bear can influence the minds of men for a few moments—a waking dream. He clouded the minds of the guards at the upper hatch so I could slip past. He knew I was the only one fast enough to find help. He stayed behind to protect the others from being eaten by the smaller shadows in these tunnels," Kira said.

The bear let out a mournful sound, its crystalline fangs clicking together. It nudged Kira's hand, its eyes darting toward the ceiling as if it could sense the massive iron hull of the icebreaker approaching the docks above.

"He says the 'Metal Death' is coming. The men with the cold hearts are almost here," Kira whispered, her face pale.

Ethan looked at the massive beast and then at the iron key in his hand. He realized he didn't just have a rescue mission on his hands anymore; he had a weapon that the Scavengers hadn't accounted for.

"Can he fight? Or is he too weak from being caged?" Ethan said.

"If I am with him, he will fight until the mountains crumble," Kira said.

"Good. Because we're going to need every bit of muscle we can get. Crul, status on those jets," Ethan said.

[They are five minutes out, Master. The icebreaker has begun its docking maneuver. The 'Khriscar' are preparing to disembark. You need to move now,] said Crul.

Ethan handed the iron key to Kira, who took it with trembling but determined fingers. She rushed to the massive cage door, the lock clicking open with a heavy thud. Inside, she moved toward the beast, unfastening the rusted, reinforced shackles that bound its thick limbs to the cavern floor.

As the last restraint fell away, the Great Bear stood up. The ground groaned under its weight, and its head nearly brushed the high stone ceiling. Ethan stared up in awe; standing on all fours was one thing, but as the beast stretched, its true, mountain-like scale became terrifyingly clear.

"How are we going to get him out of here? We can't exactly walk him through the hotel lobby," Ethan said.

"There is an old natural fissure at the back of this cavern. The Guardian can dig through the frozen earth in minutes once he has his strength. He can emerge anywhere on the outskirts of the village," Kira said.

"Excellent. But tell him to hold his position. Don't break through yet. I want you both hidden until the enemy is fully committed to the landing. We need to ambush them when they think they've already won," Ethan said.

He reached into his tactical vest and pulled out a spare comms earpiece, handing it to Kira.

"Put this in. I'll signal you when it's time to unleash him. Don't move until you hear my voice," Ethan said.

Kira nodded, her hand resting on the bear's thick fur. "We will be ready, my lord."

Ethan took one last look at the massive creature—a living engine of destruction hidden beneath the ice—and then turned on his heel. He sprinted back through the tunnels, his heart racing with the anticipation of the coming slaughter.

He emerged from the storehouse hatch into the freezing morning air. Above him, the sky was screaming with the distant, high-pitched whine of the incoming Scavenger jets, and the massive prow of the icebreaker was already crushing the docks.

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