From Bullets To Billions

So far, Aron had done a good job dodging Hercules' strikes, but he knew the truth.

One clean hit from that monster, and it was over. Bones shattered. Game finished.

He had never meant to strike Hercules. But when survival instincts kicked in, hesitation vanished. His body reacted on its own.

Now, it looked like that single blow had enraged the beast even more.

Because Hercules was holding an entire tree in his hands.

"If I get hit by that…" Aron's breath caught. "I'm not sure I can survive it."

No time to hesitate.

With a roar, Hercules swung the massive trunk like a baseball bat. The whoosh of the wind cutting through air sounded like a storm tearing through the woods.

The swing was low, smart. There was no room for Aron to slide under it like before, and the trunk was far too thick to vault over.

One option.

Aron turned, sprinted straight toward a tree ahead, ran up its trunk, and launched himself into the air.

The moment his feet left the bark, Hercules' weapon tore through the forest.

CRACK! CRASH!

Trees splintered. Wood exploded. Even the one Aron had used as his springboard was demolished in a blink. The whole area behind him looked like a natural disaster had passed through.

He landed in a crouch, rolled, and turned to see the aftermath.

The forest was torn to pieces. Fallen trees stacked on each other like matchsticks. Bark and debris littered the ground like confetti from chaos.

And the tree Hercules had used? Broken clean in half.

From behind the treeline, the squad leader screamed into the wreckage.

"Aron, what the hell are you doing?! This isn't a fight we can win! He's not worth dying for!"

Right then, Aron calmly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"But to me, it is," he said, straightening his tie like he wasn't staring down a force of nature.

Even Hercules paused. For a brief second, he looked surprised that Aron had found a way to survive that.

"You've used up all your luck," Hercules said. "I warned you. Told you to walk away." His eyes narrowed. "But clearly… you came here with your own agenda."

Then, something began to change.

Hercules stretched out his fingers. Muscles in his forearms twitched, then tightened. The veins bulged like cables under his skin. His limbs looked like they were compacting, but also somehow becoming denser, like stone wrapped in skin.

His calves hardened next, the tension so intense they looked chiseled out of granite.

"It's been a while," Hercules muttered. "Since someone like you made me do this."

Aron had no idea what was coming next, but he didn't flinch. He remembered why he was here. Who entrusted this mission to him.

"Captain!" one of the soldiers called out. "Are we just going to let him die out there?!"

The order came fast. "Fire! Unload everything we've got!"

The squad opened fire, rubber bullets rained down like hail. They slammed against Hercules' sides… and bounced off like pebbles on armor. No recoil. No impact. Not even a mark.

Nothing.

The men started to look to see if there was anything else they had one them, but they had already used nearly all items at their disposal when they first met him. Never had they been in this situation before, where one person had pushed their backs so far up against the wall.

"He's… done for," the captain whispered, eyes wide. "There's nothing more we can do."

In the middle of it all, Aron stood tall.

"I told you!" he shouted. "My client sent me here. All of us. I didn't believe it at first, didn't think you were real. But now I get it."

He pointed the gun down.

"I get why someone like Max wants to learn from someone like you."

"My client needs you. Please, just hear me out," Aron pleaded, taking a step forward. "The man has incredible wealth, enough to hire every single person here. He can compensate you handsomely for your time, for your trouble."

The muscles across Hercules' body continued to tense, rippling with controlled power, veins slightly bulging under the strain.

"Money's never been an issue for me," Hercules replied coldly. "All I want is to be left alone. Tell your client I'm not interested… and say it fast, if you want a chance to survive this."

Aron's breath hitched. He could see it, Hercules was about to launch himself at him like a missile. But just before panic could take over, Max's voice echoed in his mind. The words. The words he said might work.

"My client…" Aron began again, louder this time, standing firm. "He was sent an invitation! He said that you would have received one too."

Hercules froze for a fraction of a second, his glare sharp.

"He wants you to teach him," Aron continued quickly. "To help him."

"HAHAHA!" Hercules burst into laughter, his voice shaking the air around them. "Oh, I've heard that one before. Of course they want me to teach them. And now they even claim to have an invitation? No wonder someone like you is standing by their side. But I'm not interested."

With a thunderous crack, Hercules kicked off the ground. A burst of dirt exploded beneath his feet, scattering in all directions. Moments ago, he had displayed inhuman strength, now it was inhuman speed that hurled him toward Aron like a cannonball.

"He was sent an invitation!" Aron shouted, raising his arms defensively. "He wants you to teach him because… he's only a student!"

A fierce gust of wind surged past him, blowing Aron's hair back and nearly knocking his glasses off his face. He didn't blink. He had been trained not to, so even as the force tried to rattle him, he held his ground and stared forward.

And there it was.

A fist, unmoving, mere inches from his face.

"An invitation…" Hercules muttered, his voice low now, thoughtful. "Sent to a mere student? …Who is your client?"