Eurystheus had originally planned to assign Heracles the task of cleaning the Augean Stables. This task was inherently humiliating—it would force Heracles to shovel dung in a foul-smelling environment, a punishment that was arguably even worse than battle.

But as his gaze fell upon Alex, who was leisurely counting his gold coins, an inexplicable sense of dread crept into his heart.

If this so-called "Sword God" also went to the stables…

If he used that ridiculous "100% Always Disarmed" ability again…

At that point, not only would Heracles be kneeling in a pile of manure to catch the sword, but even the cattle might start lining up to do the same…

A shiver ran down Eurystheus' spine. He immediately abandoned the idea of sending Heracles to clean the stables and hurriedly changed the trial.

"Your next trial is to drive away the Stymphalian Birds!"

As soon as he spoke, he cautiously glanced at Alex, worried that he would once again force the storyline back to its original course.

However, to his surprise, Alex readily accepted the task without any objections.

He even smiled in satisfaction.

—After all, he was eager to meet the Greek gods as soon as possible.

Thus, the same Alex who had just been thinking about restoring the original storyline immediately abandoned that idea on the spot.

Meanwhile, poor Eurystheus, who had already suffered multiple humiliations due to Alex’s insistence on "following the storyline," had finally seen things return to normal—only for Alex to toss it all aside in an instant. The only thing Eurystheus could be grateful for was that he had no knowledge of the so-called "plot," and thus, he remained blissfully unaware of how many times he had been humiliated for no reason.

Heracles and Alex soon arrived at Lake Stymphalus, a place perpetually shrouded in a dark mass of birds, with the stench of decaying flesh lingering in the air.

These Stymphalian Birds were pets of Ares, the God of War. They had metallic feathers that could be launched like arrows and were known to feast on human flesh.

Heracles originally planned to observe the birds' behavior before coming up with a strategy to drive them away.

However, things did not proceed according to plan.

Alex accidentally stepped on a branch, and the crisp snap echoed across the lakeshore.

In an instant, the birds, like arrows startled from their quivers, all turned their heads in unison.

"Uh… my bad," Alex muttered, taking a step back awkwardly.

The next moment, the birds flapped their wings furiously, preparing to unleash a deadly storm of metallic feathers upon them!

Heracles' expression changed, and he instinctively moved to shield Alex. However—

Alex drew his sword and swung it down!

Then…

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Then, an utterly bizarre and incomprehensible sight unfolded—one that would leave even the gods speechless.

Hundreds of Stymphalian Birds thrashed wildly in the air, yet they could not resist the mysterious force compelling them forward.

One by one, they all swooped toward Alex—and, despite their ferocity, they extended their wings high above their heads, bent one knee in submission…

And, as if following an unbreakable decree, they neatly caught Alex’s sword in their wings!

“……”

Heracles was stunned.

He had already witnessed soldiers, nobles, and even a king lining up to catch Alex’s sword, and he thought he had become immune to this absurdity.

But birds, too?!

Birds???

Heracles felt his worldview shatter in ways he had never imagined possible.

He turned to look at Alex, his expression filled with disbelief.

"…As expected of the Sword God."

The commotion immediately caught the attention of Ares, who had been secretly observing the battle from nearby.

A flash of crimson light streaked through the sky. Dressed in black battle armor, Ares, the God of War, stood atop his golden chariot, looking down at them with cold indifference.

His eyes held a glimmer of disdain, and his voice was dripping with arrogance.

"Mortal, there is no place for you in the land of Greece."

With just one glance, Ares saw through the so-called "Sword God" and recognized him for what he truly was—a mere mortal.

Without another word, he raised his spear and hurled it at Alex!

But Alex swung his sword without hesitation!

In the very next moment—

Ares' expression shifted from arrogance to shock… then to seething fury!

He leaped from his chariot, discarded all his weapons, and, to Heracles' utter disbelief—

He, too, rushed forward and, kneeling alongside the Stymphalian Birds, caught Alex's sword with both hands!

“……”

Ares' mind went completely blank.

Never in his entire existence had he suffered such an unforgivable humiliation.

Ares—the great God of War—had just knelt before a mere mortal and caught his sword.

His teeth clenched tightly, his face flushed red with rage, and he struggled with all his might, letting out a furious roar:

"You pathetic mortal! I will tear you apart!"

Heracles, who had just barely recovered from his shock, quickly stepped in to mediate.

"Sword God, Ares is the War God of Olympus. This… might be a bit much. At least give him some dignity?"

But Alex understood all too well—the moment he let Ares go, the God of War would strike him down immediately.

Ares' strength and speed were leagues beyond his own. He wouldn’t even need a weapon—just a single punch would be enough to end Alex's life.

That meant this was the perfect opportunity to test his second ability.

Trade Enforcement.

Alex narrowed his eyes and said in a calm tone:

"Lord Ares, let’s make a deal."

Ares glared at him, his eyes burning with fury.

"One gold coin—for one year of your protection."

Ares’ anger surged even higher, nearly pushing him into a blind rage.

"You dare insult me?!"

"If you refuse, I’ll find the best artist in Greece, have them paint a masterpiece of you kneeling to catch my sword, and display it in every temple on Olympus—for a hundred years."

Ares: "……"

His fists clenched so tightly that his veins bulged, his muscles tensed with barely restrained rage, but in the end—

"…Fine. I accept!"

A mysterious voice echoed in Alex’s mind: "Trade completed."

Hearing those words, Alex grinned with satisfaction and immediately let go of his sword.

Ares stood up, his face dark and unreadable, his mind drowning in anger.

He couldn't kill Alex—not yet.

But that didn’t mean someone else couldn’t.

Ares' eyes flickered toward the largest Stymphalian Bird, his gaze cold and commanding.

The bird instantly understood and shot toward Alex like a black arrow, aiming straight for his throat!

However—

Before it could reach Alex, Ares’ body moved even faster, completely against his will.

He threw himself in front of the attack and took the bird’s claws—straight to the face!

“BAM—!”

Three deep, bloody scratches appeared across Ares’ face.

At that moment, Ares finally understood—his own body was now more loyal to Alex than he was.

But he could never admit to this disgrace.

And so, he roared in fury, "You insolent bird! How dare you attack the Sword God!"

Drawing his sword, he slaughtered every single Stymphalian Bird in one swift motion—eliminating all witnesses.

What Ares didn’t realize was…

Athena had been secretly watching the entire ordeal from nearby.