CHAPTER 528: IT’S TIME FOR ME TO LEAVE

"I’ll take this one," Ataneya said, stepping forward without hesitation. She reached out and claimed the core that pulsed with the raw, crackling energy of the Storm Sovereign—Volkris’s power.

It just felt right. Lightning and storm magic suited her perfectly.

Seeing that, Andona didn’t waste time either. She grabbed the last one—the blazing core left behind by the fire beast. Compared to what Ataneya and Namyanna had just absorbed, it wasn’t exactly a game-changer for her. But she didn’t care.

She wasn’t picky. One was as good as any.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

In an instant, three massive shockwaves erupted at once, their energies colliding and amplifying each other. The entire space trembled under the pressure, the air thick with surging magic.

The power was wild, chaotic—like a storm tearing through the fabric of reality.

But as time passed, the energy began to settle. The shockwaves faded, the light dimmed, and the space slowly returned to calm.

And that’s when Ethan’s eyes lit up.

"She leveled up?!" he blurted out, stunned.

He stared at Namyanna, who was now radiating a completely different aura. Her Crimson Ultimate Hero rank had jumped—she was now SS-tier, just like Andona!

From S-rank to SS-rank in one leap.

"That’s amazing!" Ethan grinned wide, practically giddy.

Now he had not one, but two SS-tier Crimson Ultimate Heroes under his command.

That was huge.

But he had no idea—that was just the beginning.

Because right then, Ataneya’s body began to glow. Her power surged, rising fast, out of control. The energy around her spiraled upward like a vortex, and Ethan’s system interface suddenly lit up with alerts.

DING!

"Notice: Player Valkarion, your Hero Unit ’Shadow Fox Ataneya’ is undergoing a rank advancement. Please stand by."

DING!

"Notice: Player Valkarion, your Hero Unit ’Shadow Fox Ataneya’ is undergoing a rank advancement. Please stand by."

The notifications kept coming, one after another.

Then—BOOM!

A pillar of light exploded from Ataneya’s body, shooting into the sky. Her energy hit a critical point and shattered through the limit, skyrocketing to a whole new level.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The ground shook. The air cracked. The sheer force of her evolution was enough to make everyone take a step back.

And then—

DING!

"Congratulations, Player Valkarion. Your Hero Unit ’Shadow Fox Ataneya’ has successfully advanced to SS-tier Crimson Ultimate Hero."

"She did it!" Ethan shouted, eyes wide with excitement.

Ataneya had broken through too.

Which meant...

He now had three SS-tier Crimson Ultimate Heroes on his team.

Three.

This was insane.

But just as he was riding that high, something else happened—something that made his heart race even faster.

Something even better was coming.

DING!

"Congratulations, Player Valkarion!"

"You have successfully completed the ’Citadel of Shadows’ dungeon quest. Beginning reward calculation... please wait... DING! Calculation complete. You have received the following rewards:..."

A cascade of system notifications flooded Ethan’s interface, each one announcing a new reward—rare items, massive experience boosts, unique resources—and with every chime, he could feel the power coursing through him, growing stronger by the second.

But that wasn’t all.

Even his own Crimson Ultimate Hero rank began to evolve.

SS-tier.

He’d done it.

He wasn’t just leading SS-tier heroes anymore—he was one of them.

The transformation was massive. A complete leap in power. A total game-changer.

HUMMMM—!

Suddenly, the sky above them began to tear open. A rift, small at first, widened rapidly until it became a swirling vortex of light and energy.

"A spatial vortex... leading out of this world?" Ataneya said in surprise, then turned to Ethan. "My Lord..."

Ethan looked at each of them—Ataneya, Namyanna, Andona—and took a deep breath.

"You all know I don’t belong to this world," he said, his voice steady. "Now that the mission’s complete... it’s time for me to leave."

"If you want to come with me, I’d be honored. But if you’d rather stay, I won’t stop you. Either way... thank you. For everything. For the memories, the battles, the loyalty."

Ataneya didn’t hesitate. "My Lord, I’ll go with you—wherever you go."

"We’re with you too," Andona said firmly. "We made a pact. You’re our master, our lord. Without you, we wouldn’t be who we are."

Namyanna nodded, her voice calm but resolute. "I’m coming with you, My Lord. Always."

Ethan smiled, warmth flickering in his eyes.

Then he turned to Elira.

"And you?"

Elira gave a little huff, folding her arms with a faint pout. "Me? Whatever. I’ve been stuck in that place for way too long. Might as well see what the outside world’s like. Change of scenery, change of mood."

Ethan chuckled. "Then let’s go."

He raised his hand toward the vortex in the sky.

BOOOOM—!

A massive beam of light shot down from the heavens, engulfing all five of them. Their bodies began to rise, slowly ascending into the swirling rift as the world around them blurred and twisted.

The light shifted, colors bending and warping as they passed through the dimensional gate.

And then—

They were out.

But the moment the light faded and their feet touched solid ground again, the sound of chaos slammed into them like a tidal wave.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Explosions thundered all around them. Smoke and fire filled the air. Ethan’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the battlefield they’d landed in the middle of.

It was a warzone.

A brutal, full-scale battle was raging around them.

On one side—three Rift-Witches, unmistakably under the command of the Dark Sovereign, leading an army of 3,000 armored demon soldiers.

On the other—Cicero and the Emerald Castle forces, backed by a thousand Gold Dragon units, locked in a desperate fight.

The clash was vicious. Bodies littered the ground. Magic and steel tore through the air. The battle had clearly reached its boiling point—and Cicero’s side was losing.

If things kept going like this, they wouldn’t last much longer.

"Master, where are we?" Andona asked, stepping in front of Ethan protectively, her eyes scanning the chaos. "Looks like we dropped right into the middle of a war. Should we pull back?"

Ethan didn’t answer right away.

He stared across the battlefield, his gaze locking onto the three Rift-Witches.

Then, coldly, he raised his hand and pointed straight at them.

"Everyone—full power."

"Kill them all."

...