CHAPTER 529: SO, TO KEEP THE PEACE...

Andona instantly picked up on the shift in his tone—sharp, commanding, deadly serious. She didn’t waste another word.

BOOM!

The moment the order was given, Andona was the first to react.

She shot up into the air, hovering mid-sky as a burst of radiant Light Force exploded from her. Behind her, eight angelic wings unfurled and began to beat slowly, each movement rippling with overwhelming power.

The holy Light Force—

Natural nemesis of darkness.

And the dark energy clinging to those Rift-Witches?

Barely worth mentioning.

To put it bluntly—

The power gap was just too damn big.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

With just a single flap of her wings,

hundreds of enemies were obliterated like dry leaves in a storm.

And that wasn’t even the craziest part.

The real kicker?

Elira, the young girl, just shrugged—literally just raised her hands—and the rest of the enemies disintegrated on the spot, turning to ash in an instant.

Hissss—

The forces of Emerald Castle, who were still locked in battle, froze.

They all sucked in a sharp breath, chills running down their spines.

But then—

They saw him.

"Master!" Cicero spotted Ethan and rushed over, eyes wide with emotion.

"Master, you’re finally back! I thought something had happened to you... Ever since you disappeared, we’ve been clashing with the Dark Sovereign nonstop! We’ve had some wins, some losses, but... I’m sorry..."

"We’ve taken some heavy hits."

"It’s alright." Ethan just smiled and shook his head. He reached out and gave Cicero a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don’t worry. I’m back now. Everything’s going to be fine."

"Yes, Master! Oh—who are they?" Cicero glanced over at Ataneya and the others, his expression a mix of curiosity, awe, and something more complicated. He could tell right away—these people were powerful.

Way more powerful than him.

So... who the hell were they?

"They’re my subordinates too," Ethan said casually. "From now on, we’re all on the same side. Let me introduce you—this is Ataneya, Namyanna, Andona, and Elira."

"And this is Cicero—my most trusted and loyal follower. He’s been with me from the very beginning, through everything."

Of course Ethan said it like that—

He didn’t want Cicero to feel like he was being pushed aside just because others were stronger.

...

The moment word spread that Ethan had returned,

Emerald Castle erupted in celebration.

Everyone came out to welcome him back.

But they didn’t linger in their territory for long.

They immediately began rallying the army, preparing to launch a full-scale assault on the Dark Sovereign’s domain.

Before, they didn’t stand a chance.

But now?

Now they had Ataneya,

Namyanna,

Andona—

Three SS-rank Crimson Ultimate heroes.

And that monster of a girl, Elira...

What did that mean?

It meant this wasn’t even going to be a fight.

It was going to be a massacre.

With that kind of firepower, they wasted no time.

The forces of Emerald Castle marched straight toward the Dark Sovereign’s dungeon stronghold.

And just as they arrived—

A deafening roar split the air.

ROOOOAAARRR!

From the distance, a beast charged toward them—

It looked like a Kirin, but twisted, corrupted.

Its body radiated a terrifying, suffocating darkness...

"What the hell is this?" Ethan immediately pulled up his system interface.

He scanned the guy in front of him.

Just an A-rank Crimson Ultimate hero. Nothing special. He didn’t even bother taking it seriously. And that guy? He’d already become Elira’s plaything. After she toyed with him for a bit, he ended up as nothing more than a corpse—dropped right at their feet.

"Damn, that was insane!" Cicero and the others couldn’t help but gasp.

And they weren’t wrong.

That was an A-rank Crimson Ultimate hero—someone who’d normally be a big deal.

But now?

In her hands, he was like a clay doll—crushed without effort. What kind of power was that?

It was unreal.

"Absolutely terrifying..." Even Cicero and the other top-tier heroes were stunned. The lower-tier Crimson Ultimates and even some of the orange-tier Legendary heroes were visibly shaken.

The entire battlefield fell into a stunned silence.

No one had expected that Ethan, after just one trip to another world, would come back with monsters like these.

It was mind-blowing.

And what made it even crazier?

Even the weakest among Ethan’s new companions were stronger than Seraphina, Cicero, and the rest of his original crew. That realization hit hard—left them feeling a little defeated.

Because if that was the case...

What use were they now?

"Master, please let us fight in the next battle!" Kyros suddenly stepped forward, unable to hold back. "We may not be as strong as them, but we’ll give it everything we’ve got. We’ll fight for you, no matter what!"

"Hahaha! Kyros, looks like you’re finally getting fired up!" Ethan laughed, then turned to Cicero. "So, where exactly are we right now?"

"If I’m not mistaken, this is Vaelstra’s territory," Cicero replied quietly. "He’s one of the five Overlord-class powerhouses under the Dark Sovereign. Strong—almost on par with me."

"Almost on par with you?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.

Cicero might not be SS-rank yet, but he was a solid S-rank now—on the same level as Ataneya, Namyanna, and Andona.

If Vaelstra was comparable to him...

Then yeah, that guy was no pushover.

"Alright, let’s go check it out," Ethan nodded casually.

He didn’t even hesitate.

When you’ve got power, you’ve got confidence.

And right now, Ethan had both.

One of the five Overlords? An S-rank Crimson Ultimate?

Didn’t matter.

He had more than enough cards up his sleeve. He was practically untouchable now.

Victory was already in his hands.

"Enemy attack!"

"Enemy attack!"

"Enemy attack!"

...

Meanwhile, over at Vaelstra’s castle—

All hell had broken loose.

As Ethan’s Emerald Castle army descended, the battle kicked off in full force.

Waves of regular troops surged toward the fortress, launching a full-scale siege.

And the Hero Units, fired up and itching to prove themselves, charged in at the front lines.

"Master, let us go! I can’t wait any longer!" Kyros called out again, practically vibrating with anticipation.

"Go, go! This is your moment—go win this for me!" Ethan waved them off without hesitation.

He knew they had something to prove, something they needed to let out. Better to let them vent it all on the battlefield.

Otherwise?

It’d just fester.

As for Ataneya, Namyanna, and Andona, the three of them stayed quietly by Ethan’s side.

They didn’t move.

Partly because this battle was beneath them—too weak to be worth their time. But also because they understood that their arrival had stirred up some complicated feelings among Ethan’s old crew, like Kyros.

So, to keep the peace...

They chose to step back.

It wasn’t ideal, but it was necessary.

They needed to blend into this new environment.

And more importantly, they were doing it for their lord—Ethan.

Elira, on the other hand? She didn’t give a damn.

She was running around, blasting enemies, laughing like she was playing a game. And honestly, with her insane power, it really was just a game to her.

Same difference.

But just then—

Something changed.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

...

Suddenly, a massive black cloud surged up in the distance.

A terrifying pressure exploded outward, making everyone’s faces go pale.

...