CHAPTER 539: MUST BE FATE

As long as they could adapt to the environment here, the rest was up to them—leveling up on their own.

Ethan wasn’t worried about losing troops in this world. No matter how many he lost, he could always summon more later. What he couldn’t stand was losing them for no reason.

Several hours passed.

Suddenly, Andona’s expression shifted—like she’d sensed something.

"Hm?"

She pointed toward the horizon.

"My Lord," she said quickly, "I think I just felt Ataneya’s energy. It’s coming from that direction. Should we check it out?"

"Let’s go!" Ethan didn’t hesitate for a second.

He and Andona shot off in the direction she indicated, flying at full speed.

They didn’t know how long they’d been flying when the sound of screams suddenly tore through the air.

"Ahhh!"

Ethan’s face darkened instantly. He looked up—and there she was.

Ataneya, floating in the sky, surrounded by chaos.

She was pouring every ounce of her power into shielding a group of regular troops, holding the line with sheer will. But she was under siege—ten powerful soul entities were hammering her from all sides.

And they weren’t just any undead.

The energy radiating off them was intense—overwhelming.

Three of them, in particular, were unmistakably SS-rank.

"Help her! Now!" Ethan roared, his body vanishing in a flash as he surged forward.

Andona and the others didn’t waste a second. A barrage of divine and death-infused attacks exploded from their positions, lighting up the sky like a storm of holy fire.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

In the blink of an eye, they blasted open a path through the enemy ranks and charged in.

"My Lord!"

"Andona!"

Ataneya’s voice cracked with emotion as she saw them arrive, relief flooding her face.

But the soul monsters weren’t about to let them go unchallenged.

"ROAR!"

"RAAARGH!"

"SCREEEEE!"

One after another, the undead let out furious howls, unleashing a wave of devastating attacks. It was like a nuclear bombardment—energy blasts tearing through the air, shaking the very fabric of the realm.

The three SS-rank Crimson Ultimate soul monsters were especially vicious. They didn’t hold back—they charged straight at Ethan and his team, their ghostly forms pulsing with raw, corrupted power.

Clearly, even in soul form, they were no joke.

They couldn’t unleash the full might of their living counterparts, but they were still terrifyingly strong. If they got in close, even Ethan would be in serious trouble fighting them alone.

But Ethan wasn’t alone anymore.

"Holy Death Sentence!"

"Angel’s Sacred Blade!"

Andona’s voice rang out like a war cry.

In an instant, the Gates of Heaven materialized in the sky behind her, and a blinding beam of divine energy surged forth. The power of the Angel’s Sacred Blade erupted, slamming into the charging SS-rank soul monsters and forcing them back with sheer holy force.

At the same time—

Ethan shot forward, landing right in front of Ataneya. Without missing a beat, he grabbed a handful of the soul-type undead he’d just defeated and tossed them down at her feet.

"Ataneya, absorb their energy. Merge it into your body!"

"Yes, my Lord!" Ataneya obeyed immediately, placing her hands over the writhing soul fragments. As she began the absorption process, her eyes widened in surprise. "My Lord... this energy—?"

"That’s right," Ethan nodded. "It’ll help you resist the curse of this world. The more of it you take in, the better you’ll adapt."

As the energy surged into her, a wave of power burst from within Ataneya’s body. Her aura flared, and in an instant, the wounds covering her body began to heal, vanishing like they were never there.

"My Lord, I’m fine now... really."

She paused, then turned her gaze toward the soul monsters that had been attacking her just moments ago. Her eyes burned with fury.

"My Lord, let me kill them. I want revenge."

Confidence radiated from her now—she was ready to strike back.

"Go," Ethan said with a nod.

Without another word, Ataneya launched herself into the air, joining Andona in a full-on assault against the soul entities that had nearly overwhelmed her.

But now?

Now it wasn’t just a simple 1 + 1.

Their combined strength was far more than the sum of its parts. With every second that passed, they grew more in sync, more deadly. One by one, the soul monsters fell before them, their ghostly forms torn apart by divine fury and vengeance.

And as they fought, their power levels visibly rose—energy pulsing brighter, stronger with each kill.

"Good," Ethan murmured, eyes narrowing with satisfaction. "They’re getting stronger. That means it’s time to move on... and find the others."

He turned and took off again, vanishing into the cursed skies.

...

Splash... splash... splash...

Far away, over an endless, blackened sea, the air was thick with death and darkness. The sky above was choked with clouds, and floating high above the water was a massive, translucent bubble—suspended in midair like a prison.

Outside that bubble, Namyanna stood alone.

Her trident gleamed in her hands as she fought off several soul entities, her movements sharp but clearly strained.

But one of the enemies stood out.

Unlike the others, this one wasn’t just a soul—it had a semi-physical form. From a distance, it looked almost solid. And on its forehead was a strange mark... shaped like a small fish.

A creature that looked almost like a merfolk—sleek, humanoid, and aquatic, with features eerily similar to Namyanna’s.

"Well, well... looks like you’re not from around here," the creature said, voice smooth and mocking. "It’s been... what, centuries? Since I’ve seen a living being from the outside world. Fascinating. Must be fate."

He hovered above her, looking down with a smug grin.

"So how about this—why don’t you stay? Be my queen. I might even grant you power beyond your imagination. What do you say? Hahaha!"

His laughter echoed across the sea, arrogant and cruel.

Namyanna didn’t respond.

She just stared at him, cold and silent.

Her aura was flickering—weak. She’d clearly been through a brutal fight already, and she was still channeling energy to protect the people behind her. Her strength was draining fast.

"Oh? Nothing to say?" The undead, merfolk-like creature sneered. "Too bad. But it’s not like you have a choice anymore..."

With a twisted grin, he reached into the void and pulled out a bizarre, jagged spear—its surface pulsing with dark energy.

"You came to the land of the dead. Your life was over the moment you stepped in. But don’t worry... I’ll grant you eternity. Serve me, and you’ll never die."

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

A violent surge of power erupted from his body, darkening the sky even further. The sea churned, and from the surrounding space, dozens—no, hundreds—of soul entities began to materialize, floating toward Namyanna like a swarm of ghosts.

...