CHAPTER 540: THE ARMOR... CHANGED

Meanwhile—

The system finally revealed the true power of that merfolk-like guy who’d been talking all this time.

He was actually an SSS-rank Crimson Ultimate Hero Soul!

No wonder he’d been acting so cocky.

So arrogant. So untouchable.

"We’re screwed... SSS-rank?"

Namyanna’s face went pale, her breathing quickened. SSS-rank? With her current strength, she didn’t stand a chance. And the troops behind her—the ones she was supposed to protect—they’d probably be slaughtered too.

"Is this the end?"

"Damn it... I’m not ready to die yet..."

But just then—

Something changed.

Wummmm!

Out of nowhere, a beam of radiant, almost divine Angelic light shot down from the sky, piercing through the darkness that had swallowed the world.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

One after another—

Ethan, Andona, Ataneya—they all arrived on the scene.

"My Lord!" Namyanna froze for a second, then her eyes lit up with joy. She immediately shouted, "My Lord! Ataneya! Andona! Be careful—this guy’s SSS-rank!"

"SSS-rank?!"

Ethan blinked, then narrowed his eyes, giving the enemy a closer look.

"Tch. Another outsider? You people are really starting to piss me off."

"Who the hell are you?" Ethan asked coldly.

"Me?" The figure chuckled darkly. "I am the great King of the Ocean—Thalrion! And as for you... I hope you’ve decided how you want to die."

BOOOOM!

A wave of raw power surged from Thalrion’s body, rippling through the air. The very world around them seemed to respond to his presence, growing restless and unstable. More and more soul forms began to materialize in the sky above.

"You talk too damn much," Ethan snapped.

Then he stepped forward.

A surge of overwhelming energy exploded from his body.

At the same time, the Dreadforged Armor materialized around him—its dark, ominous plates locking into place. With it, Ethan now had the strength to stand toe-to-toe with Thalrion, even if only for a short time.

"Huh? What is that thing?" Thalrion’s expression darkened as he noticed the change in Ethan. His brow furrowed.

He could feel it—the Dreadforged Armor wasn’t just some fancy gear.

It was powerful.

Dangerously powerful.

"Everyone—attack!"

Ethan didn’t waste another second.

Wummmm!

In the blink of an eye, he unleashed the full power of the Dreadforged Armor. Swirling vortexes erupted across its surface, spinning violently as they sucked in the surrounding energy like black holes.

"Hm?"

But then—

Something felt off.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

He could sense it now.

The Dreadforged Armor...

It wasn’t just powerful—it was resonating with this world’s energy.

"What the hell?! What is that thing?!" Thalrion froze, eyes wide with disbelief. "It’s devouring the Primordial Force of this world? That’s impossible!"

He stood there, stunned, horror etched across his face. Clearly, he hadn’t expected the armor—Ethan’s armor—to be capable of absorbing the very essence of this realm. If it kept going, it wouldn’t be long before it amassed a terrifying amount of power.

"No. I can’t let this continue..."

His expression darkened. In the next instant, he launched a full-scale assault on Ethan.

BOOOOM!

The ocean surged violently, waves crashing like a living beast. The raw, overwhelming force of the sea combined with a torrent of Death Magic, all of it roaring toward Ethan like a tidal wave of destruction.

But—

The very next moment, Thalrion’s eyes went wide. His pupils shrank in shock.

"No... No way!"

His attack—his full-force, world-shaking attack—was being absorbed. Again. The Dreadforged Armor devoured it like it was nothing.

But even so, Ethan wasn’t exactly having a good time.

He was in agony.

The pain and pressure were unbearable.

Why?

Simple.

He hadn’t fully tamed the armor yet.

Right now, he was using it by force, pushing it to counter Thalrion’s power while enduring the torment it inflicted on him in return. Just like the first time he’d put it on—when it had nearly torn him apart.

But—

As time passed, the pain began to ease.

The torment dulled.

And then, finally—

His power surged.

He crossed the threshold.

He hit SSS-rank.

BOOOOM!

BOOOOM!

BOOOOM!

A cataclysmic force erupted from Ethan’s body, shaking the heavens and splitting the earth. The sheer intensity of it—undeniably, unmistakably—was SSS-level.

"Shit!" Thalrion’s face twisted in panic.

He knew.

He was in trouble now.

"Come on then," Ethan growled, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "You wanna kill us? Fine. But you better be damn sure you’ve got what it takes."

With a flick of his hand, a massive greatsword materialized in his grip. He charged forward, eyes locked on Thalrion, who was already backing away in alarm.

BOOOOM!

BOOOOM!

BOOOOM!

The full might of Ethan’s SSS-level power exploded outward, his combat strength skyrocketing to its peak. He was unstoppable—an avalanche of destruction.

CRACK!

Ethan brought the sword down hard.

The sky split.

The earth cracked.

A jagged rift tore through the battlefield.

The soul forms circling Thalrion shattered instantly, their energy lashing out and slamming into him. The raw force began to tear into his body—his soul form—ripping him apart from the inside out.

"AAAHHHH!"

And then—

It was a beatdown.

A brutal, one-sided beatdown.

Sure, Thalrion was technically SSS-rank, but it was clear now—he wasn’t on the same level as the real monsters from outside this world.

And that gave Ethan—this so-called half-baked warrior—the upper hand.

It was insane.

But it was happening.

Still, Ethan knew this power wouldn’t last. The Dreadforged Armor was pushing him way past his limits. He was only SS-rank, and this kind of strength was far beyond what his body could handle for long.

He could feel it—the armor’s power starting to slip, starting to pull away from him.

So he didn’t waste the moment.

He struck.

Hard.

"Die already!"

BOOOOM!

One hit.

Just one devastating blow—

And Thalrion screamed.

"AAAHHH!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

His body began to rupture, soul energy exploding outward. Cracks split across his form, and the laws that held him together unraveled, scattering into glowing fragments.

A storm of broken light.

"Don’t just stand there—finish him off!" Ethan shouted, charging again.

Ataneya, Andona, and Namyanna didn’t hesitate. They moved in, surrounding Thalrion and launching a coordinated assault.

It didn’t take long.

Under the relentless barrage, Thalrion finally fell.

WUMMMM!

A blood-red orb materialized in the air where he died, pulsing with raw power. Everyone’s eyes lit up.

That was it.

The Primordial Force of an SSS-rank soul.

A treasure beyond value.

"Master, quick—absorb it!" Andona rushed over, holding the orb out to Ethan. "You’re hurt. This can heal you—and make you even stronger!"

Ethan didn’t hesitate.

He took the orb and swallowed it whole.

No question—he needed it. The Dreadforged Armor was powerful, but the strain it put on him was brutal. Without something to replenish his strength, he wouldn’t last much longer.

But no one expected what happened next.

The moment the orb’s energy entered his body—

Something triggered.

The Dreadforged Armor reacted.

It flared to life.

And before Ethan could even process what was happening, the armor... changed.

It moved.

It grew.

Veins—dark, pulsing, blood-red veins—sprouted from the armor and burrowed into his flesh.

"What the hell—?!" Ethan’s face twisted in shock. He tried to resist, but then—

His expression shifted.

Surprise turned to something else.

"...Wait a second. This feels like—?"

...