CHAPTER 552: GATE OF CARNO

"BZZZZT!"

"BOOOOM!"

Just when all hope seemed lost...

The sky suddenly rippled with violent spatial distortions. Then, with a deafening crack, the sealed space above them was torn open like paper. Elira stepped out slowly from the rift.

Right behind her came Ethan,

Then Seraphina and Feylora.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

...

The power radiating from them was overwhelming—especially Elira. Her aura and strength now completely eclipsed everyone else present.

By a long shot.

"My Lord!" Namyanna and the others cried out in shock and joy.

"Namyanna, you—damn it! Everyone, move! Take those bastards down!" Ethan’s eyes flared with fury the moment he saw Namyanna’s battered state.

BOOOOM!

At the same time, Elira was already making her move. In an instant, waves of raw, crushing energy erupted from her body, surging straight toward the massive wolves in the sky.

"Wait... is that Tier 15?!"

"No way—run! RUN!"

The giant wolves’ pupils shrank in terror.

Their expressions twisted in panic.

They hadn’t expected to run into a Tier 15 Crimson Ultimate Hero—let alone one this powerful.

But even if they wanted to run now...

Where could they go?

"Run? Where do you think you’re going?" Elira’s figure blurred, and in the blink of an eye, a dozen pitch-black orbs materialized around her. With a sharp whistle, they shot forward like bullets, smashing through the wolves’ combined attack like it was nothing.

"What?!"

Their faces went pale, eyes wide with disbelief.

And frustration. They’d poured everything into that strike—only to see it shattered like glass.

BZZZT!

"Why not?" Elira’s voice was cold and sharp. "You’ve got some nerve, picking a fight with someone from Emerald Castle."

She hovered in midair now, eyes gleaming with icy light. Her power surged again, condensing into a massive sword of pure energy.

"Shit!"

The wolves flinched.

They could feel it—no doubt about it. That sword was Tier 15-level power. If it hit them, they wouldn’t just be injured—they’d be obliterated.

"Fall back!" they shouted, panic setting in. They unleashed their strongest attacks, hoping to disrupt her, to buy even a second—

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

...

Dark, ghostly blasts exploded outward, colliding with Elira’s radiant blade.

But...

They did nothing.

"Holy crap... she’s insane..." Seraphina’s jaw dropped. She knew firsthand how deadly those wolves’ attacks were—she wouldn’t dare take them head-on. But Elira? She didn’t even flinch.

That said everything.

This was what a Tier 15 Crimson Ultimate Hero looked like.

A whole different league.

Ethan, watching from below, couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief. Thank god that giant crocodile earlier had been weakened. And thank god Elira had already evolved to this level. Otherwise, things would’ve gone very differently.

It wouldn’t have been this easy.

Meanwhile, the three SSS-class wolves were drowning in despair. Who could’ve guessed Elira would be this terrifying? She’d just shrugged off their strongest attacks like they were nothing. How the hell were they supposed to fight that?

They weren’t.

This was a death sentence.

She was too strong.

So this... this was Tier 15?

Their faces twisted with hopelessness. They turned to flee, but it was already too late.

Somehow, without them noticing...

Elira had sealed off the entire area.

"Not running anymore? Good. Then watch this," she said with a cold smirk.

She raised her hand—and the massive sword exploded into countless smaller blades of light. Like a divine storm, they rained down from the sky, crashing into the earth with thunderous force.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The three giant wolves were pinned to the ground, crushed under the relentless barrage.

One strike.

Just one.

And they were done.

Completely incapacitated.

Everyone watching fell silent.

So this... this was Tier 15?

That was insane.

"Should I finish them off, my Lord?" Elira asked, her voice calm but deadly.

"Wait," Ethan said, stepping forward. He looked down at the wolves and asked, "You’re not native to the Graveyard of Legends, are you? Where are you really from?"

He’d suspected something for a while now.

First, there were way too many powerful beings in this place—especially SSS-class Crimson Ultimate Heroes. That alone was a red flag. Something wasn’t right.

Second, according to the system’s description, this place was supposed to be a realm of the dead—just wandering souls. But the powerful enemies they’d encountered?

They weren’t spirits.

They had physical bodies.

That didn’t add up.

"We..."

One of the wolves hesitated, then nodded. "You’re right. We came from the Gate of Kano. We’re here to hunt soul entities—to absorb them and grow stronger."

"The Gate of Kano?"

"What the hell is that?"

Ethan’s brow furrowed, eyes narrowing.

First there was Nethora...

Now this Gate of Kano?

This place just kept getting messier.

So many hidden forces moving in the shadows.

What a pain in the ass.

"It’s a powerful world," another wolf said, glancing up at Elira floating in the sky. His voice turned cold. "Over there, even Tier 15 Crimson Ultimate Heroes like her aren’t rare."

"My advice? Stop asking questions..."

"Because if you stir up the wrong kind of trouble, not even she’ll be able to protect all of you."

...

At the giant wolf’s threat, Ethan froze for a beat.

Then his eyes narrowed, and he looked straight back at the beast, voice low and sharp. "So what—you’re threatening me now?"

"You could say that..." the wolf sneered, clearly not one to back down. His tone was cold, defiant. "Enough with the theatrics. If you’re gonna kill us, just do it. But know this—someone will come for us. And when they do, I hope you won’t regret it."

The words had barely left his mouth—

When Seraphina lunged forward like a bolt of lightning. Her dragon claw, crackling with terrifying magical energy, slashed down hard—

Right across the wolf’s skull.

CRACK!

BOOOOM!

One strike.

Just one.

And the massive wolf collapsed, lifeless, under her blow.

Ethan watched the scene unfold, then slowly shook his head. "Well, I guess there’s no point asking anything else. If that’s how it is... then finish them all."

"Yes, Master!"

"Understood, my Lord!"

The moment Ethan gave the order, Feylora and Namyanna moved in. In a matter of seconds, the remaining two wolves were taken down—swift, clean, and merciless.

As the dust settled,

Ethan stood quietly off to the side, his expression unreadable.

"My Lord, what’s on your mind?" Elira asked, her voice soft but perceptive. She could tell something was bothering him.

"I’m thinking... maybe it’s time we got the hell out of here," Ethan said, eyes flickering with thought. "I don’t know how powerful this so-called Gate of Kano really is, but from what we’ve seen, there’s definitely more than one Tier 15 over there. Probably a lot more."

"And if that’s the case, we’re not ready to go toe-to-toe with them. Not yet. And honestly... we don’t need to."

Elira nodded slowly, her expression serious. "I agree, My Lord. We shouldn’t pick a fight with them right now. Tier 15 Crimson Ultimate Heroes aren’t something you can just overwhelm with numbers. Even if we could, the cost would be brutal."

"And me... I can only take on one of them at most."

She paused, as if something had just occurred to her. Then she looked at Ethan and asked, "My Lord, can we leave this dungeon world for now?"

Ethan blinked, then immediately turned to the system. "System, can we exit this place temporarily?"

[Yes. You have three exit opportunities. However, each time you re-enter, the difficulty will double.]

The system’s response came quickly—three chances, but with escalating stakes.

Still... Ethan thought it over.

That was manageable.

"Alright then. We’re pulling out," he said decisively. Without hesitation, he selected the option to withdraw from the Graveyard of Legends.

BZZZT!

A massive portal of light tore open in the air. Ethan turned to his team and the remaining troops.

"Move out!"

Without wasting a second, he led them through the portal—

And out of that cursed place.

...