Meanwhile—

Roughly four or five hours later, deep within a remote part of the valley, a terrifying surge of spatial energy suddenly erupted—violent, overwhelming, and unnatural. A rift tore open in midair, and from it, a shimmering portal materialized out of nothing.

One after another, massive, fearsome figures stepped through the portal.

And the most shocking part? The aura radiating from each of them was identical to Elira's current power level… unmistakably Tier 15.

"Dead already? Pathetic. Couldn't even hold out for a few hours…"

"Enough. If they were taken out that fast, there are only two explanations: either they were swarmed by a large number of Crimson Ultimate heroes of the same Tier… or they ran into another Tier 15. And if it was a Tier 15, well—there's not much anyone can do about that."

"So what now? Someone else stepped in and stole our prize?"

"Looks like it. They're gone—and they took the gear with them."

"Hmph. Next time they show their faces here, I'll make damn sure they regret it."

…

At the same time—

Ethan and his team had finally exited the Graveyard of Legends dungeon and were now racing back toward Emerald Castle at full speed.

But when they arrived at the borders of their territory, what they saw made their blood run cold.

Their land was under siege.

An endless horde of Dungeon forces was swarming their domain, launching a full-scale assault. If Ethan's group had arrived even a little later, the entire territory might've already fallen.

"Master, let me at them!" Seraphina roared, her voice like thunder. "Those filthy Dungeon rats dared to attack us? I'll make them pay in blood!" Her aura exploded outward, raw and unstoppable—like a storm tearing through mountains.

But she wasn't the only one seething with rage.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable. When he finally spoke, his voice was cold enough to freeze the air.

"Let's go. I want to see who's got the balls to pull this kind of stunt."

"Yes, Master!"

"Yes, Lord Ethan!"

…

While Ethan and his team were rushing back to defend Emerald Castle, deep within the heart of the Dungeon faction, inside a colossal, ominous palace, another scene was unfolding.

A figure sat on the throne—imposing, regal, and radiating a pressure so intense it made the air feel heavy. His presence alone was enough to make even the strongest warriors tremble.

Flanking him on both sides were elite Dungeon commanders—each one a powerhouse in their own right. SS-tier, even SSS-tier. And with their numbers combined…

It was a force capable of leveling entire worlds.

Unimaginable.

"The Dark Sovereign," a voice boomed across the hall, sharp and commanding. "What the hell is going on? You owe me an explanation."

"Why was the city empty? Where are the people you said would be there? Did they all run?"

The weight of that voice made everyone in the room flinch.

The Dark Sovereign quickly stepped forward, bowing his head. "My lord, please forgive my failure. It's possible they caught wind of our movements and fled before we arrived. Perhaps they feared your power and chose to retreat."

"But even if they ran, their Castle is still standing. If you give the order, we can launch a full-scale assault and wipe it off the map."

"Without their Castle, they're nothing."

The moment he said that, the others began to speak up, bloodlust gleaming in their eyes.

"He's right. Their Castle's still there. If we hit it hard enough, they'll have no choice but to show themselves."

"Overlord, they're becoming a serious threat. We can't afford to wait any longer. We need to strike first—before they grow any stronger."

…

Whoosh!

At that exact moment, the figure seated on the throne slowly rose to his feet. As the shadows peeled away, his form came into full view—a monstrous being with the head of a dragon.

His entire body radiated a blinding emerald-green glow, pulsing with an aura of pure, suffocating Dark Magic.

The air around him was thick with darkness—ethereal, void-like, as if reality itself bent around him. With just a casual flick of his clawed hand, the space nearby cracked and shattered like glass. On either side of his head, ghostly blue flames hovered, flickering with a soul-burning intensity.

It was obvious—

This wasn't someone on the same level as The Dark Sovereign, who was merely a Tier 14 SSS-class Crimson Ultimate hero.

No, this was something far more terrifying.

This was a Tier 15 Crimson Ultimate.

Just as he opened his mouth to speak—

A panicked voice echoed from the far end of the hall, breathless and alarmed.

"Bad news! The Emerald Castle crew—they're back! And they're strong! In just a short time, they've already wiped out nearly a tenth of our forces!"

"The frontlines… they can't hold them off!"

"What?!" The entire room erupted in shock. Faces went pale. Eyes widened in disbelief.

"Overlord!" one of the commanders stepped forward, fists clenched. "We can't wait any longer. I'll go! Let me face them first. But… if I can't stop them, I beg you—back me up!"

"You… you, and you—go with him," the dragon-headed Overlord said coldly, pointing to several Tier 14 SSS-class Crimson Ultimate heroes.

He clearly knew sending The Dark Sovereign alone would be suicide. This was a test run—send in a few elites, gauge the enemy's strength, and then decide the next move.

Meanwhile—

Back on the battlefield, Seraphina and the others had already launched a brutal counterattack, tearing through the Dungeon forces around Emerald Castle like a tidal wave of destruction.

With their current power levels, unless the enemy fielded Tier 15 units, it didn't matter how many troops they threw at them—they were nothing but cannon fodder.

They couldn't stop them.

Not even close.

And just like that, Seraphina's team pushed deep into Dungeon territory, cutting through the enemy ranks like a hot blade through ice.

That's when they ran into reinforcements—led by none other than The Dark Sovereign herself.

"Well, well, look who we have here," she sneered, eyes burning with contempt. "You damn insects really came charging in like this? In such a hurry to die? Fine. I'll grant your wish."

"Die—ALL OF YOU!"

"Abyssal Orb!"

BOOOOOOM!

Without hesitation, The Dark Sovereign launched her attack straight at Seraphina. A massive sphere of pure darkness formed in her hands, swirling with destructive energy, and then shot forward like a meteor, tearing through the air with apocalyptic force.

But Seraphina didn't flinch.

"You?" she snarled. "You arrogant, washed-up loser? You think you can scare me? You're about to learn exactly what happens when you mess with Emerald Castle!"

"I'm going to end you."

And then—she raised her clawed hand and caught the Abyssal Orb.

SSSSSSHHHHHHH…

The dark sphere trembled violently, trying to explode, to break free—but it was no use.

Seraphina's dragon claw crushed it effortlessly, snuffing it out like a candle in a storm.

"What… what?!" The Dark Sovereign's pupils shrank in disbelief.

"You… you've reached SSS-class?!"

"That's impossible!"

She was stunned. The last time she'd seen Seraphina, the girl hadn't even broken into Tier 14 S-class. And now?

Now she was standing toe-to-toe with her—an SSS-class Tier 14 Crimson Ultimate?

In such a short time?

It was insane. Unbelievable. Completely outside the realm of logic.

And yet—it was real.

It was happening right in front of her.

No matter how much she wanted to deny it, the truth was undeniable.

CRACK!

Seraphina crushed the Abyssal Orb in her claw, shattering it into nothing. Her aura exploded outward like a blazing inferno, her entire body radiating the fury of a dragon unleashed.

"Why is it impossible?" she growled. "Or are you just scared?"

"No matter. Because either way—"

"You're going to die here."

Before the words had even finished leaving her lips, Seraphina lunged forward, launching herself at The Dark Sovereign with terrifying speed.

This time, she wasn't holding back.

The fury in her heart, the bloodlust in her veins—it all surged to the surface.

...