"Looks like I was right," Ethan said with a smirk, eyes locked on the furious Yelupus. "Those Primordial Forces inside the souls… they're your power source, aren't they?"

"You blasphemous wretch!" Yelupus roared, his voice shaking the air. "You leave me no choice—I will grant you death!"

With a snarl, he raised his Angelic Holy Sword high above his head. His voice dropped into a low, guttural chant.

WMMM! WMMM! WMMM!

The massive Gate of Heaven behind him flared to life, erupting with a blinding, divine radiance. One by one, the Primordial Forces inside the floating soul forms were pulled from their bodies, sucked into the gate like fuel into a furnace.

Then—

BOOM!

A storm was born.

A Heaven's Gate Storm—an apocalyptic surge of Angelic energy, roaring outward in a tidal wave of divine destruction.

But Ethan didn't flinch. Instead, he raised his voice and shouted, "Everyone—hit him! Go all in! No holding back!"

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

In an instant, a barrage of devastating abilities lit up the battlefield. Elemental fury, divine wrath, arcane chaos—every kind of power imaginable surged toward Yelupus in a synchronized assault.

Yelupus's expression twisted in panic. His pupils shrank. He tried to move, to dodge, to escape—

But he couldn't.

His body was frozen in place.

That was the price of channeling the Heaven's Gate Storm. To draw power from the souls, he had to anchor himself—immobile, vulnerable.

And Ethan had seen it coming.

BOOOOOOM!

Eight high-tier ultimate skills slammed into Yelupus all at once, engulfing him in a cataclysm of light and force. There was no time to scream, no chance to resist.

Unlike Olyan, he didn't get lucky.

He didn't escape.

He was obliterated—right there, on the spot.

"…It's over," Ethan said quietly, shaking his head.

They'd just taken down a Tier 15 SSS-rank Dungeon Overlord. A being that, not long ago, would've been considered a nightmare.

And yet, Ethan didn't feel much of anything.

No thrill. No rush. Just… routine.

Because the truth was, with his current team—every one of them Tier 15 SS or higher, and two of them full-blown SSS-rank powerhouses—killing someone like Yelupus wasn't that big of a deal anymore.

As long as they didn't let the enemy run, victory was almost guaranteed.

The only real challenge left…

"Maybe only a Tier 16 Crimson Ultimate Hero could actually push us," Ethan murmured to himself, eyes narrowing slightly. "I wonder… could we even take one of those down?"

He didn't have the answer.

Not yet.

But he'd find out soon enough.

"Let's move," he said, turning away from the smoldering crater where Yelupus had stood. "We keep going."

With the Angelic Demon King dead, there was no reason to linger.

Without hesitation, the team regrouped and charged deeper into the dungeon—toward whatever waited in the darkness ahead.

Before long, a massive gate loomed into view ahead of them—towering, ancient, and ominous.

But before anyone could react, a thunderous crash split the air.

BOOM! BOOM!

A hulking figure dropped from the sky like a meteor, slamming into the ground right in front of them. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the earth.

The thing that landed was a beast of a man—muscles like boulders, three jagged horns jutting from his skull, and a face twisted like a demon straight out of hell. In his hand, he gripped a massive cleaver forged from what looked like bone, stained with age and death.

"Who are you?" the creature growled, his voice like grinding stone. "Why are you here?"

Ethan didn't flinch. "Better question—who the hell are you?"

"I am Dungeon Overlord Sycus!" the monster roared, and as he did, a wave of raw, oppressive power exploded from his body.

It wasn't just strength—it was something darker. His aura was a swirling storm of death, shadow, and every kind of negative energy imaginable. Just a ripple of it made the space around them twist and warp like reality itself was rejecting his presence.

"Another Dungeon Overlord?" Ethan muttered, narrowing his eyes. "This one feels… stronger."

"He's close to the absolute limit of Tier 15 SSS," Elira said quietly, her voice tense. "Maybe even right at the edge."

And if that was true… then this guy was stronger than even her.

Which meant they were in for a serious fight.

"You damn intruders," Sycus snarled, his eyes glowing with fury. "I'll show you what true cruelty looks like. DIE!"

ROAR!

With a deafening bellow, Sycus launched into the air, his massive cleaver raised high. Then—he brought it down.

WHOOSH!

The blade carved through the air, unleashing a monstrous arc of energy that tore toward them like a tidal wave of destruction.

Andona didn't hesitate—she shot forward, wings flaring, ready to meet the attack head-on.

"No!" Elira shouted, her face paling. "Don't take that hit directly! He's too strong!"

Andona froze mid-flight, startled. If even Elira was warning her off… then this wasn't just a heavy hit. This was something else.

BOOM!

Too late.

The cleaver's energy slammed into her like a freight train. The space around her cracked and shattered, and everything the blade touched simply ceased to exist—erased from reality.

The shockwave hit her full force.

THUD!

Andona was sent flying, crashing into the ground with a grunt. Dust exploded around her, but she managed to roll to her feet, coughing, bruised but still standing.

"Damn… that was insane," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"You okay?" Ethan called out.

"I'll live," she muttered, shaking it off.

But there was no time to rest.

Elira and Andona both launched their counterattack, unleashing a barrage of high-tier skills in perfect sync. Blades of light, divine lances, and searing energy tore through the air toward Sycus.

"What? You're both Tier 15 SSS?!" Sycus blinked in surprise—but then, he smirked.

Without a word, he raised his hand.

BOOM!

The massive gate behind him suddenly shimmered—and vanished.

Then, just as suddenly, it reappeared—right in front of him, intercepting the incoming attacks.

BOOOOOOM!

The explosion was massive, shaking the entire area. But when the smoke cleared…

The gate was still standing.

Untouched.

"What?!" Elira's eyes widened. "That's impossible!"

"There's no way it withstood that!" Andona shouted, stunned.

Ethan's expression darkened. "What the hell is that gate made of…?"

But before he could finish the thought, Namyanna stepped forward, her voice low and serious.

"My Lord… I think this guy—he's not just using the gate. I think he is the gate."

Ethan turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… that gate is part of his body. And not just the gate. Everything around us—this whole place—it's all him."

"What?!" Andona's eyes went wide. "You're saying… we're inside him?"

Namyanna nodded grimly. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Andona took a step back, her face pale. "Inside his body? But… when? How?!"

...