CHAPTER 667: WELL, WELL, WHAT A SURPRISE

"Nice! Finally took him down—if we hadn’t, things would’ve gotten real messy..." Ethan let out a long breath, relief washing over him.

He hadn’t expected to run into someone with such a bizarre ability here. What really blew his mind was that Varlok turned out to be a rare, special race—one that was incredibly powerful in the Umbral Abyss. They could absorb the blood of others to boost their own strength.

Wasting no time, Ethan pulled out a map.

Based on the data the system had just analyzed, Varlok’s race seemed to originate from the very heart of the region.

"Master!" Andona came running over, her voice full of excitement. "All the remaining enemies have been wiped out! These three castles—can we use them as a temporary base?"

Ethan nodded. "Clean up the area immediately. Then have everyone regroup at that ruined temple up ahead."

No one hesitated. They jumped into action, following Ethan’s orders to the letter. In no time, the three castles were secured and cleaned up, and everyone had gathered at the crumbling temple.

As they stepped inside, a strange force tugged at their bodies—drawing out their energy.

Then, one by one, heroes and regular units began to materialize.

Whoosh!

"So this is a special Creature Dwelling?!"

Only now did everyone realize that the temple was a unique kind of structure—one that could summon both heroes and standard troops.

No wonder Ethan had gone to such lengths to capture it.

Without wasting another word, they activated the summoning function. Before long, a whole army of new units had been called forth.

Ethan then gave the order for everyone to rest and recover. After all, they’d just come out of a brutal battle—everyone was exhausted.

He himself returned to the main keep of Skygate Castle.

The energy radiating from this place was incredibly dense—perfect for strengthening his own power.

The next five days passed quietly. Everyone focused on healing and regaining their strength. But on the sixth day, a figure wreathed in violent, chaotic energy suddenly dropped from the sky, landing hard in the middle of Skygate Castle.

"You bastards! You actually came here? Get out here! All of you—get the hell out here!"

The thunderous shout shook the entire castle. Everyone inside was instantly on alert—even Ethan came rushing out.

The moment he laid eyes on the intruder, Ethan’s brow furrowed. The power rolling off this guy was terrifying—he was already at mid-Tier 17.

But what really caught Ethan’s attention?

This guy was a member of the Blood Saints of Thirty-Six.

Back when Ethan had wiped out the Blood Legion of Seventy-Two, one of the Blood Saints had come looking for revenge. Ethan had taken him out, and after that, he hadn’t seen any more of them—until now.

It was almost like running into an old friend.

With a smirk, Ethan stepped forward, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Well, well, I was starting to think you guys forgot about me. If you hadn’t shown up soon, I was gonna come looking for you myself!"

The Blood Saints of Thirty-Six were notoriously hard to track. Even with all the data Ethan had gathered, he still hadn’t been able to pinpoint their headquarters.

But now? One of them had come knocking on his front door.

Saved him a whole lot of trouble.

The member of the Blood Saints of Thirty-Six stood there, completely baffled.

He’d come here for revenge—simple, straightforward. But Ethan’s bizarre enthusiasm had thrown him off so badly, he didn’t even know how to react.

Before he could gather his thoughts, Ethan had already dragged him straight into the heart of Skygate Castle.

"Come on, spill it," Ethan said, voice casual but eyes sharp. "Where exactly is your Blood Saints of Thirty-Six base? Is it in the core region or somewhere else? Why the hell can’t I find it on any map?"

The Blood Saint’s eyes widened in shock. So that’s what this was all about—Ethan’s over-the-top welcome had just been a setup to get intel on their location...

"Keep dreaming," the man growled. "I’ll never betray my brothers. You’ll have to kill me first."

Ethan chuckled darkly.

The warmth vanished from his face in an instant. Without warning, he slammed the man to the ground.

BAM!

Sure, this guy was mid-Tier 17, but at this point, Emerald Castle had more than a few warriors at that level. Taking him down was no big deal. Hell, Ethan alone could crush him without breaking a sweat.

"You had your chance," Ethan said coldly, pressing a boot to the man’s chest. "Now I’m giving you one more. Tell me where your base is—or I’ll tear you apart, piece by piece."

The sudden shift in tone rattled the Blood Saint. He hadn’t expected Ethan to flip the switch so fast.

Before he could even respond, Ethan’s fist came crashing down—crippling his arms and legs in a single brutal strike. At the same time, Ethan siphoned off half of the man’s power, draining it into himself.

"You’ve still got one last shot," Ethan said, voice low and deadly. "Tell me where your headquarters is. Or die."

The man looked like he was about to cry. He was completely lost, unsure what to do.

And then—

BOOM!

A deafening rumble echoed from the sky. A massive figure appeared overhead, its power blotting out the sun, casting a shadow over all of Skygate Castle.

Crackling energy exploded across the sky like a thunderstorm tearing through the heavens. Even the mighty walls of Skygate Castle groaned under the pressure.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"What the hell now?" Ethan muttered, frowning as he pulled up the system interface.

Five more members of the Blood Saints of Thirty-Six had just arrived—right outside the gates.

But instead of panicking, Ethan’s eyes lit up with excitement. Without hesitation, he turned and drove his blade straight through the Blood Saint at his feet, ending him in one clean strike.

Then he stepped outside, practically buzzing with anticipation.

"Well, well, what a surprise! Five more of you? Perfect. Come on down and tell me where your little hideout is."

The five newcomers froze, eyes wide. Before they could even react, shadows surged from every direction—Emerald Castle’s forces swarming in, surrounding them completely.

Emerald Castle had grown into a true powerhouse. Five Blood Saints? That was nothing.

Elira alone, now a mid-Tier 17 Skytear Demon Moth, was more than enough to wipe them all out. She was stronger than most at her level—deadlier, faster, and far more ruthless.

"No—no way! Please! Don’t kill me!" one of the Blood Saints broke down, his voice cracking with panic.

The sheer pressure from Emerald Castle’s army was overwhelming. He could feel it crushing down on him, his bones creaking under the weight. He could even hear them grinding inside his own body.

"Our base—it’s not far from here," he blurted out. "It’s hidden inside a spatial rift. Super well-concealed. Even the Umbral Abyss locals don’t know about it!"

Ethan’s eyes lit up. He whipped out his map and shoved it in front of them.

"Show me."

They pointed it out, and once Ethan confirmed the exact location, his expression turned ice-cold.

"They’re useless now," he said flatly. "Kill them. Then rally the army—we’re going in. We’re wiping out every last one of those bastards."

He paused, glancing at the map again.

"And from the looks of it... that place might actually be perfect for us."

The Umbral Abyss was a nightmare—dangerous factions everywhere, monsters around every corner. If they wanted to survive here, they needed a base that was hidden, secure, and defensible.

And the Blood Saints’ headquarters?

It was exactly that.

A perfect stronghold.

And soon, it would be his.

...