CHAPTER 668: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ethan gave the order and led the Emerald Castle army in a sweeping march toward the spatial rift.

It didn’t take long before they arrived at a secluded mountain valley, tucked away and seemingly unremarkable at first glance.

But if you looked closely, you’d notice powerful energy ripples pulsing through the air, distorting the space around them.

Ethan paused, sensing the flow of energy in the area. Then he raised his hand and tapped lightly in the air. Instantly, a surge of force burst from the ripples, wrapping around his body and pulling him straight into the spatial passage.

VMMM! VMMM! VMMM...

The rest of the Emerald Castle troops saw what happened and immediately panicked. They rushed forward, only to be swept up by the same energy and drawn into the portal after him.

Once they emerged on the other side, their anxiety quickly turned to awe.

No one had expected that hidden within that quiet valley was an entire world—vast, open, and brimming with dense, potent energy.

The air here was thick with power, making it an ideal place to settle down for the long haul.

But the real surprise?

Scattered throughout this realm were over twenty unique Creature Dwellings.

Even more incredible—those so-called Blood Saints of the Thirty-Six clearly had no idea what these places really were. They’d been treating them like shrines, using them for worship, completely unaware of their true purpose.

Ethan didn’t waste any time. He stormed into one of the temples, summoned his power, and within moments, had called forth over a dozen heroes.

The others quickly followed his lead, charging into the temples and summoning their own forces.

"This place is insane! What even is this?!" Elira was practically bouncing with excitement.

Sure, she could summon minions elsewhere, but it was always a slow, tedious process with long cooldowns.

Here, though? It was like the place had been tailor-made for her. In no time, she’d summoned more than a dozen underlings, each one radiating the pure, terrifying aura of a Skytear Demon Moth.

But just as they were getting comfortable, a powerful presence surged from nearby.

Moments later, the remaining members of the Blood Saints of the Thirty-Six burst into the realm.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

...

Every one of them was at Tier 17. The raw power rolling off them was intense—feral, unrestrained. If it came down to a straight-up brawl, the Emerald Castle army might not stand a chance.

But Ethan had already planned for this.

A storm of energy erupted from his body, swirling upward into the sky.

A massive sphere of light formed above him, crackling with power.

"I’m giving you one chance," Ethan said, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "Kneel now and swear loyalty to me, and maybe—just maybe—I’ll let you live. But if you resist..."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Then today will be your last."

The Blood Saints froze, eyes wide in disbelief.

That line? That was their line.

They were the ones who gave ultimatums. They were the ones who demanded submission.

And now?

Someone else was throwing it back in their faces?

Unforgivable.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" one of them snarled. "You think we’d kneel to you? Dream on. We’re gonna tear you apart!"

With a roar, the Blood Saints charged.

Their power exploded outward, merging into a single, devastating force. The air trembled under the weight of it, and the ground cracked beneath their feet.

THUD!

THUD!

THUD!

...

RUMBLEEEEEEEE...

This was their turf, after all. The Blood Saints of the Thirty-Six knew this place like the backs of their hands, and they fought with the confidence of seasoned predators.

But Ethan? He didn’t flinch. Not even a little.

He simply flicked his finger forward.

The massive energy sphere hovering in the air above him began to pulse, drawing in the surrounding power like a black hole.

"What?! That’s impossible!"

The Blood Saints’ eyes went wide in disbelief.

They never imagined Ethan could tap into the energy of this realm—let alone wield it so effortlessly.

But how could they have known?

Back when Ethan had taken out some of their comrades, he’d extracted a unique energy signature from their bodies—an essence that was native to this world.

After a bit of fine-tuning, he’d learned to control it like it was second nature.

Now, their powers clashed in a violent collision.

The sky cracked open with thunderous booms as the two forces met.

Within moments, the charging Blood Saints were blasted apart, scattered like leaves in a storm.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

...

"This can’t be happening! What did you do?! How are you controlling the energy of our world?!"

Ethan didn’t bother answering.

He raised his hand, and with a swift motion, siphoned off half the power from the Blood Saints’ bodies.

That stolen energy surged into the nearby temple, where he immediately began summoning more of his forces.

The Emerald Castle army saw their chance and pounced.

They charged the remaining Blood Saints without hesitation, cutting them down one by one.

It didn’t take long before every last one of them was dead.

Without missing a beat, the rest of the Emerald Castle crew rushed into the temples, eager to summon their own reinforcements.

"Looks like it’s over," Ethan muttered, stretching lazily after calling forth another wave of minions.

This place was remote, hidden—perfect for regrouping and recovering.

Then, without a word, he made his way toward the heart of the realm.

The energy here was thick, almost tangible.

This had to be the source—the place the Blood Saints used to boost their strength.

Ethan crouched down, letting his own energy flow outward, syncing with the plane’s natural power.

Within minutes, his level surged, pushing him into the mid-range of Tier 17.

But just as he was about to settle in and let his army rest and rebuild...

The air outside the realm began to ripple with strange, unnatural vibrations.

Then—without warning—a grotesque creature slithered through the spatial rift.

It looked like a snake, but its entire body was covered in massive, bulbous lumps, making it look clumsy and bloated.

"What the hell is that?!" Ethan snapped, instantly on alert.

He stepped forward, unleashing a wave of power that wrapped around the creature like a net.

The snake let out a piercing screech, its own energy flaring wildly in response.

"Well, well... I didn’t expect to find a place like this in the Umbral Abyss," it hissed. "My kind has finally found a proper home."

It didn’t stick around. With a flick of its body, it vanished into the distance.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

This thing was scouting.

If it brought its entire species here, the consequences could be catastrophic.

He immediately fortified the area where the snake had appeared, setting up layers of magical barriers and stationing elite hero units to guard the rift.

Only after everything was secured did he finally exhale.

But just as he turned to leave—

The entire realm trembled.

A massive surge of energy erupted from the sky.

And then... they came.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of those same grotesque, lump-covered snakes began pouring in from above.

Their arrival was accompanied by a sickening crackle, like static tearing through flesh.

The sound drew the rest of the Emerald Castle forces to the scene.

Everyone froze.

They’d never seen anything like this.

The creatures were bizarre, alien—oozing with a power that was both familiar and utterly foreign.

They radiated the bloodthirsty aura of the Umbral Abyss...

But there was something else, too.

Something new.

Something no one had ever encountered before.

...