CHAPTER 669: BLIGHT SERPENT, HUH...

Ethan’s brows furrowed as he instinctively took several steps back, ducking behind a nearby outcrop for cover.

He quickly pulled up the system interface and began scanning the data on these grotesque, lump-covered serpents.

A moment later, the analysis came through.

Blight Serpent.

A rare and highly dangerous species native to the Umbral Abyss. These creatures thrive in fields of corpses and rivers of blood, feeding on rotting flesh. Their bodies reek of decay, and they radiate a twisted, overwhelming Bloodlust Aura that makes their power explosively violent.

But despite being born of the Abyss, they actually hate it. Unfortunately, they can’t survive outside of it for long, so they’re constantly searching for isolated, stable pockets of space within the Abyss to call home.

And this realm?

It was perfect for them.

"Blight Serpent, huh..." Ethan muttered, eyes narrowing.

Without hesitation, he summoned a massive energy sphere in his palm and hurled it straight into the cluster of serpents.

BOOM!

The orb detonated in the middle of the pack, unleashing a devastating shockwave.

The explosion tore through the air like a hurricane of raw force, instantly shredding two of the Blight Serpents into bloody chunks.

But Ethan didn’t move from his cover.

He kept watching, analyzing the aftermath.

Shhhhhh—!

From the ruptured flesh of the serpents, thick clouds of toxic gas began to seep out, spreading fast.

"Back! Everyone, get back!" Ethan shouted.

The Emerald Castle troops didn’t need to be told twice. They could feel the poison in the air—it was corrosive, deadly.

Just a touch on bare skin would cause it to rot away in seconds, and a full dose? That was a slow, agonizing death.

But not everyone backed off.

Ataneya didn’t hesitate.

VMMM! VMMM! VMMM...

Her power surged, erupting from her body in a wave of elemental fury.

A vortex of fire and energy spiraled into the sky, wrapping around a dozen Blight Serpents in an instant.

Then came the magma.

BOOOOOOM!

Molten fire poured across the battlefield, engulfing the serpents.

They writhed and twisted, their bodies curling in on themselves as the heat overwhelmed them.

Within seconds, they shriveled into blackened husks, then crumbled into ash.

Ethan’s eyes lit up.

That was it. That was the key.

When he’d scanned the Blight Serpents earlier, the system hadn’t flagged any obvious weaknesses. But that was because it had only analyzed their core biology—not the grotesque growths covering their bodies.

Those fleshy lumps?

They were packed with concentrated toxins, designed for offense.

But ironically, they were also the serpents’ biggest vulnerability.

The toxins were powerful, sure—but they were also highly flammable.

And fire magic?

It was their natural counter.

Someone like Ataneya, who wielded high-level fire elemental power, could ignite the toxins directly—turning the serpents into walking bombs.

"Anyone with fire magic—get over here! Focus your elemental power and burn these freaks to ash!" Ethan barked.

The Emerald Castle mages didn’t waste a second.

Everyone with even a hint of fire affinity rushed forward, unleashing wave after wave of flame.

The sky lit up in a blazing inferno.

CRACKLE! SIZZLE! SNAP!

The Blight Serpents thrashed violently, their bodies convulsing as the fire consumed them.

One by one, they fell—until the last of them was nothing more than scorched remains.

In their place, a massive wall of fire elemental energy formed, creating a blazing barrier around the realm.

VMMM! VMMM! VMMM...

The remaining Blight Serpents tried to push through the barrier, but it was no use.

The moment they touched it, they ignited—burning to cinders before they could even scream.

Unless they were willing to shed the toxic growths that gave them their power, they’d never make it through.

After the last of the Blight Serpents were wiped out, the entire Plane World finally settled into a rare moment of calm.

The Emerald Castle forces wasted no time—one by one, they entered the various Creature Dwellings scattered across the realm, eagerly summoning their own armies.

But Ethan knew better than to relax.

This peace? It was temporary.

It wouldn’t be long before someone came crashing down on this place.

Before, this realm had stayed hidden thanks to the secretive and low-profile behavior of the Blood Saints of the Thirty-Six. They kept their movements quiet, their presence subtle.

But the Emerald Castle army hadn’t exactly been subtle.

They’d stormed in like a tidal wave.

There was no doubt in Ethan’s mind—someone had already noticed.

He sat cross-legged inside one of the Creature Dwellings, calmly summoning more troops.

Within minutes, he had over a thousand under his command.

Just as he was about to continue, Cicero came sprinting in, panic written all over his face. He dropped to one knee.

"Master! We’ve got a problem—there’s a massive force gathering outside. All of them are Tier 17 mid-level or higher. Looks like they’re preparing to invade this Plane World!"

Ethan didn’t even blink.

No surprise. He’d been expecting this.

He raised a hand, and the army he’d just summoned immediately mobilized, rushing toward the entrance of the spatial passage.

BOOM! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM...

Outside the rift, a massive force had already assembled.

The air was thick with Bloodlust Aura.

They hadn’t found the entrance yet, but they were close.

At the front of the group sat a man who stood out from the rest—not just because of his looks, which were strikingly handsome, but because of the sheer pressure he exuded.

He lounged on a towering dragonbone throne, radiating the kind of dominance that only came from someone used to ruling.

He looked like a king.

No—like an emperor.

The aura rolling off him was dense and suffocating.

Even the faintest ripple of his power caused the space around him to twist and warp.

"Are you sure this is the place?" he asked, his voice cold and sharp, laced with a subtle pressure that made the people around him instinctively bow their heads.

"Yes, Your Highness," one of the scouts replied quickly. "We confirmed it. Our men tracked the intruders into this valley, and then they vanished. That can only mean one thing—this is a sealed Plane World."

"We also discovered that this was once the territory of the Blood Saints of the Thirty-Six. They kept it hidden well—we’ve been searching for the entrance for ages."

"But the energy leaking out from inside... it’s incredibly rich. If we can take this place, Your Highness, your power will grow exponentially."

...