BZZZZT!

BOOOOMMMMMMM...

The old man radiated a terrifying aura. Flames—strange and unnatural—burned in his eyes. Around him lay several sets of armor, each one etched with dense, glowing runes.

Ethan's gaze locked onto the blood-red energy orb placed at the center.

That had to be the core energy the Fourteenth Layer had mentioned.

At the same time—

The old man—yeah, the one known as the Infernal Dragon Lord—finally noticed Ethan's presence.

He blinked, clearly surprised.

"Well, I'll be damned. Didn't expect a brat like you to make it all the way to the fifteenth floor so easily."

"But this is where your little journey ends."

His voice dripped with mockery as he reached for one of the armors beside him and began strapping it on. The moment it clicked into place, a monstrous surge of power exploded from his body, flooding the entire fifteenth floor with raw, oppressive energy.

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

He bent his knees slightly, and in the blink of an eye, his own power erupted—fast, sharp, and focused.

In a flash, he was right in front of the Infernal Dragon Lord.

He threw a punch—hard.

But the old bastard's body was like solid steel.

The hit didn't even scratch him. Instead, the impact bounced Ethan back like he'd punched a mountain.

"Too weak," the Infernal Dragon Lord sneered. "That punch was barely a tickle. Let me show you what real power looks like."

BOOOOMMMMMM...

THUD!

A violent surge of energy burst from the Infernal Dragon Lord, swirling around him like a storm. In midair, it condensed into a massive blade, gleaming with deadly intent.

Just as the blade came crashing down—

Ethan vanished.

In a flicker, he reappeared behind the Infernal Dragon Lord.

A thick wave of Dragon God energy surged from Ethan's body, wrapping around the old man like a vice. Then, with pinpoint precision, Ethan slammed an energy orb straight into the Infernal Dragon Lord's back.

"My strength might not match yours," Ethan said coldly, "but what I wield is the power of the Dragon God."

"And that means even you—especially you—bow to it."

His voice cut through the air like ice, and the Infernal Dragon Lord's body jolted. He hadn't seen that coming—not even close.

When Ethan first arrived, he'd deliberately hidden Idra's energy signature, masking the Dragon God aura completely.

Which made this moment all the more devastating.

CRACK!

The Infernal Dragon Lord was blasted off his feet, sent flying across the chamber. Before he could even hit the ground, Ethan was already moving. A blade shimmered into his hand—the Blade of the Fey—its edge glowing with the full force of the Dragon God's power.

He drove it straight into the old man's body.

Again.

And again.

And again.

"You... this can't be... How the hell does a human like you have such pure Dragon God energy?" the Infernal Dragon Lord gasped, blood bubbling from his lips.

Ethan didn't answer.

He didn't give him a chance to get back up either.

He just kept stabbing—relentless, brutal—until the Infernal Dragon Lord's body looked like a wasp's nest, torn and punctured beyond recognition.

Only then did Ethan stop.

He grabbed the old man by the shoulder and began draining the energy from his body.

He'd seen it happen before—kill someone, only for them to come back.

Not this time.

Not with this one.

Ethan wasn't taking any chances.

He wouldn't stop until every last shred of flesh and power was completely obliterated.

The fifteenth floor finally fell silent.

The chaos faded, and Ethan's power level stabilized, settling into a new, solid tier.

The entire chamber was wrecked—every bit of decoration had been obliterated during the battle. Even the blood-red energy orb had shattered into useless fragments.

Ethan didn't linger.

With a flicker of movement, he vanished—reappearing back on the fourteenth floor.

…

At the same time, something strange happened.

All the suits of armor that had once stood menacingly around the room… suddenly fell still. Then, one by one, they began to open on their own—clanking and creaking as they released what was inside.

Figures stepped out.

And they were… hideous.

The so-called Dragon God's Descendants looked more like upright lizards than anything remotely human. Scaly skin, elongated snouts, reptilian eyes—Ethan instinctively took a step back when he saw them.

Anyone would've been startled by the sight.

The strongest among them—a towering Lizard-Dragon Kin—rushed forward the moment he was free of the armor, practically stumbling over himself to get to Ethan.

"My Lord! Thank you—thank you so much…"

"If it weren't for you, we'd have been trapped inside those cursed armors for the rest of our lives. From this day forward, you are our master. Say the word, and we'll give everything for you."

Ethan blinked, caught off guard.

They were ugly as hell, sure—but their power was no joke. Now that the armor was off, their energy was fully unleashed—wild, raw, and potent.

With them on his side, the Emerald Castle's army just got a serious upgrade.

"Alright," Ethan said, nodding. "From now on, you're under my command. But I've got a question—your combined strength isn't any weaker than the Infernal Dragon Lord's. So how the hell did he manage to imprison all of you?"

The lead Lizard-Dragon let out a long, bitter sigh.

"My Lord… you don't know the full story…"

"We are the ancient Lizard-Dragon Kin—descendants of the Dragon God himself."

"Granted, our dragon blood is thin, but it's still powerful. Even the High Lord of the Sky Citadel once tried to recruit us. But… well…"

He paused, his voice thick with regret.

"When we came here, we were tricked. Captured. Sealed inside those armors like trophies. We were betrayed."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

So they'd been lured here under false pretenses—then locked away like weapons.

"Well then," he said, his voice cold and sharp, "how about I give you a shot at revenge? I'm planning to take the fight to the Sky Citadel—sixteenth floor. From now on, you're my vanguard."

The Lizard-Dragons roared in unison, their blood boiling with fury and purpose.

They didn't hesitate.

Without waiting for another word, they charged straight toward the sixteenth floor, their claws scraping against the stone, their war cries echoing through the halls.

Ethan watched them go, arms crossed.

This was a test.

He needed to see if their loyalty was real—or just another trick.

But to his surprise, the moment they hit the sixteenth floor, they didn't hold back. They dove headfirst into battle, clashing with the enemy in a brutal, bloody melee.

...