There wasn't a trace of fear in Ethan's eyes.

He stepped forward, and the air trembled with the motion. Just as he was about to strike, the leader of the Lizard-Dragon Kin suddenly lunged in front of him.

"Master, fall back!" the creature snarled, its voice rough and guttural. Its scales shimmered with a scorched sheen under the light. "That's a Demonbee—its venomous stinger can melt through anything! Even a graze will rot you down to pus and blood!"

Ethan froze for a split second.

The creature hovering in the air looked deceptively harmless—tiny, almost cute, like a toy bee. But the way its energy pulsed, flickering like wildfire, sent a chill crawling down his spine.

Instinctively, he pulled up his system panel. Numbers flickered across the glowing interface.

Tier 20 (Mid-Stage).

His heart sank.

That level… it could wipe out the entire fighting force of Emerald Castle. Charging in would be suicide.

He drew a deep breath, about to give the order to retreat—

Then, behind him, a surge of energy exploded like a thunderclap, so intense it made his chest tighten.

"Retreat? Hell no."

Elira's voice was low, laced with a cold, arrogant smirk.

She stepped onto the battlefield, silver hair whipping in the wind, her eyes glowing with an eerie violet light.

And then—

The sky split open.

A massive phantom of a Skytear Demon Moth unfurled behind her, its wings stretching across the heavens, scattering shimmering motes of energy through the air like stardust.

"It's just a damn bee," she said, her voice calm but laced with menace. "And it thinks it can act tough in front of me?"

As her words fell, the pressure in the air plummeted. The battlefield went dead silent.

The Demonbee froze mid-air, its wings twitching once—then locking up completely.

"No… no way…!"

"Skytear Demon Moth!? That species was wiped out ages ago—!"

Terror cracked its voice.

It tried to flee, wings buzzing frantically—but it barely moved two feet before a curtain of black-violet energy swallowed it whole.

The moment the phantom's wings cloaked the sky, the ground let out a deep, resonant rumble.

Then—just a heartbeat later—

A shrill, piercing scream tore through the air. Energy burst outward in a blinding cascade of light.

And then—silence.

The mighty Demonbee was nothing but scorched remains.

Elira knelt, reaching into the wreckage and pulling out a faintly glowing orb—the Primordial Core.

Her breathing was ragged, but her eyes burned with resolve.

Without hesitation, she swallowed the core.

A new power surged through her.

The sky darkened a shade. Wind howled across the battlefield, as if the world itself bowed before her.

When the light faded, her aura had climbed—Tier 20 (Mid-Stage).

The warriors of Emerald Castle stood frozen, stunned.

It was the first time they'd ever witnessed such a dramatic leap in power with their own eyes.

Ethan stared at her, a flicker of shock in his gaze—followed by pride… and the spark of ambition.

"Damn good work," he murmured. "With you here, maybe we really can reach the eighteenth floor."

He was just about to give the order to advance—

When a sharp pain stabbed through his chest.

"Idra—?"

A translucent figure slowly drifted out of him, barely holding form, like a ghost caught in the wind. She looked so fragile, her eyes unfocused, her presence flickering.

She'd been fighting alongside him this whole time, syncing with his soul to channel power. But now, she'd hit her limit.

Ethan instinctively reached out, trying to catch her—but his hand passed through nothing but cold energy.

"Rest now," he whispered, gently pulling her back into the system space.

After a moment of silence, Ethan lifted his head.

His eyes swept across the battlefield—scarred, scorched, and littered with the remnants of war.

"All units—"

His voice was steady, but carried the weight of exhaustion.

"Return to Emerald Castle. Rest up. For the next battle… we go in flawless."

The order dropped like a stone in still water. No one dared hesitate. The army turned in unison and began the march back to Emerald Castle, a tide of steel and magic flowing across the land.

But Emerald Castle was no longer the place it once was.

Over time, Ethan had fused countless otherworldly realms into its very foundation. Floating islands now drifted above the spires, rune-etched stones hovered midair, and deep beneath the surface, ancient Creature Dwellings pulsed with dormant power. The entire fortress felt alive—radiating a force that defied explanation.

The moment the troops returned, they threw themselves into preparation.

The hum of summoning circles echoed through the air—soldiers, beasts, and spirit-kin flickered into existence within glowing glyphs. Everyone knew this was just a pause, a breath before the plunge.

Because soon, Ethan would lead them again—this time, toward the Sky Citadel.

Inside the great hall, silence reigned.

Ethan lounged on the throne, his posture relaxed, but his eyes carried the weight of thought. Fatigue clung to him—not just physical, but the kind that came from seeing too far ahead.

Idra sat beside him, eyes half-closed, her presence calm and meditative.

"Master!"

Elira strode in, her armored boots scraping against the stone floor with a low grind.

There was a flicker of impatience in her voice.

"It's been a month. Our legions are back at full strength. Why haven't we moved on the Sky Citadel yet? I'm ready to tear it down."

Ethan gave a faint smile and raised a hand, unfurling an ancient map.

The scroll was made of dragonhide, its edges still glowing faintly with residual enchantments.

"The assault…" he said quietly, "will have to wait."

His tone was calm, but there was a chill beneath it—something that made the air feel heavier.

"The higher we climb, the stronger their Lords become. If we push too hard and force the High Lord to act… we could lose everything. The entire army—gone."

Elira's breath caught.

She stared at the map, silent for a long moment, then finally gave a slow nod.

"Then… where do we go instead?"

Ethan tapped a finger on a blank stretch of the map—an expanse of sand and nothing else.

"There."

"But—" Elira frowned, lifting her gaze. "I've been there. It's a wasteland. No cities, no life, nothing."

Ethan's smile deepened, mysterious and knowing.

"On the surface, sure. But beneath that desert… lies a power beyond anything we've seen."

His voice was soft, but it sparked something in the air—like flint striking steel.

"Send the word. Full mobilization. We're heading out."

Elira's eyes lit up again. She straightened, fire in her step as she turned and strode from the hall.

At that moment, Idra slowly opened her eyes.

Her aura surged like a rising tide, making the very air tremble.

She had reached the peak of Tier 20 (Mid-Stage).

Ethan looked at her, a flicker of awe in his gaze.

He knew—once they fused again, their combined power would shatter every limit they'd known before.

Not long after, the horns sounded across the castle.

Emerald Castle stirred once more.

The gates creaked open, and wind swept through—carrying dust, magic, and the glint of sunlight off polished armor.

…

Ashveil Desert—

A barren stretch of land bordering the Umbral Abyss, whispered to be a place even Death avoids.

By day, it burned like fire. By night, it froze like the void. Endless dunes stretched in every direction, and the wind whispered like it carried the voices of the dead.

Countless travelers had passed through.

None had ever returned.

When the army of Emerald Castle arrived, all they saw was sand—rolling dunes and a silence so deep it felt like the world had stopped breathing.

The sun scorched the sky, and even the soldiers' breath shimmered into mirages before vanishing into the heat.

...