CHAPTER 751: TONIGHT, WE’RE MAKING BIRD STEW

Half a month later—

Ethan made a stunning decision:

He would relocate the entire Sky Citadel—every last stone and spire—to the outskirts of Emerald Castle.

Under the guidance of the golden energy core, every Creature Dwelling surrounding the Citadel lit up in unison, shifting into a state of permanent autonomous summoning.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before Ethan commanded yet another—

"Unstoppable army."

The following months were a blur of motion.

Everyone at Emerald Castle was neck-deep in work—summoning new forces, merging powers, reinforcing their legions—until the Creature Dwellings were drained of every last drop of energy.

As their glow finally dimmed, the military might of Emerald Castle had become—

Something else entirely.

...

Meanwhile—

Far to the west, in the sun-scorched expanse of Sol’Rakka.

A golden desert stretched endlessly in all directions, but "desolate" was the last word anyone would use to describe it.

Massive desert cities shimmered beneath the brutal sun, their towers rising like mirages from the heat-hazed horizon.

And at the very heart of the sands, a grand Castle floated in midair.

Its black-and-gold walls were sharp as blades, casting a vast shadow that swallowed the dunes below.

Deep within the palace—

A woman lounged across a throne, her body a study in lethal grace. Power radiated from her in waves. Her bare shoulders and neck were etched with mysterious markings, each one pulsing with a wild, oppressive energy.

She was the Desert Queen.

Her gaze lifted lazily, but her voice carried the kind of authority that could make the earth tremble:

"You just said—Sky Citadel has fallen?"

The sound rolled through the hall like a sandstorm from the deep desert, and every soul in the chamber dropped to their knees.

One of the bolder attendants dared to step forward, trembling.

"Your Majesty... we’ve confirmed it. The force responsible is called Emerald Castle."

"Emerald Castle?"

The Desert Queen arched a brow, a flicker of disbelief tugging at her lips.

"I remember them. A minor faction. Barely worth mentioning."

She leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing.

"And they destroyed Sky Citadel?"

No one answered.

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.

The Queen didn’t press. Instead, she lifted a finger and beckoned to a small bird perched nearby—a dazzling creature, feathers shimmering in every color of the rainbow.

The bird’s eyes sparked with intelligence. It chirped twice, soft but clear.

"Go," she said.

"I want to know who they are. What power they’ve harnessed.

And—"

Her voice turned to ice.

"Whether their ambition threatens Sol’Rakka."

The bird vanished in a flash of light, leaving only a ripple in the air behind.

...

Months passed.

Emerald Castle had risen to its true peak.

No one had yet broken through to the fabled Tier 25, but the collective strength of the castle had multiplied tenfold.

Energy veins now ran through every wall and corridor, pulsing with power. Anyone who lived within could feel it—an invisible tide lifting them higher.

Ethan stood atop the highest battlement, wind tugging at his cloak, eyes sweeping across the transformed landscape.

Once, Emerald Castle had been a lonely outpost in the wilds.

Now, it had its own army. Its own allies. Its own source of power.

Even the space around it seemed to bend in submission.

He was still lost in thought when it hit—

A massive surge of energy tore across the sky.

Golden light split the heavens, a spear of brilliance aimed straight at Emerald Castle.

Ethan reacted instantly.

He shot into the air, a blur of motion, his power flaring like starlight across the sky.

The light condensed, folding in on itself—

Until it took the shape of a radiant, multicolored bird.

Its voice was soft, but it carried the weight of command:

"You are the lord of Emerald Castle?"

Ethan didn’t answer.

Instead, he began to circle the bird slowly, gliding through the air with the calm precision of a predator sizing up its prey.

His eyes narrowed, studying it in silence.

Every feather shimmered with raw, condensed energy—each one a potential weapon in the right hands. If he could forge them into blades or arrows...

They’d be devastating.

The bird stiffened under his gaze, feathers bristling.

"I asked you a question!" it snapped, voice rising with indignation. "Are you deaf, or just stupid?!"

Still, Ethan said nothing.

In the next instant—

He unleashed his power.

Whummm—!

It surged outward like a tidal wave, engulfing the bird in a blink.

To Ethan, it really was just a "wild mob."

The bird shrieked, fury igniting in its core.

Energy exploded from its body, coalescing above it into a massive, spectral avian—five-colored wings stretching wide, its presence so fierce it could shatter mountains.

A direct hit from that thing would reduce a standard Tier 23 unit to ash.

But Ethan didn’t flinch.

He charged.

BOOM!!!

Their powers collided midair, the impact cracking like thunder across the sky.

The heavens split open, jagged rifts tearing through the clouds.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

This thing’s stronger than I thought.

He pulled back, gathering his energy into a tight sphere, light blazing in his palm—

Then hurled it with all his might.

The bird flared with color, meeting the attack head-on.

They clashed again and again, darting through the sky in a blur of motion, trading blows so fast the air itself trembled. Half the sky looked ready to collapse.

Finally, the bird faltered.

Its energy sputtered, and Ethan’s next strike landed clean.

The creature let out a strangled cry and plummeted from the sky.

Moments later, a squad of centaur warriors from Emerald Castle galloped out, hooves thundering across the ground.

They surrounded the dazed, twitching bird and pounced without hesitation.

"Let me go!" it screeched, voice cracking with panic and rage. "Do you have any idea who you’re messing with?! Sol’Rakka will annihilate you!"

The centaurs didn’t even blink.

To them, this was just a wild beast that had wandered too close to the gates.

And a damn tasty-looking one at that.

"Pin it down—don’t let it wriggle free."

"Tonight, we’re making bird stew!"

"Save a few feathers—those things look like they could punch through steel!"

...