CHAPTER 187: RETURNING

Ethan vanished and went through the portal of dimensional space. He was no longer the same Ethan that entered the First Sanctuary—he was a totally different person.

He appeared above in the clouds of the city that he had left behind. The city that was first destroyed by the attacks of the monster horde.

Instead of finding a peaceful place thriving with life, he found destruction once again.

He spotted people running from fires that consumed entire city blocks, their screams piercing the smoke-filled air. Bodies littered the streets—some crushed, others torn apart by massive claws. The scent of blood and ash hung heavy in the atmosphere like a funeral shroud.

Large gorillas and monkeys rampaged through the districts, their golden fur gleaming as they tore through buildings with supernatural strength. Their roars echoed off the broken walls, a sound of pure vengeance that made the very air tremble.

Ethan immediately understood that this was from the golden monkey he had killed in the monster horde. It seems like his family had come for revenge.

Of course, Ethan thought, his expression unchanged by the carnage below. Even after transcending dimensions, the past finds a way to follow.

His enhanced senses swept across the battlefield, cataloging every detail. Forty-three large primates. Hundreds of smaller ones. This wasn’t random violence—it was calculated retribution.

At the city’s heart, he found the largest gorilla of golden color fighting three humans. The beast stood nearly fifteen feet tall, its muscles rippling with each devastating blow it delivered. Golden energy crackled around its fists as it battled desperately against its opponents.

One of the humans was young—barely out of his teens, but his movements carried the fluid grace of someone who had seen too much combat too early.

It was Hong Wei.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. The little brother from the orphanage had grown rapidly, reaching the peak of Silver rank. His sword work was impressive for his age, each strike calculated and precise. But even with his advancement, he was clearly outmatched.

Fighting alongside Hong Wei were two figures Ethan recognized immediately: Ezekiel, the city lord he had left behind, and one of the generals. Both were breathing heavily, their armor cracked and bloodied from the prolonged battle.

Ezekiel’s axe. The beast caught the weapon in one massive hand, golden energy surging as it attempted to crush both axe and its wielder.

"Hong Wei, fall back!" Ezekiel shouted, his voice strained with effort. "This thing is too strong!"

But Hong Wei didn’t retreat. Instead, he channeled everything he had into a final desperate strike, his sword blazing with silver light as he aimed for the creature’s exposed flank.

The gorilla’s free hand swatted him aside like an insect. Hong Wei’s body flew through the air, crashing into a partially collapsed building with a sickening impact.

"No!" The general roared, his own blade erupting with flame as he pressed the attack.

From his position in the clouds, Ethan spread his consciousness across the city like an invisible net. His awareness touched every corner, every hiding place, every heartbeat still clinging to life in this chaos.

Uncle Lin was alive, barricaded in the underground tunnels beneath his new restaurant with a group of survivors. The old man’s eyes held no fear, only a grim look.

Lin was there too.

And Tiana...

She was deeper in the city’s underground network, in what appeared to be an improvised medical station. Her hands moved as she treated the wounded. It seemed like she had learnt how to become a doctor. She had put good use to the knowledge that Ethan had given her before departing. She had used her talent and the research institute to create many technologies that improved everything. Healers worked alongside her, the combination of technology and magical healing working wonders.

All three were alive and protected.

But the golden gorilla below was winning its battle against the city’s defenders.

Ezekiel stumbled backward, his axe arm hanging uselessly at his side. The general had fallen to one knee, his flame-wreathed sword flickering as his mana reserves depleted. Hong Wei struggled to rise from the rubble, blood trickling from his forehead.

The massive gorilla raised both fists high, golden energy building to a crescendo. When those hands came down, the city’s last line of defense would be crushed.

They won’t survive this, Ethan observed.

He could intervene. A single thought would be enough to reduce every hostile creature in the city to ash. His Chaos talent could unravel their very existence, leaving not even memories behind.

But something held him back.

Not hesitation—he had moved far beyond such human weaknesses. It was curiosity. A desire to understand how much these people had grown in his absence, and whether they possessed the strength to overcome this trial themselves.

Have they learned to fight without relying on external salvation?

The golden gorilla’s fists descended like meteors.

At the last moment, Hong Wei found his footing. With a scream that contained years of loss and determination, he threw himself between the creature and his fallen comrades. His sword, though cracked from the earlier impact, blazed with every ounce of power his young body could muster.

The collision sent shockwaves through the surrounding streets. Windows that had somehow survived the initial assault finally shattered. The ground cracked in a perfect circle around the impact point.

When the dust settled, Hong Wei was still standing.

Barely.

His sword had snapped in half, and golden blood dripped from a dozen wounds across his body. But the gorilla’s attack had been deflected—not stopped, but deflected enough that Ezekiel and the general survived.

The gorilla, apparently shocked that its killing blow had been thwarted by such a young opponent, stepped back and examined Hong Wei with new interest. When it spoke, its voice rumbled like distant thunder.

"You... you carry his scent," the creature growled, its golden eyes narrowing. "You knew the one who killed our prince."

Hong Wei wiped blood from his mouth, his breathing labored but his stance unwavering. "If you mean Ethan... then yeah. He was my big brother."

"Where is he?" The gorilla’s voice carried both rage and something else—a note of caution that hadn’t been there before.

"Hmph, like I will tell you. You can go to hell." Hong Wei replied simply.

As the gorilla prepared for another attack, Ethan made his decision to end it.