Ethan's chest heaved as that wild, unfamiliar energy from the Sky Citadel continued to surge through him, crashing around like a storm trying to tear him apart from the inside out. He tried to suppress it, but the moment he attempted to forcefully absorb the power, his body reacted violently—rejection, like his very cells were screaming in protest. So he changed tactics. Instead of trying to absorb it, he redirected it—converted it into output. He activated a summoning skill he'd picked up back in the Dungeon, channeling the excess energy into a summoning circle. Content orıginally comes from 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝔫𝔢𝔱 A portal of light flared open, and a goblin stepped out. But this wasn't your average goblin. Its entire body was etched with glowing energy patterns, and the pressure it gave off was heavy—like a mountain pressing down. Ethan's eyes narrowed. The base template might've been a low-tier goblin, but the Sky Citadel's energy had forcibly "leveled it up." Its power was way beyond what it should've been. "So it works after all." His eyes lit up, and he kept channeling the energy. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! In just a few seconds, a whole swarm of "goblins" appeared—each one no lower than Tier 15. Their movements were stiff, their expressions blank—clearly lacking full intelligence. But on a battlefield, that didn't matter. As long as they could follow orders, they were more than enough. Just then, Sycaron stepped up beside him, his expression solemn. "My Lord, too many of my kin have fallen… May I summon warriors of my own race?" Ethan blinked, then pulled up his status panel. It didn't take long to spot the issue: as a Celestial Dragon, he didn't have a Creature Dwelling to recruit units from. He frowned, but before he could say anything, a system prompt rang in his ears: Ding! Hidden Quest Triggered — "Celestial Dragon: Awakening Recruitment" To unlock the Lord's ability to recruit Celestial Dragons as units, the current Lord must personally defeat a Tier 17 Sky Citadel Guardian (non-support unit), obtain a Hatch Core, and complete the Awakening Ritual. Note: This challenge must be completed solo! Ethan's eyes widened. He was only Tier 16 right now. And they wanted him to take on a Tier 17 Guardian—alone? That was practically suicide. But the quest had already been triggered. He let out a long breath. "Sycaron, not yet. But when the time comes, I swear—I'll help you rebuild your people." He offered the reassurance, then lifted his gaze to the sky above. If the higher-ups from the Sky Citadel could descend into the lower realms, then there had to be a way to go the other direction too. If he could find a Tier 17 Guardian and take them down, he might just be able to unlock the system's "reproduction" function. Sure, going up against someone a whole tier above him was a death wish on paper—but he wasn't exactly empty-handed. Those energy-infused goblins were already summoned in bulk. If he used them right, they could form a relentless wave of attrition. Maybe not enough to win in a head-on clash, but definitely enough to wear the enemy down. With that thought, Ethan's eyes turned cold. "Stay here and wait for my signal. I'm going to scout ahead." The next moment, he unleashed his power and tore open a rift in space itself, stepping through with his summoned goblins in tow. It was nothing like the realms below. Massive palaces floated in the air, suspended in a sky crackling with thunder. Elemental energy surged through the atmosphere, so thick and intense it made every breath feel like fire in the lungs. The moment Ethan stepped into the Eighth Layer, it felt like his blood ignited—boiling with raw power. Then the sky above cracked with a deafening roar. Every bolt of lightning in the heavens converged into a single point. From that blinding light emerged a short, stocky figure—but the pressure it radiated was suffocating, like a mountain pressing down on his chest. "Intruder? You've got a death wish." The Guardian's voice was cold as ice. He raised his arm, and a surge of violent energy exploded in the air. In a flash, he closed the distance and clamped down on the Guardian's arm. A terrifying suction force erupted from his palm, ripping straight into the Guardian's core. The Guardian's expression twisted in shock. He was Tier 17, sure—but his role leaned toward energy support. His reserves were vast, but his offensive capabilities were limited. He'd assumed the tier gap would be enough to crush Ethan. He hadn't expected to run into a predator. Ethan wasn't just resisting—he was stealing his power, draining it like a dam bursting open. The Guardian roared, thrashing wildly. He finally managed to unleash a blast that knocked them apart, staggering backward. But Ethan didn't give him a second to breathe. He lunged again, slamming into the Guardian like a battering ram, pinning him against a stone pillar of the floating palace. The suction resumed, even stronger than before. "Why?!" the Guardian screamed, panic creeping into his voice. "Why can you control Sky Citadel's power?! How are you stealing it from me?!" His face was blank, focused. He just kept draining, devouring. All around him, the summoned goblins resonated with the energy, their bodies glowing, their tiers visibly rising. The Guardian's scream tore through the thunderclouds. Moments later, his body shriveled and crumbled into dust, scattered by the wind. Ethan exhaled slowly. "…I actually did it." A Tier 17 Guardian—an entity that should've been untouchable—had just fallen to him. He turned to look behind him. The goblins had all leveled up—most by a full tier. The strongest among them had even broken through to Tier 16, SS-rank peak—on par with elite heroes. But before he could even process the new power coursing through him, the sky twisted violently. A vortex tore open above, and a flood of figures came crashing down. Leading them was a presence that hit like a tidal wave—Tier 16, SSS-rank, mid-stage. A monster. "You again… you damn insect!" The man's voice was a low snarl, his eyes burning with fury. "You dare trespass into the Eighth Layer? Did you really think Sky Citadel was unguarded?!" Ethan's expression hardened. He raised his hand and pulled up the system panel. A string of data appeared: Draconiel — A pure-blooded dragon, infused with the divine essence of an angel. It's said that Sky Citadel once captured a Seraph, extracted its bloodline, sealed it, and fused it with a new power—corrupting it. Its Primordial Core was refined into the "Holy Light Core." Draconiel consumed that core. Now, within his dragon body, the essence of an angel burns. A dragon's body is nearly indestructible. An angel's divinity transcends order and light. The forced fusion of the two created a forbidden existence. When he breathes, the air ignites with both thunderous fury and purifying holy fire. His scales shimmer with golden radiance—until they explode in a storm of draconic destruction. He doesn't look like a creature born of nature… He looks like a weapon—crafted by Sky Citadel from blood and divine fire. Seeing that, Ethan's wariness spiked. He quickly retreated behind his goblin army and issued a command. "Attack! Kill them all!" And damn, these goblins were useful. There were tons of them, and they hit hard. He was starting to feel a little cocky—like maybe, just maybe, he could take on Sky Citadel head-on. Draconiel's eyes narrowed, a flicker of disdain flashing across his face. He raised his staff—and the army behind him surged forward like a tidal wave. Both sides clashed with a thunderous impact that shook the entire layer. Even Ethan had to take a step back from the shockwave. But his eyes never left Draconiel. That bastard radiated power—raw, overwhelming. And he wasn't just strong—he was fast, too. He wielded spatial magic with terrifying precision, able to tear open rifts and teleport in an instant. Ethan took a deep breath, his body crackling with lightning. He let the energy spread across his skin, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Yeah, it might've looked cowardly—but he couldn't afford to die here. If he fell, Emerald Castle would fall with him. And Sky Citadel would wipe it off the map in no time. The goblins, though—they were monsters in their own right. Even just chucking rocks, they could seriously injure the enemy. And they weren't afraid to die. Some of them even grabbed enemies and self-destructed, taking them down in a blaze of glory. With troops , winning the battle wasn't impossible. But Sky Citadel's forces were high-tier across the board. Taking them down wouldn't be easy. The space around them suddenly rippled, violently.