"Is that so?" Ethan's eyes narrowed, a flicker of interest sparking in his mind. He hadn't expected the Umbral Abyss to operate under such a brutal, straightforward rule—wipe out a faction, and everything they owned became yours. No bureaucracy. No politics. Just raw power. And that? That was perfect for him. If he could claim everything the Bloodfang Brotherhood left behind, then Emerald Castle would have a legitimate foothold in the Umbral Abyss. No more sneaking around. No more temporary camps. A real base of operations. "Move out," he ordered, voice sharp and commanding. The army surged forward behind him, a tide of steel, claws, and arcane energy. It didn't take long before they arrived at the so-called stronghold. Ethan stopped at the edge of the clearing, brow furrowing slightly. The place was… underwhelming. The gates were half-hanging off their hinges, and above them, the name "Bloodfang Brotherhood" was scrawled in crooked, barely legible letters. He'd expected something more—something worthy of the name. A fortress of fire and banners, maybe. A citadel soaked in blood and glory. Instead, it looked like a half-abandoned refugee camp. Overgrown weeds, crooked shacks slapped together with rotting wood, and a general air of decay. He glanced around. The neighboring strongholds were towering, fortified, bristling with energy and flying banners—mini-kingdoms in their own right. Compared to them, this place was a joke. Still… a base was a base. Ethan shrugged. "Better a shitty roof than no roof at all." He led his forces inside, but the moment they stepped into the courtyard, it became clear the place was way too small. The Emerald Castle army barely fit, and the tension in the air thickened fast. Soldiers jostled for space, wings brushing against horns, weapons clinking against armor. It was cramped, chaotic. "Who the hell are you bastards?! You got a death wish, storming into Bloodfang Brotherhood territory?!" The shout cracked through the air like a whip. A massive man stomped through the broken gate, a greatsword slung over his shoulder. Behind him, a dozen or so thugs followed, each one radiating a twisted, feral aura. Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust, their skin stained with old gore. The system scan pinged in Ethan's vision: Underboss Karn – Bloodfang Brotherhood Ethan's expression darkened. So this was the Brotherhood's second-in-command. Clearly, he hadn't gotten the memo that his entire crew had been turned into ash and bone. Ethan stepped forward, voice cold and sharp as a blade. "From this moment on, this stronghold belongs to Emerald Castle. You've got two options—leave, or die." No one had ever dared talk to him like that. Not here. Not in his own damn camp. He roared, swinging his greatsword down with a snarl. Bloodlust Aura exploded from his body, coalescing mid-air into a massive spectral blood wolf. It howled, jaws wide, and lunged straight at Ethan. Ethan's eyes narrowed. Karn's power was no joke—16Tier SSS at peak, and with that Bloodlust Aura boosting him, he was punching into early 17Tier territory. Ethan knew he couldn't take him head-on. Not yet. He considered unleashing the self-destruct goblins—but the space was too tight. One chain reaction here, and the whole stronghold would collapse. The base they'd just claimed would be reduced to rubble. And in that split second— A violent surge of energy tore through the air. Elira and Andona burst in from the flanks, their auras flaring like twin storms. Elira's black flames twisted around Andona's radiant holy light, fusing mid-air into a massive greatsword of shadowfire and divine brilliance. With a thunderous roar, the blade cleaved downward, slamming into the charging blood wolf. Underboss Karn's eyes flickered with shock. He hadn't expected those two seemingly delicate girls to unleash a combined strike that rivaled a full-blown 17Tier assault. With a roar, he swung his massive blade up just in time to block the incoming greatsword forged from holy light and black flame. Steel clashed with raw energy. Sparks exploded. The very air cracked and screamed under the pressure. The ground beneath them split open, and the entire Bloodfang Brotherhood stronghold trembled violently, as if on the verge of collapse. If this kept up, the whole place would be reduced to rubble. Ethan's expression darkened. This is exactly what I didn't want. He'd avoided using the self-destruct goblins for this very reason—to preserve the stronghold. But now, the sheer force of the clash between Karn, Elira, and Andona was doing even more damage than a goblin detonation. Ethan's voice cut through the chaos like a blade. In a blink, he appeared in the center of the battlefield. The sudden move caught all three of them off guard. Elira and Andona immediately recognized him and pulled back their power, withdrawing the fusion blade before it could do more damage. Karn hesitated, then let the blood wolf projection dissolve into mist, panting heavily, though his eyes still burned with defiance. But in that moment of stillness, a realization hit him like a punch to the gut: If I'd pushed that last strike… maybe I could've taken Ethan down. But he also knew—if he had, he would've gone down with him. The stronghold would've been obliterated, and he'd be buried in the wreckage. That was a price he wasn't willing to pay. Ethan's voice rang out, cold and sharp, cutting through the tension like a guillotine. "The rules of the Umbral Abyss are simple. Kill a faction, and you inherit everything they owned. The Bloodfang Brotherhood is finished. Your boss and the rest of your crew? Dead. I killed them all." He stepped forward, eyes like blades, voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "That makes you mine now. Or you can die here and join the rest of your Brotherhood in the dirt." He actually paused to think about it. And damn it, Ethan was right. That was the rule. But then his eyes narrowed, and his grip on the greatsword tightened. "You think I'm that easy to tame? Screw that. If I kill you and take this place back, then I'm the boss again. That's how the Abyss works too, isn't it?!" With a roar, he lunged forward, blade raised high. But before he could even bring it down— A massive dragon claw burst through his chest from behind. Karn's eyes went wide. Blood gurgled from his mouth. Behind him stood Sycaron, his massive Adamant Dragon form shimmering with raw Primordial Force. No one had even noticed him move. "My Lord," Sycaron rumbled, voice low and proud. "That look you gave me—this is what you meant, right?" Ethan gave a small nod, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He'd honestly thought Sycaron might miss the cue. The guy looked like a walking tank, all brawn and no subtlety—but apparently, he had sharper instincts than expected. And thank god for that. Right now, Emerald Castle was still relatively weak compared to the monsters lurking in the Umbral Abyss. Even Karn, just an underboss, had been a serious threat. If they'd let that fight drag on, it could've gone sideways fast. Only Sycaron, with his near-impenetrable Adamant Dragon body and overwhelming force, could've pulled off a clean kill like that. Karn's body slumped to the ground, lifeless. The remaining Bloodfang Brotherhood members—what few were left—were already pale as ghosts. They dropped their weapons, some trembling, others frozen in place. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦·𝘯𝘦𝘵 Their leader was dead. Their underboss was dead. The Brotherhood was gone. And they knew what that meant. In the Umbral Abyss, there were no free agents. No "neutral" parties. You were either part of a faction—or you were prey. Anyone wandering the streets without a banner was fair game. No questions asked. No mercy given. This world was a constant warzone, a meat grinder of ambition and blood. It was the perfect crucible. A place where his army could sharpen their blades, where his elites could rise to 17Tier and beyond. A place where he could forge an empire. One of the surviving Brotherhood members—a 16Tier grunt—suddenly dropped to his knees and clung to Ethan's leg like a drowning man grabbing driftwood. "Please! Take us in! If you don't, we won't survive the night!" "We swear loyalty! We'll serve you!"