Even though the guy was a Tier 17-level fighter, the earlier explosions had completely rattled him— and trying to tank that much damage had drained most of his energy. Ethan’s punch landed dead center on his forehead. The sound was low and heavy, but it echoed like thunder. The Tier 17 powerhouse froze in place, eyes rolling back, then collapsed like a sack of bricks. Ethan’s gaze turned ice-cold. He looked over his shoulder and barked, "Leave no one alive." The Emerald Castle crew surged forward like a pack of predators unleashed. What followed couldn’t even be called a battle—it was a massacre. Blades tore through flesh, screams bounced off the stone walls, and blood sprayed like rain. The Blood Serpent Brotherhood’s elite didn’t even have time to react before they were cut down, one after another, like wheat before a scythe. Minutes later, silence fell again. The air was thick with the stench of scorched flesh and fresh blood. < Congratulations, player Valkarion. You have acquired all assets of the Blood Serpent Brotherhood. Bonus reward: 2 Bloodlust Orbs! > Ethan almost cursed out loud. So the system did hand out Bloodlust Orbs as rewards? If he’d known that, he might’ve just done some damn quests instead of going full warlord mode. But then again... maybe wiping out the Blood Serpent Brotherhood was Either way, he wasn’t about to complain now. He stormed into the Blood Serpent Brotherhood’s main hall, and sure enough— three Bloodlust Orbs sat neatly on a table, glowing with that eerie crimson light. Add in the two he just got from the system, and that made five total. The surrounding factions were already in an uproar. No one had expected this newcomer to be such a monster— first taking out the Bloodfang Brotherhood, and now completely annihilating the Blood Serpent Brotherhood. Usually, when outsiders showed up in the Umbral Abyss, they’d take down one local faction, claim a foothold, and stop there. No one kept pushing, because the more factions you crushed, the more likely the others would band together to take you out. But Ethan didn’t give a damn about any of that. He was here to grind, level up, and dominate. If he could wipe out every single faction in the Umbral Abyss and take full control, that would be a massive win in his book. He tossed the five Bloodlust Orbs into the air. They hovered above the Emerald Castle army, releasing a terrifying wave of Bloodlust Aura. His troops sat beneath them, eyes glowing, greedily absorbing the energy pouring down. They were already powerful— but now, with the Bloodlust Aura fueling them, their strength surged to a whole new level. Ethan opened his system panel, scanning through the stats of each of his subordinates. The one syncing best with the Bloodlust energy? She was a Skytear Demon Moth— a creature that thrived on darkness and slaughter. This kind of pure Bloodlust energy was like a feast for her. She absorbed an entire Bloodlust Orb on her own. The violent power rippled off her in waves, quickly syncing with the ambient energy of the region. The surrounding Bloodlust Aura was now flowing toward her like a tide. Ethan hadn’t expected the Orb to work this well on her. As they continued absorbing the Bloodlust energy, a nearby stronghold suddenly flung open its gates. A massive group stormed out, weapons drawn, fury in their eyes. "We of the Bloodwraith Brotherhood have long been allied with the Blood Serpent Brotherhood!" one of them shouted. "We won’t just stand by and watch them get wiped out! If we let this slide, how the hell are we supposed to survive in the Umbral Abyss?!" The shout echoed across the battlefield— and for once, Ethan was actually caught off guard. He hadn’t expected anyone to come looking for a fight. Ethan took a moment to steady his breath, then casually stepped forward, hands in his pockets like he didn’t have a care in the world. But the moment he got a good look at the group in front of him, he almost laughed out loud. So this was the so-called Bloodwraith Brotherhood? Also known as The Blood Legion of Seventy-Two—and yeah, the name wasn’t just for show. There were exactly seventy-two of them. Sure, each one radiated serious power, but the highest among them was only at Tier 16, SSS-level peak. In Ethan’s eyes, that wasn’t anything to stress over. But just as he was about to charge in and wipe the floor with them, something made him stop cold. All seventy-two of them were the same "You’ve gotta be kidding me..." Seventy-two Tier 16 SSS-level elites—standing shoulder to shoulder, their combined aura crashing down like a tidal wave. The sheer pressure made Ethan instinctively take several steps back. That was no ordinary squad. That was a damn war machine. "Brothers!" the Bloodwraith Brotherhood’s leader roared, raising a massive blade high above his head. "Kill them all!" The seventy-two warriors let out a collective howl and charged like demons unleashed, their eyes glowing with bloodlust, weapons gleaming with murderous intent. Ethan didn’t hesitate. He immediately tossed a few Goblin Bombers into their ranks. The explosions ripped through the air, shockwaves blasting a dozen of them off their feet. These guys weren’t amateurs. They’d been watching the entire fight between Ethan and the Blood Serpent Brotherhood. They knew all about the Goblin Bombers and their suicide tactics. So before the battle even started, they’d already layered themselves in energy shields. The blasts barely scratched them. Ethan’s brow furrowed. Damn. The element of surprise was gone. The Goblins weren’t going to cut it anymore. Just then, a voice rang out like thunder. "Master—move!" Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩 Elira shot forward like a bolt of lightning, her body a blur of motion. She snatched one of the Bloodwraith warriors mid-charge, and in the blink of an eye, a strange, violent energy erupted from her. The man didn’t just die—he exploded into a cloud of blood and shredded flesh. He hadn’t expected that. Elira’s power had just gone nuclear.