The surrounding factions were in full-blown panic. No one had expected the Emerald Castle army to sweep through the region with such terrifying speed—and such ruthless brutality. That night, the sky itself was stained red with blood. The smaller factions scrambled in chaos. Some tried to surrender, others simply ran for their lives. But they quickly realized—surrender wasn't on the table. Ethan and his forces were already deep in bloodlust. There was no stopping them now. The energy of Bloodlust surged through their veins, driving them like possessed beasts—wild, cold, and utterly unstoppable. Explosions of power echoed across the land, tearing the terrain into scorched, blackened ruins. By the time the dust began to settle, over a hundred factions had been completely wiped out. Only one stronghold remained, standing alone in the distance like a final challenge. Ethan came to a halt, eyes locked on the fortress. This one was different. The air around it shimmered with strange energy. Its outer walls were pitch black, so smooth and dark they seemed to swallow the light itself. Elira stepped forward to test it. She conjured a glowing orb of energy and hurled it at the wall. Flames burst outward, but when the smoke cleared, all that remained was a faint white mark on the surface. Ethan frowned and pulled up his system scan. Scan Result: Structure contains high concentrations of Umbral Essence. Properties include energy absorption and self-repair. "…Figures," he muttered. "This thing absorbs attack energy and heals itself. Regular attacks won't cut it." He glanced around, then his gaze landed on a strange, unnaturally dark stone embedded in the ground nearby. He crouched, picked it up, and channeled his power into it. The stone began to glow, flickering with unstable crimson veins across its surface—like it was waking up. Ethan stood, then hurled it at the wall. The explosion rocked the fortress, and this time, a fist-sized hole appeared in the wall. Elira blinked in surprise. "Wait—how did you know that would work?" Ethan smirked. "The wall absorbs energy, yeah—but too much, and it backfires. That black stone's made of the same stuff as the wall. Feed it energy, and it creates internal resonance. Basically, it makes the wall blow itself up." This update ıs available on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩 Then he turned to the others, voice sharp and commanding. "Everyone—find stones ! Charge them up—then throw!" The troops sprang into action. One after another, explosions rang out as charged stones slammed into the fortress walls, tearing massive holes through the once-impenetrable defenses. The moment the breach was wide enough, he led the charge inside. The defenders inside hadn't expected the outer wall to fall so fast. Panic spread like wildfire. "Stop! We're The Oracle Covenant! We've got no beef with you—why are you attacking us?!" Ethan let out a cold laugh. He didn't give a damn about their excuses. Power surged from his body as he dove straight into the crowd, cutting through them like a blade through paper. The Oracle Covenant was considered the strongest faction in this outer region. They had ten Tier 17 powerhouses alone. But to the Emerald Castle army, they were nothing more than prey—walking XP. The battle turned brutal fast. Screams echoed through the halls as bodies dropped one after another. Ethan didn't stick around for the fight. He made a beeline for the heart of the stronghold—and sure enough, there it was: a table stacked with over a hundred Bloodlust Orbs. On a nearby shelf, ten Bloodlust Cores pulsed with raw, terrifying energy. Just standing near them made Ethan's breath catch in his throat. With these, his army's power would skyrocket again. He dragged over a chair, sat down calmly, and watched the chaos unfold. With a flick of his fingers, he sent wave after wave of suicide goblins—his self-destruct units—charging into the fray, detonating in the thick of battle. There was no suspense in this fight. It was just a matter of time. What Ethan hadn't expected… was just how damn stubborn the Oracle Covenant would be. The battle dragged on for an entire day—and not a single one of them surrendered. By the end, only two Tier 17 initiates were left standing, barely holding themselves upright, their faces pale with terror. But Ethan wasn't about to give them a chance to recover. He sent two goblins forward—self-destruct units. They latched onto the survivors like leeches, and a second later— The explosion tore through the air, and the two remaining fighters were blown apart, their bodies shredded beyond recognition. With that, the battle was over. And the Emerald Castle army? Stronger than ever. More than a dozen of them had now broken into Tier 17. Ethan himself was on the verge of hitting mid-Tier 17. After catching his breath, he began distributing the spoils—handing out the Bloodlust Orbs to his troops. As for the Bloodlust Cores? All ten went to Elira. She was the only one who could handle that kind of volatile power without burning herself alive. No one else even came close. Ethan didn't order an immediate advance. Instead, he had everyone stay put, rest, and focus on absorbing the power they'd just gained. They needed to stabilize their strength before moving forward. Because the Umbral Abyss… wasn't like anywhere else. The terrain here was a nightmare—twisting, layered, unpredictable. And where they were now? This was just the edge. Sure, Emerald Castle had become a dominant force in the outer rim. Their power was at an all-time high. But that was only the beginning. To push deeper into the core of the Umbral Abyss, they'd need to be even stronger—strong enough to crush the true monsters that ruled the center. So Ethan pulled up the system's terrain map and cross-referenced it with the known faction distribution. That's when he saw it. The Azure Tide Syndicate's stronghold was located smack in the middle of the Umbral Abyss. And they weren't just some mid-tier group—they were top-tier. One of their members was so powerful, the system couldn't even register their Tier. That alone made Ethan pause. With their current strength, they didn't stand a chance in a head-on fight. They needed to level up—fast. The next few days passed in relative peace. No one came to challenge them. No ambushes. No scouts. It was almost… too quiet. Then, on the tenth day— A man appeared at the gates. Middle-aged. Rough-looking. Nothing flashy about him. His energy signature wasn't even that strong. His eyes glowed with a blood-red light that made your heart skip a beat. The moment he stepped into view, Elira was the first to react. She shot out of the stronghold like a bullet. "Who the hell are you?" The man slowly opened his eyes. That crimson glow flared like a wildfire. And in an instant, the sky above them was flooded with a thick, suffocating Bloodlust Aura. "I'm with the Blood Saints of Thirty-Six," he said, his voice low and cold. "I heard you wiped out the Blood Legion of Seventy-Two. I'm here to return the favor."