A flicker of panic crossed Ethan’s face. If that massive energy scythe came down on him, it could slice his body clean in half. He barely dodged it, relying on his lightning-fast reflexes, and hovered off to the side, eyes locked on the Bloodborne Dragon Sovereign. He was staring at that strange power surging inside the Sovereign’s body. Just moments ago, the guy had clearly been on the losing end. But after that mysterious energy entered him, his aura surged back—stronger than before. Even the wounds on his body had started healing at an alarming rate. Ethan scanned the battlefield quickly, his gaze finally locking onto the palace at the very heart of Skyfang Castle. The architecture there was unlike anything else around it—strange, almost otherworldly. And the energy radiating from it? Just as bizarre. A whole swarm of Bloodborne Dragons were stationed there, unmoving. Even with a full-scale war raging around them, they hadn’t budged an inch. They were guarding that place like their lives depended on it. Which could only mean one thing— "There’s definitely something going on in there." Something important had to be hidden inside. Otherwise, why would so many Bloodborne Dragons be posted there, refusing to leave? It just didn’t add up. "You’re dead, you bastard! I’m gonna rip you apart!" the Bloodborne Dragon Sovereign roared, his power exploding outward in a violent surge. Another massive scythe of energy materialized in the sky, crackling with raw force. "Elira!" Ethan shouted. Elira instantly rose into the air, her body glowing as a massive energy sphere formed above her head. With a fierce swing, she hurled it straight at the incoming scythe. The two forces collided midair with a deafening crash, sending shockwaves tearing through the sky. Space itself twisted and shattered around them. After all the battles they’d fought, Elira had finally reached early 17-Tier. She was just a step away from mid-tier. The Bloodborne Dragon Sovereign might’ve been mid-17-Tier, but the power he was putting out now wasn’t quite up to par. That gave Elira just enough of an edge to hold her own against him. Ethan wasn’t expecting her to win outright. He just needed her to buy him some time. With a sharp whoosh, Ethan’s body shot downward like a bolt of lightning. In seconds, he reached the central palace and landed silently. But the moment he got close, the air around him erupted with a thunderous boom. A wave of force slammed into him, pounding against his body like a hammer. Ethan felt his bones creaking under the pressure. A few more steps forward, and he’d be crushed into pulp. "A barrier!" Ethan’s eyes lit up with excitement. A defense this powerful could only mean one thing—whatever was inside was seriously important. Without hesitation, Ethan unleashed every ounce of power he had. With a force like a wrecking ball, he blasted a narrow opening in the barrier and slipped through in a flash. The moment Ethan landed, a strange, overwhelming force surged toward him, wrapping around his entire body like a living current. The pain that had been wracking his body just seconds ago vanished in an instant. That raw, brutal energy poured into him nonstop, surrounding him completely. "It’s the Primordial Force of the Umbral Abyss!" Ethan’s voice trembled with excitement. If the Bloodlust Aura was the foundational energy of this place, then this—this was its apex. The strongest force in the entire region. Without hesitation, he began absorbing it, drawing the Primordial Force into his body in a steady stream. In no time, he felt himself swelling with power—his strength rising, his level even ticking upward. But the energy was too wild, too intense. His current level and physical state couldn’t handle this much of it. He quickly turned, scanning the sky for Feylora. There—he spotted her, gripping two Bloodborne Dragons midair, draining the energy straight out of them. "Feylora! Get down here, now!" She heard him and immediately dove toward the ground. But just as she was about to reach him— Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! A dozen terrifying figures burst out of nowhere. Bloodborne Dragons—fast, vicious, and way too close for comfort. Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. He’d seen these guys circling the area earlier, but when he broke through the barrier, they hadn’t made a move. Now, the moment Feylora dropped in, they launched a full-on assault. He frowned. Why hadn’t they attacked him before? Were they ignoring him? Before he could make sense of it, golden light suddenly flared all around him. A glowing six-pointed star magic circle lit up beneath his feet. Ethan’s eyes widened in shock. He was standing right on top of a defensive magic array. So that was it—they hadn’t cared about him getting in. They were just waiting for the trap to spring. The moment the array activated, it would lock them both inside. Feylora, meanwhile, had her own hands full. The sudden ambush from over a dozen Bloodborne Dragons had startled her, but she didn’t panic. Instead, she reached into her satchel and pulled out a handful of shimmering energy orbs, tossing them into the air. These weren’t just any orbs—they were her latest invention. Feylora’s natural energy, as a member of the Fairy race, was incredibly pure and dense, but not particularly destructive. So she’d borrowed high-impact elemental energy from others and fused it with her own, creating these compact, high-powered bombs. In battle, all she had to do was throw them. Simple. Direct. Brutal. And they worked like a charm. The moment the orbs exploded, they unleashed a terrifying shockwave that blasted the Bloodborne Dragons backward, sending them crashing through the air like rag dolls. Feylora didn’t waste a second. She dove through the opening, slipped past the barrier, and landed right beside Ethan. "Master, what did you need me for?" she asked, brushing herself off like she hadn’t just taken on a dozen dragons. Ethan let out a sigh. Honestly, he’d just wanted her to stay clear of the magic array. Even he couldn’t break it, and Feylora definitely didn’t stand a chance. But now that she was here, there was no point in scolding her. Instead, he pointed to the swirling, shadowy energy floating around them—the Primordial Force of the Umbral Abyss. "Feylora, try absorbing it. See if your body can take it in." Without hesitation, Feylora raised her hand. Her aura flared to life, pulsing with power. The surrounding energy reacted instantly, as if recognizing her. It surged toward her, flowing into her body in thick, dark waves. Even the energy from the six-pointed star beneath their feet began to unravel, drawn into her like iron filings to a magnet. "What? It actually worked?" Ethan’s eyes lit up with joy. If this kept going, Feylora would be able to absorb all the energy in this place—and maybe even break through the six-pointed star defense array. But the Bloodborne Dragons guarding the area weren’t about to sit back and watch. One by one, they dropped from the sky, their bodies erupting with violent energy that came crashing down like a tidal wave. "Get out of here, you damn intruders!" one of them roared. Ethan quickly adjusted his energy flow and shot into the air like a rocket. If this was really working, then no matter what, he had to buy Feylora enough time to finish absorbing the energy. The Bloodborne Dragons weren’t individually that powerful—the strongest among them was only early 17-Tier—but together, their combined force was overwhelming. The moment Ethan clashed with them midair, the shockwave alone sent him flying backward. The commotion drew attention from all directions. Reinforcements were already on their way. Ataneya was the first to arrive, her twelve tails whipping behind her, each one radiating immense power. In a flash, she unleashed a devastating surge of energy that blasted the Bloodborne Dragons back like rag dolls. Even the defensive formation they’d set up was shattered under the force of her attack. "Master, don’t worry about a thing. Leave these guys to me," Ataneya said with a grin. She had already reached early 17-Tier, and now, with all twelve of her tails fully awakened, her power was terrifying. Even with their numbers, the Bloodborne Dragons could barely hold their ground against her. Ethan finally let out a breath of relief and returned to Feylora’s side. By now, she had absorbed nearly half of the energy in the chamber. But even with her body’s high tolerance, she was reaching her limit. She couldn’t take in any more. Ethan frowned. The energy here seemed to be linked to the Bloodborne Dragon Sovereign—he could keep drawing from it endlessly. If that guy kept absorbing power, Elira might not be able to hold him off much longer. After a moment of thought, Ethan made a snap decision. He grabbed Feylora and lifted her into the air. "Transfer the energy you’ve absorbed—send it into Ataneya!" Feylora didn’t hesitate. With a flicker of movement, she appeared behind Ataneya and placed her hand on her shoulder. The energy she’d absorbed began pouring into Ataneya’s body, flooding her with raw power. Her twelve tails lit up like stars, glowing brighter and brighter. In just seconds, Ataneya’s body was brimming with energy, so much that it looked like she might explode. Feylora panicked and tried to pull back. But before she could, Ataneya grabbed her wrist. "Feylora, don’t stop. Keep going!" "Trust me. I haven’t hit my limit yet." Official source ıs 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝖊𝖑~𝖋𝖎𝖗𝖾~𝖓𝖊𝖙 As soon as she said it, a thirteenth tail burst out from behind her. A new wave of power exploded outward. In the blink of an eye, Ataneya broke through early 17-Tier and surged into mid-17-Tier. The sheer force of her breakthrough swept across the battlefield like a storm, engulfing the dozen or so Bloodborne Dragons in its path. "You bastards had your fun beating on me earlier, huh? Well, now it’s my turn!" Ataneya raised her hand, and a massive fox-shaped spirit formed behind her, its glowing eyes locked onto the enemy. As she brought her hand down, the fox lunged forward. The energy it unleashed was so intense, the Bloodborne Dragons froze in terror. They immediately combined their strength, forming a colossal Bloodborne Dragon spirit in the sky. It too was infused with the Umbral Abyss’s Primordial Force—but its density was nowhere near Ataneya’s. When the two spirits collided, there was no dramatic explosion—just a silent, grinding clash as the fox spirit steadily overpowered the dragon. Moments later, the Bloodborne Dragon spirit shattered into nothing, and the fox spirit detonated in the middle of the enemy ranks. The resulting shockwave tore through them like a bomb, ripping their bodies apart. They were barely clinging to life. But Ataneya wasn’t about to let them off easy. She vanished in a blur and reappeared in their midst. "Where do you think you’re going?" Her energy surged again, engulfing them all. In a flash, every single one of the Bloodborne Dragons had their heads lopped off—clean, brutal, final. Meanwhile, Feylora had finished absorbing the last of the energy in the chamber. But now her body was swollen with power, stretched to its absolute limit. If she didn’t release it soon, she’d explode from the inside out. Ethan didn’t waste a second. He grabbed her and shot into the sky, placing her hand on Elira’s back mid-flight. Elira, still locked in combat, flinched at the sudden contact—but quickly steadied herself as she felt the surge of energy flooding into her. Within moments, her aura multiplied in strength—wild, chaotic, and overwhelming. "Holy crap, this feels amazing! What the hell is this power? It’s insane!" With a shout of exhilaration, a massive pair of Skytear Demon Moth wings unfurled behind her. She gave them a single flap—and the space around her shattered like glass, cracks spidering out toward the Bloodborne Dragon Sovereign. The Sovereign’s pupils shrank in disbelief. His energy flared wildly, completely out of control. He never imagined Elira could unleash this kind of power. Worse—his precious stash of Umbral Abyss Primordial Force had been completely drained. Not a single drop left for him. "You thieving bastards! You dare steal my power source?! I’ll make you pay for this!" His rage exploded, and with it, a storm of energy scythes burst from his body, slicing through the air in every direction.