The Scepter of the Fey Sovereign pierced clean through the old man’s chest. A shockwave of raw, violent energy exploded outward from the impact, ripping through the sky and shaking the earth below. The scepter’s innate devouring power kicked in instantly— and the moment it made contact with the old man’s body, it unleashed a terrifying surge of force. Ethan watched as the elder’s body visibly shriveled, his skin sinking against bone, his aura collapsing in on itself like a dying star. Within seconds, the man’s power was completely drained— sucked dry by the scepter. Ethan exhaled sharply, his chest heaving. He hovered in the air, barely able to stay upright, his body trembling as he forced his breath to steady. The fight hadn’t lasted long, but it had taken everything he had. If those goblins hadn’t shown up when they did, if that one stone hadn’t hit at just the right moment— he would’ve lost. No question. He took a shaky breath, then dropped down to the ground, his boots hitting the dirt with a soft thud. He reached out and grabbed the Scepter of the Fey Sovereign— but the moment his fingers wrapped around it, a surge of energy rushed into his body like a flood. The power he’d just burned through was being restored— but he could feel his Tier shifting— At the same time, Feylora slumped beside him, breathing hard, her face pale but alive. She leaned against him, relieved to have survived— but then, without warning, her passive ability triggered. The scepter’s swirling energy flared again, forming a vortex that spun toward her. Ethan flinched, startled— but he didn’t stop it. He let the energy flow into her. Feylora’s drained reserves were refilled, her aura stabilizing and growing stronger by the second. Meanwhile, the battlefield above was still locked in a brutal stalemate. The Obsidian Dynasty’s forces were no joke— especially with so many peak 17-Tier monsters in their ranks. Anywhere else, they’d be an unstoppable army. Ethan scanned the battlefield, his eyes narrowing as he took in the chaos. Fully restored, stronger than ever, he launched himself into the sky like a bolt of lightning. He was done watching. Before, Emerald Castle had managed to hold the line without him. But now that he was back at full strength? It was time to tip the scales. The Scepter of the Fey Sovereign glowed with emerald fury as Ethan raised it high— then brought it crashing down into the center of the battlefield. The impact sent a shockwave ripping through the air, a wave of crushing pressure that blanketed the entire battlefield. Both sides froze for a split second, stunned by the sudden eruption of power. No one had expected Ethan to rejoin the fight— let alone with this kind of force. Before anyone could react, the scepter’s energy locked onto a mid-17 Tier enemy— a warrior who had been locked in a brutal duel with Elira. The two had been evenly matched, but Elira’s Skytear Demon Moth powers were a natural counter to his abilities. She’d already pushed him to the brink— his body was covered in wounds, his aura flickering like a dying flame. He couldn’t take another hit. Ethan’s attack slammed into him with full force, and his body cracked— Hairline fractures spread across his skin like shattered glass, his energy unraveling. Elira saw the opening and didn’t hesitate. She summoned a massive energy sphere behind her— dark, pulsing, and unstable— and hurled it straight at him. The blast engulfed him completely, swallowing him in a storm of elemental chaos. A blood-curdling scream tore through the sky as the enemy warrior’s body began to melt—literally. His flesh liquefied before their eyes, dripping away in steaming globs until there was nothing left but a dark stain in the air... and then, not even that. The Obsidian Dynasty’s army froze. They hadn’t even blinked, and one of their top commanders had been completely erased. And with his death, the balance of power on the battlefield shifted—hard. Emerald Castle now held the upper hand. Their forces, already holding their own, suddenly surged with renewed morale. "We’ve got them! We’re winning! Push forward—attack!" The Emerald Castle troops roared, their voices rising like thunder as they unleashed everything they had. The battle reignited with brutal intensity. The sky was a storm of energy blasts, elemental fury, and steel. Bodies fell like rain, both sides taking losses— but it was clear now who had the momentum. Ethan, wielding the Scepter of the Fey Sovereign, became a blur of motion— cutting through the battlefield like a living storm. In mere moments, he decapitated two mid-17 Tier enemies, their heads tumbling through the air before their bodies even hit the ground. With the Obsidian Dynasty’s key commanders falling one after another, their formation collapsed. What followed wasn’t a battle—it was a slaughter. Emerald Castle’s forces grew fiercer with every kill, their power snowballing as they overwhelmed the enemy. It didn’t take long before the Obsidian Dynasty’s army was completely wiped out. Elira, in particular, had gained a massive boost from the battle— her Tier had jumped to mid-17, and at the rate she was progressing, she’d hit peak Tier in no time. She wasn’t the only one. Several others had broken through to mid-17 Tier as well, their auras now blazing with evolved racial traits and raw, refined power. Ethan stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching it all unfold, his heart swelling with pride. But he knew this was just the beginning. The Obsidian Dynasty wasn’t the strongest force in the Umbral Abyss. There were bigger threats out there—stronger, older, more dangerous. If Emerald Castle wanted to survive, they had to keep growing. This battle had been a massive leap forward, but it had also drained the spatial world they were in. The energy here was gone—completely absorbed. The only thing left of value were the Creature Dwellings— structures that could still be used to summon new units. Ethan made a quick decision: leave a few powerful heroes behind to manage the dwellings and keep summoning reinforcements. They needed to move on. Find a new place to grow. And so, not long after, they left. Ethan stood alone in a desolate stretch of wilderness, studying the system’s map of the Umbral Abyss projected in his mind. It was detailed, sure— but there were still areas that were vague, blurred, or completely unmarked. Like the location of the Blood Saints of Thirty-Six. He’d found their base once— but the map hadn’t shown it. No coordinates. No markers. He took a deep breath, then pulled out a translucent jade stone from his inventory and placed it on the ground. He’d taken it from the Blood Saints’ headquarters— along with a strange, hand-drawn map that looked like it depicted a hidden region of the Umbral Abyss. But no matter how long he compared it to the system’s map, he couldn’t find a match. Wherever it was, it had to be hidden—intentionally. Just as he was deep in thought, Ataneya walked up, dragging a half-dead man behind her like a sack of trash. "Master," she said, her voice casual, "found this coward playing dead in a pile of corpses. Should I gut him? Or do you want the honors?" The guy was pathetic—barely 16 Tier, his aura so weak it was almost laughable. Ethan didn’t even want to waste a second on him. "Don’t bring me trash again," he said coldly. "Just kill him." But before Ataneya could move, the man scrambled forward and dropped to his knees, slamming his forehead into the dirt over and over. "Please! Don’t kill me! I know things—secret places in the Umbral Abyss! Hidden realms full of power, treasure, resources you can’t even imagine! Just let me live, and I’ll take you there!" Ethan paused, eyes narrowing. He reached down and tossed the strange map toward the man. "You recognize this place?" The guy barely glanced at it before nodding so fast his head looked like it might fly off. "Yes! Yes, I know it! I swear I do!" Chapters fırst released on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚~𝙣𝙚𝙩 Ethan’s expression shifted—just slightly.