Boom!

RUMMMMMMBLE—

In the very next instant, Virelgar finally snapped. A violent surge of power exploded from his body, laced with a thick, noxious poison. The energy coalesced in the sky above, forming a massive shadowy figure that came crashing down like a toxic tidal wave.

"I'm going to kill you, you miserable bastard!"

He lunged at Ethan, launching a full-on assault.

But Ethan? Not a flicker of fear in his eyes. Instead, raw, unrelenting fury surged through him, his power erupting like a storm. He met the attack head-on, slamming his energy straight into the shadowy figure.

SSSSSSHHHHHH—

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Explosions tore through the sky. Poisonous fog burst outward in every direction, thick and suffocating. Some of the venomous energy pierced through Ethan's defenses, seeping into his body, eating away at his flesh from the inside.

"AAARGH!"

The pain was blinding—like his nerves were being shredded from within.

Even Ethan couldn't help but grit his teeth, a hiss escaping through clenched jaws.

But he didn't stop. Not for a second.

In a blink, he was right in front of Virelgar.

And then—he threw a punch.

CRACK!

The moment his fist connected, the massive shadow behind Virelgar shattered like glass. The toxic energy it held rained down, dissipating into the air.

BOOOOOOM!

The shockwave was monstrous—pure, unfiltered destruction. Virelgar's body was launched like a ragdoll, slamming into a nearby rock wall with a deafening crash.

But Ethan wasn't done.

Not even close.

In a flash, he was on him again.

He grabbed Virelgar by the throat and lifted him high into the air.

And then—he unleashed the power of the Sacred Realm.

WHOOSH!

BOOM!

A surge of divine energy exploded from Ethan's body, blasting straight through Virelgar's neck.

But then—Virelgar's form liquefied.

He slipped through Ethan's fingers like sludge, splashing down into the swamp below.

"You arrogant piece of shit!" Virelgar's voice snarled from the muck. "You barge into my domain, pick a fight, and now you dare lay a hand on me?! You're dead! I'll drown you in my venom storm and tear you apart until there's nothing left! You'll rot here forever!"

His face twisted with rage, eyes wild, voice rising into a furious roar.

RUMMMMMMBLE!

And then—his body began to rise from the swamp, slowly, menacingly. The poisonous mist around him surged, drawn to him like a living thing.

WHIRRRRRRR—

Toxic storms began to swirl, gathering into a massive, sky-darkening wave of venom.

It was terrifying.

And worse—those storms began to morph, transforming into the power of a Poison Realm. Countless magical attacks took shape within the storm, each one laced with deadly toxins, and they all came crashing down on Ethan in a relentless, indiscriminate barrage of destruction.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

"AAARGH!" Ethan screamed in agony as the venomous energy tore into him, wave after wave of it eating through his flesh like acid. The poison was relentless, flooding his bloodstream, invading every inch of his body.

At this rate, he'd end up just like Elira—poisoned, unconscious, and completely out of the fight.

"I can't… I can't keep this up…" he muttered through gritted teeth, forcing himself to steady his breathing. His eyes locked onto Virelgar. He knew—this couldn't drag on. If he didn't end it fast, he was done for.

BOOM!

In a flash, the Sacred Realm energy inside him surged to life, bursting outward in a brilliant wave that tore through the air toward Virelgar.

But Virelgar just smirked.

Like he'd seen right through him.

"That's it? That's all you've got?" he sneered. "So green… I thought you were supposed to be strong."

With a cold laugh, he launched himself at Ethan again. As the Overlord of the Venom Mist Forest, an SSS-rank Crimson Ultimate Hero, Virelgar had seen more battles than Ethan could imagine. And now, that experience was crushing Ethan like a weight he couldn't lift.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

They clashed again—fists, claws, energy blasts—trading blows at breakneck speed. From the mouth of the cave to the sky above, then crashing back down to the ground, their battle sent shockwaves ripping through the landscape, tearing apart everything around them.

And Ethan… was slipping.

It was obvious.

His movements were slowing, his energy flickering. He was losing ground fast.

"Shit… Am I really gonna lose here?" Ethan's face darkened, frustration boiling in his chest. "Damn it… I should've come with Andona and Ataneya…"

This was the price of overconfidence.

He thought that now that he'd reached SSS-rank, he could handle things on his own. So he split off, tried to take care of this solo.

And now? Reality was punching him in the face.

Yeah, he was an SSS-rank Crimson Ultimate Hero.

But he was still far from invincible.

Just as he was starting to panic, unsure of what to do next, something strange happened.

He felt it—those venomous energies that had invaded his body earlier… they weren't just sitting there anymore. They were shifting. Changing. Being absorbed.

And then—

A familiar sensation.

A core of power began to form inside him, one he recognized instantly. It was just like the Primordial Force orbs he'd found in the Citadel of Shadows dungeon. Except this one… it was forming from the poison itself.

"What the hell…?" Ethan's eyes widened.

He looked down at his body—and saw it. The corruption, the damage, the venom—it was all healing. Fast. The poison wasn't hurting him anymore.

It was empowering him.

And not just that—his body was pulling in the surrounding toxins, absorbing them like fuel.

"No way… Am I really… Did I just unlock the Venom Law?" Ethan was stunned.

He flexed his fingers, testing the energy—and sure enough, the venom around him responded. It moved with him. Flowed into him. Obeyed him.

He could control it.

He could wield it.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The ground trembled with each thunderous blast, but Ethan—he just let out a long breath, steady and calm, like the storm had finally passed inside him.

Then, with a sharp motion, he raised his hand.

Instantly, the venomous magic particles in the air—thousands, maybe millions of them—rushed toward him from every direction, swirling into his palm like a vortex of toxic power.

It was like the entire forest had just bowed to him.

"What…?! No! That's impossible!"

Virelgar's voice cracked with disbelief.

His eyes went wide, pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he stared at Ethan, horror creeping across his face.

"You—how are you doing this?!"

The Sovereign of Venoms, the master of this toxic domain, was suddenly the one on the back foot. His voice trembled, not with rage—but with fear.

"This can't be happening! There are tens of thousands of venom types in this forest! How the hell could you possibly control them all?! And in such a short time?!"

...