BOOM!

RUMBLE!

RUMBLE!

RUMBLE!

…

The moment they clashed, Ethan's expression turned serious in an instant. He'd been right—this thing really was a Tier 15 monster.

And worse, its abilities were a nightmare to deal with.

Especially those translucent wings on its back—they radiated a savage energy that not only tore through space itself but also carried a terrifyingly potent toxin.

That kind of twisted power…

Even Ethan didn't dare go head-to-head with it. But just as he was weighing his options, Feylora suddenly surged forward, her body erupting with a blinding, holy light.

HUMMMM!

"Radiant Halo!"

Her voice rang out low and clear, and a wave of pure, radiant energy exploded outward.

The light she unleashed looked eerily similar to the creature's own glow—except hers wasn't laced with all that chaotic, corrupted energy.

And more importantly, the moment Feylora's power touched the creature, it visibly flinched. Its expression twisted, like something inside it had gone wrong.

"Feylora, what is that?" Ethan called out.

"My Lord," she replied, her voice calm but intense, "he and I both carry the blood of the Fairies. If I can absorb his essence…"

She didn't finish the sentence, but Ethan got the message loud and clear.

This was their shot.

They had to take this thing down—no matter what.

Feylora had already reached the peak of Tier 14, an SSS-rank Crimson Ultimate Hero. If she could absorb the Fairy bloodline from this beast…

She might evolve.

She might break through to Tier 15.

And if that happened, Ethan would have a third Tier 15 Hero Unit under his command. That thought alone sent a jolt of excitement through him—this was huge.

"Then let's go! Everyone—full force! Kill it!" Ethan roared, unleashing his full power as he charged in, launching a relentless barrage of attacks.

At the same time, Seraphina caught on to his plan. Without hesitation, she joined the assault, flanking the creature alongside Ethan and Feylora.

Sure, the enemy was a full-fledged Tier 15 powerhouse—but there were three of them. And more importantly, Feylora's Fairy bloodline gave them a unique edge.

Their combined strength could actually counter his.

Three against one.

Their odds were looking better by the second.

"You filthy invaders!" the creature bellowed, its voice shaking the air. "You've made a grave mistake! I am Felkris—the mighty Faerie King! And I swear, I will destroy you all!"

And just like that, they finally knew who they were up against.

Felkris—the Faerie King of the Umbral Fairies they'd fought before.

Now that his identity was out in the open, the battle kicked into overdrive. The longer it went on, the more they began to read his movements, spot his weaknesses, and exploit them.

The tide was turning.

BANG!

In the chaos of battle, Feylora suddenly blinked forward in a flash of light. Without hesitation, she ignited the power of her Fairy bloodline, pouring everything she had into a single, devastating strike—shattering Felkris's defenses in one clean blow.

Then, without missing a beat, she forced her energy into the crack she'd just opened.

THUMP!

RUMMMMMMBLE...

A violent surge of power exploded from within Felkris's body, blasting a hole straight through him.

"AAARGH!" he screamed in agony as his strength visibly began to falter.

"Feylora, keep going!" Ethan shouted, eyes lighting up. If this worked, they might actually have a shot!

"My Lord," Feylora called back, her voice strained, "I'm using my Fairy bloodline to forcibly detonate his from the inside. But I can't do this too many times—it's burning through me fast. We don't have much time…"

Ethan's face darkened at her words, but he gave a sharp nod.

"Understood… Then we go all in. We end this—now!"

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, then stepped back slightly. In the next instant, every ounce of power in his body surged to the surface. A blinding sphere of energy began to form in his hands—his innate skill, fully unleashed.

ROAR!

A tidal wave of raw, crushing force erupted outward, slamming into Felkris with such intensity that his aura began to unravel, his power scattering like dust in a storm.

At the same time, Seraphina made her move—and she didn't hold back.

"Innate Skill: Primordial Venom Breath!"

BOOOOM!

A massive beam of venomous energy shot forth, engulfing Felkris in a searing column of light.

Seeing the opening, Ethan didn't hesitate. "Feylora! Now!"

HUMMMM!

In that instant, Feylora's Fairy bloodline ignited like wildfire. A glowing rune circle flared to life beneath her feet, expanding outward in a pulse of ancient magic. From it, a storm of razor-sharp wind and space-tearing energy erupted, howling toward Felkris like a divine execution.

BOOM!

The impact was instant and catastrophic. The combined assault tore Felkris apart—his body shredded into pieces, then swept up into the storm, disintegrating further with every passing second.

And Feylora didn't waste a moment.

She darted forward, eyes locked on the fading remnants of his power, and began absorbing every last drop of his Fairy bloodline.

"AAARGH!"

Felkris's final scream echoed through the battlefield as his body withered before their eyes, collapsing into ash.

Moments later, he was gone—nothing left but dust.

His power, however, had fully transferred into Feylora.

But then… nothing happened.

No transformation. No surge. No breakthrough.

Ethan frowned. "Wait… she didn't evolve? Why not?"

"My Lord," Seraphina spoke up, her tone thoughtful, "I think it's because he wasn't a true Tier 15 Crimson Ultimate Hero."

"What?" Ethan blinked. "What do you mean?"

"He was originally just like the other Umbral Fairies outside—an SSS-rank Tier 14. But something happened. Somehow, he forced himself into this form. We always suspected he used some kind of unnatural method to evolve. If that's the case, then his power wasn't truly Tier 15."

Feylora floated over, her expression a mix of disappointment and understanding. "My Lord, I felt it too. His bloodline… it was strong, but it wasn't beyond mine."

Ethan sighed, shaking his head. "I see… Damn. I was hoping this would be the breakthrough."

He looked around at the battlefield, now eerily quiet.

"…Well, guess we'll have to wait for the real thing."

…

More importantly, it seemed like most of the major threats in the Graveyard of Legends had already been dealt with. If they wanted to keep leveling up, they'd have to move on.

To the Gate of Carno.

And that place? Definitely not going to be a walk in the park.

In fact, from what Ethan had heard, it might even be worse than the Nethora world.

Just thinking about it made his head ache.

He exhaled sharply and turned to the others. "Let's go. Time to regroup with the rest."

"Yes, Lord Ethan!" they answered in unison.

…