CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

RUMBLE... RUMBLE... RUMBLE...

Suddenly, the dungeon corridor ahead of them shattered without warning. Then, the ground beneath their feet split open too—cracks spidering out in every direction—revealing an enormous underground nest and a vast, eerie plaza.

The plaza was... unsettling. Dead silent. So quiet it felt like sound itself had been swallowed.

But if you looked closely, really looked, you'd see them—countless floating spirits drifting through the air. Each one had a strange, blood-red orb embedded in its chest.

Their Primordial Cores?

But the energy radiating from those orbs... it wasn't life. It was death. Pure, concentrated Death Magic.

Just like the ones from the Graveyard of Legends.

These weren't just spirits. They were undead, saturated with Death Magic, just like those cursed souls from that nightmare realm.

"What the hell is this place?" Ethan muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the ghostly scene.

But before anyone could answer—

WMMM!

A strange light flared in the distance.

Then, out of nowhere, something appeared. Something... monstrous.

It had a long, narrow face that vaguely resembled a man's, but its skin was covered in jagged, diamond-like crystals. Only one eye was visible—and inside that socket were a dozen eyeballs, all staring in different directions.

Creepy as hell.

And its body? It didn't have one. It was just a swirling mass of dense, soul-infused mist, pulsing with raw Death Magic.

"Heh heh…"

The thing chuckled coldly, its voice like a chorus of people speaking at once—layered, distorted, and deeply unsettling.

"I know who you are," it said, its tone mocking. "You're from that place called Emerald Castle, right? Looks like Olyan was right about you. You've got guts, I'll give you that. Actually coming here? Bold move... heh."

Ethan didn't flinch. He stepped forward, power surging through him, his voice sharp and steady.

"Who the hell are you?"

The creature laughed again, louder this time.

"Who am I?" it echoed, amused. "You barge into our domain uninvited, and you're the one asking questions? That's rich."

"But fine," it said, rising into the air, "since you're so curious, I'll be generous and enlighten you."

In the next instant, a blinding light exploded from his body, flooding the entire space. Behind him, something impossible appeared—

A gate. A radiant, divine gate.

The Gate of Heaven.

WMMM!

"What the— You... you're an Angel?" Andona gasped, eyes wide as she stared at the glowing gate.

That gate was supposed to be exclusive to their kind. Only Angels could summon it. So how the hell was it here?

FLASH!

The light intensified, and then—

Wings.

Twelve of them. Six pairs of flawless, snow-white wings unfurled from his back, each one etched with dense, glowing runes. Every rune pulsed with terrifying power, ancient and overwhelming.

"God said this world needed a divine emissary—and so, I was born."

The creature's voice echoed like a sermon twisted into something dark. His single, multi-eyed gaze burned with a fanatical light as he raised his arms, crystalline shards glinting in the holy glow behind him.

"Oh, supreme Lord of Angels, you are the almighty, the omnipotent! You decreed that all souls must pass through my hands to reach Heaven! But the filthy ones… the corrupted… they will be judged. Crushed. Like you."

He smiled coldly, and in his eye, a demonic madness flickered.

"Who the hell are you?" Andona snapped, her expression darkening.

She stepped forward, and in an instant, her divine power surged like a tidal wave. Her radiant angelic wings burst open behind her, glowing with sacred light that clashed violently against the twisted aura of the creature before her.

The moment her wings unfurled, the creature paused—just for a second.

Then he let out a low, amused chuckle.

"So that's it… You're one of the pureblood Angels, huh? What luck… A genuine, untainted Angel soul. How delicious."

He licked his lips—figuratively, since he didn't have a mouth—and his voice dropped to a sinister purr.

"In that case, I won't hold back."

"Oh, and since you're all going to die anyway, I might as well introduce myself. I am Yelupus, the Angelic Demon King of this Dungeon!"

BOOM!

A massive surge of divine energy erupted from him, shaking the entire chamber. His power spiked—Tier 15, SSS-rank.

"Another Tier 15 SSS…" Ethan muttered, eyes narrowing.

He'd seen this before. Yelupus was just like Olyan, the Dungeon Overlord. Another Crimson Ultimate Hero at the highest tier. And judging by the twisted nature of his power, he was probably a fallen Angel—no surprise there.

ROAR!

BOOM! BOOM!

At that moment, Andona and Yelupus collided.

The impact was cataclysmic. Their powers clashed with such force that the very air around them warped and cracked. The space between them shattered like glass, fragments of reality breaking apart.

"You're strong," Yelupus sneered, his voice laced with hunger. "Pure Angelic power… and not just any Angel. You're something more. But it doesn't matter. That power? It's mine now."

BOOM!

Andona didn't waste a single word. She unleashed her full strength, flooding the battlefield with divine energy. The runes on her wings blazed with light, each one releasing waves of sacred force that slammed into Yelupus's corrupted aura.

The two forces tore into each other, locked in a brutal, chaotic struggle.

Watching from the sidelines, Ataneya turned to Ethan. "My Lord, should we assist her?"

She knew the truth—Andona might be the Angel Queen, but she was still only a Tier 15 SS-rank Crimson Ultimate Hero. Yelupus, on the other hand, was SSS-rank. That was a whole different league. A gap that couldn't be closed by willpower alone.

"She can't win this alone," Ataneya added, her voice tense.

"Let's wait a little longer," Ethan said, eyes sharp. "If we jump in now, he might slip away. We need to be sure. If we strike, it has to be a kill shot."

He turned to the others. "Elira, Ataneya—be ready."

"Understood."

"Yes, My Lord."

The team nodded, slipping into the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Meanwhile, Ethan's attention shifted to the plaza—specifically, to the countless floating soul forms scattered across it. They looked harmless at first glance, but something about them… something about Yelupus's reaction earlier…

There was a secret here.

Without hesitation, Ethan vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing among the drifting spirits. He reached out and grabbed one of the blood-red Primordial Cores embedded in a soul's chest.

CRACK!

The moment he pulled it free, the soul began to dissolve—slowly, silently, fading into nothing.

Ethan blinked, startled. "What the hell…?"

But before he could process it—

"Blasphemer!" a voice roared in his ear. "You dare defile the sacred order?! I will judge you! I will bring you death!"

BOOM!

The air split open, and a holy sword—an Angel's divine blade—materialized above him, slamming down with terrifying force.

Ethan reacted instantly, raising his hand as his innate skill flared to life.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the plaza. Ethan was blasted backward, flipping through the air before landing beside Elira and the others.

"My Lord! Are you alright?" Elira and Ataneya rushed to his side.

"I'm fine," Ethan said, brushing off the dust with a grin. "But I think I just found something interesting."

He pointed toward the soul-filled plaza, eyes gleaming. "Those Primordial Cores? Rip them out. Destroy them all."

"Yes, My Lord!"

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

Elira, Ataneya, Seraphina, Feylora, and Namyanna all launched into action, streaking across the plaza like divine missiles, heading straight for the floating souls.

But this time, Yelupus didn't stay locked in battle with Andona.

He turned, face twisted in rage, and charged toward Ethan's team.

"GET AWAY FROM THEM! THOSE ARE MINE!" he roared, his voice shaking the heavens.

...