CHAPTER 595: YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD

"Impossible! How the hell—?!"

The Fire Elemental froze, stunned.

He couldn’t believe what had just happened. Ethan’s speed had come out of nowhere—blindingly fast—and he’d managed to shove the Stone Golem right into the path of that full-powered attack. That punch had been everything the Fire Elemental had, a blow meant to level mountains... and it had just been wasted on his own ally.

The result?

The Stone Golem’s core—its heart—was completely obliterated.

Before the Fire Elemental could even process the disaster, there was a sharp whoosh—and Ethan was already in his face.

This time, it wasn’t lightning.

It was ice.

A surge of freezing elemental energy exploded from Ethan’s body, engulfing the Fire Elemental in a flash. Within seconds, his entire body was frozen solid, locked in a jagged crystal of frost.

Then Ethan gathered every last ounce of his strength and struck.

CRACK—CRACK—CRACK!

The ice shattered like glass, and with it, so did the Fire Elemental—reduced to nothing but frozen shards.

Two enemies down. Both at his level.

But Ethan was running on fumes.

Even with the newly acquired Lightning Step skill, the energy cost was brutal. His breathing was ragged, his body heavy.

"Damn... I’m almost tapped out..."

"When the hell am I gonna break through?"

But just as he staggered back, trying to catch his breath—

A surge of power erupted from within him.

He blinked in surprise as waves of Primordial Force flooded into his body—first from the Fire Elemental and the Stone Golem, then from somewhere else entirely.

Ding!

"Congratulations, player ’Valkarion’—you have successfully advanced to 16-Tier!"

"Huh? I... evolved?!" Ethan froze, stunned for a second. But then it clicked.

This wasn’t just from the enemies he’d killed.

It was a Power Transfer—a coordinated surge of energy from his Hero Units: Elira, Ataneya, Andona, Namyanna... and likely the rest of Emerald Castle’s elite.

As their Lord, Ethan had a unique advantage—he could receive power from his subordinates when they reached their limits and channeled it to him.

And now?

That power had pushed him over the edge.

BOOOOOOM!

A blinding light of evolution burst from his body, shaking the battlefield.

Ethan had ascended—

16-Tier, S-Rank.

With him joining the ranks of Ataneya, Elira, Andona, and Namyanna, Emerald Castle now had five 16-Tier powerhouses.

They could finally stand toe-to-toe with the dungeon’s elite.

...

But the moment was short-lived.

A massive figure charged toward him—a beast of a warrior, built like a minotaur, muscles bulging, horns glowing with a blood-red light.

The thing locked eyes on Ethan and roared, charging like a freight train.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. "You’ve gotta be kidding me..."

The creature looked like something straight out of the Gate of Carno world—brutal, primal, and already at 16-Tier.

And it wasn’t just strong—it was a tank.

Its hide was thick, its muscles like steel cables. As it barreled forward, its horns lit up with a crimson glow and slammed straight into Ethan’s gut.

WHAM!

Ethan’s eyes widened as the impact sent a shockwave through his body.

"Shit!"

He gritted his teeth, staggering back. The thing was insane—pure brute force, no finesse, just raw, unrelenting power.

Ethan’s energy flared, lightning and ice crackling around him as he retaliated with everything he had. His fists slammed into the minotaur’s body, punching through flesh and muscle, leaving bloody holes in its side.

But it wasn’t enough.

The more damage the creature took, the stronger it seemed to get.

Its aura grew darker, heavier—like it was feeding off the pain.

Ethan’s expression hardened. "So you’re one of those freaks, huh?"

No more holding back.

He unleashed everything—lightning, ice, raw elemental force—his entire body glowing with power.

The battlefield lit up as the two clashed again, blow for blow, neither giving an inch.

But even with all that, Ethan could only manage a draw.

...

Meanwhile—

On Ataneya’s side of the battlefield, things weren’t looking great.

Her energy was clearly starting to wane, the radiant force she’d been unleashing now noticeably dimmer. She was nearing her limit.

The Crimson Threader, on the other hand, was still going strong.

His power was relentless—those ever-shifting, razor-thin threads constantly weaving and slicing through the air, forcing Ataneya to stay on the defensive. She hadn’t landed a single solid hit. Worse, she’d already taken several cuts—thin, deep wounds that bled steadily.

"Heh... You know, I still don’t even know your name," The Crimson Threader said with a twisted grin, his voice low and mocking. "But that’s fine. Once I kill you, I’ll just dig it out of your memories."

His smile stretched wider, more deranged by the second. The energy radiating off him grew darker, more twisted—like something unnatural was stirring beneath his skin.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish...

Suddenly, a storm of blood-red threads exploded from his body, expanding outward into a massive web—like a spider’s trap, aiming to ensnare Ataneya completely.

But just as the web closed in—

A golden blaze tore across the sky.

Flames, pure and holy, surged through the air as Andona appeared out of nowhere, her Angelic Sword glowing with divine fire.

The Crimson Threader’s eyes went wide. He stumbled back instinctively, but it was too late—the moment the sword’s flames touched his web, half of it disintegrated into ash.

Ataneya finally exhaled, relief washing over her. She hadn’t expected backup—especially not from Andona. After all that time locked in a stalemate, Andona’s arrival had flipped the entire fight in an instant.

Looks like angelic power was this guy’s natural weakness.

"I’ll take it from here," Andona said calmly, her voice steady and commanding. "You go help the others."

Ataneya didn’t argue. She nodded once and vanished into the chaos, leaving Andona to face the monster alone.

...

Andona’s power surged.

The divine pressure rolling off her was suffocating—an overwhelming force that instantly crushed The Crimson Threader’s momentum.

VMMM!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM...

"You... You’ve inherited the power of the Angel King?" The Crimson Threader’s voice cracked, his pupils shrinking. "Wait... You’re the one who killed Raviel! I can feel his essence in you!"

BOOM!

THUD!

THUD!

THUD!

Andona didn’t bother responding.

She wasn’t here to talk.

Her energy exploded outward, and she raised her Angelic Sword high. The flames along its blade roared to life, casting a blinding light across the battlefield.

SSSSHHHHHH...

The holy fire engulfed the sky, drowning out the blood-red threads completely. The Crimson Threader’s weapons—once so deadly—were now utterly useless.

He turned to flee.

But the space around him twisted—sealed off by angelic power.

VMMM!

"You headless freak," Andona said coldly, her voice echoing with divine judgment. "You’re already dead. You just don’t know it yet."

She raised her sword higher.

"Let me show you what angelic judgment really looks like."

A wave of sacred energy burst from her body, crashing down like a tidal wave. The Crimson Threader screamed, but it was drowned out by the roar of divine fire.

The flames wrapped around him, burning through his threads, his body, his soul.

The stench of scorched flesh filled the air.

And as his body disintegrated, his Primordial Force flowed into Andona like a river of raw power.

Her aura flared.

She’d grown stronger—again.

"Finally took one down..." she muttered, exhaling slowly.

Then she turned, eyes scanning the battlefield.

Time to find her next target.

...