At that moment, a terrifying pressure surged toward the blood-eyed Ancient Behemoth, bearing down like a mountain.
The beast trembled, a flicker of clarity returning to its eyes. It turned its massive head toward the voice coming from deep within the Behemoth Lair and growled in irritation.
"Chieftain, why are you stopping me?"
A colossal Ancient Behemoth, even more imposing and terrifying, stepped out from the shadows of the lair. Its cold gaze swept over the other beast as it spoke in a low, rumbling voice. "Can’t you see we have guests?"
As he spoke, two to three dozen more Behemoths emerged behind him in a steady stream—each one a towering mountain of muscle and fury, their hides a mix of earthy brown and gleaming platinum. The sheer force of their presence was overwhelming.
"Guests?" The Ancient Behemoth who’d been wounded by Seraphina blinked in confusion.
He turned to look at her—and only then noticed the figure standing calmly on her back.
"Seraphina, aren’t you going to introduce us? Who’s this?"
The massive Behemoth with the commanding presence stepped forward, his voice deep and steady.
"Balthazar, this is my master," Seraphina said without hesitation. "He’s the Lord of Emerald Castle."
The moment she said that, the Behemoth known as Chieftain Balthazar narrowed his eyes, then forced a stiff smile in Ethan’s direction.
"So, you’re the Lord of Emerald Castle. A rare guest indeed."
"And what brings you to our domain, my lord?" Balthazar asked, his tone more curious than hostile.
"Would you mind if we spoke in private?" Ethan replied.
Balthazar nodded and gestured for Ethan to come with him, leading him deeper into the Behemoth Lair.
Contrary to what the name might suggest, the Behemoth Lair wasn’t just a den—it was an entire mountain hollowed out and shaped into a vast, livable space by the Behemoth race.
"This is the place. Please, have a seat, Lord of Emerald Castle," Balthazar said as they entered a massive cavern, its ceiling lost in shadow.
Ethan nodded, then turned to Seraphina beside him. "Seraphina, wait for me outside."
"But, Master..." she said, surprised.
"It’s fine. Go on." Ethan smiled and gently nudged her toward the exit.
Balthazar watched the exchange, his eyes gleaming with interest. "No wonder you’re the master of the Crimson Ultimate. Your presence commands respect."
He could tell—Ethan wasn’t particularly strong. In fact, by Behemoth standards, he was incredibly weak.
And yet, here he was, daring to meet with Balthazar alone. That kind of courage spoke volumes.
It showed the bearing of a true ruler.
The Behemoth race revered strength above all else, but they also respected those with the heart of a king.
"It’s just mutual respect," Ethan replied with a calm smile. Then his expression turned serious. "Chieftain Balthazar, this may be our first meeting, but we’re not exactly strangers. So I’ll get straight to the point—I’m here to propose an alliance with the Behemoth clan."
"An alliance?" Balthazar’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Because of the army from the Dungeon?"
Ethan nodded slowly. "I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Dungeon has joined forces with Inferno. They’re planning to take revenge on the Light Alliance—and launch a full-scale invasion of the main world. Slaughter, pillaging, destruction."
"So this recent attack on Sylvanwood by the Dungeon’s forces? It’s not some isolated incident. And it’s not going to end anytime soon. This... is just the beginning."
"Dungeon and Inferno have formed an alliance?!"
Chieftain Balthazar froze for a moment, his expression darkening. "Do you have proof?"
"Proof? Of course I do."
Ethan didn’t hesitate—he pulled out the blood-red scroll Lilith had given him and tossed it over.
Balthazar caught it in one massive clawed hand, frowning as he examined it. "This reeks of Black Dragon magic..."
He unrolled the scroll and studied it in silence for a long while, his brow furrowed deep. Finally, his eyes flicked back to Ethan, glinting with something unreadable.
"You’re not the first to come asking for an alliance," he said slowly. "Someone else beat you to it. And frankly, they’re stronger than Emerald Castle."
"Oh yeah?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess—Chaos Hydra from the northeast? Or was it Venomspike Manticore from the other side?"
"They came together," Balthazar replied, his voice low.
Ethan fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Chieftain Balthazar... do you trust them?"
Balthazar blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What are you getting at?"
"It’s just... something in your tone," Ethan said with a small smile. "Sounds like there’s some bad blood between you. Maybe even a grudge? Am I wrong?"
Balthazar didn’t answer right away. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice flat. "The Chaos Hydra and our Behemoth clan are sworn enemies. My brother, my father... many of our kin died at their hands."
Ethan’s eyes flickered with understanding.
In the world of Glory Lords X, wild units didn’t have the luxury of resurrection. Once they died, that was it—no coming back.
Ethan exhaled slowly, then said, "Chieftain Balthazar, I won’t lie to you. The reason I came here is because Emerald Castle isn’t strong enough. We can’t face the Dungeon army alone. But with your help... that changes everything."
"You’re trying to recruit us?" Balthazar’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning cold.
"Yeah, I am," Ethan admitted with a shrug. "If I could bring your Behemoth clan under Emerald Castle’s banner, our strength would multiply—tenfold, maybe more."
"But you should know that’s impossible," Balthazar said sharply. "If we were the kind to bow to others, we’d have done it long ago."
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Ethan nodded calmly. "That’s why I’m not here to make you submit. I’m here to propose a partnership."
"I’ll place your clan under Cicero’s command. When war breaks out, you provide warriors, and I’ll provide hero units and resurrection resources. Even if your people fall in battle, I swear—once the war is over, I’ll prioritize bringing them back."
"But that still means joining Emerald Castle," Balthazar said coldly.
"I get what you’re worried about."
Ethan’s tone didn’t change. He stayed calm, steady. "Joining Emerald Castle means your souls would be bound to me. That’s a huge risk for you. I won’t pretend otherwise. But believe me—I may want to recruit you, but I’m not the kind of man who’d use dirty tricks to force your hand."
Balthazar’s eyes flickered again, his brow furrowed deep in thought. He didn’t respond right away.
This wasn’t a decision he could make lightly. Ethan’s words were sincere, but sincerity alone wasn’t enough. Even if Balthazar believed him... what about the rest of the clan?
This wasn’t something he could decide for them.
After a long silence, Balthazar looked Ethan in the eye.
Then he slowly shook his head.
"I’m sorry. This isn’t something I can agree to."
Ethan paused, then gave a small nod. "Alright. Chieftain Balthazar... thank you for your time. Sorry to have disturbed you."