The S+ mission reward had just arrived.
At the same time, a rough stat panel popped up in front of Ethan’s eyes, displaying the details of the new unit.
[Gold Dragon Auremax]
Molten Breath – Taps into the power of nature to unleash a devastating area-of-effect dragon breath attack. Inflicts massive sustained damage and corrosion. Even the toughest enchanted metals can be melted down. Whether it’s single-target or AoE, the damage is absolutely terrifying.
Magic Immunity – Immune to all Tier 4 and below magic. Tier 4 magic damage is reduced by 95%.
Haste – Temporarily doubles movement and attack speed.
Overall Potential Rating: C-Class
"A named elite unit?!"
Ethan froze for a second, then sucked in a sharp breath, his heart pounding with excitement and disbelief.
He hadn’t expected this at all. The mission reward had just handed him a massive surprise on a silver platter!
A named, Tier 14 Mythic Unit Gold Dragon with the potential to evolve into a Hero Unit?
That was practically on the same level as Balthazar!
"Damn, this is a jackpot!"
No exaggeration—just looking at the raw stats alone, even without factoring in the innate abilities, this Gold Dragon Auremax was already stronger than Seraphina had been at level 20!
In other words, this one special unit alone could probably go toe-to-toe with three or four wild Tier 14 Mythic Units.
That’s how insane this was.
This wasn’t just a win—it was a total game-changer.
"Are you the lord of this castle?"
Just as Ethan was still riding the high of his excitement, the Gold Dragon Auremax turned its gaze toward him, eyes gleaming with curiosity. It could clearly sense the mysterious force that had summoned it—coming directly from Ethan.
"That’s right," Ethan nodded, smiling confidently at the massive dragon. "I’m not one for beating around the bush, so I’ll just say it straight. Would you be willing to join us here at Emerald Castle?"
Auremax didn’t answer right away.
Instead, the dragon’s golden eyes swept over Seraphina standing nearby, then down to Cicero at Ethan’s feet. After that, his gaze passed over Elyra, Lilith, Elynn, and the others, lingering briefly on each face.
He murmured to himself, "Two Green Dragon heroes, a Unicorn hero, a Dragonblood Elf hero, an Elven Pegasus Knight hero... and two Treant heroes... What an incredible lineup."
Over the years, Auremax had wandered across the world, traveling far and wide, witnessing countless armies and kingdoms.
And because of that, he knew exactly what he was looking at.
The sheer depth of hero units under Emerald Castle’s banner had already surpassed that of most ordinary nations.
Hell, it even rivaled—no, surpassed—some of the major powers. This wasn’t just a stronghold. It was a rising empire in the making.
A top-tier power among top-tier powers—what did that even mean?
In the world of Glory Lords X, any faction that could reach that level was already standing at the very peak. We’re talking about the elite of the elite—so rare you could count them on one hand.
And the fact that Emerald Castle was now brushing up against that level?
That was nothing short of insane.
To put it plainly, in Glory Lords X, the true core of any major faction—their foundation, their deterrent force, their ultimate trump card—was their Hero Units.
Under normal circumstances, if a faction had just two or three high-tier orange-grade Legendary Heroes, that alone could be enough to elevate them into a major power.
But if they had even one Crimson Ultimate Hero?
No exaggeration—any faction, any kingdom, as long as they had a single Crimson Ultimate Hero and didn’t screw things up along the way, they were practically guaranteed to rise into the ranks of the global superpowers.
Or at the very least, become a force on par with one.
And if they had two? Or more?
Then forget it—even the weaker factions would treat them with the utmost respect. No one would dare underestimate them.
In other words, the number of Crimson Ultimate Heroes a faction had was almost a direct reflection of its future potential and strength.
And now, looking at Emerald Castle—with its deep bench of Hero Units, its growing power, and its rising influence—it absolutely had the qualifications to recruit someone like Auremax.
Especially now, as that strange pull in Auremax’s heart—the feeling of being summoned—was growing stronger by the second.
"Honored Lord," Gold Dragon Auremax finally spoke, bowing his massive head slightly toward Ethan. "I am willing to accept your offer. However, for now, I can only agree to a mercenary contract."
"A mercenary contract?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Auremax nodded solemnly. "I will serve Emerald Castle and fight under your banner. But in return, you must pay me an annual fee—five million gold coins and one hundred crystals."
"No problem," Ethan replied without hesitation.
Was that even a question?
Five million gold and a hundred crystals per year? For a Mythic Unit—especially a named, special-class Mythic Unit ?
That was practically a steal.
If he’d even hesitated at that price, he’d have to be out of his damn mind.
And honestly, it wasn’t hard to understand why Auremax made the request. It wasn’t really about the money—it was about pride, about status.
He was a Mythic Unit, after all. This kind of arrangement was more about formality and respect than actual cost.
And Ethan? He was more than happy to oblige.
"It’s an honor to have your respect."
A faint smile played across Gold Dragon Auremax’s face. Then, with a more serious expression, he bowed deeply to Ethan with utmost reverence. Check latest chapters at novel{f}ire.net
"Auremax of the Gold Dragons, from the Dragon homeland of Aurelia, greets you, my Lord!"
"I’m honored to be recruited by you. I offer you my strength, without reservation!"
Ethan gave a small nod and smiled at Auremax. "Alright, Auremax, I’ll just call you by your name from now on. Here at Emerald Castle, you’re free to act independently—but you’ll still need to follow orders from me, Seraphina, Cicero, and Elynn. Especially Elynn. When she speaks, it’s as good as me giving the command. Got it?"
"As you wish, my respected Lord! I understand completely," Auremax replied with a firm nod.
"Good..." Ethan turned to address the rest of the group with a relaxed smile. "Everyone, take some time to rest and recharge. In a couple of days, I’ll have new missions for you."
"At your service, my Lord!"
A few days later — Emerald Castle’s war room.
With the current state of Emerald Castle, and the clues and resources they had gathered so far, Ethan and his elite unit of hero-class troops gathered to discuss their next strategic move.
"I’ve got two things to bring up first."
Ethan looked around the room, meeting everyone’s eyes. "As a token of gratitude, Balthazar gifted us a Legendary Unit dwelling—specifically, a Behemoth Lair. But right now, it’s still unclaimed and in the wild. We’ll need to take it by force."
"I’ll handle it, Master!"
Seraphina stepped forward without hesitation. "Let me take the Green Dragons, along with Orryn and Auremax. We’ll wipe out those Soul Sentinels and secure the Behemoth Lair."
"You sure about that?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Right now, we’ve only got five Green Dragons in Emerald Castle—those were the reward from the S+ tier quest involving Chaos Hydra Thal’Zor. Even with Orryn and Auremax, that’s just six Green Dragons and one Gold Dragon. Is that really enough?"
"Please, trust me, Master!"
Seraphina’s voice was firm, her confidence unshakable. "Numbers don’t matter to us. And the Soul Sentinels? They’re weak. The few of us are more than enough to take them down."
She paused, then added with conviction, "I believe in our strength, Master."
"I’m leaving this one to you."
Ethan didn’t waste time. Seeing her determination, he nodded without hesitation.
"Grab some gold and the six core resources from Elynn before you head out. Once you’ve taken the Behemoth Lair, make sure to recruit the 13th-tier Legendary Behemoth units inside and bring them back."
"Got it!" Seraphina replied, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she sat back down.
"The second thing," Ethan continued, looking around the room, "is about the War Unicorn dwelling—specifically, upgrading the Unicorn Glade. War Unicorns are Tier-12 units. They might not be as powerful as the Tier-13 Legendary Units, but they’re still a key part of our forces. We need to secure that dwelling."
"Master, Master! Let me handle that one!" Elyra piped up eagerly. "I’ll take Oakenmaw and the unicorn battalion with me. We’ll take it without a scratch, I promise!"
"Alright!" Ethan didn’t hesitate. He nodded in agreement right away.
After all, the upgraded Unicorn Glade was just a Tier-12 Royal Unit dwelling. Its defenses were... average at best. Honestly, even if Elyra and the Ancient War Tree Oakenmaw went in alone, they’d probably be enough to take it down.
And with the unicorn battalion backing them up? That was overkill.
Thanks to the recent buildup, Emerald Castle’s unicorn forces had grown into double digits. Under Elyra’s command, their combat power was easily on par with one or two wild Tier-13 Legendary Units.
Put all that together, and yeah—this was going to be a steamroll.
"Alright, now for the third matter," Ethan said, his tone shifting slightly as he looked around the table. "I want to hear your thoughts on this one. Down in the southern region of Sylvanwood, there used to be a three-way power balance—between the Behemoths of Fury Wasteland, the Venomspike Manticores of Obsidian Ridge, and the Hydra clan of Ashenwood. But now, the Manticores and Hydras are gone. Only Balthazar’s people remain. What do you all think we should do?"
The moment he said that, both Elyra and Seraphina went quiet.
They knew this wasn’t their lane. Fighting? Absolutely. Strategy and politics? Yeah... better leave that to someone else.
Lilith and Bromir stayed silent too.
Lilith was always the quiet type—she preferred action over words. Bromir, on the other hand, knew he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. He figured it was best to just wait for orders from the boss.
"Logically, this would be the perfect time to move in and take control of southern Sylvanwood," Cicero said slowly, his voice calm and measured. "I doubt Balthazar and his people would challenge us for it. And even if they did, they wouldn’t win. But... with the Dungeon army looming, now’s not the time."
"I agree with Lord Cicero," Elynn added, nodding. "The bigger our territory, the bigger our target. If the Dungeon army locks onto us, it could cost us more than we gain. Besides..." She paused for a moment before continuing.
"Besides, with the current strength of Emerald Castle, we’re not exactly in the best position to start expanding outward."