At that moment, Ethan, The Tidebreaker Paxton, and the others stepped out of the dimensional rift one after another, appearing on Blackwake Isle. Almost instantly, they were detected by the forces under the command of the blond man with the hooked nose.
"The Tidebreaker Paxton?"
"What the hell is he doing here?!"
The blond man’s face darkened immediately, his expression turning sour. He had only tracked Ethan to Blackwake Isle—he had no idea that Gemspire Kingdom’s top-tier hero, The Tidebreaker Paxton, was here too.
Corvan hadn’t mentioned a damn thing...
"That old bastard... is he trying to steal my glory?!" The thought hit him like a punch to the gut, and his mood took a nosedive.
Sure, he was a Legendary-tier hero too—orange-ranked—but he was nowhere near Paxton’s level. If it came down to a fight over who got the prize, his chances of winning were... well, let’s just say not great.
And as for Ethan? He didn’t even factor him in. As far as he was concerned, Ethan was already on the chopping block—helpless, ready to be carved up.
"Hm..." Meanwhile, The Tidebreaker Paxton and Ethan had clearly noticed the new arrivals on the island. Paxton’s gaze swept across the terrain, pausing briefly before his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Leopold?" he murmured with a flicker of recognition.
Leopold—the Second Prince of the Storm Kingdom. Known across the realm as the most gifted royal the kingdom had ever produced.
Years ago, through some undisclosed channels, Leopold had undergone elite training and emerged as a Sea Blade Saint—a Tier 11 orange-ranked Legendary hero.
That made him only the second orange-tier Legendary in the entire Storm Kingdom. Because of that, his status was sky-high—practically the heir apparent, with the whole kingdom backing him as the next king.
But to The Tidebreaker Paxton? That didn’t mean much.
In terms of raw power and battlefield experience, Leopold still came up short. And besides, Leopold was a prince of the Storm Kingdom. Paxton? He was the ace of Gemspire Kingdom. There was no reason for him to care about some royal brat.
"Let’s go," Paxton said, pulling his gaze away. He didn’t bother acknowledging Leopold beyond that.
But just because Paxton ignored him didn’t mean Leopold was going to let things slide.
With a flash in his eyes, Leopold strode forward with a cocky air, stepping directly in front of Ethan and blocking his path.
"You need something?" Ethan asked, his brow furrowing slightly, his tone cold and detached.
At the same time, a status panel popped up in front of him:
Second Prince of the Storm Kingdom
Class: Sea Blade Saint
Tier: Orange Legendary Hero
Level: 47 Follow current novels on ɴovelfire.net
Overall Evaluation: D-Rank Orange Legendary Hero
Ethan glanced at the stats and couldn’t help but curl his lip in mild disdain. Weak. Sure, level 47 wasn’t bad, but the problem was the Tier—D-rank orange Legendary?
That meant his overall stats were probably only about two-thirds of Ethan’s.
And in terms of actual combat power?
He might not even be half as strong.
With that kind of strength, what the hell was he doing throwing attitude and acting like he owned the place?
"You must be the Lord of Emerald Castle, right? I’ve heard quite a bit about you..." Leopold narrowed his eyes, his voice slow and dripping with arrogance as he let out a cold chuckle. "But I’m here to deliver a message. The great Sea King Maelthorak has summoned you. He wants to see you in person. So, I suggest you come with me—willingly."
He paused, then added with a sneer, "Of course, if you resist... the consequences won’t be pretty."
The moment those words left his mouth, The Tidebreaker Paxton’s brow twitched slightly. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, but his expression remained calm as he turned and walked away without a word.
This wasn’t his business.
And frankly, he didn’t want to get involved.
Besides, he had a feeling Ethan wouldn’t want him stepping in either.
Still... was Leopold seriously this dumb? Did he really think just name-dropping Sea King Maelthorak would be enough to intimidate Ethan?
"Pfft..." Ethan couldn’t help it—he laughed out loud right then and there.
"What the hell are you laughing at?!" Leopold snapped, his face darkening with irritation.
"Nothing," Ethan said, waving a hand dismissively as he stifled the chuckle. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked Leopold over, a cold glint flashing deep in his gaze. "So, you’re a prince of the Storm Kingdom?"
"Damn right I am," Leopold said proudly, puffing up his chest. "Allow me to introduce myself—Second Prince Leopold of the Storm Kingdom. And soon to be its next king."
"Yeah... not anymore," Ethan said flatly.
Leopold’s face froze.
Ethan’s tone was calm, almost casual, as he continued, "Actually, I’ve been looking for someone to serve as my personal errand boy. You? You might just be the perfect fit."
He paused for a beat, letting the words sink in.
Then, locking eyes with Leopold—whose face was now turning a deep, furious shade of red—Ethan’s voice dropped, cold and sharp as ice. "And if you refuse... well, let’s just say the consequences will be brutal."
It was a direct, no-bullshit challenge.
Leopold exploded, his face twisted in rage, his whole body trembling with fury.
He knew Ethan was strong—hell, the guy even had a Crimson Ultimate hero under his command. But still, he was here on behalf of Sea King Maelthorak! And this bastard still wasn’t showing even a shred of fear?
Did Ethan really think he was untouchable out here on the open sea?
Leopold’s aura surged as he stepped forward, closing the distance between them. His eyes burned with fury, his voice thunderous and threatening. "I’m warning you! Defy me, and you defy Lord Maelthorak himself. You know damn well what the title ’Sea King’ means out here. Be smart—come with me. Or deal with the consequences."
Ethan didn’t flinch. His voice was calm, almost bored.
"I’ll give you one last chance too," he said. "Get on your knees, beg for mercy, and sign a servitude contract. Otherwise... you’ll regret it."
The words hit like a slap, and Leopold’s heart skipped a beat. Then the rage came crashing back.
"Ridiculous! Who the hell do you think you are?! You really believe you’ve got the power to defy me?!"
With a sharp motion, he raised his hand—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, nearly thirty Kirin beasts materialized around them, their hooves pounding the earth. Alongside them, hundreds of elite sea warriors emerged from the shadows—Tier 11 Naga Swordsmen, Tier 12 Naga Swordmasters, and even several hidden Tier 11 Sea Blade Saints.
They surrounded Ethan from all sides.