"Looks like your secret’s about to come out."
The moment Ethan stepped aboard the Tidebreaker Paxton, a Tier-4 battleship, Paxton’s voice rang in his ears.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced toward the ship’s command deck. "Oh? And why’s that?"
Paxton gave a small chuckle before continuing. "Leopold’s dead, sure, and yeah, it’ll take some time for him to resurrect. But the regular units? They don’t need nearly as long. Once Storm Kingdom brings them back, they’ll spill everything they know."
Ethan paused for a beat, then shrugged, his tone casual. "You think they’ll rat me out?"
"Well..." Paxton hesitated, clearly unsure. "You killed Leopold. That alone might make the King of Storm Kingdom—old bastard that he is—think twice before crossing you. But then you went and wiped out a whole bunch of their top-tier units—Legendary and Royal alike. The damage you did? Massive. So yeah, maybe he’ll go all in on revenge. Desperate men do desperate things."
In the world of Glory Lords X, death isn’t the end. Units can be resurrected.
But Hero Units? They don’t get off that easy.
Every time a Hero Unit dies, they lose experience—and more importantly, they lose Tier.
That’s right. Death comes at a cost. A steep one.
Each time a Hero Unit falls in battle, it chips away at their Primordial Force—something that can’t be fully restored. And if they die too many times, their Tier drops. Permanently.
So let’s say you’ve got a C-Tier Orange Legendary Hero. After dying two or three times, there’s a real chance they’ll fall to D-Tier.
And if they keep dying?
They could drop even further—down to Purple Epic status.
And in Glory Lords X, what’s the most important thing about a Hero Unit?
No question—it’s their Tier. That’s everything.
Which is exactly why Paxton was so concerned. Ethan didn’t just take out Leopold—he also slaughtered a bunch of high-tier units: Tier-13s, Tier-12s, Tier-11s. Legendary and Royal alike. The kind of losses that hit a kingdom where it hurts.
And Leopold? He was just a D-Tier Orange Legendary Hero.
If this death knocks him down to Purple Epic?
Storm Kingdom’s gonna be hurting so bad, they won’t even have tears left to cry.
"Desperate men do desperate things?" Ethan chuckled when he heard that, then shrugged. "Well, then I guess we’ll just deal with whatever comes our way. Paxton, how long’s the trip to Gem Dragon Isle from here?"
To be honest, Storm Kingdom didn’t even register as a real threat to him.
At best, they had what—two Orange-tier Legendary Heroes? Even Crimsonstar Kingdom was stronger than that.
With the power he had now, there was no reason to be afraid of them.
No, the real problem was Sea King Maelthorak.
The Sea King was on a whole different level—easily as terrifying as the Inferno Demon King.
And right now, Ethan was still struggling just to take down an Infernal Lord. Going head-to-head with someone like the Sea King? That was suicide.
He didn’t stand a chance. Not yet.
If Storm Kingdom really did sell him out and Maelthorak’s people came hunting him down—
Fine. Then it’s mutual destruction.
He’d make damn sure they paid for it.
No question. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel_fіre.net
So he didn’t dwell on it. Whatever happens, happens.
"It’ll take about five or six days," Paxton replied. "It’s a long haul from here, and the route’s not exactly safe. We’ll have to pass through several dangerous sea zones—no way around it."
"Alright. Either way, I appreciate it."
"Don’t mention it. I was heading back anyway. Just don’t forget our deal, alright? And I’ll say this again—Gem Dragon Isle holds a very special status in Gemspire Kingdom. Don’t do anything reckless there."
"I get it. You have my word, Tidebreaker. I won’t cause any trouble."
"You—You—What did you just say?! Leopold is dead?! Who did it?! WHO?! WHO KILLED HIM?!"
"You think this is a joke?! Are they trying to start a war with Storm Kingdom?!"
Half a day later, the royal palace of Storm Kingdom erupted with the furious roar of King Regnar XI. And judging by the tone of his voice, he wasn’t just angry—he was absolutely livid.
So furious, in fact, that his voice was shaking.
Like Crimsonstar Kingdom, Storm Kingdom followed a hereditary monarchy.
Every ruler of Storm Kingdom bore the title The Storm King. The current monarch, Regnar the Eleventh, was known throughout the realm as Storm King Regnar XI.
"Y-Your Majesty... it seems the Lord of Emerald Castle was behind it," said an elderly mage, his voice low and cautious.
His name was Edric—an old man with silver hair and deep-set eyes. He had served Regnar XI since the king’s days as a prince, and was one of the few people the Storm King trusted implicitly. Their bond was not unlike the one between Ethan and Elynn—deep, loyal, and forged through years of shared trials.
"You... what did you just say?" Regnar XI’s entire body jolted.
His expression darkened instantly, a heavy shadow falling over his face.
Of course he knew about the bounty Sea King Maelthorak had placed on the Lord of Emerald Castle. He also knew about his son Leopold’s secret movements... In fact, if he was being honest with himself, those actions had been carried out with his own tacit approval.
But what he hadn’t expected—what he couldn’t have imagined—was that the Lord of Emerald Castle was this powerful.
Leopold had taken an entire army of Legendary and Royal Units with him. And yet, not only had that force been completely wiped out, but even his son—his pride, his Second Prince—had been killed?
Leopold was an Orange-tier Legendary Hero!
That kind of power was enough to intimidate most nations!
Even if he couldn’t win, he should’ve at least been able to escape, right?
He was a Tier-11 Sea Blade Saint—a Hero Unit born of the ocean itself. The sea was his domain. He could move through it like it was solid ground, slipping in and out of danger with ease.
So how the hell had this happened?!
Regnar XI stood frozen, his face ashen, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. His whole body trembled with rage.
The truth was, Storm Kingdom’s current situation wasn’t great.
Like Gemspire Kingdom, they only had two Orange-tier Legendary Heroes left.
One of them was old—so old, in fact, that he was barely hanging on. He couldn’t fight anymore, not unless it was absolutely necessary. At this point, he was more of a deterrent than an active force.
That was his son—Second Prince Leopold.
But Leopold was still young. He hadn’t fully matured yet—hadn’t undergone his second awakening.
And while he was an Orange-tier Legendary Hero, he was only a D-tier one. Nothing exceptional.
This wasn’t even the first time Leopold had died.
He’d already fallen once before...