"But..." Regnar XI was still hesitating.
But Grand Duke Opriston didn’t waste any time—he nodded and said, "I’ll put in 30 units. You two each contribute 15. That’s settled. Astharel’s taking a huge risk here—he deserves some compensation. Think long-term. If this works out, what we gain will be way more than just this."
"Alright, I’m in," Grand Duke Zurei agreed immediately, nodding firmly.
Because honestly, he thought Opriston had nailed it.
They had to look at the bigger picture.
If they were all willing to get involved in this, it sure as hell wasn’t just for a handful of Kirin.
Their real goal? To become the Sea King Maelthorak’s most trusted allies when he returned in glory.
To carve out a path toward becoming a true powerhouse nation.
And compared to that grand ambition?
This investment was more than worth it.
"Fine, fine..." Regnar XI finally gave in, though it clearly pained him. But with both Opriston and Zurei already on board, opposing them would only stir up trouble—and there was no point in that.
Watching all this unfold, the Jewel King Astharel couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.
"Well then, here’s to a successful partnership."
Of course, behind that pleasant smile, Astharel was practically laughing at the other three.
"What a bunch of idiots. I just conned them out of 60 units of Kirin without breaking a sweat. Unbelievable. Still, I need to get word to Lord Valkarion as soon as possible... This could be the perfect opportunity for Prince Kyros to rise."
Even though the inner workings of Emerald Castle weren’t nearly as cutthroat or tangled as those of the major powers or factional empires—things were generally friendly and lively—
There was still one thing they couldn’t escape:
As a Hero Unit of the sea, and a native of an oceanic nation, Astharel naturally leaned more toward Kyros. It wasn’t that he disliked Seraphina or Cicero—it was just instinct.
Just like how Orryn and Elyra naturally gravitated toward Cicero and Seraphina.
And because of that, from Astharel’s perspective, it only made sense to want Kyros to grow stronger.
The stronger Kyros became, the better life would be for Astharel and his allies in Emerald Castle.
It was just how things worked.
Meanwhile, under Cicero’s lead, Ethan, Archmage Eldrin, the Bronze Golem Karnak, and Elynn had all arrived at the Dimensional Gate located in the Ravine of Ruin.
Ethan glanced around, taking in the countless veins of exposed gems, gold, bronzesteel, and dark iron embedded in the rocky walls. He couldn’t help but let out a low whistle. "Damn... this place is incredible."
"Even without the Dimensional Gate, it’d still be worth a fortune."
These gems, gold, bronzesteel, and dark iron weren’t just rare resources or materials for summoning—they were hard currency, just like arcane mithril.
For ages, the Tower faction had been buying up these materials at premium prices to craft and summon Iron Golems, Gold Golems, Bronze Golems, and even Diamond Golems.
So even if you didn’t need them yourself, you could always trade them in the Tower for just about anything you wanted. It was just a matter of exchange rates. Follow current novᴇls on novelꜰire.net
"Master, hold on tight. The Dimensional Gate’s deeper inside... everyone, follow me," Cicero said.
Ethan climbed onto Cicero’s back as the latter shifted into his dragon form. They flew deeper into the Ravine of Ruin, eventually landing in a nondescript cave. From there, they twisted and turned through countless branching tunnels—so many that Ethan lost track of how many turns they’d taken—until they finally emerged into a low, underground cavern.
The place glittered with gems, gold, bronzesteel, and dark iron scattered across the floor, but the real eye-catcher was the thing floating in midair—a rift, like a tear in space itself.
"Master, this is it... that’s the entrance to the Plane World," Cicero said.
Ethan raised an eyebrow, staring at him with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. "Cicero, I gotta ask—how the hell did you even find this place?"
This wasn’t the first time, either. That Divine Colosseum from before had been hidden just as well, and yet Cicero had still managed to sniff it out.
But this? This was on another level.
With all those twists and turns, even with Ethan’s current power, he couldn’t remember half the path they’d taken. If he had to come back alone... he probably wouldn’t even find the entrance again.
He’d be completely lost.
"That’s because I can sense the flow of magical energy."
"The flow of magic?" Ethan echoed.
Cicero nodded. "To me, everything in existence is made of magical energy—but each thing has its own unique signature. By analyzing those differences, I can detect the presence of anything. So terrain, no matter how well hidden, doesn’t matter to me. Unless there’s a powerful magical barrier specifically designed to block perception, I can find it."
"Holy crap," Ethan muttered, genuinely impressed.
That was basically a built-in, all-seeing radar.
"Does Seraphina have this ability too?"
"Master, I actually only learned this recently..." Cicero said, his tone hinting at something more.
Ethan caught on instantly. "Recently? You mean... after breaking through your racial limit?"
"My Lord," Archmage Eldrin suddenly chimed in, "in the field of magic, we call this ability Divine Perception. Typically, only Overlord-class beings or Hero Units born from Tier-14 Mythic Units ever develop such an extraordinary power..."
As he spoke, Eldrin’s gaze shifted back to Cicero, filled with awe.
As a Grand Mage of the Tower faction, Eldrin’s greatest strength was his vast knowledge. And the moment he heard Cicero’s explanation, something had clicked.
A racial limit... broken.
He never imagined Cicero had actually achieved something that, to him, was nothing short of myth. A miracle.
It was mind-blowing. Practically impossible.
"Divine Perception, huh?" Ethan murmured. "Yeah... that name fits."
"Alright, let’s go check it out."
"Master, maybe we should go in first and scout it out," Elynn offered, concern in her voice. "The Plane World is completely unknown. If there’s any danger—"
"No need," Cicero said with a grin. "I already snuck in earlier. It should be safe."
"Well, that’s a relief. Let’s head in, then."
Elynn trusted Cicero completely. If he said it was safe, that was good enough for her.
She didn’t press the issue.
"Let’s go," Ethan said with a smile, stepping forward toward the rift in space.