Half an hour later, Ethan stepped through the twin-way portal with Seraphina, Cicero, Auremax, and a full force of 180 units of the Gold Dragon army, heading straight for the Stellamaris Kingdom. Read full story at novᴇlfire.net
From there, they made their way to the Crimsonstar Kingdom.
And that’s where they finally reunited with Elyra, Kyros, and Seran.
"Master, you’re finally here!" Elyra beamed, her face lighting up with excitement. "We’ve been waiting forever since we heard you were coming..."
"My Lord," Seran said, stepping forward and bowing respectfully.
But standing just behind him was someone else—someone who looked a little unfamiliar at first glance, but the moment Ethan laid eyes on him, a strange sense of familiarity washed over him. He blinked, then broke into a wide grin.
"Well, well... Kyros. Congrats on your second awakening!"
That’s right—the blue-haired young man was none other than Kyros himself.
And not just the Kyros they once knew—this was Kyros after his second awakening.
Tier: Crimson Ultimate Hero
Divine Rank: Lesser Deity (Levels 55–70 = Lesser Deity, 70–80 = Intermediate, 80–95 = Greater, etc.)
Hero Class: God of the Kirin – Ocean Mastery. Hydromancer Supreme.
Attack: 441,011 (553)
Spell Power: 355 (446)
Magic Damage: 945–1077
Water Magic Mastery (Master)
Sea God – In any water-rich environment, all attributes are significantly boosted. Minimum +20%, up to +100%. Current boost: +70% across the board.
Kirin Warlord Lv.2 – Boosts base attack and defense of Tier 13 Kirin units under his command. Starts at +3%, scales with level, maxing out at +33%.
Weatherweaving – Can manipulate natural weather phenomena to enrich the land and improve environmental conditions.
Tsunami Lv.3 – Summons a devastating tsunami from the Ocean’s Dominion. At level 3, its destructive power rivals Tier 4 magic.
Deepsea Strider – No matter how deep the ocean, it can’t hinder the Kirin. The sea is their domain, their home—they move through it freely.
Spiritform Shift – Kirin can shift into a water-elemental spirit form at will. In this state: +20% Water Magic damage, +30% casting speed, -15% HP, -10% damage taken.
Sacred Realm – Within this domain, Kyros and allies regenerate HP and mana endlessly. The closer to the deep sea, the stronger the effect—nearly immortal in the right conditions.
Water Magic damage +50%
Enemies inside the domain: -30% movement speed, -15% to attack, defense, and HP, -20% to -30% Water Magic resistance
Current Domain Level: Lv.2 Lesser Deity
Domain Name: Oceanic Realm
Passive Domain Skill: Abyssal Pressure – Uses the crushing force of the deep sea to weigh down enemies, severely limiting their movement and actions.
Blessing of the Sea God – In watery terrain, Kyros can massively buff allied troops:
-10% Water Magic damage taken
After-effect: Buffed units suffer mild to moderate fatigue for 3–10 days.
Overall Evaluation: B-Rank Crimson Ultimate Hero (87%)
"At your service, Master!" Kyros stepped up to Ethan, bowing respectfully.
He looked noticeably different—less impulsive than before, more composed and mature.
A second awakening, huh...
He’s really grown up now.
Ethan felt a flicker of emotion stir in his chest.
After Seraphina and Cicero, Kyros was now the third Crimson Ultimate hero he’d personally guided to a second awakening—without even realizing it.
It left him with a strange, bittersweet feeling.
Like watching your own kid take their first real steps into adulthood.
But what really caught his attention...
Kyros’s evolution progress had skyrocketed—he was already at B-rank Crimson Ultimate Hero (87%)! That was insane.
For context, Seraphina had needed two full shards of Order Dragon Asha’s power—both B-rank—plus a miracle evolution boost just to hit 83% after her second awakening.
So what did that say?
It meant Kyros’s potential and innate talent might actually surpass Seraphina’s... and even Oakenmaw’s and Kaiin’s. Maybe only Cicero was ahead of him.
Still, Ethan didn’t dwell on it too long.
He reached out and gave Kyros a light pat on the shoulder, smiling. "You’ve all been through a lot lately. How are things looking out at sea?"
Kyros shook his head, his expression darkening. "It’s been rough... Ever since the Tidesworn faction admitted defeat—and word got out that Ocean Overlord Aurclim was injured—they’ve basically pulled out of the war entirely."
"And because of that, the seas have turned into a free-for-all for the Infernal Legions. They’re raiding, destroying, looting—completely unchecked. No one’s been able to stop them. Entire ocean nations have been wiped out in the chaos."
"What about the Greenwave Empire?" Ethan cut in, concern flashing in his eyes.
"They’re not doing well either," Kyros said grimly. "Our contacts inside Greenwave sent word—it looks like over half their territory has already fallen. They’ve suffered massive casualties trying to hold off the Infernal Legions. The damage is catastrophic."
"And it’s still getting worse. The destruction is spreading."
He paused, shaking his head slightly, as if the weight of it all was sinking in.
"Under the shadow of the Infernal Legions, everyone’s losing hope."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Kyros looked up sharply.
"Master, there’s something else..."
"Not long ago, the Fortress faction officially declared war on the Tidesworn."
"What?!" Ethan blinked, stunned. "Why now? I thought Fortress was supposed to be neutral. Why would they side with the Dark Alliance?"
"It’s not exactly that," Kyros said, shaking his head. "It’s more like... they’re taking advantage of the chaos."
He paused again, then added, "Master, don’t be fooled by how widespread the Tidesworn’s influence is across the seas right now. A long time ago... the Fortress faction was actually one of the dominant powers on the ocean."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I didn’t know that."
"Yeah. The main empire they backed in the Prime World was called Thalassirion. Most of its territory was oceanic—spanning multiple seas. They were massive. But then the Tidesworn pulled a fast one on them... hit them hard. Thalassirion took huge losses and had to retreat inland, where they’ve been fighting over land with the orcs and Behemoths ever since."
"So technically speaking, Fortress and Tidesworn have been blood enemies for a long time. This move? It’s not that surprising," Kyros explained.