A mage-type Hero Unit going head-to-head with a warrior-type? That was already a losing matchup from the start. And now that Seraphina’s power had spiked again, Malenthia was officially outclassed.
If she kept fighting, she’d be throwing herself into a meat grinder.
There was only one smart move left—retreat. Fast.
Because if she didn’t, and the enemy managed to sneak into her Castle, seize her Castle Heart, and destroy it...
That would be game over.
The moment that thought hit her, Malenthia made her decision.
She spotted an opening, broke away from Seraphina with a sharp pivot, and tore open the sky with a dimensional rift, ready to escape.
But just as she was about to vanish—
A fist, glowing with the crushing power of the stars themselves, came crashing down from above like a meteor.
"Diamond Starcrush Strike!"
The blow landed square on Malenthia’s back, slamming her out of the sky like a ragdoll. She smashed into the broken outer wall of Axehold Castle with a deafening crash. The impact was so violent, the entire structure groaned—and then collapsed in on itself in a cloud of dust and rubble.
"I knew you’d try to run," Ethan’s voice echoed from above, laced with amusement. "But you forgot one thing..."
He hovered in the sky, looking down at the wreckage with a calm, victorious smile.
He might not have been as overwhelmingly powerful as Seraphina, but he was no pushover either. He was level 72 now, a Crimson Ultimate Hero, and his overall Tier rating was significantly higher than Malenthia’s. Newest update provided by N()velFire.net
That was no casual strike. He’d been charging it for a long time—pouring everything he had into it.
Enough to make Malenthia see stars for a week.
Down in the ruins, Malenthia lay broken, her eyes wide with disbelief and despair. Nearly half her body had been obliterated by Ethan’s blow, and she couldn’t even regenerate it.
She hadn’t sensed him coming.
She’d taken the full hit—raw and unfiltered.
And now, she was done.
Completely and utterly finished.
At this point, even Seraphina alone could kill her without breaking a sweat. And behind Seraphina stood Ethan, still brimming with power, along with a whole army of Crimson Ultimate Heroes, Tier 14 Mythic Ace Units, Tier 14 Mythic Units, and Tier 13 Legendary Units.
This war—she’d lost it completely.
"Seraphina, with me. Let’s finish her. No mercy—no second chances," Ethan said coldly, already diving down for the kill.
This wasn’t just about winning.
This was his first real victory against a King-tier powerhouse.
Maelthorak didn’t count—he’d been half-dead already. But this? This was the real deal.
And Ethan wanted to end it perfectly.
Seraphina didn’t hesitate. She unleashed her Sacred Realm power, locking Malenthia in place with a crushing force that pinned her to the ground like a bug under glass.
Then, with a roar that split the heavens, she transformed—her body expanding into a towering Green Dragon, tens of thousands of feet tall.
She soared upward, wings slicing through the clouds, then twisted midair and dove like a missile.
Her breath scorched the sky.
Her claws gleamed with death.
She tore Malenthia apart.
Shredded her into nothing.
And as the dust settled, Ethan finally heard the sound he’d been waiting for:
Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. Your Hero Unit [Green Dragon Seraphina] has reached Level 74!
Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. Your Hero Unit [Green Dragon Orryn] has reached Level 57!
Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. Your Hero Unit [Ebonite Colossus Kaiin] has reached Level 54!
Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. Your Tier 14 Mythic Ace Unit [Ancient Behemoth Balthazar] has reached 80% Evolution Progress!
Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. You have leveled up! You are now Level 73!
After Malenthia fell in battle,
a massive wave of experience points exploded out—
and just like that, Ethan, Seraphina, and the others all got a huge boost!
Let’s start with Seraphina. She jumped two whole levels, from 72 to 74.
Now, don’t underestimate those two levels. This is Seraphina we’re talking about—already an Intermediate Deity at level 72. Gaining two levels at that stage? That’s a big deal.
Honestly, if the peak-form Malenthia were to face the current Seraphina now, she probably wouldn’t even need backup. She could take him down solo, no sweat.
Sometimes, the gap between top-tier powerhouses really is that simple—
just a difference of one or two levels, maybe three at most, and that’s all it takes to flip the outcome.
he leveled up too, from 72 to 73.
Same with Green Dragon Orryn and Ebonite Colossus Kaiin. It looked like they were force-leveled up by the system, probably as part of the post-battle rewards.
But the biggest winner of this war, aside from Ethan and Seraphina, had to be the Ancient Behemoth, Balthazar.
His evolution progress?
It shot up from 29% all the way to 80% in one go.
That’s the kind of leap that’s more symbolic than anything else—
but still, it’s huge.
The higher that evolution percentage climbs, the closer he gets to becoming a Hero Unit. Closer to stepping into that next, more powerful realm.
"If Balthazar and Auremax really do evolve into Hero Units like I’m hoping..." Ethan muttered, barely able to contain his excitement.
They’re already 14-Tier Mythic Ace Units. If they evolve into Hero Units, that means they’d start at Tier 14 as Heroes. Who wouldn’t want that?
It’s the kind of thing that drives you crazy just thinking about it.
But Ethan also knew the odds. Hero Units that evolve from 13-Tier Legendary Units? That’s already rare, but still within the realm of possibility.
Hero Units from 14-Tier Mythic Units though? That’s pure luck. You can’t force it. You just have to hope the stars align.
"...Still, no quest reward?" Ethan mumbled, a little surprised.
After taking down Malenthia,
he’d expected some kind of system reward—
but nothing popped up.
He’d already claimed the first-kill reward back when they took down Sea King Maelthorak.
Sure, that one had been a bit of a fluke, a lucky break—
but the system didn’t care about how you won.
It only cared about results.
"Eh, whatever. We already nailed our main objective anyway. And now, Seraphina’s probably strong enough to go toe-to-toe with those King-tier monsters. That’s what matters. Hell yeah! Hahahahaha!"
Ethan couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
For the longest time,
Emerald Castle had lived under the shadow of those King-tier powerhouses—
Shadow Dragon Vorundar,
Dungeon King Malenthia,
the sun had broken through the clouds.