Ethan froze for a second, his eyes flickering with surprise. He could feel something familiar radiating from the pillar—just like the two orbs he’d already fused with.
"This is the Deathroot Orb," the woman said calmly.
"I’ve been guarding it deep in the ocean’s abyss. It’s one of this world’s Primordial Forces—and the most terrifying of all, aligned with Death itself."
"Deathroot Orb?" Ethan echoed.
"You’re a guardian too?"
Namyanna’s eyes widened in shock.
Actually, both she and Ataneya were guardians of Primordial Force orbs. Namyanna was tied to the Deepcore Orb, and Ataneya to the Darkheart Orb.
Each of them had been stationed near one of these powerful orbs, born from the world’s elemental forces. Because of their connection, they couldn’t stray far—they were bound to protect them.
And deep in their memories, even in their very DNA, was a truth: if someone could fuse with these forces—truly absorb them into their body—then that person was the one they had been waiting for.
And now, a third orb had appeared. The Deathroot Orb.
Not just any force, but the most powerful and eerie of the Death-aligned energies.
"So this thing’s connected to me, huh?" Ethan muttered, starting to piece together how this world worked. There wasn’t a trace of fear on his face. He reached out and gently touched the Deathroot Orb.
In an instant, a surge of Death-aligned energy poured into his body.
The orb itself sank into his abdomen and vanished.
But instead of feeling pain or discomfort, Ethan felt a massive surge of power erupt from within him.
"You did it," the woman said, eyes locked on him. "You really are the one from the legends."
She raised her hand, and a stream of Death-aligned energy flowed from her into Ethan, merging with his body.
It traveled down his arm and formed a diamond-shaped mark on his skin.
It was identical to the marks left by Ataneya and Namyanna.
Looks like she’d just made a pact with him too—another powerful ally bound to him.
Just then, Namyanna’s eyes lit up as if something clicked in her mind. She rushed over to the woman, excitement bubbling in her voice.
"I know who you are—you’re Andona, the Angel of Death!"
Andona gave a small nod, her eyes scanning Namyanna from head to toe.
"And you must be Tidecaller Namyanna," she said softly.
It was clearly their first time meeting, but the two women embraced like long-lost friends.
Then Andona turned to Ataneya, her gaze sharp. "And you... your energy feels just like mine. You must be Shadowbinder Ataneya?"
"That’s right," Ataneya replied.
In that moment, the powers of all three women flared up, intertwining in the air.
It was subtle, but there was a deep, unspoken connection between them—like a resonance.
Then, just as quickly, the energy settled back into their bodies.
Ethan, meanwhile, was still trying to figure out what the hell just happened.
"Congratulations, player Valkarion. Your progress in the quest ’The Dark World’ has reached 30%. Keep up the good work and aim for greatness!"
Ethan’s eyes lit up with realization. So that’s how this world worked—he had to absorb all ten Primordial Forces, fuse them into himself, and that would complete the mission.
Ataneya came from the shadows. Namyanna from the sea. And now Andona, the Angel of Death.
That meant there were still seven more forces out there.
"Seven more, huh? Don’t tell me I’m gonna end up with seven more Tier-14 Crimson Ultimate heroes?"
If that really happened...
Ten Tier-14 Crimson Ultimate heroes, all under his command? That’d be game over for anyone who stood in his way.
Even the Dark Sovereign wouldn’t stand a chance. He’d tear her world apart and make damn sure she never forgot it.
And then, Andona stepped forward, her voice solemn and powerful.
I am Andona—the Angel of Death.
If you’ll have me, I offer my strength, my soul, and all the glory that death commands.
Let that glory live on—through you."
Ethan didn’t hesitate. He nodded with a confident smile.
"Welcome aboard, Andona."
Ethan lit up with excitement. With Namyanna and Ataneya already under his command—both S-rank Crimson Ultimate heroes—and now adding Andona to the mix? Conquering The Dark World suddenly felt like it was just around the corner.
He quickly pulled up Andona’s status screen from the system.
Class: Crimson Ultimate Hero
Divine Rank: Greater Deity
Magic Affinities: Death, Darkness, Order
Hero Roles: Angel of Death, Eternal Arbiter
Attack: 2585 (2742) Google seaʀᴄh novel※fire.net
Spell Power: 2208 (2253)
Knowledge: 2251 (2304)
Physical Damage: 3154–3481
Magic Damage: 2884–3089
Reaping Judgment – Unleashes a Death Verdict, delivering a high-pressure soul shock to enemies. If the target’s HP is below 50%, damage is doubled and resurrection is impossible. Slain souls restore mana to allies.
Sanctified Darkness – Wields light, darkness, and death-aligned power simultaneously. Can instantly annihilate enemy souls and absorb or purify enemy energy into buffs for allies.
Magic Immunity – Immune to all Tier 1–6 magic.
Soul Requiem – Emits a death aura that corrodes enemy souls over time, reducing their physical and magical resistance by 10%.
Fallen Host Empowerment – Boosts her own attack and defense by 60%, and increases base attack and defense of all allied units by 45%.
Soul Tribunal – If allied dark angel units kill 3 or more enemies (excluding heroes), Andona automatically activates "Soul Tribunal": all allied units gain +15% attack speed, attacks apply "Soul Seal" (prevents resurrection), and reduces enemy mana regen by 80%.
Heart of the Unyielding – Maintains full combat effectiveness even when critically wounded. Immune to all mental debuffs.
Final Edict of Death – When activated, Andona becomes cloaked in black holy light and enters the Final Edict state. All attacks and skills deal +60% damage and apply "Soul Stripping": any kill under this state completely erases the target’s soul—no resurrection, no summoning, no conversion. Her spells ignore enemy defenses and resistances, gain +35% spell penetration, +40% crit rate, +20% lethal strike chance. Enemies marked with "Final Seal" and below 30% HP have a high chance of being instantly executed. Each kill restores 5% max HP and 25 mana. Gains +60 physical resistance and +90 magic resistance. All Tier 4 and below spells are automatically weakened by 60–80%.
Overall Rating: S-Rank Crimson Ultimate Hero! (46%)
It was obvious at a glance—Andona wasn’t just strong. She was a monster. Even compared to Namyanna, she was on another level.
Now Ethan had three S-rank Crimson Ultimate heroes at his side.
That was a massive power spike. A game-changer.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
But just as he was riding that high, the world around him suddenly shook.
From the ocean not far away, a deafening explosion erupted across the surface.
Then, something massive burst from the sea—a creature that looked like a Sea Serpent, but far more terrifying.
It rose into the sky, its enormous body coiling in midair, casting a shadow over the entire area.
"ROAR! ANDONA! What the hell did you do?!"
"Where’s the Deathroot Orb?! Why is it gone?!"
The voice was thunderous, laced with fury, and it sent waves crashing in every direction.
The aura pouring off this thing... it was disturbingly similar to Andona’s.
But unlike her divine, orderly presence, this creature radiated something far more primal—chaotic, unhinged, and utterly corrupted.
It was death, but not the kind that brought peace or judgment.
This was raw, feral, and destructive.
Wherever its aura touched, space cracked and shattered. Even the air itself began to rot and decay.
There was no doubt about it—
This thing was a nightmare from the deep.
A monster born of the abyss.