The night passed quietly. Rose had finally broken through to the King Realm. She could now fly on her own.
For half an hour, she simply floated in the air and giggled like a child. Ethan stood below, watching his playful, carefree girlfriend with a warm smile tugging at his lips. Why was he getting stronger? Wasn’t it just to protect moments like these—the laughter and the joy of those he loved?
Ethan looked at his panel.
[Master: Ethan Hunt
Physique: 100000 Sun
Spirit: 100000 Sun
Talent: Infinite Comprehension]
(20 days remaining)
Meanwhile, Zerelith had already contacted the sects in the Central Continent. His message stirred fierce turmoil among them. They couldn’t believe someone could defeat one of those creatures from the ancient myths. And now, someone from a backwater sect had informed them that such a monster had been slain?
Still, they couldn’t completely ignore the message. The man who delivered the news was a Mahayana Realm powerhouse, after all.
In the Central Continent, inside the Heavenly Fate Sect, a meeting was being held in the Elder Council Room.
At the grand table of the room, a middle-aged man with sharp, handsome features sat in the seat of honor. This was Tolemy, Sect Master of the Heavenly Fate Sect. A Level 9 Mahayana Realm cultivator.
Before him sat a hundred elders, each radiating the aura of the Mahayana Realm.
Tolemy spoke in a solemn voice. "What do you all think about the message we received? Any opinions?"
One elder stood up and said, "Sect Master, I think this is complete nonsense. If one of those monsters had truly descended into our world, do you believe we could still be sitting here calmly, holding this meeting?"
Another elder quickly added, "I agree with Elder Roger."
"Me too."
"Me too."
Tolemy did not interrupt. Instead, his gaze turned toward one elder who had, until now, remained silent. The man had a calm, ethereal presence about him and listened quietly to the others.
Tolemy asked, "What do you think, Elder Klein?"
Klein looked directly into Tolemy’s eyes and spoke with quiet confidence. "It would be good if the other elders are right. But what if they are wrong? What if this event really occurred? Then wouldn’t we be ignoring the summons of someone capable of killing one of those creatures?"
The room fell silent the moment he finished.
Even Sect Master Tolemy now wore a solemn expression.
He asked, "Should we send someone to verify the situation?"
Klein responded, "Let me go, Sect Master. I want to understand the depth of this matter thoroughly."
Tolemy asked again, "Are you sure?"
Klein nodded.
"Very well," Tolemy said. "Take a Holy Son and a Holy Daughter with you. If the situation is true, they may be fortunate enough to meet someone of that caliber. And if the message turns out to be false, you can always punish the one who misled us."
Klein nodded again in affirmation.
Similar meetings were taking place in all the major sects, even among sects in the other four continents. Most decided to send a team to verify the situation first.
Meanwhile, outside the Great Forbidden Zone, located in the Central Continent, a woman clad in a snow-white dress appeared out of thin air. A veil covered her face—not for modesty, but to shield the world. Her charm was too powerful. People who looked directly at her would be unable to control themselves and would die on the spot as their hearts burst.
This was Melissa. She was also heading toward the Overlord Sect to inquire about Ethan.
The powerhouses of the World of the Ancients were now in motion. The message had been too significant. None of them could afford to take it lightly.
Meanwhile, in Aetherion.
Ethan arrived at the largest dungeon in the city.
It was heavily guarded by hunters. Entry required at least a Level B Hunter status, which meant being a King-level expert. Alternatively, a team of five members could be formed, with the leader needing to be C Rank or above.
Ethan, technically, was only an E Rank Hunter. He could easily earn a higher rank through testing his strength, but it would take time.
But who were we kidding? This was Ethan Hunt. Could any lowly hunter really stop him if he wished to enter the dungeon? His power level was 5000 Suns which put him well into the realm of SSS Rank hunters in Aetherion.
Still, Ethan didn’t want to cause a scene. He simply teleported into the dungeon.
The first floor was vast, but the monsters were weak. A few green goblins carrying crude stone hammers roamed about. Ethan had no interest in engaging such low-level enemies. He wouldn’t gain any experience points from them.
He moved toward the doorway to the second level and entered.
This floor was at least three times larger than the first.
Ethan had read about this dungeon in the library, so he had a general understanding of the creatures dwelling here.
No sooner had he entered than something leapt at him with the speed of the wind.
Ethan shifted his body slightly, and the attacker missed its mark.
It was a Wind Wolf.
Ethan smirked. "You wanna play, kitty?"
The wolf was growling, bristling with aggression.
"Oops. Sorry. You’re not a feline, you’re a canine.My apology. Let me ask again. Wanna play, kitty? You see, I really don’t give a damn about your ego."
With a flick of his hand, Ethan conjured a massive wolf using his Law of Creation.
This wolf looked exactly like the Wind Wolf, but it was at least ten times larger. Ethan imbued it with basic robotic instincts, like a simple AI, and gave it a single command: play with the smaller wolf.
Thump. Thump. The huge wolf began advancing.
The Wind Wolf, upon seeing the monstrous version of itself, whimpered and bolted with all its strength.
Ethan burst into laughter. "Okay, enough playing."
With a snap of his fingers, the conjured wolf vanished into thin air.
He descended to the third floor. It was the realm of slimes.
Funny, slimes were stronger than wolves. Then he remembered a particular slime from his past life animes. That one had even become a god. So no, slimes couldn’t be underestimated.
Still, he didn’t linger.
Ethan continued descending—floor after floor. He encountered countless monster species along the way. Ogres, orcs, lizardmen, snake people, undead armies, and many others he didn’t even recognize.
He fought some of them, but he didn’t kill. There was no benefit in wasting energy on them.
By now, he had reached the fiftieth floor. The monsters from here onward were S-ranked beings.
Ethan kept going because he had heard that anyone who cleared this dungeon would receive a generous reward from Aetherion. He was curious about what kind of reward could that be?
Back in the World of the Ancients.
Ethan was lying on Rose’s lap. She was peeling fruits and placing the pieces gently into his mouth.
They were chatting about various things—how Rose once got lost in a crowd and cried so loudly that her parents came running from both directions.
They laughed together. Ethan cherished these little moments. His soul felt incredibly calm.
Suddenly, one of Ethan’s clones sent a notification—Vayn was awake.
Without hesitation, Ethan transferred his consciousness into his inner planet.