Three days later, Ethan and his group were back aboard Shatterstar, the floating city drifting high above the clouds. Far below them lay Ascension Isle, a familiar stretch of land that now felt like the eye of a gathering storm.

Over the past three days, using the Serenity Hotel and its discreet proprietor, Henry, as a public-facing cover, the sale of more than two thousand tons of gold had been completed in its entirety. Every step of the process went through cleanly, smoothly, and without the slightest hitch.

The gold had been sold at a price of one hundred eighteen dollars and twenty-five cents per gram. When the final transaction cleared, a total of two hundred thirty-six billion, five hundred million dollars appeared in Ethan's account.

The instant he saw the number confirmed, a dizzying wave of disbelief washed over him. It felt unreal, like staring at someone else's balance by mistake. No matter how wild his imagination had been in the past, he had never once pictured a figure like that connected to his own name.

Behind him, the reactions were far more dramatic.

Blackfin and Voss, the so-called Apex Predators of the badlands, stood frozen in place for most of the transaction. They had come along without knowing the details, expecting at most some large-scale deal. What they witnessed instead completely shattered their understanding of scale. Ethan made a few calm gestures, and two literal mountains of gold appeared out of thin air. The buyers conducted their inspections, funds were transferred, contracts were sealed, all with an efficiency that felt absurd.

That was two thousand tons of gold. Not scrap. Not ore. Refined, high-purity bullion.

Where in the world had their new boss gotten something like that?

The thought that followed made cold sweat bead along their temples. Did he rob the Sablon Republic's federal reserve?

The idea did not feel far-fetched at all, and that was what terrified them. The Sablon Republic was no small power. Even with Ethan's terrifying backing, angering a nation like that was not something to take lightly. For the first time since pledging themselves to him, Blackfin and Voss seriously wondered whether they had boarded a sinking ship.

Their thoughts kept circling back to the same place, and neither of them could explain why. Just a few days earlier, the Sablon Republic had released a shocking public announcement. Their federal gold reserve had been breached. The exact amount stolen was still unknown.

When Ethan had produced the gold for the buyers the day before, those people had reacted much the same way. Shock had given way to visible panic, their faces paling as the implication sank in. If this gold really came from the Sablon Republic, it was a mess no one wanted to touch, no matter how profitable.

The buyers had huddled together, whispering fiercely for what felt like forever. At the time, Ethan had found the delay baffling. The gold was right there. What exactly required so much discussion?

In the end, greed won out, though not without caution. They subjected the gold to a full battery of tests.

The results overturned everything.

All two thousand tons were freshly smelted, newly produced bullion. The purity was flawless, but more importantly, there were no signs of age, no trace markers that would tie it to long-held national reserves. This gold could not possibly belong to the Sablon Republic.

Only after that confirmation did the transaction finally move forward at full speed.

Now, riding the high of success, Ethan turned to Blackfin and Voss with a casual confidence that bordered on outrageous. With a flick of his hand, he transferred what he referred to as the leftover change directly into their accounts.

Thirty-six point five billion dollars.

The number alone nearly broke them. Their knees went weak, their thoughts blank. In all their years clawing their way to the top of the badlands, they had never even properly imagined wealth on this level. They were considered kings among criminals, each worth billions. This, however, existed on an entirely different plane.

Then Ethan spoke, as if he had just handed them spare credits.

"Pour every cent of that into Ethereal," he said. "Use it to carve out territory for me within the Carnage Faction. I want an empire."

The two men stared at him in disbelief, words failing them completely.

"What are you looking at?" Ethan added, frowning slightly. "If it's not enough, say so. Just remember one thing. In Ethereal, don't be afraid to spend."

With that, he left them standing there, still shell-shocked and struggling to breathe. Three days had already been wasted here, and there were far more important matters waiting for him back in the game.

After what had happened with Jenny, Ethan had gained a deeper understanding of the Divine Sea Temple. A quiet sense of foreboding lingered in his chest. A premonition that the current calm was nothing more than the lull before disaster. This time, he had no intention of waiting for the storm to break on his head.

He had a target, and he was going to strike first.

The Divine Sea Temple, hidden within the Eastern Sea, had made its move. Now it was his turn to pay them a visit. Helping Jenny settle her grudge along the way was simply efficient.

"Oh, and Blackfin," Ethan said as he was about to leave, glancing back over his shoulder. "As for the badlands, aside from the black market, feel free to stir things up. Pick fights if you want. Put the local trash to good use."

His gaze shifted meaningfully to Blackie, who was happily tearing into a roasted chicken in each hand, grease shining on his fingers.

Blackfin's eyes lit up instantly. He had already been considering it. Since

Blackie planned to stay behind for a while, it would be a shame not to give him something entertaining to deal with. Now that Ethan had given explicit approval, there was no need for subtlety. No need for restraint.

Pure aggression would suffice.

Because of that single sentence, the badlands were about to drown in blood. A violent storm was brewing, and countless lives would be swept away in its wake.

The return trip to Ascension Isle aboard the mech was blisteringly fast, lasting only a few minutes. During the short journey, Victor, looked unusually restless. He opened his mouth several times as if to speak, only to close it again, his expression conflicted.

Ethan had noticed it long before. Victor clearly wanted to remain in the badlands, drawn to the familiar chaos and the remnants of his old military life. Ethan had chosen not to address it until now.

As the island came into view, he finally broke the silence.

"Vic," Ethan said calmly, "there's a major fight coming. I need people on my side. What's happening in the badlands is just noise in the background. I know you miss that life, the structure, the clarity of it. But ask yourself this. Are you still fighting on that level?"

He clapped Victor on the shoulder, firm and brief. Before Victor could fully process the words, Ethan was already moving.

He leapt from the bow of the speeding Shatterstar, free-falling toward Ascension Isle. Only at the last possible moment did he summon his combat mech. The humanoid machine formed around him in an instant, absorbing the impact of his landing before dissolving just as smoothly. His control over the mech had grown precise and effortless. Freefall, summon, decelerate, land, recall—the sequence flowed together like a practiced art.

By the time he passed through the barrier of the Sumeru Array, people on Ascension Isle already knew he had returned.

Dragon Child, Uncle Jed, Regis, Star, the Third Princess were waiting, along with Lyla, the Whitmore siblings, and the Chase siblings. They stood gathered outside, eyes fixed on the spot where Ethan touched down.

After three days apart, Lyla was the first to move, darting forward without hesitation.

Ethan had noticed the change in her ever since their return from the depths of the sea. Back during their university days, she would never have initiated affection in public. Now, she seemed far less concerned with who was watching, her feelings worn openly whenever she was near him.

As Ethan landed, Amber, Rainie, Victor, Micah, and the others touched down behind him in quick succession. The only one missing was Blackie, who was still somewhere in the badlands, likely surrounded by chicken bones and chaos.

"Ethan, you're finally back," Lyla said, stopping just in front of him.

Expecting a hug, Ethan instinctively opened his arms. Instead, she stood there, her expression tight with worry and impatience.

"What's wrong?" he asked, immediately alert. His gaze flicked from Lyla to Uncle Jed and the others, searching for answers.

They all shook their heads, signaling that whatever had her so unsettled was not their doing. It was Evelyn who stepped forward to explain.

"The Energy Pool system in Ethereal has thrown Magnolia Valley into complete chaos," she said. "There are problems both inside the game and in the real world. Two days ago, Celeste and Leo rushed back to deal with it. Yesterday, Aunt Melinda was summoned by Matriarch Whitmore. People are saying all eight Noble Lineages are heading to Ember City. Grandpa went with Matriarch Whitmore as well."

Even Evelyn's voice carried a hint of strain as she finished.

Ethan's brow furrowed sharply. "What exactly is going on? What is this Energy Pool system? What does it do, and how could it possibly affect the real world?"

He had logged out almost immediately after the system activated, headed straight for the badlands, and stayed disconnected for four full days. Now, it seemed the world had shifted without waiting for him.

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