Chapter 525: Dawnlight Orb
"The Forbidden Zone? What do you mean?" Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes.
"My Lord," Andona said, pointing toward the multicolored beam of light at the center. "According to legend, that place is a sealed-off forbidden zone—said to imprison the most terrifying entity in the entire Dark World. The five surrounding beams represent the five Primordial Forces. Two of them are the Light Magic and Death Magic powers we encountered earlier—those used by the Divine Angels and Angels of Death."
Ethan’s eyes lit up with understanding.
But what really caught his attention was that central, multicolored pillar of light.
After all, they were already at odds with the Divine Angels and the Angels of Death. So by the classic rule of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," wouldn’t the logical next step be to release whatever was sealed in the center?
If that thing hated their enemies, maybe it could be turned into an ally—or at least a weapon.
With that thought, Ethan asked, "What about the other three beams? What do they represent?"
Namyanna stepped forward and answered softly, "My Lord, they represent the purest forms of Ice, Thunder, and Fire."
Ethan paused, then instinctively glanced toward the direction where they’d fought that monstrous puppet giant earlier. He quickly pulled up the system map to cross-reference.
"My Lord," Andona added, "the power we absorbed earlier... if I’m not mistaken, it came from those sources."
"Is that so?" Ethan’s eyes gleamed. "So out of the five Primordial Forces, we’ve already obtained four?"
"Seems like it," Andona replied, though she didn’t sound entirely certain.
"Then let’s go check it out. Only one left anyway," Ethan said casually.
But before he could take a step, a sharp sonic boom tore through the sky above them.
BOOM!
It sounded like something—or someone—was tearing through the air at insane speed, heading straight for them.
"Again? What now?" Ethan muttered, his brow furrowing.
He could feel it—whatever was coming was no joke. The pressure it gave off was intense, easily on par with Lucivar or Gabriel. Maybe even stronger.
After a moment of thought, he made a call.
Better to avoid a fight for now.
First, they’d just come out of a brutal battle—no point in pushing their luck while still recovering.
Second, this new enemy probably wasn’t vulnerable to Andona’s powers the way Lucivar and Gabriel had been. Charging in recklessly would be stupid.
"Let’s get out of here for now."
Ethan opened a swirling spatial vortex beside them and motioned for the others to follow.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Moments after they vanished, three figures descended from the sky, landing in the same area with a thunderous presence that seemed to shake the heavens themselves.
The sheer force radiating from them was enough to crack the air and rumble the ground. These were monsters in their own right.
"What the hell? Lucivar and Gabriel’s energy signatures are gone. Did they fight each other to the death here?"
"No way. They’re not that stupid. Why would they kill each other for no reason? Something happened here."
"I agree. They may have been rivals, but they were still kin. They wouldn’t just throw their lives away like that. I can still sense traces of another power lingering here..."
"Who was it? Who the hell could’ve taken down both Lucivar and Gabriel? That’s insane!"
"Whoever it was, it doesn’t matter. With Lucivar and Gabriel gone, the City of Angels is bound to fall into chaos. Let’s head there. If they’re still alive, we’ll find answers there."
"Yeah. Let’s move."
...
Meanwhile—
Ethan and his team had arrived at a strange, new location.
And it just so happened to be the very place where the multicolored beam—the sealed Forbidden Zone—was located.
"No idea what’s actually locked away in here," Ethan muttered, staring up at the swirling light. "Should we really let it out?"
He was torn.
On one hand, the logic was sound: the enemy of his enemy could be a powerful ally. And if he wanted to clear the Citadel of Shadows dungeon, he’d definitely have to deal with whatever was sealed here eventually.
This was a path he’d have to walk, one way or another.
But still... just cracking open the seal and unleashing some ancient, legendary monster?
Even Ethan had to admit—
That gave him pause.
Just then, Namyanna suddenly spoke up.
"My Lord, why don’t we head to the City of Angels first? Gabriel’s dead—there’s no way the remaining angels haven’t noticed by now."
"If we get there quickly, we might be able to take advantage of the chaos. I mean, it’s the freaking City of Angels—we’re bound to find something valuable."
"Great idea," Ethan nodded without hesitation.
Without wasting another second, they took off—Andona leading the way as they soared toward the legendary city.
It didn’t take long before they arrived at the City of Angels, the sacred home of the Divine Angels. But the moment they touched down, something felt... off.
The place was deserted.
Not a soul in sight.
"What the hell?" Ethan muttered, scanning the eerily silent city.
But then—he froze.
A strange sensation suddenly stirred inside him.
Something subtle, yet powerful.
It was like a hidden force was resonating with the energy inside his body, calling to him.
He didn’t hesitate.
Trusting the pull of that mysterious connection, he followed the feeling deeper into the city.
Soon, it led him to a grand palace nestled in the heart of the City of Angels. And there, inside a chamber bathed in soft golden light, he saw it—
A glowing orb, suspended in midair, radiating pure, undiluted Light Force.
"The Dawnlight Orb!" Namyanna gasped.
There was no mistaking it—
One of the Ten Sacred Orbs.
Ethan’s eyes lit up. He stepped forward, reached out, and placed his hand on the orb.
Zzzzzzz!
The moment his fingers touched it, the orb reacted—
As if drawn to him.
It liquefied instantly,
melting into a stream of golden light that flowed straight into his body.
"That’s the fifth one..." Ethan murmured, eyes narrowing as he felt the surge of power coursing through him.
He could feel it—
His strength had grown again.
Sharper. Heavier. More dangerous.
Yeah...
This place definitely had its perks.
Moments later, the Dawnlight Orb was completely absorbed.
BOOM!
A blinding pillar of light erupted from Ethan’s body, shooting straight into the sky like a divine flare.
It tore through the clouds,
splitting the heavens open.
And that kind of display?
It didn’t go unnoticed.
"Bastard! Someone took the Dawnlight Orb?! Who the hell are you?! Show yourself!"
A furious roar echoed from outside the palace.
Thunder cracked across the sky—
And then, with a deafening boom, a massive figure descended.
A thunder giant.
Towering and terrifying, its entire body crackled with raw, concentrated Thunder Magic. The air around it sizzled and sparked, the sheer pressure making it hard to breathe.
...