Hearing all this, Ethan couldn’t help but recall the Dungeon levels from the gas he used to play back in his original world.
A flicker of nostalgia passed through his eyes.
After a mont, he let out a quiet sigh.
"Yeah... the paths in this Dungeon are way tougher than anything on the surface world."
But before he could finish the thought, his gaze drifted to the resource nodes they’d passed along the way—those tied to the six core resources. His eyes lit up.
"But damn, the resources down here? They’re insane."
"Right?"
Auremax nodded, clearly just as impressed.
"Even though most people agree that the Undead Necropolis is the strongest of the three Dark Alliance factions... there’s another theory."
He paused, then continued, voice low but serious.
"They say that if the Dungeon faction ever had a true Overlord—soone powerful enough to unite the entire Dungeon—then its overall strength would surpass even the Necropolis. Maybe even rival the legendary Draconic Empire from back in the day."
Ethan blinked, caught off guard.
"Wait, seriously? That strong?"
He knew exactly what Auremax ant by the Draconic Empire. That was the ancient powerhouse—once the undisputed number one among all the factions. Back then, the Draconic Empire was practically invincible.
Not even the deathless legions of the Necropolis or the chaotic forces of Inferno could stand against it.
In the end, it had taken a combined assault from all three Dark Alliance factions—Dungeon, Necropolis, and Inferno—to finally bring it down.
So if the Dungeon faction could grow to that level... wouldn’t that make them at least as strong as two Infernos? Or even two Necropolises?
That sounded... kind of ridiculous.
"My Lord," Auremax said, shaking his head, "honestly, I think that’s still an understatent. Do you have any idea how massive the Dungeon really is?"
How big could it be? Ethan thought. What, a few dozen levels?
He nodded at first, but then hesitated. A few dozen levels sounded like sothing he could wrap his head around—but the more he thought about it, the more vague and abstract it felt.
"As far as we know," Auremax continued, "there are sixty-three confird levels in the Dungeon. But here’s the thing—just the first level alone is as big as five or six Holy Griffon Empires at their peak."
Ethan’s eyes widened.
"And the deeper you go, the bigger it gets. The second level is larger than the first. The third is larger than the second. And so on, all the way down to the sixty-third."
When Auremax finished, Ethan, Seraphina, Elyra, and Zyraxis all exchanged stunned looks.
They were speechless.
Just the first level of the Dungeon was the size of five or six peak-era Holy Griffon Empires? And every level after that was even bigger?
Holy shit...
How massive was the entire Dungeon, then? Could it really be the size of dozens of surface worlds?
"And when you compare the sa area," Auremax added, "the Dungeon has more than three tis the resources of the surface. Even more than the oceans. And with how impossible it is to asure the Dungeon’s full size... no one really knows how powerful the Dungeon faction could beco."
"So even believe that the Dungeon has never truly shown its full strength. We know about sixty-three levels—but what about the ones we don’t know? No one has any idea how deep it really goes."
"But one thing’s for sure—the Dungeon doesn’t stop at sixty-three levels. There’s definitely more."
Auremax gave a helpless smile.
Ethan opened his mouth, then let out a dry laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Forget the unknown levels—just the sixty-three we know about are already terrifying."
"And if the Dungeon faction actually controlled all sixty-three levels... there’s no way they’d be the weakest of the three Dark Alliance factions, right?"
"I an, co on. Could even Inferno beat a Dungeon faction that had full control of all that?"
But Auremax shook his head.
"That’s not quite how it is, my Lord. The Dungeon isn’t as unified as you think. In reality, the Dungeon faction only controls a little more than half of those sixty-three levels."
Ethan frowned.
"What do you an?"
"Well," Auremax explained, "only the last thirty-three levels are fully under Dungeon control. The first thirty? They’re contested. You’ll find traces of all the major factions there."
"That’s why the upper thirty levels are often called the Lurelands. The Dungeon’s wealth and resources are so tempting that every faction wants a piece."
"The lower thirty-three levels, though—they’re known as Darkreach. That’s a no-go zone. Total death trap. If you go in there—whether you’re from Inferno or Necropolis—you’re not coming back."
"And below the sixty-third level..." Auremax’s voice dropped, "that’s called the Abyss. I’ve only ever heard the na. Beyond that, I know nothing."
"The Lurelands, Darkreach... The Abyss."
Ethan murmured the nas under his breath, then fell silent.
That fire in his chest—the ambition, the excitent—was gone.
Snuffed out completely.
To be honest, he’d always known the major factions were powerful. Incredibly powerful. But how powerful, exactly? He’d never had a clear picture.
Part of that was because he’d been too weak himself.
Like an ant staring up at the sky—how could he possibly grasp the scale of sothing so vast?
The other part was the lack of information. The intel just wasn’t there. He had no way to make sense of it.
But now... now he had three Crimson Ultimate heroes under his command. Even if they were only B-rank, that still gave him a foot in the door—enough to start peeking into the true scale of faction-level power. And with the intel Auremax had just laid out for him...
He finally understood.
These factions weren’t just strong. They were terrifying. They were overwhelming. They were... unstoppable.
Just then, Auremax spoke again, his gaze steady on Ethan.
"My Lord, if we can survive this war between the factions... if we can take root in Sylvanwood, grow strong there... then the next place we should be looking to expand into is the Dungeon."
He paused, then added,
"And, my Lord, do you know why—despite the oceans covering far more area than the land—so few factions actually try to claim the seas? Only a handful, like the Tidesworn or the Fortress faction, even bother."
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "The Dungeon?"
"Yes," Auremax nodded. "The ocean may be vast, but it still can’t compare to the endless expanse of the Dungeon. And the Dungeon’s resource output and reserves? Far beyond anything the land or sea can offer. If we want to grow stronger, the Dungeon is the best path forward."
"Plus, its hidden nature gives us a huge advantage in terms of safety."
"My Lord, that’s just my perspective."
With that, Auremax bowed respectfully.
Ethan smiled faintly, his voice soft.
"Auremax... thanks."
He rembered this mont clearly—it was the first ti Auremax had ever taken the initiative to talk to him about this kind of thing. About Erald Castle’s current situation, its future, and what direction they should take.
Before this, if Ethan didn’t ask, Auremax would never bring it up on his own.
Was it because he didn’t know? Didn’t understand? Wasn’t good at this kind of thing?
No.
Not even close.
In fact, if you looked at everyone in Erald Castle—every single person—Auremax was hands down the sharpest mind among them. Strategy, intelligence, long-term vision—he was unmatched.
Even Cicero, for all his cunning, still had a long way to go before he could stand on Auremax’s level.
No one really knew how long Auremax had been alive.
But that 69% evolution progress? That alone said a lot. He’d lived through ages. And with that ti ca knowledge, experience, and wisdom—more than most could even imagine.
So no, it wasn’t that Auremax didn’t understand.
He just chose not to speak.
Until now.
The reason Auremax had kept silent until now ca down to two things.
First, his position. It wasn’t his place to speak so freely. Not yet.
Second—and more importantly—just because he’d joined Erald Castle didn’t an he was fully, unconditionally loyal.
Not like Seraphina, Cicero, Kyros, or Elyra—those who had already chosen to live and die with Erald Castle, to stand by Ethan no matter what, without hesitation or regret.
Auremax’s bond with Ethan was nothing more than a standard rcenary contract.
So all this ti, his silence hadn’t been indifference—it had been observation. He’d been watching Ethan, evaluating him. If Ethan had failed to et his expectations, if he hadn’t proven himself worthy of loyalty... then Auremax would’ve quietly walked away. No drama. No warning.
And Ethan knew that.
That’s why he’d brought Auremax with him on this expedition across the sea. One of his goals had been to show Auremax what he was capable of—to earn his respect, and maybe, just maybe, his loyalty.
Honestly, Ethan hadn’t expected Auremax to make a decision this soon. He figured it would take until the faction war in Sylvanwood played out before Auremax made up his mind.
But now...
This sudden shift in Auremax’s attitude—it was clear.
He’d made his choice.
He was staying.
He’d chosen to recognize Ethan... and to swear loyalty.
"Respected Lord," Auremax said with a smile, "you don’t need to thank . Your strength, your leadership, your character... they’ve won over. You’re a remarkable man. And kind, too. I haven’t seen soone with your kind of gentleness in a very long ti."
As he spoke, he glanced briefly at Seraphina.
Truth be told, even Auremax hadn’t expected himself to make this decision so soon.
But when he’d heard Ethan’s words earlier—when he’d witnessed, with his own eyes, the evolution of a Crimson Ultimate Hero through Primordial Force... sothing even he, in all his long life, had never seen before...
A miracle. A legend. A mont that should’ve been impossible—yet it had happened, right in front of him.
That was the mont he made his decision.
Soone like Ethan—soone with that kind of power, and that kind of heart—he deserved loyalty.
At the very least... he wouldn’t let Ethan down.
Boom!
Without another word, Auremax lowered his massive dragon head before Ethan, his expression solemn, his voice deep and resonant.
"Mount Aurenthal. Royal bloodline of the Gold Dragons. I, Auremax Astarion, pledge my fealty and service to the Lord of Erald Castle, Valkarion. By the sacred na of Asha, Dragon of Order, let this contract be forged. I swear my loyalty!"
RUMMMMMBLE!
A surge of overwhelming power erupted from Auremax’s body, flooding outward, engulfing Ethan in a golden storm of energy. It wrapped around him, surrounded him, pulsed with ancient might.
And at that mont, a familiar chi echoed in Ethan’s ears.
Ding!
Congratulations, Player Valkarion. You have received the fealty of Gold Dragon Auremax. Do you accept this Fealty Contract?
Ethan froze, eyes wide, heart pounding.
"A Fealty Contract...?"
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