A few days later, in the council hall of Erald Castle, Ethan sat tall and composed on the central throne. Just behind him to the left stood Elynn, calm and respectful, her posture straight and her expression unreadable.
To Ethan’s right, in the first seat beside the throne, sat an elderly man with a long white beard and robes that marked him unmistakably as a grand mage. This was none other than Archmage Eldrin, the leader of the Tower faction from the northern front.
At that mont, Eldrin was staring at Ethan with a deeply conflicted expression. Beneath the surface of his composed face, his eyes betrayed a storm of emotions—shock, disbelief, and even a flicker of fear.
"Your Excellency, Lord of Erald Castle," Eldrin finally broke the silence, his voice steady but laced with awe. "I never imagined you’d actually defeat the savage and brutal Dungeon army. Your strength is... staggering. Truly terrifying."
Ethan just smiled faintly, brushing off the complint like it was nothing.
"Archmage Eldrin," he said casually, turning his gaze toward the old man, "if you don’t mind asking—what are your plans from here on out?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with implication.
After the brutal invasion by the Dungeon forces, the once-mighty four factions of Sylvanwood had been reduced to just two: Erald Castle and Eldrin’s Tower faction. The Kingdom of the Night Elves and the Kingdom of the Elentals had both been wiped out.
But even that number was about to shrink.
Ethan had made up his mind—he was going to conquer Sylvanwood. There was no turning back now. No compromises. No exceptions.
Still, if Eldrin was smart, if he knew how to read the room, then maybe things didn’t have to get ugly. They’d fought side by side, after all. There was no need to burn bridges if it could be avoided.
But if Eldrin refused to bend, if he clung to pride or delusion...
Then Ethan wouldn’t hesitate. He’d crush him. Simple as that.
"I..."
As soon as Ethan brought up the question, Eldrin let out a bitter chuckle, his face tightening with frustration.
Truth be told, after everything he’d endured, after holding out this long, the idea of surrendering—whether that ant submitting to Erald Castle or abandoning Sylvanwood altogether—was unbearable. He couldn’t accept it. Not in his heart.
But he also wasn’t blind.
It didn’t matter what he wanted anymore.
Ethan’s intentions were crystal clear. He wasn’t hiding it—he was going to take Sylvanwood, one way or another. And if Eldrin dared to say no, then he’d be next. No question.
After all, if Erald Castle had been powerful enough to repel the monstrous Dungeon army, then wiping out the remnants of the Tower faction would be child’s play.
And to be fair, Erald Castle had more than earned the right to demand his allegiance.
Every ti Eldrin thought about the three Crimson Ultimate heroes under Ethan’s command, he felt his resolve waver. That kind of power... it was overwhelming.
Honestly, even he—Archmage Eldrin—would be lucky to be counted among them.
Sigh... He exhaled slowly, the weight of reality settling on his shoulders.
He had his answer.
Then, without another word, Eldrin slowly rose to his feet—only to drop to one knee before Ethan with a heavy thud that echoed through the hall.
Head bowed, voice low but resolute, he finally made his choice.
"I, Archmage Eldrin, pledge myself and all forces under my command—every soldier, every Hero Unit—to Erald Castle. From this day forward, I offer myself as your blade, my lord. Let help you crush your enemies, expand your dominion, and carve your na into the annals of Ashan as a legend eternal."
As the words left his mouth, a familiar chi rang in Ethan’s ears.
Ding!
Congratulations, player Valkarion. You have successfully recruited Legendary Orange-tier Hero: Eldrin.
No bonus rewards this ti—just the system notification. But that was to be expected. Eldrin wasn’t the first native faction leader to bend the knee. Before him, there had been the Stellamaris Kingdom, the Gemspire Kingdom... the list was growing.
At this point, it was just another day in the world of Glory Lords X.
Ethan didn’t dwell on it. Instead, his attention shifted imdiately to Eldrin’s stat panel.
[Eldrin]
Level: 75
Race: Human
Tier: Orange – Legendary Hero
Class: Archmage, chanical Golem Master
Attack: 89 (177)
Defense: 55 (142)
Spell Power: 335 (381)
Knowledge: 188 (203)
HP: 20,000
Damage: 155–282
Magic Damage: 421–663
Hero Skills:
Wisdom (Master)
Earth Magic Mastery (Master)
Mysticism (Master)
...
Hero Talents:
Arcane Magic Missile Lv.3 – A powerful single-target spell that ignores elental resistances and delivers overwhelming magical damage. Can stun targets briefly. Ineffective against D-tier Legendary Heroes and above, and Tier-14 Mythic Units. Max level: 3.
Fountain of Magic – Creates a magical fountain that restores mana to the caster or allied Hero Units. Usable once per day.
chanical Golem Master – Expert in chanical engineering and golem construction. Grants bonus magical attributes and enhanced attack/defense to Tower faction’s tal Golems.
Fortress Constructor – Can construct basic and interdiate Fortresses.
Overall Rating: D-tier Legendary Hero (77%)
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
Honestly, with his current level of power and experience, a D-tier Legendary Hero shouldn’t have impressed him. Normally, he wouldn’t even blink at stats like these.
But Eldrin’s talents... they were sothing else.
Fortress Constructor and chanical Golem Master—those weren’t just rare, they were useful. Especially now, when Ethan was expanding his territory and needed infrastructure and specialized units to hold it.
This wasn’t just a new ally—it was a strategic asset.
Without wasting a second, Ethan reached into his inventory and pulled out a glowing item: the Arcane Core of the Fortress (Grade A). He placed it directly in front of Eldrin.
"Eldrin," he said, his tone shifting to one of interest, "take a look at this."
"This... this is..."
Eldrin froze for a second, stunned. Then his pupils shrank sharply, and he suddenly shot to his feet, eyes locked onto the Arcane Core of the Fortress (Grade A) in Ethan’s hand. His face lit up with unrestrained excitent, his breathing quickened, and his whole body trembled with barely contained energy.
"Great Lord... may I—may I examine it more closely?" he asked, his voice almost shaking.
"Of course," Ethan replied with a calm smile, handing it over.
Eldrin took it like it was the most precious artifact in the world, his hands trembling as he cradled it with reverence. His eyes scanned every inch of the glowing core, his expression a mix of awe and obsession.
Monts later, he suddenly leapt up, eyes wide, shouting like a man possessed.
"By the Arcane God Zylarion! I can’t believe it—this is a Grade-A Arcane Core of the Fortress! My gods... it’s really an A-grade Arcane Core of the Fortress! This is unbelievable!"
...
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