Drip. Drip. Drip...
It was like he’d just been pulled out of a lake. Nathaniel was soaked to the bone—his clothes clung to him, drenched, his face pale as a ghost, sweat pouring down his forehead. He stared at Ethan, wide-eyed, frozen in place.
His eyes were trembling with fear.
He was actually scared.
And honestly? Who could bla him?
Emily, at least, was a Radiant Spirit hero—an Epic-tier, purple-ranked unit. That gave her so kind of foundation, so resistance, however slight.
But Nathaniel? He was just a plain old white-tier Common hero.
Even compared to Emily, he was way outclassed.
And Ethan? Ethan was on a whole different level—an SSS-tier, orange-ranked Legendary hero.
They weren’t even playing the sa ga.
The pressure Nathaniel felt wasn’t just psychological—it was sothing deeper, sothing primal. A soul-crushing force that ca from the sheer difference in hero tiers. It was like standing in front of a god.
Honestly, if Ethan hadn’t been holding back, Nathaniel might’ve just dropped dead from the shock.
"Mr. Ethan, you... what is this?" Nathaniel stamred, his voice shaking as he stared at Ethan like he was seeing a monster.
"Tier suppression," Ethan said calmly, like he was explaining the weather. "Since the White Bear Tsar of the Russian Empire beca a Hero Unit, I’m sure you’ve felt it before. General Grant, you should be familiar with how this works."
"Y-yeah, but... but this is insane!" Nathaniel’s voice cracked. "I’ve felt the White Bear Tsar’s Legendary-tier pressure before, but this? This is on a whole other level!"
"That’s because I’m an SSS-tier orange Legendary hero," Ethan said, glancing at him with a cool, detached look.
"W-what?!" Nathaniel flinched like he’d been slapped. He stared at Ethan, eyes wide, mouth hanging open. "You’re... you’re kidding, right?!"
SSS-tier? Orange Legendary?
That couldn’t be real.
That had to be a joke. Right?
But Ethan wasn’t smiling.
"General Grant," Ethan said, his tone still calm, almost indifferent. "To be honest, you, and everyone else on Earth... you’re not even in the sa world as anymore. That’s why I’ve kept my distance. Because if I didn’t, there’d only be two outcos."
He held up a finger.
"One—you all submit to , and I beco the ruler of the world."
Then a second.
"Two—you piss off, and I wipe you all out."
There was no hint of exaggeration in his voice.
And the terrifying part? He could actually do it.
He wasn’t bluffing.
He was the Lord of Erald Castle now. That title alone put him on par with the rulers of entire worlds—at least the weaker ones.
If he wanted to, he could easily lead Erald Castle to conquer a few low-tier Plane Worlds. It wouldn’t even be a challenge.
That’s how far he’d co.
And with that kind of power, his perspective had changed too. He didn’t see things the way ordinary players did anymore. He couldn’t.
When it ca to Earth, Ethan’s feelings were... complicated.
On one hand, he absolutely had the power to unify the entire planet under his rule. No question. But on the other hand... he didn’t really want to.
Yeah, it sounded contradictory.
But the truth was, he had zero interest in becoming Earth’s king.
It just felt... off. Awkward. Like trying to wear clothes that didn’t fit.
What he really wanted—what actually got his blood pumping—was conquering cities and expanding territory in the world of Glory Lords X. That was where he belonged. That was where he could build an empire of his own, from the ground up.
Maybe, deep down, he still saw Glory Lords X and Earth as two completely separate realities.
But that didn’t an he was going to let people on Earth walk all over him.
He was a ruler now—the Lord of Erald Castle. And with that ca pride, dignity, and a line that couldn’t be crossed.
Sure, he could tolerate a little ignorance, a little arrogance from the ants beneath him. But if soone stepped out of line—if they crossed a boundary they shouldn’t have—he’d make damn sure they understood.
He’d show them what true power looked like.
He’d show them despair.
Ethan paused, picked up his fork, and took a bite of food. Then he shook his head slightly and said in a calm, almost detached voice:
"General Grant, to be honest, I never wanted it to be like this. I’ve never had any real ambition when it cos to Earth. Maybe it’s because you’re all just... too weak. Or maybe it’s because human society is so damn complicated. Either way, I just can’t bring myself to care. In fact, I find it kind of disgusting."
He set his fork down with a soft clink.
"So this is where we are."
Nathaniel stood there like a statue, frozen in place. He didn’t speak. Didn’t move. Just stared at Ethan in silence for a long mont.
Then, finally, he lifted his head. His expression was a ss of emotions—shock, confusion, maybe even a little sha. His voice ca out hoarse.
"...I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d already... I an, I..."
His mind was blank. He didn’t even know what he was trying to say anymore.
Ethan looked at him, his tone still calm, still cool.
"General Grant, let put it this way—compared to the world of Glory Lords X, Earth is just one of countless minor planes. It’s nothing. Do you really think even a unified Earth could compare to any one of the Eight Grand Duchies?"
Nathaniel stiffened at that. His whole body tensed, and he slowly shook his head, bitterly.
"...No. There’s no comparison."
And he was right.
Even if Earth sohow managed to unite under one banner, the only real asset they had was the White Bear Tsar—one orange-tier Legendary hero. That was it. They didn’t even have enough 13-Tier Legendary Units to match a second-rate duchy, let alone one of the Eight Grand Duchies.
They were out of their league.
Way out.
"Exactly. There’s no comparison," Ethan said coolly, nodding slightly. "And the Eight Grand Duchies? In the world of Glory Lords X, they’re a di a dozen. Countless powers exist at that level—endless, really. Hell, forget the Duchies—even the Holy Griffon Empire at its peak? It wasn’t all that impressive."
He leaned back slightly, voice calm but laced with a quiet authority.
"In the main world of Glory Lords X alone, the Holy Griffon Empire doesn’t even crack the top tier. It’s not even in the conversation. And when you start looking at the major factions across the multiverse—the Plane Worlds, the dominant empires of each alignnt—it’s laughable to even bring them up."
"Compared to those powers, the Holy Griffon Empire is nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Ethan’s eyes locked onto Nathaniel’s.
"Now do you understand what I’m trying to say, General Grant?"
Nathaniel let out a long, weary sigh. His voice was low, bitter. "Yeah... I get it now. Instead of wasting ti on infighting, squabbling over scraps on Earth, we should be uniting—pooling our strength and starting fresh in Glory Lords X. Building sothing real from the ground up..."
He shook his head slowly, a trace of frustration in his eyes.
"But even though it’s such a simple truth, most people still don’t get it. It’s like they’re blindfolded—completely unable to see the bigger picture."
Ethan’s voice cut in again, calm and direct. "General Grant, you ca to today because you wanted help dealing with the White Bear Tsar of the Russian Empire, didn’t you?"
"...Yeah," Nathaniel admitted with a bitter smile. "That was the plan."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "And now? Do you still want that?"
Nathaniel froze.
His face stiffened, and for a long mont, he said nothing.
The silence stretched.
Then finally, he exhaled, his shoulders sagging as he gave a tired, self-deprecating smile.
"...No. Not anymore."
...
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