anwhile, Wisdom Angel Cain’s expression had grown noticeably more serious.
He stared at Cicero in surprise. "Cicero... you’ve improved this much!?"
"Again!" Cicero’s eyes burned with determination as he launched himself at Cain once more.
But this ti, Cain didn’t just stand there—he struck back.
BOOMMMMMM—
Cain’s sword moved so fast, it outpaced Cicero’s reflexes entirely. From the mont he raised it to the mont it ca down, it all happened in a blink.
And just like that—Cicero was sent flying.
"Cicero!" Ethan’s eyes widened, and he shot to his feet.
"I—I’m okay, Master..." Cicero’s voice ca through, a little ragged, but he didn’t sound seriously hurt.
Right before he would’ve slamd into the palace wall, a massive web of magical energy had suddenly flared to life in front of him, catching and cushioning his fall.
The web shimred with a pure, radiant Light Force.
Clearly, it wasn’t Cicero’s doing...
It was Cain’s.
"That’s enough. No need to keep fighting," Cain’s voice rang out.
He had already sheathed his Angel’s Sword and returned to his seat. But the way he looked at Cicero now—there was sothing strange in his eyes. Not just surprise. Sothing else.
"He’s strong enough now," Cain said calmly. "If he gets just a bit stronger... he might be able to hold his own against the weakest of the Greater Deities."
The weakest Greater Deity?
Ethan blinked, then it clicked.
That would be around level 80, a D-rank Crimson Ultimate hero, right?
But "a bit stronger"? How much stronger was that supposed to be?
Three levels? Five?
Either way, they were getting close. Really close.
The thought made Ethan grin, his heart pounding with excitent.
At that mont, Cain spoke again, his brow furrowing slightly. "I’ll admit, I did manipulate you a little earlier. But you have to understand—Erald Castle is part of the Light Alliance. Fighting the Inferno and Dungeon factions, taking down the Dark Alliance... that’s your duty."
"I get it," Ethan nodded, speaking plainly. "But I need a safer, more reliable way to do it."
"Not gonna lie—Cicero is the strongest force we’ve got in Erald Castle right now. And even he’s still clearly outmatched by a true Greater Deity..."
"That’s why I need more help. And more ti."
Cain’s frown deepened. "What exactly are you planning? Five hundred units of Archangels—that’s no small request..."
Before he could finish, Ethan cut him off. "I’m not telling you. Not yet."
"But you’ll find out soon enough. After all, I’m just borrowing your troops—they’re still yours, aren’t they?" Ethan said coolly.
Cain fell silent.
Of course he knew what Ethan ant.
He was going to act first and explain later.
"Cain, I know what you’re worried about. But I promise you—this has nothing to do with the Castle faction, or the Light Alliance. And I’m not stupid enough to dig my own grave."
Cain paused, eyes narrowing as sothing clicked. "Nothing to do with the Castle faction or the Light Alliance... That ans it’s a neutral faction, doesn’t it? I see. Don’t tell ... your target is the Tidesworn, out on the sea?"
Ethan froze, his face stiffening.
He hadn’t expected Cain to figure it out that fast.
He guessed it—just like that!?
"That’s right. My target is the Tidesworn," Ethan admitted without hesitation, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.
"I’ve got an old enemy out there on the sea. He’s no pushover, so yeah—I need your help. Of course, in return, you’re welco to na a few conditions... as long as they’re not over the top."
Since Cain had already figured it out, there was no point in hiding it anymore. Ti to go big and negotiate down.
Truth was, Ethan never seriously expected to get all 500 Tier-14 Mythic Archangels. That was just the opening bid—start high, then work your way down. If he could walk away with half, a third, even just a fifth of that number, it’d still be a win. Totally worth the trip.
Because what he really needed wasn’t just the troops—it was the appearance of Castle faction support. He needed his enemies to believe he had Cain backing him.
Everything else? Just icing on the cake.
Nice to have, sure. But not essential.
"Conditions, huh?" Cain gave Ethan a sidelong glance, then said casually, "What if I asked Erald Castle to help us take down an Inferno Demon King?"
"Deal," Ethan answered without missing a beat.
"But I’m not promising a win."
"You serious?" Cain’s eyes narrowed, locking onto Ethan’s face.
If Erald Castle could actually take on one of the Inferno Demon Kings—or even one of the Dungeon Kings—that would be huge.
On paper, it looked like a fair 3-on-3 matchup: Cain, Mikael, and the Tower faction’s Crimson Ultimate hero, Elyrgaard the Arcane Eagle, versus Inferno’s Malgrath and Baelthar, and Dungeon King Ashendar.
But in reality?
It was more like Cain and Mikael getting their asses handed to them two-on-three most of the ti.
Elyrgaard only stepped in when things got really bad... and that kind of hit-and-run support wasn’t cutting it anymore. The pressure was mounting. That’s why Cain had been forced to abandon the Three Empires and hole up in the remaining four, just to hold the line.
And the worst part?
It wasn’t just the numbers that were off.
They were outgunned, too.
All six were Greater Deities—top-tier, King-level powerhouses.
But Cain? He was the weakest of the bunch.
Mikael and Elyrgaard were only slightly stronger than Baelthar. But Ashendar, the Red Dragon, and Malgrath, the Inferno Demon King? They were on a whole different level.
How the hell were they supposed to win that?
They weren’t. Not like this.
But if soone could take just one of those enemies off their hands... that would change everything.
Two-on-three? Getting stomped.
Three-on-three? Still rough.
But three-on-two? Now that was a fight they could win.
"I can only promise I’ll try," Ethan said, shaking his head.
"That’s good enough," Cain replied without hesitation. He stood up, eyes locked on Ethan with renewed intensity.
"I can’t give you 500 Archangels. Best I can do is 300. And I can only spare them for three months. But—on top of that—I’ll throw in one Mythic Ace Unit–class Archangel."
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