BANG!
Astharel's legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed back into his seat with a heavy thud, completely drained of strength.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, he finally lifted his head. His face had gone ghostly pale, and his eyes locked onto Ethan's with a mix of disbelief and desperation. His voice came out hoarse, almost a whisper, but laced with panic.
"But if you're planning to rise in the Crimsonstar Kingdom and the Five Sea Kingdoms region… that means you'll be going up against the Greenwave Empire and the Eight Grand Duchies of the Sacred Continent—at the same time! You? You alone? What makes you think you can pull that off?! What do you have to back you up?!"
Ethan gave a small, almost amused smile. He stood up slowly, eyes narrowing as he looked down at Astharel.
"My backup?" he said coolly. "I've got three Crimson Ultimate heroes. Does that count?"
Boom.
