Chapter 686: Too late

On the other end of the communicator, the familiar voice of their former leader came through almost immediately.

"Did you get the crystal cores?"

"Yeah, I got them," Ethan replied calmly.

The guy must’ve been too hyped up to notice anything off about the voice.

"Nice work! Bring those crystal cores to me, ASAP!"

"Got it." Ethan hung up without another word.

Behind him, Ricky stood frozen, mouth hanging open in a perfect O-shape. He stared at Ethan, who still wore the illusion of Dane, and suddenly felt... damn, this guy’s incredible.

But what happened next blew his mind even more.

With just a wave of Ethan’s hand, the entire stockpile of weapons and gear in the warehouse vanished into thin air. Everything—guns, exoskeleton armor, and even the insanely expensive Lightsabers and Guard Mechs—gone.

Ethan had already decided what he was going to arm his crew with: Guard Mechs and Lightsabers.

Given how evolved his elite zombie squad was, they could totally handle that kind of gear. And let’s be honest—it was gonna look badass.

"All right, let’s move," Ethan said, heading for the warehouse exit.

Ricky stood there, completely dumbfounded. The place that had been packed to the ceiling with weapons was now totally empty. Even the blood and corpses on the floor had disappeared.

What kind of power was this?

Some kind of spatial ability?

As Ethan’s figure moved farther away, Ricky finally snapped out of it and scrambled to catch up.

"Captain, wait for me!"

...

Outside the warehouse, the surrounding area was mostly staffed by Black Market personnel. Ethan scanned the place with his senses—no real threats around, the strongest were maybe SS-rank at best.

He wanted to find out who had put the Guard Mechs and Lightsabers up for sale—and more importantly, where they’d gotten them.

So, he headed straight for the office of that so-called "leader" from the call. If anyone had records, it’d be there.

A few minutes later, Ethan stood outside the door.

He could sense three people inside—one man and two young women. They were in the middle of a conversation.

"Boss, does Dane really have six SS-grade crystal cores?"

"Of course. Didn’t you bring him in yourself?" the man shot back.

The woman’s tone was respectful, almost flirtatious. "Yeah, I did bring him in. He said he wanted to buy a Lightsaber, but I had no idea he had that many crystal cores."

"Well, next time, use your head. When a customer shows up, try to get a read on them. But whatever, this time it worked out. He’ll be bringing those cores over soon anyway," the man said, clearly lecturing her.

The woman giggled, her voice sweet and teasing. "Got it, boss. But maybe... you’d like to get a read on me first?"

"..."

Right then, Ethan pushed the door open and stepped inside.

His eyes swept across the room. It was spacious, furnished with some old-school wooden furniture. Behind the desk sat the man from the call—Vance Delorn. Brown hair, brown eyes, and definitely an Awakener.

Standing near the desk was the same waitress who’d brought Dane in earlier. Vance had clearly summoned her to get more info.

In the corner stood another woman, dressed like a secretary—probably Vance’s assistant.

The moment the door opened, all three of them turned to look at Ethan, still wearing Dane’s face.

"Huh?"

Their expressions instantly shifted to shock, like they’d just seen a ghost.

Because according to the call they’d just had... Dane was supposed to be dead.

"Dane? What the hell—why is it you?" Vance asked, eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"You’re the one who told me to come, remember?" Ethan replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"That voice on the comms just now... that was you?" Vance’s expression shifted as the pieces clicked into place.

"Yeah. That was me," Ethan said flatly.

Vance fell silent, his eyes darting as the realization sank in. If Dane was standing here, alive and well, that could only mean one thing—his men were dead. And this guy had taken their crystal cores... and now he was here, standing in front of him.

How the hell did he pull that off?

"You’re the one running The Black Market?" Ethan asked, his tone casual but firm.

"I am," Vance said, eyes narrowing further. He didn’t bother denying it. Anyone who could manage a place like this had to be ruthless—and Vance was no exception. He was also an SS-rank Awakener, and not someone to be taken lightly.

Ethan didn’t waste time. "I’ve got a few questions for you."

Vance scoffed. "Keep dreaming. You might’ve gotten stronger, but you’re still not a threat to me."

Ethan nodded slowly. "Oh, okay. Then you can die."

The waitress, who’d been standing nearby, snapped at him with a scowl. "You’ve got some nerve, threatening our boss like that!"

Ethan didn’t even glance her way.

The power of the

Domain of the Dead

surged around him, dark energy slithering out like twin serpents, coiling through the air, ready to crush Vance in an instant.

"Wait—something’s wrong..." Vance’s instincts flared. As a speed-type SS Awakener, his reflexes were razor-sharp. He launched himself forward, closing the distance between them in a blink.

From his waist, he drew a sleek metal rod. With both hands gripping it tight, a blade of red light burst forth—another Lightsaber.

"Oh? Didn’t expect that," Ethan muttered, a flicker of interest in his eyes. This one was embedded with a fire-element crystal core—its destructive power was even higher than the last.

Vance could feel the oppressive weight of the

Domain of the Dead

pressing in, the very air around him thickening like it was about to freeze.

He slashed wildly with the Lightsaber, arcs of blazing red light cutting through the air, each swing humming with raw energy. The force of his strikes distorted the space around him, disrupting the deathly aura trying to close in.

But to Ethan, it was like watching a moth flailing in quicksand—desperate, but doomed.

With a flick of his wrist, Ethan summoned his own weapon—a pitch-black katana. Flames erupted along the blade’s edge, licking the air with a hungry roar.

His katana was also embedded with an S-rank crystal core, and under Ethan’s power, it was a force of nature.

He swung once, a single-handed horizontal slash.

A wave of fire exploded from the blade, roaring forward like a dragon unleashed.

VROOOOM—

Vance’s pupils shrank. He barely managed to raise his Lightsaber in defense.

But the impact hit like a freight train.

The fiery blast smashed into him, sending him flying backward. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he slammed into the wall behind him, the concrete cracking like glass under the force.

His Lightsaber flew from his hands, spinning through the air.

Ethan casually reached out and caught it mid-flight, just like he had with Leia’s weapon before. Smooth. Effortless.

"Boss!" the waitress and the secretary screamed, their voices shrill with panic.

They couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Vance—the man who ruled this place with an iron fist—was coughing up blood after just one hit.

"What kind of Awakener is he? Strength type? But that energy... what the hell is that?" Vance’s mind raced. Even with all his experience, he couldn’t make sense of Ethan’s power. All he knew was that this guy’s body was a damn fortress—and he was completely outmatched.

"Why... why is this happening?"

Clutching his chest, Vance staggered to his feet, leaning against the cracked wall for support.

But Ethan was already walking toward him, step by step, like death itself closing in.

Vance knew he didn’t stand a chance.

"Wait! Don’t kill me! We can talk—now! I’ll tell you everything!"

Ethan tilted his head slightly. "Oh?"

But he didn’t stop walking.

"Too late."

...