Hell Gate

A massive gold mine—second only to a colossal gold mine in terms of output!

Every seven days, this enormous gold mine produces 100,000 gold coins. That adds up to over five million gold coins a year! Sure, that's not even half of what it costs to recruit a Green Dragon, but it's still a decent chunk of change.

As for the remaining gap in funds? Just take control of a few more gold mines—maybe even ones of the same scale—and problem solved, right?

But then, as if something had just occurred to him, Ethan's expression darkened. He asked in a serious tone, "What about the defensive forces?"

"Nearly a hundred Thunderbirds," Elynn replied with a wry smile.

Ethan's face stiffened. His mouth twitched slightly. He was speechless.

Thunderbirds—Stronghold faction's Tier 10 units.

They could fly, wield lightning, and had insanely high attack power.

In other words, nearly a hundred Thunderbirds? That was an even stronger defense than the Unicorn Glade in Wishing Valley!

Nope. Not messing with that.

Absolutely not.

"What about Creature Dwellings?" After a long silence, Ethan asked again.

"There are… two or three high-tier Cliff Nests that can recruit Thunderbirds," Elynn said, her voice growing quieter. "But… those Cliff Nests are currently the nests of the Thunderbirds guarding the gold mine."

Ethan was speechless again. He rubbed his temples hard. "Alright… what about other locations?"

Elynn took a deep breath, composing herself. But then, a flicker of unease—no, fear—flashed across her eyes as she pointed to the ancient forest in the lower-left corner of Verdant Ravine.

"That place is called the Suffocating Swamp Forest. There's something terrifying in there… because even Prince Cicero chose not to go in."

The moment she said that, Ethan's expression changed. His pupils shrank as he looked down at Cicero in his arms. "Tier 14 Mythic Units?" he asked.

Cicero shook his head, his face showing a hint of disgust.

Seeing that, Ethan let out a small sigh of relief—but his expression remained serious. "Tier 13 Legendary Units?"

This time, Cicero nodded.

That meant there were Tier 13 Legendary Units lurking in the Suffocating Swamp Forest.

"…This is going to be a long and difficult road," Ethan muttered to himself.

Tier 13 Legendary Units just casually roaming around? No wonder this place was considered a no-go zone for NPCs in the Unicorn Duchy. This was… beyond terrifying.

"What about Doom Mountains?" he asked next.

"The situation in Doom Mountains seems a bit better," Elynn said, her expression easing slightly. "According to Prince Cicero's scouting, the strongest wild creatures there include Tier 11 Efreet Sultans, Tier 11 Pit Lords, Tier 10 Nightmare Steeds, Tier 10 Thunderbirds, and Tier 9 Minotaur Kings."

"But compared to other regions, their numbers seem lower, so the overall threat should be slightly less."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "Aside from that, Doom Mountains has rich sulfur deposits—one medium-sized mine and four small ones. There are also two small lumber mills, one small ore mine, and one small crystal mine."

"As for Creature Dwellings… aside from two Labyrinths that can recruit Minotaur Kings, there aren't many buildings for recruiting Tier 7 or higher units. But—" Elynn's voice took on a more serious tone. "Prince Cicero also discovered two Hell Gates in Doom Mountains."

"Hell Gate? What's that?" Ethan asked, only half understanding.

"A Hell Gate is an outpost portal for the demons of the Inferno," Elynn said through gritted teeth.

"The demons beneath the Inferno have never given up on invading the world of Ashan. They've secretly established these portals all over, trying to use the chaotic laws of the Inferno to disrupt the balance of Ashan's natural order. Their goal is to reshape the environment into something more suitable for Inferno units—so that when they launch their next invasion, they'll have the upper hand!"

"If my guess is correct, these two Hell Gates in Doom Mountains must be key strongholds for the Inferno forces in Ashan's main world!"

Bang!

As she spoke, Elynn suddenly dropped to one knee before Ethan, her voice firm and resolute.

"Master, we must destroy these Hell Gates. The demons of the Inferno are the sworn enemies of all living beings in Ashan! If they return and launch another invasion, the consequences will be unimaginable…"

"Don't worry," Ethan said, nodding seriously. He understood the gravity of the situation. "Once Emerald Castle is strong enough, I'll make sure we destroy them."

He had a strong suspicion that these Hell Gates functioned as teleportation portals. Every so often, they probably spawned waves of Inferno units. Otherwise, how could there be so many Inferno creatures roaming Doom Mountains? It just didn't add up.

That meant these Hell Gates had to be destroyed—no matter what.

If they were left unchecked, the number and strength of Inferno units in Doom Mountains would only grow over time. Eventually, they could become an unstoppable force.

And for Emerald Castle, which was practically next door? That would be a disaster of apocalyptic proportions.

Ethan took a deep breath, then turned to Elynn. "Elynn, what do you think our next steps should be for Emerald Castle's development?"

"My thoughts?" Elynn blinked, her gaze flickering as she considered the question.

After a brief pause, she spoke slowly.

"Master, I believe our priority should be Seraphina's growth. Right now, Emerald Castle desperately needs more power to break this deadlock. As a Green Dragon hero, Seraphina has both the potential and the ability to become that power."

She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Cicero could also be an option, but when it comes to raw combat strength, Seraphina is the best choice."