Chapter 60: The secret realm Dragon, Ethan, and Leon sat on the sofa, facing one another in silence. The weight in the air was undeniable, yet strangely comforting. "I won’t ask you any questions," Dragon said calmly, breaking the silence. "I don’t need to. Just share some of your burden with us. That’s all I want from you." Ethan didn’t respond. His eyes flickered, unreadable. Ethan leaned forward slightly. "Mr. President, please give a brief overview of Earth’s situation. I have many things I need to understand from you." Dragon and Leon exchanged a look and nodded. Super City 6. Nolan Ashford paced like a caged beast. Madness gleamed in his eyes as he stared at his mutilated son. Despite exhausting all resources, Earth had no technology or treasures capable of regenerating limbs or organs. Perhaps the Alliance had hidden such advances, keeping them away from public reach. That bastard had healed his son after severing his organs, leaving no path remained open to them. This was no mere injury—this was a death grudge, irreversible and unforgettable. They had even attempted to kill him in Base City using a Level 9 King-tier beast. But someone had interfered. The city was saved, and their plans were shattered. To this day, they couldn’t identify the golden-armored figure who had ruined everything. Nolan turned toward Erasmus, eyes burning. "Father, we can’t just sit here any longer. I want that bastard dead. I want to rip him apart with my bare hands. It’s a blessing he didn’t die—now I get to take revenge with my own two hands." Erasmus gazed at his son silently. Nolan’s eyes no longer looked human—they radiated hatred, the kind born only in monsters. He sighed. "We can’t hurt the Hunt family directly. But others can. The Hunts have rivals. One family even stronger than them. Their old patriarch is a Level 9 Emperor. They also have a Level 2 Emperor within their ranks." Nolan’s eyes gleamed with wicked light. "Which family?" "The Morningstar family," Erasmus said slowly. "From what I heard, Ethan Hunt already has a grudge against them. He beat their young prodigies publicly." Nolan burst into maniacal laughter. "Perfect. Then let’s go to Super City 1. I’ll offer all my personal wealth if they help me take revenge." Erasmus shook his head. "You won’t need to. The Ashford family will back you. We’ll offer half the family’s wealth." The Ashfords were business giants, their assets comparable to families led by Level 8 or 9 Emperors. That very afternoon, father and son set out for Super City 1. Alliance Hall. The atmosphere was tense and oppressive. Ethan sat in silence, absorbing the grim details of Earth’s dire situation. His expression darkened. He had once estimated Dragon’s combat power to be around 560 billion. But he had forgotten one crucial factor—the weapon. Dragon wielded a Level 5 force weapon: the Crimson Sword. With its 80x amplification, Dragon’s true combat strength surged to approximately 44.6 trillion tonnes. That kind of power... Ethan’s thoughts drifted. In his past life, the strongest nuclear bomb ever detonated on Earth was the Soviet Union’s Tsar Bomba. Its destructive power, when converted to punch force, amounted to about 21 quadrillion kilograms. But Dragon could explode with 44 quadrillion—more than double. He wasn’t a man. He was a walking supernuclear warhead. And yet... even with this much power, Dragon couldn’t defeat the Ocean Emperor. What kind of monster was that? Without any force weapon or amplification skills, that thing had still overwhelmed Dragon. How? Ethan asked, "The Ocean Emperor... did it transcend the Emperor Realm?" Dragon shook his head. "No. If it had, Earth would already be gone. Humanity would be extinct. But we’re running out of time. I estimate it will break through within five years." Ethan’s brows furrowed. "President... do you know what realm comes after Emperor?" Dragon nodded. "The Planetary Realm." Ethan’s eyes lit up. "Do you know how to become one?" Dragon exhaled slowly. "No. If we knew, we’d be trying to break through. All we have is the name of the next realm." Ethan’s excitement dimmed a little. But only for a moment. Then I’ll find out myself. If not in this realm, then after I reach Level 9 Emperor... I’ll figure it. Then he asked, "How many Emperor-tier monsters are present on Earth currently?" Dragon replied gravely, "On land alone, there are ninety-seven. Among them, sixteen are Level 9. As for the ocean...we don’t know. Some unknown power is obstructing our satellite sensors whenever we try to observe the sea." "Ninety-seven on land alone? Sixteen Level 9?" Ethan’s voice was low, almost incredulous. "Humanity only has fifty-five Emperors...and just nine at Level 9. And we don’t even know the true number of Emperors lurking in the ocean. They definitely have more than a hundred, that’s for sure. How is humanity even surviving now? It’s...a miracle." He stood. "Then, President, shall we head to the secret realm you mentioned? I want to see what lies beyond that energy door." Dragon and Leon stood up with him. "Follow us." The trio moved toward the center of the building and opened a sealed gate leading underground. Just five meters below, they entered a wide, brightly lit chamber. At the center stood a mysterious, glowing door. Leon explained, "We created this door at the entrance of the realm. Similar doors have been installed wherever a realm was discovered across the world." Ethan nodded and followed them through. A wave of discomfort swept over Ethan the moment he stepped inside. Leon smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry. Realms are separate spaces—your body just needs to adapt." Ethan glanced around. The realm looked surprisingly... normal. Like a quiet town.Light glowed from above, casting gentle shadows on the land. "Does the realm use the outside environment as its own?" Ethan asked curiously. "Good catch," Leon replied. "The realm has its own environment. What you see is artificial light." "Got it." Ethan noticed trees—strange varieties, foreign yet beautiful. At the center stood a massive palace, silent and imposing. Dragon pointed forward. "Let’s go inside." As they entered, Ethan’s eyes widened. Towering sentinels lined the grand corridor like royal knights standing in eternal vigilance. Dragon said, "These statues inspired the design of our real-world Sentinels." The interior was like something out of a sci-fi epic. Unreal. Majestic. They approached the energy door. It stood ten feet tall and seven feet wide, sealed with a shimmering plasma shield. Ethan reached out to touch it. Leon quickly grabbed his wrist. "Don’t. You’ll burn yourself." "That dangerous?" "Yes. It doesn’t radiate heat, but the temperature is about 6,000 degrees Celsius." Ethan whistled. "That’s hotter than the surface of the sun." "So this is the unbreakable gate, huh?" Without hesitation, Ethan pulled out the keystone, gripped it, and stepped forward—right through the blazing energy wall. Dragon and Leon stood speechless behind him. "That boy..." Dragon muttered, "he’s far too confident. But then again, he has every reason to be." They sat cross-legged near the door, waiting. Morningstar Family. Two unexpected guests entered. Jake Morningstar sat before them—son of Adam Morningstar, a Level 9 Emperor. Jake himself was already a Level 2 Emperor. Caseous and Cristan were his grandsons. "So... why would the Ashfords visit us at this hour?" Jake asked, curiously. Erasmus replied with one name. "Ethan Hunt." Jake’s eyes turned cold instantly. "You came here to mock us?" Erasmus quickly denied it, then detailed their own grudge against Ethan. Jake let out a twisted laugh. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell the Hunts? Do you really think your family would still survive?" Erasmus remained composed. "We’ll offer you half of the Ashford family’s wealth... if you help us take vengeance." Jake was taken aback. Half their wealth? That was no light offer. Nolan stepped forward, jaw clenched. "He didn’t just humiliate my son—he destroyed him. Mutilated him. This is a blood feud. If you give me the opportunity to take revenge, we’ll pay. But if you help me succeed, I’ll owe you a personal favor." Jake’s expression shifted. "We’ll see. My father’s in closed-door retreat. Once he returns, I’ll speak with him. If he agrees—we’ll help." Nolan looked at Jake, his voice cold. "Ethan Hunt has a healing talent." Jake’s eyes widened immediately. "How do you know?" Nolan replied grimly, "He healed my son after destroying his body—sealing every possible path to future treatment." "How can you be sure that wasn’t just a healing skill? He has the light element, after all," Jake asked gravely. "He took only two seconds," Nolan said in a deep voice. "After cutting off his hands, legs, tongue, balls...gouging out his eyes...he healed him instantly and stopped all bleeding. Now you tell me—which healing skill has power like that?" Jake’s expression turned nasty, but he didn’t say anything. As the Ashfords departed, Jake’s gaze grew colder than ice. "Ethan Hunt... a supreme genius, huh? A dead genius is no different than a dead dog. Just wait for the ruin exploration in two months. I know you’ll be there. And that’s where it ends for you." Secret Realm. Ethan opened his eyes. Another palace loomed before him—larger, more magnificent. The previous one had resembled a duke’s residence. This was like a king’s royal palace. He strode forward confidently, drawing the Shadow Sword, a Level 3 force weapon gifted by the Windsor family. It could amplify his strength twentyfold—more than enough for now. As he approached, the giant doors opened on their own. Ethan stepped into a vast hallway. After two minutes of walking, he saw a grand throne. Behind it stood four giant knights, each thirty meters tall. Green. Red. Blue. Brown. And seated on the throne... was someone. Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. Who was this figure? The ruler of this realm? Could he defeat them if a battle broke out? He stepped closer, tension building. The shadows around the throne concealed the figure’s face and structure—but as Ethan approached... his eyes widened in shock. [Thanks for the big gift STOP_RIGHT_THERE,also thanks to Milo4more and Vikko. I am grateful for you support.]