Eilish stood at the passage where the energy held a strong water affinity, clutching various herbs in her hand.

"This should be enough,

" she muttered before entering the room.

Sitting down on the floor in a lotus position, she closed her eyes and slowly placed a few herbs in her mouth.

Ohm!

She began circulating her energy, focusing intently on sensing the shackles that were limiting her body. It was a great barrier that she was about to confront.

Boom!!

The ground trembled slightly as her energy erupted like a volcano.

Sensing the great shackle within her body, Eilish gathered her energy around it. Bluish energy rose from her body as droplets of water materialized in the air.

Elder Hanmi and the other witches glanced ahead, sensing the fluctuations.

"Lady Eilish is about to break through...

" one of the witches muttered.

If she succeeded, it would mean the Astros would gain another SSS-rank expert. Though SSS- rank wasn't uncommon in Holy Lands or large countries, it was still a significant rank in regions like the Hall Plains. An expert at that level could easily become an overlord in other lands.

In the entire Hall Plains, the number of experts who had reached the Fourth Shackle was fewer than twenty. Even within Athen's Champion, a Fourth Shackle expert was qualified to become a Grain Leader.

Eilan glanced in the direction of his sister. Though he still hadn't recovered all of his memories, he could feel the connection he shared with Eilish.

Even the subordinates of the Nine Heads were taken aback.

"Someone's breaking through... and with this level of energy!

"

"A Fourth Shackle?!

"

"The force under the Seventh Head is incredibly strong!

"

"Of course it is! The Seventh Head belongs to a God's Legion in Olympus, after all!

"

Their voices echoed as they marveled at the power of Ekatoe City. It was no longer a secret that Souta, the Seventh Head of the Dragon Council, was a member of Athen's Champion. Almost everyone in the Hall Plains knew that behind the Seventh Head stood the might of a colossal organization serving a Goddess.

Princess Yaniesvyl was equally surprised. She had once encountered the infamous Blood Lightning Monster when her country was in peril. Later, she discovered his true background and caught a glimpse of the immense power of the Holy Land Olympus.

The power of great Olympus, which had stood for thousands of years, was beyond anything she could have imagined.

Bang!

The ground shook once again.

Eilish slowly opened her eyes, feeling the changes within her body.

"So this is what it feels like to reach the Fourth Shackle...

"

The aura seeping from her body was far stronger and heavier than before. The gap between the Third and Fourth Shackle was immense. In other lands, the difference was enough to separate them by rank entirely.

She could feel that growing stronger would now be easier with the limiter, or shackle, removed. Even her elemental power, which had been stuck in the Force Stage for a long time, was beginning to show signs of reaching the Integration Stage. Eilish guessed that if she focused on enhancing her elemental power, she could achieve it by next week.

A smile crossed her face as she thought of Souta.

"I wouldn't have been able to achieve any of this if I hadn't met him.

"

Eilish stood up and clenched her fist. Mana gathered around her hand, and droplets of water spun like a vortex in front of her.

...

The group moved cautiously through the dense, withered trees. The light above cast deep shadows across the woods, and they could feel the dead mana growing stronger with every step.

"It's here...

" Alexander muttered, frowning.

They reached an open space, and the moment they stepped into it, a chilling sensation washed over them. The ground was scattered with old, decayed bones, half-buried in the earth. A foul, rotting stench filled the air, intensifying the oppressive atmosphere.

Suddenly, numerous skeletons clad in various armors began to rise from the ground. Their eye sockets glowed with a sinister red light as they locked onto the living intruders.

"Prepare yourselves,

" the Fourth Head commanded.

Though the skeletons were not particularly strong, their overwhelming numbers posed a significant threat. Just as the Fourth Head and the others were about to charge, a voice echoed through the air, reaching their ears.

"Join... the dead family... and you will be saved.

"

A wave of unease swept over them as the voice spoke. It carried an eerie power that seemed to tug at their minds, sending shivers down their spines.

"Oh, that makes things easier. We're certain now there's a high-level undead here,

" Souta said, his lips curling into an amused smile at the situation.

Swoosh!!

The Eight Head, Sixth Head, and Fourth Head charged forward, their figures crashing into the swarm of skeletons, sending bones flying into the air.

Eight Head's muscles bulged as he unleashed his energy. These undead were weaker than the golems he had fought before; their only advantage was sheer numbers.

Boom!!

The ground shook violently as a series of explosions erupted. Bones and rotting flesh scattered everywhere as the three Heads tore through the undead.

mere conds, hundreds of undead had been obliterated.

Alexander stepped into the air, gazing down at the land stretching to the horizon. He could

sense a far more dangerous aura lurking in the distance.

This place had become a nest of the undead, and it seemed they were following the command

of a powerful entity.

"This is not good,

" he muttered.

A soft voice beside him drew his attention. Turning his head, he saw the Third Head had followed him into the air, curious to observe what was unfolding.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Far beyond where the three Heads were battling, hundreds of thousands of skeletons were rising from the ground, and dark clouds had begun to gather ominously overhead.

Swoosh!!

The pair descended quickly, sharing what they had witnessed. It seemed they would need to exercise their full strength in the battle ahead.

"Let's just destroy them,

" Alexander said.

"There are hundreds of thousands of undead, and I doubt there's not at least one high-level undead among them. It's impossible for such a large group to coordinate without a commanding presence.

"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Without hesitation, the group charged forward, their energy erupting and causing the land to tremble. Each member of the group was extraordinary, none

below SSS-rank.

As they advanced, the strange voice echoed once more.

"Join the family... This is your last chance.

"

The power behind the voice was stronger than before, attempting to force them into submission. Yet, the Nine Heads withstood the mental assault and continued to annihilate the

skeletons in their path.

The Third Head raised her hand, and a massive magic circle materialized beneath her feet.

"Downfall Chilling Grace!

"

In an instant, several gigantic ice boulders materialized in the air. They plummeted to the ground like meteors, unleashing intense energy that erupted and froze the entire area, along

with thousands of skeletons.

Alexander, Souta, and the others turned their heads to see the Third Head unleashing

powerful AOE spells that wiped out thousands of skeletons.

Swoosh!!

Alexander advanced at high speed, obliterating every skeleton in his path.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble. He looked down, sensing something

ominous. Without hesitation, Alexander leaped away just before the ground burst open.

Debris flew everywhere.

Alexander narrowed his eyes as a massive silhouette emerged from the ground. It was a

colossal skeletal dragon, its form towering before him.

"A skeletal dragon...?

"

The bones of the dragon creaked and shifted into place. Its ribcage formed a twisted cage of bones, and its wings were a skeletal framework that spread wide, casting ominous shadows over Alexander. The dragon's skull, with its long, jagged teeth and hollow eye sockets, turned

to face him.

Though the skeletal dragon had no eyes, Alexander could feel its gaze locked onto him. He took a deep breath and clenched both fists, three elements swirling around his hands.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw a figure descending toward him.

Swoosh!!

He pulled back his fist and threw it as the figure swung a dark sword.

Boom!!

The sword and fist collided, creating intense friction in the air. Powerful shockwaves surged

outward in every direction.

Alexander was thrust several dozen meters away. He glanced at the figure that had clashed

with him, and his frown deepened.

It was a skeleton clad in majestic dark armor, its bones inscribed with strange glowing

symbols.

"A Devouring Death Knight... And that armor, I'm familiar with it,

" Alexander muttered, his

eyes locked on the death knight and the skeletal dragon.

The Death Knight advanced, dragging the enormous dark sword in its hand.

"Join the family... There is no future beyond the family.

"

Alexander exhaled deeply and cracked his fingers. A faint smile appeared on his face as he

said,

"It looks like I need to get a bit serious. I knew this expedition wouldn't be easy from the

start.

"

As soon as he spoke, his energy surged, causing the entire ground to tremble. Water, wind,

flame, and earth swirled around him in a powerful vortex.

"These four elements should be enough...

"

He raised both fists and silently activated several combat arts to further enhance his strength.