Ethan let out a laugh—sharp, amused, and utterly unbothered.
"This place is my fortress now."
"You can't break in, so why the hell would I come out? If you've got the strength to force your way in, then we'll talk. Until then, save your breath."
With that blunt, unapologetic taunt, he turned and began walking back toward the heart of the mineral zone.
But—
The moment his foot lifted, a strange, unnatural rumble echoed across the sky.
It wasn't thunder. It wasn't an energy surge. It sounded more like something massive tearing through space itself—a deep, grinding resonance that made the air feel thick and wrong.
The light distorted. The atmosphere turned viscous.
Then, a colossal shadow dropped from the sky.
It was a creature—centipede-like in form, its segmented body wrapped in dark, armored plating. Dozens of thin, twitching tendrils waved through the air, each one trailing ripples of unsettling energy.
But the worst part?
