Chapter 517: Returning to the dragon world
The atmosphere around the castle became unnaturally quiet.
No one spoke.
The reunion had carried too much pain, too much guilt, and too many emotions that none of them had been prepared to face all at once. The memories that had once been erased had now fully returned, and with them came the unbearable realization of everything they had lost during that period of separation.
Ethan slowly released Rose from his embrace and looked toward the others.
His mother, Elina, was crying openly now. Tears continuously rolled down her face despite her attempts to control herself. Beside her stood Jack, his expression strained and his eyes red, though he stubbornly maintained a composed posture.
Elizabeth quietly wiped her eyes while pretending nobody noticed.
Even Zara, who was usually the most energetic among them, remained unusually silent.
Then Jack suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Ethan by the shoulder with trembling hands.
"You idiot," he said hoarsely. "Do you have any idea what we felt after our memories returned?"
Ethan looked at him quietly before giving a faint smile.
"I can imagine."
"No," Elina interrupted immediately as she walked forward and pulled Ethan into another embrace. "You cannot."
Her voice trembled heavily.
"Do you know what it feels like to remember treating your own son like a stranger? To remember looking at him without recognizing him?"
Ethan gently placed a hand on her back.
"It was not your fault."
"But it still happened."
Her voice cracked near the end.
A complicated silence followed.
Then Ethan felt several more presences approach him.
His other parents from Earth stepped forward as well. Unlike Jack and Elina, they did not speak. Their emotions had already been expressed through the others. They simply embraced him tightly while tears silently fell from their eyes.
The effect of the Fate God had been terrifying.
It had not merely erased memories.
It had distorted emotions, judgment, perception, and subconscious thought itself. They had spent so much time beside Ethan while unknowingly rejecting him, doubting him, and treating him like someone distant.
Now that they remembered everything, the guilt was crushing.
Rose quietly moved closer again and held Ethan’s hand firmly, almost instinctively.
She still seemed afraid that he would disappear if she loosened her grip even slightly.
Meanwhile, Zara finally broke the silence as she stared at the enormous castle behind them.
"Brother-in-law," she asked curiously, "where exactly is this place?"
Ethan glanced toward the castle.
"This is where we will stay for now," he replied calmly. "You should all go inside, explore the castle, and choose your rooms."
Then his expression softened slightly.
"I still need to bring Ryan, Rey, and the others."
Rose immediately looked at him.
"Can I come with you?"
Her voice was quieter than usual.
She genuinely did not want to leave his side anymore. Not even briefly.
Ethan looked at her for a moment before smiling faintly.
"Alright."
Then he shook his head lightly.
"I wonder what those idiots are doing right now."
Ryan and Riya had remained in the Dragon World after Ethan’s departure. Rey, along with his grandfather and the others, lived within a celestial planet of a separate universe.
Over the years, Ethan had left many things behind before disappearing.
One of them was the tower.
That tower had eventually become the absolute economic center of the entire Dragon World.
Before leaving, Ethan had created an automated divine system within it, capable of producing artifacts, weapons, armor, pills, and treasures simply from provided information and resources. The tower had gradually evolved into something beyond ordinary understanding.
Entire kingdoms depended on it.
Clans rose and fell because of it.
And Ryan had been managing everything alongside Riya, the forty-eight Alpha Omega members, and the countless guards Ethan had personally created.
Without another word, Ethan wrapped an arm around Rose’s waist.
The surrounding space distorted silently.
Then both of them vanished.
The next instant, they appeared within the Dragon World.
Towering skies stretched above them while enormous dragons flew through the distant heavens. The energy density of this world was vastly greater than ordinary universes, yet Ethan barely glanced at the surroundings.
His eyes settled on the massive tower before him.
The structure pierced the clouds like a divine pillar.
Countless formations glowed across its surface while streams of people continuously entered and exited its gates.
Rose looked toward the entrance.
"Looks like there is an auction today."
Ethan smiled faintly.
"Good."
Then his eyes carried a trace of amusement.
"Let us enter as guests. I want to see how that bastard has been handling everything."
The two of them walked calmly toward the entrance alongside countless cultivators, merchants, nobles, and powerful experts.
The guards stood firmly at the gates while checking invitation cards carefully.
"Not bad," Ethan muttered with approval. "At least security has improved."
When they finally reached the entrance, one of the guards stepped forward automatically.
He was about to request their invitation card.
Then he saw Ethan clearly.
The guard’s pupils instantly contracted.
His entire body trembled violently.
For a brief second, he nearly dropped to his knees as tears almost formed in his eyes.
He recognized him.
The creator of the tower.
The man whom all guards worshipped like a god.
But before he could react, a calm voice echoed directly within his mind.
"Do not react."
The guard immediately stiffened.
"Yes, my lord," he answered mentally before quickly regaining composure.
He stepped aside respectfully without saying a word.
Ethan and Rose entered naturally as if nothing had happened.
Inside, the auction hall was already crowded.
The atmosphere, however, immediately felt strange to Ethan.
The people here were not focused on the auction itself.
They were restless.
Greedy.
Excited.
And dangerous.
Ethan calmly sat beside Rose while quietly listening to the surrounding conversations.
"That demon founder has not appeared in years," one man whispered coldly. "We have not seen him in a single auction."
"He probably abandoned this world already."
"We should take the tower now while we still have the chance."
Another person hesitated.
"But what if he is still here?"
The first man snorted.
"Reward always comes with risk."
Several others nodded in agreement.
Ethan listened calmly while smiling faintly.
Not a single one of them was paying attention to the auctioneer.
Instead, the greed in their eyes became more obvious with every passing second.
Then suddenly someone stood up and shouted loudly.
"Call the founder!"
The entire hall became quieter.
"We want to meet him!"
"Yes!"
"We have not seen him for years!"
The old auctioneer standing on the stage visibly stiffened.
"Esteemed guests," he said carefully, "the founder is currently in seclusion. He cannot meet anyone at this time."
However, his words only intensified the atmosphere.
To Ethan and Rose’s disappointment, several members of the Dragon Clan were among the loudest voices.
The same clan that had once sworn absolute loyalty to Ethan.
Rose frowned slightly.
"They changed quickly."
Ethan’s expression remained calm.
"Power reveals people more clearly than hardship does."
Then suddenly—
BOOM!
A powerful figure landed directly on the stage.
The entire hall shook.
Ryan stood there coldly while looking down at the crowd.
"What is all this noise about?"
His aura spread throughout the hall instantly.
Ryan had already reached the Eternal Sovereign Realm.
The pressure alone was enough to terrify ordinary experts.
But today was different.
One dragon expert stepped forward fearlessly.
"Call the founder," he roared. "Or we will tear this tower down ourselves."
"We also want to meet our princess."
Ryan’s eyes became colder.
"Are you certain you want to betray his trust?"
At that moment, Ryan remembered everything completely.
Ethan was not merely the founder of this tower.
He was his best friend.
He was his king.
The one who had changed his life entirely.
And Ryan would protect this tower even at the cost of his own existence.
"Do not speak nonsense, boy."
A terrifying voice suddenly echoed from one of the VIP rooms.
An old ancestor slowly walked forward.
His aura alone distorted space.
A Source Authority Realm expert.
"You had better call the founder immediately."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Ryan clenched his fists slightly.
Then suddenly—
A tremendous pressure descended upon the entire tower.
Everyone froze.
Their expressions changed instantly.
Fear appeared in countless eyes.
They recognized this aura.
The White Knight.
The absolute guardian of the tower.
A massive figure clad in white armor appeared above the auction hall like a divine executioner.
The surrounding laws trembled violently beneath his existence.
Although everyone feared him deeply, today they had gathered numerous Source Authority experts together.
And the White Knight stood alone.
Ryan could sense their killing intent rising.
Even he started becoming nervous.
But hidden among the crowd, Ethan merely smiled calmly.
He still did not move.
Instead, he casually raised one hand.
Silently—
Without a single fluctuation escaping—
The White Knight’s realm shattered its limits instantly.
His existence expanded infinitely.
The surrounding laws collapsed.
Reality itself began trembling violently.
Within a fraction of a second, the White Knight stepped into the Absolute Continuum Realm.
The same realm which was occupied by the One Above All himself, the god of the positive plane of existance.
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