My Ultimate OP System: Summoning All Dragons, Gods, Heroes & Villains

Chapter 376: Astral Sea (Bonus)

The throne room immediately erupted into motion.

"Search the palace!" the General barked toward the guards at the far end of the room as he and Captain Luther began making their way toward the throne room’s exit.

The King leaned back heavily in his seat and began rubbing his forehead in frustration.

Within seconds, dozens of magical circles illuminated the palace as Casters began casting one detection spell after another. Different members of the Imperial Guard spread throughout the palace grounds, while others secured every entrance and exit.

***

——

In a different place...

Lord Krygon slowly opened his eyes.

For several moments, he had been hovering above the ground of a vast, enormous chamber. Slowly, he descended onto the wooden floor.

The place had walls, pillars, and windows, resembling an empty throne room. However, none of it truly existed in the conventional sense.

Every part of it had been shaped directly from thought, a construct sustained entirely by Lord Krygon’s control within the Astral Sea.

The instant both feet touched the surface, his body swayed as though he were about to fall.

"My Lord." Jillia was beside him immediately, placing a hand beneath his arm to steady him.

Concern was evident in her expression as she said, "My Lord... this is truly draining you. I say we simply retrieve the girl ourselves. We already know exactly where she is. There is no need to remain here any longer."

"Staying within the Astral Sea is placing an enormous burden on your body."

Lord Krygon remained silent for a moment before gently removing her supporting hand as he straightened himself.

"I understand." His voice remained as calm as ever. "But I believe they will make the correct decision."

He slowly began walking across the platform.

"I can endure until noon tomorrow."

Jillia lowered her head.

"As you wish, my Lord."

The room they were both in was a figment of Lord Krygon’s thoughts, existing entirely within a realm known as the Astral Sea.

If one looked beyond the towering windows, what greeted them resembled an endless ocean, as though the room itself had been submerged within it. But it was no ordinary body of water. Countless scenes from different lives drifted through its currents, occasionally giving rise to slow ripples that spread across the sea before fading back into silence.

Because every living soul, including the gods, possessed a consciousness, it meant they could think for themselves, feel emotions, hold memories, and even dream. Every thought one ever had, every memory, emotion, dream, and intention... all of it eventually found its way somewhere.

That place was known as the Astral Sea, the collective of every consciousness within this world.

Ordinarily, no living person could enter such a place with their physical body. Only souls, or the subconscious during sleep, could naturally reach this ’Sea’.

However, through his mastery over Astral Magic, Lord Krygon had surpassed that limitation, allowing him to traverse the Astral Sea with his physical body fully intact and even bring others into it should he desire.

By existing here, he could gaze into another person’s thoughts and memories from the past, which was how he knew the King had knowledge of who Ishtar was.

Aside from the enormous amount of mana required to maintain one’s physical body within the Astral Sea, there were also risks and limits to what could be accessed, especially where higher-level beings were concerned.

There were things even Lord Krygon could not simply pry into at will, lest he invite untold calamities upon himself.

——

Later that night, at the Stark Residence...

At this time, everything was mostly quiet. Ethan was standing just outside the front entrance, staring beyond the open courtyard toward the estate gates.

He was shirtless and wore nothing but a pair of black trousers.

Nina stood silently by his right side, while Arael hovered above the house, constantly scanning the surroundings below.

The rest of Ethan’s summons had also been positioned throughout different parts of the house and the estate as a whole.

The discussions they had earlier that night had ultimately led everyone to the same conclusion, that until the threat of this Family Leader passed, their only priority was protecting Ishtar.

Several minutes passed before the front door behind Ethan slowly opened and footsteps approached him.

Isabella emerged wearing a silky night robe that swayed gently around her figure. She slipped her hand through his left arm and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I came out here because you’ve been standing outside the whole evening," she said softly. "And I don’t want to stay up there by myself, so let me stay here with you."

A smile appeared on Ethan’s face as he rubbed her arm gently.

For a while, neither of them said anything until Isabella spoke again.

"You shouldn’t worry so much. No one here is going to take Ishtar while we’re all here. It’s not going to happen."

Ethan gave a slow nod. "I know, my love. I know."

——

Early morning the following day...

The repeated sound of knocks on the bedroom door stirred Ethan and Isabella from their sleep.

Isabella slowly opened her eyes and looked toward the door while Ethan let out a sigh before sitting upright. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked toward the door, still shirtless.

As soon as he opened it, Eduardo was standing outside.

"Master Ethan," he said with a respectful bow. "The King and his men are waiting outside to see you immediately."

Ethan glanced back toward Isabella, who shared a puzzled look with him, before looking at Eduardo again. "I’ll be there."

Eduardo bowed once more before taking his leave.

A few minutes later, Ethan walked downstairs, now dressed in a white shirt over the pair of trousers he was already wearing. Isabella followed shortly after, still dressed in her silky night robe.

By then, Prince Rayleigh had also emerged after hearing the commotion. He had spent the night here, refusing to leave his girl’s side for even a second.

Together, they stepped outside to the sight of the King waiting with a full entourage of the Imperial Guard, all dressed in their uniforms.

Ethan’s summons were still in position, and the only reason they hadn’t reacted earlier to the arrival of the King and his men was because Eduardo had been the one to let them through himself.

Thankfully, his Super Hybrid summon, Andrea, had been stationed at the back of the house and was not within the King’s immediate sight.

That was the only summon Ethan had immediately undone the moment he learned the King was at his residence.

Carson knew his daughter, Andrea, was dead but had no idea she was one of Ethan’s summons.

Seeing the King here was enough to surprise everyone, especially Rayleigh and Isabella, who knew their father better than anyone. He almost never left the throne room unless something serious or important had happened.

Ethan found the situation unusual, but for some reason, the one who had most of his attention was the Hero, Dark Nova, who hovered slightly above the cars parked behind the King.

Isabella quickly stepped forward.

"Father..." she said, unable to hide the concern in her voice. "What happened? Why are you here?"

King Carson looked at the three of them before settling his gaze on Ethan. "I’m here for the demon girl, and it is not a matter for debate."