Once Ethan made his decision, he didn't linger.
He immediately issued the order for Emerald Castle's entire army to withdraw.
They'd reinforced that dimensional passage long ago—solid enough that even massive fleets could pass through it. Now it finally paid off. As the command spread, the troops tightened formation and pulled back in waves, retreating in large groups along the now-stabilized corridor.
It didn't take long.
The entire army successfully crossed the dimensional space.
When they reappeared, they were already back near Emerald Castle.
Ethan's emotions were still riding the post-battle high.
The haul from that fight had blown past anything he'd expected. On Emerald Castle's side, nearly everyone was holding a dozen or more powerful energy cores. In their palms, the cores gave off steady, weighty pulses, faintly resonating with one another until even the air around them felt heavier.
