Not wanting to stay there any longer while many players were watching him, Ethan jumped off the roof and landed firmly on the ground, followed by the three members of the LionArk Guild.

Their destination was the southeastern forest, a place now filled with burnt and fallen trees, the land barren and empty of any kind of monster. The effect of Seraphelis's power was truly devastating.

Once they arrived, Ethan checked whether any players were trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. No one dared to.

Ethan stopped walking once they reached the forest, and the three players arrived a few seconds later.

All of them already knew what had happened in the southeastern forest. The news about the destruction of Silver Star's second team had spread everywhere.

Because there were so few witnesses, no one could be sure which guild had been brave enough to attack Silver Star.

In that sense, Ethan and Sword Liberation were quite lucky.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Ethan asked.

"You know about our guild leader, right?" the woman said. Ethan stayed silent.

"Two weeks ago, a man from Porco City came to join the LionArk Guild. Because of our situation, we had to lower the minimum recruitment standards so more players could join."

Ethan nodded. That was a smart move —Ashley needed to gather a large number of members first before worrying about quality.

Recruiting new people into LionArk was unavoidable.

"Back to that man. He came in, filled out the form to join, and asked to meet Miss Ashley," the woman continued.

"Who is he?" Ethan asked.

"Your friend, Leon."

"Leon?!" Ethan's eyes widened in shock.

Leon in LionArk? Wasn't he part of the Avalon Guild? Did he leave?

He had met Leon before. Ethan explained that Leon used to be his good friend and should still be part of Avalon, not LionArk.

The woman in front of him continued explaining everything she knew, saying Miss Ashley wanted her to tell Ethan personally.

"Sir Leon came to LionArk to meet you. Sooner or later, you would've gone back there anyway," the woman said.

Ethan couldn't believe Leon had rejoined LionArk and already spoke to Ashley. He guessed Leon must have told Ashley that Ethan Arkwright was still alive.

The woman fell silent, giving Ethan time to process the information.

If this EthanArk really was EthanAsh666, who had supposedly died two years ago, that meant Ethan was indeed their leader.

"Leon joined LionArk and talked with Ashley… Tell me, did you come to me because of Leon's information?" Ethan asked.

"Just as you thought, Ethan."

"Leon told Miss Ashley that EthanAsh666 was still alive under a different username. Since we've never met EthanAsh666 before, Ashley only passed along the name she got."

"That name was… EthanArk."

Ethan froze for a moment, then laughed under his white mask. He was overjoyed that Ashley knew he was still alive, thanks to Leon.

He was also deeply grateful —Leon had relieved Ashley's worries.

Now, his path back to LionArk was clearer. Once Ashley saw his face, she would take him back no matter what his PK status was.

With a deep breath, Ethan lowered the hood of his black cloak and removed his white mask. His face was now fully visible —sharp and calm, exactly the type Miss Ashley admired.

"So, you're the founder of LionArk?" the woman asked.

"I'm EthanArk, also known as Ethan Arkwright. I founded LionArk together with Ashley, Gordon, and Rick. You might know them by their usernames —AshleyLeon123, MagisterDao, and JohnRick01."

"Ah, yes. I know those names. MagisterDao and JohnRick01 used to be LionArk members," said one of the men from the team.

Ethan nodded. The fact that Gordon and Rick had betrayed LionArk was now undeniable. But Ethan knew Gordon —he wouldn't have betrayed the guild for selfish reasons.

Unlike Rick, who lacked conviction, Gordon was the analytical type, someone who could read situations clearly.

Losing Gordon was a heavy blow for LionArk. Without his strategies, the guild couldn't function as well.

"Miss Ashley will be happy to meet you, Sir Ethan," the woman said, introducing herself as Leni.

"Miss Ashley also asked us to remind you to keep your identity hidden, Sir. If the big guilds recognize your face, they might destroy LionArk faster," Leni warned.

"I know."

Ethan pulled his hood and mask back on. He felt content and relieved after hearing all that. Meeting them and gathering information would be a huge help.

"There's one more reason we came to meet you, Sir," Leni continued.

"What is it?"

Leni paused for a moment, glancing at her two companions for approval. Both men nodded, giving her the signal to continue.

Ethan listened carefully as Leni explained Ashley's current situation. His heart burned with rage —his fists clenched tightly, and his eyes sharpened with anger.

Seeing his reaction, Leni knew it was natural. Anyone would react like that to such a situation.

"If in this tournament LionArk ranks below Silver Star, then Mavelard will fall into Silver Star's hands and Miss Ashley… will have to marry Silver Star's deputy guild," Leni said.

Ethan took a few deep breaths, trying to calm his anger. The guild's situation was desperate, and it was no surprise other guilds tried to exploit them.

This challenge was LionArk's last stand —to defend both their city and their pride.

"If I have to kill the Silver Star team, then I'll do it," Ethan said firmly.

"That won't be easy," Leni replied.

"Hard?" Ethan asked.

Leni nodded. The destruction of Silver Star's second team had caused the Big Three guilds to form a main alliance.

That alliance existed to protect one another and wipe out anyone outside of it.

"Did LionArk join that alliance?" Ethan asked. Leni shook her head.

"Most rank-B guilds were rejected. LionArk was denied because of the challenge from Silver Star," she explained.

Ethan nodded again. He still had about twenty-five days before the Thousand Stars Event ended, and sixteen days before the Talent Quest expired.

Once he finished the Talent Quest, he'd have ten full days to unleash chaos.

"Where are they? I haven't seen any big guilds in Arkan City," Ethan said.

"There's a city with a castle up north. It's called Uruk City —named after the legendary Uruk because of its grandeur."

"So, Sword Redemption is Gilgamesh?" Ethan asked. Leni nodded. It was an accurate comparison —both Sword Redemption and Gilgamesh were powerful.

"I don't care how strong Sword Redemption is. I'm not afraid."

"There's still plenty of time to save LionArk. If you're willing to follow my plan, I'll help you," Ethan said.

Leni and her two companions smiled. All three of them immediately knelt down, bowing their heads respectfully before him.

"We're ready to follow the orders of the Grand Guild Leader."

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