Ethan stayed quiet for a moment, his eyes fixed on the island in the middle of the lake. Something about this place felt strange.

He couldn't explain why, but he had the eerie feeling that something deep within the lake was watching him.

Right now, he stood some distance away from the edge. Vio was nearby, occasionally glancing at Ethan, whose face was uncovered.

From his inventory, Ethan pulled out a piece of meat and held it in his right hand. With a strong swing, he threw it toward the lake, hoping something would take the bait.

The ground around the lake trembled. The once calm surface turned violent, waves rising high.

Vio panicked and jumped back, retreating all the way to the edge of the dead forest. But Ethan stood firm, unmoving.

The chunk of meat he had thrown was devoured by a massive black catfish that burst out of the lake. The sight reminded Ethan of whales leaping from the ocean.

The giant catfish swallowed the meat whole and dove back underwater. Judging by its size, Ethan could already guess how deep the lake must be.

"W-What was that?!" Vio gasped, her voice trembling.

"A rare kind of giant fish monster. I've fought something like it before. That one's probably around level 300 to 350."

"L-Level 300? But isn't the maximum monster level only 100?" Vio asked.

Her question made sense. She had seen the monster records her guild kept—the strongest one they had ever fought was level 89.

"No. I can't say for sure what the highest level is. Maybe 500, maybe more," Ethan said calmly.

He turned toward Vio, who still looked pale just from imagining how terrifying that creature was.

If they tried to reach the island, that giant catfish could swallow them whole. That would be the worst death she could think of.

"Vio," Ethan called.

"Yeah?" she asked softly, eyes wide.

"Let's go."

Ethan walked back into the dead forest, not running. Vio stayed by the edge, staring at the lake in shock.

When the catfish's whiskers broke the surface again, her fear grew worse. She hurried to follow Ethan, leaving the lake behind.

Time passed. Ethan had been away from the village for hours. He didn't know how Leon would react to his sudden disappearance.

As they walked through the forest, Vio kept asking questions. Ethan's calmness and awareness convinced her he wasn't a beginner.

He must have played this game for years. His experience let him tell danger from safety. Without Ethan, she might have carelessly swum across the lake and died instantly.

"What guild are you from?" Vio asked.

Ethan stayed silent, not answering. But Vio went on to reveal that she was from Scavenger—a name that made Ethan raise an eyebrow. Scavenger was one of LionArk's rival guilds.

Even so, Ethan could tell she wasn't an important member. Most likely, she was just one of the lower guild players sent by their officers to explore the Tower and gain contribution points.

The Scavenger core team? Ethan doubted they were still on the first floor. As one of the Big Three guilds, their main forces had to be far above floor fifty.

"Where are your friends?" Ethan asked, glancing at her.

"There were five of us. One died in a floor boss fight, and the other three stayed at the village."

Ethan kept walking through the forest. "You're the party leader?"

"Hmm."

That explained a lot—why she was obsessed with becoming stronger, especially after failing to save her teammate.

"I don't want any more of my friends to die. That's why I—"

"Stop!" someone shouted.

A spear struck the ground right in front of Vio, startling her. Reacting to the threat, she summoned her sword, ready to fight.

Ethan turned around, raising his own weapon as he slowly stepped beside Vio.

From the darkness between the dead trees, five men emerged, their eyes cold and sharp. Ethan narrowed his gaze.

Blood-Cursed Tribe!

"You've entered our sacred land," one of them said, "You must face punishment."

"Sacred land? You mean that lake?" Vio asked.

"Yes."

"We didn't do anything. We didn't take anything. Why punish us for that?"

"Our sacred lake is only for our tribe elders. You are not one of them," the man replied sternly.

He gestured to his men, who raised their wooden spears toward Ethan and Vio, forcing them to move along.

Ulrich once mentioned that in the western forest, there was a red dot marking a Tower Artifact's location.

If it wasn't the island in the lake, then it had to be this Blood-Cursed Tribe village.

"Lower your weapons. We'll go with you," Ethan said, surprising Vio.

"What? Are you crazy? They're the enemy! Do you even know what kind of punishment they'll give us?" Vio shouted in panic.

"No."

"You don't need to worry. As long as I'm here, we'll be fine," Ethan said firmly.

Vio looked at his serious expression. She had no idea what he was planning, but if Ethan really had a way to keep them alive, she would follow his lead.

She sheathed her sword, and Ethan did the same.

[Mode Tempest Deactivated]

With their weapons down, the tribe warriors surrounded them tightly as they walked. Four of them kept their spears pointed at Ethan and Vio, making escape impossible.

Ethan had fought some of them before outside their territory, but he hadn't seen their village until now.

They left the dead forest and arrived at a traditional settlement—houses made of wood, roofs thatched with straw. Most of the villagers were asleep; only a few guards remained awake.

Ethan and Vio looked around. The place felt ancient yet balanced, their way of life still rooted in nature.

They were forced to kneel in an open area facing a large stilt house. One of the warriors entered to call the tribe's leader.

Ethan expected an old, strict, and temperamental man. But instead, a seventeen-year-old girl stepped out, descending the wooden stairs.

Two women escorted her, four men guarded her closely. A wooden crown rested on her head, and she held a staff shaped like a magic rod.

She's the tribe leader? Too young…

"Do you know what mistake you've made?" the girl asked, her snake-like pupils glinting as she looked at Ethan.

"The lake… we didn't know it was your sacred place," Ethan replied.

"You should've put up a warning sign," he added dryly.

"You!" one of the men shouted, thrusting his spear toward Ethan's neck.

"Your face… I've seen you before," the man said, squinting.

Ethan smirked, glancing up at him. "How's the girl named Nok doing?"

"You… you're the man who holds Lord Gor's sword?!" the man yelled again.

The snake-eyed girl's expression changed completely—her eyes widened, glowing brighter in shock.

She hadn't expected that the man her guards had captured would be the one destined by fate.

Her face flushed red. She turned her head aside, avoiding Ethan's gaze.

"What are you doing here? Are you planning to destroy our village and sacred place?" she demanded.

"You brought us here," Ethan replied calmly, "So maybe you should be the one who knows why we're here."

Vio kept listening to their exchange, not sure what Ethan was plotting. But from the way he spoke, she could tell he was clever… and cunning.

"Nok is my sister—well, my cousin," the girl finally said.

"Can you show me Lord Gor's sword?"

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