Ethan turned his head slightly and signaled to the bartender to prepare a bottle of beer for Eric. He did not mind at all.

One bottle of beer was far cheaper than the kind of information Eric possessed about the Shadow Guild.

The man behind the bar nodded without hesitation. He popped the cap open and slid the bottle across the counter toward Eric.

Naturally, Eric had no intention of refusing it. He wrapped his fingers around the cold glass and took a slow drink, as if savoring more than just the taste.

"So?" Ethan asked calmly.

Eric lowered the bottle. "Who am I supposed to tell?"

Ethan shifted his gaze and pointed toward Ayaka.

Ayaka stiffened slightly when Eric's masked face turned toward her. The man calling himself Eric carried an unsettling presence.

His face was hidden behind a mask, his identity unknown, and his manner of speaking made it difficult to read his intentions.

Still, she noticed how naturally Ethan interacted with him. There was no hostility, no tension.

Just two men exchanging information like old acquaintances.

That alone made her hesitate. Maybe Eric really was someone Ethan trusted.

Maybe he truly had come to help deal with the Shadow Guild.

Eric remained silent. He opened a chat panel in front of him and typed calmly, then sent the forwarded message directly to Ayaka.

Ayaka felt a vibration. She opened the message.

Her eyes widened slightly as she read through the contents. The message contained detailed information about the Shadow Guild's nearest planned operation.

The name of the plan, the personnel assigned to it, the location, the exact timing, and even the intended target were listed clearly.

It was too detailed. Too precise.

Ayaka absorbed everything, but she did not immediately trust it. According to the message, the Shadow Guild's plan would be executed one week from now.

"Is that all?" Ayaka asked, lifting her gaze.

Eric raised the bottle slightly. "Another bottle for the second piece of information."

"You really are a damn drunk," Ayaka complained.

This time, it was not Ethan but Ayaka herself who paid for Eric's next bottle. The bartender nodded enthusiastically.

He was clearly benefiting from this strange exchange of information, even if he had no interest in what they were actually discussing.

"Tell them everything, Eric," the bartender said with a grin. "So I can make a big profit tonight."

"I could die if I drink all your bottles," Eric replied dryly.

The second bottle was opened, even though the first one in Eric's hand was not yet empty.

Moments later, Ayaka received a second forwarded message.

This one contained details of another Shadow Guild plan, one that would take place in Kuniko.

Ayaka froze.

The first plan was located in Porco. The second was in Kuniko. The distance between the two locations would normally take about five days to travel.

Her fingers tightened around the device.

"Can this really be trusted?" Ayaka asked quietly.

Ethan said nothing. He simply looked at her.

The expression on Ayaka's face was exactly the same as the one Ethan himself had worn the first time he received those messages.

Doubt mixed with shock. Suspicion battling against the undeniable weight of the information.

Back then, Ethan had not trusted Eric either.

But after further investigation, everything Eric said had proven to be true. Every Shadow Guild plan had been intercepted.

Every potential disaster had been prevented. Chaos never had the chance to erupt.

For Ayaka, it was now only a matter of time and conviction.

There was still one full week left. More than enough time for her to verify the Shadow Guild's movements.

"A third bottle?" Ethan asked casually.

"For now, that's all," Eric replied.

"I don't know why they've been easing their activities ever since the pre-event was announced," Eric continued.

So Mr. X really is tied to one of the major guilds.

That conclusion made sense. The Guild of Champions event was far too important. Every guild wanted the best possible results, especially the large ones.

Silver Star was trying to reclaim its former glory through the event.

Scavenger, on the other hand, was determined to maintain its reputation as one of the guilds that always mattered in major competitions.

"He's too busy with the event," Ethan said calmly. "He can't manage both the event and his guild at the same time."

"You'll meet him," Eric replied. "He might know who you are, but you won't know him."

"I'll kill everyone in Silver Star and Scavenger," Ethan said firmly. "That's the only way to stop all this chaos."

Eric nodded slowly.

He would wait for that moment to arrive. It was something he had been anticipating for a long time. Handling Mr. X alone had never been easy for him.

That was why he had asked Ethan for help.

Ethan's name was already known everywhere, especially after he destroyed Silver Town.

If Ethan could bring down an entire city with ease, then dealing with a guild would not be a problem.

There was nothing left to discuss.

Ethan and Ayaka took their leave. Eric acknowledged them and waved them off, too busy finishing his two bottles of beer to care much.

The two of them walked away from the bar, stepping onto the streets of the western district of Ring 3.

The area was quiet. No one followed them, even though Ethan noticed the anxious look on Ayaka's face.

"Even though this place is deserted, there's no crime waiting for us," Ethan said calmly.

Ayaka nodded.

Ethan was walking beside her. He was the ruler of the city. No criminal foolish enough would dare challenge him openly.

They continued walking, leaving the western district of Ring 3 and entering Ring 2. From there, they headed straight toward the city center.

Their steps stopped in front of a luxurious hotel. It was a place where guild representatives stayed and relaxed during their visits to the city.

"Get some rest," Ethan said.

"I still don't trust that man," Ayaka replied. "I mean, he wears a mask, his identity is a mystery. How am I supposed to trust him?"

"The only way to know if he's lying is to investigate the Shadow Guild's plans."

"Contact Kevin from Avalon," Ethan added. "Work with him."

"That makes sense," Ayaka said after a moment. "I'll have to cooperate with him if I want to prove this. Porco is outside my authority anyway."

The night grew deeper. Women lined up along the streets, waiting for players to hire their services. Ethan glanced at them briefly and realized it was almost midnight.

"I can't stay long," he said. "Ashley might be worried."

"Thank you, Ethan," Ayaka said sincerely.

"Of course."

***

One week later.

A major meeting of the Eastern Alliance was held.

Ashley and Ethan attended as representatives of LionArk. Many guild representatives listened attentively as they stood at the front of the hall.

Ethan explained the plan that had already been agreed upon by the five permanent members of the Eastern Alliance.

Many representatives from non-permanent member guilds expressed interest in participating in the Guild of Champions event.

Most of them planned to cooperate with other guilds by forming alliance teams. Ethan had no objections. In fact, he welcomed the idea.

"I won't force any of you to join," Ethan said. "And I won't restrict your team standards."

"But if you need help, the five permanent alliance members will assist you."

The hall grew noisy with excitement. Enthusiasm filled the air. Faces lit up with determination and hope.

Ashley felt her chest tighten slightly.

She could see the revival of the eastern plains reflected in the faces of the Eastern Alliance members.

EthanArk's name was already known by many. And now, that same man was successfully uniting everyone under his grand vision.

Without Ethan, Ashley doubted this alliance would even exist. And even if it did, she was certain it would never be this strong.

The meeting ended with a clear conclusion. Ethan allowed every non-permanent guild in the Eastern Alliance to participate freely.

He also assigned guilds that chose not to join the event to secure the territory during the event period.

Ashley and Ayaka were appointed as Chairwoman and Vice Chairwoman of the Regional Security Team.

He instructed all participating guilds to submit their team rosters no later than seven days before the event began next month.

That way, Team LionArk and the others would know who they were dealing with once the event started.

One by one, the representatives left the City Hall. They did not return to their cities right away.

Instead, they focused on forming partnerships with other guilds.

They talked, negotiated, and decided who they would ally with during the event. Ethan gave them full freedom to build the best teams they could.

Gregor approached and stopped in front of Ashley and Ethan's table.

The man expressed his gratitude clearly. The equipment discounts and subsidies provided by LionArk had made a huge difference for his guild.

Thanks to those policies, they were able to improve far beyond what they had ever imagined.

"I'm glad we could help," Ashley said warmly.

"The competition in the Guild of Champions event will be brutal," Ethan added. "Improving your strength as a team is not optional."

"You don't need to worry," Gregor said confidently. "The winner of this event will definitely be LionArk. I'm sure of it."

"No," Ethan replied.

"No?" Gregor asked, confused.

Ethan stood up from his seat. He looked at Gregor and the other guild leaders with unwavering resolve.

"LionArk's victory," he said firmly, "will be the victory of the Eastern Plains."

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