Ethan flew low across the ruined skyline, gripping the Bloodblade Ashura firmly in his right hand.

The crimson blade pulsed faintly, as if responding to his presence, resonating with the destructive energy coursing through his body.

Below him, players scattered across the city tried desperately to retaliate, unleashing their skills, spells, and abilities in chaotic succession.

None of it worked.

Fireballs shattered against an invisible barrier around Ethan. Arrows dissolved into ash before they could reach him.

Shockwaves meant to knock him off balance were cut apart midair by the pressure of his aura alone. The gap between their power and his was overwhelming.

Ethan swung his sword sideways in a clean, precise arc.

A crescent of red energy tore through the air.

"Crimson Slash."

The attack surged forward like a tidal wave of blood-red light, ripping through the city's defensive line.

Buildings split apart as if made of paper. Stone walls exploded outward, throwing debris in every direction.

The combined force of the city guild's formation barely managed to slow the attack, their defensive skills stacking on top of each other in a desperate attempt to block it.

At first, they held.

Then cracks began to appear.

The longer they resisted, the more unstable their formation became. Sweat poured down their faces.

Their mana reserves dropped at an alarming rate. Panic crept into their movements as they realized that Ethan wasn't even struggling.

Above them, Luna carried out her role flawlessly.

She raised her trident staff toward the sky, her silver hair fluttering violently as magic surged upward.

A pillar of dark mana pierced the clouds, twisting the atmosphere itself.

Black storm clouds began to gather, rolling in unnaturally fast, swallowing the blue sky whole.

The guild's team leader felt his heart sink.

His teammates were still holding Ethan back—barely—but his servant had chosen to attack the entire city instead.

The clouds thickened.

Blue lightning crashed down repeatedly, striking rooftops, streets, and defensive towers alike.

Each strike sent shockwaves through the ground, igniting screams of fear across the city.

The storm was not just an attack—it was a warning.

People began to panic.

Some dropped their weapons entirely. Others fell to their knees, begging.

"Please—don't kill us!"

"We surrender!"

"Stop! We'll give you everything!"

Before anyone could react further, a massive explosion rocked the city.

The blast was enormous. Entire blocks collapsed instantly, wood and stone flying into the air like shrapnel.

Dust and smoke filled the sky, obscuring everything.

When the dust settled, twelve members of the guild lay dead.

Eight others were injured—some severely—including the team leader himself.

He struggled to stand, forcing healing magic through his body, teeth clenched in pain. But before he could recover fully, the storm above changed again.

The black clouds began to release snow.

White snowflakes drifted down gently, almost beautiful in contrast to the devastation below.

The survivors stared upward in stunned silence.

They were curious.

Confused.

Then the snow touched their skin.

Instantly, ice spread across their bodies. Their limbs froze in place. Their breath caught in their throats as they were encased in ice, unable to move, unable to scream.

Panic spread like wildfire.

Despair followed soon after.

They finally understood.

They stood no chance against Ethan—or his servant.

The guild leader forced himself forward, ignoring the pain screaming through his body.

"I'll give you the Core Crystal," he shouted hoarsely. "And all of our city's resources. Just—just let the rest of my members live."

Luna clenched her hand, preparing to close it and end everything.

Before she could act, Ethan flew down and landed between them, raising his hand to stop her.

"They're surrendering," he said calmly.

Luna paused.

According to the rules, once surrender was declared, neither Ethan nor his servant had the right to kill them.

Ethan looked down at the guild leader.

"Hand everything over," he said firmly. "And I'll release your remaining members."

The man hesitated.

With trembling hands, he summoned the Core Crystal he had acquired barely fifteen minutes earlier.

Along with it, he produced a large chest filled with the city's stored resources.

Both items floated toward Ethan.

Ethan extended his hand and accepted them.

A familiar system message appeared before his eyes.

[Congratulations, you have obtained a Core Crystal!]

[Total Core Crystals: 2]

[City Ranking: 6th]

It seems not many guilds are using the same strategy as me.

Because their guild failed to protect their city's Core Crystal, they were immediately declared defeated.

All twenty-five members of the losing team were forcibly teleported back to the game world—including those who had already died.

However, the rules were merciless.

Death in the event meant death in the game world.

Those who had died returned as corpses.

Back at LionArk's headquarters, cheers erupted. Members shouted in excitement as they watched their guild's ranking rise into the top ten of the event.

For them, this was proof that their leader's strategy was working.

Elsewhere, Ashley watched silently alongside Jill and Ayaka.

She didn't like what she saw.

Not because of Ethan's strategy—but because of the casualties.

"If they had listened," Ashley said quietly, "those twelve people wouldn't have died for nothing."

"This is how the game is," Jill replied. "Inexperienced players get crushed."

"Maybe," Ayaka added thoughtfully, "the safety of everyone in this game rests in the hands of experienced players like Ethan."

Ashley glanced at her, then cleared her throat and focused back on the screen.

She watched LionArk coordinate smoothly on the first day of the event, their teamwork already solid.

Back on the Continent of Valor, Ethan hovered above the remains of the destroyed city.

Nothing was left.

Buildings had turned into rubble. The land itself had been scorched, the sand stained gray and mixed with ash. There was no sign that a city had ever stood there.

Ethan didn't stop.

He headed west.

Before long, he found another city, this one controlled by a guild from the western plains. They never expected his arrival.

When Ethan demanded their Core Crystal and resource chest, they refused outright and chose to fight.

He answered them with force.

Crimson Slashes tore through their streets, blowing buildings apart, sending people flying. Explosions echoed nonstop as panic consumed the city.

Nine players died.

The rest were injured—some lightly, others gravely. Their team leader, a woman, had no choice left.

She dropped to her knees and surrendered, offering the Core Crystal and the city's resources.

Ethan accepted them without deactivating Ashura Mode.

[Congratulations, you have obtained a Core Crystal!]

[Total Core Crystals: 3]

[City Ranking: 4th]

The moment the crystal was transferred, the woman's team was automatically declared defeated. They were all teleported out of the Continent of Valor.

The more resources I gather early on, the faster my city will develop.

Without hesitation, Ethan flew east.

One city remained near Lion City.

If he secured that area, Lion City would be safe from immediate threats. Scouting would still continue—it was mandatory—but the danger would be greatly reduced.

Suddenly, Ethan stopped midair.

People below looked up in shock.

They recognized him.

Ethan realized it quickly. His face—and his guild—were becoming widely known. Still, recognition didn't mean trust.

"If you know who I am," Ethan said calmly, "then you should know which alliance I belong to."

"Of course," someone replied. "You're the leader of the Eastern Alliance."

A woman stepped forward, wearing a green-and-white uniform. She stared upward at Ethan and his soul servant in awe.

"Sir Ethan," she greeted respectfully.

"What's the password?" Ethan asked.

"The Sun of Hope Always Rises in the East!" she answered firmly.

Ethan studied them for a moment, his gaze sharp.

Then he descended and landed on the ground.

He entered their city and shook hands with their team leader. They were non-permanent members of the Eastern Alliance, cooperating with other guilds to form an alliance force.

"It's an honor to meet you, Sir Ethan," the woman said.

"I'm glad you're safe," Ethan replied. "I've already handled the cities to the south and west. You don't need to worry."

"That's a relief."

She introduced herself as Luca. Her guild was called King Shark, working in cooperation with Trident Angel. Both originated from Seacrest.

"Good," Ethan said. "Maintain communication. Respect each other."

He explained that Lion City was located northeast of their position and asked them to send a scout there to improve coordination.

"We'll do that later, Sir Ethan."

"Sir Ethan," Luca called.

"Yes?"

"Can you give us some advice?" she asked. "We've never played a game like this before. We're afraid of making mistakes."

Ethan fell silent.

Everyone focused on him.

I'm not exactly an expert at RTS games myself.

Ethan had played a few RTS games on PC before, but he never stuck with them. They were boring, complicated, full of deception and overwhelming strategy.

Tower of Ascension was originally a VRMMORPG.

Very few players were truly skilled at RTS mechanics—especially resource management and army building.

Still, they were part of the Eastern Alliance.

They deserved help.

"You can start by scouting," Ethan said. "Send your soul servants to explore nearby areas for resources or enemy cities."

"There are two Eastern Alliance cities here. We can exchange information—scouting data, troops, research."

"Focus on building NPC workers to gather resources. Let one person manage them."

"Once you have enough resources, start building military barracks and forming an army."

Luca and the others listened carefully.

At first, she thought the event would be simple.

Now, it felt overwhelming.

"You're confused," Ethan said, nodding. "I expected that. No one thought Tower of Ascension would add RTS elements."

"It's fine," he continued calmly. "I'm here. If you need anything, come find me."

"We understand, Sir Ethan."

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