CHAPTER 102: NIGHT FULL OF STARS AT LIONARK

***

Five hours later.

The forest near the city of Mavelard.

Ethan walked alone through the forest, always alert for monsters that might attack him.

During his walk, he kept his Bloodblade Ashura ready, staying cautious in case any aggressive monsters tried to ambush him.

However, from the village all the way to the edge of the forest, he didn’t encounter a single monster or player. He was completely alone in the woods.

The drowsiness lingered, but Ethan forced himself to stay awake and focused.

After five hours of walking, Ethan finally reached the end of the forest. In front of him stood a large city built upon wide plains, its thick walls lined with towering watchtowers.

The proud flag of LionArk waved above the walls, the towers, and the front gate. Ethan nearly shed tears, his heart pounding as he realized he had finally come home.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan hid his Bloodblade Ashura and walked forward. Ahead of him were two gate guards, both members of LionArk.

Their attention shifted when they saw a man emerging from the forest. They immediately drew their weapons —one with a sword, the other with a bow.

"Stop!" one of them shouted.

Ethan reflexively stopped when he heard the command. One of the guards looked at his username, then quickly ran back into the city to inform their commander about EthanArk’s return.

The other guard carefully approached Ethan, sword raised as he spoke.

"What do you want, Ethan?" he asked.

"I just want to visit the city. It’s already late, and I need a place to stay," Ethan replied.

"You’re not planning to kill anyone, are you?"

"I kill when I have to."

Soon after, the archer returned with another man —the division commander. Ethan narrowed his eyes. He had never seen this man before.

Did Ashley appoint him recently?

The man was a warrior-class player named Arnold, level forty-eight. Ethan couldn’t understand how a level forty-eight player could be a division commander, but he didn’t bother questioning it.

"What do you want, criminal?!" Arnold barked.

"I just want to come in and rest for the night. That’s all."

"You sure about that?" Arnold pressed.

"Y-Yeah."

"I don’t believe him!" one of the guards snapped.

"Let’s capture him and bring him before Miss Ashley," another added.

Ethan smiled. Just before they could attack, he knelt on the ground, raised his hands, and surrendered.

"I surrender... please, take me to your honorable Guild Master of LionArk," he said.

Arnold felt suspicious, but he decided to keep a close eye on Ethan. He wasn’t going to let him cause chaos in the city like he once did in Nile City and Porco City.

Ethan’s wrists and neck were chained with iron cuffs. One guard held the chain and led him toward the city.

Luckily for Ethan, it was nearly half past three in the morning, so not many players were awake.

A few who were still up quickly turned their attention toward him.

"LionArk is amazing! They caught Ethan alive."

"No wonder they won the Thousand Stars Event. LionArk’s glory will rise again."

"I’m leaving my old guild tomorrow and joining LionArk."

Ethan looked at them, smiling faintly and nodding. The status of LionArk as the number-one guild after the Thousand Stars Event had brought them fame and credibility.

Many players had left their old guilds to join LionArk. Their numbers grew rapidly in just one day after the event ended.

"Looks like your guild’s been getting a lot busier lately. Am I right?" Ethan joked.

"Yeah, since Miss Leni and her team won the Thousand Stars Event, a lot of players have joined LionArk."

"Huh? Why am I even talking to you?" the man blurted, shocked.

Ethan only smiled and kept walking, following where the man led him. Arnold walked in front, while three other LionArk members stayed behind Ethan —a very tight escort for one man.

They stopped in front of the LionArk Guild Headquarters. Ethan looked up, feeling nostalgic; every detail of the building still looked the same as before.

The five-story structure remained the tallest in the city, unmatched in its grandeur.

Ethan walked inside as the man in front tugged his chain. He still remembered what each floor was used for.

The first floor was the main hall, used for guild meetings with the officers or to receive guests.

The second floor was the banquet hall for important visitors.

The third floor was the guild’s administration office.

The fourth floor was the officers’ workspace.

And the fifth floor — the guild master’s office and personal quarters.

Since Ashley wasn’t in the hall, they had to bring Ethan to her office on the fifth floor.

Using the elevator, they reached it faster than taking the stairs.

Arnold glanced back, uneasy. It was strange that Ethan didn’t resist or fight back, even though he had to know Ashley would likely kill him for his crimes.

"Miss Ashley," Arnold called, not bothering to knock.

"Yes?"

"It’s me Arnold. I brought in a criminal — he seemed to be planning some trouble in the city."

"A criminal? Bring him in," Ashley ordered.

Arnold obeyed, opening the door and leading Ethan inside.

As Ethan stepped in, Ashley stood with her blue ice sword in hand —a legendary weapon of immense power.

"By the way, that’s a nice sword," Ethan said casually.

"Ethan?!" Ashley gasped.

"H-Hello, Miss Ashley," Ethan greeted, waving slightly.

"Hahaha!"

Hearing Ashley laugh like that confused Arnold and the others. But seeing her expression, they quickly understood why she reacted that way.

"I’ll handle this from here. You can all leave," Ashley said.

Arnold nodded, and the others followed him out. Once the door closed, Ashley cut through Ethan’s chains with precision, freeing him.

Finally, Ethan could remove his cloak and black mask, relaxing in her presence.

"What brings you here, Ethan? You surprised me," Ashley said as she went to her drink cabinet, taking out her favorite bottle of wine. She poured a glass for herself and one for Ethan.

"Class Advancement," he replied.

"Oh, so you’ve reached level 60?"

"62, actually."

"That’s impressive. I didn’t expect your leveling progress to be this fast," Ashley said, smiling.

"Thanks. I’ve been getting lucky lately."

"Class Advancement is done at the city cathedral. You already know that, right?" she asked.

Ethan cleared his throat and nodded —he knew exactly what she meant.

There was no rule forbidding PK-status players from taking Class Advancement, so Ethan could do it tomorrow after a good night’s rest.

He glanced at the desk beside her, stacked with papers waiting for Ashley’s approval and guild seal.

"You’ve been working alone lately. No wonder you look overwhelmed," Ethan said, setting down his glass and picking up one of the documents.

Ashley smiled faintly, admitting she had struggled at first but had grown used to the workload.

Ethan felt proud of her —she had become a woman worth admiring and respecting.

"I’ll bring LionArk back to its glory. The Thousand Stars Event was just the beginning of our comeback," Ethan said, turning toward her.

His eyes widened when he saw Ashley holding a pink feather from her inventory. Her face flushed red, her gaze soft as she looked at him with warmth and affection.

The glowing orb from the pink feather floated toward Ethan as Ashley spoke his username aloud.

When the orb entered his body, Ethan felt a wave of burning heat surging through him.

The glass in his hand shattered as his body grew warm, his face flushed, and a strange sensation spread through him.

He had felt this before —but back then, he had rejected it. Now, he looked ahead and saw the pink system panel appear before his eyes, decorated with hearts and flowers.

[AshleyLeon123 has chosen you]

[Proceed?] [Y/N]

Ethan stood still, then slowly exhaled. Ashley was the woman he cared about —the one he had loved for a long time, even before his death.

To do this with her... it feels like a dream come true.

In the end, Ethan pressed [Yes].

Their bond connected through a crimson thread of light as Ashley quietly locked the door.

That night became something special —a moment filled with warmth, longing, and love that neither of them would ever forget.

From that night on, the two of them grew closer —inseparable, bound by the feelings they had both carried for so long.