CHAPTER 89: FIRST DAY OF GREAT BATTLE

The day turned from evening to night, and Ethan felt a sense of freedom being alone.

Now, he was resting in the middle of the forest, accompanied by the light of a campfire that illuminated the dark woods.

He had already done what needed to be done with LionArk. According to Ethan, many guild teams from the Northern Guild Alliance would soon come to hunt him.

The top three positions can’t be disturbed by anyone. I’m sure that’s reason enough for them to come after me and Sword Liberation.

They might attack from the south, but they won’t expect a strong enemy waiting to crush them from behind.

So far, the plan is going just as I hoped.

Ethan picked up a wooden stick and ate the grilled fish he had caught from the river. There were three fish in total, all for him—catfish.

Just as he was having his dinner, Ethan faintly heard a sound coming from ahead. His eyes narrowed, watching closely.

"So this is where you’ve been hiding, Ethan."

Ethan stopped eating when he saw a team approaching him. They wore green uniforms with yellow patterns—clearly from a northern guild.

"So, you’re members of the Northern Guild Alliance sent to target me?" Ethan asked.

"By the order of Lord Gilgamesh, we’ve come to attack you."

"Before we fight, there’s something I want to ask," Ethan said, setting aside his stick of grilled fish.

"What is it?"

"What order did your alliance leader give you?" Ethan asked.

"You don’t need to know!" one of them shouted.

Ethan sighed softly, then nodded in understanding. He drew his sword and stood tall.

There were five people standing before him, their average level around forty-eight.

That made things easier—Ethan’s level was higher than all of them.

He lunged forward, swinging his sword sideways, diagonally, and spinning in a wide arc. He also added a few piercing thrusts aimed straight at his enemies.

They were struck by Ethan’s attacks, their HP dropping rapidly as it was absorbed into Ethan’s own. He smiled broadly, realizing their power was much weaker than he expected.

Fighting them isn’t like fighting Heaven Sword. These five are much easier to handle.

The five jumped back, wounded, clutching at the cuts on their bodies. One of them, a priest, rushed to heal the others.

"He’s too strong," one of the assassins muttered.

"What should we do?" asked the female mage.

"We retreat. At least we can report that Ethan is here," said the warrior, and the others quickly obeyed.

Not wanting to keep fighting Ethan, the five turned and jumped deep into the forest, trying to escape. Ethan had already expected them to run.

He didn’t want the fight to end for nothing. He sprinted forward, leaping across branches, and swung his sword sideways to unleash a crimson and red lightning slash.

BLAST!

The attack hit them, exploding with a burst of crimson smoke that shot toward the sky. One by one, they fell to the ground, badly injured. None of them could be saved.

Ethan landed and went straight for the female priest first. He swung his sword, slashing her neck, and her HP drained rapidly until she died.

"P-Please... forgive us," begged the warrior.

Ethan didn’t listen. He walked toward each of them one by one and killed them instantly.

Four of them were dead, leaving only one man still barely alive. He was lying helplessly on the ground, his face pale, his right arm blown off from the explosion.

"Do you have anything to tell me before you die?" Ethan asked coldly.

"Redemption Sword. Scavenger. Silver Star. Those three guilds are after you now," the warrior said weakly. Ethan smiled behind his black mask.

"I know."

SLASH!

Ethan swung his sword, cutting the man’s neck deeply. The wound was fatal, and death came quickly.

At last, the man died, his body turning into particles of magic that floated into the sky.

When the warrior died, Ethan’s attention shifted to the ground. There, he saw a pile of Star Essence scattered from the five who had just died.

[Thousand Stars Event:]

[Team Name: Sword Liberation]

[Rank: 3]

[Star Essence: 155,818]

Ethan had gained about 8,580 Star Essence from that five-person team. He smiled, though the amount was still less than what he wanted.

"My targets are the guilds ranked five through ten. They have enough Star Essence to keep Sword Liberation and LionArk in the top three."

"But fighting Heaven Sword yesterday was already tough. I’ll have to kill them quickly," Ethan muttered.

After finishing the fight, Ethan returned to his campfire to rest. The three grilled catfish were still there, untouched, though his stomach had been growling during the battle.

That night, Ethan rested safely without any disturbances.

***

Seven Days Before the Event Ends.

Central Forest.

Ethan sat quietly, wearing his black cloak and the same black mask on his face. He crouched high on a tree branch, far above where any other player could reach.

From there, he clearly saw many players sweeping the area below. But Ethan couldn’t yet tell which guild they belonged to or how strong they were.

"Neryss. Jack!"

[Aggressive Mode Soul Servant]

[Neryss Abyssborn (Lv.1) || SR Rank || Passive → Aggressive || 1000 MP]

[Jack Spearsun (Lv.1) || A Rank || Passive → Aggressive || 250 MP]

After receiving Ethan’s command, Neryss and Jack responded immediately. Their bodies glowed brightly with different lights, and soon their forms changed into adult versions.

"Don’t attack yet. Wait for my order."

Neryss and Jack nodded, fully understanding what they needed to do. Ethan took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly before descending from the highest branch using his ultimate skill.

He landed hard on the ground, right in the middle of the players below. They froze in shock, unable to dodge, and were struck by a fatal blow from Ethan’s attack.

They died instantly from the massive damage of Ethan’s ultimate skill, prompting other players nearby to ready themselves.

[Passive Skill Activated: Intimidate]

Not only had his ultimate skill activated, but Ethan’s Intimidate passive skill also triggered, forcing many players to kneel under the crushing gravity around him.

"Neryss. Jack! You may attack now," Ethan commanded firmly.

Both soul servants obeyed immediately, launching spells at the players.

Because of the Intimidate passive, many players struggled to move or defend themselves.

Several died under the combined assault of Neryss and Jack.

Ethan also joined the fight, releasing crimson slashes that cut through multiple enemies.

There were fifteen players in total, nine of whom were caught in the radius of Ethan’s passive skill. Seven of those nine died under the relentless attacks from Ethan, Neryss, and Jack.

Fortunately for Ethan, those seven belonged to the same guild team. When he killed them all, he received the Star Essence they had collected.

As the Intimidate effect ended, the two remaining survivors fled back to their team for safety. Ethan reached out his hand, gathering the fallen Star Essence.

"Neryss. Jack. Kill them all," Ethan ordered sharply.

The two soul servants obeyed, rushing forward to attack the eight who were still alive. Ethan stayed still, his right hand gripping the glowing Star Essence.

[Thousand Stars Event]

[Team Name: Sword Liberation]

[Rank: 3]

[Star Essence: 163,469]

Still not enough. I need more.

Where did the top ten guilds go? Why am I only finding low-ranked ones here?