CHAPTER 96: EVENT IS OVER!

Leni, who was floating beside Ethan, could not see his reaction, not his expression or his posture. She also could not hear what he was saying.

Within seconds, Ethan and Leni arrived at the white altar bathed in a pillar of white light.

They were not alone. Other players were there as well. The people standing outside the white altar were those who had lost the event.

Ethan could see Gilgamesh, Alan, and Kevin out there, along with thousands of their guild members.

They focused all their attention forward, staring at Ethan with pure hatred.

Ethan narrowed his eyes and clearly saw them, on very high alert.

Not only them, Ethan also saw Lara and the others who had come and were standing outside the white altar.

He looked their way. Lara still glared at him with hate, a hate Ethan considered understandable.

[Congratulations to the 7,800 guild teams that survived until the end of the event]

[You are entitled to participation rewards:]

[+15,000 EXP || +15,000 Gold || 20 Silver Key || 5 Golden Key]

Ethan’s EXP increased. This was the first time again, after 20 days in the event without hunting EXP and Gold.

Level increases past level 50 required a lot of EXP. For example, Ethan needed about 25,000 EXP to reach level 61.

Putting that aside, his level was high and he had many things to do, such as Class Advancement, changing skills, adding a fourth skill, upgrading levels and his soul servant, buying equipment, and finding a way to save Luna.

[Private Side-Mission delayed!]

[Subject is out of Host range]

[Private Side-Mission canceled if Subject does not return near Host within 180 days]

Besides the participation reward panel, Ethan also carefully saw that Luna’s private side-mission had been delayed.

Ethan was glad it was only delayed and not canceled. Still, the mission would be canceled if he did not rescue Luna within 180 days, about six months.

I have to find information to trick the system and save Luna from the Thousand Stars event world.

Now a large panel appeared before Ethan and all the players who had survived the event.

The system panel displayed the final guild rankings for the event. The results were pleasing for LionArk and several other guilds, but not for the Big Three Guilds.

[Congratulations to the guild teams that reached the Top 10 of the Thousand Stars Event]

[Reward chests are only given to those who survived until the end of the event]

[Rewards:]

[Rank 1: 100,000 EXP || 50,000 Gold || 1x Legendary Equipment and Weapon Chest || 1x Soul Servant SSR Chest || 1x Crystal Spirit Epic Chest]

[Rank 2: 50,000 EXP || 25,000 Gold || 1x Legendary Equipment and Weapon Chest || 1x Soul Servant SR Chest || 1x Crystal Rare Chest]

[Rank 3: 25,000 EXP || 15,000 Gold || 1x Epic Equipment and Weapon Chest || 1x Soul Servant SR Chest || 1x Crystal Rare Chest]

The Star Essence that had been in Ethan’s inventory floated up to the big panel.

Final rankings appeared. LionArk got first place, Sword Liberation was second, and another guild took third.

Because LionArk placed first, Leni and the others received their rewards. But there were specific criteria for those rewards.

Only members of LionArk who had survived until the end were entitled to the reward chests. Those who had not survived only got EXP and Gold.

Since only Leni had survived alone until the event ended, she alone was entitled to all the reward chests.

Ethan was in the same situation. He was the only one from Sword Liberation who had survived, so Lara and the others only received EXP and Gold.

Even so, the amount of EXP and Gold they got was more than enough to level them up many times.

Ethan also gained levels from the EXP he received. The 50,000 EXP he got would at least help raise his level by two levels.

[Congratulations, you have leveled up]

[Name: EthanArk]

[Level: 60 → 62]

[EXP: 222,073/231,550] [AP: 60]

Ethan looked shocked and surprised. He had not expected to get so many attribute points.

As far as he remembered, he had 10 AP before, and after leveling up his attribute points increased to 60.

That meant his attribute points rose by 25 when leveling above 60. That would greatly help his status attributes.

[Congratulations, you received items]

[+25,000 Gold || 1x Legendary Equipment and Weapon Chest || 1x Soul Servant SR Chest || 1x Crystal Rare Chest]

I guess I can’t choose whether I get legendary equipment or a legendary weapon. Still, this is better than nothing.

Applause echoed around as many lower-ranked guilds felt impressed by LionArk.

They had lost to the top guilds in battle, but in the event LionArk had helped, guided, and trained them a lot.

Leni and LionArk deserved praise for their performance in the event. Leni actually wanted to tell everyone that Ethan was the MVP, but Ethan shook his head and refused.

People would not trust Ethan, especially since his status included PK and many other players hated him.

Asking them to admire a killer like Ethan was not a good idea.

Other LionArk members entered the white altar and congratulated Leni. Many players from low-rank guilds did the same. They thanked Leni and LionArk.

Ethan’s steps stopped when Lara, Nuwa, Celica, and Luca came up to him. Ethan turned. He still wore his black mask and did not show his real face.

"What the hell was that plan of yours?" Lara snapped.

"I had to do it so you would hate me. That makes you feel relieved when you let me go." Ethan answered.

"If I told you I would attack the Big Three Guild teams by myself, you would either stop me or come with me," he added.

"That would be really troublesome for me," Ethan said.

Lara and the others were silent for a moment. They had formed bad assumptions.

Ethan’s attack on Lara earlier in Arkan City was meant to plant hatred among them.

If they hated Ethan, they would not feel burdened if he left.

That was what Ethan had done to reduce their burden. Ethan could not fight the big guilds while protecting his friends.

After explaining a lot, Lara sighed and apologized. Ethan did not need to accept their apology.

It was a consequence he had to accept for carrying out such a crazy plan.

"Leave Sword Liberation and join LionArk. Say you joined on my recommendation. Leni will accept you," Ethan explained.

Lara smiled. She realized that guild competition was getting more serious.

It would not be good to stay in a low-level guild that could not fully support their abilities. She and the others nodded.

After they returned to Porco, they would go to Mavelard to apply to join LionArk.

To Ethan’s surprise, a group from LionArk arrived. Everyone stared as thirty people teleported in. They appeared in the middle of the white altar.

Horald and the others from Redemption Sword turned sharp looks, clearly watching Ashley Leon’s arrival.

She had led LionArk for a long time, but her power was not as strong as EthanAsh666’s.

Not only Redemption Sword, but Scavenger and Silver Star also looked angrily toward LionArk.

They suspected EthanArk had interfered with LionArk’s success in the event.

Ashley came with a graceful face, black hair with purple highlights, and a graceful blue-white mage dress.

Not only Ashley, but Jill and Leon accompanied her.

Their goal was not only to congratulate Leni’s team but also to meet EthanArk, who was none other than EthanAsh666, whose real name was Ethan Arkwright.

Ashley smiled at Leni and her team. Her head turned to scan the area around the white altar. Her eyes clearly saw a man in a black robe with the username EthanArk.

"That... him," Ashley said.

Jill and Leon turned their attention to the side. Ethan stood there talking with his guild team.

They also noticed Ashley, who was running as if she had dropped her grace and beauty just to meet Ethan.

"Ethan?" Ashley called.

Ethan turned and saw the woman he had been missing all this time.

The beautiful woman with black hair and purple highlights who always helped him. A different feeling arose in Ethan when he was with Ashley. He could not yet name what that feeling was.

But it was clearly different, something more real for him.

Ashley stood a short distance in front of Ethan. Her eyes were wide and glassy with tears, moved to meet Ethan again.

Ethan felt the same. Still, there were things he had to consider. He glanced to the side.

Horald and the others seemed to be watching his closeness with Ashley. If they became suspicious, LionArk would be under their watch. That would not be good.

"Finally, after—"

"Stop talking!" Ethan threatened, raising Bloodblade Ashura and pointing it at Ashley.

Ashley was shocked. Jill and Leon reacted the same. They were sure it was Ethan, but they were confused as to why he behaved differently.

"W-Why?" Ashley asked.

"LionArk stole my Star Essence. You are not winners. You are thieves," Ethan said firmly.

Horald smiled. Kevin and Alan responded the same. He suspected EthanArk was part of LionArk, but apparently he was not.

EthanArk was EthanArk. He and LionArk hated each other, Horald thought.

"This is very interesting," Horald said.

Ethan kept his sword pointed forward. Leni looked shocked by what was happening. Ethan, however, nodded to Leni. Leni understood something.

"I do not know you. Do not act like we are close," Ethan said firmly.

He could not hold back his anger. Ashley had met him at the wrong time. Ethan’s left hand remained tightly clenched until it bled, though none of them noticed that.

"B-But aren’t you—"

"I am not!" Ethan shouted, cutting off Ashley’s words roughly.

"If you keep comparing me to someone else, I will kill you!"