Responding to Ethan’s cold, sharp attitude toward them left Leon and Jill with no good options.
Jill moved closer to Leon and gently patted his shoulder, hoping to steady his emotions before he made any reckless decisions.
She understood Leon well enough to see that frustration was building in his chest, and she could also sense that Ethan was not in the sa state he used to be.
There was a new weight behind his presence, a quiet pressure that made the air around him feel heavier.
She could feel it clearly: Ethan’s strength had grown far beyond what it was before. It wasn’t just a slight improvent or an illusion.
His aura was thicker, darker, and far more intimidating. Jill suspected all of it ca from his experiences inside the Tower.
If Leon tried to confront Ethan with his usual temperant, hoping to knock so sense into him, that would not turn out well.
In fact, Jill believed Leon was walking straight toward death if he insisted on handling things his way.
"All right. We’ll go and let Miss Ashley know about this," Jill finally said with a resigned sigh.
She stepped away and headed toward the guild hall’s entrance. Leon didn’t move at first.
He remained standing in the room, staring at Ethan with a hardened expression and eyes sharp enough to cut.
His pride, his sense of brotherhood, and his confusion clashed inside him, but eventually he exhaled sharply and turned away.
After a long mont, Leon walked out without saying a single word. Nathan, the man from the Twin Sun Guild, followed behind them as they all left the building together.
Behind them, Ethan sheathed his sword and let the violent aura of his Ashura Mode fade until the oppressive pressure around him completely disappeared.
Once it was gone, he stepped out of the guild headquarters to escort Leon and Jill out of the compound.
When Leon and Jill were walking along the city’s main street, sothing unexpected stopped them in their tracks.
mbers of other guilds were approaching, marching in formation while carrying flags swaying in the wind.
What is—
They froze as they recognized the flags: Redemption Sword, Scavenger, and Silver Star had all co to Mavelard.
The Big Three Guilds had arrived.
And they ca right after Ethan personally invited them.
Jill still had no idea what Ethan planned to do, but the sight alone convinced her that she needed to bring Ashley here imdiately.
She wanted Ashley to see with her own eyes that Ethan, acting as the city’s new leader, had taken a bold step none of them expected.
He was initiating negotiations with their enemies.
"We have to inform Miss Ashley right now," Jill said quickly. Leon nodded firmly in agreent.
They arrived at Mavelard’s northern gate, but before entering the teleport crystal, Jill opened the guild chat and imdiately sent Ashley a ssage.
Less than ten seconds later, Ashley read it. Jill reported that the Big Three Guilds had arrived to discuss matters with Ethan.
Jill didn’t know what Ethan intended to do, but she strongly urged Ashley to co and be present in that negotiation.
anwhile, Ashley hurried out of the Trident Sea Guild headquarters alone.
Noah saw her sudden departure, and the way she moved without hesitation imdiately caught his attention. It wasn’t like Ashley to act that abruptly.
Curious and suspicious, Noah ordered several people to follow her from a distance.
There was a high chance she was heading toward Mavelard, judging by the direction she took—straight toward the teleport crystal.
Back at the LionArk headquarters, Ethan walked with steady, confident steps out of the main building and approached the three individuals standing outside.
Each of them wore distinct uniforms, unmistakably representing the three largest guilds in the region.
"Thank you for coming as I requested," Ethan said.
"You slaughtered an entire city! Silver Star will never forgive you!" shouted the envoy from Silver Star, pointing at him with rage burning in his eyes.
Instead of feeling threatened, Ethan simply smiled and invited them inside to discuss matters in the guild hall.
His voice held no fear, only steel. He reminded them that they would remain completely safe inside LionArk headquarters as long as they didn’t try anything foolish.
He warned them again, calmly but with chilling certainty, that he possessed enough power to destroy an entire major city.
If they provoked him, he would not hesitate to kill them and every guild mber they brought into Mavelard.
News of how EthanArk took Mavelard single-handedly from Silver Star had spread like wildfire. Even the leaders of the Big Three Guilds had already heard of it.
The leader of Redemption Sword felt admiration mixed with disbelief. The leaders of Scavenger and Silver Star, on the other hand, were restless and fearful.
They worried that Ethan might target their own headquarters next.
Inside the hall, the envoys drank wine together. Ethan assured them it wasn’t poisoned and was perfectly safe.
His reason for bringing them here was simple: he wanted to form cooperation with them, especially in trade.
With comrce alive again, the city would begin to flourish. Ethan couldn’t rely solely on small guilds. He needed bigger suppliers, more stable connections, and powerful allies.
Did that an Ethan was submitting the city to the Big Three? Of course not.
He was crafting a new image for himself and for LionArk—one that appeared trustworthy and beneficial.
"You may establish envoy offices here," Ethan said.
"But the number of mbers you station will follow the city’s laws. You are also free to trade however you like."
The three envoys exchanged glances. One of them nodded, unable to deny that Mavelard held imnse value.
Though it was far from the headquarters of the Big Three, the southeast region was densely populated. The fertile lands and nearby port towns made Mavelard an ideal trade hub.
Doing business here ant earning a fortune.
"Originally, we planned to partner with Silver Star when they led Mavelard," said the envoy from Redemption Sword.
"But after the tragedy, that cooperation collapsed."
"We possess many earth-elent and wind-elent items, along with other valuable commodities."
"What will you offer in return?" the envoy asked.
Ethan smiled and began outlining the city’s new tax structure. He set the tax rates extrely low and removed unnecessary fees entirely. He also proposed a profit-sharing system.
The Redemption Sword envoy was stunned. No city dared impose such low taxes. But deep down, he suspected Ethan had a plan to compensate for the limited funds.
Still, it wasn’t his concern. His job was to discuss matters, unlike the Scavenger and Silver Star envoys who remained hesitant and defensive.
Three hours passed. When the envoys finally understood all the benefits and risks, they nodded in agreent.
The Redemption Sword envoy said he would return to their headquarters to discuss this matter with his guild leader.
Just as they were about to leave, the guild hall doors opened.
A beautiful woman in a LionArk uniform stepped inside. All three envoys recognized her instantly. Ethan did too.
"Leader Ashley," the envoys greeted her respectfully.
Ashley ignored them completely. Her eyes were locked on Ethan, sharp but trembling. She walked toward him with quick, determined steps.
SLAP.
Ethan’s eyes widened as Ashley struck him across the face. The atmosphere instantly grew tense. The envoys quickly excused themselves and hurried away.
Now, only Ethan and Ashley remained in the guild hall. Her eyes glistened with tears as she stared at him.
"What are—"
"You’re reckless!" Ashley shouted, her voice cracking.
"I was... I was preparing a plan to take back Mavelard. But you went and attacked the city!"
Ethan fell silent. Her voice shook, thick with emotion. He watched tears slide down her cheeks.
"I only—"
"You’re angry because I rejected you, aren’t you?" Ashley snapped.
"You hate ?"
Within seconds, Ashley collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably with her hands covering her face. Ethan froze, stunned by her raw pain.
He crouched and gently placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
But then sothing unexpected happened.
Ashley threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly as she buried her face in his chest.
Her body trembled, but her embrace was desperate—like she was clinging to the only solid thing she had left.
"I took the city because I wanted to show them that LionArk still exists," Ethan whispered.
"Many people know who I am, and they know LionArk has returned."
"But you risked yourself just to create that mont. It wasn’t worth it."
"It wasn’t worth it if I died. But I lived... and it worked."
Ethan gently helped Ashley stand. Even though his personal strength surpassed hers, his level was still technically lower.
People judged guild leaders by level, not power. That was why he believed the position of LionArk’s leader should remain hers.
"I won’t leave you again," Ethan said softly.
"Then let be the vice leader," Ashley replied. Ethan shook his head imdiately.
"People know you more than they know . Your reputation is better. With you as guild leader, they’ll trust you."
"I’ll be the vice leader. If you don’t know what to do, you can co to ."
Ashley felt her chest tighten with emotion. For the first ti, she had soone to share the guild’s burdens with.
Soone who could help her choose the right path. Her fears and insecurities slowly disappeared, replaced by a growing confidence.
When Ethan noticed her mood improving, he began explaining his plans for the city—tax reforms, expansion projects, new housing, and strengthened defenses.
All of it aid to gather powerful forces into Mavelard, forces they could guide and control.
The Tower could wait. For now, Ethan would focus on LionArk and Mavelard. Ashley felt relieved and happy. She vowed to turn Mavelard into a welcoming city for everyone.
After their discussion, the two of them left the guild hall. When Jill and Leon saw them walking out hand in hand, their eyes softened.
They had known all along—only Ashley could make Ethan listen.
"What are your orders, Ethan?" Jill asked.
Ethan blinked and glanced at Ashley. She smiled encouragingly and nodded.
"We will rebuild LionArk’s glory starting now."
"Tell everyone to return from Seacrest."
"Open guild recruitnt. We need new mbers."
"What’s your target now?" Leon asked.
Ethan smiled with fierce confidence. "LionArk needs one hundred mbers to reach the 50th floor."
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