In accordance with what was requested by the person using the userna AllMighty01, Ethan decided to leave Ashley’s office and go on his own.
The night was not too late yet. The noise outside the headquarters was still alive, even though so people had already passed out from drinking too much.
Laughter, loud voices, and clinking glasses echoed through the open area around the LionArk headquarters, blending into a chaotic but familiar atmosphere.
Ethan walked alone along the paving stone path in the front courtyard of LionArk’s base. Several guild mbers were still hanging around there.
They greeted Ethan warmly, so with wide smiles, others with respectful nods. Quite a few of them even offered him drinks, holding up bottles or mugs as invitations.
However, Ethan clearly refused every offer. He had no intention of drinking again tonight. His mind was already focused elsewhere.
He had a clear purpose, and that purpose was to et soone nad AllMighty01.
No one forced him to stay. They let Ethan go without questioning him, trusting that their Vice Leader had his own plans for the night.
His steps were directed toward the western district of Ring 3. The eting location was a remote coffee shop, a place where Ethan was required to go alone.
Ashley was not accompanying him this ti.
Ethan continued walking while still wearing his LionArk uniform, complete with the cloak that made him look more authoritative compared to most other players.
The uniform naturally drew attention wherever he went.
So people smiled at him and greeted him politely as he passed by. Ethan returned their smiles, but he did not stop to chat. His responses were brief, his pace steady.
After the announcent of the Guild Assessnt, many players chose to spend the night celebrating. Because of that, the city center felt unusually lively.
The streets were crowded, filled with voices, music, and laughter that spilled out from various buildings.
Several guilds were holding celebrations for their rank increases.
So threw lavish parties inside their headquarters, while others chose to celebrate at their favorite restaurants. Bright lights and decorations added to the festive mood.
"Sir Ethan," a few of them called out.
"Congratulations on your achievent and your guild’s success, Sir Ethan."
"We plan to join LionArk soon. Please open the next mber recruitnt batch as soon as possible, Sir."
Ethan listened to all of it. He understood their enthusiasm, but he could not give a definite date for the next recruitnt batch.
Still, he promised them that LionArk would reopen mber registration after the Guild Assessnt concluded.
They looked relieved and excited when Ethan explained that. So of them even exchanged glances with each other, clearly happy with the answer.
They were willing to wait patiently for the announcent of the next recruitnt period.
Ethan continued walking alone until he left Ring 1 behind. He arrived at the western district of Ring 2, which was not as crowded as the southern district of the sa ring.
Even so, Ethan could still see several city residents making their way away from the city center. They were not there to liven up the district. Instead, they were simply heading ho after a long day.
He passed through the western district of Ring 2 without stopping. Eventually, Ethan found himself standing in a quiet area at around eleven at night.
There were very few people around. In fact, the number of people present could almost be counted on one hand.
Ethan was not entirely sure of the exact location of the coffee shop. He looked around carefully, scanning his surroundings and paying attention to every detail.
Then he noticed a few people entering a narrow alley nearby.
Without hesitation, Ethan changed his appearance. He stored his LionArk uniform and cloak, switching into a plain black outfit instead.
The authoritative aura faded instantly, replaced by a more discreet and neutral presence.
After changing his appearance, Ethan gathered his courage and stepped into the narrow alley, quietly following the group of people.
He was confident that by following them, he would be able to reach the coffee shop more quickly.
He continued walking behind them, keeping a safe distance while observing their movents carefully. From afar, Ethan finally spotted the exact location of the secluded coffee shop.
Several people arrived and entered the shop one after another. The number of visitors was fairly large, and Ethan had no idea what the maximum capacity of the place was.
Taking a deep breath, Ethan stepped inside.
The atmosphere of the coffee shop was calm and quiet. The people inside were talking, but their conversations were low and unremarkable. No one raised their voice. No one laughed too loudly.
Most of them seed focused on enjoying their coffee and the peaceful environnt. Behind the counter, the bartender was busy wiping a glass with a cloth, his movents slow and unhurried.
"Welco," the bartender greeted him.
"Coffee or tea?" the man asked.
Ethan walked toward the bar counter and stopped right in front of the bartender. Before he could say anything about his order, another man approached and stood right beside him.
"Wine. He doesn’t like coffee."
Ethan reflexively turned his head to the side and checked the man’s userna. It was AllMighty01, the sa person who had sent him the ssage.
"You?" Ethan muttered.
"Don’t act strange. Talk normally and keep your eyes forward," the man said.
Ethan fell silent.
AllMighty01 began explaining how he managed to contact Ethan in the first place.
He had used the friend request ssage feature to send his information, allowing Ethan to read his ssage without raising suspicion.
Ethan subtly observed the guild abbreviation displayed in the man’s status title. It was clearly not an abbreviation from a major guild like Redemption Sword or Scavenger.
"There’s a reason why I know who your target is," the man said calmly.
Not long after that, the bartender returned and placed two glasses of wine in front of them.
Ethan accepted the wine and took a slow sip, feeling the liquid flow smoothly down his throat. The taste was mild, not unpleasant.
"Let guess," Ethan said quietly. "You’re his friend?"
"No."
"I’m one of his pawns."
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly. He observed the man more carefully now. The outfit he wore clearly indicated that he was an assassin.
The mask covering his entire face only strengthened that impression, adding a sense of mystery to his presence.
It was obvious that this man belonged to the assassin class.
"You’re an assassin who betrayed him?" Ethan asked.
The man did not answer right away. Silence stretched between them.
"I don’t like the way he operates," the man finally said. "Though I admit, the money he pays is good."
"But that goes against what I want."
"I’m not the kind of assassin who kills easily," he added shortly.
"Then why do you want ?" Ethan asked.
AllMighty01 went quiet again. He let out a slow breath, as if weighing his words carefully. Ethan continued to observe him without interrupting.
"They killed many of my guildmates," the man said.
"They even killed my fiancée," he continued, his voice filled with restrained emotion.
"I can’t forgive them."
Ethan narrowed his eyes further. Even without seeing the man’s face, Ethan could sense the anger through his gestures alone.
The tension in his posture made it clear how deeply frustrated and furious he was with the Shadow Guild’s way of doing things.
So that’s it. This isn’t just business for him.
"I’ll help you," the man said firmly. "But I have one condition."
Ethan did not respond imdiately.
"You must promise one thing," AllMighty01 continued.
"Kill Mr. X for ."
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