Ethan opened a private chat with Trusty007, who seed to be perpetually online.
He sent a ssage: "Do you offer loans?"
Yes, Ethan had suddenly thought of it—why not take out a loan to solve the imdiate financial issues? He owned two monopoly shops and the exclusive auction house in Harmony City. Making money was just a matter of ti.
Even now, without running at full capacity, his daily inco was over 800 gold. A single day’s earnings were almost enough to sustain an ordinary person for half a lifeti.
Soon, a reply ca.
Trusty007: "Big Boss, what’s going on? 20,000 gold isn’t enough for you?"
Ethan quickly responded: "You know I have a guild. We’re tight on funds right now. Do you offer this kind of service? What’s the interest rate?"
Trusty007: "We don’t officially offer loans, but if you need gold, I can personally vouch for you and lend you so. However, the rate will be higher than market price."
Ethan sighed. Of course, the guy was a businessman—shrewd and calculating. He’d make Ethan owe him a favor while still profiting from the deal. But what choice did Ethan have? He asked, "What’s the rate, and how much can you give ?"
He had no choice but to accept. After all, he was desperate for funds.
To his surprise, Trusty007 didn’t try to gouge him too much. With 50,000 gold, Ethan could upgrade the guild to Level 6 and still have enough left to expand the shops in Blackridge and Springhaven.
They quickly arranged a eting spot, signed the agreent, and the 50,000 gold was transferred to Ethan’s inventory. Just before the ga shut down for the night, Ethan upgraded the guild twice.
[Ding… System Notification: The Renegade Alliance has beco the first Level 6 guild in the Northern Frontier Region!]
[Ding… System Notification: Congratulations! Your guild is the first Level 6 guild in Harmony City. Reward: 1,000 guild points!]
Reaching Level 6 was a major milestone for any guild. Not only did it increase the mber cap to 50,000, but it also unlocked four new functions: occupying mining zones, building farms, creating cultivation spaces, and establishing crafting workshops.
These features allowed guilds to recruit a large number of life skill players, generating profits and providing logistical support for combat-oriented mbers.
However, it was nearly impossible to develop all four areas simultaneously. Most guilds chose to focus on one or two. The most popular choice was cultivation spaces, followed by crafting workshops to boost alchemy production.
After all, potions were a significant expense for guild mbers, and self-sufficiency could save a lot of money.
But Ethan already owned the All-You-Need Potions, so he had no need to invest in alchemy workshops. Instead, he decided to focus solely on cultivation spaces. Explore more adventures at .Côm
The apothecary required a steady supply of herbs, and by specializing in cultivation, he could maximize its level and significantly increase herb growth rates.
As for mining zones, no construction was required. Once a guild reached Level 6, they could simply send troops to occupy a mining zone, similar to claiming a town. The downside was that there were no defensive structures. If soone tried to seize the mining zone, it would co down to pure combat.
High-yield, top-tier mining veins were always controlled by the most powerful guilds. Once the fortress system was unlocked, the stone required to build fortresses would be sourced from these mining zones.
After upgrading the guild, Ethan t with Celia to discuss a few more matters. With less than five minutes left before Ethereal shut down for the night, NoPaperOnTheBigOne suddenly logged back in.
NoPaperOnTheBigOne: "Boss, were you serious earlier?"
Ethan replied, "Of course… Where did you go just now?"
NoPaperOnTheBigOne: "Uh… I thought I was dreaming, like, not actually in the ga. I logged off to clear my head!"
Ethan couldn’t help but laugh. He replied, "I’ll co find you at the shop tomorrow after I log in."
After finishing the conversation, Ethan opened his friend list and stared at it, hoping against hope that Celeste would co online and accept his friend request. If she did, he might finally get so news about Lyla.
But as the clock ticked down and Ethereal forcibly logged everyone out, Celeste remained offline.
The mont he stepped out of the VR capsule, Ethan grabbed his phone and dialed Lyla’s number. But all he got was the automated ssage: "The number you have dialed is currently switched off."
Frustrated and anxious, he decided to channel his energy into a heavy workout. By the ti noon rolled around, he hastily ate a al and boarded a bus to head to school. It had been a while since he’d attended any classes, and he was certain he’d fail his finals this sester.
Truth be told, he didn’t even want to go to school. Ti was precious, and sitting through lectures felt like a waste. With the apocalypse looming in five years, every second counted. He’d rather spend it improving his strength and skills.
As he wandered onto campus, it suddenly hit him—he had no idea what classes he was supposed to attend today. He quickly pulled out his phone and called his dorm’s senior, the ’oldest’ of the group.
"Hey, bro, what classes do we have today? Where are you guys?" Ethan asked as soon as the call connected.
"Third bro, it’s Saturday. What classes are you talking about? Are you out of your mind?" The voice on the other end belonged to JJ, the youngest in the dorm.
"Huh?" Ethan glanced at his phone and checked the date. Damn… it really is Saturday. He felt a wave of embarrassnt wash over him.
"Why are you answering the phone? Where’s Rowan?" Ethan asked.
"Ah… he’s in the hospital. We’re at First Affiliated Hospital. You should co see him. He might not make it…" JJ’s voice cracked with emotion.
Ethan’s heart skipped a beat. "What happened? Why is he in the hospital?"
"It’s a long story. Just co over if you’re free," JJ said before hanging up.
Without hesitation, Ethan hailed a taxi and rushed to the hospital. He made his way to the inpatient ward and found the room JJ had ntioned. Just as he reached the door, he ran into JJ carrying a thermos.
"Third bro, you’re here," JJ said, looking surprised.
Ethan nodded. "How’s Rowan? What’s wrong with him?"
JJ shook his head and pulled Ethan into the room. It was a four-bed ward, and as Ethan stepped inside, he froze.
He recognized all four patients in the room.
Rowan, Greg, and two others from his group of dorm mates.
Well, isn’t this sothing? They’d shared a dorm room at school, and now they were sharing a hospital room.
None of them were asleep or unconscious, but they all lay there with vacant stares, their faces an unhealthy shade of bluish-purple.
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