Ery let out a long breath after receiving Ethan's reply.
"Good," he said, visibly relaxing. "Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to explain things to Celeste."
Ethan understood now—Celeste had probably tasked Ery with bringing him into Silverwood family's hidden territory.
The realization ward Ethan's chest. His senior, his captain…
She really did look out for him.
"That old bastard from the Silverwoods isn't soone to underestimate. Be careful," Ery suddenly warned, his tone grim.
"Hm? What do you know?" Ethan caught the implication in his words.
"Not much," Ery admitted, shaking his head with a frown. "But the higher-ups are investigating. Lately, he's been eting with various powerful families and societies more frequently. Probably scheming sothing."
Ethan's expression darkened at that. The lack of concrete information was frustrating.
But Ery's next words gave Ethan a lead.
"Recently, Liam Silverwood had soone sell a batch of materials on the black market," Ery said. "Based on our intel, those materials were ant for setting up a formation."
"He went through multiple interdiaries, but everything ended up being transported into Silverwood's hidden territory. Thought he was being discreet, but he underestimated our intelligence network."
Ethan frowned. "What kind of materials? And what formation?"
"No idea. Hold on—" Ery abruptly logged off.
A short while later, he reappeared and listed off a series of obscure nas:
Venomsteel, Holyfire Gems, Pale Moonsoil, Blazeheart Crystals, Blackfrost Vines, Soulwither Ore…
And more—all materials Ethan had never heard of before.
Still, he committed each one to mory.
At the sa ti, he tried reaching out to Morzan in his mind, hoping the old man could analyze what kind of formation these materials were ant for.
But as usual, there was no response.
Morzan not answering him was nothing new. Either asleep, drinking, or passed out drunk.
That was the impression Ethan had of him.
Little did he know, Morzan had actually been sober for days. Instead, he'd been using Ethan's avatar to pass the ti.
More importantly, since Ethan couldn't log into the ga, Morzan had been quietly leveling up for him.
It was the safest way he could help without overstepping.
After their last argunt, Morzan had nearly let his old temper flare up. But in the end, the old man was still an old man—he cooled down and chose the safer path.
Ethan just didn't know it yet.
Once Ery finished listing all the materials the Silverwoods had acquired, he added, "If possible, you should stay hidden inside the territory and avoid coming out."
Ethan stiffened. "Are the Dissenters making a move against ?"
Ery nodded. "Once Celeste's investigation wraps up, the first order she'll likely receive is to eliminate everyone in Ember City's M Squad."
"If you can get them out, do it. If not… just save yourself.
The current Celeste… she's terrifying. That pet of hers is downright monstrous."
Ery's expression darkened as he spoke, as if recalling a close encounter with the Abyssal Dragon.
Ethan lowered his head, his eyes flashing with defiance and murderous intent.
So they were targeting the people around him now? Leo, Victor, Williams, Celia—even their families could be in danger.
The Ninth Division, the Dissenters… they were his biggest threats. If he could wipe them out completely… would that finally bring safety?
Ethan turned the thoughts over in his mind, his jaw tightening.
'So that's why.'
All this ti, he hadn't faced any direct harassnt. Because the higher-ups among the Dissenters had been planning this all along.
Eliminating M Squad was probably ant to be Celeste's final test—a brutal initiation into their ranks.
Now, he had two options.
First, find a safe place to hide and take Leo and the others with him. Get them out before the axe fell.
Second, annihilate the Dissenters within the Ninth Division entirely.
There was, technically, a third option—but Ethan held no illusions about its feasibility.
Seeking help from the Originalists within the Ninth Division.
But he knew better.
Right now, he couldn't even get close to anyone from the Originalist faction. The only two connections he had were Celeste and Ery—both deep in enemy territory.
"Can you—" Ethan started to ask Ery if he could arrange a eting with the so-called "Director Vaughn," the elusive leader of the Originalists.
A man who existed only in Celeste's stories, never in person.
Not that Ethan expected otherwise.
The highest-ranking figure in the Ninth Division wasn't soone you could just casually et.
Though, for a supre leader, Vaughn seed remarkably ineffective. Under his so-called leadership, the Ninth Division had fractured into chaos.
Originalists. Dissenters. Unaligned.
What kind of joke was this?
The realization that his friends were in imminent danger soured Ethan's mood entirely.
In his mind, he cursed Vaughn viciously.
Just as he had begun to voice his question, barely a few words in—
Ery cut him off, his voice firm and final.
"No."
"What the—I didn't even finish!" Ethan blinked.
"I know what you were going to ask," Ery said, his expression unreadable. "Celeste and I can't contact any of the Ninth Division's elder figures unless it's absolutely critical."
"As for why… you should understand."
Ethan's brows shot up. "Understand? My friends are about to be hunted down, and I'm supposed to understand?"
Ery barked a laugh, shaking his head. "Celeste was right. Your biggest weakness is how much you care."
He looked almost amused, as if he'd stumbled upon so grand irony.
Ethan's glare could have cut steel.
Ery wiped imaginary tears from his eyes, still grinning. "Anyway, I've given you the warning. What you do with it is up to you."
They spoke for a while longer, but as they prepared to part ways, Ery paused at the door.
His tone shifted, turning uncharacteristically solemn.
"The Originalists cannot fall. The future of humanity depends on it."
His eyes locked onto Ethan's. "No matter what happens, Celeste and I will always prioritize the Ninth Division's survival above all else."
A beat of silence.
Then, quieter: "But you… your weakness makes you vulnerable. Soone will exploit it."
He hesitated, as if debating whether to say more. Finally, he added, "Don't assu the Originalists are all righteous, either. There are players in this ga you don't see yet."
With that, he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.
Ethan stared after him, the weight of the warning settling in his chest. For all his careless deanor, Ery wasn't just a ssenger.
He was an ally—one bound by duty, but an ally nonetheless. And his words carried a truth Ethan couldn't ignore.
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