Teleporting to Zone 1370 from Zone 1314 had cost Ethan 10 gold coins, essentially daylight robbery. The amount, equivalent to $18,000, made his heart ache.
But for Lyla, it was worth every cent. Or so Ethan told himself as he tried to justify the expense.
As the teleportation effect faded, Ethan imdiately sent Lyla a video call request.
She picked up quickly, her expression serious but calm. He checked her location, she was already at the designated hiding spot.
"How's it going on your end?" Ethan asked.
"I'm fine," Lyla replied. "But my classmates told those guys are still camping on the main road outside the town. They're killing any players trying to leave to level up. It's disgusting!"
"Good to hear you're safe. Stay put, I'm coming to get you," Ethan said firmly.
The hiding spot wasn't far from the small town. Thanks to his Stag Form, which required no quest to unlock, Ethan had activated it back when he hit Level 15.
With a 200% movent speed boost, added to his base 107%, Ethan's Stag Form allowed him to blitz across the terrain at an incredible 214% speed. In just ten minutes, he reached the location.
This was their first in-ga eting since the reset. Seeing Lyla's spirited outfit, identical to how she looked in his past life, hit Ethan with a wave of nostalgia.
Switching back to human form, Ethan strode forward and pulled Lyla into a fierce hug. It was the release of 5,000 years of yearning and suppressed emotion.
During those endless years in the dreamworld, Lyla had been his emotional anchor. Even at the bitter end, his final wish had been to hold her one last ti.
"Ethan?" Lyla's voice trembled as she pushed lightly against his chest. "What's gotten into you?"
Her startled expression reminded Ethan of a frightened doe. Embarrassed, he let go and laughed it off. "Nothing important. It's all in the past now."
Seeing his reddened eyes, Lyla hesitated before stepping closer and gently hugging his arm. "Whatever it is, I'll always be here for you."
"Ha! Co on, I'm supposed to be rescuing you! Why does it feel like you're the one comforting ?" Ethan teased, brushing the mont aside.
"Is that so?" Lyla said with a playful smirk. She made a face at him, the sa mischievous expression she'd worn as a child.
"Hey, who was the crybaby back then, huh?" Ethan muttered under his breath. But under Lyla's glare, he quickly added, "Never mind that, let's get moving. You up for so real action?"
"What kind of action?" Lyla asked, intrigued.
"You'll see," Ethan said with a sly grin, sending her a party invite.
Monts later, a system notification appeared in the skies above.
---
System Announcent
[Guild War Declaration: Zone 1314's Renegade Alliance declares war on Zone 1370's Unity Hall. Kills will not increase Sin Value. Duration: 12 hours.]
Declaration: 'Unity Hall will drown in blood. Quit your guild and you'll be spared. Stay, and none will survive!' – Declaration by Guild Leader: NotADruid
---
The announcent echoed in every player's ears. Blood-red letters stretched across the skies, visible no matter where anyone was in the ga.
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Player Reactions in Zone 1370
[Anonymous]: "Finally, soone's standing up for us! Get the popcorn ready!"
[Anonymous]: "But how are they even getting here?"
[Anonymous]: "No idea. Maybe they're just bluffing?"
---
Ethan smirked as he glanced at the sky. His bloodthirsty grin sent a chill down Lyla's spine.
"How many do we have coming?" Ethan asked in a private ssage to Skyblade.
On the way to Zone 1370, Ethan had already contacted Skyblade, Slashblade, and SeraphWarrior, instructing them to rally the guild.
"Nearly the entire guild," Skyblade replied enthusiastically. "We've got 963 mbers total, and aside from about 20 offline, everyone else is grouped into three major parties. The rest ford smaller teams to squeeze in."
"Good. Keep track of everyone who participates. After this, each mber gets 10 contribution points. Anyone who dies in battle will receive an additional 5 silver coins as compensation," Ethan instructed.
"Ten contribution points? Isn't that a bit much?" Skyblade asked hesitantly.
"It's worth it," Ethan replied. "This is our first battle, we need to make a statent."
Ethan's mind burned with a dual purpose: defending Lyla and crushing his enemies, Zachary and Ivy. This first clash wasn't just about pride, it was about erasing Unity Hall before they could even grow roots in the Starter Zone.
Skyblade relayed Ethan's orders to the Renegade Alliance, word for word. The guild's chat system was in chaos, excitent mingling with confusion.
[Anonymous]: "Guild leader is a legend! Bloodbath Unity Hall!"
[Anonymous]: "But… how are we supposed to cross zones?"
[Anonymous]: "Yeah, what's the plan?"
"Quiet!" Skyblade barked. "Boss has it all figured out. Just wait for his signal!"
Ethan pulled out a scroll from his inventory, a special reward he'd received after initiating the guild war. Since this was the first guild war in the entire ga, the system had granted him a one-ti-use item: the Guildwide Summoning Scroll.
Initially, Ethan had planned to charge in solo, but the scroll ca with a ti limit. If unused within 12 hours, it would vanish.
This wasn't sothing he could waste. Guildwide Summoning Scrolls were almost mythical in the later stages of the ga, capable of turning the tide of entire wars. And this one was even more unique, allowing the summoning of his entire guild to his location.
When Ethan had first seen it, he'd considered skipping the guild war altogether and using it to teleport everyone to the Main City instead. Unfortunately, the scroll's usage was restricted to Zone 1370, forcing him to revise his plan.
---
anwhile, in Unity Hall's camp, chaos reigned.
When the war declaration popped up, panic spread like wildfire. Unity Hall's leaders, Overlord and Nightfall, scrambled to organize their mbers. With over 700 players, they were a decent mid-tier guild. However, their mbership fees, a steep 5 silver coins, ant most joined purely for the experience bonuses, not loyalty.
Like most guilds at this stage, Unity Hall lacked cohesion. The high cost of forming a guild ant they'd prioritized financial stability over trust or unity. Only players with deeper pockets could afford to join, ensuring a stronger roster but weaker bonds.
Thirty minutes later, Zone 1370 was eerily quiet. The initial tension among Unity Hall mbers gave way to skepticism.
[Anonymous]: "They're just bluffing. Nothing's happening."
[Anonymous]: "Exactly. I'm heading out to grind levels."
Another thirty minutes passed, and even Overlord and Nightfall began to relax. Eventually, they disbanded the raid groups, convinced the Renegade Alliance wasn't coming.
---
"Boss, our scouts in the town report that Unity Hall has disbanded their groups. Most of their mbers are heading out," Slashblade inford Ethan.
"Good," Ethan replied. "Tell the scouts to stay vigilant and be ready to act."
Turning to SeraphWarrior, Ethan asked, "Are the rogues in position at the resurrection points?"
SeraphWarrior checked his ssages. "All set. In the Level 1–7 zones, as per your coordinates. At least ten rogues stationed at each location."
"Perfect. Skyblade, rally the main force with . Slashblade, give the signal for the scouts in the town to move!"
Shifting into Stag Form, Ethan called out, "Lyla, hop on!"
The Stag Form allowed him to carry one passenger. Lyla hesitated for a mont before nodding and climbing onto his back.
As Ethan sprinted forward, Lyla clung to him, still in shock. She couldn't fathom how Ethan had summoned so many players from outside their zone.
Gazing down at the glowing stag beneath her, she couldn't help but smile, a rare, soft expression of happiness lighting up her face.
---
Back in the town, the spectators who'd gathered to watch the chaos began to disperse, losing interest. Outside the walls, on the only road leading to the leveling area, Nightfall and over a hundred red-nad players continued ambushing anyone trying to leave.
Trapped players inside the town fud, grinding their teeth in frustration.
On the walls, a group of bored onlookers scanned the horizon. Suddenly, one of them shouted, "Hey, what's that?"
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