Chapter 243: Mr. X

“Can you track their trail?” Ethan asked.

Hanss reflexively turned his head. One of the LionArk assassin squad members immediately responded with a nod.

The man then looked back at Ethan, his expression firm and confident.

“My team is already chasing them.”

Ethan nodded in acknowledgment. He then turned his gaze aside, observing the ongoing efforts to extinguish the fire.

Gradually, the mages managed to put out the flames across the entire row of shop buildings in the southern district, Ring Three.

Steam rose into the air as scorched wood hissed under the lingering water magic.

One of the guild members whose shop had burned down approached Ethan.

The man was crying openly, his voice trembling as he pleaded for help, hoping Ethan would assist with the reconstruction of their shops.

This incident, however, lay completely outside LionArk’s responsibility.

The root of the problem stemmed from their own anger, which had escalated into a guild conflict and eventually caused the chaos and fire.

If Ethan were to fully cover the damages, he feared it would set a dangerous precedent.

Others might intentionally provoke similar incidents in the future, exploiting LionArk’s sense of responsibility.

That would place a severe strain on LionArk’s finances.

“The fire and chaos were caused by your own conflict,” Ethan said firmly.

“LionArk has no obligation to compensate you for the damages.”

The man flinched at the blunt response.

“However,” Ethan continued, his tone steady but not cruel, “we are willing to help through a loan program. You can come to LionArk headquarters tomorrow and consult Officer Natasha regarding the funding scheme.”

They did not argue. Instead, they nodded in understanding. With heavy expressions, they returned to what remained of their shops, trying to salvage whatever goods had survived the flames.

“Sir Ethan,” Hanss called out.

Ethan turned toward him, his eyes sharp and attentive. “What is it?”

“One of our teams managed to capture three members of the Shadow Guild. My team notified me through the private chat channel,” Hanss reported.

“Bring them here,” Ethan ordered.

“Yes.”

Hanss gestured for Ethan to follow him, and the two of them headed east within the southern district, moving away from the burned shop area.

The air grew cooler and quieter as they left the main street behind.

Not long after, the LionArk assassin team arrived, dragging along three individuals bound tightly with black magical chains.

The restraints pulsed faintly, suppressing their abilities and making escape impossible.

There was no doubt about it. All three were players with the Assassin class. Just like the people who had attempted to kill Ethan before, they relied on stealth, speed, and lethal precision.

Now the pattern was becoming clear. The Shadow Guild appeared to recruit only players with the Assassin class.

That revelation significantly narrowed the scope of investigation and made tracking them far more manageable.

They arrived at a narrow alleyway. It was dark, damp, and eerily quiet, tucked away from the main roads.

The walls were stained with moisture, and the faint smell of smoke still lingered in the air.

Ethan stood before the captives, with Hanss remaining close by his side. Ethan’s gaze was fixed on the three Shadow Guild members.

His presence alone was enough to suffocate the air around them.

He crouched in front of one of them, locking eyes with the man. The intimidation was unmistakable. Ethan could clearly see fear etched across the assassin’s face. His breathing was shallow, his shoulders trembling.

“Assassins who kill for wealth,” Ethan said coldly, “are usually the ones most afraid of death.”

“P-Please… don’t kill us,” the man begged.

“Talk,” Ethan said. “Who gave you the orders?”

“I… I don’t know,” the man stammered. “That person is mysterious. He only wants to be called Mr. X.”

“Mr. X?” Ethan repeated.

“Yes! None of us know who he really is. We’re only given targets and the payment.”

Ethan fell silent for a moment. The name meant nothing to him. But the fact that they referred to the mastermind as “Mr.” strongly suggested that the one controlling the Shadow Guild was a man.

“Is this your first time working with them?” Ethan asked.

The man nodded rapidly.

Hanss glanced at Ethan, watching his serious expression. “What do you think, Sir Ethan?”

“Their movements are random,” Ethan replied. “Their teams are formed based on which guild members are willing to take mission offers.”

“Could Mr. X be someone from Silver Star?” Hanss asked.

“I don’t know,” Ethan said. “But the possibility exists.”

Ethan knew this could not be left unchecked. He needed to investigate further to confirm whether there were more individuals involved with the Shadow Guild.

If he allowed a criminal syndicate like this to operate freely, it would only destabilize the city and undermine everything LionArk had built.

“Take them to headquarters for interrogation,” Ethan commanded.

The LionArk assassin squad immediately complied.

Hanss then turned to Ethan, listening carefully as Ethan quietly explained his next plan. Hanss was visibly surprised by what he heard. Still, an order was an order.

“Understood,” Hanss said after a moment. “I’ll carry it out carefully.”

Ethan nodded, satisfied.

The two of them left the alley and returned to the main street of the southern district, Ring Three.

Several Mavelard security authority teams were stationed there following the fire. They remained on standby to ensure the situation gradually returned to normal.

Hanss assigned three security teams to continue guarding the district. After that, he and Ethan headed back toward LionArk headquarters.

They walked for forty-five minutes before finally arriving at the headquarters building. Hanss excused himself to rest, while Ethan went up to the third floor to do the same.

When he opened the door to his room, Ashley was already asleep on the bed, wearing her pajamas. Her breathing was calm and steady.

Ethan let out a quiet sigh and sat down on the sofa, pouring himself a glass of wine.

Mr. X? The Shadow Guild? Assassin class only?

Too many unanswered questions. I need to resolve this quickly and put an end to all this madness.

***

The next day.

People across the city gathered around information bulletin boards. Their eyes were drawn to an emergency notice issued directly by Ethan for all city residents.

The announcement was released under LionArk’s name. It warned everyone to remain vigilant against the Shadow Guild.

Ethan did not hesitate to declare a death penalty for anyone confirmed to be a member of the Shadow Guild syndicate.

The announcement stirred unrest throughout the city, whether in Ring One, Ring Two, or Ring Three.

Everyone became cautious and alert. Suspicion lingered in every alley and street corner.

Ethan also enforced a strict curfew during this period. All shops were required to close before ten o’clock at night. Anyone who violated the order would be arrested and fined.

“Based on the incidents so far, the Shadow Guild always makes their moves at night,” Ethan said.

Hanss and Darcy nodded in agreement. Both of them were already present in Ethan’s office that morning, answering his summons.

Hanss had completed his assigned tasks. He had increased the number of assassin squads and positioned them in crime-prone areas across the city.

More importantly, they had trained extensively in stealth skills.

Stealth was a basic ability for Assassins, but once leveled high enough, it could erase their presence entirely from players below a certain level.

For Ethan, however, stealth was ineffective. No matter how high an assassin’s stealth level was, he could still sense their presence. Against him, stealth was meaningless.

“Monitor every Assassin-class player in the city,” Ethan ordered. “Instruct every guild to keep a close watch on them.”

“I’m worried that Shadow Guild members are disguising themselves as regular guild members,” Ethan added. “That’s what makes them hard to detect.”

Hanss and Darcy nodded in understanding.

“We understand,” they replied.

After receiving the message from Ethan, Hanss and Darcy stood up and took their leave. Now, only Ethan remained in that place, alone, with no one accompanying him.

The message had been delivered, and the city’s residents were beginning to comply with Ethan’s orders.

He had no intention of allowing anyone to cause trouble in his city, no matter the risk.

He did not know who the man called Mr. X was, nor where his guild was located. However, one thing was certain to him: Mr. X was not an ordinary person.

Those who understood system loopholes were professional players. Ethan was convinced that Mr. X was a professional.

Just as he was working on something, Ethan was startled by the arrival of a staff member from the City Security Authority.

The woman came alone, without anyone accompanying her. Her visit was purely to deliver a message to Ethan.

She opened the door to Ethan’s office. Ethan stopped his work and looked directly at the woman.

“What is it?” Ethan asked.

“A representative from Glorious Sword has arrived. He wants to meet you, Sir Ethan,” the woman explained.

Glorious Sword? Did they come after I informed them back then?

The first meeting of the Eastern City Alliance was scheduled to be held tomorrow at Mavelard City Hall.

All guild leaders who were members of the alliance were required to come to Mavelard.

However, Glorious Sword became the first out-of-city guild to come and meet Ethan before the alliance meeting took place.

Ethan suspected that there was something they wanted to discuss, but he did not know what it was.

“All right.”

“Tell them to come to my office.”

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