Chapter 294: A Hero Clad in Blood

Receiving such a threat from Ethan left Kevin and the members of his guild with no room to resist.

Fear was written plainly on their faces, not the kind that came from rumors or secondhand stories, but the kind born from witnessing destruction firsthand.

They had seen what Ethan was capable of.

City after city had vanished from the map. Entire regions had fallen into silence. That devastation had been caused by a single man.

Ethan.

And if one man could do that alone, Kevin did not dare imagine what would happen if thousands of LionArk members were mobilized across the game world.

That would not be a war. It would be absolute annihilation. No city, no alliance, no defense could survive such overwhelming force.

That thought alone was enough to crush any lingering hesitation.

Kevin lowered his head slightly and swore his loyalty on the spot.

He promised that he and every member of the Avalon guild would obey Ethan’s commands without question.

His voice was firm, but beneath it lay unmistakable fear.

Ethan watched him calmly, his bloodstained uniform fluttering slightly in the breeze.

“My advice,” Ethan said evenly, “is to focus on gathering food resources. Don’t rush to form city soldiers yet.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“Use this ceasefire period to stabilize your city. Stockpile food. Prepare for what comes next.”

Kevin nodded without hesitation. “I understand.”

There was no argument. No resistance. Only acceptance.

Not long after, Ethan and Sera took to the sky once more, leaving Ascalon City behind as they headed south toward the desert region.

They flew high above the land, slicing through clouds and air currents alike.

Golden trails followed in their wake, marking their path across the sky like fading comets.

Despite their speed, the distance ahead remained vast. Lion City was still far beyond the horizon.

“It looks like I won’t reach Lion City until tomorrow,” Ethan muttered.

“I’m sorry, Ethan,” Sera replied quietly.

Her voice carried genuine regret. She knew her limitations, and the cooldown timer looming over her abilities weighed heavily on both of them.

Twenty-five minutes passed.

Still, they had not reached the canyon that marked the edge of the desert.

Ethan finally descended, landing on the grassy floor of a forest. The moon hung low in the night sky, casting pale light through the trees.

Sera followed him down, hovering just above the ground.

Ethan turned toward her and smiled faintly, a rare softness appearing on his face.

“I’ll continue on foot from here,” he said. “You should rest.”

Sera hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Please take care of yourself, Ethan.”

In the next instant, her body glowed with brilliant golden light. Her form shifted rapidly, shrinking and changing.

The elegant woman clad in a flowing golden gown transformed into a small, chibi-like figure that floated gently behind Ethan’s back.

With that, Ethan was truly alone.

No servants. No allies. Just him, standing in the middle of a silent forest at night.

But solitude did not trouble him.

Ethan raised his hand and summoned his Tempest Reaver sword. The blade materialized in his grip, and he tightened his hold around its hilt.

The change was immediate.

A gray-white aura erupted around his body, swirling like wind made visible. His posture shifted, lighter, sharper, as though the air itself had begun to carry him.

[Mode Tempest Activated]

A small smile appeared on Ethan’s lips.

Tempest Mode granted him speed akin to a wind flash—faster even than the crimson flash of Ashura Mode.

His surroundings blurred as he began to move.

He ran.

Powerful gusts of wind followed his movement, shaking trees violently and scattering leaves in all directions.

Dust rose from the ground and swirled into the air as Ethan tore through the forest.

To him, the world ahead seemed slow, almost frozen.

But to anyone watching, he would appear as nothing more than a fleeting shadow, gone before the eye could fully register his presence.

Though Tempest Mode was not as fast as Sera’s full flight, it was more than sufficient.

Even through the cold and silence of the night forest, Ethan pressed forward relentlessly, closing the distance to the desert region with every step.

***

The next day.

“Sir Ethan has been gone for days, yet new soldiers keep arriving in our city,” one guard muttered.

His companion, standing beside him atop the northern gate, nodded. “I’ve been reading the global forum chat. People are saying Ethan destroyed a lot of cities.”

“What? Really?” the first guard widened his eyes. “Then are those soldiers prisoners of war?”

“I don’t think so,” the second replied. “They’ve already joined us. Their armor colors have changed, haven’t they?”

They both glanced down toward the wide field beyond the gate.

Under Hanss’s command, rows of city soldiers stood in perfect formation. Their armor bore the distinctive white-and-blue colors of LionArk.

“You’re right,” the first guard admitted.

They returned their attention to the horizon, maintaining their watch and reporting any suspicious activity.

WOSH!

A violent gust of wind suddenly swept across the desert, throwing sand into the air and blinding their vision.

Both guards stiffened instantly.

One of them reached for his weapon, heart pounding, convinced the sandstorm was the prelude to an enemy attack.

Through the swirling haze, a figure emerged.

A lone man stood there, surrounded by a faint gray-white aura.

Shock washed over both guards.

One of them immediately turned and ran to summon Hanss.

Moments later, sirens echoed across Lion City. Announcements rang out as LionArk members rushed to their positions.

City soldiers poured out of the northern gate, forming a defensive line.

Hanss arrived swiftly, his gaze fixed on the figure beyond the gate.

“This is Lion City,” he called out firmly. “Territory of LionArk.”

“If you have no urgent business here, leave at once!”

The man did not respond.

Instead, he stabbed his sword into the desert sand and collapsed to his knees.

The aura around him faded. The Tempest Mode deactivated. The sandstorm gradually settled.

When the dust cleared, his bloodstained uniform came into full view.

Hanss froze.

“Sir Ethan?!” he shouted.

Without wasting another second, Hanss rushed forward as Ethan collapsed completely onto the sand.

Several priests followed closely behind, immediately beginning recovery procedures.

The surrounding soldiers stood frozen, staring in disbelief.

This was Ethan.

The undefeated. The unstoppable.

And yet, here he was—covered in blood, exhausted beyond measure.

The rumors circulating through the global forums suddenly felt terrifyingly real.

Hanss personally carried Ethan to the town center, where two priests continued treating his injuries.

After examining him, they reached their conclusion.

“He has multiple cuts and signs of extreme fatigue,” one priest reported. “He pushed himself far beyond safe limits.”

“Continue treatment,” Hanss ordered. “Inform me immediately if his condition changes.”

“Yes, Officer Hanss.”

***

At LionArk’s headquarters in Mavelard, chaos quietly erupted.

Jill sprinted through the lobby and up the stairs, bursting into Ashley’s office on the third floor.

Ashley and Ayaka both looked up at once.

Jill’s face was pale.

“What happened?” Ashley asked sharply.

“Sir Ethan… he came back covered in blood!”

“WHAT?!” Ashley shouted.

She bolted from her desk and raced down the stairs, heading straight for the courtyard where a live projection from Lion City was being displayed.

Unfortunately, the projection only showed the city itself. No individual views. No detailed status.

The lack of information only heightened the anxiety spreading among LionArk members.

Ashley’s arrival drew immediate attention. Gordon and Rick approached her, concern written clearly on their faces.

Jill quickly rewound the footage.

The image of Hanss carrying Ethan—his uniform soaked in blood—filled the projection.

Gordon and Rick gasped.

Ashley’s breath caught, her eyes trembling with panic.

“What… actually happened?”

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