Chapter 299: Spy Guild

***

Three days later.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, scanning the horizon. No new city had appeared in the desert region.

That alone was a clear sign that the transmigration had fully ended.

There were no more flashes of light, no distortions in space, no sudden silhouettes of walls and towers forcing their way into the world.

Everything was still.

No cities were migrating anymore. Every member of the Eastern Alliance had already left the tropical region.

Even more unsettling, Ethan could see foreign flags planted across the desert sands.

They did not belong to the Blood Ink River Alliance, nor were they banners of the Eastern Alliance.

That fact alone made the air feel heavier.

Laura climbed up to the northern gate and stopped beside Ethan. She straightened her posture and spoke respectfully. “Sir Ethan.”

Ethan turned to look at her. “What is it?”

“The team leader from one of those cities has arrived at Lion City. He says he wants to explain why they transmigrated to the desert region.”

Ethan did not hesitate. “Bring them here, Laura.”

“Yes, Sir Ethan.”

Laura left immediately, heading toward the eastern gate. Not long after, footsteps approached from behind Ethan.

A man stopped a short distance away. Ethan glanced over his shoulder and instantly knew he had never seen this person before.

“Sir Ethan,” the man greeted him.

Ethan studied him carefully before speaking. “Your flag has no markings. Just plain white. Which alliance do you belong to?”

His gaze sharpened, pressing down like an invisible weight. The man stiffened, clearly unsure how to respond.

The person standing in front of him was Sir Ethan, the most respected figure in the eastern plains and the most hated name in the central lands.

The fact that dozens of cities with white and blue flags now filled the desert region was proof of how deeply they trusted Ethan.

One reckless move here would mean death.

“We… are from the Western Sword Alliance.”

Ethan narrowed his eyes further. “So you are from a western plains guild?”

The man nodded quickly. He explained that he came from the western plains and had no connection whatsoever to Redemption Sword or Scavenger.

That explanation made Ethan inhale sharply.

The man knew far too much about LionArk and the alliances involved.

The hostility between those three guilds existed only in the eastern and central lands.

Someone from the west should not have been this informed.

“You have no connection to them, is that it?” Ethan asked. “Then why move to the desert region?”

He gestured toward the distance. “Everyone knows the tropical region is the best place to settle. Why leave it?”

The man hesitated. “That is… because we did not feel safe.”

“Not safe because of whom?” Ethan asked calmly.

The man’s face tightened. Fear flickered through his eyes as he repeatedly looked away. Ethan could tell immediately.

He was lying.

There was a real possibility that this man was a spy sent to sabotage the Eastern Alliance.

“Because of Redemption Sword and Scavenger, of course.”

Ethan let out a quiet chuckle. Then he turned his gaze forward, toward the countless cities scattered across the desert.

He sighed softly. “Your lie is obvious.”

“What?” the man blurted out.

“I said your lie is obvious.”

“I would never lie. Why would I lie?” the man shouted, his voice cracking as he tried to deny it.

Ethan extended his hand. Bloodblade Ashura materialized instantly, its presence alone radiating overwhelming power.

Instead of continuing to argue, the man panicked. He turned and ran.

Ethan gripped Bloodblade Ashura. A terrifying aura exploded outward, powerful enough to shake the ground and stun everyone nearby.

[Mode Ashura Activated]

Laura turned her head sharply, and several team members did the same. A man was sprinting away from the northern gate with sheer panic written all over his face.

Laura recognized him immediately.

From another direction, she saw Ethan advancing, his Ashura Mode unleashed. People began to panic. To them, Ethan using that power meant only one thing.

He intended to kill.

“What are you doing, Sir Ethan?” Laura shouted.

Ethan stopped when Laura stepped in front of him. He glanced past her, watching the man draw closer to the eastern gate.

Without answering her, Ethan suddenly vanished and burst forward at full speed. Everyone watched in shock. Laura failed to stop him.

Just before the man crossed the eastern gate, a crimson flash appeared. Ethan arrived first, blocking his path.

The man stumbled back in terror. “You… You want to kill me? If you kill me, the Western Sword Alliance will become enemies with the Eastern Alliance!”

Ethan raised his sword and pointed it straight at him. “You are the one who came here as an enemy. You are not an ordinary guild member. You are a spy.”

“What proof do you have to call me a spy?” the man demanded.

“No one knows about the hostility between LionArk and Redemption Sword except the two alliances involved,” Ethan said coldly.

“And your move to the desert region proves your allegiance.”

“I was just trying to avoid conflict!” the man shouted.

Laura had heard everything. She finally understood what was happening.

Ethan was detaining him because he was part of a spy network sent by Redemption Sword or Scavenger.

“If you truly had no conflict with them, you would have stayed in the tropical region,” Laura said firmly.

“I really was just trying to…”

“Do you know why the desert region is filled with cities from the Eastern Alliance?” Ethan interrupted.

“Because this is your territory,” the man answered instinctively.

SLASH!

With a single sideways swing, Ethan severed the man’s head. It fell to the ground in front of Laura and several other stunned team members.

Hanss arrived at the eastern gate just in time to see a lifeless body collapse.

“You… killed him?” Laura asked, her face pale. This was the first time she had ever witnessed someone being killed so brutally.

“He knew about my agreement with Arthur,” Ethan said quietly. “His earlier answer made it clear. The Blood Ink River Alliance sent him as a spy.”

“But why?” Laura asked.

“He called it my territory,” Ethan replied. “Not a place he fled to in order to avoid conflict.”

Ethan lowered his head slightly.

If he had chosen his words better, he might still be alive.

No core crystal appeared after the man’s death. That confirmed two possibilities.

Either his guild anticipated his death and transferred the core crystal to someone else, or the man who came to see Ethan was not actually the team leader.

“Laura,” Ethan called.

“Yes, Sir Ethan?”

“Tell Units 1, 2, and 3 to prepare themselves. They will accompany me to attack that city this afternoon.”

Laura paused for a moment, then nodded firmly. “Understood, Sir Ethan.”

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