Chapter 34: Guild or Friend?

From the direction of the city center, the Guild Master and all the members of the Twilight Guild saw black smoke rising high into the sky.

The smoke clearly came from the eastern part of the city.

“STOP HIM, NOW!” shouted the guild master, and everyone followed his order immediately.

Damn it, EthanArk! Why is he attacking my base? What the hell is he planning?

The sudden movement of many Twilight Guild members became a strange sight for the other players in the city center.

They looked confused, anxious, and curious about why so many Twilight members were rushing back and forth in Porco City’s main square.

Some players from other guilds went to check out what was happening in the east, though they didn’t want to get involved in someone else’s guild conflict.

When several Twilight members finally reached their guild base complex, they found collapsed walls, burning buildings, and dead bodies everywhere.

Among the pile of corpses, Ethan sat alone on top, still wearing the same uniform, but now covered with a black cloak.

“Ethan!” they shouted.

Ethan heard their voices. He lifted his head and turned to face them, one by one, watching their shocked faces.

They all knew Ethan was a dangerous wanted criminal—someone powerful enough to wipe out half the total players in the beginner city.

But none of them expected that he could also kill high-level players above the beginner level in Porco City.

One of the reasons other players didn’t know Ethan’s real strength was because of his [Hidden Level] feature.

He chose to keep his level hidden, letting others only guess.

“I thought the Twilight Guild was the strongest in Porco City. Guess I was wrong,” said Ethan.

“You’re just cowards hiding behind a guild name.”

“What do you mean by this? We never had a problem with you! Why are you attacking us?” one of the players shouted.

Soon after, a man with level 45 appeared at the scene.

His face went pale, and his hands trembled as he looked around at the horrific destruction of his guild base.

“WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?!” he shouted angrily.

“I was just taking a walk through the city,” Ethan replied calmly, “and I happened to see a large complex with barely any guards.”

“I thought there might be some treasure inside. Lucky for me, I found some items worth keeping.”

The level 45 man raised his sword and pointed it at Ethan, threatening him.

He demanded Ethan return the stolen items and surrender.

If Ethan did that, maybe the man would spare his life.

But Ethan refused. What he had gained was not something he would give back.

He told the man that the destruction of Twilight Guild was entirely the guild master’s fault—for being careless and greedy.

“If you had stationed more people here,” Ethan said, “maybe I would’ve had a harder time.”

“YOU BASTARD, ETHAN!” shouted the guild master.

He jumped forward and swung his sword fiercely. Ethan moved fast, blocking the strike.

A fierce sword fight broke out between the two warrior-class players.

Many guild members wanted to help their leader, but several high-ranking officers stopped them. Helping him now would mean they doubted their leader’s strength.

“Attack him, Agon!” ordered the guild master.

A huge rhino appeared beside him—it wasn’t a monster or a soul servant, but a pet.

Ethan smiled, jumped back, and gripped his sword tightly with one hand.

With a swift sideways motion, he unleashed a crimson slash forward.

The strong power of his first skill instantly defeated the rhino pet, which turned into a golden orb and flew back into the guild master’s body.

“W-What kind of power is that?” the man stammered.

“So, you’re the Twilight Guild Master? Interesting. I was getting bored fighting your members.”

Ethan stabbed his sword into the ground, standing tall with his head raised high, mocking the man in front of him.

“Come at me. Show them all your strength. Let’s see if you can defeat me.”

“ETHAN!” the guild master shouted and charged at him with rage.

.

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Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Leon was helping members of the Avalon Guild treat their wounded players.

Many of them had been injured during the earlier guild war.

After four hours, Leon finally managed to heal all the wounded members since the battle had ended.

“What actually happened? Why did all the Twilight Guild players retreat?” one man asked.

Leon shook his head. He actually knew Ethan was the reason Twilight had withdrawn, but Ethan’s reckless action would only put him in greater danger.

So, Leon sent a few Avalon scouts to the eastern area to investigate Twilight’s base.

Their task was simple: observe, record, and summarize everything that happened there.

“Sir Leon!” someone called.

Leon turned around and saw three scout members running toward him, exhausted and out of breath.

He felt uneasy—the look on their faces already told him it was bad.

“What’s wrong? What did you find?” asked Leon.

“There was a bloody battle in the Twilight guild complex… hundreds of players are dead.”

No way… that’s insane!

“W-Who did it?” Leon asked, pretending not to know.

“It was… EthanArk.”

Not only Leon but everyone in the Avalon Guild heard the news.

The Guild Master, Alan, came out from the main building, walking alongside two of his officers.

“There’s no doubt,” Alan said, still injured. “EthanArk’s rampage in Twilight’s base has brought us some advantages.”

“But a criminal is still a criminal. Avalon Guild stands for the purest justice.”

“The Red Notice has been issued. I order everyone to spread out and capture EthanArk.”

All members followed the command, preparing to move once they recovered and repaired their base.

Leon stayed silent. He heard Alan’s order, but deep down, he was torn—whether to obey or not. After all, EthanArk was his friend.

Alan noticed Leon’s reaction. It wasn’t normal for Leon to be so quiet—he was usually the most loyal and reliable among the guild.

“What’s wrong, Leon?” Alan asked.

“Nothing, Guild Master.”

“Your face says otherwise. Tell me, what’s on your mind?”

Leon paused, then took a slow breath. He had been with Avalon since the Full-Drive VR tragedy, but he had known Ethan long before the guild was even founded.

He felt he had to do something for EthanArk.

“Forgive me, Guild Master Alan,” Leon said firmly. “I intend to resign.”

“Resign? Why?” Alan asked, surprised.

“There’s a friend who needs my help. He needs me more than Avalon does.”

“He’s saved me many times in the past. I think it’s time I repay that debt,” Leon explained.

Alan listened quietly, then let out a slow sigh and closed his eyes.

He knew Leon was one of Avalon’s most valuable members. Losing him would be a huge blow.

But a man’s principles shouldn’t be betrayed. Leon had the courage to admit he wanted to save his friend. That was a noble act.

“I understand,” Alan said finally.

“Thank you for understanding, Guild Master.”

“Go. Find your friend. He must be struggling right now,” Alan said firmly.

“Yes,” Leon replied softly.

“He’s falling apart.”

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