Everyone had gathered in the front courtyard of LionArk Headquarters in Mavelard City, from ordinary members to Ashley herself.

They all knew that this afternoon marked the end of the Guild of Champions event.

That meant the LionArk team members would soon be teleported from the event world back into the main game world.

The atmosphere was thick with anticipation. Some members stood with their arms crossed. Others paced back and forth.

A few whispered nervously to one another. Despite the crowd, an unusual silence lingered in the air, as if everyone were holding their breath at the same time.

Gordon stood beside Ashley, also waiting for Ethan’s return.

"This is a pretty nerve-wracking moment," Gordon said quietly.

"True," Ashley replied.

A notification panel suddenly appeared on the projection screen installed in the courtyard, displaying information about the winner of the Guild of Champions Event.

All eyes immediately locked onto the screen.

For a split second, no one moved.

Their faces froze in shock when they realized that LionArk had finished the event in first place.

[Congratulations! The Winner of the Guild of Champions Event is Guild LionArk]

"We... won?"

The silence shattered instantly.

Cheers erupted across the courtyard. Shouts filled the air. Members clapped, laughed, and even jumped in celebration.

Some hugged each other. Others dropped to their knees in gratitude. The tension that had weighed on them for days dissolved into overwhelming joy.

Relief washed over Ashley’s heart like a powerful wave.

She had known it.

Ethan would never disappoint her.

LionArk had become champion because Ethan had led them.

"He did it," Ashley whispered.

Gordon and Rick nodded in agreement. Their expressions were filled with admiration.

LionArk had managed to finish first despite the presence of Redemption Sword and Scavenger, two of the most powerful guilds in the game. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Impressive. He managed to defeat Redemption Sword and their allied members," Gordon said.

"Did you forget? He’s Ethan. He was already incredible at playing on PC. Now imagine him in VR like this," Rick added confidently.

"Playing on PC doesn’t cost you anything except your pride. But in VR, with the rule that death means death, it’s clearly much harder," Gordon replied.

Rick stopped arguing.

Gordon was right.

VR mode carried real consequences. Every decision mattered. Every battle carried the weight of life and death.

"Look! They’re starting to teleport!"

Ashley stepped forward immediately.

A massive pillar of blue light suddenly appeared in the courtyard of LionArk Headquarters.

It shimmered and pulsed with energy, illuminating the entire area in a radiant glow.

Within seconds, figures began to materialize inside the light.

Ethan and the LionArk team had returned safely.

The blue teleportation light slowly faded.

Ashley smiled, her eyes already glistening. Without hesitation, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Ethan.

Ethan embraced her just as tightly.

Ashley cried in his arms, tears of happiness streaming down her face. She cried because Ethan had returned safely.

Not just him, but everyone.

All around them, other members were doing the same. Teammates hugged one another.

Friends reunited. Lovers clung together as if afraid they might disappear again.

The atmosphere shifted from explosive joy to something deeply emotional.

Many LionArk members were grateful that their comrades, friends, and partners were alive and well.

"I’m so glad you came back safely, Ethan," Ashley whispered through her tears.

Ethan smiled gently and stroked her hair.

"Thank you for protecting Mavelard for me, Ashley."

She pulled away slightly, wiping her tears before smiling up at him.

"I’m happy I could help you, Ethan."

Elsewhere, Hanss held Sherly tightly in his arms. Laura reunited with her friends, laughing and crying at the same time.

Gordon and Rick walked toward Ethan and offered their congratulations.

"Congratulations on your victory, Ethan," Gordon said.

"Thank you, both of you."

Rick leaned forward, unable to contain his curiosity.

"What happened to the Redemption Sword and Scavenger? Did you defeat them? Did you kill Arthur?"

Ethan gave a faint smile.

Secrets like that were known only to him, based on his agreement with Arthur.

But Ashley, Gordon, and Rick were his closest friends. He trusted them enough to believe they could keep something this big confidential.

"I’ll tell you everything," Ethan replied calmly. "For now, we should throw a party for them. They deserve to be appreciated."

Gordon looked ahead at the celebrating members. Ashley nodded in agreement. She had no objections.

She would ask Natasha to arrange a celebration tonight in the courtyard.

After the excitement settled slightly, they entered LionArk Headquarters together and climbed to the third floor until they reached Ethan’s office.

Ethan personally provided wine for them.

The reason he had invited them here was simple. He intended to tell them what had truly happened during the event.

They each filled their glasses and drank slowly. Ethan sat on a single-seat sofa across from them, his expression calm but serious.

"Xeno. The Guild Leader of Scavenger. He’s dead," Ethan said.

Rick immediately spat out the wine in his mouth from shock.

"Dead?!"

Gordon and Ashley were also stunned, though they didn’t react as dramatically as Rick.

"You’re serious?" Ashley asked quietly.

"I killed him," Ethan answered. "On Arthur’s orders."

"Arthur? You mean the leader of the Redemption Sword?" Rick asked, wide-eyed.

Ethan turned and nodded.

Gordon fell silent. His gaze sharpened as he processed the information carefully.

"I suspected something like this," Gordon finally said.

Ethan and the others turned to him.

"What do you mean?" Rick asked.

"I once heard from an officer in Redemption Sword that their relationship with Scavenger wasn’t good."

"They occasionally cooperated, but more often than not, Redemption Sword had to clean up problems caused by Scavenger."

"Maybe during this event, Arthur finally got fed up with Scavenger’s behavior," Gordon concluded.

Ethan nodded.

He added what Arthur had told him, almost word for word matching Gordon’s explanation. That confirmed Arthur hadn’t lied.

"But that’s not all," Ethan continued. "Mr. X from Shadow Guild... is Xeno."

"What?!" Ashley gasped.

Ethan smiled faintly.

"Tell Ayaka about this. Scavenger is currently being hunted by Redemption Sword. We need to assist them."

"Without financial backing from Scavenger, Shadow Guild won’t have much power. That reduces the threat significantly."

Ashley felt another wave of relief.

One by one, the problems that had haunted LionArk and the Eastern Continent were resolving themselves.

The Guild of Champions event had become the peak resolution of long-standing conflicts.

"I’ll arrange it," Ashley said firmly.

Ethan nodded gratefully.

"Then what about Sacred Hall?" he asked.

"Relocating cities required a massive amount of resources. We managed to help them. They’ll repay the full cost," Ashley explained.

"They only need to pay half," Ethan corrected gently. "LionArk received ten million gold from the event. Sacred Hall helped us a lot."

Ashley smiled softly.

"I understand, Ethan."

Ethan leaned back slightly, feeling a rare sense of peace.

For the first time in a long while, the burdens weighing on him felt lighter.

But now, it was time to address what mattered most.

"Gordon," Ethan called.

Gordon straightened instinctively.

"Yes?"

"Starting tomorrow, I’m appointing you as the Leader of the Eastern Alliance."

Gordon froze.

"What?!" His reaction was so intense that Ethan couldn’t help but notice. It was rare to see Gordon lose his composure.

"But why?"

"I have something important I need to do," Ethan explained calmly. "I’m going to initiate a Tower Raid and find the third goddess, Thalmera."

"I’ll figure out the best way to get all of you and everyone else out of this game."

His voice was steady, but there was determination behind it.

"That’s why I can’t stay tied to a guild."

Ashley’s face paled slightly as she listened.

"That means—"

"I’m sorry, Ashley," Ethan said softly.

He looked at her with a heavy gaze, "I’m leaving LionArk."