West of Ashwick, deep within the uncharted wilderness of the Ironvale Mountains.
Lately, this untouched land had seen an unusual influx of people.
They came in all manner of dress—some in sharp business suits, others in formal wear, casual street fashion, or even monk-like robes.
Yet, despite their differences, they all had the same destination: the towering cliff at the mountain’s peak.
Beyond that cliff, a single iron chain, no thicker than an adult’s arm, stretched into the mist-covered abyss. It swayed gently in the wind, disappearing into the sea of clouds.
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The travelers, arriving in small groups, stepped onto the chain one after another, vanishing into the fog as if swallowed by the sky itself.
A few days ago, if Ethan had been here, he would’ve witnessed something shocking—Lyla, escorted by two individuals, stepping onto that very chain and disappearing into the unknown.
But right now, Ethan wasn’t in the mountains.
He was still inside the world of Ethereal, seated comfortably in a private booth at the SK Tavern in Blackridge, sipping expensive ale and digging into a meal that, by game standards, was pure luxury.
The dishes in front of him, along with the drink, had cost him 18 gold.
A few months ago, he would’ve never wasted money on something like this.
But now?
Now, he didn’t really care. A little indulgence never hurt anyone.
Knock, knock, knock.
A sharp knock on the door pulled Ethan from his thoughts.
Right on time.
"Come in."
Without getting up, Ethan gave the command. The system, recognizing the booth’s owner had granted access, automatically unlocked the door.
A woman in a sleek black rogue’s outfit stepped inside, her face partially covered by a scarf.
The guild leader of Nocturne Order, Xandria.
She said nothing, walking straight to the chair across from Ethan and sitting down.
Ethan didn’t stand to greet her either. Instead, he shoved the last piece of rib into his mouth, chewing with exaggerated urgency, as if afraid she might steal it.
Xandria stared at him for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Hah! The legendary Druid God… turns out to be a total cheapskate!"
Her voice—unexpectedly high-pitched and playful, caught Ethan off guard.
He raised a brow, suddenly intrigued by this masked rogue.
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Not bothering to acknowledge her teasing, he simply smirked and shrugged. "You’re the one who called me here. Shouldn’t you be the one buying me dinner? I was just having a small appetizer while I waited. Besides, I saved a fortune by booking this room myself."
Xandria blinked, then sighed dramatically. "Wow. The great Druid God, one of the most influential figures in Ethereal, and yet you know nothing about gratitude."
Ethan shook his head, chuckling as he leaned back. "Enough small talk. Let’s get to the point."
Xandria’s playful demeanor disappeared instantly. She pulled down her scarf, revealing a strikingly beautiful face, her expression now serious. "You do realize how much I helped you today." She folded her arms. "Don’t you think I deserve a cut of the loot?"
Ethan froze for a second.
That voice. That face. They didn’t match at all.
It wasn’t that she was unattractive—far from it. She was stunning. In fact, she had the aura of a cold, calculating woman. Her voice, on the other hand… was very low pitched, almost sounding like a child’s.
Ethan fought the urge to laugh. No wonder she wore a mask. That contrast was too much.
Still, he kept his composure, flashing a slow, amused grin. "A cut? Yeah… that’s not happening."
Xandria hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection.
Her expression darkened, anger flashing across her face as she prepared to speak.
But before she could, Ethan continued, "Your guild doesn’t have enough contribution points to upgrade its headquarters, does it?"
Xandria narrowed her eyes but stayed silent.
She had built Nocturne Order as a pure rogue guild—every single member specialized in assassination, stealth, or intelligence gathering. That focus had made them deadly, but it had also become a weakness.
Guild raids? Dungeon clearing? Large-scale battles?
A guild full of rogues wasn’t suited for any of that.
She had considered recruiting other classes, but after years of building her name, and running her professional gaming studio, she had only ever taken in rogue players.
When Ethereal first launched, she had led her entire team into the game, swearing that Nocturne Order would become the world’s most feared rogue guild—a name that would make other players shudder.
But reality had crushed that dream fast.
Unlike past MMOs, where a strong guild simply dominated by raw power, Ethereal introduced systems that completely changed the game.
Take Ethan, for example. His strength alone had propelled Renegade Alliance forward, accelerating their growth. But Xandria’s single-class strategy?
It had backfired. Hard.
Her vision had been to push the rogue class to its absolute peak, but the game’s mechanics punished guilds that lacked diversity.
Now, Nocturne Order was stuck at Level 4.
Aside from a handful of merchant and crafting players, her entire guild consisted of rogues. They excelled at assassinations, tracking, and information gathering. But earning contribution points through raid clears?
Impossible.
That bottleneck had become an enormous problem.
Sure, she could swallow her pride and hire outside players to grind points for her guild… but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She had spent years building her reputation in the professional gaming scene. If word got out that Nocturne Order—a top-tier guild, had to hire outsiders just to level up, it would be humiliating.
Starting over with a mixed-class team wasn’t an option either. Building a coordinated raid squad took time, and by the time she pulled it off, they would already be far behind their competitors.
To make things worse, she didn’t even have a raid leader.
Finding new members was easy.
Finding a commander who could hold a team together? That was an entirely different problem.
For weeks, Xandria had been struggling with this dilemma. How was she supposed to keep her guild afloat? How would she support her members?
And now, a new issue had emerged.
A rogue player named Executioner had recently climbed the rankings. He had no guild, worked alone, and specialized in high-profile assassinations—specifically, targets with power and influence.
Meanwhile, Nocturne Order was bound by guild politics. Accepting contracts against stronger factions could bring them trouble.
That meant fewer jobs, and more financial strain.
And even if she weren’t tied to a guild, taking those kinds of contracts was dangerous.
In the real world, her gaming studio was well-known. If people traced those assassinations back to her team, they wouldn’t just be dealing with in-game consequences.
Her studio was in the middle of a major investment deal. If the wrong people decided to interfere…
The fallout could be disastrous.