Chapter 162: Fight For Survival
The moment Ethan stepped into the conference room, he could feel the pressure. Not the crushing, overwhelming kind he had felt from Titan, but something dense, layered, suffocating in a different way.
Dozens of presences, all focused, powerful, and watching him.
His shoulders tensed instinctively, his instincts sharpening as his gaze swept across the room.
’What the fuck is this?’
For a brief second, his mind defaulted to the worst-case scenario.
’Is this some kind of trial?’
It wouldn’t be that surprising.
He had killed someone in front of a crowd and indirectly triggered an A Rank battle that caused immense chaos. But the more he looked around, the more that thought started to fall apart.
Because he recognised people in the room.
A lot of them.
’...Huh.’
His eyes moved from one figure to another.
The first he noticed was the bulldozer, the massive, grey-skinned man who had started something with him and Elara in the training facility.
From that same place, there was the guy who constantly punched the wall and even that monk who was floating cross-legged above his chair, eyes closed, completely detached from reality as if the room itself didn’t concern him.
And then, also from that day, someone he had grown to know even better.
The Pink Flash.
She was leaning back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other, twirling something between her fingers like she didn’t have a care in the world.
But they weren’t all.
As if this were a gathering of all the new Titled who had caught his eye, there was Rowan, the tree guy who had fought Seraphina the night prior. There was also Liora, the Barrier Bastion, looking far more put together than she had last night, though still faintly exhausted.
And last but definitely not least, he spotted Kaela.
She was sitting casually, drinking straight from a bottle like she was at a party instead of... whatever this was.
The moment Ethan and Elara stepped in, her eyes locked onto them, and she grinned at them like she had been waiting.
Ethan blinked.
’I guess I know quite a few Titled now.’
There were around twenty people in total.
All of them were at least C Rank, and the air itself felt heavier because of it, especially because of the old man sitting at the head of the table
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’Who’s this old dude?’
Something about him was off, not in a bad way, but in a dangerous way.
He looked older, sure, but he had a strong build and was like a coiled spring hidden beneath a calm exterior. Not to mention his subtle but undeniably powerful presence that commanded attention.
Ethan frowned slightly.
’I really need to be online more.’
Because there was no way this guy wasn’t important and no way someone like that just casually sat at the head of a room full of high-ranking Titled.
Yet, Ethan had no clue who he was.
Which was very concerning, considering he was the head of the USA Titled Association, a man known more than most world leaders.
"Thank you all for coming," the old man spoke calmly, his voice carrying effortlessly across the room. "I understand this was short notice."
His tone was composed and authoritative, clearly used to being listened to.
Ethan scratched the back of his head slightly, glancing around again, still confused and expecting someone to slap cuffs on his wrists at any moment.
So, he just said it.
"Am I not being arrested?"
There was a pause, with many in the room appearing either amused, confused, or both.
The old man blinked once.
"For what?"
Ethan froze for half a second, then laughed quickly.
"Nothing, haha."
If they weren’t going to bring it up, then he obviously wasn’t. And though he had mentally prepared himself for a cell, he definitely wasn’t complaining.
"Please," the old man gestured lightly. "Take a seat, both of you."
Ethan nodded, walking forward with Elara beside him.
She was silent as always as she settled down beside him.
His blue eyes scanned the table again, more carefully this time, scanning everyone around him. Some had physical changes like unnatural eyes, altered skin, or physical traits that marked them as something beyond human, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were stronger.
Titan was a perfect example of that.
Not all Titled experienced permanent changes, and Ethan was glad he didn’t, but some of them did look quite cool. But among them, one face stood out, one he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed when he first stepped in.
Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.
’No way.’
Because sitting a few seats away, staring directly at him, was someone he hadn’t expected to see here...
Or at all.
’Darius?’
For a second, it genuinely felt like he’d seen a ghost.
The man whose chest had been crushed by the now-called Blood Demon was alive and well, his gaze intense.
Ethan gave a small, awkward grin before quickly looking away.
’Did he report something different?’
In the grand scheme of things, that gate was no longer important, but it was still a mild concern. Though before he could dwell on it, the old man spoke again.
"The reason you have all been called here today..."
The room quieted immediately, everyone focusing on what he had to say.
"...is because you have all been selected to clear a B+ Rank Gate."
Ethan was visibly surprised as he glanced around the room again.
He was glad that he and Elara didn’t seem to be in any trouble, but from what he could see...
’This is overkill.’
Because just from what he knew, Kaela, Elara, and Liora already made three A Ranks.
’Not to mention the Pink Flash, that tree dude, and all the others.’
Everyone here was capable in their own right, and this felt less like a gate-clearing squad and more like a war party.
’But out of all the Titled... it had to be these people?’
The coincidence wasn’t lost on him.
Or maybe... it wasn’t a coincidence at all.
"And the reason so many of you have been gathered," the old man continued, "is because this is an unstable gate."
That changed things slightly.
"With the current number of gates appearing across the country, we require immediate and overwhelming force when necessary."
Ethan leaned back slightly, listening.
"A B+ Rank Gate," the man continued, "is approaching A Rank classification. Its instability means it could escalate or break at any moment."
A gate break.
Ethan imagined a gate break with that ant gate he had entered.
Cities ruined and thousands dead, and that was just a B- Rank Gate that was supposedly stable before Ethan had entered it.
"But with Titan currently out of commission-"
"You mean that idiot is on vacation," Kaela cut in casually, taking another swig from her bottle.
A few people snorted, and the old man sighed faintly.
"Yes. He is on a well-deserved break."
Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly.
’S Ranks get breaks, huh.’
Then again, what were they gonna do?
Force him?
Good luck with that.
"You are the most suitable group to handle this situation," the man continued. "And as you are aware, C Rank and above Titled receive standard compensation for emergency deployments."
Ethan nodded faintly, then paused.
’Wait... I’m not a C Rank, at least not officially.’
"And you," the old man’s gaze shifted directly to him, "will be undergoing reassessment."
Ethan stiffened slightly.
’Ah, there it is.’
"You have been recommended by the Riot Valkyrie," he added, nodding briefly toward Kaela, "and are associated with Ms Veyne."
Ethan glanced at Kaela, who gave him an unapologetic smile.
"Thought you’d be bored otherwise," she shrugged.
"Right..."
He was slightly nervous about being reassessed, but he didn’t exactly have much of a choice.
"This gate is located in Houston, Texas," the man continued. "All transportation and logistics have been arranged."
Harold was straight to the point.
"As it is unstable, it must be dealt with within the next twenty-four hours. You have four hours to prepare. Until then, you will remain within this building."
There was no room for objections or complaints, nor was this optional, as he continued to outline what they knew about this gate and the current landscape.
"Gates are becoming more frequent. We are having multiple B Rank gates a week across the country, and A Rank gates appearing globally."
Ethan listened closely.
This was bigger than him, than personal vendettas, than an underground arena, putting into perspective just how crazy things were around the world.
"The world is changing," Harold said, his voice carrying immense weight. "And we, the Titled, stand at the centre of it."
There was a heavy silence.
"Why these gates exist, who granted us these Titles, what lies beyond them - none of that matters right now."
His gaze swept across each person in the room.
"We fight for survival!"
Those words hit deeply in the room, leaving them all fired up for the insanity that was to come...
