One night before the tournament began, Ethan focused on strengthening himself by distributing the attribute points he had earned.
That way, his power would grow much stronger than before. He also felt confident that he could perform differently in tomorrow's tournament.
[ATTRIBUTES]
[ATK: 879 || DEF: 780]
[STR: 100 || AGI: 80 || INT: 15 || CON: 80 || WIS: 45]
He carefully distributed the points into three main attributes—STR, AGI, and CON.
Strength helped increase his physical attack power. Agility boosted his speed and critical rate. Constitution improved his stamina, HP, MP, and endurance.
Even though his level had risen to 33, his base attack was still under 1000.
There were many things he hadn't done yet—like inserting Soul Servants, using Spirit Crystals, or buying higher-grade equipment.
According to Ethan, once a player reached level 30, their base ATK should at least be between 1500 and 2000. That was the ideal standard in his mind.
That was why Ethan decided to head to Nile City.
It was a large city with better facilities than Ascardan, and with all those resources available, Ethan believed he could boost his base ATK to the level he wanted.
My attributes are ready. Everything's ready. I guess it's time to head down the mountain and enter the city.
Ethan summoned his black cloak and put it on. Even though it hid his face and body, he still had to be careful—his PK status was still visible above his head.
He left the old hut in the western forest, following a narrow path that crossed a small stream and went down several low hills.
In the distance, the city walls of Nile came into view.
Since big guilds were holding their player recruitment event, many players from outside the starter zones had come to Nile to join the tournament.
Ethan walked alone through the forest, turning off several of his visible profile settings—like his level—so no one would know how strong he actually was. It also made people suspicious of him.
"Look, a PK."
"Seriously? He must be crazy! Coming to a city full of major guild players."
"Yeah, that's insane!"
Ethan ignored the whispers and kept walking, the hood still covering his face. Some players mocked him, saying a PK didn't deserve to join a guild tournament.
Even though Lionark had lost a lot of trust from its members, there were still many players—especially beginners—who were interested in joining because of the guild's legendary name.
Most of them believed they could survive better under a guild's protection while earning contribution points to help the guild maintain its rank.
Ethan's steps slowed when his eyes caught sight of a long line in front of a booth bearing the Lionark emblem.
He felt a wave of emotion. That emblem and uniform were designed by him and his three friends. It gave him the motivation to save his guild again.
He joined the line, ignoring the mocking stares around him. The registration queue slowly shortened until it was finally his turn to stand before the guild booth.
The staff wearing Lionark's white-and-black uniforms were shocked, especially when they saw the PK mark floating above his head.
"You've killed another player. Criminals aren't allowed to join Lionark!" one of them said firmly.
"Please, let me join. I need to meet someone," Ethan said.
"There are no exceptions. Players with PK status can't register," replied the man, whose level 35 was shown above his head.
While Ethan was arguing with the stubborn staff, a woman wearing the guild's uniform stepped out of the inn nearby.
Two guild members followed closely behind her. She approached the booth after hearing that a PK player was trying to join the tournament.
"What's going on here?" she asked.
Ethan lifted his head and turned. He instantly recognized the woman standing beside him. It wasn't Ashley—but Jill.
Jill had been Ashley's aide two years ago, and she seemed to hold an important position in Lionark now. However, she wasn't using her real name as her username.
"Jill?" Ethan said, surprised.
"How do you know my name?" Jill asked.
She had an ideal figure, shoulder-length blonde hair, and held a magic staff in her right hand. Her guild uniform was modest yet elegant.
"You've grown stronger since two years ago. Did you finally master the Third Volume of the Light Sword Rune?" Ethan asked.
Jill narrowed her eyes, wondering how a PK like him could know so much about her. She looked up to read the username above his head.
"EthanArk?" she murmured.
"Ashley's kind, but she's too timid. I hope you keep guiding her," Ethan said calmly.
"Answer me!" Jill snapped, "Who the fuck are you?!"
Maybe I can meet Ashley through Jill instead of joining the tournament. If I use my skills here, too many players will die.
"Can we talk, Miss Jill?" Ethan asked.
Jill's curiosity got the better of her, and she agreed.
But Ethan had to follow her conditions—his body would be restrained, his weapon confiscated, and their conversation would be under guild supervision. Ethan didn't mind.
A golden light shone from Jill's staff as she pointed it at him, forming golden chains that wrapped around his body.
Ethan couldn't move, and he handed over his Flamefang Sword without resistance.
Once everything seemed secure, Jill brought Ethan to the inn to talk privately in the common room of her quarters.
The staff didn't question it—Jill's authority was higher than theirs—so they went back to handling tournament registration.
In the inn's common room, Jill sat on a single couch with two male guild members standing behind her. The door was closed tight, guarded by two Lionark sentries.
"This is your chance. Now talk!" Jill demanded.
"Before that, I have a question," Ethan said, "Why did Rick and Gordon leave Lionark?"
"Rick? Gordon? Wait—how do you know MagisterDao's real name?" Jill asked, growing more alarmed.
Ethan stayed silent. Jill kept pressing him, trying to make him reveal his true identity.
Ethan didn't mind if she knew, but he didn't trust the two guild members standing behind her.
He worried they might leak the information to rival guilds—especially Redemption Sword.
"Would you mind sending those two out?" Ethan asked, glancing at Jill's aides.
"That wasn't part of the deal. They stay," Jill said coldly.
"Then I won't say anything about how I know all this."
"The game world's in chaos. Too many guilds are playing dirty, especially with Lionark's power fading," Ethan said.
"I just don't want them to betray you after hearing what I have to say."
"You?" one of the men shouted angrily.
"With the situation everyone's stuck in, isn't it natural to be cautious?" Ethan replied calmly.
"You're just a PK. I'm more worried about you being the traitor," the man spat.
"I'm the one who created Lionark. How could I betray the guild I built with my own hands?" Ethan said firmly.
Both men burst out laughing, calling him delusional.
They mocked him for claiming to be Lionark's founder, saying he was just pretending to be EthanAsh666 because of the similar name.
"How dare you insult our former leader! You're nothing compared to him!" they sneered.
While they laughed, Jill stayed quiet, carefully watching Ethan. She could see there was something different about him.
She remembered how famous Ethan Arkwright was—the man who led Lionark to victory in the Grand Tournament of the Tower of Ascension.
Many fans used his name as their username to look cool among new players.
Still, this "EthanArk" knew things that no outsider should—like the Third Volume of the Light Sword Rune, which had once been a running joke inside Lionark because of how hard it was for Jill to master.
He even knew Ashley's behavior and MagisterDao's real name.
Jill's doubt turned into curiosity.
"Miss Jill, we should just kill him!" one of the men said.
"Yeah! He's defiling Lionark's name by pretending to be EthanAsh666!" the other added.
Ethan smiled slightly and sat down on the edge of the bed, keeping his calm eyes fixed on Jill.
She could clearly see the conflict inside her—torn between believing him or calling him a liar.
"The choice is yours, Jill," Ethan said quietly.
"Tell me this," Ethan continued, "How many times has the Redemption Sword Guild attacked Mavelard City?"
"Their attacks have increased a lot. They've recruited many strong players recently," Jill replied.
"Is Lionark ready for the guild evaluation next month?" Ethan asked.
"I'm worried your contribution points will drop and cause your rank to fall. If that happens, Ashley will be devastated."
"Who are you really?" Jill asked again.
Ethan narrowed his eyes, his voice calm but full of resolve.
"If you're willing to trust me, I can help you protect Mavelard."