After receiving that message, Ethan immediately left his office in a hurry. There was no time to waste. Ashley had to know about Gordon's warning as soon as possible.

When Ethan arrived at Ashley's office, he saw Jill there as well. Ashley lifted her head the moment the door opened, her eyes widening slightly when she realized it was Ethan.

"What is it, Ethan?" Ashley asked.

"Gordon warned me that Silver Star is planning to attack the city," Ethan said without hesitation.

"What?!" Ashley exclaimed in shock, and Jill reacted the same way.

"When did he tell you?" Jill asked quickly.

Ethan opened his panel and forwarded the messages from MagisterDao to AshleyLeon123. Ashley received them immediately.

The moment she read the sender's name and the content of the messages, her expression changed.

If the message truly came from Gordon, then the threat was real and could not be ignored.

"Silver Star…" Ashley muttered with a scowl, "They're still not satisfied after losing to us."

"Then what are we going to do?" Jill asked.

Ashley fell silent. She turned her gaze forward, instinctively looking to Ethan for direction. In truth, the safest plan was simple.

As long as Ethan stayed inside the city, Silver Star would not dare to act recklessly.

Ethan alone was more than enough to crush a group of weak Silver Star members if they tried anything.

However, that was not the plan forming in Ethan's mind.

He wanted to stay in the city, but he also wanted the attack to happen.

Only then could LionArk deal with Silver Star cleanly and decisively.

To make that happen, deception would be necessary.

"You two are mages," Ethan said suddenly, "Do you have any skills that can change your appearance to look like someone else?"

Ashley shook her head immediately. She had been a mage for a long time, even before the Full-drive VR incident.

If such magic existed, she would have heard of it by now.

"No," she said firmly, "I've never heard of any magic like that."

Ethan went quiet. For a moment, he did not know what to do next. But he could not afford to stop thinking.

He had to keep his mind moving and find another way to make his plan work.

While Ethan was still deep in thought, Ashley spoke again, offering a different idea.

"What about a portable teleportation device?" she asked.

"A portable teleportation device?" Ethan repeated.

"Yes," Ashley said, "The mechanism is simple. The device comes in pairs. One part is carried by the user, and the other is placed at the destination."

"If you want to move quickly from Redemption Sword to Mavelard, for example, you leave the receiver device in Mavelard. When you activate the one you're holding, you'll be teleported there instantly," Ashley explained.

Ethan fell silent again, but this time it was because he understood the concept clearly. The idea made sense. The problem was whether such an item was actually available for purchase.

Then, a memory surfaced in his mind.

He had seen something like that earlier.

When Sherly had been searching for new skills using the Merchant Guide, Ethan had glanced through the list of items displayed on the panel.

He distinctly remembered seeing a portable teleportation device listed in one of the shops.

The only issue was whether it was still in stock.

"I might know a shop that sells it," Ethan said, "But I'm not sure if they still have one."

"There's no harm in checking," Ashley replied, "Go and confirm it."

Ashley and Jill could not go with him. Sherly had already returned to her dormitory to rest. That left Ethan with no choice but to go alone.

He left the LionArk headquarters and headed out into the city, his focus fixed entirely on finding the portable teleportation device.

By now, the city lights had begun to glow, illuminating the streets. Players moved about leisurely, enjoying the night scenery.

In the distance, Ethan could see the southern district of Ring 2. When he arrived there, the area was noticeably quieter than during the day.

Most players preferred to spend their nights enjoying entertainment closer to the city center.

Ethan stopped in front of the Merchant Guide. The female NPC smiled as she interacted with him.

"Welcome to the Merchant Guide. Is there anything you need?" she asked.

"A portable teleportation device," Ethan said, "Find me a shop that sells it."

[Merchant Guide has received a player request]

[Search: Portable Teleportation Device]

[Checking 1/45 shops]

[Checking 37/45 shops]

[Checking 45/45 shops]

[Search complete]

A notification panel appeared immediately. Out of the forty-five shops in the southern district of Ring 2, only three still had the item in stock.

[Blue Sky Shop || Portable Teleportation Device || Cost: 1,200,000 gold]

[Allain Sword Shop || Portable Teleportation Device || Cost: 1,150,000 gold]

[Gerhard Shop || Portable Teleportation Device || Cost: 1,300,000 gold]

Ethan narrowed his eyes. He did not know what differentiated one device from another, but to be safe, he decided not to choose the cheapest or the most expensive option.

His choice fell on Blue Sky Shop.

"The shop location will appear on your player dashboard. Just follow the guiding arrow," the NPC said.

"Thank you for using the Merchant Guide."

Ethan nodded slightly and walked away. He followed the indicator toward the shop's location. It was not far from the Merchant Guide, yet strangely, no players were entering or leaving.

He stepped inside and came face to face with the shop owner, a female player. That alone made it clear that Blue Sky Shop belonged to a specific guild.

"Welcome," the woman said politely.

Then her eyes widened.

"Sir Ethan?!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes," Ethan replied calmly.

"Is there something you need?" she asked.

Ethan told her directly that he needed a portable teleportation device. The woman nodded, showing no hesitation.

"Yes, we have one," she said.

She took the device from the shelf and showed it to him. She then explained its usage in detail. The portable teleportation device could only be used three times.

After the third use, it would break permanently.

Ethan understood. If a similar situation occurred in the future, he could always store it and use it again. For now, it would serve its purpose.

He purchased the device for 1,200,000 gold. It was a heavy expense, but it was insignificant compared to the safety of the city.

The woman accepted the payment and thanked him sincerely.

"If you ever need anything, please come to our shop. We'll do our best to provide it for you."

"Of course," Ethan replied.

He stored the device in his inventory and stepped outside. The main street of the southern district of Ring 2 felt unnaturally quiet.

Too quiet.

It was even emptier than before, despite the fact that it was not yet midnight.

Something was clearly wrong.

A purple glow suddenly appeared on the rooftop of one of the buildings. An assassin dressed entirely in black stood there, silent and motionless. Then another appeared. And another.

Soon, assassins occupied every rooftop around him.

"What are you here for?" Ethan asked calmly, "To challenge me?"

"You've created injustice in this city," one of the assassins replied.

"We represent the smaller guilds. We're here to demand justice."

"If not," the assassin continued coldly, "we'll ally ourselves with Scavenger or Silver Star and destroy you."

Ethan smiled.

He extended his hand, and Bloodblade Ashura appeared in his grasp. As he held the sword, his appearance changed completely.

His body radiated a blazing red aura, and crimson tattoos spread across his skin.

[Mode Ashura Activated]

"Then," Ethan said, his voice steady, "let's talk with our swords."

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