"What actually happened?" Ethan asked, unable to hide his curiosity.

Sherly did not answer right away. After the funeral ceremony ended, her eyes remained fixed forward, watching the NPC gravediggers slowly cover the grave with soil.

Each shovel of dirt landed with a dull sound, piling layer by layer, sealing what remained of the fallen expedition members beneath the earth.

The motions were mechanical and emotionless, yet the weight they carried was heavy.

No matter how many times she had witnessed scenes like this inside the Tower, it never truly became easier.

The atmosphere around the burial site was quiet, almost suffocating. No one spoke anymore.

The prayers had ended, the short farewell words had been delivered, and there was nothing left to do but leave.

Gradually, one by one, the members of the second expedition team began to depart. Some walked away with their heads lowered, shoulders tense.

Others glanced back once before turning their backs, as if trying to imprint the scene into their memories. No one stayed for long. Lingering only made the loss feel sharper.

Before long, only Ethan and Sherly remained standing in the cemetery.

"You can speak now," Ethan said calmly. "No one is listening except us."

The woman beside him let out a slow, weary breath. It sounded as if she had been holding it in for a long time.

She turned her head to the side and studied Ethan's face carefully, as if deciding how much to reveal and how to phrase it.

Her expression was serious, mixed with exhaustion and frustration that she did not bother to hide.

"Redemption Sword has the same agenda as us," Sherly finally said.

"The battle that caused so many casualties happened when misunderstandings started to pile up between our two groups."

Ethan listened without interrupting, his gaze steady.

"They took our loot," Sherly continued, her voice controlled but tense.

"They claimed that their party had been robbed by us before. But the truth is, not a single member of our expedition team ever took loot from another party."

She clenched her fist unconsciously.

"The tension started between floors thirty and thirty five. Every time our teams ran into each other, it always ended in an argument. At first, it was just words. Then it escalated into threats. Eventually, it turned violent."

Ethan nodded slowly as he absorbed her words, already forming his own conclusions about what had really happened.

Redemption Sword acted that way because they believed they could.

Compared to LionArk, Redemption Sword held a more dominant position. Their higher rank, greater numbers, and reputation inside the Tower had made them arrogant.

That arrogance turned into confidence, and that confidence made them fearless.

"In the end," Sherly said, "the dispute between Redemption Sword and LionArk only stopped when Jill personally spoke with their expedition leader."

She paused, recalling the tense negotiations.

"We agreed to end the conflict. Neither side was allowed to take loot belonging to another party. From that moment on, the fighting stopped."

"I'm glad the conflict ended," Ethan replied.

"There should not have been hostility between Redemption Sword and LionArk in the first place. The two guilds never had a long-standing feud."

"That's true," Sherly said quietly.

"But the expedition members don't see it that way. They refuse to forget what happened."

Ethan fell silent. He had heard everything now.

In his opinion, the dispute itself was not a major issue. Competition inside the Tower was normal.

Conflicts over resources, routes, and monsters happened all the time. Ethan himself had clashed with Scavenger before, and not just once.

But that was different.

That conflict had not come out of nowhere. Scavenger had gone too far.

They had destroyed LionArk City and slaughtered everyone inside it without mercy. That kind of action could never be overlooked.

LionArk and Scavenger carried deep hatred toward each other, far deeper than LionArk's relationship with Silver Star or Redemption Sword.

If Ethan had to choose which guild truly deserved caution, it was Scavenger, not the others.

"You don't have to think about them," Ethan said calmly. "I will handle Redemption Sword myself."

He turned to Sherly.

"Go back and rest. I need to prepare to head to the city center."

Sherly understood exactly what Ethan intended to do. She nodded without asking further questions, then turned and left the LionArk cemetery, heading back toward her dormitory.

Elsewhere, Ethan walked until he reached the front courtyard of LionArk Headquarters. The building stood tall and imposing, a symbol of the guild's growing influence.

In front of it, Ashley was standing together with Hanss. The two of them were deep in conversation, discussing city security and recent patrol reports.

When Ethan arrived, Hanss immediately shifted his gaze and lowered his head respectfully.

"Sir Ethan," Hanss greeted.

"I've already heard about the second expedition team's problem," Ethan said.

"I'll send a letter to Arthur and ask for a proper resolution."

He paused briefly.

"I hope this doesn't affect the relationship between the two major guilds."

"I haven't heard about it from Jill yet," Ashley replied, turning to look at Ethan.

"I'll explain it to you," Ethan said.

Then he looked back at Hanss.

"Hanss."

"Yes, Sir Ethan?"

"Make sure city security remains stable. Let the expedition members rest for now."

"I understand, Sir Ethan."

After finishing his conversation with Hanss, Ethan invited Ashley to head toward the city center together.

The time was approaching midday. It was the right moment for them to go and witness the guild assessment results that would soon be announced.

Ashley nodded in understanding. Instead of riding a horse-drawn carriage, the two of them chose to walk, leaving LionArk Headquarters behind.

They followed the main road through the city. The streets were crowded, filled with people moving in the same direction toward the city center.

The closer they got, the denser the crowd became. Conversations overlapped, excitement mixed with anxiety, and the atmosphere grew more intense with every step.

When people noticed Ethan and Ashley from LionArk approaching, many of them turned their heads. Some whispered to each other.

Others stared openly. LionArk's name had started to carry weight in the city, whether people admitted it or not.

The announcement for the Guild Assessment had been sent out to every guild one day earlier.

It was a highly anticipated moment, a decisive evaluation that would determine whether a guild had grown stronger over the past six months or stagnated.

The crowd at the city center was massive. People were pressed shoulder to shoulder, forming something like a sea of bodies waiting for the assessment panels to appear.

The situation was far from ideal for Ethan and Ashley.

"It's too crowded," Ashley said, frowning.

"I can't see anything from here."

Ethan took the initiative. He reached out, grabbed Ashley's hand, and pulled her close.

Before she could react, he leapt upward.

Ashley gasped in shock and instinctively wrapped her arms tightly around Ethan's body. In a blink, the two of them landed on the rooftop of a nearby building.

From there, they had a clear view of the city center without being crushed by the crowd.

Several people noticed what had happened, but very few could replicate it. Ethan was only able to do this because of his high level and superior attributes.

"This is much better," Ashley said, sitting down on the rooftop and steadying her breathing.

Not long after, a massive notification panel appeared in the sky.

[Guild Assessment will be displayed shortly.]

The crowd below erupted into noise. Voices rose, filled with impatience and anticipation.

Within seconds, the large panel changed again. Ten enormous panels appeared side by side, clearly displaying the rankings of five hundred guilds.

"Look! It's out!"

"Damn it, my guild dropped to Rank B!"

"YES! WE MADE IT TO RANK A!"

The city center exploded into chaos. Some people shouted in joy, others cursed in frustration. Cheers and complaints blended together.

Ethan watched quietly, noticing that disappointment outweighed happiness.

"T-Ten?" Ashley asked in disbelief.

Her eyes were fixed on one specific panel.

[Guild Evaluation:]

[10. LionArk || Leader: AshleyLeon123 || Contribution Points: 245,500 || Rank: S] [↑]

The improvement was astonishing.

Six months ago, LionArk had been ranked one hundred and twelve. Now, they stood at rank ten. Not only that, their guild rank had risen from A to S.

Ashley could not hide her joy. She jumped lightly in place before hugging Ethan from the side, her excitement overflowing.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done, Ethan," she said warmly, her earlier tension fading away.

Ethan turned to her and smiled.

Originally, he had aimed for LionArk to reach the top five. But rank ten was already an excellent result.

With this achievement, many guilds would no longer dare to underestimate LionArk. They would be forced to acknowledge that LionArk was a guild worth taking seriously.

Among the top three, only the third position had changed. Silver Star had fallen to rank eight, while Sacred Hall had risen to take the third spot.

"This is only the beginning," Ethan said.

"I'm sure that by the next guild assessment, we'll be in the top five."

Ashley nodded firmly. She was determined to support LionArk with everything she had, no matter the risk.

Ethan is still staring at the panel in the city centre.

Guild War, I'm sure it won't be long before that event begins.

If LionArk failed completely during the Guild War, reaching the top three would remain nothing more than a distant dream.

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