Chapter 348: Telmarian Hunting Started
"What?!" Ethan shouted in shock.
His fists clenched tightly, and a powerful force burst from his body. The man gasped, stunned, unsure of what to do to calm Ethan's anger.
The wind from Ethan's power alone was enough to push the Blood-Cursed tribesman far back. He was not alone. Several others arrived from the forest, heading toward the ruins of Gor City.
"Please, envoy of Ancestor Gor, calm yourself," they said. There were eight of them, three men and five women.
Telmarians? Aren't they the tribe that worships Goddess Thalmera?
Slowly, the anger in Ethan's heart faded on its own. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His eyes opened gently, looking forward at the eight Blood-Cursed tribe members kneeling before him.
I need to investigate this. Something big might have happened here while I was away.
Ethan suppressed his anger. His aura subsided as he stepped closer to them.
"All of you, stand up," Ethan said.
The eight of them nodded obediently, standing while keeping their heads lowered. Ethan asked them several basic questions, aside from who was responsible for the destruction of Gor City.
He asked about the Queen of the Blood-Cursed Tribe and Risa, where the other tribe members had gone, and how many were still left.
The man explained everything in detail. Ethan listened carefully, not missing a single word.
"As for the tribe leaders, the Telmarians handed them over to outsiders. We don't know what happened to them."
"In exchange, the Telmarians captured our tribe members and took them to the upper floor, their main headquarters."
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Where?"
"The 80th floor."
That was the highest floor Arthur and the Redemption Sword had reached. There was a chance those outsiders had taken Risa and the tribe leaders somewhere between the 51st and 80th floors.
Ethan fell silent for a moment, his mind racing through every possibility. Still, he believed the truth could only be uncovered if he continued exploring the Tower's floors.
It was unlikely they were below the 50th floor. If they had been taken there, it would have been easy for Ethan to find them.
As he thought about it, Ethan remembered Ashley's role. He could not completely rule out the possibility that the outsiders had taken Risa and the others to the lower floors, even if it was unlikely.
But a possibility was still a possibility. Ninety-nine percent no still left one percent yes.
"Do you remember when this disaster happened?" Ethan asked.
The man in front of him glanced back, asking the others for help. One of the women remembered the timing, not by date, but by the night.
"I remember," she said, drawing Ethan's attention.
"Around… three full moons ago."
That meant the disaster happened right when I was doing the Guild of Champions.
"Alright."
Ethan turned around, opened the chat menu, and began typing on the panel.
[Direct Message:]
[EthanArk: Ashley. Are you there?]
[AshleyLeon123: Ashley here. What's wrong, Ethan? Are you okay?]
[EthanArk: I'm fine. I need your help.]
[EthanArk: Order Gordon to form two special divisions from LionArk members. The first division, send them into the Tower to conduct a raid. Their task is to locate the Blood-Cursed Tribe. Search from the 1st floor to the 49th.]
[AshleyLeon123: Who are you looking for?]
[EthanArk: Anyone. If they find tribe members, detain whoever is holding them captive and rescue the hostages.]
[AshleyLeon123: I don't understand. I'll have Gordon contact you later.]
[EthanArk: The second division will investigate all guilds across the continent. Find and identify any guild that conducted a Tower raid three months ago.]
[AshleyLeon123: What exactly is going on? Why are you giving orders like this?]
Ethan glanced back, seeing the eight people still standing there with him. He began explaining everything to Ashley through a long message.
Ashley read it and was shocked. Now she understood all the orders Ethan had given her.
[AshleyLeon123: Alright. I understand. I'll explain everything to Gordon.]
[EthanArk: Thank you, Ashley.]
Ethan ended the chat and walked back toward the eight people. He told them to stay cautious and avoid areas with strangers.
He instructed them to remain in the forest and look after themselves.
"The only safe place you can go is the Telmarian headquarters on the 80th floor. But you'll have to wait until I destroy them."
"For now, stay on this floor and stay alert."
The eight of them nodded, fully obedient to Ethan's words.
With Gor City settled, Ethan now had another goal besides conquering the floors. First, he had to find where Risa and the tribe leaders were being held.
If the first LionArk division searched from the lower floors up to the 49th, then Ethan himself would begin searching from the 51st floor.
Risa! Hold on. I'm coming to save you and the others.
***
The next day.
A blue light glowed from the teleportation crystal, not on the 50th floor, but the 51st. Even though Ethan had defeated the snake-man boss in the castle, the EXP he gained was not enough to level up.
To level up, Ethan still needed at least 30,000 more EXP.
Ethan opened his eyes. His gaze fell forward, taking in the clear blue sky and the bright shining sun.
That was a rare sight in this Tower. The higher the floor, the fewer people came.
Even so, Ethan did not know for sure whether other players were on the 51st floor. He hoped they were foolish enough to bring Risa and the others here so he could find them.
He stepped away from the teleportation crystal on the cliff and crossed a stone bridge into the Tower's territory. That afternoon, there were not many monsters roaming along the forest path.
Ethan glanced to his left and right, spotting plant monsters shaped like walking sunflowers. It was unusual, forcing him to stay alert.
When he reached a four-way intersection, Ethan looked around carefully. He knew the boss castle was to the north, but he had no idea what lay to the left or right.
"Lyodra!"
[Mode: Aggressive Soul Servant]
[1. Lyodra Vulkanis | Lv. 10 | S-Rank | Passive: Aggressive | 2500 MP]
Lyodra appeared behind Ethan, floating in a chibi form before transforming into her full adult appearance.
She wore a blazing fire dress, her slender, beautiful hands holding a sword with a lava-like flaming blade. The servant clearly awaited Ethan's command.
"Go to the left. I'll take the right."
"Do not engage in any battles. If you find anything, come back immediately and report to me."