How had Ethan pulled it off?

Not only had he cleared the dungeon first, but he'd done it with a five-star rating. How did he even get that rating?

Leafshade barely heard Marcus Skeiner's ranting in the background. He wasn't listening.

His mind was entirely focused on the dungeon. As soon as the system announcement appeared, he had his people start gathering intel. Maybe they could get some information from the Renegade Alliance players.

As for Marcus, Leafshade had only come here to say one thing—their contract was over. The agreement had been clear: even if they failed to secure the first clear, Leafshade's team owed no refunds. No penalties.

Marcus, the arrogant fool, had been the one begging Leafshade to help Blade Syndicate, not the other way around. Because of that, Leafshade had held all the bargaining power. If Marcus didn't agree to his terms, there simply wouldn't be a deal.

So now, while Marcus fumed and cursed, Leafshade didn't care in the slightest.

His team specialized in PvE, dungeon-raiding, and high-level content. But that didn't mean they were pushovers.

Blade Syndicate? They were a joke.

Marcus spat threats at him, but Leafshade only gave a casual reply:

"If five Renegade Alliance players could wipe your entire guild, what do you think my real team could do?"

Leafshade's operation wasn't some random in-game guild, it was a professional gaming studio with over a thousand employees.

Not guild recruits. Not casuals. Paid professionals.

And every single one of them was leagues above Blade Syndicate's so-called "elite" players.

"I just came to inform you," Leafshade said flatly. "Do whatever you want."

With that, he turned and walked out of Blade Syndicate's headquarters. The three teammates behind him each flipped Marcus off before following.

"Fuck you, you bastards!" Marcus shouted after them.

His fury was justified. He had spent 12 million dollars in advance payments just to get Leaf Guild under his banner.

He had even promised that once they secured World First, he'd only take Guild Contribution Points and the raid guide, Leafshade's team could keep all the other rewards.

That was the deal that convinced them to join Blade Syndicate.

And once they were in, Marcus had covered all raid expenses, potions, elixirs, everything.

The total cost? He'd lost track. And now, he had nothing to show for it. No World First. No dungeon clear.

His net worth had been cut in half overnight.

Marcus had planned to use this as an opportunity to crush Renegade Alliance, secure new allies, and launch an all-out guild war.

Now?

Every single one of those dreams had gone up in smoke.

Marcus clenched his fists. His hatred for Ethan and Leafshade had just reached a whole new level.

—

[Private Message to Trusty007]

Ethan: "Here's the raid guide. Sell it for however much you want. Just send my cut to my inbox."

He didn't expect to make much off it.

Still, money was money. And with a huge guild to support, he needed every source of income he could get.

Right now, his auction house and shops weren't generating enough gold. He still had two entire cities where he hadn't even built stores yet.

Everything was going according to plan, but progress was slow.

Without waiting for a response, Ethan logged off, climbed out of his VR capsule, and stepped into the real world.

—

A new morning.

Ethan started his daily training routine. He had just begun his weighted squats when his phone rang.

The caller ID flashed: Quinn.

Ethan frowned. 'The gym? Something must have happened.'

As soon as he picked up, Quinn's panicked voice came through.

"Sir! You need to get down here—now! Ryan and Victor are fighting with some guys!"

Ethan's expression darkened. "What happened?"

Quinn quickly explained:

One of their VIP clients, a man named Leon, had been renting out the entire gym daily for the past week. Since he was paying well, Quinn had allowed it, though it meant their regulars couldn't use the facility.

Leon had promised he'd only book the place for seven days, so Quinn had notified all the regulars, offering them a 10-day extension on their membership and extra perks as compensation.

That kept everyone happy, until today.

Day eight.

Quinn opened the gym as usual, expecting everything to return to normal. The regulars, who hadn't been able to train all week, started coming back.

Then Leon showed up again. With a group of men.

And he demanded Quinn clear out the gym, again.

This time, she refused. So Leon's people blocked the entrance, stopping anyone else from getting in.

The customers inside were furious, demanding refunds, threatening legal action, and causing a scene. That's when Quinn realized, this had been Leon's plan all along.

He had bribed some of the regulars, turning them against the gym.

"Did you call the cops?" Ethan asked.

If these guys were physically blocking the business, the police should handle it.

"I did! It's been an hour, and no one's come! Leon's got connections around here, I think he paid them off." Quinn's voice was shaking now.

"Stay put. I'm on my way."

Ethan hung up, grabbed his keys, and bolted out the door. He didn't even bother changing, just basketball shorts and a tank top.

As he ran across the street, he shouted for Victor, who was staying in the villa next door. The two of them jumped in the car and sped off toward the gym.

—

When they arrived, a crowd had already gathered outside. Dozens of onlookers were filming with their phones, whispering amongst themselves.

Ethan shoved through the crowd and stepped inside.

There were twenty-six men lying unconscious on the gym floor.

No need to ask. Leon's people.

Ethan opened his mouth to speak, But then, the sound of police sirens echoed outside.

The crowd parted as seven officers stormed in, hands hovering over their holsters like they were about to draw their weapons.

The lead officer exchanged glances with one of his men, who immediately moved to the entrance and closed the security shutter behind them.

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

The leader walked straight to Leon's unconscious body, crouched down, and shook him twice.

No response. But he was still breathing.

Then, the officer stood up, coldly sweeping his gaze across the room.

"You people have some nerve. Attacking a group of unarmed men in broad daylight?"

"Cuff them," he ordered.

Without hesitation, the officers drew their pistols with one hand and handcuffs with the other, stepping forward to arrest Ethan and his team.

"Rainbow, hurry up and take them in! Ugh… damn, this hurts…"

A groaning voice came from the floor.

One of the beaten men had managed to push himself upright, calling out to the lead officer.

Ethan turned to look at him, and the moment he saw his face, his entire body stiffened. His mind went blank. Then, in an instant, rage exploded in his chest.

His eyes turned bloodshot, his breathing sharp and ragged. One of the officers reached him, raising the handcuffs—

Ethan moved.

His hand shot out, gripping the officer's throat in a vice-like hold.