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n—-

nWhile Kieran understood the risks of his history-altering actions, he didn’t expect it to cause large waves this early. Ezra’s early actions secured Eclipse’s path to hegemony in the Aubrililes Kingdom in the parallel timeline, so their movement baffled Kieran. The many towns, villages, and cities all eventually fell under their influence.

nBecause of their broad grasp, they had no reason to interfere with the neighboring Aeredale Kingdom, which bore its own territory—that accomplishment remained for another Overlord-level guild to claim.

nThe distance separating the two kingdoms was vast and could only be covered in two ways. Either the mentioned party used the Aubrililes Kingdom’s Teleportation Hall for an exorbitant fee to perform mass teleportation, or they traversed tens of thousands of kilometers on foot.

nWhether it was the former or the latter, none were ideal. The latter posed risks of Lv.30 to Lv.50 monsters that fell outside what current players could manage, while the former would exhaust all of a guild’s accumulated funds.

nA leader could only justify such a risky decision if they were confident the future benefits eclipsed their current losses.

n“What do you think? Will we run into Aatrox soon, or will we at least learn of the secret he operates by? There are rumors that he just upped and disappeared. But, I have my doubts,” Lux said beside Ezra.

nA collection of organizations looking into Kieran’s whereabouts was inevitable given how large his feats were compared to the age of Zenith Online. However, this interest didn’t mean their search would yield results.

nAs the rumors stated, Kieran’s appearance was no longer the same. Even the players present when he cleared the Forest of Beasts couldn’t claim to know his location or appearance. The person they sought looked like a warrior lacking a lot of muscle mass and not the defined figure that Kieran had become.

nFurthermore, the enhancement of his physique included his looks, giving him a masculine and brutal air rather than the former composed and silent feeling.

n“Mm,” Ezra barely listened to what Lux had to say as she continued to study Kieran from a distance unknowingly. The dangerous vibe she felt only increased the longer she looked at him. At this point, she couldn’t tell whether it was a sensation created from the game or if it was something Kieran carried over from reality. Either way, Ezra felt the need to stay wary of Kieran.

n“Lux,” Ezra suddenly called out.

n“What is it?”

n“That guy from before… I only took my eye off him for a second, but he disappeared. But he didn’t seem like the assassin-type with a concealment ability. How is that possible?” Ezra’s disbelieving eyes flashed with incredulity as she looked about, attempting to locate Kieran’s new position.

nHowever, it was fruitless. Kieran was already well hidden by now. Behind an unassuming corner, Kieran’s reddish-black eyes peered out from beside a store’s wall. ‘She’s actively looking for me… Considering that she’s even here, my feats must have attracted her. Fuck… that’s the last thing I wanted.’

nCurrently, Ezra could be considered a rival because, as the Guild Master of Eclipse, her ability was recorded as a Titled Ranker, hence why Kieran addressed her as the Scarlet Eclipsing Blade. Her understanding of combat and leadership qualities were top-notch, capable of garnering praise even from Kieran.

n‘If they were guided in the right direction, Eclipse would have undoubtedly become the Tenth Behemoth,’ Kieran inwardly noted. What he referred to was the ranking of guilds within Zenith Online. Earning a place as a Behemoth meant the guild’s core forces transcended what Overlords could accomplish.

nOnly nine such powers existed, and the revived Golden Brigade was one of them. Thinking of the Behemoths caused a flash of hatred to shimmer in Kieran’s gaze as a murderous presence leaked from his body. However, Kieran reigned in those emotions before they could evolve into a mishap.

n‘I swear I’ll rain down horrors upon you of likes never seen before. The tower known as the Golden Brigade will crumble from the ground up,’ Kieran vowed, further cementing his desire to exact revenge.

nIn the meantime, Lux peered in Ezra’s direction before similarly gazing about. “Sometimes, you just lose track of people. There’s nothing abnormal about that.”

nHowever, Ezra felt differently, and it showed in her expression, which became gloomy. “Are you doubting my senses now? Am I so incompetent that I can’t follow a single person or too forgetful that I can’t remember their prior position?”

n“N-not at all!” Lux rushed to correct himself. “I would never doubt you. Your skill has been proven on the battlefield time and time again…. Forgive my foolish comment.”

n“It’s fine,” Ezra brushed it off. Still, she flowed a finger through her hair with a severe expression. “We’ve sacrificed all of our liquid coins to come here, so you know what we must do to bring about Eclipse’s uprising.”

n“Understood. Our first course of action shall be to secure a zone in the nearest leveling field for efficient leveling. Afterward, we’ll focus on establishing parties to farm indispensable items,” Lux stated.

n“Good, but have someone monitor the forums. We need to understand the importance of each item. Also, don’t forget those buildings we passed by,” Ezra commanded.

nIf Kieran were to hear the contents of their conversation, he would undoubtedly frown. One of the reasons he chose the Aeredale Kingdom was because there was no high-level guild that took control of it this early on. The other three kingdoms in the Xesian Empire held more appeal on paper.

nA proper guild was unlike roaming players or gradeless teams seeking to improve their renown. There was a system they all operated by—secure the basics before moving on to the more advanced. There’d be no shortage of their players acting to amass a dense collection of inferior materials.

nDepending on how developed they became by the time Keiran chose to act, Eclipse could severely hinder or even monitor his plans. That wasn’t ideal with the Shadow Cartel and Sunset Triad already gunning for him.

nNevertheless, this had already escalated to a level outside Kieran’s control.

n‘I’ll have to be more cautious from now on; my actions can’t be known,’ Kieran inwardly sighed. Afterward, he stepped back and moved to meet up with Altair and the others. Only three hours remained until their next quest would begin.

n…

nLike their last meeting, Kieran had everyone meet inside an inconspicuous inn. Unlike before, however, Kieran had everyone acquire tradeskills regardless of their feelings.

n“I’ll be blunt, I’ve noticed that some large names in the gaming scene are moving here. So, I’ll need to ask this now—how many of you wish to take this seriously? As in receive income and turn this into your full-time dedication?”

n“Are you… asking if we want to form a guild with you?” Bastion scratched his head while looking to the others for their opinions. One of the reasons he didn’t accept any past offers was because he cherished his freedom. If he entered a contract with other teams, he’d be forced to play even when he wished not to.

nSuch a situation was not something Bastion welcomed.

n“A guild? Now? No, I’m just gauging your seriousness because while we are here playing games, I am not in the mood to play games,” Kieran said sternly.

nHis eyes returned to their earliest cold state because, in the end, his goal was most important to him. If this ragtag bunch of people didn’t agree with his ideals, he’d have to replace them with individuals who did.

n“You know, I’ve thought about this question but have never really come to an answer. That 50 Gold you gave turned into a payout I’ve never seen the likes of before… almost $100,000 in one sitting!” Nemean commented rather than answering the question.

n“Wait, seriously?!” Aside from Kieran, the entire team was startled by Nemean’s revelation. None of them checked the UCETS Kieran activated because they were exhausted, so they weren’t privy to the exchange rates.

nThey all rushed to pull up the menu, and the confirmation made their jaws drop. However, Alice, the most reasonable in the group, gazed at Kieran.

n“But wasn’t it you who said that that dungeon we cleared was just an anomaly? Normal dungeons won’t reap the same rewards, so we’re bound to see less appealing loot. If I agree to your offer, what are we looking at here, Aatrox?”

nThe excited chatter immediately died down as they all looked at Kieran for answers.

n“I can’t be unrealistic and say I’ll give you anything you please, but I can at the very least ensure that you’ll have a comfortable life based on the salary I can give you. $100,000 and 50 Gold per month to do with as you please. These numbers aren’t cemented and can change depending on our situation.”

nSithik sprang to his feet in alarm. “Say what!? Are you telling me I can be a millionaire in 5 months by playing with you?”

nIt was a rapid calculation, but it was more or less correct since this pay averaged out to slightly over $200,000 per month. Even the more esteemed daily jobs couldn’t offer such an outrageous salary.

n“Is that as far as your dreams go? I plan to build an empire. That offer is just the beginning. Of course, the olive branch I’ve extended is fleeting. The offer won’t remain on the table forever.”

nKieran shrugged off the teams’ exasperation because in his possession now was more than $20 million worth of coins, possibly more if he decided to put his Treasure Chests up for sale. Of course, he wouldn’t do that.

n“You’re just tempting us. What, are you just some kind of devil in a human’s skin?” Bastion snickered with an expression full of skepticism.

nKieran gasped. “Who revealed my identity?”

nThe table filled with laughter as the atmosphere soon turned serious again.

n“I’m in,” Altair said.

n“Me too,” Nemean added.

n“Me three,” Cygnus raised her hand with an eager smile.

nEventually, it all boiled down to Bastion, whom everyone turned toward with palpable anticipation.

n“Come on, big guy! What’s the worst that can happen? It isn’t like we’re entering the grasp of a shady organization that conducts backhanded business,” Nemean nudged.

n“Argh! FINE!” Bastion growled in a final concession.

n“Good,” Kieran grinned. “I invoke the Zenith Covenant.”

nSuddenly, an ancient scroll appeared before the entire party and hovered atop the table. As the scroll opened, Kieran grasped toward its center. This action coalesced a pen formed from pure Mana. The tip contained a type of liquidized Mana with a celestial presence matching the scroll.

nOnly once the scroll completely unfurled did Kieran etch the contents of the contract. The process was relatively quick because Kieran prepared the contents of the Zenith Covenant beforehand. Soon enough, Kieran presented the finished conditions to the party.

n“Once you all sign, we’ll become contractually bound. There will be no going back on our words, or the consequences will be dire, myself included. Because you have decided to join me, I will become your protector. Many struggles and countless enemies will accompany our rise. But, if you stand by me, I will stand before you and bear the pressure,” Kieran said to the party. His tone was confident and unwavering, which inspired a sense of trustworthiness.

nAll he could do was await everyone’s response as the atmosphere grew intense.

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