Seeing the Crimson Rose team return, many nearby players couldn't help but look at them with envy. Some even had open jealousy in their eyes. They had experienced firsthand the usefulness of the guides Raen had released, and they also knew exactly how Crimson Rose and Zephyr's Storm Life Guild had been the first to clear the Misty Palace at the Elite and Hard levels.
And now when other guilds had only just started using the guides to clear those difficulties, Crimson Rose and Storm Life had already taken things a step further. Velena and Zephyr were now challenging and clearing the Horror and even the Nightmare levels of The Misty Palace, leaving every other guild and team far behind. The gap was widening rapidly, and all others could do was watch.
One team leader, frustrated at his own group staring with dazzled eyes, smacked one of his members on the back of the head. "What are you looking at? Let's go! We're already far behind in levels."
He wasn't wrong. By now, most of the players had reached level 18 or 19, with quite a few pushing close to level 20. Falling behind even by one or two levels meant losing ground in the competitive race for progress.
Just as the teams were starting to disperse, the teleportation circle lit up once again. This time, it was Zephyr, leading his Storm Life Guild team out of the dungeon. Unlike Velena's composed expression, Zephyr's face was grim. His usual sharp confidence was replaced by a heavy, serious look. Instead of greeting the other guild leaders or exchanging words with the familiar team leaders nearby, he ignored them all and strode directly toward the stationed members of Storm Life Guild.
Once there, he called out to Marek, his vice captain. "Lead the team back inside. Keep raiding the Misty Palace dungeon." His voice was short, his tone carrying no room for questions.
Before anyone could ask him anything further, Zephyr logged out.
Marek stood there blinking, clearly confused. He had no idea what had happened or what was weighing on Zephyr's mind. With no answers, he simply shrugged and did as he was told. Gathering the team, he began organizing another run into The Misty Palace.
Storm Life had been deeply immersed in the dungeon ever since Kaito had provided them with the guides for the Horror and Nightmare levels. They had become almost addicted. Again and again, they entered, and again and again, they cleared. With every run, they honed their teamwork and improved their gear. Only after grinding through those brutal difficulties could they truly understand just how far below the Elite and Hard levels were.
The teleportation circle flared once more. This time, the light revealed a team whose equipment was even more advanced than what Crimson Rose and Storm Life wore. Gleaming armor, weapons of rare grade, and the disciplined posture of their members instantly set them apart.
The atmosphere shifted. As soon as players realized who they were looking at, many dropped to their knees on the spot, begging to join them. Others didn't speak, but their eyes shone with reverence.
This was the team of Genesis.
At the front walked Scarlet Rin, who was Mei Rin. As Kaito had instructed them, Genesis had divided their forces strategically, running multiple raids of the King-level Misty Palace dungeon. With every successful clear, not only had their equipment improved, but their coordination and combat skills had sharpened to terrifying levels.
They also followed Kaito's guides step by step, using every tactic he had outlined. Because of that, Genesis was able to clear the King-level dungeon consistently, turning what had seemed like an impossible challenge into a repeatable task. Watching them walk out of the teleportation circle again and again, other guilds could only swallow their envy.
But there was a difference here. With Crimson Rose or Storm Life, jealousy still lingered, as if they were simply lucky to have climbed ahead. With Genesis, it was different. Nobody dared dismiss their strength as luck. After all, Genesis had proven themselves countless times by clearing the King-level dungeon.
In the eyes of the South Glade players, Genesis and especially Raen had secured a position beyond reach. He wasn't seen as just another top player anymore. To them, Raen was now a god-level figure, someone whose skill and foresight had raised Genesis far above all competition.
As Genesis regrouped once again with calm confidence, the players also returned to their respective work. While some still watched with respect, knowing they were in the presence of a guild that had already carved its name into South Glade's history.
….
At this time, outside of Glory, in the real world, Zephyr whose real name was Ethan Cross sat quietly inside a tea house. A steaming cup of tea rested in his hands, but the expression on his face was bitter, his brows drawn together as though the warmth of the drink could do nothing to ease the heaviness pressing on his chest.
The reason for his gloom was simple. He had already learned about the decision made by the old President and the other Elders of the Storm Life Guild. They had chosen Derick as the next President.
The news alone had been hard to swallow, but what made it worse was knowing the reason behind it. Ethan had discovered the details because he had a close friend among the assistants of one of the Elders. That assistant had been present during the meeting where the decision was made.
It wasn't exactly a secret that could never be disclosed. The President would eventually announce it openly to the guild members. That was why the assistant, knowing Ethan personally and aware of his rivalry with Derick, decided to tell him in advance so he could prepare himself.
At the time the assistant had sent the message, Ethan had been in the middle of running the Nightmare-level difficulty of Misty Palace with his team. Focused completely on the raid, he hadn't noticed the message. Only after coming out did he check his logs and finally see it.
The words had struck him like a hammer. That was why he had gone offline right away to contact his friend, demanding the full details.
Through that conversation, Ethan learned everything. He learned about the message sent to the old President by the Underworld, the notorious organization that moved in shadows and thrived on influence. He learned who the Underworld truly was, what they had threatened, and how they had pressed the guild into a corner. His friend had shared all of it, every word from the meeting, every detail of the pressure that had been applied.
The truth left Ethan feeling hollow. He knew why the Underworld which had no connections with them had done so, as Ethan had already known about Raen's clash with the Underworld. Back when Raen had confronted the spokesperson of the Underworld Grim Shade, he had later shared the story with Mei Rin, Velena, and Ethan himself. It had been a warning, an attempt to prepare them in case the Underworld targeted them too.
Even so, he didn't blame Raen for any of it. He knew this wasn't Raen's fault. Even though the decision had stripped him of the chance to become President, he understood the real reason it was Storm Life Guild's lack of strength.
And Raen had also been the reason he had reached its current heights. Without him, Ethan knew, he would never have made a name so quickly. His most of the achievements in Glory were built upon Raen's guidance. For that, he could only feel gratitude.
Even so, Ethan hadn't expected the Underworld to use such underhanded tactics. They had gone straight for the top, forcing the old President into a corner and threatening the guild.
What shocked Ethan more than the Underworld's actions was the old President's reaction. He couldn't believe the man had simply agreed, bowing his head to their threats without resistance. At first, Ethan was filled with disbelief. How could a man who had led Storm Life for so long cave so easily?
But after sitting quietly and thinking it over, he began to understand. The old President was pragmatic. He didn't want to risk open conflict with the Underworld, not when the consequences could be devastating.
Even with that understanding, Ethan's bitterness didn't fade. After everything he had accomplished, after all the contributions he had made, everything had been dismissed in an instant because of a threat, a threat even he knew was hollow.
The Underworld wouldn't dare openly move against them a Bronze-ranked power. They didn't have the time to do so over such a small matter and even If they retaliated, it would only be in areas where Storm Life was vulnerable or where even the federation laws won't stop them and that was through the games they had invested in.
And right now, because their largest investment was in Glory. That meant the most likely form of retaliation would be targeting Storm Life inside the game itself. But Ethan wasn't afraid of that. With the help of Raen and everything they had achieved so far, he believed if not in reality, he could still stand against the Underworld in Glory.
All of it, however, depended on one thing the support of the guild. If the old President had trusted him and given him the position of President, Ethan was certain he could lead Storm Life through the storm and let it become even stronger But instead, the chance had been stripped from him, leaving him with nothing but frustration.
He lifted his cup of tea again and drank deeply, tilting it back as though it were a glass of wine. The hot liquid burned his throat, but it did nothing to wash away the bitterness spreading through him. His face remained tight, his heart heavy, as the reality of betrayal and disappointment settled deeper into his bones.