***
Six days later.
Days kept passing—day turned to night, and night to morning again. The village had become busier lately because many players from the Porco Guild Alliance kept arriving.
Ethan was still hiding in his inn room. He had already spent about nine thousand gold to rent a room for six days.
Unlike before, he chose a regular room this time to save money. Luckily, the incognito feature still worked for regular visitors like him.
Still, he had to stay alert. The alliance players had searched the forests and city areas before, but their search turned up nothing.
[PING!]
[You have received 5 friend requests]
The system notification kept echoing in Ethan's ears day and night. When he opened the panel, he saw the messages attached to those requests.
Most were challenges, insults, or traps trying to lure him into joining their guilds.
Ethan was far more cautious than them—he didn't care about any of those messages.
He could clearly tell they were just bait to capture him.
Are they stupid?
Even though more alliance players were arriving, they didn't bother inspecting the whole village.
Instead, they seemed to come here for one thing— to relax and take a break from their duty to hunt him down.
"Anyone willing to help our guild? Can you lend us a hand?"
Ethan's attention shifted toward the dirt road. Two players were handing out guild recruitment flyers, offering them to everyone they met.
Some players accepted the flyers, but instead of helping, they mocked the two recruiters.
"Tch! A rank D guild? What a weak joke. Not interested!"
"Get lost, you low-level losers!"
The flyers were thrown to the ground and stomped on. The alliance players laughed and insulted them, saying that a rank D guild wasn't even a guild—just a pathetic party.
The two couldn't fight back, even though their levels were average for players around Porco City—level 29 and 32.
A new kind of social class has formed… not based on money or fame, but on guild level.
Guilds are everything in this game. Even a solo player with a high level is worthless without one.
The two players quietly picked up their scattered flyers while everyone else ignored them.
Ethan felt sorry for them, but there wasn't much he could do.
Even LionArk would be in danger if they recruited a PK player like him—what chance did a small guild like that have?
He had already caused enough trouble for others. From now on, he had to do everything alone.
Until he had the courage to go to Mavelard and join LionArk, Ethan had made up his mind—to become the only solo player to reach level 100 within three years of his PK exile.
After facing rejection after rejection, the two recruiters walked away down another street.
[DING!]
[First Event: 1000 Star Event]
[Join now and become the strongest star!]
Ethan froze when a new system notification suddenly popped up. His eyes narrowed as he read it—an event announcement appearing out of nowhere.
An event?
Curious, he opened the panel and read the event details carefully. It reminded him of the Essence Cave Event.
[1000 Star Event]
[Collect as many Star Essences as you can and climb to the top of the event rankings! The top 10 players will receive rewards ranging from EXP, Gold, and artifact items to Contribution Points.]
[Requirements:]
[1. Player Level: Minimum 30, maximum 60]
[2. Player must be in a Guild and form a team]
[3. No rank limit for participating guilds]
[4. Players and teams must follow the event rules]
[5. Team registration is done by the Guild Leader]
Ethan frowned. Judging by how other players treated low-ranking guilds, it would be nearly impossible for him to form one and join the event immediately.
Guild teams usually needed at least five players, with a maximum of ten. Given his status, it would be tough for Ethan to find anyone willing to team up with him.
I need a guild—an unknown one, low-level, and willing to follow my lead.
His gaze turned toward the two recruiters from earlier. He walked to the window, pulled the curtain slightly, and saw them still handing out flyers.
They're my way in.
But how can I reach them? If I step outside, others will recognize me.
"How about that? I'm strong, right?"
"Of course you are, honey," a woman's voice replied.
The quiet inn made it easy for Ethan to hear a couple talking in the hallway. Now he knew what to do.
He opened his door and stepped out, startling the two players mid-conversation. They froze when they saw him.
"You came at the perfect time," Ethan said sharply, turning his gaze toward them.
"E-EthanArk?!" the man stammered.
Ethan lunged at them swiftly—without drawing his sword, relying only on his fists.
He struck both the man and the woman with equal force. But he had another plan—one that would make them cooperate with him.
He grabbed the woman by the hair and slammed her head against the wall.
Then he summoned his Fire-Pillar Sword and pressed its burning blade to her neck. The woman trembled in fear, her strength fading fast.
"L-Let her go… please," the man begged, his face beaten and bruised.
"Do something for me," Ethan said coldly.
"Go outside and bring me the two players handing out those flyers."
"If you tell anyone I'm here, I'll leave your girlfriend's head lying in this hallway," Ethan threatened.
"Understand?"
The man nodded in panic and ran out of the inn.
Ethan then took the woman's staff and handed her an HP Potion. Her level was far too low to pose any real threat to him.
"What… what do you want from us?" she asked, her face bruised but slowly healing after drinking the potion.
"I just want to meet those two players. That's all," Ethan replied.
"I can't go outside right now with my PK status, so I had to use you instead."
"I hope you don't hold a grudge."
"Tch!" she clicked her tongue.
"If you'd just asked nicely, maybe I'd help you. You're actually kind of handsome—I didn't expect the infamous EthanArk to have such a face."
Ethan said nothing, ignoring her attempt to flirt. His goal was clear—to meet those recruiters and join their guild.
If he could promise them victory in the 1000 Star Event, he was confident he could win over their leader.
Not long after, the man returned to the second floor, bringing the two flyer distributors with him.
When they saw Ethan standing in the hallway, both of them froze in terror.
"Y-You brought us here to die?" one of them asked nervously.
"No," Ethan answered calmly.
"Both of you, come here. I have something to talk about."