Ethan fell silent, and so did the three elders adorned with their ornate accessories.

Although they hadn't seen Ethan's full power with their own eyes, the wounds Nok suffered were enough to show that his strength was terrifying.

Not wanting to take unnecessary risks, one of the old men exhaled and turned his gaze toward Nok behind him.

"Give him the antidote," the man ordered.

Nok hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She reached into the pocket of her skirt and tossed a small bottle containing ten antidote pills toward Ethan.

Ethan caught it with one hand. As agreed, he would not continue the fight.

He sheathed his sword and deactivated Ashura Mode. The crimson glow faded from his eyes, and his hair returned to its natural black.

"Our business is done. Don't disturb us again," said the old man firmly.

"Of course. You may leave."

The three elders turned west, escorting Nok and the four injured warriors.

Ethan watched them until their figures disappeared beyond his sight before he began healing his own team.

Once they were gone, Ethan turned back to help Leon and Megan's group swallow the antidote pills.

Slowly, Leon began showing signs of recovery—the purple veins on his skin faded, his breathing steadied, his pale face regained color, and warmth returned to his body.

Leon opened his eyes, his first reaction a weak cough—not of blood, just exhaustion.

"What… happened?" he asked, bewildered.

"Poison," Ethan replied calmly.

"But everything's fine now."

He handed Leon the bottle of antidote pills and told him to treat Megan's team. Leon nodded.

Though still weakened from the poison, he could move without much trouble.

He walked over to Megan, took one pill, and helped her swallow it.

Gradually, Megan's condition improved as well—her breathing slowed, her limbs no longer trembled.

Leon explained everything: the poison, the antidote, and how they'd been saved.

Ethan, however, didn't mention the Blood-Cursed Tribe. In his view, they were no longer a threat worth worrying about.

Megan listened quietly, then took four more pills from Leon to heal the rest of her team.

Within ten minutes, all of them had recovered.

Megan glanced to the side and saw Ethan standing with his back to them, his eyes fixed on the west.

"What is it, Ethan?" she asked.

Ethan turned slightly and shook his head. He didn't want them to worry.

He could tell that the western territory was under the control of the Blood-Cursed Tribe.

If he went back there, they would most likely attack again—something he couldn't afford right now.

"It's nothing."

"We're moving east," Ethan ordered.

"East? But we haven't fully explored the western zone yet," Megan protested.

"No. We've seen enough. We're heading east."

Megan turned to Leon, who simply shrugged and shook his head, signaling that he had no idea either.

Ethan didn't explain further—he just turned east and started walking, avoiding any more contact with the Blood-Cursed Tribe.

He needed to find a nearby settlement—preferably one with friendlier inhabitants.

Based on what he'd just witnessed, the Blood-Cursed Tribe was anything but friendly to outsiders. They attacked anyone who entered their land, regardless of intention.

Megan and Leon followed Ethan, uncertain of what had really happened while they were unconscious.

Maybe Ethan had encountered something—or someone—that made him change his decision so abruptly.

The farther they walked, the more they left the western territory behind.

Reaching a crossroads in the central zone, Ethan took the eastern path, his vigilance still high. He noticed far fewer players here than in the southern region.

"What exactly are we looking for?" one of Megan's teammates asked.

"No idea," Megan replied.

The crimson glow still covered the sky, but Ethan's dashboard showed it was already 8 p.m.

The exhaustion from battle and travel dulled his focus now and then.

Just when hope began to fade, Ethan narrowed his eyes—there were lights ahead, many of them, flickering in the distance.

He could also hear voices—other players, talking and shouting. Megan and her team noticed it too.

They rushed forward, leaving the forest path behind. Leon quickened his pace until he was walking beside Ethan.

"What really happened back there?" he asked.

"The native tribe of the first floor," Ethan answered.

"Monsters?"

"No. Humans."

"H-Humans?" Leon asked, startled.

"Are they strong?"

Ethan explained what he knew. He wasn't sure how powerful they were, but it was clear their strength and magic were different from any Tower player.

Their spells and fighting style belonged to a different system entirely.

"That's why you decided to retreat?" Leon asked. Ethan stayed silent for a moment.

"They outnumbered us, and they're skilled with poison. If we pushed further, we'd be wiped out easily," Ethan replied.

"What I did was for your safety."

"I understand," Leon said quietly.

Fifteen minutes later, they reached the source of the light—a village.

"A village?" Leon murmured.

It was small, but still a welcome sight after everything they'd been through. They needed rest.

No guards stood at the entrance, and the place buzzed with the noise of countless players. Seeing the crowd, Ethan doubted there were any rooms left in the inn.

Megan and her team were already in line at the front desk.

"Looks like we'll be sleeping outside tonight," Leon sighed, hands on his hips.

"If the rooms are full, we can sleep under the sky. I'm used to it," Ethan said evenly.

Leon chuckled, "From the Thousand Stars Event, right?"

Ethan nodded.

They wandered through the village until they found an open field. Other teams were resting there as well, gathered around campfires.

Ethan sat down near one, warming his hands as Leon returned with a bundle of firewood.

That night, they rested in silence, the flames flickering gently. Ethan pulled some rations from his inventory and roasted a piece of meat for dinner.

"When do you think we'll find the floor boss?" Leon asked, lying back and staring at the starless sky.

"No idea. I don't think anyone's found it yet," Ethan replied.

"Ashley was right then. The Raid Tower's way tougher than we thought," Leon sighed.

Ethan didn't answer. He'd raided many towers before in his past life—back when the layouts and mechanics were easier to learn.

But the major update had changed everything—the structure, the system, even the philosophy of the game.

He suspected the administrators were turning Tower of Ascension into the most realistic open-world VR game ever made.

"It makes sense," Ethan said quietly.

"They planned the Full-Drive tragedy. There's no way they'd leave out a feature this advanced."

"You call this advanced? I'd say exhausting," Leon groaned.

"For open-world addicts, it's a paradise of exploration. But when the price is your life… I'm not sure they'd see it that way."

"Exhausting sounds about right," Leon muttered, half-laughing, half-sighing.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.