After saying goodbye to them, Ethan left the Telmarian Tribe Village. With Leon's abilities, there was no way they would go exploring without him.

To check whether Ethan was still alive, Leon only needed to look at the party status window. If Ethan's name still appeared online in green, that meant he was alive.

Elsewhere, Leon was visibly anxious about Ethan's disappearance. He actually wanted to start a search, but that would be risky.

What if Ethan is already heading back to the village?

Then both of them would end up missing each other while searching.

Risa agreed with him. If they both went out to look for Ethan, it would be harder to meet. The best choice was to wait at the inn and hope Ethan would return safely.

For now, Risa decided to obey Leon's orders. Leon had promised Ethan to protect her, and he intended to keep that promise even if it cost him his life.

Two hours passed since early morning when Ethan headed southeast toward the inn's location.

It was easy for him to return since he had an exploration map—each place he visited removed the black fog from the digital map.

However, he hadn't synchronized his map with Leon's yet, so their exploration progress was different.

From the dirt road, Ethan could already see the village gate crowded with players coming and going.

Many were heading out to start their expeditions—some hunting monsters, others planning to challenge floor bosses.

As Ethan walked closer, the village became clearer in his sight. He could already spot the inn where Leon and Risa were staying.

Players were leaving the place with confident faces, ready to start their day.

Ethan entered the inn and stopped in front of their suite door. When he opened it, he saw Leon pacing back and forth, clearly panicking.

As soon as the door opened, Leon turned and smiled in relief. He quickly approached Ethan to ask about his condition.

"Ethan?" Leon called.

Risa was the most excited to see him. Her anxiety faded the moment she saw Ethan safe and unhurt. It left both of them wondering what exactly had happened to him.

"Where have you been?" Leon asked. Ethan smiled faintly.

"Last night, I went hunting for night monsters to gather materials for another side quest. I accidentally ran into a giant monster," Ethan replied.

"A giant monster? That's impossible on a low floor like Floor 2!"

"It's hard to believe, but I fought it. The monster's level was over 100."

"Level 100?! Are you insane? How are you still alive? You should be dead!"

Ethan nodded slightly. To others, his story might sound impossible, but it was the truth.

Still, he chose not to explain further, especially since Risa—leader of the Blood-Cursed Tribe—was right there.

"I don't know. I just woke up this morning and realized my wounds were gone. I don't know who healed me," Ethan lied smoothly.

Leon and Risa believed him without question. After all, Ethan was Ethan—the strongest in their party. His words carried weight.

"I don't know what happened, but I'm glad you're all right," Leon said.

"I'm also happy to see you back safe," Risa added.

Ethan smiled and lightly patted both of their shoulders. He apologized for making them worry and for not telling them about his late-night hunt.

"Now that you're back, what's our next move?" Leon asked.

"After breakfast, we'll start exploring. Our goal is to find the Blood-Cursed Tribe's village," Ethan said, turning to Risa.

"Do you know where it is?" he asked.

Risa shook her head. Even though she was the tribe's leader, she had no idea where their village on Floor 2 was.

She was born and raised on Floor 1 and had never left her home village—so it was impossible for her to know what lay beyond it, let alone on another floor.

"Hmm."

"Then our only choice is to explore until we find them," Ethan said.

Leon agreed, and Risa promised to help with diplomacy once they made contact. Ethan smiled faintly.

It's not time yet for her to know that the Telmarian Tribe are the ones who saved me.

He would reveal it only after finishing the limited side quest involving the Blood-Cursed Tribe's relocation.

They left the inn and walked to the village tavern. Inside, Ethan immediately recognized the owner—a cheerful man who now looked at him with a grin of recognition.

"Oh, cheeseburger man!" the man said.

"What brings you here?"

"Breakfast, of course."

The owner smiled but then glanced at Risa, who was walking beside Ethan and Leon. His expression subtly changed; it was clear he recognized Risa as an enemy.

"Usually, people kill their enemies, not hang out with them," the man whispered.

"Side quest. You know what I mean, right?" Ethan said casually.

"Oh, a 'protect the important person' quest, huh? Am I right?" the man asked again. Ethan cleared his throat.

"Many players get that side quest, but most reject it—it's too much trouble."

"Anyway, what'll you have?" the man asked.

He brought up the system menu so Ethan and the others could choose. There were many dishes available, but Ethan had to be careful—especially for Risa.

Risa was a native of the Tower and wasn't used to Earth-style food. If he gave her something too strong or unfamiliar, she might refuse to eat it. So he picked something safe and popular.

"Cheeseburgers."

"Cheeseburgers for breakfast? That's… heavy," the man chuckled.

Ethan smiled and sat at one of the tables, waiting for their food. Customers came and went—some ordered drinks, others full meals.

But then, Ethan's attention was caught by a group of four men entering the tavern. One of them glared directly at Ethan.

"Are you an idiot?" the man said.

"Excuse me?" Ethan replied calmly.

"You brought an enemy here. Look—her cursor is red!"

"She's my friend. I took a side quest to protect her," Ethan said indifferently.

"I don't care if she's your friend or not. An enemy is an enemy!"

The man squinted his eyes, then slammed his sword on the wooden table, startling Leon and making Risa flinch.

Ethan, however, remained calm—cold, even. He didn't want to bother with them.

"You're arrogant! What guild are you from?" the man demanded.

"Why? You planning to challenge me?" Ethan replied.

"Why not?"

Ethan turned to look at the man—a middle-aged player with three companions watching his every move.

"If you want to cause trouble, do it somewhere else! Not in my tavern!" shouted the tavern owner.

"You heard him?" Ethan said flatly.

"Come outside. Let's settle this like men!"

The man and his friends stormed out of the tavern. Ethan sighed and looked back at Leon.

"Watch Risa. I'll be back before the meat gets cold."

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.