Risa nodded, letting the three men leave to inform their tribal elder.

She turned toward Ethan and Leon, assuring them that everything would be fine.

Ethan agreed. To him, it would be much easier to convince the Blood-Cursed Tribe's chief on this floor with Risa by his side than to do it alone.

The tribe's aggressive attitude toward outsiders was already troublesome enough.

Not long after, the three men returned with an elder—a middle-aged woman with black hair.

Her expression was sharp and cold as she stared at Ethan and Leon with an intimidating gaze.

"So, you're the tribe chief who broke our sacred law?" the elder asked.

"Sacred law?"

Risa went silent, lowering her head like a scolded child. Ethan had no idea what kind of law she was talking about.

"What law?" Ethan asked.

"The one that forbids the tribe's chief from leaving the village," the elder replied.

"And she broke that law," the elder continued, pointing at Risa.

Risa remained quiet, unable to say anything as guilt showed on her face. But no matter what, she had her own reason for doing so. She was thinking of her people's safety.

"I did it to—"

"Silence!" shouted the elder, cutting her off.

Ethan watched Risa's reaction. Her expression looked so heavy with guilt that he couldn't stand it.

To him, what she did wasn't wrong. She acted to protect her tribe, no matter the cost.

"You can't yell at her," Ethan said, stepping forward to stand between Risa and the elder.

"You?! Are you trying to pick a fight with us?!" the elder snapped.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, stretching out his hand to summon the Bloodblade Ashura and gripping it tightly.

[Mode Ashura Activated]

"Lord Gor's sword?!" the elder gasped, followed by the three men beside her.

Ethan's hair turned crimson red, his aura exploding with raw strength—the clear sign that the Bloodblade Ashura's power had merged into him.

The three men took defensive positions, standing in front of the elder while raising their spears toward Ethan.

A battle was about to break out before Risa lifted her hand and gently touched Ethan's shoulder, calming him down.

Ethan turned, watching as Risa tried to reason with the elder. He didn't have much choice but to stand down.

He planted his sword into the ground, though his hand still gripped its hilt tightly.

"I have a reason for doing this. Will you listen to me?" Risa asked.

The elder stared at her, then glanced back at Ethan. She knew his power was far greater than hers. If she refused, the situation would end in bloodshed.

"Speak," she said.

"This is about Lord Gor's message," Risa replied.

"Lord Gor's message?" the elder repeated. Risa nodded.

The elder frowned, trying to recall the details, but her memory was faint.

Only one person in their village truly knew the message's meaning—their tribe chief.

"That message lies with our chief. I don't know the full details," the elder admitted.

"Then take us to your village and let us meet your chief," Risa said.

The elder stayed quiet for a moment, then nodded. Avoiding an unnecessary fight was the wisest choice.

The three men at her side hesitated, questioning her decision, but she refused to allow violence.

"You won't win against the man holding Lord Gor's sword. Stand down," the elder ordered.

The men exchanged uneasy looks before clearing their throats and nodding. One of them stepped forward and spoke to Ethan's team.

"You can't bring weapons inside. Will you store them or let us take them?"

"We'll store them," Ethan answered firmly.

He put away the Bloodblade Ashura, deactivating Ashura Mode, and his appearance returned to normal. Leon did the same.

Once they were deemed safe, the man led them toward the tribe's village. The elder walked in front, with two guards following behind Ethan's group.

After fifteen minutes on foot, they finally saw the gate of the Blood-Cursed Tribe Village. When they stepped inside, they stopped in the middle of the village square.

Many villagers stared curiously. Ethan and Leon looked too different, and by law, outsiders were forbidden to enter without purpose.

Only the tribe chief could decide whether they were allowed to stay.

"So this is what being intimidated feels like?" Risa whispered.

"This is new for me. They're looking at us like they're about to eat us," Leon joked.

"Stay focused. Don't provoke anyone," Ethan warned.

Both Leon and Risa listened to him. Soon, the elder arrived with an old man walking beside her, holding a magic staff.

Ethan noticed the man wearing a bone crown similar to Risa's—a clear sign that he was the tribe chief.

"I never thought I'd meet the tribe chief from the first floor," the old man said with a smile as he approached Risa.

"Can you show me your ring?"

Risa nodded and pulled the ruby ring from her pocket. The old man took it and examined it carefully, even checking its engravings.

"There's no doubt. This is genuine," the old man said.

"Then it's true. She's the Blood-Cursed Tribe Chief from the first floor."

Risa smiled and took the ring back, storing it carefully. The old man then asked why she had come all this way, breaking the tribe's sacred rule.

"It's about Lord Gor's message."

"No one has paid attention to that message since his sword vanished centuries ago," the old man replied.

"Maybe. But take a look," Risa said.

Ethan raised his hand, summoning the Bloodblade Ashura before everyone's eyes, including the tribe chief.

The old man's eyes widened in disbelief—he never imagined he'd see Lord Gor's legendary sword again in his lifetime.

"The blade, the hilt, the crimson glow... there's no mistake. This is truly Lord Gor's sword," the old man said.

"Lord Gor's message has reawakened. He's the one who will lead us to the fiftieth floor," Risa declared.

The old man kept his gaze fixed on the sword, then turned his eyes toward Risa.

"It won't be that easy. He must prove himself worthy to carry our tribe's hope."

"What do you mean?" Risa asked.

"He must fight our one hundred best warriors. Only if he defeats them all before sunrise tomorrow will we believe in him."

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