Chương 79: (B2) Chapter 6 - The forming of a plan

Ethan stepped out of the guild feeling like he had accomplished fuck all apart from confirming just how difficult it would be to reach the Father. The man was surrounded by people far more powerful than Ethan currently was, which made the entire thing borderline impossible. At least for now. It didn't deter him, though. If anything, it only reinforced what he had already suspected. The man needed to go. Even in Ethan's previous life, Northstar had gathered an absurdly loyal following.

They had been viewed as one of humanity's strongest pillars, a guild people looked toward during crises because they always seemed to show up when it mattered. Ethan himself had once believed they were good for humanity. Necessary, even. Now? He wasn't so sure anymore. If they were sabotaging every guild with the potential to rise high enough to threaten them, then that changed everything. It wasn't just greed at that point. It was detrimental and dangerous.

And if that was true, how many people like Mia had they removed over the years? How many talented individuals had quietly disappeared before ever reaching their full potential, all because Northstar wanted to remain a pillar? But more importantly, how much would the future change if the Father wasn't around to suppress them this time? Ethan didn't have those answers yet, but as he turned the possibilities over in his head, he decided it would be worth finding out.

And if he was wrong—if removing the Father only weakened humanity by tearing down one of its greatest pillars—then Ethan would shoulder that consequence himself. He would pick up whatever slack he created. However, one thing had become painfully obvious. He couldn't do this alone. His first thought had been Tomas. The Broken Dawns had suffered more than most from Northstar's interference. Well… them and the Valkyries.

But Ethan didn't know the Valkyries well enough to trust how they'd react, nor did he have a proper read on their leadership. Tomas, however, was different. Ethan could trust the man, purely from his reputation in the previous timeline. The problem was proof. The Farscribe book was damning enough that Tomas would probably start drawing conclusions on his own eventually, but if Ethan brought the information forward directly, there would immediately be questions.

Questions Ethan couldn't answer without exposing himself. How did he know about the Father? How did he know about Northstar's actions after only arriving on the level a few days ago? No matter how Ethan spun it, it wouldn't make sense. Even if he revealed his previous life, which he still wasn't willing to do. So Ethan needed to find a way to overcome that. Unfortunately, stealth wasn't exactly Ethan's strong suit. Nor did he particularly enjoy it.

He preferred dealing with problems directly, preferably with a sword in his hands instead of sneaking around in the shadows, gathering scraps of information like some second-rate rogue. That line of thinking had already gotten him into trouble once with the whole Alice debacle. Though, to be fair, Ethan still didn't think that had really been his fault. His thoughts drifted again, returning to an idea he had been turning over since discovering the Father's involvement. Joining Northstar. It sounded stupid.

Actually, no. It sounded catastrophically stupid. And yet, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. He wouldn't need to sneak around if he was already inside. He could build relationships naturally, gain access to information without raising suspicion, and most importantly, he would gain access to their resources. Their dungeons alone would be worth it. Combined with the Broken Dawns' support, Ethan could level far faster than he originally planned.

Not only that, but when Tomas came to the natural conclusion that Northstar was behind everything, Ethan would be in an excellent position to offer his support and gain more favor with them. The more he considered it, the more appealing the idea became. He could keep his knowledge hidden, while still guiding and filtering information. Especially now that Leah was occupied with her own team and dungeon runs. Ethan wanted to keep her as far away from this as possible. These people were far too dangerous.

Still, he'd make sure to talk it over with her before he decided anything. Ethan chose to leave it for now and go shopping. If he was going to separate his armored self from his actual identity, then he needed the act to be convincing. He couldn't just take the helmet off and expect people not to connect the dots eventually. Which meant he needed more than a different attitude. He needed a different fighting style.

The thought had been sitting in the back of his mind ever since he struggled leveling [Sword Mastery]. Back then, he had already started suspecting that limiting himself to only a greatsword was holding him back in some ways. He had focused so heavily on overwhelming force and heavy combat that his fundamentals had fallen behind. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to fix that. So Ethan left Guild Row behind, the beginnings of a plan slowly forming in his mind as he walked.

The difficult part would be executing it properly without drawing attention to himself. He made his way toward the train platform, stepping aboard one of the floating railcars before riding it down toward Downtown. The city passed by outside in a blur of movement and light before he eventually stepped off and entered the packed streets below. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. It didn't take long to find a weapon store.

The owner was a loud middle-aged man with broad shoulders and an even broader smile, the type of person who seemed incapable of speaking quietly. The moment Ethan walked in, the man immediately started listing weapons and prices while enthusiastically trying to push him toward axes. Ethan ignored most of it. What he wanted was the complete opposite of his greatsword. Something lighter. Faster. A weapon that forced precision. Eventually, he settled on a scimitar.

The blade was sleek compared to the oversized slab of metal he normally carried, the balance completely different in his hand. Where his greatsword relied on power and leverage, the scimitar was meant for cleaner, faster movements. It was something Ethan wasn't used to at all. Which was exactly why Ethan bought it. After paying, he thanked the man and left the store with only four silver remaining to his name. Something he would need to fix sooner rather than later.

He strapped the sword to his hip as he walked, getting used to the unfamiliar weight hanging at his side instead of across his back. Oddly enough, it reminded him of the early days of the trials, when he had once again entered level one with nothing but a sword. Only this time, the sword at his waist was Uncommon rank.

And after a quick inspection, Ethan discovered it also granted three points into Agility, which honestly wasn't bad considering Agility was currently one of his lower stats—and the style he intended to use would benefit heavily from it. Once finished adjusting it, Ethan continued down the street. The weapon had only been part one. If he truly wanted to infiltrate Northstar, then his alias needed to hold up under scrutiny. Which meant he needed an enchanted item capable of obscuring his information.

Something that either hid his name entirely or altered the information displayed through analysis-type skills. It wouldn't fool someone high-level. But it only needed to survive casual inspection. Ethan moved through the shopping district until he found the store he was looking for. The small shop sat on the corner of a much larger building, its front windows cluttered with various items ranging from enchanted gear to mundane objects people had brought over from Earth. Rings. Necklaces. Weapons. Armor pieces.

Small trinkets infused with stats. There were even normal items sitting among them. Lighters, phones, old watches. Unsurprisingly, those were absurdly expensive. Ethan stepped inside, reading the sign that hung above the door—Consortment of Goods—and approached the counter, where a woman with graying hair looked up from a book and greeted him politely. After explaining what he needed, she disappeared into the back briefly before returning with a small silver ring resting on a black cloth.

"This should work for what you're after," she said. Ethan picked it up carefully. The moment he inspected it, he knew it was exactly what he needed. A Rare-ranked item capable of altering displayed information during inspection. Which immediately meant it was going to be far outside his budget.

"How much?" Ethan asked anyway.

"Two gold." Ethan stared at her for a moment. Then slowly placed the ring back down. Yeah. That wasn't happening.

"Do you have anything else?" The woman shook her head.

"This is the only thing I have available. There could be something in the system store?"

"Thanks anyway. I'll be back," he answered, eyeing the ring once more. He wasn't going to use his PO for it. Now more than ever, he wanted to save that currency for his last three skill slots. Reluctantly, he left the store. By the time he returned home, Ethan had already accepted the reality of the situation. If he wanted this plan to work, he needed money first. And that meant running dungeons with the Broken Dawns before he could properly put any of it into motion.

Ethan opened the apartment door and stepped inside, noting Leah wasn't there. Leah had left some of her gear scattered around the place, along with half-finished food and clothes draped over the chair by the window. Ethan glanced over it all briefly before sitting on the couch. Then he pulled out his Farscribe book, revealing several new messages waiting for him. The first was from Mark. ⸻ Ethan, I hope this reaches you well, and by now you're on the second level, no doubt growing even stronger.

I just thought I'd inform you on the happenings down here. With the level coming to a close, things are growing more and more chaotic. I'm not too stubborn to admit I fear for my family with each passing day. The only thing keeping me and Sarah sane is the training Mia is providing. At least now I feel I can keep everyone safe. Though I think we will join one of the batches heading to the second level soon. I've heard when you've got a child, the mirage takes it easy on you. I can only hope that's true.

I guess I'm just writing to let you know we are fine. In fact, despite everything, we are doing better than ever. Especially with the new cultivation technique the guild released. Strange thing, realizing magic is actually real. Anyway, hope you're well and I look forward to hearing back. I know Sarah is worried for you. Regards, Mark ⸻ A small smile spread across Ethan's face as he finished reading it. It seemed the Broken Dawns were keeping their word. He had known they would.

That was simply the kind of person Alex was. Still, seeing it actually happen was reassuring. Especially when it involved people Ethan genuinely cared about. Without hesitation, he wrote back quickly, letting them know both he and Leah were safe and that they would be waiting for their arrival on the second level. Once finished, Ethan flipped to the final unread message. ⸻ Hello. I'm just reaching out to let you know your information has been spread. Now more than ever, it's helping the entrants of the trials.

I often sit awake at night, unable to sleep, and wonder why we never did this before. How many more lives could we have saved without human greed getting in the way? Thank you. I think that's what I'm trying to say. You've opened my eyes and given me plenty to think about. I'll be seeing you soon, though it won't be for a few months yet. Not until the last of us are through the mirage. Again, thank you. —Alex ⸻ Ethan leaned back slightly after reading it, a faint sense of satisfaction settling in his chest.

He knew exactly why people had never shared information properly before. The first entrants had quickly realized information was power. Guilds hoarded it, traded it, weaponized it. If someone wanted access to good skills, hidden mechanics, cultivation methods, or even just accurate information about monsters, they were forced to join organizations capable of providing it. And once the major guilds started doing it, everyone else copied them. It had become normal.

Though admittedly, on the first level it wasn't as impactful as people liked to pretend. That floor had always been designed around the individual rather than the collective. No amount of shared information could fully prepare someone for whether they personally had what it took to survive. Still, it could help. And if Ethan had managed to save even a fraction of the people who originally died because of ignorance, then it had been worth it.

He quickly wrote a response to Alex as well before closing the Farscribe book and setting it aside. Ethan sat still for a moment before slowly exhaling and crossing his legs up on the couch. Then he closed his eyes. Mana stirred faintly through his body as he sank into meditation, his breathing evening out while the noise of the city outside slowly faded away.