CHAPTER 94: TOP OF THE EVENT RANKINGS

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Three days before the event ended.

A cave in the eastern forest.

Leni came to the cave carrying several kinds of food she had gathered from the forest. Luna followed her, helping to hunt and collect fruits along the way.

Ethan was still lying unconscious, the same as he had been for the past two days.

His body had not turned into magical particles, which meant he wasn’t dead yet.

Two days ago, Seraphelis had appeared, carrying Ethan’s limp body in her arms.

After their battle ended, Sera had used the last of her strength to heal him.

Yet even with all her power, she couldn’t wake him up, though his wounds had completely recovered.

Sera had also taken the Star Essence from the Redemption Sword and Scavenger Guilds.

The total amount she gathered from both was 438,000—255,000 from Redemption Sword and 183,000 from Scavenger.

That was only from two guilds. She hadn’t even counted what she collected from the other three guilds: Sacred Hall, Golden Spear, and Silver Star.

All of it was stored with Leni, since Ethan was still unconscious. Because of that, the overall Star Essence ranking changed drastically.

With 438,000 from Redemption Sword and Scavenger alone, it was enough to push LionArk straight to the top—rank number one.

Sword Liberation took second place, while the other guilds that had once been far from the top ten began filling the lower ranks of the leaderboard.

The sudden shift shocked many players, especially those who had lost during the major battles.

They were angry, frustrated, and humiliated. Their guilds had been crushed without a chance to recover.

The only way left to turn the situation around was to destroy Arkan City, which was filled with low-ranking guild players.

But even those "small" guilds were no longer weak. Under LionArk’s leadership of the Southern Guild Alliance, they had all trained and learned together.

Grow together, stronger together.

That was LionArk’s motto—and somehow, they truly lived by it.

Inside the cave, Leni knelt down near the fire. Ethan lay still in Leni’s sleeping bag, his breathing steady but shallow.

Leni had managed to catch fish from a nearby river, while Luna returned with a basket of forest fruits.

"Getting tired of fish again, Luna?" Leni asked with a soft smile, noticing Luna’s weary expression as she stared at the pot of fish soup.

"Hmm... ever since I started traveling with Ethan, it’s always been fish," Luna replied, her voice half teasing, half bored.

Leni chuckled quietly. Finding rabbits or wild sheep in the forest had become rare—too many players were hunting the same creatures.

Day by day, the availability of meat in the forest was dwindling. Fish, on the other hand, were still plentiful.

Not many people liked them, mostly because of the sharp bones that made eating troublesome.

Luna’s gaze drifted toward Ethan, who was still unconscious. The soft glow of the fire flickered across his face.

"So... when do you think he’ll wake up?" she asked quietly.

"No one knows for sure," Leni said.

"Did you try healing him?" Luna asked again.

Leni smiled faintly. She poured the steaming soup into two wooden bowls—one for herself and one for Luna.

Luna reached out for hers, the aroma of the broth making her mouth water despite her earlier complaints.

They ate in silence for a while, watching the gentle dance of fireflies floating in front of the cave.

Luna loved fireflies; they reminded her of peaceful nights, far from danger.

Hundreds of them sparkled like stars in the dark forest, and for a moment, she felt as if she were standing inside a dream.

Leni felt the same. She had read about fireflies before, but never imagined she’d see them this closely—even if it was just inside a game.

The sight filled her with a strange sense of calm, washing away the fear and tension she had carried since the event began.

When they finally finished the soup, Luna stepped outside to play among the fireflies. Leni followed her, sitting near the cave entrance to keep watch.

She smiled as she watched Luna laugh softly under the glowing lights. Just seeing that innocent smile was enough to make Leni feel content.

There had been too much fighting, too much bloodshed. Peace like this felt rare and precious.

Back inside the cave, the quiet was broken by a faint sound—a groan.

Ethan slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, his head pounding as if struck by a hammer.

He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain pierced through his chest.

Where... am I?

He looked around. Outside the cave entrance, he could see Leni and Luna, their silhouettes glowing under the soft light of the fireflies.

The warmth from the campfire beside him eased the cold from his body, and the smell of burnt wood filled the air.

Ethan tried to recall what had happened. The last thing he remembered was standing in front of Gilgamesh—wounded, barely holding his sword. After that, nothing but darkness.

Maybe Leni knows what happened next.

He tried to move again, but the pain in his muscles was unbearable. Every small movement felt like his bones were grinding against each other. With a sigh, he gave up and lay back down.

I’ll ask Leni later... once I can actually move.

Before nine o’clock that night, Luna came back inside to rest. Leni followed soon after, pulling thick vines and bushes over the cave entrance to hide it from sight. No one would notice they were inside.

"It seems Ethan won’t be waking up tonight," Luna said sadly, sitting down near him.

But at that exact moment, Ethan’s eyes opened wide. Both Luna and Leni froze. Luna gasped, then rushed forward and threw her arms around him.

"Ethan!" she cried, pressing her face against his chest.

Ethan winced at the sudden pain from the hug. Luna quickly loosened her grip, smiling in relief as tears glimmered in her eyes.

Leni stepped closer, watching the two of them quietly. Ethan turned his head toward her, his expression serious.

"Do you know what happened?" he asked.

"Yes," Leni said softly. "A lot happened."

She began to tell him everything—everything Sera had told her.

The battles, the healing, and finally, the destruction of Uruk City. Ethan listened without interrupting, his face darkening as the story unfolded.

When Leni finished, silence filled the cave. The crackle of the fire was the only sound left. Ethan took a slow breath.

She destroyed an entire city... everyone in it... with one attack?

The thought made his skin crawl. That kind of power wasn’t something any human should have.

Leni then showed him the Star Essence Sera had handed over. She extended it toward him, but Ethan shook his head firmly.

"Keep it," he said.

"Hold onto first place. People will believe LionArk deserves to win more than Sword Liberation ever could."

"And what about you?" Leni asked.

"Me?" Ethan leaned back slightly, a small tired smile forming on his lips.

"I only ever aimed for the top ten. That’s enough for me."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Being second place is just a bonus. What really matters is that the bet between LionArk and Silver Star is officially over."

The fire crackled again. Outside, the fireflies continued to drift through the night air like tiny stars.

Inside the cave, for the first time in days, everyone finally felt safe.

And for Ethan—just being awake, breathing, and surrounded by his allies—was enough.