Chapter 216: Three Steps Ahead (1)

"Here we fucking go..."

Ethan found himself surrounded the moment he set foot in the outside world.

They were standing at the exit connecting Ashvarn to the Legacy dungeon, where an entire battalion of knights had been waiting for them.

Every knight was clad in a full suit of silver armor, equipment far beyond anything an ordinary mercenary company or a small regional battalion could afford.

Only the official armies of great kingdoms and empires possessed armaments of this caliber.

And the emblem emblazoned across their breastplates made the identity of that empire unmistakably clear.

It depicted a majestic crown with three towering points, pierced through by a gleaming greatsword.

The crest of the Arden family, a symbol of their union of authority and the sword.

Their commander, in particular, stood out.

A silver knight whose imposing aura seemed to make the very air grow heavier.

’He’s strong... But nowhere near as strong as Ars or Asterion...’

Despite the tremendous pressure, Ethan could tell the difference without even activating Wise Raven Insight.

The aura Ars had unleashed when Ethan confronted him up close had been considerably more oppressive.

’I’d say he’s a King-rank knight, just like Jackson... That’s still far beyond anything I can handle right now.’

Ethan was suffering more than the others because most of the pressure released by the silver knight was directed toward Asterion.

And since the old man was leaning against his shoulder, Ethan found himself caught in the same crushing pressure.

The knight’s name was Gass.

It was a name Ethan didn’t recognize, one that matched neither a character nor a monster he’d encountered in the game.

’That’s Gass of Wistoria. He’s the commander of the Arden family’s Royal Guard.’

As though he’d read his thoughts, Chai’s voice suddenly rang out inside Ethan’s mind, revealing the silver knight’s identity.

The man standing before them was considered the strongest individual in the empire, excluding the Heart Clan, which possessed Asterion.

"Under arrest? What the hell do you think you’re doing, boy?! Why the fuck am I under arrest?!"

The Uncrowned Emperor ground his teeth in fury, his eyes and words alike piercing toward the silver knight.

"These hunters are heroes who overcame the catastrophe and brought the nightmare to an end! You and those bastards in the royal family should be honoring them, not putting them in chains!"

Ethan could feel Asterion’s anger from where he stood.

It was the first time he’d ever seen the old man like this.

Despite being in no condition to fight, the Uncrowned Emperor remained completely unaffected by Gass’s aura, resisting it with ease.

It was yet another reminder to Ethan of the enormous differences between the higher ranks.

After all, a King could never hope to rival a High King.

"I’m not here to argue with you. I have orders to carry out."

Gass answered as he took a step forward.

"An imperial lapdog, eh? You’re still the same little brat you were the last time I saw you."

Asterion sneered.

Given their circumstances, he was the only one with nerves of steel enough to openly mock the enemy.

The knights slowly advanced, their spears pointed toward the hunters, ready to strike should Ethan or any of his companions make the slightest move.

They were cautious, tense, and fully prepared for battle.

As though they were standing before a group of monsters.

And upon looking more closely, Ethan noticed something else.

’They’re afraid...’

He could see it.

A flicker of fear lurking in their eyes.

And the reason was the old man leaning against his shoulder.

The very reason they had been surrounded in such a terrifying manner.

"Does the Arden family fear me that much? The mighty family that holds supreme authority over this empire is afraid of a single old man?"

Asterion laughed hoarsely, his voice resembling the hiss of a serpent as he continued to mock the Arden family.

"You’re afraid I’ll turn... into a monster."

The moment Asterion uttered those final words, the advancing knights stopped in unison.

He had struck at the heart of the truth.

"So... you already know why we’re placing you under arrest."

The silver knight, Gass, sighed in frustration.

That was indeed the reason behind the current siege.

Several days earlier, the Arden family had discovered that the Uncrowned Emperor had become active again and entered a land afflicted by the Curse of Darkness.

The news had sent genuine panic and terror through their ranks.

Asterion Heart was famous throughout the entire empire, and even across the whole continent of Midgard.

His terrifying strength was no laughing matter.

For a fighter of his caliber to transform into a monster would be a catastrophe by any measure.

Worse still, the Blood Curse disappeared once a member of the Heart Clan transformed into a monster.

That meant the royal family’s commands would no longer hold any power over clan members who had completely transformed.

Fully aware of the danger, the royal family had dispatched every royal knight to surround the exit of the Legacy dungeon, preparing for Asterion’s possible emergence.

If he had transformed into a monster, their orders were to exterminate him immediately.

"Tell me, Gass... Do you seriously believe you and these fools could stop me if I became a monster?"

Asterion’s voice grew heavy, sending chills down the spines of some of the weaker knights.

"Even in this miserable condition, I could still wipe out half of you without breaking a sweat."

"Yes. You’re the Uncrowned Emperor, after all. Of course, this many men wouldn’t be enough to defeat you... But..."

Gass pointed behind him with one finger.

Everyone followed the direction of his gesture.

"With their help, we would stand a chance."

The hunters’ expressions darkened the moment they recognized the people Gass was referring to.

"Those sons of bitches..."

Asterion growled upon discovering a large number of red-haired figures surrounding the area from a distance.

"The Council of Elders..." Ethan muttered quietly.

He could see the strongest members of the Heart Clan gathered there.