At the *Third Heaven* headquarters in Frostleaf Town, Archangel was feeling overwhelmed and irritable.
There were countless issues piling up, the biggest being *G&G*. They had taken over all the leveling areas, causing complaints to flood in from his members.
Archangel had organized a few counterattacks, but each one ended in failure due to the massive gap in power.
In both level and equipment, *G&G's* elite group was far ahead of *Third Heaven*.
Rumor had it that Naomi was already leading her people towards Winterhold, and other guilds were also beginning to move towards the main city.
The competition between guilds in this game was brutal. Fall behind in one step, and you'd fall behind in everything.
At this rate, *Third Heaven* would soon be relegated to a third-rate guild.
This had already drawn dissatisfaction from the financial backers, who had reduced their investment.
The elite group members of the guild received salaries provided by these backers, and with reduced funding, their pay would inevitably decrease.
If this continued, those players would likely leave without hesitation, and *Third Heaven* would completely collapse.
"Damn it! This is so frustrating!"
Archangel ran a hand through his hair, feeling increasingly agitated.
Just then, a notification appeared in his interface.
[Ding, you have a friend request from 'The Shades of Yin and Yang'. Would you like to accept?]
"The Shades of Yin and Yang? Who's that?"
Archangel frowned but chose to accept the request. As soon as he did, a call request came through.
After a moment of hesitation, he accepted the call.
"Hello, is this Archangel?"
A voice from *The Shades of Yin and Yang* came through.
"It's me. What do you want?" Archangel asked.
"I want to talk about a possible acquisition."
"Acquisition?" Archangel was taken aback. "Acquisition of what?"
"*Third Heaven*."
"In your dreams!" Archangel scoffed. "We only accept investment, not any form of acquisition!"
"Think about it. You know better than anyone what's going on with *Third Heaven*. As long as *G&G* stays, you'll always be under their shadow."
*The Shades of Yin and Yang* wasn't rushing. He knew acquiring a large guild wouldn't be easy, but it had to start somewhere.
"So what? I'll just wait for *G&G* to leave."
Archangel's tone was defiant.
"Don't you think it'll be too late by then? And I've heard that the financial group supporting you is planning to pull out. You know what that means, don't you?"
"Hmph, *Third Heaven* is strong enough to survive, even without their support."
"More like struggling to survive."
"You—!"
Archangel was fuming. That comment hit a nerve.
"Don't deny it. Virtual gaming has always been brutal, and *Godfall* has unlimited potential. Are you really okay with being left behind?"
Archangel fell silent. He knew the value of *Godfall*, but the thought of being acquired filled him with resentment.
*Third Heaven* was his creation, like his own child. The idea of selling it off was too much to bear.
"Let me think about it."
"Alright. Just so you know, I'm only the messenger. The real party interested in buying your guild is someone else."
"You're playing games with me?"
"Relax, our offer is serious. I'll just say this—the buyer's financial backing is on par with the entire *Ingram Family*! Remember that, the *entire* Ingram Family."
With that, *The Shades of Yin and Yang* ended the call, leaving Archangel deep in thought.
...
Meanwhile, Ethan had logged back into the game. Emerging from his cabin, he stepped back onto the deck of the ship.
After two days of travel, the number of people on the deck had increased, though most were NPCs. Only a few players could be seen scattered around, leaning against the rails, staring out at the sea in boredom.
Ethan joined them, walking to the edge of the ship. The salty sea breeze brushed past his face, carrying a refreshing coolness.
The sea was vast and mesmerizing, its endless expanse and the whipping winds bringing a sense of freedom that was almost intoxicating.
Ethan's mind wandered to a figure from his past.
That person was Bard, a legendary NPC known as the *Starry Sky Captain*.
Bard commanded an interstellar ship, drifting between worlds and making a living through trading.
His most famous deal? Auctioning off Selene's undergarments—an item that Ethan, Bard, and a legendary thief had managed to steal from Selene herself.
For six months after that, the three of them were relentlessly hunted by the furious Selene.
"Heh, heh, heh!"
Ethan couldn't help but chuckle. Those days were some of the most carefree and adventurous of his life.
"I wonder how Bard is doing now. Based on the timeline, he should be in Argoth by now."
Ethan mused to himself. He definitely planned to reconnect with Bard if he got the chance.
"Whoosh!"
As Ethan was reminiscing, the sails of the ship began to flutter violently, and a strong gust of wind swept across the deck.
"Hmm? What's going on?"
Ethan frowned, noticing the sudden change in weather.
"Attention everyone! A storm is coming—get inside the cabin!"
The captain's voice boomed out, and the passengers immediately complied, heading into the safety of the ship's interior.
After all, storms at sea were dangerous. One wrong step and someone could easily be thrown overboard.
And if you fell into the ocean, the ship's captain wouldn't risk a rescue. The result? Certain death.
"A storm? That's strange…"
Ethan was skeptical. They were close to Winterhold, sailing in shallow coastal waters. The seasonal winds should be relatively stable.
So how could a storm suddenly form?
Feeling uneasy, Ethan made his way to the bow of the ship, gazing out at the distant horizon.
Sure enough, a massive black cloud was gathering on the water's surface ahead.
"Something's off… that cloud isn't normal!"
Ethan's sharp instincts told him something was wrong. Regular storm clouds spread out, but this one was a concentrated mass, like a tornado.
More importantly, he could sense a powerful surge of water magic emanating from the cloud—chaotic and wild.
"This… could we be facing a sea monster?"
A chilling realization struck Ethan, and he sprinted toward the captain's quarters, shouting:
"Turn the ship! We need to get to shore! That's not a storm—it's a sea monster!"
The captain, still wearing his tricorn hat, glanced back at Ethan.
"I know it's a sea monster."
"You know?"
Ethan was stunned, then his expression shifted to anger. He roared:
"If you know, why haven't we turned the ship around?!"
"I can't. The currents and winds are dragging us toward the cloud. We have no control."
The captain let out a bitter laugh, looking helpless.
"Damn!"
Ethan's heart sank. If what the captain said was true, they were already in the sea monster's grasp.
A creature capable of manipulating currents and winds had to be at least epic-level, or even a legendary-level threat.
Out here, in the middle of the sea, that spelled certain doom.
"Rooaaar!"
Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from the distance. The sound waves, laden with intense magical energy, enveloped the entire ship.
At the same time, a gigantic octopus emerged from beneath the waves, its massive tentacles smashing down toward the ship like pillars of doom.
"It's over…"
Ethan closed his eyes in despair. He hadn't expected to meet his end at the hands of a sea monster.
-10 luck today. Absolutely.
But just then, a deep voice rang out in the air:
"Hmph!"
In the blink of an eye, a bald man dressed in a pale white monk's robe appeared in midair.
Clouds formed under his feet as he ascended, as if walking up invisible stairs, until he stood above the sea monster's head.
"Hahaha, it's the Cloudstep Monk! We're saved!"
Tears of relief welled up in Ethan's eyes.
Meeting the Cloudstep Monk today? +10 luck for sure!