Chapter 369 The Return of the King
The price Eric offered made it clear he was furious with Ethan.
All that talk about misunderstandings was just a load of crap.
Everyone knew that if everything could be brushed off as a misunderstanding, there'd be no need for the police.
"President Potter, I'm practically giving this away. If you're not interested, I've got plenty of others who are," Eric said with a light chuckle.
Eric wasn't lying. Several kingdoms outside of Eldoria were eager to partner with the Guild of Aether Wing, and some major corporations were willing to pay top dollar for a stake in the guild.
Ethan's face turned a deep shade of red, his eyes flashing with a cold light that made people avert their gaze. Even Sutharos, standing nearby, lowered his head and trembled, fearing Ethan might take out his anger on him.
Ethan had never been treated like this before. Anyone who dared to cross him usually met a bad end, but Eric had toyed with him repeatedly.
No one knew what Ethan might do next...
After a long pause.
"President BlackFlame, I'm being very sincere here. How about this: I'll settle for 5% of the shares?" Ethan said, suppressing his rage and speaking with an eerie calm.
"No deal. It's 0.1% or nothing. That's my final offer. If President Potter isn't interested, I won't force it," Eric replied, sensing that Ethan's behavior was out of character and testing him. He was surprised at how much Ethan could endure.
Ethan was known for his arrogance and quick temper, often resorting to drastic measures. Now, he was humbling himself to negotiate, which made Eric suspicious.
Something was definitely off.
Ethan's teeth ground together audibly at Eric's response. Ten billion credits was no small sum, and even if he could afford it, it would still hurt. He could barely accept 10% of the shares, but 0.1% was unacceptable both in terms of reputation and principle.
"BlackFlame, you dare treat me like a fool? I'll make you pay a hundredfold," Ethan fumed internally. If he could become a shareholder in the Guild of Aether Wing, he could infiltrate its core and control everyone within. Suppressing his immense anger, he said quietly, "I understand. I hope President BlackFlame won't disappoint me. Let's set a time to sign the contract."
Eric was taken aback by Ethan's attitude. He had expected Ethan to explode in anger and storm off, maybe throw out a few threats. This outcome was completely unexpected. Ethan was willing to accept 0.1% of the shares? Either he was desperate or had a bigger plan.
Seeing Ethan's intent, Eric smiled and said, "President Potter, why the rush? I'm not done yet. Besides the ten billion credits, I also want 50% of The Stygian Alliance's shares. If you agree to that, we have a deal."
"BlackFlame, you're asking for it!" Ethan roared, now fully aware that Eric was playing him, not just raising the price out of anger.
Eric wanted to trade 0.1% of Aether Wing's shares for ten billion credits and 50% of The Stygian Alliance's shares.
The Stygian Alliance was a powerhouse far beyond a top-tier guild. Even 1% of its shares was out of the question, let alone 50%.
"President Potter, are you done pretending?" Eric said with a faint smile. "I was hoping to play a bit longer."
"BlackFlame, don't think you can dominate Silvervale City and get away with it. You underestimate the Stygian Alliance. The Guild of Aether Wing is just one of the city's powers, but we control several nearby cities. It won't be long before I personally take you down and erase Aether Wing from Divine Realms: Legends!" Ethan raged, his voice like a wild beast's roar, sending chills down everyone's spine. "BlackFlame, you could've had ten billion credits to retire on, but now you'll regret today's actions. I'll drive you to ruin, bit by bit!"
Eric was momentarily stunned by Ethan's outburst, then smiled and said, "I'll be waiting."
With that, Eric ended the call.
Though he only said a few words, his tone was so resolute and confident that even Ethan was momentarily speechless.
Ethan understood Eric's message clearly.
The Guild of Aether Wing was ready for a fight. Bring it on!
But Ethan couldn't fathom why Eric remained so calm in the face of ten billion credits. Why wasn't he tempted?
"Looks like I need to speed up my plans," Eric thought after ending the call.
His surprise wasn't out of fear but realization. He hadn't expected the Stygian Alliance to be so deeply entrenched and quick to act. If not for Ethan's somewhat muddled state, he wouldn't have realized the severity of the situation. The Stygian Alliance had already secretly taken control of several cities around Silvervale City.
But Eric felt a bit relieved. Knowing this early meant he could act in time. Those cities were likely dominated by guilds under the Stygian Alliance, but not completely fortified. Otherwise, Ethan wouldn't have tried to use ten billion credits to bury Aether Wing.
Currently, players' levels were still low, and inter-city travel was rare. But as players leveled up, they'd need to venture into higher-level zones, which were located between major cities. This would encircle Aether Wing, making it impossible for its members to level up without constant battles, eventually wearing them down.
Thanks to Ethan's warning, Eric could act early to prevent this. Otherwise, Aether Wing would be in a tough spot once players leveled up.
With this in mind, Eric headed back to Silvervale City.
When Eric returned to Silvervale City, the teleportation hall was fully repaired, and the streets were bustling with players. Most were solo players, but anyone wearing the Aether Wing emblem was met with envy and admiration, making Aether Wing members proud.
As for the Darkstar Guild and other guilds, they now avoided Aether Wing members, no longer as arrogant as before.
The solo players on the streets were high-level, clearly more skilled than average players. Teams were forming to tackle high-level dungeons and zones, a significant step up from the past.
Eric hadn't even left the teleportation hall when he noticed the change in atmosphere. Almost everyone was looking at him.
"Isn't that The One-Blade Reaper, BlackFlame?"
"President BlackFlame, he's back?"
"Where? Where?"
"Wow, it's really him! He's so cool. I'm gonna faint…"
Eric wasn't wearing his black cloak, so he was quickly recognized. The crowd erupted in excitement, with some female players nearly swooning and screaming from a distance.
But before they could rush over, a group of players in dazzling gear, at least Mithril Level or higher, all level 20 and above, approached. They wore the six-wing emblem, drawing everyone's attention.
These were the core members of Aether Wing, followed by over a thousand elite members, moving in perfect unison, exuding an impressive aura that made other players step aside.
They were there to welcome Eric.
"President, welcome back!"
Rosewater and FlameDancer smiled as they approached Eric.
Eric didn't know what to say, so he just nodded silently.
With the Aether Wing members escorting him, Eric walked back to the StellarTrails Emporium on Central Street. Along the way, Silvervale City's players made way, their eyes filled with excitement, as if welcoming a returning king.
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