The players let Ethan go. None of them dared to bother him. The crowd opened a path for him, some terrified, others strangely curious, even wanting to work with him.
He walked alone, cautious with every step. When he reached the eastern gate, the crowd was gone. In front of him stretched a wide field with green grass along the road.
Just like Elle had said, she would be waiting there. From a distance, he saw her standing alone by the roadside, her right hand holding her priest staff.
Elle turned as soon as she saw him approaching. A wide smile spread across her face—she was happy to see he was safe.
"Are you okay?" Elle asked, worried.
"I'm fine. Nothing to think about," Ethan replied.
Together, they left the area and headed east. There, rocky hills rose in the distance, filled with monsters.
Ethan didn't know yet if they were aggressive or passive.
I don't remember everything like this. Monster locations can change depending on the server. But treasure chests… so far, they're always in the same place.
They followed the dirt road, passing hills until they reached a cliff wall. Right in front of them was an unopened treasure chest. Ethan stepped aside and let Elle take it.
I found an area with beast-type monsters. Looks like I'm heading in the right direction.
Elle opened the chest and got some useful items—potions, equipment, and other supplies.
She organized them in her personal system, while Ethan's eyes stayed locked on a group of beast-type monsters near the cliff.
"All set," Elle said.
Ethan turned to her and nodded. Before moving to the next chest, he asked her to help him fight monsters.
"Monsters? Which ones?" Elle asked.
He pointed toward the open field ahead, where a pack of oversized wild rats swarmed the grass. Elle squinted, focusing her eyes on them.
"Those? I see a red circle under their feet. They're aggressive monsters," Elle said.
"Yeah. Just give me buffs. That's all I need."
"I understand."
Ethan summoned his Flamefang sword and dashed forward, straight at the rat swarm.
He slammed into the ground, knocking several of them back and slowing their movements. Elle quickly raised her staff, golden runes glowing above Ethan's head.
His body shined with golden light, signaling her buffs had taken effect. Strength, defense, and HP regeneration surged through him.
The rats charged, but Ethan leapt aside and swung his blade wide, releasing his first skill.
BLAST!
A crimson explosion cracked the air, lightning flashing out with the shockwave. Elle's long hair whipped wildly from the blast.
"His power… why is it this strong?" she gasped.
[Swarm Rat (Lv. 3) || HP: 0/100]
Thanks to her buffs, Ethan's strength had skyrocketed. His first skill alone, combined with Elle's magic and his Infinite Skill Level Talent, was more than enough to wipe them out.
[Talent Quest]
[Items Collected: 17]
Ever since my first skill leveled up last night, everything feels too easy… and kind of boring.
He didn't even need his second skill or ultimate. One slash, one explosion, and the rats were done for.
"Before, he wasn't this strong. What happened to him?" Elle whispered, curious.
The rats respawned quickly, but Ethan unleashed another wide slash, red lightning tearing through the field.
[Talent Quest]
[Items Collected: 28]
[Congratulations! Quest Complete]
[2. Collect 25 Bone Beast-Type Monsters || CLEAR]
[Time Left: 64:12:56]
[Reward: Skill 2 Lv.1 → Skill 2 Lv.10]
Ethan stopped once the quest was complete, stepping back to avoid the new respawns. As long as he stayed outside their zone, they wouldn't chase him.
"You okay?" Elle asked.
"I'm fine. Just burned through a lot of MP."
He quickly pulled out two level-2 MP potions and drank them down. Each one restored a hundred MP, enough to keep him safe for now.
[Congratulations! Skill Level Up]
[Skill 2: Iron Fang Thrust || Lv.10]
[Cost: 150 MP → 100 MP]
[Effect: 75% Physical Damage + 55% Pierce → 375% Physical Damage + 255% Pierce]
Elle peeked at his system panel and froze. His second skill had jumped from level 1 to level 10, its power multiplied fivefold. Not only that, his overall level had risen too.
"Wait… how did you—"
Ethan quickly closed the panel and changed the subject, steering the conversation back to treasure hunting. No wonder she's curious. The boost really is insane.
[Congratulations! You killed a monster]
[Name: Swarm Rat (Lv. 3) || New Record]
[+420 EXP]
[Congratulations! You leveled up]
[Level 12 → Level 14] [EXP: 2390/2550]
[+20 AP]
[Congratulations! You obtained loot:]
[+280 gold] [28x Rat Bone (Common)] [28x Rat Leather (Common)]
"Level 14? That's crazy," Elle muttered.
Ethan smiled, asking her not to pry too much into his system panel. It's annoying when people keep poking into it.
They left the field behind and pushed deeper into the forest. With his boosted power, Ethan didn't worry about other players anymore. His fast leveling speed made him nearly untouchable.
They found another chest hidden in the woods. Elle suggested Ethan should take it, but he shook his head.
"You need to level up faster. The EXP from that chest should push you to level 10."
"Take it," Ethan insisted.
Elle smiled gratefully and opened it. Light burst from her body as she leveled up.
"I hit level 10!" she said, bouncing in excitement as she showed her panel to Ethan.
He nodded. The Skill Rise feature had unlocked for her—but no talent system appeared. That confirmed his suspicion.
So I'm the only one with a talent system… There must be a reason it's given only to me.
"That's great. Congrats, Elle," he said.
"Thanks, Ethan."
As they lingered in the forest, Ethan's ears caught footsteps from behind. He spun, drawing Flamefang and shielding Elle.
"Who's there?!"
"I saw your strength back in town, Player Ethan," a man said, stepping forward with two companions.
He was a warrior, and the other two were mages. Ethan narrowed his eyes.
They probably came to kill me.
"Come closer and I'll show you what I can do. I don't mind killing two or three more people," Ethan growled.
"Wait, Ethan. We didn't come to fight," the man said.
"Then why?"
"My friends and I plan to form a guild to rule the novice city. We're all level 10 now. With you, we could dominate this place and control everyone."
He smirked. "So, what do you say?"
Ethan stepped closer, but kept a safe distance. Guild invitations were normal. Guilds fought wars for city control all the time, building armies, taxing players, and gaining power.
Lionark Guild did the same. They started small, took over one town, and now their base is Maverald.
But he shook his head.
"My reputation as a killer will destroy your guild before it even starts. People will hate you just for recruiting me."
"With my power and my red status, I'm destined to walk alone until I find a guild that actually fits me."
"So?" the man pressed, waiting for his answer.
"I can't join you."