Ethan happily scanned the skill information, but it only took a moment for his expression to suddenly change, a sense of dread settled in his gut.
[Skill Book: Savage Bite]
Class Restriction: Druid
Level Requirement: 5
Description: A finishing move that consumes stored energy in stars to deal massive damage.
At 1 star: 100%-200% physical damage.
For every additional star: +10%-50% damage increase.
(Damage scales with mastery and proficiency.)
Activation: Requires biting motion to trigger.
When Ethan saw the activation method, he almost hurled the book away in frustration.
This was exactly what he feared. In Ethereal, aside from the basic skills given at the start, every other skill required specific gestures or motions to activate. Mastering the precision of these actions was the only way to unlock a skill's full potential.
But using his mouth? Seriously?
He pictured the hideous, pus-covered zombies that roamed the world of Ethereal, each exuding a putrid stench. The thought of biting one of those abominations almost made him throw up.
Once again, he cursed that shitty old man who was most definitely responsible for handing him this skill book.
Still, as a Druid, this was the only direct damage-dealing finishing move available to him. With no better option, he gritted his teeth and reluctantly learned the skill.
"Whether I actually use it… that's a problem for future me," Ethan muttered.
A sharp chime interrupted his thoughts.
Ding…
[Your friend 'Trusty007' is requesting a video call. Accept?]
"Accept."
A familiar face popped up on the floating holographic screen, bald, chubby, and wearing a grin that could only be described as shady.
"The legend himself! Did you really mean 100 gold? Not 100 copper?" Trusty007 blurted as soon as the call connected, disbelief written all over his face.
Ethan smiled. He wasn't surprised by the reaction. On the first day of the game, 100 gold coins was an outrageous amount of money.
He had initially planned to keep most of his gold, but the necessity of buying a VR pod for his real-world safety left him no choice. Selling all his coins was the only way to afford the high-end equipment he needed.
"100 copper? Sure, why not just round it up to one silver?," Ethan replied sarcastically.
Trusty's eyes lit up. "If it's not too much trouble, could you meet me in Evercrest Town to finalize the deal? I just want to confirm it in person."
Ethan shrugged. He was heading back to town anyway. They quickly agreed on a meeting spot and ended the call.
Upon arriving in Evercrest, Ethan immediately hid his character name and shifted into human form before heading to the Task Hall.
He turned in four completed quests, boosting his experience bar to 41% of Level 5. Then, without hesitation, he abandoned the remaining 16 tasks in his log. He'd had enough for now..
It was time to focus on completing his Owl Form transformation quest, which was crucial to executing his next plan, which was to use terrain advantage to power-level.
The town's main street was bustling with activity. Players crowded every corner, hawking wares and shouting over each other to advertise their goods.
Ethan scanned the stalls and sighed. Most of the items were low-level trash; common gear and basic potions that were almost practically useless.
However, a few vendors were selling reinforcement stones, and Ethan quickly bought up their entire stock. Nineteen stones for three silver coins. At this early stage of the game, it was a massive investment, but he didn't hesitate.
As he moved toward the quieter end of the street, A familiar voice caught Ethan's attention.
"Extra loots for sale! Come take a look, all at affordable prices."
He turned toward the source and saw a warrior class player squatting by the roadside, lazily scanning passerbys.
But even in that brief period, he couldn't help noticing that whenever a woman walked by, the gaze of this person lingered a bit longer than usual.
Ethan's heart clenched.
The name Skyblade flashed in his mind—a name etched deeply into his memories.
In his previous life, Skyblade had been one of his closest allies in Ethereal. After Ethan had been killed and forced back to the Starter Zone, Skyblade and the rest of their group had stayed with him for over three months, grinding together in a remote valley to help him recover.
When Zachary's guild started targeting Ethan relentlessly, most of his friends had given up fighting and transitioned into crafting professions to stay safe in the cities.
Skyblade, however, had stuck by him to the bitter end. He had even risked his life to help Ethan escape from the city when Zachary's men came after him in the real world.
If not for Skyblade, Ethan—a legless cripple at the time, wouldn't have survived.
Ethan's chest tightened as he considered walking over to greet him. But he stopped himself.
His path to revenge would inevitably lead to a showdown with Zachary, and anyone close to him would be caught in the crossfire. Skyblade didn't deserve that.
Better to leave things as they were.
Let fate decide.
"May this life be kinder to you, my friend."
Ethan pushed down the wave of emotion and continued through the bustling streets, eventually arriving at a dimly lit tavern.
The interior was shabby and poorly maintained. A frail old man sat behind the counter near the entrance, leafing through a yellowed book. The hall was filled with mismatched tables and chairs, while a narrow hallway at the back led to several private booths.
This tavern was a system-designated "safe zone." Players could rent the private booths with coins, and once inside, no one could eavesdrop on their conversations.
Few players came here unless they had sensitive matters to discuss. Most preferred to spend their time on quests or trading, not loitering in a rundown bar.
Ethan made his way to the booth he'd arranged to meet Trusty007. Before he could knock, the door opened, revealing the grinning face of the bald, portly man.
"Ah, Legend! Great to see you! Come on in!" Trusty beamed, ushering Ethan inside.
Ethan wasted no time, sending a trade request as soon as he sat down. He typed 100 into the gold amount field and waited for the transaction to process.
When it closed, he asked, "So? Can you handle it?"
Trusty was silent for a moment, his face scrunched in thought. "Could we maybe do half payment up front? Or even meet in person to finalize the deal?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. Full payment first. We can do smaller, repeated trades if you're worried, but no meetups."
Meeting in person was out of the question. It was a waste of time and, more importantly, a security risk. He had learned that lesson the hard way in his previous life.
Trusty hesitated but eventually relented. "Alright, send me your account info."
Ethan forwarded his account details, trying to keep calm. The transaction would net him $180,000 , a massive sum by anyone's standards.
Ding…
[Incoming transaction: $180,000 received.]
The notification mirrored his connected bank, which made Ethan's eyes widen slightly. He turned to Trusty, who was smiling smugly.
"Aren't you afraid I'll just take the money and run?" Ethan asked, half-joking.
Trusty chuckled. "Legend, I know you're not just some random player. Taking down a boss solo on the first day and earning this much gold? You're someone I want to work with long-term. Consider this an investment in trust."
He paused, then added with a sly grin, "Of course, this booth has a built-in recording system. If you run, I'll make sure the footage gets out. Your reputation would be ruined, but if that doesn't bother you, I guess it's no big deal."
Ethan smirked, initiating the trade to transfer the 100 gold coins to Trusty.
"Since you trust me so much, let me return the favor with a bit of advice: Don't hoard those coins. Sell them now while the price is high. Believe me or don't, it's up to you."
With that, he stood and left the booth without looking back.
Trusty sat there, momentarily stunned. He had planned to stockpile the gold and sell it later when the market spiked. But Ethan's words sparked a sense of unease.
After a moment of deliberation, Trusty pulled out a communication device and began dialing several contacts.
Ethan, meanwhile, was practically giddy as he walked out of the tavern, humming a cheerful tune. A glance at the in-game clock showed it was already 6:00 a.m.
In two hours, the servers would go offline for maintenance.