If the shops in these two cities were to operate successfully, his income would be beyond imagination.
"I’m entrusting all of this to you. Find two trustworthy and reliable individuals to oversee things here," Ethan said, his eyes narrowing into a serious, almost solemn expression. "And don’t let your engineering research fall behind!"
NoPaperOnTheBigOne, seeing Ethan’s expression, straightened up and met his gaze firmly. "Boss, you can count on me!" he declared with absolute certainty. Even if Ethan hadn’t said anything, he had already made up his mind—he was going to follow this man to the end.
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As Ethan walked away, NoPaperOnTheBigOne watched him go. This was the man who had pulled him out of the darkest, most desperate time of his life. From now on, he would dedicate himself to repaying Ethan’s trust and kindness.
After upgrading the shops, Ethan left a portion of the funds with NoPaperOnTheBigOne, leaving himself with just over five hundred gold coins in his pocket. Once again, he was nearly broke. After saying his goodbyes, he decided to stay in Blackridge for a while.
He was very familiar with the entire Northern Frontier Region, and Blackridge had plenty of valuable resources he wanted to check out. He also planned to scout the local guilds to see if any posed a threat to Renegade Alliance.
Although Renegade Alliance currently topped the guild rankings in Northern Frontier Region as a level six guild, their dominance only served to unite other guilds against them. The early stages of Ethereal were still a mystery to most players, and no one—not even the big corporations, had fully grasped the game’s potential or its future impact.
Ethan, however, knew what was coming. That’s why he was investing so heavily in the game. Otherwise, with his modest resources, how could he possibly compete with corporate giants?
Of course, there were always bold individuals willing to take risks, but in Northern Frontier Region, many of the prime resources had already been claimed by Ethan.
The Golden Zone, for example, was one such area. Many investors had been forced to abandon their plans due to the lack of available land. Without prime locations, there was no foot traffic, and without foot traffic, there was no profit.
Ethan had become a thorn in the side of many powerful figures in Northern Frontier Region. What he didn’t know was that several corporate giants were already investigating him. But so far, only Zachary knew his true identity.
Ethan teleported to the northernmost town under Blackridge’s jurisdiction—Lakeview.
Here, Ethan changed into a pure white robe. If he were to lie down in the snow, he’d be nearly invisible. His destination was the towering snow-capped mountain northeast of Lakeview.
The journey was bustling with players. At the city gates, he even saw children playing in the snow, accompanied by adults. Some were having snowball fights, while others were building snowmen.
Seeing this, Ethan smiled. Ethereal was slowly becoming a part of everyday life for ordinary people.
Transforming into his Stag form, Ethan raced across the snowy plains. The scenery was breathtaking, and the Stag’s speed allowed him to cover ground quickly. Soon, he reached the base of the mountain.
The snow-capped peak pierced the clouds, resembling a giant hand reaching for the sky. Ethan had just passed through a level 30 monster zone, and the creatures on the mountain started at level 35. The level 30 area was crowded with players, as most were in the 27-30 range. Your journey continues with freewebnovel
The player base in Ethereal had grown significantly since the game’s launch. As a result, leveling areas across all levels were now packed to the brim.
Ethan made his way up the snowy mountain path, passing through the level 35 zone and approaching the level 40 area where Snow Apes spawned. Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out:
"Stop right there! Nocturne Order guild has claimed this area. Turn back now."
A figure emerged from the soft snow, and at the same time, Ethan felt a chill run down his spine. ’There’s a rogue here—no, more than one, he thought.’
The person who had stepped out was also a rogue, dressed in a white cloak similar to Ethan’s. Hearing the words "claimed this area," Ethan paused. Nocturne Order guild had taken over this spot. Could they have discovered that place?
Still, the guild seemed somewhat reasonable. Despite having multiple rogues in the area, they hadn’t ambushed him outright. Instead, they’d issued a warning first. Unlike some of the more tyrannical guilds that would kill anyone on sight without explanation, this guild at least gave him a chance to leave.
"My apologies," Ethan said, raising his hands in a gesture of peace. "I didn’t realize your guild had claimed this area. I’ll leave now." With that, he turned to head back down the mountain.
His original plan was to leave their line of sight, stealth his way back up, and see what they were up to. After all, given the current player levels, it didn’t make sense for a guild to be grinding in a level 40 zone.
"Hold it!" Another voice called out, this time from further up the mountain.
Ethan stopped and turned to look. A group of about twenty players was descending the slope—a mixed party with various classes.
"What’s the Frostbite guild doing here?" the rogue who had first confronted Ethan asked, flipping his dagger from a forward grip to a reverse grip. His expression turned cold as he addressed the newcomers.
The group approached slowly, their leader glaring at the rogue. "Is this how Nocturne Order handles security? If we hadn’t noticed, you would’ve let this guy walk away. Can you afford to let the news leak?"
The rogue frowned slightly, then turned to Ethan. "You’d better leave. This doesn’t concern you." He then addressed the leader with a steely tone, "How Nocturne Order operates is none of your business. This is our territory. Get lost!"
The leader of the Frostbite group didn’t seem offended by the rogue’s harsh words. Instead, he smirked and pointed at Ethan. "Kill this guy. We’re not letting this slide—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a massive bear’s shadow flashed across the rogue’s vision.
Thwack!
The bear’s form charged forward, shifting back into human form just as it reached the Paladin. No one saw exactly how it happened, but the next thing they knew, the Paladin was reeling from a loud slap across the face.
"Ah!"
The Paladin, who had been so arrogant moments ago, tumbled down the slope, clutching his cheek. In Ethereal, non-combat actions like slapping didn’t count as attacks since they dealt no damage. But the humiliation was undeniable.
The rogue stared in shock, his mouth hanging open. Ethan grinned at him. "Sorry, but I don’t like it when people talk down to me from above."
The Paladin, now sitting a dozen meters downhill, screamed in rage, "What the hell are you all standing around for? Kill him!"
Ethan stood at the edge of the mountain path, a sheer cliff behind him and twenty players closing in from the front. His eyes narrowed.
’If they’re asking for it, I guess I have no choice but to kill them all.’