At this point, no matter how much the Shield Tanks shouted, no one was going to make way for them! Read new chapters at freewebnovel
Of course, no one would move aside—$100,000 was on the line. Even the guild leaders were yelling at the melee fighters to clear a path for the Shield Tanks, but their commands fell on deaf ears.
The crowd was too frenzied, too desperate for the bounty. A few who tried to follow orders found themselves pushed forward by the surging mass behind them, unable to break free.
Ethan, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. The last time he had fought like this was in Larson Basin, where he had led a five-man squad, including Slashblade, to wipe out an entire guild. But that had been guerrilla warfare—hit-and-run tactics. This was a full-on, head-to-head brawl.
Sure, he had once lured over 12,000 players to their deaths to secure a Divine Teleportation Scroll, but he hadn’t lifted a finger during that massacre. This time, he was in the thick of it, and it felt exhilarating.
It was as if there was no one in his way. Anyone who stood before him fell with a single swipe of his claws.
At level 34, Ethan had 170 agility. With a 22-star growth rate, his energy regeneration was boosted by 37.4%, bringing his total energy regeneration to 137.4%.
While this wasn’t enough to let him spam Shred with every attack, his regular claw strikes still dealt significant damage. He couldn’t one-shot enemies, but three swipes were enough to take down most opponents.
Moreover, his high agility also increased his attack speed. His claws moved like lightning, and his body darted with precision, showcasing the full mobility and agility of the panther form. Every movement, every strike, was executed with flawless timing.
Of course, part of his success was due to the fact that, no matter how many melee fighters surrounded him, only a few could actually reach him at any given time. The rest were stuck in the chaotic press of bodies, unable to land a hit.
The real threat came from the ranged attackers.
Amid the sea of melee fighters, Ethan moved like a tiger among sheep, all while dodging the relentless barrage of ranged attacks. He even used the crowd as cover, redirecting some of the ranged spells to hit his own attackers!
From his vantage point, the mage in the blue robe watched Ethan’s unstoppable rampage, his expression growing darker by the second. This Druid was too strong—high defense, high attack power, and incredible speed. But what truly set him apart was his combat awareness.
"What’s his name?" the mage asked in the team chat.
In Ethereal, players could hide their character names, but when someone was killed, the system would notify them of their killer’s identity.
"Boss, it’s NotADruid, the leader of Renegade Alliance!" someone who had just been killed by Ethan shouted in the chat.
"What?" The mage was stunned.
Why was he here? Wasn’t he supposed to be operating around Harmony City?
"All ranged units, unleash your largest AoE spells!" the mage barked, his voice cold and commanding.
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"Boss…" The team hesitated. This order would mean sacrificing their own melee fighters.
In Ethereal, there was no such thing as party or guild modes. The game was designed to mimic reality as closely as possible. In real life, if your teammate shot at an enemy standing next to you, wouldn’t you get hit too? That’s why, during team battles, AoE spells were usually forbidden.
But the mage’s eyes gleamed with a mix of cold determination and excitement. He was willing to pay any price to take down Ethan.
"So, you’re NotADruid, huh? I’ve heard you’ve never been killed before. Well, today I’ll end that legend. I’ll make a name for myself and my guild, Dawnbreaker Assembly, by standing over your corpse. And I, Frostflame, will rise with the tide."
"Attack now!" Frostflame shouted, seeing the hesitation among the ranged units.
The ranged players of Dawnbreaker Assembly gritted their teeth and began casting their large-area spells. What else could they do? Their boss had given the order.
The air buzzed with the chaotic energy of gathering magic. Area-of-effect spells required long casting times, and the entire battlefield was about to be engulfed in destruction.
Ethan, still cutting through the melee fighters, felt the surge of magical energy and his heart sank. This was what he had feared most—a massive AoE bombardment from thousands of ranged players. The entire encirclement would be obliterated.
"Frostflame, what are your people doing?!" a sharp, angry voice rang out.
"Frostflame, stop your ranged units!" several other voices joined in, filled with urgency and frustration.
Frostflame narrowed his eyes, staring down at Ethan. He replied coldly, "You’d better have your ranged units cast their AoE spells too. If he escapes, none of us will come out of this looking good."
The other guild leaders hesitated, their faces conflicted.
"Is there no other way?" one of them asked.
"Another way? Do you see the melee units stopping him? Or do you want to go down there and try to hold him off yourself?" Frostflame retorted, a sly smile creeping onto his face.
"We’ve all invested everything into this. If we don’t kill him within ten minutes, the loot won’t drop, and we’ll have nothing to show for it. Our people have died multiple times already. The lost experience, the lost gear—are you going to compensate them out of your own pockets?
Sure, this will cost us a lot of lives, but that’s NotADruid. Have you seen his attack and defense stats? If we kill him, even one piece of his gear will cover our losses."
His words silenced the others. One by one, they began issuing commands to their guilds’ ranged units.
As the other guilds’ ranged players began casting their spells, Frostflame felt a pang of regret. If only they could turn Ethan into a red-named player. Earlier, their ranged units had attacked Ethan first, so all the players he had killed were considered self-defense. His Sin Value hadn’t increased.
The magical energy in the air grew even more chaotic as the other guilds joined in. This time, even the melee players, who had been blinded by the promise of the bounty, felt the impending doom.
They checked their team chat and froze.
"Are… are they sacrificing us?"
Chaos erupted among the melee fighters. No one wanted to experience the terror of death for no reason. Those in the inner circle turned and tried to push their way out, while those on the outside, still unaware, continued to press forward.
Ethan, however, found himself suddenly free of resistance. This was his chance.
He activated his boot skill: Leap!
[Leap: Increases jump height by 300%. Duration: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes.]
With a burst of energy, Ethan launched himself forward…