CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: BEHEADING!

Facing that cold, indifferent gaze, [Overlord] instinctively took a small step back, the smug grin on his face vanished in an instant.

He didn’t know why, but something in [Windchaser]’s eyes stirred a faint tremor of fear in him.

That flicker of fear quickly curdled into anger. He was the Coffin Guild’s Guild Leader, a heavyweight across other games.

In real life, he was nothing if not successful.

And now he was feeling scared because of one man’s look?

So [Overlord] burst into an exaggerated laugh and shouted to the crowd of onlookers—ordinary players gathered around:

"Everyone, did you hear that? This rapist, this pedophile, says he’s going to kill me!"

"Now that his crimes are out in the open, he still shows no remorse, won’t admit what he’s done, and he’s here threatening me!"

"There’s no way we’re letting a guy like that stay in Safe Zone 9527! From now on, the moment we spot him outside the safe zone, the Coffin Guild will punish him on sight—let him taste the agony of dying!"

"Of course, if you’re a player who wants to uphold justice and punish crime, the Coffin Guild welcomes you. Join us in defending justice and order!"

The players around them seemed to forget everything the Coffin Guild had done before. They cheered, and a few not-so-bright ones even tried to sign up on the spot.

As for Ethan, being cursed and condemned didn’t surprise him in the slightest.

He knew the easiest way to whitewash a villain was to put an even worse one next to him.

Ethan never planned to actually clear things up, telling [Overlord] he’d explain everything was just laying the groundwork for the next phase of his plan.

He looked at [Overlord]—who was just about to be hailed as a "hero" by the regular players of Safe Zone 9527—and said again:

"Yeah. Not only are you going to die, but starting today, the Coffin Guild will be gone for good."

[Overlord] and the bystanders were stunned all over again.

Not only would [Overlord] die, but the Coffin Guild would vanish?

In Safe Zone 9527, with so many other guilds and countless regular players, none of them could manage that—and Ethan was just a lone wolf.

He had to be crazy to say something like that.

Someone shouted, "[Windchaser] must’ve had his real identity exposed. He snapped—he’s gone nuts!"

"Yeah, that’s karma for a scumbag. Serves him right!"

It wasn’t just the crowd thinking Ethan had lost it, even [Lucas] messaged him.

[Lucas]: [Bro, what did you do? Why are some Guild Leaders messaging me saying you’ve lost it and there’s no need to bid anymore?]

[Lucas]: [Wait, Ethan, you’re joking, right? No one can wipe out the Coffin Guild.]

[Lucas]: [Revenge is a dish best served cold. Let’s take it slow, okay?"]

Ethan skimmed [Lucas]’s messages, said nothing more, and simply replied: [No rush. In a moment, the guilds that dropped out of the bidding will come to you themselves.]

[Lucas] stared blankly at [Windchaser]’s reply. What was that supposed to mean?

Could the messages he’d just received—and everything Ethan had said in front of everyone—actually be true?

No way.

Forget taking down the Coffin Guild—there was no way [Overlord] could even die inside Safe Zone 9527.

Players couldn’t fight or kill within Safe Zone 9527.

The instant anyone even showed intent to start a fight, the powerful Sheriffs would appear and punish them on the spot.

With that in mind, [Lucas] sighed. At this point, he really figured [Windchaser] was just an ordinary player on a lucky streak.

Still, [Windchaser] had sold him that purple-grade Hidden Class Intel reward. If he got the chance, he’d go see his sister, Emma.

Emma was [Overlord]’s superior. She should be able to make [Overlord] let [Windchaser] off.

The downside was he’d catch another scolding from her about slacking off and wasting his time all day.

As more Guild Leaders messaged him to question the auction, [Lucas] grabbed [Flying Fish] and hurried to where [Windchaser] was.

When he arrived, he caught [Windchaser] glancing over his shoulder.

A burly man nearly two meters tall was walking up behind him, with a man and a woman flanking him.

It was the junkyard NPC Grimmount, along with the players [Tank] and [Kayla].

Unlike the doubters and hecklers, [Tank] was practically buzzing with excitement—he knew NPC Grimmount had agreed to let Ethan kill inside the safe zone.

The impossible—the unthinkable—was about to happen, and only three players knew it: him, [Kayla], and [Windchaser].

It was hard to put the feeling into words, because once it happened, it would be the single most shocking event in all of Dawnfall Online.

And as a participant, he’d finally get his ID known by a lot of people.

So when someone called [Windchaser] a lunatic, a perv, a criminal, [Tank] snapped and barked, "You idiots! Shut up and keep your eyes wide open!"

[Overlord] frowned, pointed a finger right at Ethan’s nose, and said, "Cut the pathetic jokes, [Windchaser]. I’ll say it again—so long as you..."

Before he could finish, the towering Grimmount pulled out a cleaver and asked Ethan:

"This the guy? The one who makes you sick the moment you look at him?"

Ethan nodded and asked in turn, "Is everything ready?"

Grimmount knew what he meant—erasing a guild. "All set," he replied. "Kid, if you die in the process, don’t blame me."

Their exchange left most people baffled.

Especially [Overlord]. A bad feeling crept over him as he suddenly remembered where he’d seen this giant before—wasn’t he the junkyard’s quest-giver NPC?

What was a junkyard NPC doing here, and why did he seem to know [Windchaser]?

Ethan couldn’t care less what [Overlord] was thinking. He swept a calm gaze around and said to him:

"I told you—you’re the ones who’ll regret this."

Then Ethan took a few steps forward, came up beside [Overlord], patted his shoulder, and left him with:

"See you soon."

In his confusion, [Overlord] saw Grimmount’s massive frame shift as the hand holding the cleaver lifted ever so slightly.

A blinding white flash sliced across his vision.

Dazed, [Overlord] reached for his neck. Beads of blood welled up. He tried to glance at [Windchaser], but the moment he tilted his head the slightest bit, the world spun out from under him.

Then he saw his own headless body standing there, the ragged neck wound pumping out warm blood that cooled fast in the icy winds of Safe Zone 9527.

"Ahhh! Someone’s dead!"

"[Overlord] is dead!"

"Holy shit, holy shit! No way—[Overlord] actually died inside the safe zone?!"

The moment the headless corpse hit the ground, Safe Zone 9527 erupted with terrified screams and disbelieving shouts.

No one could have imagined it: [Windchaser] said [Overlord] would die, and he really did—inside the safe zone.

The shock was indescribable. Players who witnessed it stared at Ethan in fear while spamming messages to their in-game friends.

[Lucas], meanwhile, slapped himself hard across the face. The sting told him this wasn’t a dream—this was really happening.

[Lucas]’s jaw dropped. Staring blankly, he said, "I get it now—[Windchaser] isn’t hacking. He’s Dawnfall Online’s golden boy!"

"Gotta grab his coattails and never let go!"

Under the weight of everyone’s stares, Ethan stayed calm. He slowly pulled [Frostblade] from his inventory, draped the [Stealth Cloak] over his shoulders, and glanced at Grimmount.

Grimmount, looking slightly disgusted, wiped the blood from his cleaver. Turning his head, he said, "The lone wolf’s revenge has begun. I can’t help with what comes next. It’s all on you."

Behind him, the wind howled, colder than bone, swirling tighter and tighter as a blue silhouette slowly took shape and roared, furious:

"Grimmount! You dare flagrantly break the rules!"

Grimmount gave his cleaver a lazy flick. "So what? I’ve been sick of you for a long time. Come at me."

Snow and gale exploded into a frenzy, the temperature plunging.

Amid the end-of-the-world fury, Ethan gripped his blade, his cloak snapping in the wind. He casually toe-kicked [Overlord]’s severed head to the side of the road.

Then he started walking, unhurried, toward the nearby Coffin Guild base.

It should’ve been the NPC battle stealing the spotlight—but countless regular players and other Guild Leaders had their eyes glued to Ethan.

They watched as he said, evenly, "From this moment on, the Coffin Guild will cease to exist."