CHAPTER 96: CHAPTER 96: INSTANT KILL!

While Ethan was grappling with the monster, Serena was slowly climbing down the ice pillar.

She glanced back and saw Ethan standing still, while the black monster rushed toward him.

Serena felt a wave of dread.

She instinctively thought Ethan was giving up.

After all, while she was climbing down, she kept checking the fight from time to time.

This black monster was much stronger than the [Ice Spiders Queen]!

She felt Ethan was no match for it.

In her eyes, Ethan chose to clear the [Ice Spiders] around the pillar first just to make it easier for her to escape later.

Serena bit her lip, her eyes turning red, almost in tears.

She had stayed on that ice pillar for so long, several times wanting to end her life, but she clenched her teeth and held on.

She thought no miracle would ever happen—but at her darkest moment, Ethan appeared.

Right now, Serena had completely forgotten how Ethan had turned to leave at the very start.

With a choked voice, she shouted at him, "[Windchaser], go! Don’t worry about me anymore!"

Her voice was loud, and Ethan heard it clearly.

His eyelid twitched. He was speechless. He was already level 20 and could equip Purple-quality gear—and he had.

Telling him to leave now would feel worse than killing him.

Ethan answered in a low voice, "Shut up."

Serena froze for a second when she heard that. Her eyes grew even redder. She whispered to herself, "Why do this? Is it worth it for me?"

"Even if you die, I’ll still pay you the one million!"

Ethan ignored her. He quickly took off the [Ice-Core Belt] and put on the Purple-quality [Shadow Belt].

Then he put the [Flash Mask] on his face and pulled out the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow], ready to strap it to his arm.

But by then, the black monster had already reached him. It raised its right arm and thrust at Ethan.

Ethan stayed calm and quickly fitted the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow] in place.

Just as the monster’s sword-like right arm was about to touch his chest, Ethan pushed hard with his legs and sprang back.

He was actually faster than the monster’s attack.

The black monster rushed forward with its right arm raised. Ethan backed away fast, face calm, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

The [Shadow Belt] gives +5 Strength and +5 Defense, the [Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow] gives +4 Strength and +4 Speed.

After subtracting the 2 Defense lost from removing the [Ice-Core Belt], Ethan’s Strength went up by 9, Speed by 4, and Defense by 3.

He still hadn’t drawn the [Ruin Spear], and he hadn’t spent the stat points from levels 19 and 20.

Ethan kept backing up while looking for a chance. When he moved close to a pillar of ice, he judged the distance and slipped to the side.

The black monster’s right arm shot into the hard ice pillar.

While the monster was pulling its right arm out of the ice, Ethan quickly put two attribute points into Strength, then took the Ruin Spear out of his [Inventory].

[Ruin Spear]

[Quality]: Purple-quality

[Equip Requirement]: Strength greater than 30

[Equip Effect 1]: Adds 8 Strength to the user

[Equip Effect 2]: Thousandweight: the Ruin Spear can change its weight, up to 1000 kg.

[Equip Effect 3]: Sweep Through Thousands: costs 4 Energy. The Ruin Spear’s next attack gets longer reach and deals 150% damage to all enemies within 10 meters in front of the user.

[Note]: A weapon for the strong. The weak don’t deserve it.

The Ruin Spear’s equip requirement is Strength over 30. It doesn’t say this has to be while "naked" (no gear).

Ethan knows his character stats very well. After reaching level 20 and spending all his attribute points, when he is not wearing any gear, his [Strength] is 20, his [Speed] is 16, and his [Defense] is 9. That does not meet the requirement.

However, the Ice-Silk Gloves, Wolfskin Cap, Shadow Belt, and Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow he was wearing gave him +2, +2, +5, and +4 Strength, respectively.

That let him meet the requirement to use the [Ruin Spear].

Holding the Ruin Spear, Ethan ran through his current stats in his head, counting only equipment bonuses.

[Name]: Windchaser

[Talents]: Pain Resistance (Blue), Ten-Thousandfold Intelligence Reward (Unknown)

[Level]: Lv. 20

[Class]: Berserk Blood War God

[Status]: Normal

[Equipment]: Cotton Underwear (Gray-quality), Shadow Belt (Purple-quality), Assassin’s Sleeve Crossbow (Purple-quality), Ruin Spear (Purple-quality), Flash Mask (Purple-quality), Stealth Cloak (Blue-quality), Staying Power Necklace (Blue-quality), Ice-Silk Gloves (Blue-quality), Wolfskin Set (Blue-quality).

[Health]: 50%

[Strength]: 41

[Speed]: 26

[Defense]: 18

[Energy]: 9

[Charisma]: 12

[Luck]: 1

...

Ethan has put the [Damaged Blood-Drinking Long Knife] into his [Inventory], so the Bloodthirst bonus is gone.

The only buffs are +3 Strength, +3 Speed, and +3 Defense from the class skill [Bloodthirst Rampage], and +1 Strength, +1 Speed, and +1 Defense from the talent [Pain Resistance].

With these added, Ethan’s stats become:

[Strength]: 45

[Speed]: 30

[Defense]: 22

Feeling the power in his body, Ethan can’t help but let a small smile slip.

This steady growth, and being able to see the change so clearly, is really addictive.

He still remembers how, at the start, he couldn’t break the black monster’s defense at all.

But now?

Ethan pointed his Ruin Spear at the black monster and said calmly:

"Game over."

The black monster seemed to understand. All the eyes on its body flew open at once, staring hard at Ethan, and it let out an angry roar.

Black liquid burst from its mouth, nostrils, the corners of its eyes, and its ears

In just a blink, that right arm, which had looked like a longsword, turned into something like a knight’s lance!

Clearly, the monster had noticed that Ethan had become stronger.

By then, Serena had reached the surface. She saw Ethan raise his spear, and her eyes went wide.

That faint purple glow left

Purple-quality weapons!

Serena slowly opened her mouth, staring in shock. "One, two, three... they’re all Purple-quality!"

"Am I dreaming?"

Ethan heard Serena’s surprised voice, but his mind was on something else. He immediately thought about the [Flash Mask] that Serena hadn’t noticed.

Looks like this [Flash Mask]—no, the Despicable’s Mask—really doesn’t draw anyone’s attention.

Ethan glanced at the black monster, planning to let it experience the [Flash Mask]’s effect.

Soon, the black monster roared, raised its lance as well, and charged straight at Ethan.

Ethan didn’t panic at all. He saw all the eyes on the monster’s body locked onto him.

He smiled a little. A hesitant look showed on the monster’s pale face—it sensed something was off.

But realizing it now was already too late.

The black monster had fully entered the [Flash Mask]’s range of effect.

Ethan spent two energy points and triggered the [Flash Mask]’s Equip Effect.

[Flash Burst]: Spend 2 energy. The Flash Mask shoots a strong light that blinds enemies within 5 meters in front for 1 second. Cooldown: 10 minutes.

In an instant, a light even brighter than the sun burst from the mask on Ethan’s face.

All the eyes on the black monster were hit by the glare. They shut tight on their own, and tears started to flow.

For the next second, the unlucky black monster was completely blind.

For Ethan, one second is short, but more than enough to end this fight.

He sidestepped, letting the black monster’s lance-like right arm stab past him, brushing his body.

Then he took the chance, raised his spear, and used the [Ruin Spear]’s Equip Effect, [Thousandweight], smashing down at the monster’s head.

"Whoosh!"

The [Ruin Spear] dropped fast, and the pressure was so great that even the air around it seemed to cry out.

The moment the spear touched the black monster’s head, it slammed the creature straight into the ground.

"Boom!" A huge tremor rolled out.

All the snow within about a dozen meters around Ethan was jolted up off the ground by the impact.

The monster, meanwhile, was slammed into the earth, its head smashed to mush.

Ethan still didn’t feel safe, so he used the [Ruin Spear]’s Equip Effect. He set the spear to be as light as possible when lifting it, then switched it to be as heavy as possible when he brought it down.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

The black monster’s flesh had turned into a mess, completely mixing with the soil. Only then did Ethan stop attacking.

A ball of orange light slowly rose from the ground, floating in midair.

Ethan stretched out his right arm, and the light quickly flew into his watch.