[Title: Dreamwalker]
Attributes:
All Druid NPCs' Favorability: 300.
Dark creatures targeted by your attacks: -8% attributes.
Panther Form: Energy consumption reduced by 10%.
Bear Form: Healing received increased by 10%.
Owl Form: Attack range increased by 10%.
Tree Form: Mana consumption reduced by 10%.
Description:
As the chosen envoy of the Druids, their loyalty to you is unwavering!
The stats were insane. Just the 8% reduction to Dark creatures' stats alone was a ga-changer. Given how most Carnage Faction players were aligned with Dark creatures, this perk was a direct counter.
Add the other boosts, and this title felt like a gift straight from the heavens, providing an all-around upgrade to the Druid class. And that favorability bonus? It wasn't trivial, NPC relationships capped at 1,000 points, and this title handed over 300 points for free. Essentially, every Druid NPC he encountered would start off respecting him.
Still, Ethan wasn't grinding favorability just yet. He had bigger priorities, getting to the Main City. It was the gateway to better quests, gear, and growth opportunities. Sure, favorability mattered, but it could be fard later. Missing out on early-ga rewards locked behind level requirents? Now that was a mistake you couldn't undo.
He opened the guild chat. The usual chatter filled the channel, voices buzzing with excitent.
It had only been five hours in the real world since Ethan's Soul Journey, but for him, it felt like he had lived over 5,000 years. Seeing their conversations now gave him a sense of surreal detachnt, as if he were watching a distant echo of his past.
Switching to his private ssages, he noticed a note from Skyblade:
"Boss, handle your stuff first. We're taking so of the newbies to tackle a Level 5 boss today."
Ethan nodded to himself. Skyblade was as dependable as ever, just like in his last life. Even though they had reached Level 10, their gear was still lacking. Taking on a Level 5 boss would be challenging but manageable. He didn't bother offering advice. They'd appreciate their success more if they earned it through struggle.
Finally, he opened his friends list and noticed Moonbeam still online.
Ethan hesitated before initiating a video call.
It rang for a long ti with no answer. He figured Lyla was busy fighting or handling quests, so he was about to end the call when it connected.
The mont her screen appeared, Ethan froze.
Lyla's in-ga na was glowing dark red, indicating a severe Sin Value. How many players did she have to kill to reach that level?
"What's going on? Why are you flagged?" Ethan asked urgently.
Lyla was running, firing occasional shots over her shoulder. She spared him a glance before replying. "So psychos showed up at the training grounds near the Starter Zone. They started slaughtering everyone in sight. My team got wiped, and they ca after too. I've taken out over twenty of them, but now I'm almost out of arrows with added damage effects. What should I do?"
"Who are they?" Ethan pressed, alard.
"They're from a guild called Unity Hall. At first, it was just one woman leading a team of thirty, killing anyone they saw in the Level 6 zones. But when players started fighting back, they brought reinforcents, around a hundred mbers. Now they're massacring everyone."
Unity Hall? A woman leading the charge? Could it be...
"Was the leader a Priest nad Nightfall?" Ethan asked carefully.
Lyla froze mid-step, then glanced at him in shock. "Yeah. How did you know? Do you know her?"
Ethan sighed, a wry smile creeping onto his face. Of all the people he could run into, it had to be her. Fate really had a twisted sense of humor.
"Lyla, I'm sending you coordinates. Go there imdiately and make sure no one follows you. Stay hidden and wait for ." He sent her the location of an old hideout he had once used while being hunted. It was well-concealed and defensible, with multiple escape routes. As long as she wasn't tailed, it was the perfect place to lay low.
"Got it, I'm heading there now. But, Ethan, are you already Level 15? Can you co help right away? And who the hell is Nightfall? How do you even know soone that psychotic?"
Ethan hesitated for a mont before responding. "You know her too, Lyla. And trust , her psychopathy might have sothing to do with you."
"Wait, what?!" Lyla stared at him in shock.
Ethan chuckled bitterly before nodding. Her expression turned from confusion to realization in an instant.
"No way... Is it Ivy?"
His smile tightened as he nodded. He reminded her to stay cautious and to notify him once she reached the safehouse. Then he ended the call, ignoring the stunned look on her face.
Afterward, Ethan opened his private ssaging interface and sent a quick note to Skyblade.
"Skyblade, I'm leaving the Starter Zone. You're in charge for now. Keep leveling up, though, reach Level 15 as soon as possible so we can regroup at the Main City."
Skyblade's response ca swiftly:
"Don't worry, Boss. We've got this. Everything's under control here."
Ethan didn't doubt it. Their guild, the only Level 2 guild in Zone 1314, had already reached its mber cap of 1,000 players. In fact, demand for spots was so high that players were willing to pay for a mbership slot. They were unquestionably the dominant force in the area.
Ethan's ssage was more a formality than anything else. In his last life, Skyblade had almost single-handedly built their guild into a powerhouse. By the ti they reached Harmony City, it had beco one of the most recognized guilds, even taking down rivals like Unity Hall.
Unfortunately, the guild's success had attracted unwanted attention. Back then, Zachary had used underhanded thods to inject large sums of money into the guild during a round of financing. By the ti Ethan realized what was happening, it was too late. Zachary had seized control, rebranding the guild as Overlord.
This ti, Ethan wasn't going to let history repeat itself. No outside investnts. He would build the guild with his own two hands.
Determined, Ethan cast a teleportation spell, leaving the Forest of Nature and returning to Zone 1314.
---
Ding...
[Global Announcent: The world's first Level 15 Survivor Faction player has erged. The new expansion, "Conquest of the Main City," is now live!]
The announcent blazed across the skies of every Starter Zone. Players everywhere stopped what they were doing to stare up in awe.
Ding...
[System Notification: Congratulations on becoming the first Level 15 player. You now have the privilege to post one global ssage, anonymously or under your real na. Would you like to use this privilege now?]
Ethan considered it. ssages like these didn't co cheap later in the ga. Posting a national ssage would cost a million gold coins; global ones were priced at ten million.
In the end, he decided against it. It was too early to draw attention. Better to keep a low profile for now.
Ding...
[System Notification: You have reached Level 15. You are now eligible to leave the Starter Zone. Beyond lies a greater world. Good luck, brave warrior!]
The familiar prompt echoed in his ears as Ethan made his way to the teleportation platform. It was deserted, unsurprising, since only Level 15 players could use it, and he was the only one currently.
As the platform lit up, dazzling light engulfed him. Monts later, the glow faded, and Ethan found himself in Harmony City.
He exhaled slowly, taking in the sprawling tropolis. He wasn't a stranger to this place. In his past life, he'd been here countless tis, fleeing from pursuers and being forcibly teleported back to the Starter Zone when he dropped below Level 15. The cycle had repeated more tis than he cared to rember.
But this ti was different.
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