Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!-Chapter 227: The Heat of Survival

Ethan glanced at his inventory, frowning. No Reinforcement Stones left. He'd have to wait until he got back to town to upgrade his gear.

The Blazing Set—each piece had a unique effect, and when worn together, it granted a one-time immunity to death. This set was going to be his primary equipment for leveling up, no doubt about it.

- Blazing Necklace: Life Steal +3% (3% of damage dealt is converted into health.)

- Blazing Bracelet: Increases wearer's physical and magical defense by 10%.

- Blazing Ring: Increases wearer's physical and magical attack by 10%.

- Blazing Set Bonus: (Blazing Defense): Grants immunity to death once, reduces damage by 20% for 8 seconds, and fully restores health. (Cooldown: 3 days)

This mission had been more than fruitful. Not only had he gained a Second Avatar, but he'd also scored over a dozen skill books, a pack of Random Teleport Scrolls, and now the complete Blazing Set. He was swimming in loot.

Checking the system logs, Ethan looked up the last reported location of the Divine Ability Scroll: Fatal Strike. The holder, LittleHorn, was still on the run. Every ten minutes, the coordinates updated, and LittleHorn was never in the same place twice.

Ethan's mind drifted back to his past life. When he'd obtained the Divine Ability: Fatal Strike, it wasn't because of some powerful backing or because he'd outrun the entire server's pursuit. No, he'd been a solo player back then, no guild, no allies—just pure skill and a lot of luck.

In fact, even if LittleHorn had joined a guild, Ethan doubted it would've helped. The greed for a Divine Ability Scroll was insatiable. Any guild leader with half a conscience would've kicked him out and hunted him down themselves. Some might even lure him into a trap, only to backstab him later.

Ethan remembered how LittleHorn had managed to hold onto the scroll until the ownership timer ran out. He'd been forced into a narrow crevice in a mountain, hiding there until the very end. That was how he'd secured the scroll.

From what Ethan had heard, before founding Hand of God, LittleHorn had bounced between countless guilds. But his blunt personality and refusal to back down from injustice had made him enemies with many guild leaders. Eventually, he became a true solo player, a lone gunslinger with a vibe straight out of a Wild West movie.

Ethan recalled the first time he'd seen LittleHorn. It was from a distance, but the image was unforgettable. LittleHorn's avatar was decked out in a Mexican-style wide-brimmed hat, a Colt revolver at his hip, and a Winchester rifle slung over his shoulder. He wore a denim jacket, cowboy boots with spurs, and a colorful bandana around his neck. He looked like he'd ridden straight out of an old Western film.

Ethan had been in an abandoned mine when he heard the thunder of hooves. Peeking out, he saw LittleHorn leading Hand of God from the Southern Frontier to the Northern Frontier, rushing to defend against an invasion from Russia. The sight of LittleHorn on horseback, commanding an army, had left Ethan in awe.

But that awe was short-lived. Ethan had turned back to the mine, focused on his own goal: mining Titanite. The last time he'd seen LittleHorn was just before his rebirth, when he'd been gathering his 998th piece of Titanite. LittleHorn had been alone again, a shadow of his former self, wandering the Southern Frontier. It was after Zachary had betrayed and slaughtered the top players of Dragonspire.

Dragonspire had been defeated, the United States chance to compete with other nations lost. LittleHorn, disheartened, stepped down as guild leader of Hand of God and returned to being a lone ranger.

That day, Ethan—dressed in tattered gear, was being chased by a horde of monsters when the legendary man appeared. After saving Ethan, LittleHorn realized he was Dreamshadow, and his reaction was one of genuine surprise.

Back in the early days of Ethereal, Ethan had been a legend, his exploits known across all regions. LittleHorn had even been a fan of his. At the time, Ethan had been a lone ranger, just like LittleHorn was now, fighting injustice wherever he found it. LittleHorn's preference for solitude had been influenced by Ethan's example. He'd even regretted not choosing the Rogue class back then, wishing he could've mirrored Ethan's style.

LittleHorn had pulled Ethan aside, setting up chairs, a table, and even a sunshade in the middle of nowhere. They'd shared drinks and stories, bonding over their shared experiences. Ethan couldn't help but notice that, even as a solo player, LittleHorn was still living large. As the former leader of Hand of God, he wasn't exactly hurting for resources.

They talked for hours, and Ethan shared his own story. Both men sighed, realizing they'd been betrayed by the same person. Before the betrayal, no one in Dragonspire had suspected that Zachary was actually a spy from Serpent Isle. Despite being born into the Steele Consortium, a century-old institution in the US, Zachary had turned traitor, even betraying his own father.

Before they parted ways, LittleHorn escorted Ethan to the abandoned mine where he was searching for his final piece of Titanite. As they said goodbye, LittleHorn told Ethan that one day, they'd ride together through Ethereal, righting wrongs as a team. Ethan could only smile wryly, thinking to himself, This guy really has a hero complex.

Now, as Ethan reflected on those memories, he wondered if he should share the coordinates of that mountain crevice with LittleHorn. He remembered the spot well—it had become a pilgrimage site for many players, including himself. He'd even visited once, just to see the place that had birthed a legend.

The cave was narrow, barely wide enough for one person to crawl through. It sloped upward for about 200 meters before reaching a small alcove where someone could lie flat.

The narrowness of the cave made it nearly impossible to attack while crawling. Players couldn't wield weapons or cast spells until they reached the alcove, where the space opened up enough to move freely. Even then, larger weapons like shields were useless—no Shield Tank could crawl in with their shield equipped.

LittleHorn had been forced into this cave, turning what seemed like a dead end into an impregnable fortress. As a Gunner, his precision shooting made him nearly invincible. Anyone trying to crawl in would be met with a bullet to the head. Only a Shield Tank might have stood a chance, but without their shield, they were as vulnerable as any other class.

Some players had tried smoking him out, bringing in Engineering Smoke Machines, but LittleHorn was stubborn. He endured the discomfort, refusing to leave. In the real world, he would've succumbed to carbon dioxide poisoning, but this was Ethereal. Others considered poisoning him, but in Ethereal, toxins required a medium to take effect. The upward slope of the cave made it impossible to flood, and there were no volatile gases in the game. The plan failed.