Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: The Plan for Profit

Ethan frowned as he read Skyblade’s message. “What’s the breakdown of classes and numbers?”

Skyblade quickly responded: “Thirty people in total—three Shield Tanks, three Greatsword Warriors, two Dual-Blade Rogues, three Paladins, five Priests, two Assassins, five Archers, five Mages, and two Warlocks.”

He also sent Ethan the full team composition for review.

“Out of your Shield Tanks, who has the highest health and defense?” Ethan asked.

“That’d be me,” Skyblade replied confidently. “In defensive stance, my health is 1,108, and my defense is 792. The other two just hit level 10 and upgraded their gear through the guild, so their health is around 980, and defense is in the 500s.”

Shield Tanks in their defensive stance didn’t have the raw health boost that Druids gained from their Bear Form, but their defense multiplier—480%, along with shield blocks and other mechanics, made them reliable main tanks in dungeons.

“Here’s what you should do: split into two teams. With your health and defense stats, you can tank this dungeon solo without needing an off-tank. If it gets too rough, have SeraphWarrior equip a shield and switch to defensive aura to cover you now and then. The other two tanks meet the defense and health thresholds, so they’re fine as backups,” Ethan explained.

“Why split into two teams? Wouldn’t more players mean clearing faster?” Skyblade sounded confused.

“Most dungeons in Ethereal scale dynamically. The more players you bring, the higher the monsters’ health and defense. If some of your damage dealers can’t output enough to compensate for the increased stats, you’ll actually clear slower, or worse, fail,” Ethan said bluntly.

This was something most players didn’t know yet, as they were still stuck in the mindset of older games.

“Alright, we’ll give it a shot. Any other tips or tricks for the dungeon?” Skyblade asked, his tone more trusting now.

“You’re doing Easy mode. There’s no need for fancy tactics, just brute force your way through. Easy and Normal modes allow 12 to 30 players. For the smoothest and fastest run, stick with 18 players. That’s the sweet spot for minimal scaling at this difficulty,” Ethan explained.

“Really? We’ve wiped so many times already. If we fail again, someone’s going to drop back to level 9,” Skyblade muttered, frustration creeping into his voice.

And there it was, the real reason for his urgency.

“Don’t worry. You can’t lose a level in dungeons. Once your experience hits zero, it won’t drop any further,” Ethan replied, rolling his eyes at Skyblade’s panic.

In Ethereal, dungeon deaths didn’t cost gear or levels, but each death deducted 5% of a player’s experience. If their experience hit zero, it couldn’t drop further, ensuring players didn’t get locked out of dungeons due to level requirements.

That’s why most teams started dungeons immediately after leveling up. With minimal experience to lose, deaths didn’t sting as much. Still, repeated deaths could add up to significant losses if players weren’t careful.

Shutting off the chat, a sudden idea struck Ethan.

“Wait a minute…”

If Skyblade and his crew were already clearing the Murky Swamp, then other players had to be attempting it too.

While Easy mode was little more than an XP farm with negligible loot, Normal mode presented a bit of a challenge. Hard and Expert modes required well-coordinated teams. As for Hell mode? At this level, beating the timer was a pipe dream, let alone earning a five-star rating and claiming the top-tier rewards.

But that gave Ethan an idea, what if he sold dungeon strategies?

He already had all the dungeon mechanics and boss patterns mapped out in his head. That kind of information could be converted into gold, lots of gold.

The idea lit a spark in Ethan’s mind. However, the details of how to implement it still needed work. After all, there was no way for him to directly broadcast his strategy to players scattered across so many Starter Zones.

If he wanted to profit, he had to act fast. The early rush of dungeon activity was the prime window, before players figured out the strategies themselves and devalued his knowledge.

There was another problem: once he sold even a single copy, it could spread quickly. While in-game confidentiality contracts existed, nothing stopped players from sharing strategies in the real world.

Pondering his options, Ethan recalled someone who might be the key: Trusty007.

Ethan knew Trusty007 wasn’t just an individual but the face of a well-organized team. They had operatives stationed in multiple Starter Zones, managing gold transactions and other services.

If anyone could help him advertise dungeon strategies across a wide range of players, it was them.

Without hesitation, Ethan opened his friend list and sent a message to Trusty007:

“Got a business proposal. Lots of profit potential. Message me if you’re interested.”

With that handled, Ethan made his way to the life-skills trainers. He approached the Herbalism Trainer and paid five copper coins to learn Basic Herbalism, which allowed him to gather low-level herbs.

As he walked past the Mining Trainer, a booming voice called out:

“Come on, learn Mining! A guaranteed gold mine! No investment, high returns! The perfect path to wealth and success!”

Ethan didn’t even glance his way. “Screw that,” he thought. “I mined for three years in my past life, and where did that get me? Stuck in a pitch-black cave, barely scraping by on instant noodles.”

With two secondary skill slots still open, Ethan pondered his options. He wasn’t planning to invest too much time in secondary professions, Herbalism was already a practical choice for harvesting rare herbs in the wild.

The rest of the professions required dedicated practice and, often, sacrificing combat time to make progress.

After some thought, Ethan spent another five copper coins to learn Skinning, which allowed him to harvest pelts from defeated beasts, a decent way to earn extra income.

Naturally, he also picked up Leatherworking, figuring it would pair well with Skinning. He knew the locations of two valuable leather armor blueprints, one for mid-game gear and another for powerful late-game armor.

Satisfied with his new skills, Ethan glanced at his inventory. There, tucked away, was the pilot’s watch he had looted from the wrecked plane back in the Starter Zone.

“Guess it’s time to wrap up this little side quest,” he murmured.

Teleporting to Cogden Village cost just one copper coin, teleports within Harmony City’s jurisdiction were relatively cheap.

Cogden Village was nestled in the Gornath Hills, a modest area just outside the Starter Zone. After leaving behind the futuristic remnants of the crash site, everything here felt old-fashioned and primitive.

NPCs lived in simple, earthen homes with a rustic, pastoral vibe that reminded Ethan of something out of a frontier town. The place was quiet now, but Ethan knew it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

The monsters surrounding the village ranged from levels 15 to 20. For newly freed players leaving the Starter Zone, this was the first proper leveling area.

Before long, players from across the Northern Frontier Region who had chosen Harmony City as their first main hub would flock here.

Ethan could still remember the crowds from his previous life—streets packed with players forming parties, the constant chatter, and the palpable excitement of exploring new territory. Just walking through the village felt like wading through a bustling marketplace.