Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 78

Chapter 78: The Hunter’s Gamble

In a short while, players who had learned herbalism would flood this area.

After gathering herbs, they would supply alchemists, who in turn crafted potions, elixirs, and tonics.

Most alchemists preferred joining a guild rather than working for a shop. Guilds ensured a steady demand for their products, while shops depended on foot traffic, something that could be unreliable if the location wasn’t ideal.

Pure crafting professions weren’t as unprofitable as many assumed. In fact, dedicated artisans could earn more than an average job in the real world.

In his past life, Ethan had been a miner. By all logic, his life shouldn’t have been so miserable.

Most miners partnered with guilds to excavate resource-rich sites, securing stable income.

Ethan, however, had spent years working alone, digging through abandoned mines for rare crystals, always guided by quest hints.

The problem? Those crystals were buried deep, requiring him to practically tunnel through an entire mine just to retrieve one.

As a result, he had been dirt poor. Instant noodles had been his staple, and there were days he couldn’t even afford that.

Now, standing at the edge of Ashen Gorge, Ethan reminded himself not to be fooled by its deceiving beauty.

There was no safe zone here. Monsters could appear anywhere, at any time.

Especially Dire Wolves, creatures known as Prairie Stalkers. These beasts possessed advanced stealth abilities, patrolled the entire map unpredictably, and every single one of them was elite-ranked.

Countless players had died to their claws while attempting to gather materials in this area.

Ethan had chosen this place for two reasons.

First, the dense monster population made it ideal for farming Sin Value.

Second, he wanted to hunt Prairie Stalkers in hopes of obtaining an advanced Stealth Skill Book, something that could significantly raise his stealth level.

Only by improving his stealth ability could he explore high-level zones that were currently beyond his reach.

Not long after entering, Ethan suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine.

Something was lurking.

A stealth unit!

It wasn’t another player, he was certain of that.

The minimum level for monsters in Ashen Gorge was twenty. Any rogue who tried sneaking in at this level would be exposed and instantly sent back to the revival point.

That meant it could only be a Prairie Stalker.

But drawing out a Prairie Stalker wasn’t easy. At level twenty-five, these elite beasts had a Silent Step ability that made them even harder to detect.

They were three levels above Ethan. He had no way of spotting them first.

The only solution? Let it see him first.

Transform: Bear Form.

Ethan trusted his own defenses in this form. With over 5,500 HP, he wasn’t worried about getting one-shot.

Plus, Prairie Stalkers lacked stun abilities. He didn’t have to worry about being locked down. Once it revealed itself, he’d find a way to take it down.

The moment Ethan shifted into Bear Form, his instincts proved right. A massive Dire Wolf lunged at him from the shadows.

-89!

“Damn, that’s a lot of damage!” Ethan muttered, realizing just how strong a level twenty-five elite was.

Without hesitation, he retaliated.

Maul.

His Bear Form stun ability landed clean, locking the beast in place for three seconds.

Then, he immediately shifted into Owl Form, dropping Bramble Bind in front of it, layering two debuffs, Moonfire and Sunburst.

Two seconds had passed.

Switching once more, Ethan took Panther Form and slashed.

-35, -44!

-38, -44!

-78, -44!

Three bleed effects ticked above its head. Just as the Prairie Stalker’s stun wore off, Ethan took a step back, and the Prairie Stalker immediately lunged forward.

But the moment it stepped down, its paw got caught in the Bramble Bind he had set earlier.

The biggest weakness of beast-type monsters? They never tried to break free from control effects.

With its legs tangled, the Dire Wolf couldn’t turn around. Ethan wasted no time. He slipped behind it and slashed.

Shred. Shred.

-978!

-1586!

Massive damage numbers popped up.

Even though Ethan’s attacks hit hard, the Prairie Stalker had a massive 60,000 HP pool.

There was no way he could kill it within Bramble Bind’s eight-second duration. In Panther Form, his attacks consumed Energy Points.

His max Energy was 100, and even with its regeneration speed, he could only pull off three Shred attacks in a row.

Each Shred cost 40 Energy per strike.

To keep up the assault, Ethan threw in a few basic claw attacks in between. By the time Bramble Bind wore off, he had landed five Bleed Effects, stacking up over 10,000 total damage.

With the other debuffs, the Prairie Stalker had lost a full third of its health.

Just before Bramble Bind expired, Ethan unleashed Typhoon in Panther Form. A sudden gust launched the Dire Wolf backward, six meters away.

Thanks to Typhoon’s special effect, the beast was now slowed by 70% for ten seconds.

Ethan shifted into Owl Form, immediately reapplying Moonfire and Sunburst, extending their duration.

With all his control skills on cooldown, Ethan rushed forward. Dodging the Dire Wolf’s vicious swipes with nimble footwork, he only switched to Bear Form when an attack was unavoidable, soaking up the damage instead of taking direct hits.

Before long, the Dire Wolf let out a dying wail and collapsed.

Ethan glanced at the time.

It had taken him a full minute to take down the elite. Then again, considering he had soloed a higher-level elite, he felt pretty damn proud.

Most players at his level wouldn’t even stand a chance.

With that thought, Ethan pulled up his status window for the first time in a while.

—

[NotADruid]

Class: Druid

Race: Human

Level: 22

Faction: Survivors

Bloodline: King of Elves (Divine)

Attributes:

Strength: 110 (+20) – Increases physical attack.

Intelligence: 110 (+20) – Increases magic attack and mana pool.

Agility: 110 (+20) – Increases attack speed, movement speed, and energy regen.

Stamina: 110 (+20) – Increases defense.

Vitality: 110 (+20) – Increases max HP.

Special Stats:

Omni +2 | Mastery +4 | Critical +4 | Haste +3

Combat Stats:

Attack Power: 524-632

Defense: 226-328

Health: 2200

Free Points: 0

General Skills:

Basic Appraisal – Can inspect monsters up to 5 levels higher.

Background:

The peace-loving Elven race has left an indelible mark on every recorded Holy War. Though they cherish tranquility, their valor in battle is unparalleled.

—

Ethan hadn’t changed his gear much, but his weapon had been upgraded to level 30.

With these stats, he was confident. His attack power was likely among the highest in the world.

Grinning, he scooped up the copper coins dropped by the Prairie Stalker and started searching for his next prey.