Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 80

Chapter 80: The Mad Engineer

Because his original in-game name was ridiculous, players in Avalon Vanguard had once given him a new title—The Mad Engineer.

Right now, NoPaperOnTheBigOne had just been kicked out of another guild.

He hadn’t yet been discovered by Zachary, the man who, in his lowest moments, had extended a hand and shown him genuine appreciation.

That moment of kindness had earned Zachary his absolute loyalty.

It was that loyalty that later led to him designing weapons that slaughtered Dragonspire’s top-ranked players, turning the tide of entire wars.

By the end, he was known as nothing more than a traitor, reviled by thousands.

Looking back, NoPaperOnTheBigOne wasn’t inherently a bad person. He had just followed the wrong leader.

“A Mad Engineer, still in his apprentice phase… is he worth investing in?” Ethan murmured to himself.

Back then, NoPaperOnTheBigOne had only succeeded because of Avalon Vanguard’s resources.

Zachary had thrown an endless supply of materials his way, allowing him to refine his craft and rise to power.

That title, Mad Engineer, had once carried real weight.

Right now, in terms of personal wealth, Ethan was likely one of the richest players in the Northern Frontier Region.

If Zachary could fund a Mad Engineer into existence…

Why couldn’t he?

And if he couldn’t train him, then at the very least, he’d make sure this guy never fell into enemy hands.

With that thought, Ethan picked up his pace, falling into step beside NoPaperOnTheBigOne.

“What’s that dwarf’s name?” he asked casually.

“Mediterran, why do you care?” The engineer glanced at him, his voice flat. “You here to gloat?”

“You feel humiliated, don’t you?” Ethan replied with a smirk. “But let me tell you something, weak people always get looked down on. That’s just the way the world works. Join me. I can make you powerful. Powerful enough to make them regret what they did today.”

NoPaperOnTheBigOne narrowed his eyes.

“Who the hell are you? That was a Tier 2 Guild. And you, some random nobody, think you can say a few words and expect me to follow you?”

To him, this was some random player spouting nonsense, trying to pick up a discarded piece of trash just because he’d been thrown out.

“What makes you think you’re worth following?”

Ethan chuckled.

“This.”

With a flick of his hand, he disabled his name concealment, his true identity flashing above his head for exactly three seconds before vanishing again.

NotADruid.

Then, he shrugged.

“You’ve got nothing left. If I wanted to scam you, what exactly would I be after?” Ethan asked indifferently. “I see potential in you.

If you don’t want to come, fine by me.”

And with that, Ethan turned and walked away. If NoPaperOnTheBigOne was smart, he’d take the opportunity. If not, Ethan wouldn’t waste time begging.

That would mean giving up control of the situation, something he had no intention of doing.

As he watched Ethan’s departing figure, NoPaperOnTheBigOne’s expression twisted. Getting kicked out of his guild and publicly humiliated had been one of the worst moments of his life.

Something he’d never forget.

And now, NotADruid had shown up, offering him a lifeline at the most coincidental moment possible.

Too convenient. Was there some ulterior motive behind it?

But then, he thought about it. The Newbie King title. The series of game-breaking events Ethan had triggered since launch.

Would a player like him really go out of his way to mess with a broke nobody?

Or…

Did Ethan really believe he was worth something?

His real-life struggles mirrored his failures in the game, broke, aimless, and barely scraping by. If he let this opportunity slip, who knew when the next one would come?

He had nothing to lose.

Even if this was a scam, it was still better than wandering around with nowhere to go.

“W-Wait a second!”

Hearing the voice behind him, Ethan smirked.

Hook, line, and sinker.

NoPaperOnTheBigOne caught up quickly. “What do you need me to do?”

Engineering was the only thing he was good at, but because of his hidden subclass, even simple creations failed constantly. The wasted materials were why he had been kicked out of the guild.

“Simple. You’ll be crafting engineering gear,” Ethan replied as they walked. “What’s your hidden subclass ability?”

“…Demonic Engineering,” NoPaperOnTheBigOne muttered, scratching his head.

Ethan noticed his hesitation.

“Go on,” he encouraged.

In his past life, he had only known that NoPaperOnTheBigOne could create demonic-tech items. The exact mechanics had been a closely guarded secret, probably only known to him and Zachary.

“My trait is Research & Development… But that’s also the problem,” the engineer admitted. “With engineering, if one component is wrong, the entire thing fails… or explodes. And this damn trait constantly interferes, forcing me to experiment and ‘innovate’ whether I want to or not.”

His expression darkened with frustration.

The constant interference made his normal engineering skills unreliable. He could barely complete basic projects without the trait sabotaging him.

Ethan’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“Oh? And what’s the success rate after innovating?” he pressed.

“I… I don’t know. Engineering is never stable. I have to experiment over and over, fail repeatedly, and refine the process before I can craft something usable.

Honestly, I regret choosing this path, but at the same time… I can’t let it go. Even as a kid, I loved tinkering with machines.”

Ethan gave him a strange look.

Engineering was one of the least popular crafting professions in the game.

It was a money pit.

In most games, combat classes only picked up engineering as a secondary skill.

The phrase “Once you dive into engineering, say goodbye to your savings” existed for a reason.

Sure, some gadgets were great for PvP combat, and a few helped with player convenience—like wormholes for instant travel.

But most of it?

Toys.

A long time ago, in an old MMO game, players obsessed over engineering’s quirky inventions and poured their resources into mastering it.

The problem?

Everything failed. A lot.

Creating even a basic item took multiple failed attempts. And the more someone invested, the deeper they fell, constantly chasing the next breakthrough, unable to stop themselves from experimenting.

To make matters worse, engineering products were expensive. Only a small market could afford them, meaning most engineers never broke even. That’s why, in later MMOs, players avoided engineering like the plague.

And yet, NoPaperOnTheBigOne had chosen it willingly. Even doubling down on it with a hidden subclass.

Ethan eyed him curiously.

“You’ve… never played MMOs before, have you?”

The engineer looked embarrassed.

“N-No… This is my first game.”

Ethan stopped mid-step.

“…Wait, what?”

He studied the guy’s face. At least thirty-five years old. And this was his first MMO?

How the hell was that even possible?