Mr. Qi had been certain that success was in his grasp. The dagger in his hand gleamed under the dim light as it arced toward the back of Charles's neck. In his mind, he could almost feel again the sickening thrill of severing a head, the familiar weightlessness that came when life slipped away.
But then—
Ding!
A sharp-edged worker bee suddenly appeared out of thin air, intercepting the dagger before it could land. The metallic clash rang out, echoing in everyone's ears.
"What?"
Mr. Qi's eyes widened. He recognized that strange creature at once. Yet this was not the blood-soaked one he had encountered earlier—it was another.
He grit his teeth, adjusting his grip on the dagger. This time, he thought, he was prepared. He lunged again, striking with all the precision and speed of a seasoned killer.
But the result was the same.
Another sharp-edged bee appeared, blocking the strike with ease. It was as though these creatures materialized wherever his blade threatened to land, repeating the same trick again and again.
And in that instant, Mr. Qi realized his fate.
"It's over."
That was the final thought that crossed his mind before one of the bees darted forward, its blade-like wings slicing across his throat. His neck split open almost to the spine, blood spraying violently as though someone had torn open a purse of coins.
Mr. Qi collapsed lifelessly, his head nearly severed from his body.
For a long moment, silence consumed the battlefield.
Charles's father and the other clansmen, who had been fleeing in despair only moments ago, stopped dead in their tracks. They turned back, staring in stunned disbelief.
"What… just happened?"
"How did he die?"
They couldn't understand it.
Mr. Qi was no ordinary enemy—he was a predator who had effortlessly slaughtered their strongest fighter, Mr. Liu, with just two moves. If even Liu, equipped with the finest gear the family could afford, had been helpless, how had Qi suddenly fallen?
There was only one explanation their minds could cling to.
Charles had done it.
Gasps rippled through the group as their eyes focused on the young man they had often dismissed.
"Could it be… that Charles has awakened as a professional with unparalleled combat power?"
"Charles! How did you do it?"
"Did you kill him? What kind of ability do you possess?"
"Didn't you say you were stronger than we realized? That we didn't need to fear combat professionals anymore? Were you telling the truth?"
"Charles is promising indeed! No wonder the family appointed him as general manager of the business department."
Even Charles's father, though filled with pride, could not fully believe what he was seeing. He alone had glimpsed the truth—the sharp-edged bees clinging to his son's side. Stepping closer, he asked in a low voice:
"Charles, are these… the summoned beasts you raised? But you never said you had that talent."
The truth was, no one was more shocked than Charles himself.
He remembered Ethan's words clearly: the three sharp-edged worker bees he gifted him had no equal beneath three hundred stars of power. At the time, Charles had doubted it. Such claims were too outrageous. After all, the most brilliant student in past entrance examinations rarely exceeded one hundred stars.
Even the moat defense team captain—a man whom Charles's father often flattered—had only two hundred stars. And the mysterious Mr. Liu, considered one of the most formidable in their circles, barely touched the threshold of three hundred stars, and that was with every advantage of the Zhou family's—no, the Charles family's—wealth behind him.
Yet Liu had been butchered in moments by Qi.
And now, Ethan had casually handed him three thumb-sized bees that had effortlessly destroyed the very same man?
For the first time, Charles understood. This was why no one dared provoke Ethan after the entrance exam.
Under the expectant gazes of his family, Charles finally admitted the truth.
"These… these aren't mine. They're summoned beasts that Ethan gave me. They exist to protect me."
The words fell like a hammer.
Everyone blinked, then exhaled in unison. So it wasn't Charles's hidden talent after all. That much made sense—none of them were particularly gifted in combat. To imagine Charles suddenly exploding with unmatched power was unrealistic.
But then they caught on to one particular word.
"Gave?"
The realization spread quickly. If Ethan could casually give away such creatures, what kind of strength did he himself possess?
"Wait, Ethan? The same Ethan who was in your class? The one who ranked first in the live broadcast?"
"Yes," Charles confirmed, his voice steady.
Hiss—
A chorus of shocked gasps followed.
They all remembered that name. Ethan had already made headlines when Charles suggested gifting him a diamond-level VIP card at Darunhua. At that time, most had assumed it was nothing more than a polite gesture.
But now? Now they understood. The creatures Ethan gave away casually were strong enough to turn the tide of their family's fate.
"What kind of monsters does Ethan himself command?" someone whispered. "If his gifts are this powerful, what about his own beasts?"
They recalled how Ethan had barely used summoned beasts during the live broadcast exam. He had relied instead on his own skill, as though calling forth his beasts would be nothing more than bullying ants with cannons.
The more they thought, the more terrifying the truth seemed.
Charles's father, ever cautious, spoke again.
"Charles, Ethan didn't just give you these for free, did he?"
Charles hesitated, then explained honestly. Ethan had asked for something in return: half of Charles's future earnings from the family's business connections in Ravenshade City.
He braced himself for backlash, expecting relatives to accuse him of selling away too much. But instead, their faces lit up with excitement.
"Haha! Our family is finally protected. Charles, you must work hard."
"Yes, this is an opportunity we can't afford to waste. No more professionals looking down on us!"
"Brother, if you need anything in the future, just tell us. We'll help however we can."
"Honestly, I thought you weren't ready for the position of general manager. But now I see—you're exactly the one to lead us forward."
Even his father, pride swelling in his chest, said warmly:
"Charles, don't forget Ethan's words. We must put in effort too. If possible, invite Ethan as a guest. Since he slew Qi, we owe him thanks."
At that moment, Charles realized the magnitude of what had happened. Ethan hadn't even been present, yet his gift alone had saved their family. He had changed the destiny of the Charles family without lifting a finger.
Meanwhile, Ethan himself was entirely unaware of the storm he had stirred.
He was seated quietly, considering his next move. Having completed his first-turn task, his accumulated experience from an entire dungeon had only advanced him to Level 23. But to unlock the conditions for capturing his next desired beast—the Crypt Spider—he still needed three more levels.
That meant more dungeons. More battles.
He also needed a significant amount of high-grade materials, far more than Ravenshade City could supply. Dark-gold resources existed there, but in limited quantities and of scattered types. For most of what he needed, Ethan would have to collect the materials himself.
As for dark-gold level wild monsters, their levels were high, which drastically reduced the number of suitable dungeons available to him.
After searching carefully, Ethan finally locked onto his next target:
The Forest of the Maniac Python, Level 35.
It was considered the most challenging dungeon accessible from Ravenshade City. Unlike standard ones, it was an open dungeon, meaning it overflowed with monsters and allowed adventurers to choose their own difficulty.
Ethan smirked. For his team of Anti-Bone Boys, only the Nightmare level could truly test their strength.
And so, with a clear plan in mind, Ethan prepared to step once more into the unknown.
Far away, a family rejoiced under his shadow. And he, without even knowing it, had already begun altering the course of countless lives.
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