Chapter 12: Not a Game Anymore (1)

Beneath a sky crowned by a bitter eclipse that smothered the world in gloom…

Flames roared across the battlefield.

A clash that had already claimed the lives of dozens of human knights—and an equal number of savage beasts.

Only one enemy remained.

The final adversary.. The Ember Hunter.

The battle was approaching a decisive turning point. The warriors of the Heart Clan had reached their limits, and defeat loomed dangerously close.

All of it unfolded before Ethan’s eyes—Ethan, who had finally come to understand the true nature of the powers he had gained from the Devil of Balance.

The situation was dire. The curse of the Beloved of Darkness caused the Ember Hunter to gravitate toward Ethan instinctively—were it not for the Heart’s holding him back.

In other words, the moment the woman wielding the flaming blade fell… it would be over.

For them.

And for him.

Yet despite the suffocating air thick with the stench of burned and charred corpses—

Ethan’s eyes reflected an eerie calm.

A composure utterly illogical for someone in his position.

His body did not tremble.

He did not feel fear.

He did not feel danger.

Surprised by himself, a dry laugh escaped his lips—followed by a crooked, mocking smile.

“I wonder what’s wrong with me,” he murmured. “My life is on the line… and yet here I am. Completely calm. As if this is nothing more than some unreal simulation.”

His eyes narrowed.

His smile widened.

“I suppose… somewhere deep inside my mind… I still see all of this as just a game.”

Ethan knew that this mindset was reckless. Underestimating the severity of the situation could cost him everything.

And yet…

The smile did not fade.

“It’s fine,” he whispered. “After all .. games are the only thing I’ve ever been good at.”

Then let it be a game.

A game played on real ground.

“Life is nothing but a cruel game… and we are its unwilling players.”

The smile vanished.

In its place emerged absolute focus—razor-sharp and unwavering.

“The opponent is the Ember Hunter… an optional boss meant for players around level 40 at the very least.”

Ethan’s gaze swept across the battlefield, analyzing every variable.

All he had at his disposal were his abilities—and the strength of the Heart warriors.

Drawing a deep breath, he allowed the cold, smoke-laced air to fill his lungs before exhaling slowly, solidifying his resolve.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

His eyes widened until they nearly burned within their sockets.

He activated the only ability he believed could turn the tide.

“Wise Raven’s Insight.”

In response to his call, his crimson eyes flared brighter .. deepening in hue, darkening toward shadow.

The moment the ability activated, Ethan’s vision transformed entirely.

When he looked at the Ember Hunter, he saw everything.

Below the towering knight appeared a long health bar—nearly at half.

In the upper left corner of his vision, he saw his own stats.

A red line for health.

Beneath it, a blue one for mana.

And a green one for stamina.

His health and mana were pitifully low. Level one—and severely restricted by Eventual Greatness.

But the stamina bar ..

It was strangely long.

“So that’s the Demon Body,” he muttered. “A body that endures far beyond ordinary humans.”

A tremendous advantage.

Refocusing on the Ember Hunter, Ethan realized the Insight revealed more than mere numbers.

It showed patterns.

Movements.

Combat behavior.

And most importantly ..

A weakness.

He saw it clearly: a glowing, fire-lit circle pulsing along the left side of the Ember Hunter’s chest.

“So that’s your weak point…”

His expression darkened.

“This bastard… he’s not stupid.”

From the very start of the battle, the Ember Hunter had instinctively shielded that exact area with his massive, thorn-wrapped tower shield.

Beyond the visible weak point, Ethan also perceived the boss’s susceptibilities.

They manifested as swirling auras of color around him ..

A dark crimson aura.

A pale frost-blue one.

And a murky green haze.

“Bleed… Frostbite… and Poison?”

Those were his greatest vulnerabilities.

In contrast, he possessed immense resistance to darkness, mental assaults, and most forms of magic.

Understanding this, Ethan immediately scanned the Heart warriors.

With a single glance, he saw their levels—30 across the board.

Except for Moon Heart.

Level 34 .

He studied their stats carefully—and exhaled in frustration.

“Only one of them can apply the right status effect against the Ember Hunter.”

His gaze shifted slowly to his left.

“And that person… is Alicia Heart.”

She alone could inflict Bleed.

Her Arcane stat—the attribute governing its potency—was unusually high.

Combined with her katana, she was their single viable answer.

“Ha… the only one capable of affecting him refuses to fight. What rotten luck.”

Ethan let out a dry laugh, almost pitying himself. At this point, it felt less like misfortune and more like fate conspiring against him.

And yet ..

He did not look worried in the slightest.

“I can do this.”

His resolve sharpened.

He put the final pieces of his plan into place—his mind moving with ruthless efficiency, shaped by thousands upon thousands of hours spent mastering this brutal game without pause.

Without warning, he burst into a sprint.

Not toward the center of the battlefield—

—but toward its edge.

He ran, his eyes scanning for a single person—the cornerstone of his entire strategy.

The young archer who had taken position at a distance, waiting for the perfect shot.

Ethan did not run directly toward him. The boy stood on the opposite side of the battlefield, and crossing toward him would make Ethan an immediate target.

Instead, he chose the mirrored flank—placing himself squarely within the archer’s line of sight.

“Archers have sharp vision. They miss nothing… He should see me clearly.”

He reached the opposite side of Chai Heart’s position.

The moment he arrived ..

Ethan began jumping like a madman, wildly waving his one remaining hand.

He looked ridiculous.

Utterly foolish.

But it worked.

Chai saw him immediately.

“Big brother! Are you alright? Weren’t you gravely injured earlier?”

Chai Heart’s voice echoed directly inside Ethan’s mind .. telepathic waves carrying not only words, but emotion.

Concern.

Genuine concern.

From that tone alone, Ethan understood: the boy truly cared.

But there was no time for that.

“I’m sorry, Chai. We don’t have time. I have one question—and one favor to ask.”

Chai hesitated only briefly before responding. There was no room for doubt now.

“You can ask anything of me, big brother. If I’m capable of helping, I will—without hesitation.”

This time, Ethan was the one taken aback.

Chai wasn’t speaking as a mere clanmate.

He was speaking as someone who trusted him completely.

It made sense, perhaps .. given that he called him big brother instead of simply using his name.

“Thank you… Tell me—can you expand your ability? Can you let the others hear us as well?”

There was tension in Ethan’s voice now.

If Chai said no ..

Everything would collapse.

Despite his vast knowledge of the game, Ethan did not know the limits of Chai Heart’s telepathy. He only knew the boy possessed it.

Fortunately—

Chai did not disappoint him.

“I can manage it with this small number… yes. But my effectiveness in battle may decrease if I do.”

Maintaining telepathy with multiple targets would consume focus.

His arrows would lose precision.

“That’s fine! Even if your arrows miss, I’ll handle it. Just relay my voice to everyone—please!”

Chai felt it clearly—the confidence in Ethan’s tone.

Absolute confidence.

The kind that makes others believe.

And Chai knew, deep down, that if things continued as they were… they would lose.

“Alright! I’ll do it. Leave everything to me, big brother!”

He closed his eyes, pushing his ability to its limits.

Within seconds ..

His voice reached every member of the Heart clan still fighting on the battlefield.

“They can all hear you now. Please—go ahead.”

Ethan nodded, a wide grin splitting his face.

“Thank you. You can rely on me.”

He drew a deep breath.

“Warriors of the Heart Clan.”

His voice rang within their minds.

For a brief instant, they faltered—startled by the intrusion.

Especially Moon Heart.

She leapt backward, staring at him with wide, stunned eyes ..

As though she were looking at a ghost rather than a living man.

But the Ember Hunter attacked again, forcing her to refocus immediately.

Ethan continued.

“I speak to you as one of you. A man who seeks the same thing you do—survival in this desperate situation.”

His gaze swept across each of them.

“You’re not fools. I’m certain you all understand… if this continues, defeat and death are inevitable.”

He paused.

“I will not allow that.”

“I can give you a real chance to survive—not just survive… but win. To defeat this relentless boss.”

“I have the ability to make you victorious. But from this moment forward, you must follow my commands exactly. Every word. Without hesitation.”

He kept it concise. They were still fighting. He could not afford to distract them for long.

Given the urgency ..

The responses came quickly.

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