Chapter 43: The Hunter Walks Alone (3)

He could feel their stares burning into his back until the very end.

And he knew .. his stance had likely failed to convince them.

Even so, he kept walking.

He did not turn back.

Not until he returned to Ashvarn and vanished from their sight.

The moment he stepped once more into the City of Ash, Ethan exhaled slowly.

“That was difficult… just as I expected. Human relationships really don’t suit me.”

He muttered under his breath, slipping both hands into his pockets as he continued walking.

Now that he was alone ..

And with time to spare before meeting Asterion ..

It was time to put his plan into motion.

“Let’s see… if I want to win, I’ll need to play every card properly.”

And the first step ..

Was acquiring a crucial tool.

Ethan wandered through the streets for a while, searching.

Until he found what he needed.

A guard.

One of the Heart soldiers who patrolled Ashvarn to maintain order.

Guards, generally speaking, were the lesser fighters—those who failed to qualify as hunters. In fact, any hunter outranked them by default.

Ethan took advantage of that hierarchy.

He grabbed one of them lightly by the shoulder.

The guard stiffened at once.

“Excuse me. I need your help.”

Ethan smiled.

The guard straightened instantly.

“Y-Yes, Hunter sir! How may I serve you?”

He looked to be in his thirties—far older than Ethan—yet he showed him the utmost respect.

Ethan couldn’t help but grin at that.

“There’s something I need you to fetch for me.”

The tool that would set everything in motion.

The guard swallowed nervously, fearing an impossible task.

But when he heard what Ethan requested—

He blinked in shock.

Seeing that ridiculous reaction, Ethan chuckled.

“What? Can’t a guard handle something this simple?”

“N-No! I’ll bring it immediately! I was only surprised by how… easy your request was.”

“Good. Then go. I’ll wait here.”

The guard nodded vigorously before sprinting off to carry out the order.

“This is amusing… like I’m some high-ranking officer toying with lower-ranked soldiers.”

Ethan laughed softly to himself before sitting down on a nearby wooden bench.

“While he brings me what I need… it’s time to deal with these souls.”

He summoned the Player Interface and reviewed his current status.

—

Name: Ethan Heart

Class: Classless

Level: 1

Current Souls: 3130

Souls Required for Next Level: 673

Vigor: 10 (Increases HP)

MP: 10 (Increases Mana)

Endurance: 10 (Increases Stamina)

Strength: 10 (Increases Heavy Weapon Damage)

Dexterity: 10 (Increases Speed-Based Weapon Damage)

Intelligence: 10 (Increases Magic Power)

Faith: 10 (Increases Incantation Power)

Arcane: 10 (Increases Luck & Bleed Effects)

—

Staring at his soul count, Ethan finally made his decision.

These were the souls he had earned after killing the Ember Hunter.

He would have had more ..

If he had shattered its soul instead of forging it into a weapon.

“I hesitated to level up until now… because I hadn’t decided whether to start as a mage or a knight.”

There were other classes as well.

Like Beast Tamer.

Or Necromancer.

But they required far more preparation.

Not suitable for an early-stage build.

“Since the required soul cost increases with each level… I can reach Level Five with what I have. That gives me five stat points to allocate.”

He could distribute them.

Spread them across multiple attributes.

But Ethan made a different choice.

He poured all of them into one.

Using his souls, he advanced directly to Level Five.

—

Name: Ethan Heart

Class: Classless

Level: 5

Current Souls: 420

Souls Required for Next Level: 780

Arcane: 15

(All other stats remain 10.)

—

Of all the attributes ..

He chose Arcane.

Raising it to 15.

Everything else remained untouched.

“With that… step one is complete.”

He didn’t feel significantly stronger.

After all, Levels One through Nine were still Beginner Rank.

No different from ordinary humans.

“The real difference begins at Level Ten… when you break into Apprentice Rank.”

Ethan continued browsing the system for a few moments longer.

Trying to better understand his Blessings.

“If I’m to face an Advanced-Rank knight… then this ability will undoubtedly be my greatest headache.”

The ability Ethan referred to was the one that shackled his stats so mercilessly—

[Eventual Greatness]

“This damned thing reduces my HP and mana to laughable levels…”

Every time he activated Wise Raven’s Insight, he could see his health and mana bars clearly.

And every time he did ..

He was reminded just how easily he could be killed.

His stamina was the only stat that reassured him, stretched far beyond normal limits thanks to the Demonic Body.

“With HP like this, I’d die from a single clean hit…”

Ethan muttered under his breath, fully aware that this weakness demanded a solution.

“I could simply remove the effect of Eventual Greatness and restore my stats to normal… but then I’d gain nothing from it.”

To extract the maximum benefit from Eventual Greatness, he had to endure its restriction for as long as possible before lifting it.

“Which means I’ll have to rely on the Demonic Body to compensate.”

Minutes passed.

Ethan remained seated, lost in thought—

Until the guard returned at a run, slightly out of breath, clutching what Ethan had requested.

Ethan smiled in genuine satisfaction.

“Well done. You completed the task quickly.”

The guard nodded, exhaling in relief as he handed over the item.

“I had to run to the construction supply depot to fetch it… Luckily, I found a new one. I hope it meets your expectations.”

“It’s perfect.”

Ethan lifted it up, examining it with approval.

It was an essential tool.

One that would serve his plan well.

“Um… forgive me for asking, sir,” the guard ventured hesitantly, “but what exactly do you intend to do with that shovel?”

He gestured toward the iron shovel now in Ethan’s grasp.

A simple construction tool.

Designed solely for digging.

And yet Ethan held it as though it were a priceless artifact.

At the question, Ethan turned and flashed him a cheerful smile.

“There’s no need for you to know that, my good guard. Return to your duties. I won’t require your assistance any longer.”

He dismissed the man casually.

The guard left, still utterly confused.

Meanwhile ..

Ethan walked away, the shovel resting over his shoulder like a greatsword.

The poor guard had seen many hunters in his life .. But none quite as strange as this one.

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