George, of course, didn't pay attention to the look on that loser Kane's face. He set his eyes on his stat panel.
Earlier, the Crimson Flame Ape had been fooled by him and gave him a lot of power.
Though that idiot Kane messed things up after, he still gained most of the power.
Now his stats had risen across the board again:
Level: 37
Race: Divine and Demon Origin
Martial Energy: 3106/3500
Magic: 580/1750
Physique: 658
Arm Power: 632
Movement Art: 605
Reaction: 695
Talent: 117
Insight: 264
Skills: Bloody Hands, Frostbite, Guardian Spirit, Frenzy Slam, Bloodlust, Split Soul Slaughter, Sacred Barrier, Phantom Shadows.
Reputation: A Single Man Guards the Pass.
Seeing the boosted stats across the board, George felt a lot better.
He stood up, smiled at Emily beside him, and said, "Lady Witch, time to pay up on your reward, right?"
Emily's face flushed, and she lowered her head. "So soon?"
George frowned, puzzled. "Isn't this the kind of thing the earlier the better?"
"Alright!" Emily nodded, then leaned in and suddenly kissed him.
Before George could react, a warm softness touched his lips.
He was a bit surprised, but by the rule of never refusing a free benefit, George wrapped Emily tight, his hands roaming up and down.
Of course, the other players saw all of this.
Envy and jealousy showed on all their faces.
The female players envied Emily for holding onto such a strong player.
And the male players, of course, envied George-he had already hooked up with a female NPC earlier, and in just a short while, even this Lady Witch had fallen.
After the kiss, George spoke softly: "Emily, and that... ultimate skill!"
He had already picked up an ultimate skill this time-Phantom Shadows.
But skills are the more the better, and this one was what he and Emily had agreed on.
Emily shot him a look and muttered, "Knew you wouldn't let that go!"
Still, she took out the ultimate skill book and handed it to George.
George took the ultimate skill book and chose to use it at once.
In an instant, another skill unfolded in George's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for gaining a skill. System double-blessing active. Skill obtained: Blood Rite!]
[Blood Rite: The holder may deduct any amount of their Martial Energy and transfer that value to other attributes, lasting ten minutes.]
"Good!" George was secretly pleased. This skill was a huge help for a player like him who often had to fight above his level.
"Emily, can you ask Louise to come pick me up now?" George looked at Emily and asked.
"What's the rush? You take my reward and already want to run!" Emily shot George a look, then tugged him toward her cabin.
George happened to be a bit tired, so he let her pull him along and went back to the cabin to rest.
After the two of them left, the players chatted excitedly about the fight and discussed what quests to take next.
They had watched the whole battle and knew the Crimson Flame Ape was not something they could withstand.
So when they saw George take the reward, they didn't feel much resentment; instead, they were grateful he had saved their lives.
Just as everyone was getting ready to leave, Kane suddenly stepped forward.
He cleared his throat and called out to the crowd, "Are you all willing to leave just like this? We spent a lot of time getting to this forest!"
As soon as he finished, someone snapped back, "The quest is gone. What are we staying here for?"
Because of Kane's stupidity, everyone felt disgusted with him.
"The quest is gone, but the reward is still there!" A vicious glint flashed in Kane's eyes.
He paused, then said slowly, "I just noticed George is in very bad shape right now. If we team up and fight him, there's a good chance we can kill him and take his rewards!"
After he spoke, the players fell into a long silence.
"Y-you're talking about robbery. We're players, not bandits!" a female player said angrily.
"Yeah, George saved us. We can't repay kindness with betrayal!" a scrawny player chimed in.
Kane's face changed. He glared at them and said coldly, "Anyone who doesn't want in can leave now. Just don't regret it later!"
The two players stormed off at once, and a few more left one after another.
But more players chose to stay and join Kane in hunting George!
Yes, George had saved their lives, but compared to the huge rewards on him, that favor felt far too light!
Seeing so many people choose to follow him, Kane wore a smug smile.
He believed George had stolen his thunder and taken his chance to finish the quest.
Now he was going to pay it all back.
Inside Emily's cabin, George sat in a chair while Emily sprawled over him, touching him without restraint.
"Lady Witch, can you let me go back now?" George said helplessly.
"What's the hurry? Let me play a bit longer!" Emily said as she generously pulled out a Holy Crystal as payment for her wandering hands.
George said he didn't want it, but he quietly pocketed the Holy Crystal.
It was good stuff-each use meant one less.
Right then, Emily suddenly lifted her head, a hint of seriousness on her slightly messy face. "George, you seem to be in trouble!"
"Trouble?" George froze, not understanding.
Emily nodded and said, "I just sensed several players heading this way. It should be Kane and his group!"
"Them? They're probably after my rewards." George let out a cold laugh. He had already guessed their plan.
"Sorry, George. The rules in this zone restrict me-I can't attack players," Emily said, a little guilty.
She knew George was still weak, and facing a swarm of players might be hard for him to handle.
But George didn't care. He asked Emily to contact Louise for him first, then said, "Emily, can you give me some healing potions?"
Emily nodded again and again and stuffed a dozen or so healing potions into George's hands.
With the healing potions in hand, George pushed open the cabin door and walked out.
As soon as he stepped out, he felt a dozen murderous presences coming from the distance.
He let out a cold laugh and said to them, "I saved your lives, and this is how you repay me?"
Hearing this, a few players flushed with shame, looking awkward.
Kane, however, acted like it was only right and said shamelessly, "Without you, we could've slain the Crimson Flame Ape anyway!"
"Good, good, good!" George sneered. In his heart, Kane was already sentenced to death.
"All together!" Kane drew his great blade and slashed at George.
George only gave Kane a contemptuous glance, then activated the skill Phantom Shadows.
He happened to plan on using this chance to test his new skill.
Once it activated, George turned into a phantom, and Kane's strike hit nothing but air.
"How is that possible?" Kane stared at his blade buried in the ground, full of disbelief.
Right then, George had already slipped silently behind him.
He pulled out the Dwarves King Iron Hammer and smashed it hard into Kane's back, sending him flying.
Kane tasted blood in his mouth and roared in fury at the others, "Why aren't you helping me!"
But the moment he finished, he froze-because the other players were teaming up to besiege...another George?
That's right-there were two Georges on the field: one facing the other players, and one fighting Kane.
This was George's skill, Split Soul Slaughter, which could create a clone with the same power as the original.
Kane tried to struggle again, but George stomped down on his head, pressing it into the mud.
On the other side, the rest of the players were all beaten and lying on the ground.
Only then did Kane realize how stupid his idea had been.
He trembled and begged loudly, "George, spare me! Please, spare me!"