Ethan thought he was in the air.
He had lost his fear. His bank account appeared less depressed, and the money was genuine. Without even glancing back at the Marsh Crossing, he hurried out of the novice zone. Done, that place was dull now. Getting wealthy enough to cease worrying about eviction notices was one of his better priorities.
He made his way quickly to the main city gate, which was where the large, hazardous maps were located.
A girl with vivid pink hair asked him, "Excuse me, are you going to the Soggy Coast?" She appeared fresh and wide-eyed, and she carried a small silver blade.
Ethan paused. In this game, he had to recall the speech patterns of regular individuals. Her character sheet was not enough for him to gaze at.
"Yeah, I guess," replied Ethan. He made an effort to sound cool rather than desperate after leveling up six times in ten minutes.
"Oh, fantastic! It's my first time leaving Falcon Alley, and I'm Level 5," she said. "I've heard that the Soggy Coast is home to enormous, insane crabs. Is it difficult to defeat them?
Ethan flashed a tiny, businesslike grin. He recalled years of installing cameras along coastlines and beaches to study water movement and tidal patterns.
Ethan remarked, "They're pretty slow," "All you need is proper placement. Avoid fighting them close to the water. They have rough splash damage. To prevent them from changing their stance, you want them to be far from the tidal line.
His hyper-focused vision told him all about their vast, predictable movements, but he had not engaged in combat with any of them.
The girl remarked, "Wow, you sound like a veteran," with a surprised expression. "Pixie is my name. Would you like to attend my party? Together, we could eradicate some crabs from the coast.
Ethan gave her a look. Her approach was to spam low-damage attacks because her equipment was weak. He would be far too slow to join her.
He said, "Thanks, Pixie," politely. However, I'm moving to a new zone. A much higher. I'm only passing through.
"Oh." Pixie first appeared disappointed before becoming happier. "All OK, good luck! Perhaps your name will appear on the boards.
Ethan waved before continuing. He wasn't hunting crabs, he was chasing viral content.
As his special sense had foreseen, the Soggy Coast was open, foggy, and crowded with players huddled close to the shore. It was too public and too safe.
He advanced farther inland, past the coast, into The Mire of Whispers, a marshy region. The players here were powerful, well-armored, and moved with confidence that had been trained. This seemed more like a genuine danger.
He raised his gaze. Level 25 Frogmen, swift, ferocious gangs that attacked in groups, were all over the place.
He gripped his camera and thought, "I'm fast, but I'm not that strong." Don't fight. Just running in silence.
He used his Sneak ability. His objective was the Sunken Temple, a fabled location. Since only the best players dared to enter, Ethan was wagering that it would contain uncommon, unrecorded material.
He moved swiftly, weaving among the mossy trees and still pools with his rapid steps. Every time a group of Frogmen approached, he had to halt frequently and press himself against the bark of a twisted willow.
To the left, two of them are strolling. His thoughts mapped the enemy's flow and muttered, "The third one is definitely going to circle back."
He awaited the moment. The Frogman spun around, looking around the forest with its big, bright eyes. Ethan held his breath. He had the impression of a spy deciphering an enemy base's covert patterns. Because he knew the basic design of the world, he was invisible because of his foresight.
Ignoring the distant sound of high-level combat, he continued to move deeper and deeper. His full attention was on his course.
A tiny, black hole in the granite wall in front of him caught his attention.
[SUNKEN TEMPLE ACCESS: LOW LEVEL WARNING].
Excellent.
A tiny, insignificant item that his special awareness had actually forewarned him about three minutes earlier was forgotten as he ran in its direction.
He leaped over a big log covered with moss. His foot landed on a soft, concealed patch of mud rather than on firm ground.
[WARNING: ACTIVATION OF THE SLOW TRAP!]
Ethan let out a curse. In reality, the soft mud was Quicksand. His movement speed was immediately decreased in half, yet he was not killed.
What a fool! He shouted to himself in his mind. Earlier in his sprint, he had disregarded the indicator, which had been a weak low-risk warning.
He was stranded. His blood froze.
It was a deep, repetitive thump-thump from the surrounding marsh, and he heard it instantly. The Frogmen weren't involved. It was something far larger.
[MOB DETECTED: MUDDY LEVIATHAN (LVL 40)]
Level 40. With one look, that creature could convert his small pool of health into mush. His Temporal Shutter was still on cool-down from earlier dodge practice, and he was stranded in the mud.
With a desperate effort, he wrenched his leg free. The Muddy Leviathan was drawn to the sounds, but he managed to escape the trap.
Through the fog, the enormous beast emerged. It was enormous, with bright yellow slime and thick green moss covering it. The creature had the appearance of a walking swamp monster from a horror film.
"Oh my god. That is really not cute."
The Leviathan raised a huge arm covered with moss. The trajectory was immediately plotted by his sight
[ATTACK: SLUDGE WAVE 99.8% INSTANT KILL]
Running, he turned and scurried for the protection of the gap in the rock. His rapid motions were putting forth extra effort. With the sound of a huge, wet crash, the Sludge Wave struck the trees behind him, and he plunged headfirst into the black tunnel.
Ethan scrambled farther along the silent, dark rock passageway. He continued sprinting till the Leviathan's roar subsided behind him. He halted and leaned against the chilly stone, panting heavily.
He acknowledged, "Okay, that was definitely not fun," as he struggled to control his breathing. "That was terrifying, actually."
He looked at his camera. It was all right. He was no longer on cool-down for his Temporal Shutter. For a time, he was safe.
The tunnel led to a sizable underground cavern. It was an odd place. Massive, exquisite crystals adhered to the walls gave it a slight glimmer of gentle, ethereal light.
Ethan took a hesitant step forward, all his senses alert. It was like being in a boss zone.
He paused, staring at a room in front of him.
The monster was seated on a massive black stone throne in the middle of the room. The slime was the largest he had ever seen, the size of a small vehicle, entirely black, and covered in powerful fissures of purple energy that pulsed. Its face, however, was what different; it was more than just a blob; it had two enormous, oddly melancholy yellow eyes and a slightly lowered mouth that gave it a desolate, lonely appearance.
It appeared to be the most depressing and hazardous plushy toy.
[BOSS DETECTED: GRAND CHAOS SLIME LVL 40]
Level 40. Chaos Slime. From the deep lore boards, Ethan was familiar with this name. The creature was only mentioned in whispers, and it was a myth. The largest payout to date, the potential PV value was enormous.
Ethan lifted his obsidian camera carefully. He concentrated solely on the target, ignoring the real terror that was choking him.
This isn't simply content, he thought, the camera buzzing to life. It's a fortune. I want this to be the largest ever seen in Aethelgard.
The shot was framed for him. He had to wait for the boss to make a move or demonstrate its strength. He needed to get closer, and he needed the proper title.
He gazed upon the massive, majestic black form that sat sorrowfully on its throne.
It's this. It's this one. This will be titled:
"Chaos Incarnate."