CHAPTER 37: CHAPTER 37: GET IN MY WAY, AND DIE!

Inside Safe Zone 9527, at the respawn point everyone called the "Noob Nest," [Overlord] stared blankly at his surroundings.

He still had no idea what had just happened. One flash of white, and the next thing he knew, he was a headless corpse.

Was it that junkyard NPC who one-shot him, or did Dawnfall Online bug out?

He hadn’t even provoked that NPC, right? No way [Windchaser] ordered an NPC to take him out... did he?

[Overlord] gave a slight shake of his head. He still half-expected that if he moved too hard, his head might tumble off.

Dying in an instant like that wasn’t actually all that painful—it was the sheer terror of it that got you.

Before he could snap out of his daze, his wristwatch started buzzing like crazy.

[Warning: The special mission "Lone Wolf’s Revenge" will begin in fifteen minutes. Coffin Guild must protect the guild banner for one hour after the mission starts.]

[Enemy Count: 1]

[Number of Defenders to Protect the Banner: 30]

[If a defender dies, another guild member may take their place.]

[Mission Success Reward: +50 Guild Reputation.]

[Mission Failure: Guild status will be revoked, and the Guild Leader, player [Overlord], will be permanently barred from ever applying to establish a guild in Safe Zone 9527.]

...

Staring at the readout on his wristwatch and the confused questions flooding the guild channel, [Overlord]’s eyes went wide.

What the hell is this [Lone Wolf’s Revenge] mission? He’d never even heard of it.

At first glance, he immediately thought back to what [Windchaser] had said and figured the guy really meant to wipe Coffin Guild off the map.

But once he finished reading all the prompts, he settled down a lot—and even decided [Windchaser] was a complete idiot.

One person, trying to destroy his Coffin Guild?

Dream on.

He didn’t know why he’d just died inside a safe zone, sure, but there was no way [Windchaser] could erase the guild he’d poured his heart and soul into.

No way the penalties for [Windchaser] on this "Lone Wolf’s Revenge" mission would be light, either.

If he failed here, not only would Coffin Guild be gone, he’d be permanently banned from ever applying to found another guild in Safe Zone 9527.

But if they pulled it off, fifty points of Guild Reputation would be more than enough to get Coffin Guild back on its feet.

[Overlord] took a deep breath. Thinking of the damage [Windchaser] had caused set his blood boiling.

If it weren’t for [Windchaser], Coffin Guild would be way stronger by now.

He fired off a message to [Daydreamer].

[Overlord]: [Dig up everything you can on [Windchaser]—family, friends, the lot. Drag them through the mud.]

[Also, keep an eye on any "clarification" threads on the forums. The moment one pops up, trace the IP for me.]

[Daydreamer]: Guild Leader, are you okay? People are saying you got killed in a safe zone—no way that’s real, right?

[Overlord] rubbed his neck, drew a deep breath, his whole body taut. Jaw clenched, he forced the words out, one at a time:

"[Windchaser]! From here on out—either you die, or I do!"

...

Fifteen minutes can be plenty, depending on what you’re doing.

In no time, everything that happened in the safe zone had exploded across the forums.

Not just in Safe Zone 9527—other zones’ boards were flooded too. Threads about [Windchaser], [an NPC killing a player inside a safe zone], [two powerful NPCs throwing down], [the "Lone Wolf’s Revenge" mission]... all of it rocketed to the top.

Ninety-nine percent of players had barely dipped their toes into Dawnfall Online. They hadn’t even started exploring yet, let alone imagined something like this could happen.

At first, players from other safe zones assumed it was all just clickbait.

But as more and more eyewitnesses started posting their accounts, the truth sank in: it was all real.

In 9527, waves of players surged back into the safe zone like a tide.

They weren’t just there to watch NPCs duke it out—they also wanted to see what [Windchaser], the rapist and pedophile, was going to do.

And at the center of it all, Ethan stood at the entrance to Coffin Guild, silent and composed.

All around him, the crowd had packed in so tight it was hard to breathe, buzzing nonstop:

"Can someone say for sure—did [Overlord] really get killed just now?"

"It’s true! Right after [Windchaser] finished talking, that junkyard NPC straight-up took [Overlord]’s head off!"

"Holy shit—[Windchaser]’s that cracked? He can order NPCs around?"

"Not just that. My buddy’s in Coffin Guild—he says [Windchaser] is going to solo their entire guild!"

"Damn, that’s insane. But there’s no way [Windchaser] can handle all of Coffin Guild, right?"

"I’m thinking the same. Maybe [Windchaser] just wants to make a scene—he never planned to actually fight?"

...

Ethan tuned out the chatter around him and checked his watch. Only five minutes had passed—ten more to go. In real time, that was five minutes.

Perfect. He’d use those five minutes to prep a little real-world gift for [Overlord].

Without a hint of hesitation, Ethan logged out on the spot.

The moment [Windchaser]’s avatar vanished, someone in the crowd shouted:

"Look! [Windchaser] is gone—he ran!"

"For real. You think the cops got to him? He is a rapist and a pedophile—maybe he’s about to offend again!"

"Yeah, let’s go find those people on the forums who said they know [Windchaser]. They’ve gotta have the latest."

"Weird. I can’t find any of them—and those original threads are gone too."

...

[Lucas] was also wondering why [Windchaser] suddenly logged off. Did something urgent come up?

As for the posts calling [Windchaser] a rapist and a pedophile, he didn’t buy it at all.

Even if [Windchaser] had tweaked his in-game looks, he had to be a good-looking guy in real life. Plus, [Windchaser] gave him the same vibe his sister did—the aura of someone strong.

Ethan had no idea logging out would send everyone into a spiral of wild guesses.

When he opened his eyes in his luxury private hospital room, he immediately pulled out his phone and called Leo.

On the line, Leo said, "Hey, Ethan—running out of people to spend your money? So you thought of me?"

Ethan let out a helpless laugh. Leo might look straight-laced, but half the time he was all cheek and innuendo.

He cut to the chase: "Didn’t you tell me once you were one solid win away from a promotion?"

Leo groaned. "Ugh, don’t remind me. I’m just a hair short. I’m at the point where I’m wishing an assassin would jump me so I could bag them myself."

"You have no idea—any decent case gets snatched by my rivals!"

"If it comes to it, I’ll have to sell my charms and cave to my lady boss. Ethan, why don’t you help me out? If you show your face, she’ll be putty in your hands!"

Ethan couldn’t be bothered to banter.

"I’ve got a way."

At that, Leo’s voice jumped an octave. "Bro—godfather—please! Help me out and I’ll give you two green-quality weapons I’ve got in Dawnfall Online!"

Ethan sounded unimpressed. "You really think green gear is worthy of me?"

After Leo begged a few more times and promised he’d send Ethan a gift he’d actually like, Ethan finally asked for the address and ID details he needed.

The plan hadn’t even started and Leo was already hyped. "Ethan, once I get promoted, dinner’s on me!"

Ethan hung up, pieced together the info Leo had given him, and posted a clarification thread on the Safe Zone 9527 forum in Dawnfall Online.

With that done, all he had to do was wait for [Overlord] to make his move.

He wasn’t going to fight only in-game. For someone like [Overlord], who was digging into his real-life info and gearing up to hit him in the real world, Ethan intended to strike first—out here.

He took his time with a cup of tea, checked the clock, and logged back into Dawnfall Online.

When [Windchaser] appeared at the Coffin Guild entrance again, the players who’d assumed he’d run for it froze for a second.

Moving like no one else was there, Ethan rolled his neck and pulled a vial from his storage.

The moment the countdown on his watch hit zero, he injected the [Impure Potential Stimulating Potion].

[Impure Potential Stimulating Potion]

[Quality]: Green quality

[Usage Requirement]: Level 6 or higher

[Item Effect]: Temporarily increases the user’s Strength by 2 and Speed by 1 for 90 seconds.

[Note]: Ninety seconds might be fleeting for a man, but for a desperate fight, it’s more than enough.

With the [Stealth Cloak] buff active, Ethan glanced over his stats:

[Strength]: 18 (Gear +3, Potion +2)

[Speed]: 17 (Gear +5, Potion +1)

[Defense]: 10 (Gear +1)

[Energy]: 11

He drew a deep breath. His blade traced a clean arc through the air as he whispered, "Anyone who stands in my way—dies."