CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: PLEASE, I WAS WRONG

The frost field created by [Frostheart] lasts eight seconds and spans an eight-meter radius.

Ethan didn’t have much time left—[Overlord] knew that perfectly well, which is why he sounded so sure of himself.

But as far as Ethan was concerned, it was [Overlord] who was running out of time.

Watching [Overlord] act like the win was already in the bag, Ethan gave a dismissive smirk and said, almost casually:

"Idiot."

The instant the word left his mouth, Ethan hurled [Frostheart] forward.

With a Strength stat of 18, even a casual toss of something with a bit of heft will fly well past eight meters.

Who says that once you use [Frostheart] you have to keep it on you? Why not hurl it into the densest cluster of enemies in the last second or two and make them pay even more?

So, under [Overlord]’s stunned gaze, [Frostheart] landed neatly at his feet.

The dazzling blue glow blazing from [Frostheart] snapped into a blinding white, and a split second later a deafening boom tore through the air, the ground shaking nonstop.

Every onlooker froze like someone had hit pause—standing stock-still, eyes wide, locked on the blast zone.

When [Overlord] announced that the item in [Windchaser]’s hand was going to explode and they just had to keep him from getting close to end the fight, everyone else bought it too.

No one imagined that an item in Dawnfall Online could be chucked like a real grenade right before detonation to deal devastating damage.

As the smoke from the blast slowly thinned, Ethan, [Frostblade] in hand, strode into [Frostheart]’s blast radius like a reaper harvesting lives.

As a single-use, Blue-quality item, [Frostheart] is downright impressive in the early game.

Anyone from Coffin Guild caught in the blast with a slightly lower level dropped dead on the spot. Even the higher-level, tankier players weren’t much better off—missing an arm or a leg and screaming in agony.

The few Coffin Guild members who weren’t in the blast radius had the will to fight blasted right out of them. They just stood there, stunned, not daring to move.

Amid the bodies, severed limbs, and blood, Ethan snapped the gore from [Frostblade], revealing a blade as smooth as a mirror. Then he walked, step by step, toward the center of the explosion.

[Overlord] still clung to a sliver of life. He was the Guild Leader of Coffin Guild, after all—his gear was a cut above the average player’s.

But he’d been at ground zero, even if it hadn’t killed him outright, he wasn’t going to last long.

He blinked hard, trying to get the blood on his brow to run off and clear his vision. When he saw [Windchaser] coming with that long blade in hand, despair and fury twisted his face.

Both of [Overlord]’s arms had been blown off. Lying on the ground, he tried again and again to force himself up, refusing to accept it.

After countless attempts, he realized all he could do was press his forehead to the dirt and inch himself upright, little by little, until he managed to kneel.

The old him would never have debased himself like this. But times had changed. Coffin Guild’s fate now rested entirely in [Windchaser]’s hands.

He had poured endless sweat, time, energy, and money into building Coffin Guild, it carried all his hopes.

If he could just get Coffin Guild to surge ahead in Dawnfall Online, he could seize his chance—change his life, and gain even more power to control, command, and exploit others.

Coffin Guild could not be destroyed. Absolutely not.

[Overlord] kept his head down, not daring to look at Ethan. Blood ran from his brow, traced the bridge of his nose, and slipped into his mouth—bitter as bile.

He forced his voice as meek as he could, pleading slowly:

"I’m sorry. I was wrong—truly wrong. Coffin Guild is my life’s work. It can’t be destroyed."

"Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you."

"I’ll pay you. I’ll compensate you. I’ll even issue a public apology."

"You’re not a rapist, not a pedophile. You’re a good man—I can clear your name! I really know I was wrong. Please, forgive me."

"I..."

[Overlord] was about to say more when a long blade, polished to a mirror sheen, slowly slid into his downcast gaze.

[Overlord] blinked, lost, unsure what [Windchaser] meant to do.

Just as unease gripped him, [Windchaser] tossed a healing item down in front of him.

He heard [Windchaser] say, slow and calm, "Go on—use it. At this rate, you’ll die."

A jolt of wild joy shot through [Overlord]. The corners of his mouth curled upward. He hadn’t expected [Windchaser] to actually be moved.

Idiot.

Give him a little time and he’d rebuild Coffin Guild. Then he’d pay today’s humiliation and pain back a hundredfold—no, a thousandfold—to [Windchaser].

He would remember this day for the rest of his life.

As [Overlord] tried to pick up the healing item with his teeth, Ethan’s voice drifted over again:

"Didn’t you think your acting was pretty good?"

"Just now, your eyes were seething with malice and spite."

[Overlord] went rigid. He hurriedly lifted his head, arranging the most pitiful expression he could muster. "You’re mistaken. I really do know I was wrong. I won’t dare oppose you again."

Ethan didn’t say a word. He gave the [Frostblade] in his hand a slight flick, its mirror-smooth surface reflecting [Overlord]’s panic-stricken face with crystal clarity.

Spare the enemy?

Feel pity for his miserable state and let him go?

Only a fool would do that.

Ethan knew perfectly well that showing even a shred of mercy now wouldn’t earn respect—it would only invite [Overlord]’s revenge. If you’re going to take an enemy down, be ruthless. Pull the weeds up by the roots. That’s how you make revenge complete.

He didn’t just want to kill the man—he wanted to crush his spirit.

Ethan slowly bent down and reached out.

[Overlord] had no idea what Ethan intended. In his dazed gaze, Ethan grabbed him by the hair and used a healing item on him.

[Overlord] was about to say thank you.

But Ethan didn’t let go. Once he’d made sure [Overlord] wouldn’t die right away, he lifted him by the hair and dragged him toward the Coffin Guild’s banner.

The sight alone dampened the wails of the nearby Coffin Guild players.

Their once high-and-mighty Guild Leader, the man who barked orders at them every day, now hung like a dead dog in someone else’s grip, utterly helpless.

Many onlookers couldn’t help showing a trace of sympathy, whispering:

"This [Windchaser] is too cruel. He already won—why humiliate [Overlord] like this?"

"Right? This is over the line. [Overlord] is really pitiful."

"[Windchaser] is a rapist, a pedophile—obviously a freak. Of course he’d do something like this!"

"Did you hear what [Overlord] said just now? He said he could clear [Windchaser]’s name. Does that mean..."

Some people sensed something was off, but as they watched [Windchaser] slowly drag the still-struggling [Overlord] toward the guild’s banner, they couldn’t help thinking he couldn’t possibly be a good person.

Ethan couldn’t care less whether anyone thought he was a good person. He’d rather they see him as a cruel bastard and keep their distance.

A good guy?

Anyone can claim to be one. He certainly wasn’t.

Without a flicker of hesitation, under [Overlord]’s spiteful, unyielding stare, Ethan brought his blade down and sliced the Coffin Guild’s banner clean in two.

He glanced at [Overlord], whose face had gone ashen, like a man who’d lost everything. Then he ground the Coffin Guild’s banner under his heel.

His cool gaze swept the players around him—an amped-up [Tank], a beaming [Lucas], and the rest.

Ethan said evenly, "Coffin Guild is hereby erased."

"As for those threads about me on the forums—they’re all malicious smears. The truth will come out soon."

[Overlord] heard him and his eyes flickered. He looked at the banner under Ethan’s boot, then at Ethan’s back.

He bit down on his lip until his mouth filled with bitter blood, and in a voice only he could hear, he kept muttering:

"No matter who you are, I’ll kill you."

"I’ll kill you."

"I’ll kill you."

He didn’t realize that Ethan, still facing away, turned to glance at him just then, mockery in his eyes.

Ethan stowed the longsword in his inventory and headed toward [Lucas].

[Lucas] was over the moon. Before Ethan even reached him, he rushed up and blurted:

"Amazing! Absolutely insane! You wiped out Coffin Guild all by yourself!"

"After today, every player’s gonna be talking about what you did."

"But that also means [Overlord] won’t let it go. Bro, you’d better stay in for a few days—lay low if you can."