Everyone froze for a moment. No one had expected Ethan to actually come out voluntarily in response to [Daydreamer]'s shout.
[Flying Fish] couldn't help but frown slightly. In a low voice, he said to [Lucas] beside him, "Boss, isn't this player a bit too naive?"
[Lucas] shook his head and replied, "No, it's just the opposite. He's smart. I'm guessing he already hid the purple-quality Intel reward somewhere secure, and only then came out to negotiate with the Coffin Guild players."
Not only [Lucas] thought that—[Daydreamer] had come to the same conclusion.
From his perspective, for Ethan to show himself so boldly in front of so many high-level players could only mean one thing: he had already taken precautions and stashed the purple Intel reward somewhere safe.
So, [Daydreamer] took a deep breath, kept his expression calm, and replied, "Relax, friend. As long as you hand over that purple-quality Intel reward, you'll become one of Coffin Guild's most valued allies."
"But if you insist on going against the Coffin Guild, then in all of Safe Zone 9527, there won't be a single soul who can protect you."
"From then on, you'll be stuck in the safe zone for the rest of your life. The moment you step outside, we'll kill you on sight—every time!"
[Daydreamer] was clever—offering both carrot and stick. For a new player, this moment would surely be filled with panic and pressure.
But when [Daydreamer] looked at Ethan, he was momentarily stunned.
Because he didn't see any trace of panic on Ethan's face. Instead, there was a strange, mocking smile curling on his lips.
Ethan directly took the purple-quality Intel reward out of his [Inventory]. Instantly, a faint violet glow lit up, catching everyone's attention. [Daydreamer] instinctively took a step forward.
Meanwhile, [Flying Fish] and [Lucas] exchanged shocked glances.
[Lucas] opened his mouth wide in disbelief. He couldn't make sense of what Ethan was doing. With a confused expression, he muttered, "He didn't hide the purple-quality Intel reward? What's he trying to do—does he actually plan on just handing it over to Coffin Guild?"
[Lucas] couldn't help but feel anxious. If Ethan really gave the purple-quality Intel reward to the Coffin Guild, then no matter how much money he threw at it, there'd be no way for him to get his hands on it.
[Lucas] immediately shouted toward Ethan, "Wait! Friend, we were the ones who warned you the Coffin Guild people were coming! Why not consider making a deal with me instead?"
"I'm Lucas. I really want that purple-quality Intel reward. Just name your price, and I'll pay you on the spot!"
As soon as he finished speaking, it was [Daydreamer]'s turn to panic. He quickly snapped with a threatening tone:
"Kid, you better think this through. Don't make a decision you'll regret. I can kill you right now—before you manage to close that deal with him!"
Everyone was watching Ethan, waiting for his answer.
Ethan at this moment noticed [Flying Fish] and [Lucas] among the group. He thought for a moment, then said:
"[Lucas], right? I've memorized your ID. You can go back first. After I take care of these people, I'll come find you."
Instantly, [Flying Fish] and [Lucas] widened their eyes, staring at Ethan in disbelief, wondering if they had heard wrong.
On the Coffin Guild's side, [Daydreamer] was a level 10 player, and even had a green-quality dagger. The other eight players were all level 8.
But Ethan? He was a complete newbie player, with no level and no high-quality weapons or gear.
And yet he said he was going to deal with the Coffin Guild players?
[Flying Fish] muttered quietly to himself, "Could this player have mental issues in real life?"
[Lucas] was thinking the same thing at the moment. Even though he was leading [Flying Fish], a level 10 player, along with other players, he wouldn't dare say they could take on the Coffin Guild players.
Although he had a blue-quality longbow, he wasn't skilled in combat.
Meanwhile, [Daydreamer] had already burst out laughing. He rubbed his ear and then said to Ethan:
"Big talk. Looks like you're determined to make enemies of the Coffin Guild?"
"Refuse a toast and you get a punishment drink. When you're begging for mercy later, you'll remember this! The pain of death in Dawnfall Online will make you regret your choice!"
Ethan was speechless hearing this. What did it mean that he was determined to be enemies with Coffin Guild? It was obviously the Coffin Guild who had been acting recklessly from the start!
Taking a deep breath, Ethan looked at the ground between him and the Coffin Guild players. A flash of killing intent passed through his eyes.
He said again to [Flying Fish] and [Lucas], "I've already warned you. Whether you listen is up to you."
[Lucas] stared seriously at Ethan. After about two or three breaths, he said to the others, "Let's go!"
[Flying Fish] immediately grew anxious and hurriedly said, "Boss, you really believe him? If we leave now, we'll never get the chance at that purple-quality Intel reward again."
[Lucas] didn't respond. He recalled Ethan's gaze just now — that cold, confident look felt familiar.
While thinking, he remembered that he had seen this kind of look on his sister Emma.
His sister Emma had started from nothing and became the youngest tycoon, owning multiple publicly traded companies, and she was only twenty-six now!
[Lucas] decided to trust Ethan this once!
Soon, [Lucas] led [Flying Fish] and the others out from the third underground level of Frostspire Tower, stepping outside. Then Lucas stopped.
Outside, [Flying Fish] couldn't help but say, "Boss, what are we waiting for? That player with the purple-quality Intel reward will definitely hand it over to [Daydreamer]."
[Lucas] hesitated for a moment. Now he was starting to doubt whether he had misread Ethan's gaze earlier and was just imagining things.
[Lucas] sighed and slowly said, "Sigh, let's go back for now."
At this moment, on the third underground level of Frostspire Tower, only Ethan, [Daydreamer], and the other eight Coffin Guild players remained.
[Daydreamer] greedily stared at the purple-quality Intel reward in Ethan's hand, licking the corner of his mouth.
Seeing this, Ethan gently shook the purple-quality Intel reward in his hand. He needed [Daydreamer] to come a little closer.
Soon, blinded by the purple-quality Intel reward, [Daydreamer] didn't notice anything unusual. He led the other eight players, spreading out in a fan shape to surround Ethan, then slowly closed in.
Just then, Ethan suddenly took a step back and tapped on the nearby wall. Instantly, a square screen appeared on the wall.
Then Ethan's fingers quickly tapped several times.
The Coffin Guild players saw this scene but had no idea what Ethan was doing.
While they were puzzled, the ground began to shake violently. A cylindrical glass container rose directly from the ground, appearing among the Coffin Guild players.
[Daydreamer] was the first to realize something was wrong. Frostspire Tower was just a beginner leveling area. When he was low level, he had come here too.
When had a cylindrical glass container ever been hidden here? And how did this new player Ethan even know about it?
[Daydreamer] instinctively wanted to speak but stopped himself as a faint strange sound made him close his mouth.
Countless tiny cracks suddenly appeared all over the surface of the glass container in the crowd.
The next moment, the glass container shattered violently, splashing liquid everywhere. A monster nearly three meters tall appeared before everyone, its upper body bare, and with a human face on each side of its chest.
[Daydreamer] was terrified by this sudden change. He took two steps back and shouted:
"What kind of monster is that?"
No one answered him, because even Ethan didn't know what kind of monster this was.
The monster with three human faces slowly opened its eyes. Its six eyes stared intensely at everyone present, filled with a desire to kill.
At that moment, Ethan had already quietly hidden himself. Using the Frostspire Tower's structural blueprints, he crawled directly into a ventilation duct.