Chương 48: Coup

Ethan's sword blurred through the air in a deadly arc. The snake was already in motion. Unable to retreat now, and Ethan was ready to make it pay. Steel met scale, but unlike what he expected, it wasn't clean. It twisted mid-lunge, its body bending in a way that is only possible for a snake. Ethan's blade scraped along its side, carving a shallow line instead of biting deep.

The creature hit the ground and immediately flowed into motion, its long body sliding across the rock in a wide arc, as it circled away far faster than Ethan expected. Ethan adjusted his stance, tracking it. The snake turned back to him, its massive body coiling on itself, its body compressing as it raised the front third of itself off the ground. Its head rising until it was the same height as Ethan. Ethan took a step forward, ready to follow up. But [Keen Sense] warned him off.

Its tail lashed out from below, aimed straight for Ethan's midsection. The end caught the sun, black as shadow and barbed. He reacted quickly, turning his body and letting the blow slam into his side. The impact thudded against his armor, forcing him half a step across the stone, but it didn't break his stance. [Steadfast] held. And the tail slipped off his armor and to the side. Ethan reset instantly, sword already moving as he stepped into range, aiming a horizontal cut toward its body.

The snake withdrew just in time, its form slipping backward with unsettling speed before darting forward again from a different angle. The head snapped toward his shoulder, forcing Ethan to react, but the real attack came a fraction later. Its body surged in behind the feint, attempting to wrap around his body and drag him off balance. Ethan shifted hard, planting his foot and twisting his hips. He avoided the bite but its body wrapped around him, he felt it constrict as it applied pressure to his armor.

Ethan released his sword, which was stuck between it and his armor. His hand had clamped just below its head. And he yanked hard, activating [Mana infusion] to give him the extra strength. But even without it, he would have been strong enough. As it was, the snake ripped free from his body and flew through the air, smashing into the rock wall.

"Clever," Ethan muttered, gripping his sword again. Ethan rolled his shoulders slightly and let mana flow through his body. Giving the skill a constant trickle instead of large bursts. [Mana Infusion] settled into him like a steady current, reinforcing his muscles. The snake struck again and Ethan stepped forward to meet it, letting the bite glance off his shoulder plate before countering with a tight upward slash.

The blade clipped the side of its head, drawing a line of blood, but again the creature twisted away before he could follow through. Despite the snake's size, it was fast. And reacted instantly when it felt his blade press against it. Ethan exhaled slowly. He had seen enough. It wasn't exactly a powerful monster, probably under level twenty. Its venom would make it dangerous for others but with Ethan's colossus armor, it couldn't make a dent. The snake coiled again, raising itself to nearly chest height.

Its body tensed, every muscle tightening as it prepared to strike. Ethan half expected it to try and stab him with its tail again. Ethan lowered his stance slightly and let his grip tighten on the sword.

"Alright," he spoke up.

"Get to it then." The snake launched forward, committing fully. At the last possible moment, mana surged violently from his core. He dumped a large amount into [Mana Infusion], forcing it through his body in one overwhelming pulse. His muscles screamed as the energy flooded through them, amplifying his strength and speed beyond their limits. He struggled to keep up with the added speed of his attack, so instead, he predicted the movements.

He shifted just enough so the snake's bite slid across his armor instead of landing cleanly. At the same time, his body turned with the motion, and his sword came up from below in a brutal rising arc. This time, the snake couldn't escape. The blade cut cleanly through its neck. There was no resistance, Ethan wasn't even sure if he connected until he looked up. The head separated and dropped by his feet, momentum carrying the body forward before it collapsed into a violent thrashing heap a few yards away.

Ethan stepped back, watching as the coils slammed against the rock, then gradually slowed. He stood there for a moment, letting the mana fade from his body as the strain settled into his muscles and his skills deactivated. Ethan looked down at the corpse and let out a slow breath. All things considered, it was a good test. He at least got to use his armor. Get a feel for it and test how strong it was against piercing and crushing attacks. Safe to say, it held up extremely well.

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"Yeah," he muttered.

"This is definitely more like it." He smiled, as he read through the notifications. Skill leveled [Mana Infusion Lv. 2] Skill leveled [Keen Sense Lv. 7] You have defeated [Speartail Snake Lv. 18] Ethan dismissed the notifications with a quiet exhale. The gains were solid. A few more levels in his skills, showing him that his practice with [Mana Infusion] was tracking well. He had also been right. The snake wasn't over level twenty. Ethan looked down at the corpse for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

The adrenaline had already begun to fade, leaving behind the practical side of things. He sheathed his sword and stepped forward, grabbing the body just behind the headless neck. With a firm lift, he hauled it up and slung it over his shoulders.

"Yeah… probably should've thought this through," he muttered. In his excitement to test the armor, he had left everything behind. No pack, no tools, nothing to properly harvest or store materials. Just him, his armor, and his sword. Still, it was worth it. But he could have just taken the venom and left the rest. That was what he had done with most of the creatures he hunted. However, he wasn't too upset at having to carry the snake back.

At least now, someone would be able to harvest its entire body, including the meat. With it being under level twenty, the body wouldn't be too saturated with mana. That meant it was still edible for normal people without causing issues. In a place like Highrocks, where refugees were still pouring in daily, it should help. Even if it was just a little bit. Ethan adjusted the weight on his shoulders, gripping the body more securely as he turned back toward the path he had climbed. Then he started his descent.

Behind him, the snake dragged along the stone. A trail of blood marked his path. —~~— Armon's life had turned to shit. He sat behind his desk, staring down at the now-decoded letter that had caused far more problems than it had solved. When it had first arrived, it may as well have been written in another language. It had taken his secretary far too long to break it down into something readable, and by the time they had, half of it was already things he knew. That didn't make it any less concerning.

Mountford was at capacity. People kept arriving, and there was nowhere to put them. Housing had run out days ago. Food was being stretched thin. Water was becoming a serious concern. Every system they had in place was under strain, and the only reason the entire settlement hadn't collapsed was because of the trade classes. People who gained experience from feeding others, from building, from organizing. Without them, Mountford would have fallen apart weeks ago.

Armon leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face. He had already known something was wrong before the letter arrived. The rate of arrivals had been increasing steadily, but now it had spiked to a point that couldn't be ignored. Every bit of information they had gathered pointed toward the same conclusion. All of humanity was entering the trials. The scale of that was absurd.

If the level hadn't been as massive as it was, if people weren't forced to move on after a certain amount of time, things would have already spiraled beyond recovery. As it stood, they were barely holding things together. And somehow, that wasn't the worst of it. Armon let out a dry laugh. Because on top of all of that, his own vice guild leader had decided this was the perfect moment to try and overthrow him.

"Unbelievable…" he muttered. Desmond's timing couldn't have been worse if he had tried. The man wasn't stupid—far from it—but this? This was idiotic. Starting a power struggle now, when everything was already on the verge of collapse, was the kind of decision only a mad man would make. Worse still, Desmond hadn't acted alone. He had been gathering support. Building a faction within the guild. And now Armon wasn't even sure if he could shut it down cleanly. Not for the first time, Armon seriously considered leaving.

He could step into the mirage. Push forward. Move on to the second level and leave all of this behind. It would be easier. But the idea left a bitter taste in his mouth. Before he could dwell on it further, a soft knock broke the silence. Armon's gaze shifted to the door.

"Enter." The door creaked open, and Jessie stepped inside. She closed it quietly behind her, her posture straight but her expression tense.

"Sir, we seem to have a problem." Armon let out a slow breath, already tired of the conversation before it had begun.

"What now? More arrivals?" Jessie shook her head.

"No. Desmond is demanding your presence in the main foyer." Armon paused. Then he let out a short laugh.

"So it's come to that, has it?" Jessie hesitated slightly before stepping closer.

"Will you be alright, sir?" Armon leaned back in his chair again, the faintest smile pulling at his lips.

"There's a reason I'm the guild leader," he said, "and not him." He pushed himself to his feet.

"Don't worry about me, Jessie." She nodded, though the concern didn't leave her expression.

"Okay, sir." Armon straightened his robes, his mind already shifting gears. The situation had finally moved from tension to action. And if Desmond wanted to force the issue then Armon would have to remind everyone that he was the strongest. Perhaps on this entire level, if the news about the Broken Dawns guild master was to be believed. So Armon exited his office, and he walked the hallway, Jessie in his shadow. The guild had changed a lot since he took over.

Their influence on level one had grown second only to the Broken Dawns. However, you wouldn't know it by how many people walked the halls. They were empty. He pushed open the door to the main foyer. And tsked. No wonder they were empty. It seemed everyone was here. The branch for Mountford held hundreds of guild members, with the numbers growing by the day. And right now, they were all jammed into the hall. Standing around the edges with Desmond sitting on a bench in the middle.

"Welcome," he stated, spreading his hands wide.

"What's the meaning of this?" Armon questioned, even though he knew the answer.

"This here?" Desmond asked.

"Well I guess you could say, this is a remanagement meeting." He stood, dusting his hands.

"And it appears, you're out."