"This place is a wasteland of rubble and decay.” A woman with purple hair gazed at the ruins with disgust and anger.

The bald man beside her shrugged. “Yeah, I know, Diana. But what did you expect? It’s been years since the gate break.” He looked around, seeing nothing but demolished buildings, algae-covered bricks, and concrete chunks.

“Okay, Diana, James, stop wasting time and get to your positions.” Brock ordered them quickly. He checked his watch and scanned the horizon for any sign of movement.

“Why are you worrying so much, leader?” Diana asked casually. She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger and smiled wickedly. “We have everything under control.”

James nodded and flexed his muscles. “Yeah, leader, don’t worry too much. I alone am enough for him.” He cracked his knuckles and grinned.

Brock rolled his eyes and shouted. “Shut up and get to your positions!” He couldn’t stand their carelessness. They were dealing with Ethan, and their guildmaster considered him a dangerous man. He had to make sure everything went according to plan.

“Okay, okay. Don’t shout.” Diana and James said in unison. They moved to their assigned spots and hid behind the rubble.

Brock looked at his members who were at their positions and ready to ambush. He spoke into his earpiece. “You all remember the plan, right?”

“Yes sir,” all members replied.

“Good. Now, hide and wait for Ethan’s car.” Brock said and switched off his earpiece. He hoped they would succeed.

Soon, Brock saw a car approaching the area and signaled his members to start the plan.

The plan was simple but deadly. As soon as the car came in the range of their target, Diana would cast a fireball while the other five mages would support her. This much would not kill him, but surely he would get badly injured. Then, the assassins would quickly finish him off. Even if the plan went awry, Brock was confident to deal with him as his team was one of the rising known hunting teams, and he himself was a B rank swordsman.

The plan went as they as they had hoped. Ethan’s car was bombarded by fireballs and smashed into the ruins. The debris collapsed on top of it, creating a cloud of dust and smoke.

Brock gestured the assassins to go, and they quickly rushed towards the car. But as they got closer, they were overwhelmed by a bloodthirsty presence and retreated in horror. However, one of them was too slow and felt a sudden grip around his neck.

“Haa…this is something new. I hadn’t expected such an attack on me.” Ethan emerged from the wreckage holding the neck of the assassin.

He snatched the dagger from his prey and stabbed him in the neck. He turned to Brock and sneered, “Is this the best you could do?”

[You have killed a humanoid species]

[Blood hunt had actived]

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

[Bloodbath has activated]

[Your hunting speed has increased]

[Your pain tolerance and regenerative ability have increased]

[Bloodbath] [Unique]

'As you face more blood, you will numb to pain and heal quickly'

☆ Duration: 40 minutes

☆ Cooldown: 8 hours

Brock stepped back as he noticed the red color in Ethan’s eyes and his expression, which showed he was having fun. He felt a chill run down his spine. But he, somehow, composed himself and ordered.

"Mages cast debuff and spells, tanks and assassins get in formation."

The team quickly got in positions and launched an attack on Ethan, hoping to finish him.

But Ethan was not an easy target. He dodged the spells and debuffs that flew towards him, using his enhanced speed and reflexes. He grinned as he saw the fear and frustration in his enemies’ faces. He was enjoying this game of cat and mouse.

He decided to make his move. He dashed towards the nearest tank, who raised his shield to block him. Ethan slammed his fist into the shield, pushing it away. He then grabbed the tank by the neck and threw him in air, where he was hit by a barrage of friendly fire.

The other tank tried to stab Ethan from behind, but Ethan sensed his presence and spun around, kicking him in the chest. He then snatched his sword and stabbed him in the heart, killing him instantly.

The assassins saw their chance and jumped on Ethan, trying to stab him with their daggers. Ethan fought them off, using his sword and his bare hands. He slashed one of them across the throat, breaking his windpipe. He snapped the other one’s neck, ending his life.

"Remember this Brock if you failed to kill him quickly then retreat as soon as possible."

"Why, sir?"

Brock remembered the conversation he had with Stephen before the mission.

"Because he is a monster. If you can't finish him quickly, then he will devour you."

Brock understood Stephen's words as he looked at Ethan, massacring his team.

He turned towards mages and rushed at them. They unleashed their most powerful spells, hoping to overwhelm Ethan. However, he took it head-on.

[Bloodbath has recovered your health]

[Bloodbath has recovered your health]

His complete body was covered in blood, but he seemed as if he was having fun.

"Is it my turn now?" He said, raising his arm, "Blood- claw. "

Three claw shaped crimson projectiles launched towards the mages, killing most of them.

"You bastard." James could not contain himself as he watched Diana death and charged at Ethan with all his might.

However, Ethan swiftly dodged him and cut off his neck. He tried to move towards other players but was stopped by a swordsman.

"Everyone retreat while I stop him." Brock didn't want to lose another member, so he stood in front of Ethan pointing his sword at him.

Ethan found his bravery interesting and swung his sword. He had thought that he would finish Brock off in one strike, but Brock was stronger than his expectations.

Brock blocked Ethan’s sword with his own, sparks flying from the impact. He felt a surge of pain in his arm, but he gritted his teeth and pushed back. He knew he was no match for Ethan in terms of strength, but he had to buy some time for his teammates to escape.

“Damn you, you monster!” Brock shouted, swinging his sword at Ethan’s head. Ethan easily parried the attack and countered with a kick to Brock's chest. Brock stumbled back, coughing up blood.

"It seems B rank players are stronger than expected." Ethan said in a relaxed manner, swinging his sword at Brock.

“You are also a lot stronger than expected.” Brock said as his sword clashed with Ethan’s. He was surprised by Ethan’s power and speed. He wondered how he could be so strong, even though he was not even a proper player.

Brock tried to find an opening in Ethan’s defense, but he couldn’t. Ethan was too fast and agile. He dodged and blocked every attack that Brock threw at him. He seemed to anticipate Brock's moves and counter them with ease. He was playing with Brock, like a cat with a mouse.

Brock felt his stamina draining. He knew he couldn’t keep up with Ethan for long. He looked at his teammates and saw that they were almost out of Ethan’s range. He hoped they would make it to safety. He decided to make one last desperate attempt to injure Ethan. He activated his skill [Aura blade] and infused a blue energy to his sword.

Ethan saw Brock's sword glowing with blue light. He recognized the skill as one of the rare ones that could increase the speed and strength of the user. He smirked and decided to accept the challenge. He activated his own skill, [Blood Rage], and increased his attack and defense. He met Brock's sword with his own, creating a loud clash.

The two swords collided, creating a shockwave that shook the ground. The blue and the red energies clashed, creating sparks and flames. Brock felt a surge of pain in his arm, as if his sword was being pushed back by a stronger force. He looked at Ethan and saw that he was smiling.

“Let’s finish this.” Ethan said, pushing his sword harder. He overpowered Brock and broke his sword. He stabbed Brock in the chest, piercing his heart.

Brock felt his life fading away. He looked at Ethan with a mix of anger and regret and said.

“You truly are a monster, but…” Brock looked at his teammates who had managed to get away and felt relief, “at least they are safe now.”

"What is your name?" Ethan asked out of respect for his bravery.

"It's Brock Morrison." Brock weakly replied before closing his eyes.

Ethan looked at Brock's corpse and felt a little respect for him. He looked around and saw that the other players had fled, and the butler was coming from behind a building.

The butler approached Ethan and asked nervously, "Young master are you alright?"

"Bennet, I think it would be okay to stay a few more days." Ethan thought for a moment before replying in a mysterious tone.