Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 740

Chapter 740: A Grand Scheme
The moment they were inside the private room, Ethan’s demeanor shifted completely. The icy mask he’d worn in the square melted away, replaced by a familiar, easy-going grin.

The cloaked Berserker finally threw back his hood, revealing his face.

“Holy hell, Colt?” Leo blurted out, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

Markham had been separated from them in-game until now. Only Ethan knew what class he’d chosen in Ethereal, and none of them knew his character name or had him on their friends list.

“Ethan…” Lyla began, a realization dawning on her.

“Ethan… then what happened before…” Victor said, turning to stare at him.

The others caught on, their eyes fixed on Ethan.

“Meatball has his own mission now,” Ethan said, a hint of mystery in his tone. “For the near future… don’t try to contact him.”

He didn’t elaborate, but the dark cloud that had settled over the group lifted instantly. So, it was all the Boss’s plan. Meatball hadn’t really stormed off in a rage. It was all a setup orchestrated by the man in front of them. He was starting to make his moves.

He must be taking the upcoming new content patch very seriously.

The others didn’t fully understand why Ethan was putting so much weight on this Fortress Wars update. To them, it was just another game expansion. And in the real world, Ethan was already incredibly powerful. He had more gold than he could spend in a lifetime. He had money, power, and beautiful women around him.

Was he now just chasing the thrill of the game?

When they’d first met, Ethan’s promise to them was simple: stick with me, and we’ll live the good life. That promise had been fulfilled a long time ago. Victor and the others were more than satisfied and hadn’t been particularly invested in the Fortress Wars. They figured they had no real rivals left in the Harmony City region. Furthermore, thanks to Celia’s masterful networking, most major guilds in the area had cooperative agreements with the Renegade Alliance. They were all friendly forces.

Even with the new patch, the Renegade Alliance was poised to snag at least half the fortresses around Harmony City—that was the deal Celia had brokered, and it was a conservative estimate. She privately thought they could secure seventy percent, leaving the scraps for the smaller, independent guilds. In fact, she’d even worried that managing seventy percent might stretch their resources thin, as holding fortresses required not just wealth, but manpower. Without enough warm bodies, it was all for nothing.

But Meatball’s “departure” clearly meant he wasn’t joining any guild or team within the Harmony City sphere. No guild there had the pull to poach a core member like Meatball from under their noses.

Which could only mean one thing: Ethan’s current scheme was aimed at Blackridge and Springhaven.

It looked like Ethan… was setting his sights on the entire Northern Frontier region.

A surge of adrenaline coursed through the group, who had grown comfortable and complacent after months of relative peace. They’d been stuck running the same team dungeons day in and day out, just fighting monsters. It had gotten stale.

So… what was Ethan doing here in Blackridge now?

A sense of keen anticipation began to build in the room.

“The information you asked for is all here.”

A strange, high-pitched, child-like voice suddenly cut through their thoughts.

All eyes snapped to the person in the room they didn’t know—the female Rogue who had let them in.

The reactions were varied: surprise, shock, confusion…

Only Ethan wore a pained grin, his body giving an involuntary shudder.

“Ethan… who is this?” Lyla asked quietly. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, she had felt him tremble.

“Guild Master of the Nocturne Order… Xandria,” Ethan managed to get out, his voice tight, as if he were speaking through his nose. He couldn’t stand the dissonance between her appearance and her voice. “The only all-Rogue guild in the Northern Frontier… and its boss.”

When she was silent, she was fine. Or if you only heard the voice, it might be considered cute. Silent, her figure, her sharp features, her demeanor… she absolutely projected the aura of a cool, collected older lady. Every subtle movement, even a frown, carried a graceful, alluring charm. She looked every bit the mature, sophisticated woman—composed and calm.

But…

The moment she opened her mouth, out came this squeaky, baby-doll voice. It was even more high-pitched and childish than Kiara’s, and Kiara was only fourteen. The sheer sensory whiplash was enough to short-circuit most people’s brains. The clash between what their eyes saw and what their ears heard made Ethan’s skin crawl. It was a full-body cringe, complete with goosebumps and raised hairs.

“Xandria? So you’re Xandria…” Victor said, finally placing the name. Even the normally unflappable special forces veteran couldn’t suppress a shiver. He’d heard the name from Celia. Ethan had secretly ordered a team to Blackridge to join the Nocturne Order and help them grind reputation. He’d been curious about the name because this woman’s in-game name was Xandria, and his wife Celia’s name was Tears of the Fallen. But that one moment of vocal whiplash had gotten to him, too.

“Guild Master Xandria,” Markham chimed in, a sly look on his face. “How about you don’t talk? Just use the text chat. We can read the words floating above your head. We’re good with that.” As he spoke, he casually pulled a small, flesh-colored earplug from one ear. He clearly had another one in the other.

“OH, FOR FUCK’S SAKE!” she shrieked, the shrill, babyish tone making the contradiction even more jarring. “I’ve had it with you guys! I give you the best food and drink, and you’re sitting there with these things in your ears? I thought you were just being all aloof and mysterious, ignoring me when I talked to you… And you! Druid God, is it? Is my voice really that disgusting? Do you have to shake like a leaf?”

The moment she saw Markham produce the earplug, Xandria completely lost it. And as her squeaky voice filled the room again, Ethan’s body began to tremble uncontrollably, his knees practically knocking together. He reached out and grabbed Lyla’s shoulder for support, his grip tight.

Of the group, only the three women—Lyla, Evelyn, and Kiara—looked on with mere curiosity. The rest of the men were in various states of distress, much like Ethan.

Well, all except for Markham, who was now comfortably re-plugged. He was the only one smiling, watching his friends’ suffering with a deeply amused, smug look on his face.

“I can’t… I can’t take it. We’re leaving!” Ethan snatched the file folder Xandria had thrown onto the table and stuffed it into his inventory. Then he bolted for the door like his life depended on it.

Victor and the others were hot on his heels, practically trampling each other in their rush to escape.

Markham brought up the rear. He turned and gave a cheerful wave to the fuming Xandria. “See ya!”

Seeing her about to unleash another sonic assault, Markham wisely ducked his head and scrambled out of the room after his friends.