Seeing Ethan standing right behind him left the player with no other choice. If he didn’t talk, Ethan would kill him.
The city street was too open, and Ethan was worried someone might see him interrogating the man. The best option was to talk in an alley.
Without wasting time, Ethan dragged him off the main street and into a narrow alley. There, no one would hear their conversation.
"This is better," Ethan said.
He pushed the man to the ground, keeping his sword—Flamefang—pointed at him. The man trembled in fear, panicking, unsure what to do.
"W-What do you want?" the man stammered.
"You’re the gravedigger for them. Tell me, who were the victims?" Ethan asked.
"They were beginners, most of them players under level 18."
"There’s a chance the killer’s around level 19, meaning he can’t attack higher-level players," Ethan explained.
"What’s their class?"
"Warrior, Assassin, Archer. Those are the only ones I know."
"Gender?"
"Male and female."
"What kind of wounds did they have?" Ethan asked.
"Bruises, cuts... that’s all."
"Oh, all the victims had stab wounds," the man added quickly.
Ethan absorbed all the information and began piecing together the killer’s pattern. Three classes, players under level 18, stab wounds, bruises, and slashes.
Only an assassin would do something like that. No doubt about it.
Ethan sheathed his sword and let the man run away. At least now, with the information he’d gotten, Ethan had a good idea who the next target might be.
"KYAAA!"
A sharp scream echoed from somewhere inside the city. Ethan narrowed his eyes—it wasn’t an ordinary scream.
With a powerful leap, he landed on a rooftop and sprinted toward the source of the sound. It was loud enough that he knew it had to be close.
It wasn’t coming from the main street but from one of the alleys. There were many alleys in the city, but luckily, the scream had come from nearby.
No mistake about it. That was a victim’s scream!
Ethan stopped and looked down. In the alley below, two people were fighting—a female archer and a man wielding daggers, cloaked in black.
Ethan’s eyes widened. He summoned his sword and jumped down hard, surprising both of them. The man in the black hood panicked and bolted.
"Ethan?!" the woman gasped.
"Go to the city center—it’s safer there," Ethan ordered.
He dashed off to chase the fleeing killer. There was no doubt now—the player with the daggers and black cloak was the serial killer who had tried to frame him.
Because of their difference in power, Ethan caught up easily. He slashed off the man’s arms and legs, making him scream in agony.
"AAAKKKKH!"
"You?! Why did you set me up?" Ethan shouted.
He yanked off the black hood covering the man’s face. It was RuskStephen13—the player who had freed from the Red Notice.
"You’re RuskStephen13? An assassin committing murders. I’m not even surprised," Ethan said coldly.
"HAHA! You might’ve caught me, but the Great Lord already knows about you," Stephen sneered.
"The Great Lord?" Ethan narrowed his eyes.
Stephen’s HP was dropping fast. He couldn’t fight back anymore—his life was hanging by a thread.
"I did it! I completed my task!"
"No. You failed. Everyone will know you’re the murderer," Ethan said.
"You’re wrong."
"That woman... she’s my partner," Stephen said with a weak grin.
Ethan froze in shock. Then came the sound of shouting from behind him—dozens of players were rushing over, following the archer woman’s cry.
"He’s going to kill Stephen! Catch that murdering monster!" another player yelled.
Without hesitation, filled with anger and hatred, the players charged through the main street toward Ethan.
"HAHAHA!"
"You can’t run, Ethan! Face your fate—everyone hates you now!" Stephen screamed.
Ethan was cornered. If he fought them, there would be casualties—people might die. He didn’t want that.
But he felt betrayed. His trust in them shattered completely. Their hatred blinded them—they refused to see the truth.
"Looks like you’re not afraid to die, Stephen."
Ethan raised Flamefang and drove it straight into Stephen’s stomach. Stephen screamed, the pain ripping through his body.
"Let him go, Ethan!" one of the players shouted.
"Stephen set me up! He’s the one behind the murders—he framed me for everything!" Ethan snapped.
"Are you stupid? If Stephen did it, his PK status would’ve shown up!"
"Really? Then let’s hear it from him."
Ethan twisted his sword, making Stephen cry out again. Stephen’s HP was in the red, but he still refused to say a word.
"You’re not gonna talk, huh, bastard?!" Ethan yelled.
"Screw you... The Great Lord is angry at you," Stephen hissed.
"The forest on the eastern cliff. You killed his sister!" Stephen spat.
Ethan’s eyes went wide. He hadn’t expected anyone to know that. He really had killed them—but only to complete the Talent Quest. If he hadn’t done it, he would’ve died.
"I had no choice."
"Too late. They’ve already set their sights on you," Stephen said with a twisted smile.
"How are Eve and Juno doing?"
Ethan’s eyes snapped open. He yanked his sword free and hurled Stephen’s body toward the crowd of players. They caught Stephen, but failed to stop Ethan.
He dashed into the maze of alleys, running as fast as he could. His destination—the inn. He had to save Eve and Juno.
Damn it! Why are they targeting Eve and Juno? Who the hell are they?!
When he reached the city center, Ethan swung his sword forward to clear the path, cutting through players who blocked his way.
Through his eyes, he could already see the inn—but his heart dropped when he noticed shattered windows and blood stains on the curtains.
No way!
Ethan sprinted inside, racing up to the second floor. He kicked open Eve and Juno’s room—and froze.
His eyes burned with rage at the sight. Eve and Juno lay dead on the bed, eyes wide open, three swords stabbed into their stomachs, soaking the sheets red.
"W-What... happened?" Ethan whispered.
His fists clenched tight, filled with anger and grief at what had happened to them. He leaped out of the room and landed hard on the main street.
A crowd of players surrounded him, blocking every escape.
"Eve and Juno were murdered by Ethan!" someone shouted.
The players looked stunned, shocked that Ethan could do something so cruel—especially to the two women who had fought by his side.
"ETHAN!"
"You’ve gone too far!" one of them yelled.
"I didn’t kill them—or the players before!" Ethan said coldly, his voice firm.
"Give me Stephen, and I’ll spare all your lives!"