Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!-Chapter 128: The Depths of the Unknown

In Ethereal, anyone who had never tasted death wasn’t a true expert. Dying in PvP battles, treasure hunts, or high-risk adventures—it was inevitable.

If a player had never died and had only grinded levels by farming monsters, even if they reached Rank 1 on the Leaderboards, even if they were the highest-level player in the world, to real veterans?

They were still a rookie.

True elites had forged their skills through countless deaths, refining their own unique combat styles through pain and experience.

Right now, Ethan was six meters away from one of the Armored Beetle Elites. Suddenly, the creature stopped moving underground. Then, with a sharp twist, it burst out of the ground, turning its massive body toward Ethan’s position.

He remained perfectly still.

His black panther form was pressed tightly against the cavern wall, swallowed by the shadows. It was a near-perfect hiding spot.

Ethan held his breath. His muscles tensed.

But then—

The beetle spread its armored shell, letting out a sharp, high-pitched screech. A swarm of tiny insects erupted from its body, surging toward him.

"Shit. I’ve been spotted!"

Ethan sprang to his feet.

Instantly, the insect swarm engulfed him, their bites leaving behind a flurry of tiny damage numbers—

-1, -1, -1…

Hundreds of tiny hits chipped away at his health.

Without hesitation, Ethan cast—

[Tree Form] → [Rejuvenation] + [Wild Growth]

Two instant-cast healing skills kicked in, granting him steady HP regeneration.

But it wasn’t over.

The other three Armored Beetle Elites had surfaced as well, charging straight for him. The first beetle slammed its razor-sharp beak into the ground, a spike of rock shot toward Ethan’s feet.

He felt the stone beneath him shift, danger surged through his instincts. With a flicker of thought, he reverted to panther form and activated the Dark Gold boots’ skill—[Leap].

[Leap]

Increases jump height by 300%

Duration: 10 seconds

Cooldown: 10 minutes

His hind legs coiled, and with a powerful push, he shot upward, soaring nearly four meters into the air. But that wasn’t high enough.

For these massive beetles, four meters only brought him level with their backs. Without missing a beat, Ethan triggered his boots’ second skill—

[Double Jump].

Before [Leap] expired, he kicked off the air, gaining another four meters, and soared clean over the beetle’s head. The moment Ethan landed, the beetle spun around, and the other three rushed at him.

[Swift Stride] activated—

+70% movement speed

Duration: 15 seconds

Cooldown: 5 minutes

Ethan’s body blurred, dashing away at impossible speed. The four massive beetles crashed into each other—

BANG!

Their sheer size and weight sent them tumbling backward, landing on their backs with all four legs flailing helplessly.

For a moment, they were completely helpless. Unfortunately, their enormous bodies had nearly blocked off the entire cavern path.

Ethan took advantage of his boosted speed, his movement was now over 200% faster than normal—weaving through the narrow gaps between them.

The swarm of insects still clung to his body, continuously draining his HP. But thanks to his two regeneration spells, his health remained stable. Without those, he would have already been eaten alive.

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Ethan’s health had dropped to just 10% by the time he reached the water’s edge. One of the Armored Beetle Elites had already flipped back onto its feet, and in the next instant, it spat a stream of venom straight at him.

Ethan leaped aside, barely dodging, before diving headfirst into the water.

Splash!

Water erupted into the air as he plunged deep beneath the surface.

The tiny insects that had been swarming him scattered instantly. Some reacted too slowly and were dragged underwater, their tiny bodies twitching for a moment before they floated lifelessly to the surface.

Meanwhile, the four beetles lingered at the water’s edge, circling for a while before finally deciding against following him in. One by one, they burrowed back underground, disappearing into the earth.

Ethan exhaled sharply, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Damn… that was close."

If it weren’t for his Dark Gold boots, he wouldn’t have even considered coming here. Those boots had single-handedly covered his biggest weakness here, mobility.

Now that he was submerged, he activated Travel Form—his body shifted into the sleek form of a Seal, and he dove deeper into the depths.

The water was murky, and despite the vision boost from Seal Form, it was still hard to see anything clearly. The currents here were strong, constantly shifting the flow of water. Even with his improved swimming abilities, keeping his balance was difficult, every time he stopped moving, he felt himself being dragged backward.

After stabilizing his posture, Ethan took a moment to observe his surroundings.

No monsters in sight…

That was a good sign.

In his past life, he had visited this place before, but by then, the game was already deep into the late stages. By that point, this area had been explored countless times.

One of the core mechanics of Ethereal was that many locations were incredibly dangerous on a player’s first visit. These areas often had hidden guardian monsters that never respawned after being defeated.

He wasn’t sure if this place had one.

After ten minutes of swimming, Ethan finally spotted a faint glow up ahead. As he got closer, he realized—It was coming from a Silver-Tier Treasure Chest, wedged into the rocky wall. He had heard rumors about an unlocked chest hidden here, and it looked like he had finally found it.

Reaching out, Ethan flipped the lid open and rummaged inside. His fingers brushed against something smooth.

He pulled it out—a Skill Book.

His eyes lit up when he checked the details. It was a finishing move for Panther Form—[Rend].

[Rend]

Finishing Move – Inflicts Bleed Damage over time. The more Energy Points consumed, the longer the effect lasts.

1 Energy Point: Deals 200% total attack damage over 8 seconds.

Each additional Energy Point: Increases duration by 4 seconds and adds +100% attack damage.

Skill Performance Rating affects total damage output.

Usable by: Rogues & Druids

A pleasant surprise.

Ethan’s skill selection was severely lacking right now, and this would be a great addition.

He recalled Heaven’s Dawn mentioning that she had never needed Skill Books. Every skill she had was automatically unlocked upon leveling up. She hadn’t even known that Skill Books existed.

Everyone has their own unique encounters… No wonder she eventually learned [Forbidden: Rebirth].

She probably just had to reach a certain level before the game gifted it to her.

Without hesitation, Ethan absorbed the skill book, immediately unlocking [Rend]. Then, without pausing, he dived deeper into the lake, pushing further into the pitch-black abyss.

The darkness became so absolute that he couldn’t see his own hands. All he could do was rely on touch to navigate. His body grazed the lakebed, and as he moved, a few jagged rocks scraped against him, causing a faint sting of pain.

Then, his fingers brushed against something circular.