Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!-Chapter 194: The Bet and the Crisis

The buzz around whether the Druid God would be overtaken in the leveling race had reached a fever pitch. Some players were even placing bets on it, and WCC News had opened an official betting pool.

That night, some people made a fortune, while others lost everything. Of course, Ethan had no idea about any of this—otherwise, he would've placed a hefty bet on himself.

Over the past seven days, Ethan's level had skyrocketed, and his physical fitness and combat skills had improved just as rapidly. His bizarre recovery ability left Victor, Leo, and Williams in awe. No matter how battered and exhausted Ethan got during training, he'd bounce back within an hour, taunting them with a grin and a finger wag: "Come on… bring it!"

At first, Ethan couldn't hold his own against any of them without tapping into his Soul Power. He'd get tossed around like a ragdoll. But now, he could last a solid half-hour even when Leo and Williams teamed up against him.

Despite his progress, Ethan was growing increasingly frustrated. He'd been trying to get in touch with the Ninth Division, but so far, he'd hit nothing but dead ends. Even Victor had reached out to his old military contacts, but no one could provide a lead.

As the days dragged on, Ethan's patience wore thin. If he couldn't find a way to contact them soon, he'd have no choice but to head to Ironvale Mountains early and start searching. But the mountains were vast, and he had no idea where to begin—or if he'd even find what he was looking for.

Ethan had just stepped off the training mat, drenched in sweat, when he noticed his phone buzzing. He picked it up and saw over a dozen missed calls—all from JJ. Two days ago, JJ had moved back to campus, saying he'd switched dorms. Ethan quickly called him back.

"Third Bro, you need to get to the hospital now! The guys… they're not doing well!" JJ's voice was choked with tears as soon as the call connected.

Ethan froze for a moment. "What? They were fine two days ago!"

Just two days ago, Ethan and JJ had visited the hospital together. Their old roommates hadn't shown any signs of improvement, but they hadn't gotten worse either. How could things have taken such a drastic turn in just 48 hours?

"I don't know! I went to see them after class and found out they'd all been moved to the ICU. Then, just now, Rowan started convulsing, and they rushed him into emergency surgery!" JJ explained, his voice trembling.

Ethan didn't waste another second. He grabbed his jacket and bolted out the door. These roommates had been there for him during some of his toughest times. Even though they'd drifted apart after he moved out, he still owed them.

"Ethan, where are you going?!" Leo shouted from the training mat, but Ethan was already gone.

Victor and Williams exchanged confused glances. What could've made Ethan run off like that?

"Could it be something with Lyla?" Williams guessed.

"Shit!" Leo cursed, jumping off the mat and grabbing his jacket. He took off after Ethan without another word.

"Leo, what the hell are you doing?!" Victor called after him.

"If Ethan goes alone and runs into the Silverwoods, he's screwed! You remember what Celeste said about how much they hate Soul-Wielders, right?!" Leo shouted over his shoulder as he ran.

Victor's eyes widened, and he exchanged a grim look with Williams. They both grabbed their gear and followed. The Silverwoods despised Soul-Wielders—and Ethan wasn't just any Soul-Wielder. His Soul Power was off the charts.

By the time Victor and Williams made it outside, Leo was already sprinting down the street, trying to catch up to Ethan. But Ethan was long gone, nowhere in sight. Victor raised his hand to hail a taxi, but Williams grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the other side of the road. Parked there was a sleek, sapphire-blue Porsche 911.

As they got in, Victor couldn't resist a jab. "Not bad. Living the high life, huh? Maybe your wife can hook Leo up with someone too."

Williams' hand slipped on the gearshift, and he shot Victor a look. "Come on, Vic. It's not like that. We're in love."

Victor just chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. Williams shook his head, knowing Victor meant no harm—he was just messing with him. He hit the gas, and the car shot forward.

"Leo, get in!" Williams shouted, flipping the convertible top open.

Leo glanced at the car. "Where the hell am I supposed to sit?"

"Stop whining and get in!" Victor barked.

Leo had no choice. He leapt into the backseat, crouching like a monkey. "Ethan's in that taxi!" he pointed out, spotting a yellow cab in the line of cars waiting at a red light.

Williams locked onto the target and sped after the taxi. As the light turned green, the cars began to move, and Williams kept pace, following the cab all the way to the hospital.

When Ethan got out of the taxi, Victor and Leo jumped out of the Porsche and intercepted him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ethan asked, surprised.

"The Silverwoods aren't to be messed with. You can't just charge in alone!" Victor explained, his tone serious.

Ethan felt a surge of warmth. These guys had rushed over because they were worried about him. He scratched his head awkwardly and smiled. "I didn't explain properly. I'm here because my old roommates are sick—really sick. They might not make it."

Leo's eyes lit up with curiosity. "What kind of sickness? Weirder than the stuff we saw in Ravenwood?"

Ethan gave them a quick rundown of the situation, describing the condition of his four friends. Just as he finished, Williams, who had parked the car and caught up, chimed in.

"Did they go swimming or something?" Williams asked, frowning.

Ethan, Victor, and Leo all turned to look at him, puzzled. "I don't think so," Ethan said. "None of them can swim. Why do you ask?"

Williams hesitated, then explained, "Back in my hometown, there's this old legend about people who get 'touched' by something in the water. They start acting weird and getting sick, that kind of thing.

Some folks say it's just animals, like river otters, messing with people. But others swear it's something… darker. Like, some kind of water spirit or curse."

Leo snorted. "You're saying they got cursed by a river monster? Come on, man. That's some campfire ghost story stuff."

Williams shot him a look. "Hey, I'm just saying what I heard. And after what we saw in Ravenwood, you really wanna rule anything out?"

Leo opened his mouth to argue but then shut it, remembering the weirdness they'd encountered in the mountains.

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"Fair point," he muttered. "But still…except for that Doe girl, we never actually saw any real ghosts, though."

Ethan's eyes widened as he remembered something. "They've been asking for water—boiling hot water. I thought it was weird."

Williams' frown deepened. "That fits even more. I've never seen it myself, but back home, they'd say people like that were 'marked' by whatever's in the water. If they didn't get enough, their bodies would dry up, like… like they were turning into mummies or something."

As they talked, the four of them entered the hospital and made their way to the ICU. There, they found JJ…

Ethan had always thought the situation was strange, but after hearing Williams' words, an even weirder feeling settled in his chest.

When they arrived at the hospital room, JJ was crouched awkwardly, peering through the observation window. Ethan walked up and tapped him on the shoulder, causing JJ to jump in surprise.

"Dude, you scared the hell out of me!" JJ exclaimed, clutching his chest.

Ethan gestured toward the room. "How's he doing?"

JJ shook his head. "Rowan was just brought back, but we still don't know much. It's all up in the air."

"What about their families?" Ethan asked.

"I heard the hospital called some kind of emergency meeting for the four of them. Their families were all pulled into it," JJ replied.

Ethan nodded, then turned to Williams, who was still staring intently through the window. "Williams, see anything?"

Williams straightened up slowly, his expression serious. "It looks… familiar."