Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat!-Chapter 348: A Sudden Turn

Ethan, feigning unconsciousness, witnessed the entire scene. The tension in his hands, tied behind his back, slowly eased. The person who had arrived was none other than Uncle Jed, returning from patrol.

"Tribe Leader, what is the meaning of this?" Uncle Jed’s expression was grim as he pointed at Ethan, who lay on the ground. Tribe Leader Butcher was startled by Uncle Jed’s appearance. He was a little confused as to why he was there; hadn’t he just gone out on patrol? But when he saw Dot peeking in from the doorway, it all clicked.

"Heh heh, Captain Jed, I was about to ask you the same thing." Uncle Jed hadn’t expected Tribe Leader Butcher to turn the tables on him.

But Tribe Leader Butcher continued, "This outsider has a spatial item; I suppose Captain Jed already knew that, didn’t you?"

Uncle Jed’s face changed at these words. He looked at Ethan, who lay poisoned on the ground, and nodded helplessly. Seeing his admission, Tribe Leader Butcher’s voice grew sharper.

"Jedediah, I saved you in the desert five years ago. Is this how you repay me? How you repay the Butcher tribe?" He stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Do you know what a spatial item means to the Butcher tribe?"

Uncle Jed opened his mouth but said nothing. Tribe Leader Butcher’s voice grew louder. "That is the future of the Butcher tribe! It means we won’t have to live under anyone’s thumb anymore. You know, in this Sea of Death, it’s not hard to hunt for food; the difficulty lies in preserving it... With a spatial item, we can eat fresh food anytime!"

"Jedediah, you knew and didn’t report it. Can you truly face the kindness the Butcher tribe showed in taking you in?"

Uncle Jed stood there, speechless, rendered mute by Tribe Leader Butcher’s words. Seeing his reaction, Tribe Leader Butcher’s tone shifted.

"I won’t pursue what happened before," he said coldly. "You may leave... Junior, do it!"

"No..." Uncle Jed, who was about to intervene, suddenly froze. Junior, who was once again preparing to unbuckle his pants, was now lifted by the throat. Ethan’s grip tightened around him.

"What a fine display of moral blackmail!" Ethan sneered, his eyes cold as he looked at the panicking Tribe Leader Butcher. "You saved him... so he must be loyal to you, right? I, for one, single-handedly took down over four hundred Deathstalker Scorpions to buy you time to escape. So, should I expect you to kneel and lick my toes?"

Junior struggled, gasping for air. His eyes bulged, his body writhing in Ethan’s grip.

"Ugh... ugh..." Junior fought for air as Ethan’s hold remained unyielding. Uncle Jed stepped forward, placing himself between Ethan and Tribe Leader Butcher.

"Brother Ethan," he said, "as a tribe leader, he’s not wrong in what he’s doing. The Butcher tribe has wronged you. Leave now, and let them live."

[Ding... System Notification: Main Quest [Trial of the Blood King – Human Malice ② – Kill or Spare] triggered. You have three seconds to make a choice.]

Ethan’s actions gave the system its answer. Crack! A sickening sound filled the air as Ethan crushed Junior’s throat, snapping his cervical spine. Tribe Leader Butcher’s furious roar echoed behind him.

[Ding... System Notification: You have chosen the path of ’Kill to End All Killing’. Quest progress path changed. Quest progress accelerated. Kill: Tribe Leader Butcher 0/1. Quest Reward: Bloodline Map Fragment x1.]

Seeing the system notification, Ethan’s heart swelled with joy. Finally, a quest reward! Uncle Jed, standing in the middle, was stunned by Ethan’s actions. The corpse of Junior dropped to the ground with a sickening thud.

Ethan casually tossed the body aside, his gaze now fixed intently on Uncle Jed. He knew that to eliminate Tribe Leader Butcher, he needed to see Uncle Jed’s response. If Uncle Jed intervened, his chances of success would be low; he had witnessed Uncle Jed’s skills firsthand.

"Alright, Ethan, you’ve killed Junior. Your anger should be gone now, right? Just leave!" Uncle Jed’s decision warmed Ethan’s heart. The man was indeed honorable. He disdained colluding with Tribe Leader Butcher but was unwilling to betray his own principles by attacking Ethan. He could only try to dissuade Ethan.

Seeing his choice, Ethan grinned. Thwack! Just as Uncle Jed finished speaking, he suddenly spun around, clutching his lower back. Ethan’s gaze shifted, and he saw a pale bone shard protruding from Uncle Jed’s waist. Tribe Leader Butcher abruptly retreated, shouting, "Attack! Take them down!"

The other individuals in the tent were startled when Junior’s corpse was thrown down. Their eyes narrowed with hatred as they turned to Ethan. Now, hearing their leader’s command, they charged at Ethan and Jedediah, weapons drawn.

They hadn’t witnessed Ethan taking down four hundred giant scorpions, so they dismissed his earlier words as boasting. Four hundred scorpions? Who are you kidding? They had no fear of Ethan. Although they couldn’t understand why Ethan was unaffected by the poisoned water, these savages clearly had no interest in such things.

"Uncle Jed, what now?" Ethan asked, supporting Uncle Jed, tilting his head.

Uncle Jed shook his head helplessly. He gripped the bone dagger embedded in his waist and snapped it off, clearly aware that pulling it out would be more dangerous. "Go!" he said, pushing Ethan out of the tent.

Ethan hesitated. Even now, Uncle Jed was still protecting the Butcher tribe. He was pushed outside the tent and saw Dot and her mother, trembling in fear. They recoiled several steps when they saw Ethan emerge. Finally, Dot’s mother stepped forward, her voice trembling.

"If you’re leaving, please take Dot with you!"

Ethan knew they had reported to uncle Jed, and now he had killed Junior. If he left, the mother and daughter would likely face dire consequences. However, her request put Ethan in a difficult position. He was here for a quest and would eventually leave, but what would happen to Dot then? Besides, he had no intention of leaving now, not when the quest wasn’t finished.

Thump... Thump... Thump... Several people were sent flying from the tent. Uncle Jed, covered in blood, staggered out.

"Why haven’t you left yet? Go! Take them with you!" Uncle Jed shouted, struggling to stay on his feet. The sounds of approaching shouts grew louder. Dozens of people, armed with weapons, instantly surrounded Ethan and the three others.

"It’s over..." Uncle Jed muttered, but Ethan scoffed. He dismissed the disorganized mob, knowing that despite Uncle Jed’s incredible skills, his timidity kept him from standing tall. The crowd parted, and Tribe Leader Butcher emerged. His attire now made Ethan pause.

’Is this guy playing dress-up with me?’

Tribe Leader Butcher had changed into a garish outfit and was now wearing a snarling boar mask. He looked just like a wild boar. In his hands, he held the skull of some unknown creature.

"I’ll give you one last chance: hand over the spatial device!" Tribe Leader Butcher’s voice now held an air of confidence, his new costume giving him a sense of power.

"Heh heh..." Ethan grinned. He flashed to Uncle Jed’s side, where Dot and her mother were supporting him. He grabbed the bone shard protruding from Uncle Jed’s waist and pulled it out with force. Splat! A gush of fresh blood erupted.

"Ugh..." The intense pain only elicited a grunt from the tough Uncle Jed.

"Tree Form... Activate!"

"Heal... Rejuvenate... Lifebloom!"

Ethan cast three skills in quick succession, all targeting the wound. To Dot and her mother’s shock, Uncle Jed’s injury visibly healed at a rapid pace. Even Uncle Jed was dumbfounded, staring at Ethan.

"Are you a Priest?" he asked, breathless.

"What’s a Priest?" Ethan retorted loudly. His voice rang out, and everyone around them scowled in anger. Ethan paid no attention to their fury.

Uncle Jed blinked, surprised by the question. "You’re not a Priest... then what are you?"

At this moment, Ethan’s abilities were a complete mystery to Uncle Jed. Ethan, clearly uninterested in the concept of a Priest, waved his hand dismissively and tossed a dark, long spear to Uncle Jed. It was a silver-tier spear he had picked up after eliminating monsters in Blood Castle. Its design resembled a gun, and it was restricted to the Carnage Faction.

Ethan wasn’t sure if Uncle Jed could use it, but after tossing it to him, Uncle Jed caught it. With a flick of his wrist, a spear flower bloomed.

Ethan and Uncle Jed exchanged a look, eyes lighting up with realization. Could it be that the people here weren’t restricted by the game system’s factions?

Uncle Jed was overjoyed, caressing the spear in his hand.

"Protect them!"

Ethan’s "them" referred to Dot and her mother.

"You be careful!" Uncle Jed didn’t waste words. He held the spear horizontally, shielding Dot and her mother.

At this moment, Tribe Leader Butcher, holding the strange skull, stepped forward. "He possesses the power of a Priest, yet he slanders Priests. He must be eliminated..."

With that, he raised the skull above his head and began to chant.

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