Ethan took full advantage of the monsters' shocked state after losing their companions and swiftly killed two more of them. He knew very well that when any creature lost those close to it, there would always be a brief moment of distraction—a moment where the mind froze before instinct kicked in.
That fleeting second was enough.
Ethan didn't do anything reckless or impulsive. He simply acted based on the most basic psychological behavior common to all living beings. When confronted with sudden loss, even experienced fighters hesitated. These monsters were far from experienced.
By exploiting that hesitation, he reduced the number of enemies he needed to face.
At the very beginning, he had to deal with twenty-six monsters. He had eliminated most of them using sneak attacks, reducing the threat to just six. Only then did the remaining monsters finally sense that something was wrong, stay together, and locate him.
Even then, Ethan did not panic.
Instead, he once again relied on psychology.
When those six monsters realized that their companions had been slaughtered, anger and confusion overtook them. Ethan used their emotional instability and killed three of them in quick succession.
Of course, his upgraded agility played a crucial role in all of this. Without it, none of his strategies would have worked. If his body had been even slightly slower, the outcome would have been completely different.
He might have died.
Three monsters remaining.
Ethan counted silently in his heart.
He finally found an opening and slipped out of their encirclement. Using his agility once again, he immediately created distance between himself and the remaining monsters.
He could have tried to push further and kill another one using the same psychological trick.
But he didn't.
After everything that had happened, even these inexperienced monsters would no longer be completely careless. Their instincts had finally awakened. If he let greed take control and rushed forward again, he would be walking straight into danger.
So instead, Ethan chose caution.
As soon as he widened the distance, the monsters reacted exactly as he had predicted.
They began attacking wildly in all directions.
Claws slashed the air.
Fists smashed the ground.
They no longer trusted their eyes.
Their vision couldn't keep up with his speed, so they lashed out blindly, hoping to hit him by chance.
Ethan observed this calmly.
These monsters believed they were being cautious.
But in reality, they were panicking.
And panic always led to mistakes.
Instead of attacking, Ethan widened the distance even more. If he had acted greedily and tried to strike again during their blind attacks, he would have put himself in serious danger.
Greed had killed countless cultivators.
Ethan had no intention of becoming one of them.
He turned his gaze toward the three remaining monsters, inhaled deeply, and then turned around.
Without looking back, he ran.
The three monsters stared at him in disbelief.
For a split second, they were dumbstruck.
They hadn't expected him to retreat.
But when they realized the distance between them was increasing, they snapped back to reality and immediately gave chase.
Ethan occasionally glanced back, carefully observing their positions. He was not running at full speed. If escaping was his goal, he could have done so easily.
But escaping was never his intention.
He had only one goal in mind.
To eliminate all remaining monsters before searching for the Soul God's inheritance.
He continued running, carefully controlling the pace. Gradually, a gap formed between the three monsters. One of them—slightly faster than the others—began pulling ahead.
Ethan noticed it instantly.
This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
He subtly slowed down, deliberately shortening the distance between himself and the leading monster.
The monster grew excited.
Its eyes lit up as it sensed the gap closing. In its mind, the prey was finally within reach. If this continued, it would soon tear Ethan apart and avenge its fallen companions.
The distance narrowed further.
The monster raised its claws, convinced that victory was within grasp.
But just as it was about to strike—
Ethan vanished.
The monster froze.
All three monsters panicked, frantically trying to locate him.
Before they could react, a dull thud echoed behind the leading monster.
Its body trembled.
Slowly, it turned its head back.
What it saw filled it with horror.
Ethan was standing calmly not far away, his sword tightly gripped in his hand. Blood dripped from the blade.
On the ground behind him lay the bodies of its remaining two companions.
Headless.
Lifeless.
The monster staggered, almost losing its balance.
These creatures possessed low intelligence. They failed to realize that Ethan had once again used psychological warfare. When the leading monster felt close to catching Ethan, the other two subconsciously relaxed.
Even though they believed they were alert, their minds loosened for just a moment.
That moment was enough.
Ethan exploited it flawlessly.
Using his speed and precision, he killed the two monsters instantly.
All this time, Ethan had been outnumbered.
That was his greatest disadvantage.
But now, he had turned that disadvantage into an equal fight.
One versus one.
A manageable situation.
[User killed a monster]
[Monster Cultivation Base: 5th Level of Elementary Stage]
[Rewards:]
[System EXP: +25]
[User EXP: +25]
[Skill Points: +10]
[Attribute Points: +10]
[System Currency: +500]
…
[User killed a monster]
[Monster Cultivation Base: 5th Level of Elementary Stage]
[Rewards:]
[System EXP: +25]
[User EXP: +25]
[Skill Points: +10]
[Attribute Points: +10]
[System Currency: +500]
"So both of them were at the 5th Level of the Elementary Stage," Ethan thought calmly.
"No wonder they managed to keep up with me."
His gaze shifted to the last remaining monster.
"If that's the case… then this one must be the same."
The monster had fallen to its knees.
It trembled.
Ethan paused.
He was not a cold-blooded killer.
He came from Earth—a world where killing was not common, unlike the cultivation world. Despite everything that had happened, he felt a faint trace of pity.
He didn't want to let this monster suffer.
Without hesitation, he raised his sword and delivered a swift, clean strike.
[User killed a monster]
[Monster Cultivation Base: 5th Level of Elementary Stage]
[Rewards:]
[System EXP: +25]
[User EXP: +25]
[Skill Points: +10]
[Attribute Points: +10]
[System Currency: +500]
Sure enough.
This monster was also at the 5th Level of the Elementary Stage.
Ethan lowered his sword slightly and exhaled.
Just as he was about to relax—
ROOOAAARRRRR!!!
A terrifying roar echoed through the mountain.
It was far louder.
Far more powerful.
Completely different from the roars of the twenty-six monsters he had just killed.
Ethan's heart sank.
"…Now what?" he muttered.
A deep sense of unease spread through him.
Something was coming.
And whatever it was, it was nothing like the monsters he had faced so far.