NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 84: I get it.
Thud.
Ethan hit the ground.
His eyes, ears, and mouth were bleeding massively.
For a moment, he just lay there, mind struggling to process what had just happened.
That's how unexpected it was.
He never, not even for a second, thought that the spear stuck inside Seravax could be sentient—that it could possess a will of its own.
And if it had a will, of course it wouldn't tolerate being pulled out so easily.
But none of that crossed Ethan's mind.
To him, the Stage-4 Rank Barrier wrapped around his body was enough to deal with anything in this place.
And that?
That was arrogance.
But was it really surprising?
Not at all.
Ethan had grown arrogant with time not because he deliberately chose to, but because that's what happens when you hold too much power for too long.
Because honestly, if you had the power Ethan had, the power to obtain anything as long as you had the points to buy it, wouldn't you be arrogant too?
And by anything, I mean literally anything.
There were no limits. The only constraint was how many points he had in the system.
With that power, Ethan had walked through every trial in the Tower without difficulty. He saved divine beings, he made deals with goddesses as a D-Rank. He created a whole new persona—The Merchant—and within a short time, became one of the most mysterious and respected figures on the 10th Floor.
He saved a Fallen Saintess, shattered her chains and curse, and made her his own.
Time and time again, he achieved the impossible.
The Tower noticed him. It acknowledged him. It protected him. He earned titles people would kill to possess.
He was… fabulous.
And with that came the rot of arrogance.
It wasn't inherently bad—being confident isn't a sin. But confidence without caution? That was the trap. And it seemed after so many flawless successes, Ethan had slowly lost the habit of double-checking everything before acting.
And that's why he now lay there, sprawled on a blood-soaked ground, bleeding from every orifice.
His vision was fading. His throat was parched. His mind couldn't catch up. His body had failed him.
He was completely broken.
Just a D-rank body, after all.
But it didn't last long. Slowly, Ethan's mind began to clear, thoughts falling into place.
At the same time—
Airi saw him. Saw the blood. Saw the state he was in.
And immediately ran.
She dropped to her knees and pulled his body into her lap, her hands trembling.
"E-Ethan…? What happened…?" her voice cracked as she asked, even though deep down, she already had an idea.
Her gaze snapped to the spear.
It gleamed arrogantly, shining with a brilliance that mocked her. Like it didn't give a damn what it had just done.
Airi clenched her fists, teeth grinding.
She wanted to destroy it, rip it apart, even if it meant dying. But she couldn't afford to be reckless right now.
Her master came first.
She fumbled for a health potion and tried to pour it into his mouth.
But it was useless.
The residual energy from the spear was still inside Ethan's body, disrupting everything. Healing was impossible.
Airi's hands shook harder. Her entire body started to tremble, rage and helplessness twisting inside her, choking her breath.
Her master—always smiling, cocky, full of confidence—was lying on the ground, helpless, blood pouring from his eyes, ears, and mouth.
The sight broke her.
It was unbearable. It hurt her so deeply she forgot how to breathe.
She couldn't understand how life could be so cruel and unpredictable. The man who had saved her—her master, her god—reduced to this.
Pain consumed her.
And the moment that pain overwhelmed her…
Lightning.
Blue lightning exploded from her body, dancing and cracking violently, ripping through the realm. Thunder echoed like a divine judgment, tearing across space itself.
The whole realm shook under the weight of her fury.
Her body was turning to lightning.
But amidst it all—through the chaos, the fury, the endless destruction—not a single bolt touched Ethan.
Not one.
It wasn't control.
It wasn't conscious precision.
It was like the lightning instinctively knew it wasn't allowed to harm him.
But Ethan didn't care about all this.
He was lost in his own space.
'Ah… damn it…' he thought, gritting through the pain.
He was angry and bitter.
But above all else…he understood.
'Yeah… I got too comfortable.'
'I stopped being careful.'
His thoughts spiraled.
'This is the Tower. I might have unimaginable potential but my current power is still weak.'
He had always known that. But deep down, he never really cared.
He had the system. He thought that was enough. He believed nothing could stop him.
That belief? That comfort? That illusion?
It shattered today.
'Fine,' he thought. 'I get it now. Happy, System?'
He smirked bitterly through the pain.
The System responded.
[I told you to be careful.]
[You are still a D-Rank lifeform. The powers you're trying to interact with can kill you in a heartbeat.]
[If that attack had been slightly stronger, you'd be dead already.]
Ethan listened quietly.
He didn't argue.
'I know. I get it. I really do…'
'But I am who I am. I'm cocky, arrogant. That won't change. But—'
His eyes slowly cracked open.
'—from now on, I'll be more careful. I won't act unless I'm absolutely sure I'll prevail. And I'll always prepare something in case things go off track.'
His eyes opened fully.
But they were red. Blood still streamed down from them.
'Heal me, System…'
He forced a smile.
It was horrifying. A red-toothed grin soaked in blood, bleeding from his mouth, ears, nose, and eyes.
Airi almost screamed when she saw it.
But Ethan didn't care.
Because now?
Now it was time.
Time to show someone just who the fuck they hurt.
They needed to see.
He wasn't just kind. He wasn't just smiling. He wasn't just generous.
He could be vengeful. He could be petty.
And when he was?
Just as he could gift you talent, treasure, power, and joy without limit—
He could just as easily drag you into endless despair.
And so—
[Understood, Host.]
—End of Chapter 84—