They shattered his life. Now, he’ll break the world.

Ethan had it all, until his best friend and the woman he loved betrayed him, leaving him crippled and forgotten. Three years of suffering later, he clawed his way to one final, desperate act… and the universe answered.  

A hidden quest. A second chance. A return to the moment everything began.  

Now, Ethan is back, on the eve of Ethereal’s launch, the world’s first fully immersive VR game and the battlefield where legends are forged. Last time, he played fair. This time? He’s armed with years of knowledge: every exploit, every secret quest, every broken mechanic that will let him climb straight to the top.  

But when he logs in, something is off. The system forces him into an unwanted class—Druid, the game’s biggest joke. The kind of class people pick as a dare and regret immediately. Yet as Ethan digs deeper, the truth shakes him.  

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the Divine Bloodline: King of Elves!]

Ethan stared at the screen, unblinking.

“…The hell?”

The Druid class was a jack-of-all-trades, master of none—a scattered mess of abilities that mimicked other classes but never truly excelled. Their bear form lacked the raw defense of a proper tank. Their panther form was weaker than a rogue. Their healing fell short of a priest, and their magic couldn’t compare to a mage’s devastating spells. Most players abandoned the class early, realizing they could never compete at the highest level.

And yet, Ethan’s stats are off the charts. His talents are absurd. His potential is beyond anything he’s ever seen. The system has given him something no other Druid ever had—a divine bloodline, legendary abilities, and a growth rate that defies logic. If Druids were meant to be weak, then Ethan was the exception that would rewrite history.

He’s not just here to reclaim his throne.

He’s here to take everything.

Factions will rise. Empires will fall. The strongest will thrive, and the weak will perish.

And the ones who betrayed him?  

They won’t live to do it again.

As the creature descended, GapInDefense quickly threw out his Advanced Analysis. 


Skills: Pounce, Wing Strike, Peck, Hawk's Eye. 


Description: Blackfeathered Cuckoo Beasts are cunning but not particularly powerful. They thrive by devouring the young of other creatures, absorbing their strength to grow. 


The Advanced Analysis confirmed Ethan's suspicions. 


Cuckoos—even in the real world, they were notorious egg thieves. 


What's more, he noticed that one of its claws and half its body bore scorch marks. 


Probably got roasted by a Ridgeback's breath during their fight. 


The injuries weren't life-threatening, though. After recovering, it had returned, ready to strike again. 


And now, it had stumbled upon Apex Predators Guild battling the same Obsidian Ridgeback. 


Chapter 293 - Predator's Gambit