Level 1 to Infinity: My Bloodline Is the Ultimate Cheat - Chapter 704

Chapter 704: Back in Ethereal

After the small commotion, things proceeded smoothly.

With the help of Jordan King and Larry, and after mobilizing all the night-shift bank staff—even pulling in extra hands from other branches—the operation began. Ethan lost count of how many people were eventually involved.

The entire bank was cordoned off by a tight perimeter of SWAT operatives. Inside the lobby, it was a sea of people counting cash. The automated bill counters were overwhelmed, and many bank employees showcased their own rapid counting skills, their speed nearly rivaling the machines.

Even so, it took a solid three hours to tally the entire haul from the truck.

Eight hundred and thirty-three million, five hundred dollars… exactly.

The heavy-duty truck Ethan had rented had a thirty-ton capacity. It had been loaded to the absolute limit; any more cash and it probably wouldn’t have moved.

While they were counting, Jordan King had given Ethan a rough estimate of around $830 million. Ethan had been skeptical, but the man had pulled out a formula, explaining that $10,000 in cash weighed about 2.5 pounds, so $833,000,500 would come to roughly thirty tons. He’d glanced at the truck’s specs, noticed how the suspension was nearly flattened, and deduced it was at max load — leading to an eerily accurate estimate.

Ethan had been impressed. The guy was clearly a sharp talent.

The final amount, $833,000,500, was transferred directly to Ethan’s account. He couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face. This windfall, seized from Director Vaughn’s secret coffers, was pure, unexpected profit. Looking at the number, he figured it was more than enough for his plans tonight.

Once Amber returned tomorrow, his available funds would reach an astronomical level. This time, in Ethereal, he was going to play the part of a mega-whale.

Before she left, Amber had told him that offloading 2,000 tons of gold on the black market would conservatively net around… $200 billion. She’d practically hissed the number through her teeth. It was a figure so vast Ethan had never dared to imagine it. Even managing the Zane family’s finances, she had never handled sums that large.

Two hundred billion…

The thought was staggering. And the gold had come from that seemingly endless underground trove in the Sea of Death. He’d only taken 5,000 tons; what remained was an ocean compared to the bucket he’d drawn. But he was more than satisfied. Dumping his 2,000 tons onto the market would likely cause a global gold price crash.

Amber said $200 billion was a conservative estimate, but Ethan had his doubts. The black market operators weren’t fools. The sudden appearance of such a massive quantity would force them to drastically recalibrate their pricing, likely lowballing Amber severely. There was even a high risk of a double-cross. That was precisely why he’d sent Blackie, Micah, and the steady-handed Victor along with her. He trusted them to handle it.

Now, armed with over $800 million, and with the time pushing past 9:00 PM, the nightlife on Crescent Isle was just waking up. He wanted to take Lyla out for a proper night on the town, but she insisted she just wanted to sample the street food.

He had hoped to spend more time with her, but she, understanding he had a big day ahead and was raising capital for a major move in the upcoming game expansion, didn’t linger for long. Soon, she asked him to take her back.

Touched by her thoughtfulness, Ethan pulled her close right there in the middle of the bustling night market and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. Lyla struggled, flustered and blushing fiercely.

The glares from every single man nearby—lonely or otherwise—could have drilled holes through him. If looks could kill, he’d have been vaporized.

Seeing their envious stares, Ethan raised an eyebrow and swept a smug gaze around him, infuriating them further. He couldn’t help but smile, enjoying the sight of them seething with impotent jealousy. Lyla, mortified, pinched his side hard and then dragged him away, practically fleeing the scene.

They arrived back at Ascension Isle a little after 11:00 PM.

“I’ll… I’ll be waiting for you in the game,” Lyla said at her doorway, meeting his eyes for a moment before her cheeks flushed and she quickly slipped inside, closing the door.

Ethan stood there for a second, momentarily considering moving his VR capsule into her room. But the firm click of the lock dissuaded him. He just rubbed his nose with a sigh and entered his own room.

The first thing he saw was Yaya, sitting quietly and seemingly lost in thought. He hadn’t recalled her to his Mindscape when he left, as the unknown threat on the island remained. If he couldn’t detect it, no one else could. Yaya was his ultimate insurance; she’d assured him she could capture the entity if it emerged. Once that was handled, Ascension Isle would be secure—a true base of operations, ending his days of wandering and relying on others’ hospitality. The Whitmores had been gracious hosts, but Ethan simply preferred to stand on his own.

“Yaya, any sign? Hasn’t it shown itself yet?”

“Not yet. It’s hiding very deeply. It was probably terrified by the Heavenly Tribulation you summoned, brother.”

“A sigh… Alright then. I’m counting on you, Yaya.”

“Helping brother makes Yaya very happy!”

After their brief exchange, and touched by her last words, Ethan reached out and ruffled her hair again. Yaya shook her head, dodging, and wrinkled her nose, carefully touching the fruits nestled in her hair—the Youth-Preserving Fruits. She seemed particularly fond of them.

It’s going to break her heart when we eventually have to pick those, Ethan thought with an inward sigh.

He walked over to his Ethereal VR capsule, running a hand over its smooth surface. It felt like a long time since he’d logged in, giving him a strange mix of unfamiliarity and excitement.

He glanced back at Yaya. ‘I can’t just climb in and leave her on watch duty tonight.’

He activated the capsule and settled in, the system slowly lulling him into a sleep state as the game world initiated.

[DING… Welcome back to Ethereal. Your character’s accumulated double experience is maxed out. You may activate multi-consumption mode.]

Ethan checked. Sure enough, his double EXP bar was full. He had no immediate plans to grind levels, so he didn’t activate the multi-consumption mode. He’d save it for later, maybe find some ultra-high-EXP monster, crank the consumption rate to 100x, and burn through the entire reserve in one go.