Chapter 51: A Fool’s Ambush

He drove the matte-black Rezvani toward the outskirts of the city.

The first-clear reward from City Hall, combined with his continuous battles, had allowed him to accumulate a considerable amount of experience. However, it had also exposed a problem.

He lacked a truly efficient long-range offensive method.

Pressure Shot technically filled that role, but its effectiveness was severely weakened outside of water.

The Soul Trait had been obtained from the Pistol Shrimp, whose natural hunting method relied on generating a powerful pressure wave underwater to stun or kill its prey. Thanks to the existence of mana, Aiden could reproduce the ability even in the air, but the effect was nowhere near its true potential.

Aiden couldn’t help but look forward to testing Pressure Shot underwater someday.

If its power could be fully unleashed in its natural environment, its destructive potential would undoubtedly be considerably greater.

Furthermore, although he possessed multiple Soul Traits, they couldn’t completely make up for his lack of a reliable ranged attack.

Against enemies capable of maintaining their distance, or in environments where closing the gap was difficult, relying solely on Pressure Shot would inevitably leave him somewhat passive.

It was time to further diversify his offensive capabilities.

According to his memories from his previous life, an abandoned industrial zone in the western suburbs of the city was home to a type of Level 6 elemental monster known as a ’Phlogiston Distortion.’

These monsters possessed extremely high fire resistance, but their physical defense and HP were relatively low. More importantly, they had a small chance of dropping basic elemental skill books.

For Aiden at his current stage, they were an ideal target for both leveling and farming loot.

As the vehicle gradually moved away from the relatively "bustling" city center, the surrounding buildings became increasingly dilapidated, while the number of people on the streets steadily dwindled.

Occasionally, Aiden could spot scattered player squads cautiously clearing monsters along the roadside.

Whenever they noticed his rugged off-road vehicle, their gazes invariably followed it, filled with either vigilance or envy.

Just as Aiden was about to enter the industrial zone, he passed through a deserted intersection.

Then, a sudden change occurred!

"Whoosh!"

A scorching, fist-sized Fireball shot out without warning from the window of a half-collapsed two-story building beside the road.

Wrapped in a wave of searing heat, it tore through the air and flew straight toward Aiden inside the driver’s seat.

An ambush!

Aiden’s pupils contracted. Having remained vigilant throughout the journey, his reaction was exceptionally fast.

He immediately wrenched the steering wheel while slamming down on the brakes at the same time.

"Boom!"

The Fireball grazed the hood of the Rezvani and smashed into an abandoned vehicle behind it.

An explosion erupted instantly.

Flames shot into the sky as a scorching heat wave slammed into the off-road vehicle, producing a heavy thud against its reinforced frame.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t even entered the industrial zone yet... And someone was already waiting to ambush him.

Aiden Cross steadily brought the vehicle to a stop, pushed open the door, and stepped out.

His eyes turned cold as he looked toward the direction from which the Fireball had been fired.

Three figures slowly emerged from behind the ruins of the half-collapsed two-story building.

The leader was a young man dressed in a somewhat flashy blue mage robe, a Common-quality wooden staff clutched in his hand. He was Level 4, and there was no doubt that the Fireball from earlier had come from him.

Behind him followed a warrior wielding a one-handed sword and a wooden shield, along with a young woman dressed in simple cloth robes who appeared to be a Priest.

Both were Level 3.

Aiden Cross had some impression of these three. In his previous life, they had apparently belonged to a small gang. They were notorious for bullying weaker players and killing others to loot their possessions. Later, they seemed to have attached themselves to a medium-sized guild and continued operating under its protection.

He hadn’t expected to encounter them this early in his second life. And even less so... For them to target him. It was really funny

"Pretty fast reaction time." The mage player lazily swung his wooden staff, a hint of greed and arrogance evident on his face.

His gaze swept over Aiden’s matte-black Rezvani before settling on the [Power Gauntlets] on his hands. Even without inspecting their attributes, it was obvious that they were extraordinary equipment.

"Buddy, be sensible." He grinned. "Leave the car and those gauntlets behind. Hand over anything else valuable you have, and we might consider sparing your life."

The warrior beside him stepped forward as well, tapping the edge of his shield with his sword.

Clang!

Clang!

The deliberate metallic sound carried an unmistakable threat.

The female Priest, meanwhile, nervously remained behind the two men, already preparing her skills.

Aiden Cross looked at the three ants standing before him as if he were looking at three people who had no idea how close they were to death.

Then he suddenly smiled. But there wasn’t the slightest trace of warmth in that smile.

"You three are quite brave." Aiden’s gaze swept over them. "You’re actually attacking me with just the three of you?"

He couldn’t even be bothered to ask their names.

The mage’s expression instantly twisted with rage. He prided himself on possessing a rare C-Rank Flame Class and considered himself an expert among the current players. Since the game’s descent, he had relied on his strength to bully countless weaker players.

When had he ever been treated with such contempt?

"Get him!" His staff pointed directly at Aiden. "Take him down!"

The moment his voice fell, the warrior immediately activated Charge.

"Boom!" His body surged forward with explosive momentum, shield raised and sword poised to strike as he charged toward Aiden like an unstoppable bull.

At the same time, the female Priest hurriedly began chanting.

A faint white light gathered between her palms, clearly preparing either a buff for the charging warrior or a healing skill to support him.