CHAPTER 17: CHAPTER 17: MORE PLAYERS IN THE NOVICE TOWN, ABANDONED FATE GUARDIAN

While Stark was exploring the [Abandoned Temple of Fate], at the same time...

Fwish! Ding!

Many players finally began to cross the level 5 threshold, activating the [Teleportation Arrays] of their respective towns.

Of course, the so-called "strongest" players, the ones already at level 7 and even pushing into level 8, didn’t care.

They didn’t stop.

They were too busy grinding, too focused on leveling, fighting, and chasing power.

Their leveling speed and strength still couldn’t compare to Stark’s, but they were strong in their own right.

As for everyone else...

"Is this the town?"

"It is! Look, the number matches!"

"Holy shit... then where’s Oblivion?"

The moment players hit level 5, the very first thing they did was head to [Novice Town #783].

When a player reached level 5 and unlocked the teleportation array, all they needed to do was touch the circle of light, and a system panel would appear before their eyes:

---

[Where do you wish to teleport?]

[Novice Town #783]

[Novice Town #637]

[Novice Town #369]

---

And so on... dozens of towns, all nearly identical in structure, design, and layout.

But despite all being the same, one stood above the rest.

As expected, [Novice Town #783] was quickly becoming the most crowded town in the entire game.

The reason? Oblivion!

The legend that was starting to spread like wildfire.

Players from across different towns, hundreds at a time, chose to teleport straight there just to see the place where Oblivion was rumored to play.

"Why the hell are there so many people here?" David muttered as he logged in, his team standing behind him.

His brow furrowed. "Huh..."

He had taken a small break from [Eternal Soul].

Real life had pulled him away briefly, but he knew the truth: the optimal path was staying logged in, grinding, leveling.

Missing even a day meant falling behind.

And so here he was again, pulled back into the game.

Before he could say much else, Grace hurried over.

She didn’t waste time, rushing to his side and pressing several items into his hands.

"Here!" Grace beamed, grinning ear to ear. "Oblivion beat that special boss and told me to give you these."

The entire group froze, stunned as they examined the loot in their inventories.

The quality... the rarity... There were no words.

David and his team exchanged wide-eyed glances.

None of them had met Oblivion in person except for when he saved them, but at that moment, they didn’t need to.

They silently gave thanks in their hearts.

And while they were still reeling...

"Holy shit, look at those two!" someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.

"Yeah... they look crazy strong..."

Dozens of eyes turned, and murmurs spread like wildfire.

Two new players had just appeared inside the square.

Max and Seren.

The two stood tall, their presence dominating the plaza without effort.

Their levels glowed clearly above their heads, both at level 8, already brushing against level 9.

Their in-game IDs were just as flashy as their strength:

[GodOfViolence] for Max.

[DivineGoddess] for Seren.

"Alright..." Max cracked a grin, scanning the crowd. "Where’s Oblivion now?"

...

Back in the temple, Stark was in motion.

Ding!

---

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 9!]

[You have gained 5 points in all of your attributes, and 5 free points to distribute.]

---

After wiping out the last cluster of monsters in the temple, Stark had officially reached level 9.

Level 10 was already within sight.

He checked his progress bar.

He needed 10,000 experience to hit the next milestone, and he was already a little under halfway there.

Fifteen free points sat unused in his panel.

Stark left them unallocated for now.

It was better to wait, better to hold them for the perfect moment.

And then...

Ding!

[You have entered the "Final Chamber"]

The chamber opened before him like the maw of some forgotten god.

Massive marble pillars rose in the four corners, supporting a roof carved with murals and ancient lines of text.

On the walls, a strange giant symbol was engraved, the same one Stark had seen in fragments throughout the temple.

It was some sort of crimson eye that seemed to follow you.

The symbol of the [God of Fate].

But his focus locked on the center.

There, a three-meter tall stone statue stood motionless, carved into the shape of a warrior.

Behind it loomed a massive sealed door by the same symbol he saw everywhere in this zone, impossible to open without clearing what came before it.

The system panel confirmed his suspicion.

---

[Abandoned Fate Guardian (Level 10)]

[Rank: Elite (Boss)]

[HP: 50,000]

[A guardian that protects this temple even though it has been abandoned long ago.]

---

The true boss of the zone was here.

Stark narrowed his eyes. This was it.

No room for mistakes.

Without hesitation, he unleashed everything he had the moment the fight began.

Scorching Fireball! Toxic Crystal! Vine Swing!

Fwish! Boom! Crack!

-4,280! -1,500! -3,605!

Nearly a fifth of the boss’s health evaporated instantly under the onslaught.

But as expected, the poison effect of [Toxic Crystal] didn’t trigger since this was a statue.

The moment the attacks landed, the giant stirred.

Its head slowly tilted.

From the single hollow cavity carved where its eyes should’ve been, a pitch-black flame ignited.

One step.

BOOM!

Another.

BOOM!

Its fists, massive stone slabs, radiated raw destructive aura.

And then—

Rock Smash!

The guardian raised both arms high before slamming them into the ground.

The chamber shook. A shockwave tore through the floor.

But Stark was faster.

Fwish!

He leapt over the quake, landing smoothly before counterattacking with another spell.

Boom!

-4,280! -1,500!

’Vine Swing’s cooldown is twice as long as the others,’ Stark thought, eyes sharp. ’I’ll evolve it next chance I get.’

Even so, his rhythm didn’t falter.

The guardian pressed forward, swinging fists heavy enough to pulverize stone walls.

But Stark never got hit.

Slow. Predictable. That was the monster’s weakness.

Its strength was absurd HP and raw power. Its weakness was speed.

Even the strongest of teams would’ve struggled to chip it down.

Yet here Stark was, dodging every swing, weaving through every slam, and chipping its health away solo.

Fwish! Boom! Crack!

Minutes passed like this, the duel escalating.

Whenever the guardian managed to close in—

Magic Barrier!

BAM!

The giant fist collided with Stark’s shimmering shield, shattering it instantly but buying him just enough space to retreat and retaliate.

And eventually...

[HP: 9,890/50,000]

The boss was down to its final health.

But that’s when it changed.

ROOOOARRRR!

From the hollow mouth in its head, a shockwave of sound and darkness erupted.

The air rippled.

And suddenly, ten robed believers materialized around Stark, emerging from the shadows of the chamber.

The exact same enemies he had fought earlier, except now, they were here in numbers, and alongside the boss.

A deadly combination.

’If I focus on them, I’ll get pinned by the guardian... no, I need to finish the boss first.’

His mind was set.

He launched another barrage of spells, carving chunks off the guardian’s remaining health.

But just as his cooldowns stacked up, the believers swarmed, cutting off every escape route.

For a mage, this was death. But Stark wasn’t just any mage.

He had the perfect trump card.

His hand instinctively brushed against the bell hanging from his neck.

The [Revenant Bell]. He hadn’t used its active ability yet.

But he had been saving it precisely for this kind of moment.

---

[Soul Shockwave (Active Skill): Shake the revenant bell to cause a 3-second stun effect to all enemies within a 100-meter radius. 10-minute cooldown.]

---

It wasn’t much, but it didn’t need to be.

The instant the believers lunged—

Soul Shockwave!

A pulse of deep blue energy burst outward from the bell, washing over the entire chamber.

The believers froze mid-step.

The guardian staggered, its flame eye dimming briefly.

’Bingo.’

Stark raised his staff, locking onto the boss.

Toxic Crystal!

Fwish! Bam!

-1,500!

[HP: 0/50,000]

The guardian froze.

Cracks spiderwebbed across its massive stone body before it collapsed entirely, crashing into rubble.

Only the stunned believers remained.

Stark smirked, raising his staff toward them.

"Here we go..." he muttered. "Survive this, then."