CHAPTER 27: CHAPTER 27: BACK TO THE ETERNAL CONTINENT, ENTERING THE UNDEAD SOUL LAND

Ding!

[You have returned to the "Eternal Continent".]

[We knew you would be back anyway.]

Blue light wrapped around Stark’s body as he materialized back inside [Eternal Soul].

Only thirty minutes had passed in the real world since he logged out, but already he was back in again.

The short break was necessary, he wanted to test out the extraction system in reality again, and grab a quick meal.

Otherwise, there was no reason for him to waste time outside.

Time in here was far more valuable than anything else.

’I don’t feel tired,’ Stark thought as he stretched his arms out and rolled his neck.

A grin tugged at his lips.

’I should be fine for a while longer.’

His eyes narrowed slightly as he opened the world leaderboard.

---

[Level Leaderboard:]

[1. Oblivion: Level 11]

[2. Ghost: Level 11]

[3. PrinceLucas: Level 11]

[4. EvilDemon: Level 11]

[5. GodOfViolence: Level 10]

[6. DivineGoddess: Level 10]

...

---

The names rolled downward, dozens of them, and some had already caught up.

When he logged out earlier, only a handful were close to level 10.

Now there were more, and the top players were breathing down his neck.

"Yeah, people are catching up," Stark muttered. His tone was calm, but the fire in his eyes burned hotter.

Competition was inevitable.

This world thrived on it.

He turned away from the glowing panel and faced the looming structure in front of him.

The opened stone door was still there.

Stark’s grip tightened on his staff as he stepped forward.

Ding!

[You are about to enter a dangerous level 12-15 zone: "Undead Soul Land"]

[Once you enter, you cannot leave unless you die.]

It was no different than the [Abandoned Temple of Fate] he had cleared.

Without hesitation, Stark stepped through the veil.

Darkness swallowed him whole.

Ding!

---

[You have entered the "Undead Soul Land"]

[Lives loss rate: 100]

[Description: A small zone governed by a powerful undead mage, it is overrun by the undead.]

---

The item Stark was aiming for was the item of that specific undead mage, since it was his staff he needed.

The first thing Stark noticed was the scale.

He emerged into a colossal stone hall, the ceiling arching so high above that it disappeared into shadow.

The ruined city outside could never have held a place like this.

The reason for that was the same as to why there was an abandoned temple inside a cave in a forest.

Every zone was its own reality, linked only to [Eternal Soul] by its entrance.

Stark adjusted his stance.

His staff rested firmly in his grip.

He could already feel eyes on him.

From the hall, movement stirred.

Skeletal monsters dragging rusted swords, their bones clattering with every step.

Wisps of pale light floated into view as translucent figures drifted above the ground, their faces twisted in silent wails.

---

[Undead Skeleton (Level 12)]

[Rank: Uncommon]

[HP: 22,000]

---

[Spirit Wraith (Level 12)]

[Rank: Rare]

[HP: 25,000]

---

The moment Stark’s boots touched the marble floor, the undead reacted.

Skeletons turned their skulls toward him, eye sockets blazing with a sickly green glow.

The spirit wraiths shrieked soundlessly and rushed forward in a blur of flickering light.

"Perfect."

Stark didn’t wait.

He raised his staff, the air around him immediately warping with magic.

Vine Cataclysm! Annihilating Fireball!

-13,215! -13,335!

Numbers flared above two wraiths as their HP bars were shredded to zero.

They evaporated into particles of ash.

The vines tore through skeletons, wrapping around ribcages and snapping brittle bones apart.

These weren’t weaklings.

Against normal players, these monsters would demand careful teamwork.

But to Stark, they were little more than stepping stones.

Corrosive Crystal!

A jagged crystal shot forward, impaling a cluster a skeleton.

-4,500! -1,125! -1,125!

In a hall this linear, there was no room for the monsters to dodge.

They could only advance, and advancing meant death.

Still, they weren’t mindless.

One of the skeletons slipped past the attacks and swung its sword at Stark with surprising speed.

The rusty blade hissed through the air.

Clang!

Stark deflected with his staff, the impact sending vibrations up his arm.

His expression didn’t change.

With a flick of his wrist, he blasted the skeleton apart in a burst of flame.

The battle raged for less than half a minute.

When silence finally returned, the hall was littered with shattered bones and fading motes of blue light.

Stark exhaled slowly, lowering his staff.

"Phew."

Ding!

---

[You have killed x7 "Undead Skeletons (Level 12)"]

[You have killed x5 "Spirit Wraiths (Level 12)"]

[You have gained 23,400 experience points.]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to level 12!]

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

[You have gained 1 Evolution Point]

[You have gained 48 Lives!]

---

Hand of Avarice!

Ding!

---

[You have gained 1 Evolution Point]

[You have gained 45 Lives!]

---

More monsters being killed meant a higher chance of getting evolution points, even though the number was small.

Stark glanced at his stat panel.

Ten unallocated attribute points waited, but he left them unused for now.

He preferred to keep them in reserve.

’I should be able to hit level 13... maybe even 14 if this zone keeps up,’ he thought, lips curling into a grin.

The [First Calamity] was still weeks away.

The one month they were given for it was actually more than enough for all of those that actually took [Eternal Soul] seriously.

Of course, a level 25 player wouldn’t necessarily be safe, but at least they’d have a fighting chance.

Stark’s plan was simple: rush ahead, then reach level 25 as fast as possible.

He wanted a specific item from the [Ghost Hunt] before leaving.

He flicked open his inventory briefly.

[Inventory: 18/27]

Not too full yet, but it would fill quickly if he wasn’t careful.

With the hall cleared, Stark advanced deeper into the zone.

His boots echoed against the stone floor as he reached the far end, where a wide staircase spiraled downward into darkness.

"Lucky me it’s still relatively easy."

Every time a player was slain inside a zone, their death fed into the monsters.

Eventually some might be able to evolve.

Even a simple skeleton could mutate into something terrifying if it absorbed enough.

That was why zones like this grew more dangerous over time if not completed.

And why rushing ahead was the smartest path.

Without further hesitation, Stark descended.

The staircase carried him deep below until he arrived at another stone door.

He pushed it open and stepped into a second massive hall.

At first glance it looked almost identical to the one above, but the enemies were stronger.

Bones clattered as armored figures advanced, wielding sturdier blades and shields.

And at the end of the hall, a towering figure stood, its staff planted firmly into the ground.

The air around it pulsed with malevolent energy.

---

[Skeleton Warrior (Level 13)]

[Rank: Rare]

[HP: 30,000]

---

[Undead Shaman (Level 14)]

[Rank: Elite (Boss)]

[HP: 60,000]

---

Stark’s eyes gleamed as he took in the sight.

"I get how this zone works now," he murmured, lips curling into a dangerous grin.

He planted his feet firmly and leveled his staff at the monsters waiting ahead.

"Good," he whispered, power humming in his voice. "Let’s see what you’ve got."