CHAPTER 41: CHAPTER 41: MORE PLAYERS HAVE ARRIVED, TRYING TO AMBUSH OBLIVION?

[The "First Calamity" is coming in 28 days.]

Of course, since this was the very first [Global Event], the one that would change the entire world, it was obvious [Eternal Soul] would keep pushing it.

Every single day, an announcement for all players on the [Eternal Continent] would appear, counting down the days.

And even if you weren’t inside the game, if you were in the real world, you would still see it flash before your eyes.

That made it even more ominous.

It drilled the countdown into your brain, like a reminder that the end was creeping closer.

In Stark’s past life, players had thought they were prepared.

They had farmed, leveled, and stacked up on items.

But when the day came... it wasn’t enough.

No one could understand the sheer scale of chaos that erupted.

Still, for now, Stark was satisfied with his progress for day one.

The 5 EP from his [Infinite Evolution] talent weren’t much, but it was still reassuring to know he had a passive gain ticking at all times.

In retrospect, it meant that even if he sat around and did nothing for two weeks, he’d walk away with 70 evolution points just for existing.

But Stark had no intention of sitting idle.

The real value came from killing monsters.

That was the reason this talent was terrifying, it snowballed with his pace.

’Maybe I’ll even be able to evolve the talent itself. Speed up the rate of EP gain. Or double the amount I get. If that’s possible...’ Stark smirked.

The thought of it alone made him restless.

Still, his inventory was stuffed to the brim now.

And the annoying part was that he hadn’t found a backpack yet, not even a basic one.

’I guess it’s time to move back to the square and sell my items.’

Sure, he could dump weaker items and keep farming for better ones, but there was no reason to waste loot like that.

The earlier he sold, the more demand there’d be.

The plan was simple: unload the loot, cash in the lives, then head straight back to the outskirts.

From there, he’d push deeper, into the level 20+ zones.

But—

Ding!

[Player "Starfall" has sent you a private message!]

[Starfall: Hey, Oblivion, me and Ghost found some weird zone in the outskirts. ʕ ◕ᴥ◕ ʔ]

"...?"

Stark blinked.

Why were they telling him this?

[Oblivion: Can’t you and Ghost clear it? With her damage and your... support, it should be possible.]

[Starfall: No! Ghost wanted to enter, but it said that she needed a key to enter! (ಥ﹏ಥ)]

Stark’s eyes narrowed at once.

’A zone that needs a key?’ His mind raced. ’Could it be the [Church Sanctuary]?’

That was the hardest zone in the entire [Ruined City].

He had planned to clear it last, but if they stumbled on the entrance this early, it was a blessing.

He didn’t know its exact location in his past life.

Now, he had a lead.

[Oblivion: What’s the name of the zone?]

[Starfall: The "City Sewers", it’s a level 22-24 zone! (✪‿✪)ノ]

"Oh."

Stark didn’t remember anything about that one.

Which meant it was either overlooked, or players hadn’t gotten the key back then.

Either way, if it required a key, it was bound to be dangerous.

[Oblivion: I’ll try to find the key. Otherwise we won’t be able to enter at all.]

[Starfall: Alright, we’ll look too. Oh, by the way, I got a support skill book!]

"Oh?"

That caught his attention.

Starfall probably wanted to go down the path of a support-mage it seemed.

Unlike Ghost, who thrived on raw destruction, Grace was aiming for utility.

He didn’t know what her talent was, but her class, [Star Prophet], was rare enough to have potential.

[Starfall: If we ever meet, I’ll use it on you so you can see what it does, hehe.]

[Oblivion: Deal. But focus on acquiring more skills. Support mages need them even more than regular ones.]

[Starfall: Thanks.]

The chat ended there.

But Stark had walked away with something more valuable than just small talk.

’That’s the second locked zone,’ he thought.

There were three locked zones in the [Ruined Cities], and they were the most dangerous.

They were all perfect grind spots to him.

Though he would need to find the key of the [City Sewers] first.

If Ghost got it, well... then he doubted she’d invite him.

Still, Stark wanted to see what Grace could really do once she had her support abilities. It would be interesting.

For now, though, his plan remained. He turned back toward the square.

Ding!

[You have entered the "Main Land" of the "Ruined City"]

[Lives loss rate: 5.]

The penalty was back to normal now that he left the outskirts.

Not many players had reached this zone yet.

Only those at the very top of the leaderboard.

And speaking of the leaderboard—

’Hm?’

Stark’s eyes narrowed. The rankings had more names than before.

Activating [Ruined City Travel] allowed players that hit level 15 in other ruined cities to teleport to a different one.

And it looked like plenty had chosen this one.

’Just like in the novice towns, the system displays the name of the city when you kill the first epic-rank boss.’

In that case it would be the [Undead Soul Mage].

---

[Level Leaderboard:]

[1. Oblivion: Level 19]

[2. Ghost: Level 18]

[3. SoulsGod: Level 18]

[4. EvilDemon: Level 18]

[5. CardMaster: Level 17]

[6. Starfall: Level 17]

[7. PrinceLucas: Level 17]

[8. GodOfViolence: Level 17]

[9. DivineGoddess: Level 17]

[10. SilksongTomorrow: Level 16]

---

Plenty of new players had arrived.

Names like [SoulsGod], [CardMaster], and others he hadn’t seen before.

But Stark didn’t care much at all.

He closed the leaderboard and pushed through to the square.

The plaza was calmer than before, most players had already scattered deeper into the city, exploring, hunting, and dying.

But for Stark, it was business as usual.

He set up his stall, and within seconds, players swarmed him.

"Damn, this has a level 18 requirement..."

"Who cares, that means we’ll be ahead when we hit that level!"

The chaos was short-lived.

In minutes, everything he’d placed was gone.

[Lives: 1378 → 1957]

A massive haul.

The only thing he hadn’t sold were the [Dual Steel Blades (Epic)], the weapon he’d earned by killing the [Man of Steel].

A few players tried chatting him up, fishing for info, but Stark brushed them off.

Wasting time wasn’t in his plan.

Once the stall was cleared, he turned on his heel and headed back into the ruined city.

This would be his last trip back to the square.

From now on, he’d grind until level 25 or clear the [Church Sanctuary].

The path was clear.

He cut down monsters as he moved, tearing through anything in his way.

Normal mobs respawned quickly, though bosses were slower.

Still, killing them on the way back was worth it.

But just as he was about to re-enter the outskirts—

Fwish!

Stark froze. His instincts screamed. Something was flying at him.

He threw up his [Powerful Magic Barrier] without hesitation.

BOOM!

Five fireballs detonated against the shield.

Dust and heat washed over him.

Stark’s face hardened.

’That’s not monsters.’ His gaze swept the area. ’Players.’

Whether they were targeting him specifically, or just waiting to farm any unlucky passerby didn’t matter.

They’d picked the wrong person.

"Did he die?"

"Probably. That’s the sixth guy we’ve ambushed like this. Easiest way to farm lives, haha."

"Wait, did anyone get the notification?"

A group of ten players emerged from hiding, laughing and joking.

But their smiles froze.

None of the mages who cast the fireballs had gotten the kill notice.

Which meant—

As the dust cleared, Stark was still standing.

His barrier still had over three quarters of its durability.

His expression was calm. His lips curved into a grin.

"Well," Stark said, his voice carrying across the street.

The ambushers stiffened.

"I guess it’s my turn now."