CHAPTER 56: CHAPTER 56: THE OUTSIDE WORLD, SMALL WORLD SERPENT TRIO

Stark, mounted on the [Ghost Wolf], let the creature phase straight through the barrier of the [Ruined City].

And the instant he crossed—

Ding!

---

[You have entered the "Outside World...?"]

[The closest area to the ruined city. Dangerous terrain, teeming with monsters.]

[Lives loss rate: 100]

---

As long as Stark was still inside [Eternal Soul], and not in the real world or a zone, he could receive messages from Ghost and Starfall.

That was why he’d told them to contact him if they ever stumbled upon the [Church Sanctuary].

For now, he had other priorities.

The [Ghost Wolf] sprinted effortlessly across the wasteland, the breeze tearing at Stark’s hair and robe.

Its [Sprint] passive made the ride almost like gliding.

Smooth, fast, untiring.

He spotted monsters scattered across the desolate ground.

All of them level 25. Not even worth slowing down.

’The [Ruined Cities] are all lined up one after another,’ Stark recalled. ’But the first NPC town is still a few kilometers ahead.’

Reaching that town was the true challenge.

Players who didn’t have speed or stamina would never make it.

For Stark, though? Easy.

The [Ghost Wolf] wasn’t just a bonus, it was insurance.

A mount he needed now, and one he’d need later.

Ding!

[Do you wish to use 10,000 Lives to extract your "Mount Bell (Ghost Wolf)" to the real world?]

"Hell no."

Items like this cost a fortune to bring over permanently, and the game didn’t cut corners on that.

It made sense, something this valuable in reality had to come at a price.

Mounts were always expensive anyway.

Still... he couldn’t help but wonder.

’I wonder how the NPCs will react.’

The NPCs in [Eternal Soul] weren’t hollow shells.

They had depth, personalities, even emotions.

Some of them were more human than actual players.

They could fight, steal, scheme. They even had their own system of lives.

It was one of the things that made [Eternal Soul] so real.

The wind whistled past Stark’s ears as the [Ghost Wolf] charged forward without pause.

For some time, he didn’t see anything worth paying attention to.

But then... His eyes narrowed.

"Wait."

The [Ghost Wolf] stopped instantly, listening to his command.

Its high loyalty made it obedient.

Had its loyalty been lower, it might’ve ignored him, or even defied him outright.

There were thousands of different types of mounts, some could speak, other had personalities.

Adapting to this was the only way to raise their loyalty.

Some even started at 5% and thus forced you to increase it.

The [Ghost Wolf], though, seemed simple. It didn’t complain. It just followed orders.

But Stark hadn’t stopped for its sake.

No, he’d seen something.

In the distance, a large monster moved between the shattered rocks.

Stark ignored the smaller creatures. But bosses? Bosses meant evolution points.

He pointed toward it, "Let’s go."

But when he gave that order, for the first time, the [Ghost Wolf] hesitated.

"...?" Stark tilted his head, glancing down.

The hesitation only lasted a moment, the mount surged forward again.

But Stark caught the difference. Its body tensed.

Its expression hardened as they drew closer.

’Heh,’ Stark grinned. ’So, you’re scared of monsters.’

That explained it.

Despite being level 25, the [Ghost Wolf] had no combat ability.

Instinctively, it feared them.

"Oh well," Stark muttered. "Maybe later."

He hopped off its back when they were still about fifty meters away.

The wolf stopped there, unwilling to come closer.

"Wait for me here," Stark ordered. "If you get scared, just use [Night Walk]. None of these monsters should have the ability to detect you."

The [Ghost Wolf] looked at him for a moment, then gave a nod, its expression bright.

Ding!

[The Ghost Wolf’s Loyalty has increased by 5%.]

Stark smirked, "Guess I was right."

Turning back, he twirled his staff in one hand and faced the massive figure ahead.

---

[Small World Serpent (Level 25)]

[Rank: Epic (Boss)]

[HP: 350,000]

---

An enormous serpent. Its green scales gleamed under the pale light, each one like a steel plate.

Its body coiled thick enough to crush houses.

On its side, carved into its scales as if branded, was the number "2."

This was the boss with the most health Stark had encountered so far in this life.

But that didn’t shake him.

Not a single level 25 monster, player, or even NPC, could rival him now.

The serpent hissed, a sharp sound that rattled the earth.

Stark didn’t move.

"Let’s end this quick."

He raised his staff.

Fire Meteor! Storm of Lightning! Vines of Fate! Plague Crystal!

A torrent of destruction rained down at once.

-93,375! -74,700! -87,300! -15,000! -6,000! -6,000!

The serpent’s massive body reeled.

Nearly 300,000 damage shredded it instantly, leaving it bloodied and weak.

But it didn’t collapse.

HISSSSSS!

Its eyes glowed brighter, its jaws opening wide.

A guttural roar ripped from its throat, shaking the battlefield.

The air itself seemed to vibrate.

SERPENT CALL!

Stark’s expression shifted slightly.

He knew that sound. Monsters used it when summoning reinforcements.

The ground beneath him trembled violently.

"Tch," Stark muttered, already leaping back.

The earth split open where he’d been standing, and from below, another serpent emerged.

A few seconds later, a third slithered out.

"Oh, shit."

[You have met the "Small World Serpent Trio"]

All three serpents stared at Stark at once, their eyes glowing.

The ones that appeared had the numbers "1" and "3" on their side.

Together, they formed the full trio.

Bosses in [Eternal Soul] weren’t always alone.

Some came in teams. Others fused to create new phases.

The mechanics varied, but the result was the same: harder fights.

For most players, this would be a nightmare.

For Stark? Just more rewards. His lips curved into a grin.

Behind him, the [Ghost Wolf] stepped back, trembling.

The serpents’ presence pressed on it, the fear almost visible.

’Alright,’ Stark thought. ’Let’s clean this up fast.’

All three serpents lunged at once, massive bodies whipping forward.

Their jaws gaped wide, fangs ready to pierce.

But Stark’s barrier flared, absorbing the crushing force.

Their teeth scraped against the shield.

Their tails slammed down, sending shockwaves through the dirt, but the barrier only cracked, refusing to break.

Stark raised his staff.

Fire Meteor!

A blazing meteor slammed into the battlefield.

The explosion engulfed the serpents, flames devouring scale and flesh.

The one he had weakened earlier screamed, its body torn apart.

It crashed to the ground, dead. Only two remained.

Realizing his spells hit in wide areas, the serpents split up, circling him from different sides.

Trying to outmaneuver him.

’Smart,’ Stark admitted. ’But not enough.’

They tried their hardest after that, but none could even harm Stark.

Eventually, one of the serpents collapsed under the assault, its health bar dropping to zero.

’Two down.’

Only one remained, the serpent marked "1."

Its eyes glowed with fury, hatred boiling inside.

But instead of lunging at Stark, it shifted.

Its gaze slid sideways. Toward the [Ghost Wolf].

The wolf froze. Its body shook as the serpent lunged, massive jaws aimed to swallow it whole.

Stark’s expression stayed calm.

"Foolish."

His staff cut through the air.

Fire Meteor! Storm of Lightning! Vines of Fate! Plague Crystal!

The serpent’s health plummeted instantly, shredded before it could reach the wolf.

With a final roar, it collapsed, its massive body crashing into the ground.

Silence fell.

The [Ghost Wolf] backed away, ears flat. But the danger was over.

Just like that, Stark had slain the [Small World Serpent Trio].

He’d expected a simple fight. A single boss.

But he should have known that in [Eternal Soul], even the easiest battles could take a turn.