CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58: OLIKAR, THE QUEST NPC

[Shell City] was known as the most neutral city.

And by that, it meant the most "normal" one.

There weren’t giant towers piercing the sky, nor any architecture that made it stand out.

The architecture here was plain stone and brick, nothing that stood out.

To most players, it was a hub, nothing more.

But Stark knew better.

Because inside this unremarkable hub was one thing of real value: a quest that could make you stronger.

And he wasn’t going to miss it.

Stark walked deeper into the city streets, boots echoing against cobblestone.

NPCs passed him by in the busier parts, but as he cut through smaller alleys, the noise died down.

Soon he found himself in a quieter section of [Shell City].

The air here felt still. At the far end stood a small cathedral.

Unlike the plain homes and shops scattered through the city, the cathedral’s stonework was darker, weathered, and cracked.

Its windows were narrow and covered with grime, and its heavy doors seemed untouched for years.

The strangest part? The streets around it were empty.

Not a single player in sight, not surprising, since Stark was ahead of everyone else.

But even the NPCs avoided this place.

Stark didn’t hesitate. He pushed the heavy doors open and stepped inside.

The interior was almost bare. Dust coated the floor.

A few ruined pews leaned against the walls, broken and forgotten.

And at the farthest point from the entrance stood a man.

He was waiting.

"Hah," the man grinned, a devilish curl to his lips.

His voice echoed across the cathedral as his gaze locked onto Stark.

"You’re earlier than expected. Much earlier. But... I suppose your civilization finally entered [Eternal Soul]. That means all the pieces are in place."

The man’s body was a wreck.

His gray skin was torn and covered in deep wounds, yet he stood tall.

Two small black horns pushed out from his skull, curving upward.

His presence was sharp, oppressive, and completely inhuman.

---

[Olikar (Level 40)]

[Rank: ???]

[HP: ???]

---

Stark narrowed his eyes. This was the [Quest NPC]. Olikar.

One of the hardest early-game quests came from him, but the key was that he didn’t speak to just anyone.

He only acknowledged players he deemed "worthy."

And judging from the way Olikar’s eyes glittered with recognition, Stark had passed the test.

What caught Stark’s attention, though, was what the NPC said: "your civilization."

That line carried more weight than most would realize.

Humanity wasn’t the only species that had [Eternal Soul] manifest in their world.

Countless other civilizations had been dragged in before them, hundreds at least.

But even after nine years of his past life, Stark had never met one.

Which meant two possibilities: either they were impossibly far ahead, or they existed on continents or realms humanity hadn’t reached yet.

This man wasn’t one of them. But he knew of them.

He had seen what humanity had not.

Stark’s grip tightened on his staff. He could feel the weight of this moment.

[Quest NPCs] were rare. Their quests were dangerous, punishing, sometimes even lethal.

But if you succeeded, the rewards were worth it.

"What happened to you?" Stark asked, stepping forward.

His tone was calm, but his body was tense, staff ready.

He didn’t think attacking would matter.

Olikar was level 40, it was simply too much for him to actually be able to damage him.

But if the NPC turned hostile, Stark was prepared to try.

Olikar chuckled. His crimson eyes glowed faintly.

"You seem strong, I think you’re worthy enough to know."

That was the trigger.

If Olikar ignored you, the quest was locked.

If you tried to fight him, you died instantly.

But if he acknowledged you? Then the path opened.

"But..." Olikar tilted his head, eyes flashing. "You’re not at the right level to survive what’s ahead."

"I’ll get there soon," Stark said without hesitation. "Just tell me."

For a moment, silence.

Then Olikar coughed, before scratching at his chin with a bloodstained finger.

"Heh. So be it. I won’t be here much longer anyway."

Stark already knew what that meant.

Olikar wasn’t permanent.

By the time the [First Calamity] struck, this NPC would be gone.

When normal players finally reached [Shell City], they would only find his corpse inside the cathedral, labeled by the system as:

[Olikar, Quest NPC (Dead)]

The cause of his death was unknown, maybe irrelevant.

What mattered was that no one had ever completed his quest. Not in Stark’s past life.

This time, Stark intended to change that.

Olikar raised a hand and snapped his fingers.

Ding!

---

[Special Quest: "Conquer the Demonic Ruins"]

[Description: Fullfil Olikar’s wish, he has been betrayed by those at the bottom.]

[Reward: 5,000 Lives and ???]

---

The panel hovered in front of Stark.

Olikar laughed, though it ended in another cough.

"Be careful, kid. You probably won’t survive. Not in your current state."

"Hm." Stark didn’t react much. He had expected this.

Olikar tilted his head again, studying him.

"Strange... you don’t look surprised. Not at the quest. Not at my words. Not even when I mentioned the other civilizations."

"Why would I be?" Stark’s voice stayed flat. "I already expected it."

The NPC’s grin widened.

"Hehehe... we’ll see about that. There are things you aren’t ready for. Things you can’t imagine."

Stark didn’t answer. He already knew what the [Demonic Ruins] were.

The ruins were the closest major zone to [Shell City].

For most players, it became the central grinding spot, the place to farm until they could push further.

But conquering them? That was different.

Few made it to the midpoint. None had reached the bottom.

And there was a catch.

The ruins had a barrier. Entry required level 30.

But they also had a maximum limit. Anyone over level 40 couldn’t enter.

Once you passed that threshold, the zone rejected you.

It was a mechanic that would appear more in [Eternal Soul].

Special challenge zones capped both entry and exit levels.

And each one was hellishly dangerous.

Which made the [Demonic Ruins] the perfect trial.

’I should be able to go deep with my current arsenal,’ Stark thought. His eyes glinted. ’I’ll manage.’

He turned, staff tapping lightly against the stone floor as he headed toward the cathedral doors.

But Olikar’s voice stopped him.

"Get rid of those treacherous beings, Earthling." Another cough racked his body. "Your world is already doomed anyway."

"Sure," Stark said simply, not looking back.

Attacking the NPC wasn’t even a thought.

Even with the [Revenant Bell] protecting him from lifespan loss, it would be pointless.

At best, he’d deal a few damage. At worst, Olikar would erase him instantly.

So Stark kept walking. The heavy doors creaked as he pushed them open and stepped back into the streets of [Shell City].

He exhaled slowly.

’I should head out now.’

Grinding for Evolution Points and Lives was the only real option until the [Tower of Divinity] opened.

Stark didn’t mind. He had more than enough to keep himself busy.

And besides...

With the quest in hand, everything felt sharper. More immediate.

He passed through the city square, watching NPCs go about their lives.

For most players, this place would be a comfort.

For him, it was just a pause between hunts.

Still, [Shell City] wasn’t useless. It had good food, and opportunities to buy and sell.

In fact... he could even sell his lives for actual real world money.

Right now, the exchange rate was 1/$100.

And that number would only rise until the [First Calamity] hit, real-world economies would collapse.

At that moment, lives would become the only true currency, both in [Eternal Soul] and outside of it.

For now, though, Stark wasn’t in a rush to sell.

He had plenty. Enough to eat well and extract.

And now, with a new quest hanging over his head, he had a direction.

’Alright,’ Stark thought as he stepped beyond the city gates.

The horizon stretched ahead, endless and dark.

’Time to check the [Demonic Ruins]. And until then... kill every monster I see.’

His lips curved faintly.

Grinding wasn’t boring when every kill meant progress.

And progress was all Stark cared about.