Stark could tell immediately that the ghost wolf was trembling.

Its body, once steady and confident, now shook with unease, its translucent fur flickering faintly under the dim light of the mist.

'Hm.'

It would've been useful to have the wolf with him through the [Land of Mist], but maybe that wasn't possible yet.

Its loyalty still wasn't high enough.

Trust took time, even with a mount like this one.

Stark exhaled lightly, then stepped down from the ghost wolf's back.

His boots touched the damp ground as the fog swirled around his feet.

He reached for the bell, ready to unsummon the creature and move alone.

But before he could—

Hoowllll!

The ghost wolf raised its head and howled, a haunting echo rolling through the silver haze.

Stark stopped immediately.

The wolf turned toward him, meeting his eyes.

"...?" Stark tilted his head slightly.

The ghost wolf then bent down, lowering itself to the ground as if inviting him to climb back up.

"Are you… planning to enter with me?" Stark asked flatly. "This zone's dangerous."

The ghost wolf nodded once, then pointed one of its spectral claws toward its own chest, as if to reassure him.

Stark looked at it in silence for a few seconds, then sighed.

"Alright. But if things go bad, I'm unsummoning you. I don't want you dying here."

Mounts in [Eternal Soul] couldn't die permanently, but their death penalty was heavy.

The cooldown to summon them again could range from a day to an entire month depending on their rank.

For something like the ghost wolf, the cooldown would probably last several days.

So Stark climbed back onto its back and gave a small nod.

The wolf stood tall again, the tremor in its legs fading slightly.

Ding!

[The Ghost Wolf's Loyalty toward you has increased by 3%.]

"Damn," Stark muttered. "That fast, huh?"

The wolf let out a low growl, its energy visibly steadier now.

Then, without needing another command, it began moving forward.

Fwish—

They crossed through the dense curtain of silver mist.

Ding!

[You have entered the "Land of Mist" (Major Zone)]

The ghost wolf advanced cautiously, its movements slower and more deliberate.

Stark didn't mind.

The thick mist made visibility nearly zero anyway.

It was better to take things slow at first.

'Finding that bloodline zone's going to be hell,' he thought with a quiet sigh.

While riding forward, he took the time to review what he knew about zones.

Places like the [Church Sanctuary] or [City Underground Maze] were just normal "zones."

They had boundaries, bosses, and objectives.

But there were types: normal zones, unique zones, special zones.

And one of the types above all: Major Zones.

The [Ruined Cities] had been one. The [Land of Mist] was another.

These were large-scale, unavoidable regions filled with high-level monsters and rare opportunities.

They were where players truly got stuck.

He reminded himself of the conditions for something to be one.

First, a [Major Zone] was always massive and packed with monsters far stronger than anything in the outside world.

Second, and most important, you couldn't skip it.

In other words, if you wanted to progress, you had to go through it.

Players had been forced through the [Ruined Cities].

They couldn't just run outside immediately; anyone who tried would get torn apart.

The [Land of Mist] was the same. It blocked all routes forward.

If you wanted to keep advancing in [Eternal Soul], this was the path.

The [Fortress of the Damned] where many got stuck later was also a Major Zone.

That brought up another question in Stark's mind.

'What about the [Abyss]?'

Could that be a Major Zone too?

He thought back to Olikar's note, the mention of the [Soul Continent], the "gate," and the key he now carried.

'The [Abyss] needs a key to enter,' he mused, scratching his chin. 'Maybe it's different. Maybe it's hidden from normal players.'

If it was a [Major Zone], why would it need a key to enter it?

That would definitely restrain almost everybody after all.

He wasn't sure, but something told him that zone would matter later.

For now, he had to focus.

The ghost wolf continued forward, its steps soft and deliberate.

Even it seemed to understand how dangerous this place was.

Stark scanned the misty surroundings.

Shapes moved faintly beyond the haze, but it was impossible to tell if they were rocks, monsters, or illusions.

"We'll have to explore," Stark said quietly, his hand resting on the wolf's neck. "I need to reach level 50 here."

The ghost wolf responded with a low, eerie howl that echoed through the fog.

Unfortunately, that howl drew attention.

Fwish!

The mist around them stirred violently.

Dark silhouettes began forming, emerging from the fog like ghosts.

Stark counted them quickly, several moving shapes, gliding across the misty ground.

But before he could react...

Fwish!

A much larger one appeared out of nowhere beside the ghost wolf, its body towering over the rest.

Its form was clearer than the others, the scythe it held glowing faintly blue.

'A boss already?' Stark narrowed his eyes.

But then...

Slash!

-10,500!

The ghost wolf yelped, blood-red energy bursting from its side.

'Shit...!'

HOOWLLL!!

The creature stumbled, retreating instinctively.

Instead of fighting back, it tried to flee.

But...

"Stop," Stark ordered.

The wolf froze in place despite trembling.

A deep gash split its ethereal side, blood leaking from the wound.

Ding!

["Ghost Wolf" has been inflicted with "Bleeding."]

-100! -100! -100!

Small red numbers began floating above it, ticking down rapidly.

Stark's expression darkened.

The ghost wolf's health was dropping fast, and shadowy figures were now surrounding them completely.

Three of them were armed with scythes, floating inches above the ground.

While the others looked like wolves.

Each one radiated a cold, death-like aura.

"You can rest," Stark said calmly, stepping off the wolf's back. "You'll be fine if you rest."

Fwish!

The ghost wolf vanished into translucent smoke, returning to its summoning space.

Normally, mounts couldn't be unsummoned in combat.

But since the ghost wolf hadn't attacked and only tried to flee, the system didn't register it as "in battle."

That small technicality saved it.

Stark adjusted his stance and exhaled slowly.

"Alright," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "Let's deal with you quickly."

Six enemies. That was manageable.

He raised his hand, readying his magic, and glanced at the closest two.

---

[Mist Reaper (Level 40)]

[Rank: Epic]

[HP: 700,000]

---

[Mist Wolf (Level 41)]

[Rank: Elite]

[HP: 670,000]

---

'Level 40 and 41,' Stark noted.

He'd seen Mist Reapers before the [Land of Mist], they had been weaker back then, around level 30.

These, however, were stronger.

Their cloaks were denser, their scythes sharper, and their movement more fluid.

There were three of them now.

The Mist Wolves, though, were new.

Their bodies were made entirely of silver mist, but still solid enough to attack.

Their eyes glowed white, locking directly on him.

They growled softly, their forms shifting with the fog.

"Here we go, then."

But just as he braced himself to strike, something clicked in his mind.

"Wait a second…"

The creature that struck the ghost wolf earlier, it wasn't among these six.

It looked different. Stronger.

Its scythe had been larger, its presence heavier.

That wasn't just a normal monster.

And right at that moment...

Fwish!

He sensed a sudden ripple of energy behind him.

Stark spun around, just in time to see a massive shadow emerging from the mist, its scythe gleaming faintly.

Fwish! Slash!

The blade swung down hard—

Crack!

It hit Stark's [Unbreakable Magic Barrier], sparks of energy flying before the figure vanished into the mist again.

'Knew it,' Stark thought grimly. 'It can blend into the mist to hide itself.'

He tightened his grip, preparing for another strike.

The air was cold, silent, except for the faint shifting of fog.

The six monsters around him were closing in slowly.

But his focus was fixed on that hidden one, the real threat.

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