The moment the [First Calamity] ended, the dark vortex above the world finally vanished.

The sky cleared.

What replaced the swirling void was a magnificent, cloudless blue.

For just a second, if someone looked up, they might have believed everything was fine.

That this was just a normal day.

That nothing had happened.

But that illusion didn't last long.

The truth was impossible to ignore.

Entire cities lay in ruins. Buildings flattened. Streets torn apart.

The scars of destruction stretched across every horizon.

The sky might have healed, but the world had not.

'From 95% to 98%… because of the monsters' [Calamity Buff],' Stark thought, standing still amidst the wreckage.

His expression remained calm, unreadable.

He didn't dwell on guilt more than necessary.

He had fought with everything he had, and his intentions had been good.

But the [God of Calamity] had interfered, twisting everything.

Even someone like him could only do so much.

He had managed to thin out the monsters in this city.

A few other top players across the globe had done the same.

But for the majority of people? They stood no chance from the start. As expected.

Still, despite the devastation, Stark hadn't walked away empty-handed after killing those monsters.

Ding!

[You have gained 103 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 6,380 Lives!]

His eyes flickered across the panels.

The rewards were staggering, far beyond what he had gained before.

But considering the sheer number of buffed monsters he had slain, it was only natural.

'Not bad,' Stark thought.

The system added one more line of information.

Do note that the gained evolution points include the 5 he gets daily from his talent.

[Current Evolution Points: 278.]

[Lives: 8,105.]

'God damn.'

That was more EP than he had ever seen gathered at once.

His mind instantly began calculating options.

With that many points, several of his skills could evolve right now.

In fact, if he wanted, he could push [Blazing Meteor] from ancient-rank to ascendant-rank immediately.

The thought alone sent a thrill through him.

The destructive potential would skyrocket. But Stark paused.

The higher he went, the more expensive it would become.

His skills were entering the "upper" ranks now, and those weren't something to throw points at carelessly.

That was the path. And each step up demanded more than the last.

He was still considering his options when the system interrupted him.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

[Congratulations to all of those who survived the "First Calamity."]

[You may now go ahead and explore "Eternal Soul" and whatever awaits you beyond.]

And that was it. Nothing more.

The announcement was simple, but the effect was immediate.

"I'm out of here!"

"Fuck this, I'm not staying on Earth another second!"

"Wait, don't forget about the [Tired] mechanic. You'll get forced back eventually."

"Damn it, who cares, I'm still going!"

One after another, the survivors began vanishing.

Almost all of them chose to return to [Eternal Soul].

After what they had just endured, no one wanted to remain on Earth any longer than necessary.

The [Global Event] was over. They had survived.

That meant they could finally go back to the game, leaving behind the chaos and despair of their ruined world.

Humanity had been reduced to scraps.

With over 98% of the population dead, most survivors already believed Earth itself was finished.

Luckily, there was one small mercy.

The monsters that had remained after the [First Calamity] vanished the moment the event ended.

For now, Earth was safe again. Or, at least, empty.

Ding!

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

[Ghost: We will be going ahead into "Eternal Soul." We want to check out our advancement task and the rest.]

[Oblivion: Alright.]

Stark closed the panel without hesitation. He had the same plan.

Now that the [First Calamity] was finished, every player's advancement task had been completed.

The weak had been eliminated.

Almost nobody below level 20 or 25 had survived.

The few who did had either been carried or had absurd luck.

But for the rest, the ones who endured, completing their advancement task was guaranteed.

Ding!

[Enter "Eternal Soul" to check out all the panels related to yourself.]

Stark glanced at the prompt.

He couldn't check his rewards here. Not yet. That was fine.

He had hoped to obtain a new mage skill book from the [First Calamity], but nothing had dropped.

A small disappointment, though not crippling.

His damage was already high enough to kill the strongest level 25 monsters.

Stark thought it was perhaps it was time to diversify his skills.

For exemple, a way to heal himself would be good.

Mages were one of the most versatile classes.

They could summon, heal, and wield destructive magic.

But versatility came at a cost.

To most, it was still considered one of the weaker classes.

Not only because of the mana usage, but also cooldowns.

'I'll reach 300 EP first,' Stark thought, gaze steady. 'Then I'll evolve three skills at once.'

He stood in the ruined plaza, gazing around at what was left of his city.

Buildings burned. Smoke drifted. Ash hung in the air.

He let out a quiet sigh.

'The other civilizations and the ancient gods…' His eyes narrowed. 'Hm.'

He closed his eyes and focused on the game.

Then a new panel shimmered into view.

Ding!

[Do you wish to enter "Eternal Soul"?]

[Yes] [No]

"Yes."

Fwish!

His body broke apart into glowing particles, dissolving into the system's pull.

During the calamity, it had been impossible to leave.

But now, freedom returned.

And so, Stark disappeared.

…

Fwish!

The particles reformed inside the cathedral of [Shell City].

He blinked once, adjusting to the sudden shift.

The air here felt clean. Untouched.

A panel appeared instantly.

[Olikar, Quest NPC (Dead).]

"…"

Stark dismissed it.

He already knew Olikar's fate, and he had nothing more to say about it.

If anything, he was glad he had visited this place before the [First Calamity].

It was quiet. Isolated. Nobody else would come here yet.

'Perfect,' Stark thought.

Privacy was exactly what he needed to check his panels.

But just as he took his first step—

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Panels flooded his vision.

He already knew what they were.

---

[You have completed your Tier-2 Advancement Task: "Survive the First Calamity."]

[Rating: SSS]

---

'Damn.'

His lips curled slightly.

He had never gotten an SSS rating before.

In his past life, almost nobody had.

Not even Ghost or EvilDemon, who had both been monsters in their own right.

To get an SSS rating would mean that you had absolutely dominated the [Advancement Task].

And Stark had done exactly that!

Ding!

[Your level has been unlocked. You may now gain experience points.]

'Finally.'

The restriction lifted. He could start leveling again.

Of course, it wasn't infinite.

The system would only unlock progression until the next advancement task, which was at level 50.

After that, another trial awaited.

For most players, the pace would slow dramatically here.

The experience required was enormous.

But Stark didn't care.

He had no intention of matching others' pace.

He intended to leave everyone else behind.

[Level: 25 (0/200,000)]

'Good.'

And then, the real prize.

The second reward of completing an advancement task: [Class Advancement].

Ding!

[You have fulfilled the condition for your "Class Advancement."]

Nobody could evolve their [Talents] yet. That would come later.

But this was the moment his [Mage of Oblivion] class could ascend to its next tier.

Stark grinned. His pulse quickened.

"Here we go."

Ding!

[Your "Mage of Oblivion" class has evolved!]

[Tier: 1 → 2]

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