The lives loss rate of the [Land of Mist] was several times higher than in the zone Stark had just been in.

It wasn't surprising. Players would need to be ready for the fact that zones only kept getting harder.

Every step deeper into [Eternal Soul] demanded more resources, more lives, and more skill.

Anyone careless enough to charge in without preparation would simply vanish.

But by the time players could actually survive long enough to enter the [Land of Mist], they would surely have stacked up enough lives to handle it.

After all, it would take a long grind before they were even strong enough to come here in the first place.

Still, Stark stood there now.

His eyes narrowed as he scanned the gray mist spreading in the distance.

The air carried a heavy weight, a suffocating kind of pressure that even he couldn't ignore.

It was thicker, colder, and felt dangerous in a way that was different from anything outside.

And then, he finally spotted what he had been looking for.

---

[Mist Reaper (Level 30)]

[Rank: Epic]

[HP: 500,000]

---

[Bone Spirit (Level 30)]

[Rank: Legendary]

[HP: 530,000]

---

The [Mist Reaper] hovered just a few meters above the ground. Its form looked like it was stitched together from fog itself.

A silver cloak clung to its thin body, constantly shifting and reforming with the mist.

In its hand, it carried a scythe, long and curved, glowing faintly.

The [Bone Spirit] was the opposite. Its frame was skeletal, yet its bones were transparent like glass.

They reflected the faint mist light in strange patterns.

It held a long sword, its movements slow, deliberate, but filled with menace.

Two monsters, both level 30. The highest-level enemies in this entire zone.

And one of them was legendary. Stark smirked.

The deeper you went into [Eternal Soul], the more obvious it became that monster ranks weren't just rare accidents.

They escalated.

Where you once struggled to find even a single epic-rank, you'd later fight legendary monsters as if they were standard.

And beyond legendary, there were even greater threats.

But for now, this was enough.

Because right beside them stood something even more intimidating.

---

[Black Slime (Level 30)]

[Rank: Legendary (Boss)]

[HP: 1,300,000]

----

'Damn. That's a lot of health.'

The [Black Slime] was a grotesque mass of ooze, its body three meters in diameter.

Its surface pulsed and bubbled as if it were alive in ways beyond normal movement.

At the center of its shifting form were two round hollows that mimicked eyes.

Below them, its body stretched into a jagged crack resembling a mouth.

It had no teeth, but its body shape alone gave the impression of a predator grinning.

Stark's grip tightened around his staff.

He knew exactly how dangerous these monsters were.

In his past life, back when he had been weaker, he wouldn't have even considered standing here.

Not alone. Not even with Max and Seren by his side.

These things were walls, unbeatable obstacles for players who weren't prepared.

But this time? This time was different.

He jumped down from the ghost wolf's back, ordering it to stand back.

The wolf obeyed, retreating slightly as Stark raised his staff.

His eyes locked on the three monsters.

Blazing Meteor! Vines of Fate! Storm of Lightning! Piercing Bone Spikes! Crystals of Death!

He cast them all at once, unleashing every offensive spell in his arsenal.

Fwish! BOOM!

The [Mist Reaper] and [Bone Spirit] tried to close the gap, their weapons raised high, but they were cut down before they could even reach him.

-394,080! -217,632! -236,448! -72,000! -72,000! -50,000!

Every spell struck true.

The [Mist Reaper] let out a hollow scream before collapsing, its silver cloak dissolving into the mist.

The [Bone Spirit] shattered, its transparent bones breaking apart into dust.

Nothing remained.

'Tch. No corpse. Means no [Hand of Avarice] on it.'

Annoying, but acceptable.

His eyes shifted forward. The real target remained.

The [Black Slime] quivered as chunks of its body were blasted away by his spells.

Pieces of black ooze splattered across the ground, sizzling.

But unlike the others, this thing didn't just fall.

-394,080! Immune! -236,448! Immune! Immune!

Several of his skills had no effect at all.

The slime absorbed the damage as if his attacks were nothing.

And then…

Absorption!

Its body swelled and reformed.

The skeletal spikes and crystal shards it had absorbed melted into its form, restoring its mass.

Fwish!

+500,000!

"Oh."

So that was its mechanic.

It healed itself by devouring physical and elemental skills that didn't target its core. Standard attacks were useless.

Worse, if you got too close, it could even absorb your gear straight off your body. It was a slime, after all.

The black mass bubbled violently, preparing its counterattack.

Dark Slime!

Jets of ooze exploded outward, shooting toward Stark like arrows.

But he didn't even bother to move.

Bam!

The slime's attack splashed against an invisible force.

His [Dark Necklace] triggered instantly, nullifying the damage.

Blazing Meteor!

BOOM!

-394,080!

'As long as I can keep casting [Blazing Meteor] and [Storm of Lightning], this thing won't last.'

The [Black Slime] shifted angrily, realizing its attack had done nothing.

Its body rippled, reforming into a new shape before slamming down.

Dark Slam!

A massive chunk of ooze shaped like a bat's wing struck toward him.

Once again, his necklace absorbed the blow.

"Your skills won't work." He spoke calmly.

The slime didn't understand, but it didn't matter. The truth stood.

If an enemy relied entirely on dark-type attacks, they couldn't touch him.

Blazing Meteor! Storm of Lightning!

-394,080!-236,448!

Its health plummeted. Just one more cast and the boss would fall.

The weakness of slimes had always been their core.

If a warrior struck it up close, the slime would collapse instantly.

But since Stark was a mage, he had to chip away the hard way. Still, it was working.

Until…

ROOOOARRR!

The [Black Slime] screamed as its HP neared zero.

Its entire form quaked, then surged forward. Its mouth stretched wide.

It lunged, trying to swallow him whole.

'Oh.'

This wasn't a dark-element skill. It was pure absorption.

If he got caught, he was done for. Not even his [Unbreakable Magic Barrier] would save him.

The ooze swelled, rising higher, its body wrapping around to form a cage of slime ready to collapse on him.

Stark didn't panic. He raised his boots and slammed them into the ground.

Calamity Shockwave!

---

[Calamity Shockwave (Active Skill): Slam your boots into the ground to release a shockwave toward enemies, 5-minutes cooldown.]1

---

A violent shockwave burst outward, rippling through the ground and shaking the mist.

The [Black Slime] staggered, its body rippling unevenly as the force disoriented it.

That was all he needed.

Blazing Meteor!

BOOM!

-394,080!

The meteor slammed directly into its core.

The slime shuddered, then collapsed.

Its black mass dissolved into lifeless puddles that seeped into the ground.

'Good.'

Even a legendary boss at level 30, something that would terrify groups of players, was no match for him.

Ding!

---

[You have killed "Mist Reaper (Level 30)"]

[You have killed "Bone Spirit (Level 30)"]

[You have killed "Black Slime (Level 30 Boss)"]

[You have gained 166,000 experience points.]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 28!]

[You have gained 5 points in all of your attributes, and 5 free points to distribute.]

[You have gained 14 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 312 Lives!]

---

Hand of Avarice!

[You have gained 23 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 394 Lives!]

A grin spread across Stark's face.

Level 28. Only two more levels to go before he reached his next milestone.

The EP and Lives gains were solid, and his pace was unmatched.

Even better… he could finally equip [Silk Bind].

Everything was moving forward exactly how he wanted.

But even as the mist settled and silence returned, Stark didn't seem any more relaxed.

Because if he wanted to keep moving alone, if he wanted to survive later stages of [Eternal Soul], then even this level of power was nothing more than the bare minimum.

This is the skill he got from the [Calamity Boots (Legendary)]

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