The second floor of the [Demonic Ruins] worked differently compared to the first.

This was where things started to get serious.

Now, bosses began to spawn, and to advance to the [Third Floor], a player needed to find the [Third Floor Key].

The catch was that this key didn't drop from just any monster, it only dropped from bosses.

Meaning if a team or player wanted to go further, they were forced to defeat at least one boss to move on.

Stark stepped forward into the second floor, and immediately the atmosphere shifted.

The pressure was heavier than before, almost as if the air itself was trying to crush him.

The monsters were different too.

---

[Demonic Slime (Level 32)]

[Rank: Rare]

[HP: 420,000]

---

[Ruins Knight (Level 31)]

[Rank: Elite]

[HP: 400,000]

---

[Headless Ghoul (Level 32)]

[Rank: Epic]

[HP: 540,000]

---

Each floor introduced new monster types, but it didn't remove the old ones either.

Previous monsters could still appear, only at higher levels.

The higher the floor, the more dangerous it became.

On the first floor, monsters were locked to level 30.

On the second floor, they ranged between 31 and 33.

By the time someone reached the final floor, the monsters would be level 40.

But hardly anyone had seen them with their own eyes.

That was the danger of the [Fifth Floor].

The slime ahead of Stark was crimson with dark markings running through its body.

It pulsed with energy and fired beams that collided against Stark's barrier.

The [Ruins Knight] stomped forward, heavy armor clanking with every step, while the [Headless Ghoul] raised its clawed arms to attack.

For most players, even three monsters like this would have been a nightmare.

The damage output, regeneration, and coordination were overwhelming.

But for Stark?

Bind of Silk!

Threads of shimmering silk shot forward, wrapping the knight and the ghoul in place.

Blazing Meteor!

A ball of flame dropped from above, blazing against the darkness.

Vines of Fate! Storm of Lightning! Piercing Skeletal Spikes!

Every spell Stark had was unleashed without hesitation.

He didn't care about cooldowns, they were short anyway.

And mana wasn't even an issue for him since his spells didn't have any to begin with.

Even when the future ones did anyway, his incredible regeneration would make up for it!

The corridor exploded with spell effects as they hit the enemies.

-103,320! -413,280! -225,312! -247,968! -72,000!

The ground cracked as shockwaves spread.

The knight and the ghoul were helpless in the silk, crushed and torn apart by meteors, vines, lightning, and spikes.

The slime, immune to binds as the threads phased through it, absorbed a part of the barrage, but even it couldn't withstand the combined power.

It melted into a puddle of corrupted liquid before vanishing.

Stark had been careful not to direct the skeletal spikes into the slime.

If he had, the slime would have regenerated.

But with the other spells, it was finished in seconds.

Even monsters at level 32 didn't stand a chance against him!

Ding!

[You have gained 31,000 experience points.]

[You have gained 283 Lives.]

'Good, looks like I'll be able to move forward.'

Stark's confidence was unshaken, but he was surprising himself.

After all it had been a long time since he last came to these zones.

Two items clattered to the ground, glowing faintly.

Stark picked them up, adding them to his inventory before continuing forward.

Still, this was only the start.

If he wanted to find the key, he needed to go deeper.

…

Minutes passed as Stark pushed further through the ruins.

The corridors were twisting and endless, the whispers echoing louder the further he went.

Then, finally, he encountered his first boss of the zone, and pretty much the only one he needed to defeat.

---

[Demonic Goblin Warlord (Level 33)]

[Rank: Legendary (Boss)]

[HP: 1,500,000]

---

The boss stood three meters tall, a crimson-skinned monster with goblin features and bulging muscles.

It carried a massive axe, jagged and blackened from battle.

At its feet were several lesser goblins, each one level 31.

Stark's eyes narrowed.

"…Hm."

He spun his staff in hand and pointed it at the warlord.

Blazing Meteor!

A flaming rock tore through the air toward the boss.

But instead of being crushed, the warlord raised its axe and swung.

Swing Counter!

The axe struck the meteor, sending it flying back toward Stark.

"Holy...!"

Stark ducked to the side just in time as the meteor blasted past him and smashed into a nearby wall, blowing it apart.

The rubble revealed another corridor behind the wall.

'Interesting. I guess I can use that to find paths if I need.'

Still, the bigger problem was that the [Demonic Goblin Warlord] had countered his spell.

ROOOOAR!

The warlord pointed its axe forward, eyes burning.

The goblins at its side howled and charged all at once, their aggression boosted by their leader.

"Fodder."

Bind of Silk!

Threads erupted outward, capturing every single goblin in the room, including the warlord itself.

The mythical-ranked binding skill was terrifying.

Most enemies couldn't break free in time, and when facing large groups, it completely shut them down.

Vines of Fate! Storm of Lightning! Piercing Skeletal Spikes! Crystals of Death!

His spells slammed into the bound goblins.

The level 31 mobs each had around 320,000 HP, but none of them survived.

They were obliterated instantly.

The warlord roared as the spells hit.

-225,312! -247,968!

Its body cracked under the damage, but just as the skeletal spikes and crystals closed in for the kill, the warlord burst with crimson energy.

ROOOAARR!

The silk bindings shattered.

It dodged half the attacks, though seven spikes still pierced through its body.

-72,000! -72,000! -72,000!

Even so, the boss had lost more than two-thirds of its health in seconds.

Swing Counter!

It also deflected a crystal of death back at Stark.

BAM!

The projectile smashed into Stark's [Unbreakable Magic Barrier], shattering it.

-120,000!

'Wait. That's double the damage it should deal.'

It was clear now.

The warlord's [Swing Counter] didn't just reflect attacks, it doubled their power.

It was an interesting mechanic.

But that meant if Stark got hit directly, it would be devastating.

Fwish!

The warlord lunged forward, closing the gap.

Its axe glowed crimson.

Warlord Smash!

The ground erupted as the axe struck, forcing Stark to leap back.

Dust and debris filled the air.

Blazing Meteor!

The ball of fire soared, but once again…

Swing Counter!

The warlord batted it away, sending it crashing into another wall.

'Pretty smart for a goblin,' Stark thought grimly.

The battle turned into a test of timing.

Every time Stark prepared to launch a heavy spell, the warlord focused entirely on countering.

It was cautious, patient, and brutal.

But Stark wasn't without options.

Bind of Silk!

The threads lashed out again, wrapping around the warlord.

It roared and struggled, but it couldn't break free immediately.

"You kept countering this, now it ends."

Blazing Meteor!

BOOM!

-413,280!

The meteor crashed directly into the bound warlord, shattering its body.

With a deafening roar, the boss fell to the ground, axe clattering from its grip.

The crimson light faded from its eyes as its corpse collapsed.

From the remains, a shower of [Lives] burst forth.

And among them was the glowing object Stark had been waiting for: the [Third Floor Key].

"Bingo," Stark muttered, stepping forward, "With this, I can keep going further."

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