It seemed like the group of demons Stark had killed weren't alone.

The [Third Floor] wasn't overflowing with demons like the deeper levels.

Monsters were still the majority here, twisted beasts and armored husks roamed most of the ruins.

But demons had started to appear, scattered in squads across the area.

The real shift wouldn't come until the next floor.

The [Demon's Nest]. That was where demons were no longer rare encounters.

That was where their forces swelled, their numbers rising to rival even the monsters.

It was by design. [Eternal Soul] didn't throw players straight into the deep end.

The third floor was a warning, a preparation.

It was the game's way of showing that NPCs weren't just there to be there.

They could be fought. They could kill you.

And they weren't the only race, either. There were many others.

Some hostile, some not. Some powerful enough to erase players like ants.

"…" Stark said nothing as he came to a stop.

Up ahead stood another group of demons. Five this time.

The demons turned at the same time he did, spotting him instantly.

"…?"

Their eyes narrowed. For a moment, neither side moved.

The demons tilted their heads slightly, confused by his sudden appearance.

But then—

"It's a human, you idiots! Attack him!"

One of them barked the order.

The tone was commanding, and the others instantly obeyed.

---

[Low-Level Demon General (Level 35)]

[Rank: Epic]

[HP: 600,000]

---

So that was the leader.

Not a boss, his panel didn't carry the [Boss NPC] title, but still far above the others.

His presence alone gave off weight.

A broad-shouldered figure clad in crimson armor that matched the tone of his dark skin.

A massive blade rested easily in his grip, its edge stained black.

His eyes were cold, calculating, the kind that had seen countless battles.

"Shit, a human!"

"Kill!"

"He's probably the one that killed the others!"

Their snarls echoed through the chamber as they charged, boots slamming against the cracked stone.

Stark raised his staff without hesitation.

Bind of Silk!

The air trembled.

White threads burst forth, sharper and faster than before.

They lanced out in multiple directions, wrapping around every soldier.

The demons didn't even have time to blink before the silk constricted.

"Argh—!"

"What the hell is this?!"

The bindings tightened mercilessly, cutting into their flesh through armor.

Blood hissed against the threads as they screamed in pain.

Their leader, the general, managed to slash a few strands near him, but even he couldn't completely break free.

Stark didn't waste time.

He went down the line, finishing the restrained demons one by one with clean, precise spells.

Fireballs, spikes, bursts of lightning, it didn't matter which.

They couldn't resist. Each corpse was then marked with [Curse Flower].

Dark vines sprouted immediately, flowers blooming from the bodies as energy flowed into them.

Soon only the general remained, still bound in silk, still glaring up at Stark as if willing himself not to look weak.

Stark leveled his staff.

"Give me information about the [Fifth Floor]," he said coldly, "No matter how small it is."

He knew demons weren't the talkative type.

Their loyalty ran deep, and they'd rather die than reveal anything.

But it was always worth trying.

And this time—

"…Hah." The demon general smirked, blood spilling from his mouth, "There's no point."

His voice was ragged but steady.

"Because even if you do reach the [Fifth Floor], you'll face our leader alone. One-on-one."

Piercing Skeletal Spikes!

Crack! shhk!

Bone spears erupted from the ground, piercing through the general's legs and side.

"Ghh—!"

The demon gasped in pain.

Stark had been careful.

He didn't use enough to kill, only enough to leave him bleeding, weakened, unable to move.

"Cough…" the general hacked blood, but forced words through clenched teeth, "And… before you reach the [Fifth Floor]… you must defeat our strongest monster."

"The [Demonic Wyvern]?" Stark tilted his head, a faint grin forming, "I'll be fine."

The general's eyes widened in shock.

"You… You already know of it?"

His voice cracked with disbelief.

"Wait, how do you—"

Vines of Fate!

Bam!

Green vines whipped down like lashes, crushing him and finishing the job.

The general's body hit the ground with a dull thud.

Stark wasted no time.

[Curse Flower] was used again, buds sprouting from every demon corpse and blooming.

Ding!

[You have gained 110,000 experience points!]

[You have gained 250 Lives!]

And when the flowers finally bloomed—

Ding!

[Your "Curse Flower" has taken 450 Lives from "Low-Level Demon Soldier"]

Stark nodded in approval.

'Good enough.'

Step by step, his pool of lives was stacking higher and higher.

What others would've considered an unimaginable fortune, Stark saw as "too little."

But that was the difference. He had knowledge they didn't.

A future they couldn't see.

Still, the general's words stuck with him.

The [Demonic Wyvern]. He already knew it well.

The apex monster of the [Demonic Ruins], the ultimate guardian blocking the way to the next floor.

Its strength had crushed countless players. Few had passed it.

Stark hadn't been one of them in his last life.

And then there was the other part: the leader.

According to the general, the [Fifth Floor] wasn't just another grind.

It was a battle against the leader of the [Demonic Ruins] himself.

A fight Stark hadn't even heard whispers about in the past.

Which meant no one had cleared it. The hardest boss yet.

But Stark's gaze didn't waver. The present came first.

The third floor didn't require a key like the second had.

The only condition to descend was to find the exit. But that didn't mean it was easy.

The density of monsters was higher, and their strength rose steadily the deeper one went.

Right as those thoughts settled—

Ding!

[Olikar's Special Quest has been adjusted.]

"…Of course."

Quests shifted all the time. They bent to the player's progress, or to their knowledge.

The title flickered, lines rewriting themselves before Stark's eyes.

---

[Special Quest: "Conquer the Demonic Ruins by Killing the Demonic Leader"]

[Description: Olikar has been betrayed by that demonic leader. Fulfill his wish by killing him at the bottom of the "Demonic Ruins."]

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

---

The reward was vague, but that didn't matter.

Stark doubted anyone in his past life had ever beaten the leader.

The [Demonic Ruins] became locked out the moment you hit level 40.

That limit had been the wall that stopped everyone.

'The leader'll just revive if I kill him…' Stark thought, expression calm, 'But as long as the quest completes, that's enough.'

He stepped deeper into the corridor, his staff resting lightly in his grip.

This time, no demons came.

Instead, monsters prowled the ruined halls, wolf-headed beasts, horned shades, and armored hulks.

'Perfect,' Stark thought as his grin returned, 'I prefer using my [Hand of Avarice].'

[Curse Flower] was useful. But it didn't bring items.

And Stark needed equipment, evolution points, resources.

Monsters dropped all of that.

If [Curse Flower] had the chance to give items or EP, it would've been utterly broken.

Not that Stark was complaining. It was already strong enough.

An hour passed.

Stark moved like a storm through the third floor, clearing everything in his path.

Every monster fell, their bodies harvested by [Hand of Avarice], his experience and lives growing steadily.

Not once did his pace falter.

Until at last—

The exit. A tall, rune-carved gate at the end of a collapsed hall.

Its surface glowed faintly, reacting the moment Stark approached.

He didn't hesitate.

'Alright,' he thought, gripping his staff tighter, 'Once I enter, it'll be as far as I reached in my past life.'

The fourth floor had been his wall. He hadn't lasted long there.

The enemies had been too strong, the battles too overwhelming.

But this time? This time, he wouldn't stop.

Fwoosh!

Light wrapped around his body, dragging him forward.

The ruined corridor vanished.

When his vision cleared, he stood in a vast chamber.

Crimson torches lined the walls, their flames hissing like living things.

The air was hotter here, thicker, almost suffocating.

And then—

Ding!

[You have entered the Fourth Floor of the Demonic Ruins: "Demon's Nest"]

[Lives loss rate: 750]

Stark grinned.

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