After checking his eyes in the mirror and confirming that they indeed looked like those affiliated with "Oblivion", Karl returned to his room.
He moved without saying anything, his steps quiet, his mind already spinning with thoughts.
The reflection still lingered in his head: that strange, dark glow in his eyes, that faint flicker that didn't belong to any normal human.
It was unmistakable.
The very same kind of eyes that belonged to the ones connected to "Oblivion."
Once back in his room, he opened the fridge and grabbed whatever food he could find.
He didn't care what it was, he just needed something quick.
Sitting down at the table, he began eating, but while his hands moved automatically, his mind was elsewhere.
He wasn't just sitting there doing nothing.
The first thing he did was call out his [Status Window].
Ding!
And as expected, it materialized before him, floating in front of his eyes like a hologram of pure light.
But this one… it was much different than the one Karl had in the game.
---
[ID: Oblivion]
[Class: Mage of Oblivion (Tier-1)]
[Talent: Infinite Evolution (SSS)]
[Level: 12]
[Lives: 1152]
[Constitution: 65]
[Strength: 65]
[Agility: 70]
[Spirit: 105]
[Skills: None.]
---
Karl quietly stared at it.
As one might notice, the status window Karl currently had was not the same as the one in the game.
He had his class, his talent, his level, and even his attributes, but he didn't have any of his skills.
Nor did he have his equipment.
And the reason for that was simple.
Ding!
---
[You have reached level 10 and returned to the real world.]
[You may now use the "Lives" you have acquired to extract your skills and equipment.]
[Good luck.]
---
That was how [Gods Ascension] allowed humans to become stronger in the real world.
Their attributes and levels transferred, but their skills and equipment didn't.
To bring those over, they needed to use the "Lives" they had collected inside the game.
Karl immediately opened the next panel.
---
[1. Extract Skills]
[2. Extract Equipment]
[3. Extract Bloodline (Not Available)]
[4. Extract ??? (Not Available)]
---
There were four options, but even Karl didn't know what the fourth one meant.
He had never seen it before, never used it.
As for [Bloodlines], they were something for later.
For now, Karl selected the first option: [Extract Skills].
The moment he did, another panel appeared.
Ding!
[Do you wish to use 750 Lives to extract your "Annihilating Fireball" (Epic) skill to the real world?]
[Do you wish to use 750 Lives to extract your "Frost Crystals" (Epic) skill to the real world?]
[Do you wish to use 500 Lives to extract your "Strong Magic Barrier" (Elite) skill to the real world?]
Each skill had a price.
And as one might notice, the cost of extracting skills was based on the rank of the skill.
---
Common: 100 Lives
Uncommon: 250 Lives
Rare: 350 Lives
Elite: 500 Lives
Epic: 750 Lives
Legendary: 1,000 Lives
And so on.
---
Equipment worked differently.
The cost to extract depended on both the rank and the level of the equipment.
Every piece had its own unique price.
Karl quickly calculated the numbers in his head.
With only a little over a thousand Lives, he wouldn't be able to extract anything.
But for now, he didn't need to worry about using his skills in the real world.
Nothing dangerous was happening here yet.
What he really needed was to keep progressing inside [Gods Ascension].
That was where he could truly grow stronger.
After finishing his food, Karl stood up, stretched a little, and closed his eyes.
He focused. He concentrated on the world of [Gods Ascension].
A panel appeared in front of him once again.
Ding!
---
[Do you wish to enter "Gods Ascension"?]
[Yes] [No]
---
Karl didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
And just like that, his body dissolved into shimmering particles of light before vanishing completely.
He was gone.
...
Ding!
[You have returned to the "Ascension Continent."]
[We know you would be back.]
Karl reappeared in the [Moon Plains].
Only thirty minutes had passed since he had logged out.
The cool, silver glow of the plains stretched before him, wind brushing against his robes.
He could feel the faint pulse of energy in the air and the presence of monsters.
He cracked a grin.
"I don't feel tired yet. So I should be fine for now."
He had respawned exactly where he had left off.
That was one of the core systems of [Gods Ascension].
A player could leave the game whenever they wanted, as long as they weren't in combat.
And when they returned, they would appear in the exact same spot where they had disconnected.
Meaning that right now, Karl could still see the [Moon Temple] in the distance.
Without a single word, he rushed toward it.
He moved swiftly across the plains, shooting a few spells at monsters along the way.
The blasts tore through them, but none were strong enough to slow him down.
These creatures were far below his level now.
And before long, he reached the entrance.
Ding!
---
[You are about to enter a dangerous level 12–15 zone: "Moon Temple."]
[Once you enter, you cannot leave unless you die.]
---
Several players were gathered near the temple's massive gate.
They were forming teams, discussing tactics, and preparing their supplies.
Even though the [Moon Temple] was a challenge, it was far easier than the [Moon Tower].
The monsters inside were aggressive and coordinated, and the boss of the fourth floor, the [Moon Skeleton King], was known for wiping out unprepared parties.
Even Karl didn't know what the final boss of the tower looked like.
The only information anyone had was its name: [Moonless].
Karl didn't waste any time.
He stepped forward and walked straight through the veil of light that marked the entrance.
Ding!
---
[You have entered the "Moon Temple."]
[Lives Loss Rate: 10]
[Description: A small temple where many once worshiped the moon. Undead and other beings have now overtaken it.]
---
The message faded, and Karl opened his eyes to find himself standing inside a vast marble hall.
A faint silver glow illuminated the place, though there were no torches or windows.
The light seemed to come from the air itself, cold and pale, like moonlight.
For a moment, Karl stood still, gazing around.
He was completely alone.
[Gods Ascension] had two types of zones: "instance" and "general."
Instance-type zones created a separate copy each time a player or a team entered.
The [Moon Temple] was one of those.
That meant this entire dungeon belonged to him alone.
On the other hand, general-type zones were shared among all players.
Everything done in them affected others.
Places like the [Moon Tower] were of that kind.
Karl's steps echoed across the hall as he moved forward.
Blue marble pillars rose high on both sides, stretching endlessly into the darkness.
It didn't take long for him to notice movement ahead: several undead figures wandering between the pillars.
The moment he entered their range, every one of them turned to face him.
Their hollow eyes flared with pale blue light.
---
[Moon Undead (Level 12)]
[Rank: Uncommon]
[HP: 14,000]
---
[Moon Wraith (Level 12)]
[Rank: Rare]
[HP: 15,000]
---
The skeletons carried old, rusted swords.
The wraiths floated in the air, their forms half-transparent, their bodies wrapped in faded shrouds of mist.
As soon as they spotted him, they attacked.
Karl didn't move back. He grinned.
He twirled his staff in one hand, the faint glow of mana beginning to pulse at its tip.
The air around him shifted as he prepared to fight.
He already knew this zone well.
He knew every corner, every type of monster that could appear here.
That was why, even though he was alone, his expression stayed calm.
This was nothing new. He was ready.