The moment Karl pressed [Yes], a burst of blinding light enveloped him.
His vision turned completely white as the world around him dissolved.
For a few seconds, there was nothing, no sound, no feeling, only the light surrounding his entire body.
Then suddenly—
Fwish! Ding!
When Karl opened his eyes again, he found himself floating inside a massive vortex.
It twisted endlessly, like a storm of colors that carried his body forward without resistance.
He had already experienced this before, the transition from one continent to another, so he didn't panic.
The endless spiral of energy was familiar, a sign that he was being transported.
But suddenly, everything changed. The swirling lights vanished.
The mana that surrounded him froze in place.
And in the blink of an eye, the vortex turned into complete darkness.
"Huh?" Karl looked around, frowning. "What's going on?"
Before he could move or react, something appeared within the black void: a massive eye.
It opened slowly, the sound echoing like a mountain cracking apart.
It was hundreds of times larger than Karl himself, so big he couldn't even see its edges.
The darkness around him hid its full form, but what stood out were those deep, glowing purple pupils.
They stared straight at him.
"You're the [God of Oblivion], aren't you?" Karl asked calmly, taking the initiative.
But there was no answer.
The eye's glow intensified, and the entire void trembled with its presence.
The sheer pressure of that gaze made Karl's chest tighten, like gravity itself was trying to crush him.
Then suddenly—
[They haven't noticed you yet it seems.]
[But time is not your friend. Keep going.]
Karl's surroundings changed again.
The darkness faded, and the swirling vortex of light reappeared.
Ding!
[You are about to enter the "Ascension Continent."]
Karl's eyes narrowed slightly.
The [Ascension Continent], this was where everything truly began.
In his past life, he had spent seven long years there.
It was the second continent of [Gods Ascension], the place where players who completed the "tutorial" of the [Novice Continent] came to grow stronger and rise in power.
But Karl knew something nobody else did: there was another continent above this one: the [Gods Continent].
He had no idea how to reach it or what awaited there, but he was certain it existed because of what the figure said in his past life.
He would have to uncover its secrets later.
For now, his body continued to drift through the vortex.
Then—
A flash of light exploded in his vision.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in an entirely new world.
Ding!
---
[You have entered the "Ascension Continent."]
[A vast and corrupted world, where chaos and strength reign above all else.]
---
Karl looked around.
He was standing in the center of a small square surrounded by towering stone buildings.
The city around him was nothing like the broken [Novice Town] he came from.
The architecture here was solid and ancient, glowing slightly under the pale light of the moon.
The streets were paved and filled with people, players and NPCs alike, moving with purpose.
The sky above was pitch black, but the moon's glow was bright enough to illuminate the entire area.
Then he noticed something else. A crowd was gathering.
"A new player!"
"Damn, been around a day since the last one, heh?"
"Wait… look at his ID!"
Karl sighed quietly.
Every time a new player ascended to the [Ascension Continent], a bright pillar of light descended from the sky to announce their arrival.
When [Gods Ascension] first launched, there were beams everywhere, tens of thousands of players arriving at once.
But after the [First Calamity]... everything changed.
With 99.9% of humanity gone, it was now much rarer to see anyone make it through the [Novice Continent].
And since Karl's arrival beam had just appeared moments after the global announcement of his victory in the [Ruins of Oblivion], everyone already knew who he was.
They couldn't see his class or talents, but his ID, [Oblivion], was displayed on his panel for everyone to see.
"The hell, he's a mage?"[1]
"Did he actually complete that [Ruins of Oblivion] place?"
"What's the point of asking? We can't even go back to the [Novice Continent]."
Karl ignored their chatter and stepped forward.
The crowd parted to let him through, curiosity replacing hostility.
Most of them were too stunned to speak, or too cautious to provoke him.
"Hah," someone in the back scoffed, "these newbies think [Gods Ascension] is still just a game."
Karl didn't bother replying. He didn't care what they thought.
He just wanted somewhere quiet to check the notifications flooding his screen.
He turned into a side street and walked through a dimly lit alley until the sound of footsteps faded away.
'Perfect,' he thought.
Ding!
---
[You have entered "Moon City" (Safe Zone).]
[A neutral town plunged in eternal moonlight, filled with NPCs. Acts as an introduction to the next stage of the game.]
[Lives Loss Rate: 5.]
---
Karl nodded. He already knew this place well.
Even though it was labeled a "Safe Zone," the term was misleading.
You couldn't die to monsters here since they can't enter, but you could still be killed by other players or even NPCs.
In [Gods Ascension], NPCs weren't just background characters.
They had actual intelligence and could make a difference.
The term 'NPC' wasn't even that appropriate since they were actually inhabitants of [Gods Ascension].
If a player's reputation dropped too low, the NPCs could turn hostile and even hunt them down.
'Need to be careful,' Karl thought.
'Keep my reputation high, take the right quests, and stay neutral for now.'
The [Lives Loss Rate] had increased from the [Novice Continent], too.
Deaths here would cost much more.
This zone was designed for players between Level 10 and 25.
It was the stepping stone to greater regions.
Players could technically leave early, but anyone who tried to skip ahead usually got slaughtered by monsters far stronger than them.
The centerpiece of this entire zone, and its deadliest location, was the [Moon Tower].
The tower served as both a training ground and a nightmare.
Players could grind for experience by climbing its five floors.
But the higher one climbed, the stronger the enemies became, and the higher the [Lives Loss Rate] rose.
Nobody had ever cleared it completely. Not once.
Even Karl, in his past life, hadn't made it to the top.
'The tower's fourth floor was basically impossible,' he recalled, 'but maybe… this time, things will be different.'
With his current [Class] and [Talent], he had more potential than ever before.
But before he could begin anything, another notification appeared.
Ding!
[You have fulfilled the condition for your "Class Advancement."]
Karl's eyes lit up, "Here we go."
Ding!
---
[Your "Heir of Oblivion" class has evolved!]
[Tier: 0 → 1]
[Class Passive #1: All your magic damage is multiplied by 10 → 15.]
[Class Passive #2: You do not need MP to cast spells, no matter how powerful they are.]
[Class Passive #3: All your spells' cooldowns are reduced by half.]
[Class Passive #4 (New): You may fuse compatible spells into even stronger ones.]
---
Karl froze, "Huh?"
He reread the panel twice.
Not only had his damage multiplier increased, but he had gained a new passive already.
'Fuse compatible spells into even stronger ones…' he thought slowly, 'That's… insane.'
The power boost was massive, far beyond what most Tier-1 players could even dream of.
Normally, players only got new passives at higher tiers, but his SSS completion rating must have rewarded him extra.
Karl could feel the difference instantly.
His mana pulsed stronger than ever, and every breath felt charged with energy.
He clenched his hand, feeling that raw strength flow through his veins.
'This is just the beginning,' he thought with a grin.
Now that he had officially arrived in the [Ascension Continent], his true journey was about to start.
And for Karl, the Heir of Oblivion, it was time to rise again.
[1] They assumed that because of the staff, not because they see his class