Karl placed every single item from his backpack onto the ground, organizing them quickly before sitting down.
And just like before, players started to gather around him the moment they noticed what he was doing.
"Hold up, these are only level 10 items."
"Yeah, but they're pretty good."
"Holy hell, look at the [Guardian Gauntlets] and that [Broken Spirit] skill book!"
Karl barely reacted, though he did hear their excitement.
The players circling him were right, these items were only level 10, but that didn't mean they were weak.
It wasn't just the level that determined how strong an item was.
Rank mattered even more.
An epic-rank level 10 weapon, for example, could easily match or even surpass a level 12 uncommon one.
Rarity was everything.
Because of that, his items sold faster than anyone expected.
One by one, the buyers came in and made their offers.
They weren't expensive, just 30 to 40 Lives each, and since most of these players were already around level 20, they could afford it easily.
Unlike the chaos of the [Novice Towns], Karl didn't have to worry about anyone trying to rob him here.
There were guards. Strong ones.
The kind of NPCs that made every player think twice before causing trouble.
The rule was simple: do something disorderly, and not only would the guards come after you, but your reputation with every NPC in the city would crash instantly.
---
[Moon City Guard (Level 30)]
[Rank: Uncommon]
[HP: ???]
---
Even Karl knew better than to test them currently.
They were far stronger than they looked.
But at least they kept things peaceful, which made the city a safe zone for transactions like his.
Within minutes, all of his items were sold.
Ding!
[Lives: 612 → 1089]
'Nice.'
Crossing the thousand mark felt good.
With that amount, any normal player could explore the world outside comfortably.
But Karl knew it wasn't enough.
The [Lives loss rate] increased the farther one went, and on top of that, he'd need Lives later to extract his equipment and skills into reality.
That would be a problem for another time.
For now, he just wanted to keep moving forward.
"Who the hell is that guy anyway?" someone asked behind him."I don't know, his ID's weird."
Karl ignored them.
But he could tell people were starting to notice him more and more.
His name was slowly spreading.
He walked to the main gate and left [Moon City].
Ding!
[You have entered the "Moon Plains."]
[The closest zone to "Moon City." Filled with monsters and leading to other regions.]
[Lives loss rate: 5]
The moment he stepped outside, he took a deep breath.
The air was fresh, the faint scent of grass brushing against his senses.
He felt the soft ground beneath his boots, looked around, and saw the vast plains stretch endlessly under the night sky.
Ahead of him—
Slash! Clang!
Several teams were already fighting monsters nearby, blades clashing and spells flying in bursts of light.
'No point wasting time here,' Karl thought, watching a group take down a [Moon Boar].
Grinding in beginner areas was slow.
If he wanted quick progress, he needed to head for dangerous zones.
That's where the best experience and rewards were, though the risk was far higher.
His destination was already decided: the [Moon Temple]..
And as for the [Moon Tower], while he could technically enter anytime, he wanted to make sure he was ready first.
His goal wasn't just to explore it.
He wanted to reach the top.
Anything less would be failure in his eyes.
He took another step forward—
Fwish! Roooar!
Karl immediately gripped his staff, mana flowing through his arm as he turned toward the noise.
A massive bear came charging at him from between the trees, its eyes glowing silver under the moonlight.
---
[Moon Bear (Level 11)]
[Rank: Uncommon]
[HP: 10,000]
---
The [Moon Bears] were large, nearly 1.5 meters wide, and covered in thick gray fur that shimmered faintly under the moonlight.
Their glowing eyes made them look like creatures born from the night itself.
They were common in the plains, but still strong.
Interestingly, this level 11 monster had the same HP as the [Corrupted Believers of Oblivion] from the [Ruins of Oblivion], despite being much weaker in rank.
That was the power of rarity.
Karl had seen other teams hunt them, but this one had chosen him as its target.
The bear raised its claws and lunged forward.
Karl didn't flinch.
He raised his staff and whispered the command.
Annihilating Fireball!
Fwish! Boom!
-14,070!
The explosion lit up the night.
The bear didn't even have time to roar.
Its body was scorched black before it collapsed, unmoving.
Karl blinked in mild surprise.
'Damn.'
Even he didn't expect that kind of damage.
His new class multiplier, raised from 10 to 15, was absolutely broken.
Ding!
[You have killed "Moon Bear (Level 11)"]
[You have gained 2,000 experience points.]
[You have gained 4 Lives.]
He looked around.
The other players were too busy fighting their own battles to pay him any attention.
That was fine with him.
'I guess I shouldn't even worry about the [Moon Tower],' he thought with a grin.
He'd be the first to clear it, and the first to bring back the [Moon Crystal] to Oliver.
He glanced down and saw the monster had dropped something.
[Moon Bear Claw Dagger (Uncommon): Assassin-type Weapon. +50 Strength, +15 Agility. Requirement: Level 11]
He picked it up and stored it in his inventory before continuing forward.
His strength didn't come only from his unique class or his ability to evolve skills.
It came from his knowledge.
Karl already knew the world of [Gods Ascension] better than most.
He understood its systems, its enemies, and even the best zones for leveling.
'I still need better gear,' he thought, 'My current equipment's too weak.'
---
Weapon: Revenant Staff (Elite)
Head: None
Chest: Shadow Rat Robe (Common)
Boots: Blizzard Fox Fur Boots (Rare)
Necklace: Revenant Necklace (Special Item)
Rings: None
Backpacks: Normal Backpack (Common), Storage Backpack (Uncommon)
---
He needed upgrades for almost everything.
Unfortunately, his class didn't give any bonuses for better drop rates, at least not yet.
So for now, he'd have to make do.
He adjusted his grip on the staff and walked deeper into the plains.
Fwish! Bam!
A loud noise broke the silence again.
This time, the sound was heavier.
When Karl looked up, he saw a massive group of monsters charging in his direction.
There were [Moon Bears], [Moon Boars], and [Moon Wolves], all mixed together in a chaotic stampede.
They were attacking nearby players too.
"Holy shit, watch out!" someone shouted.
"Why's there so many of them!"
"I heard the moon powers them."
"No matter! Get out of here, it's too dangerous!"
The plains filled with screams and chaos as some players tried to flee, while others were crushed or ripped apart by the horde.
Karl didn't move. All he saw was opportunity.
To him, that massive wave of monsters wasn't danger, it was a flood of experience and lives rushing straight toward him.
And then, among the horde, he saw it.
A large humanoid figure at the center of the charge, its presence radiating pressure that made the air tremble.
[Moon Sentinel General (Level 12)]
Karl smirked.
"Perfect."
He tightened his grip on the staff again, the moonlight glinting off his weapon's surface as mana began to gather around him.
The monsters roared and rushed forward, but Karl stood still, calm and ready.