Karl knew that none of the people he had known in his past life would be here.
After all, the powerful figures of [Gods Ascension] were already far ahead.
This place was only for new players, for those who had just started.
If Karl wanted to catch up quickly, he needed two things: items and lives.
The interesting part about [Lives] as a currency was how twisted it really was.
Players traded them for items, gear, or skills, but they were also their literal lives in the game.
If your [Lives] reached zero, you were permanently erased.
It meant that every trade, every deal, was like giving away a piece of your actual life.
Risky? Absolutely.
But sooner or later, everyone would realize it was a risk that had to be taken.
To survive, to grow, to evolve, it was unavoidable.
The items Karl carried back would surely be useful to others, especially in the square.
He had a few notable things: a [Shadow Fang Dagger] and the [Shadow Slash] skill book.
Both were valuable, especially for assassins or warriors.
Those types always needed sharp weapons and quick attack skills.
He walked through the cracked streets on his way back toward the town.
Along the way, Karl saw several players fighting monsters.
There was no expression on his face as he watched.
It was an ordinary sight to him.
These people were still new.
It would take them a while to adjust, even though they probably knew the basics of what would come next.
Karl's gaze sharpened slightly.
'Dodging is going to be my main problem,' he thought, 'I need ways to increase my speed too.'
As a mage, most people wouldn't think that way.
They focused on power, range, or spirit.
But Karl wasn't planning to rely on anyone.
He would move alone.
That meant he needed to cover every weakness by himself.
Putting all his points into [Spirit] was good for now, it gave him the destructive power he needed.
But eventually, some of those points would need to go into [Agility].
Either that, or he'd have to find equipment that boosted his movement speed.
In [Gods Ascension], every player's in-game appearance was identical to their real-world self.
There were no customization options or disguises.
The only way to hide your face was to find a mask.
Karl didn't have one, but he didn't really care.
He wasn't famous.
His name didn't carry weight, at least not yet.
To others, he was just another player, another face in the chaos, trying to survive and grow stronger.
His cold eyes reflected faintly as he arrived back at the main square.
Ding!
[You have entered the "Novice Town #482 Square."]
[You are now in a Safe Zone.]
Karl could hear the buzz of people everywhere.
Some players were already level 8 or 9, much higher than him.
He didn't care.
Karl found a quiet spot near the side of the square and sat down.
He took out his items one by one and laid them neatly in front of him.
Then he opened the [Stall] function from his menu.
It was a simple system that allowed players to display text to sell.
Above his head, a glowing text appeared:
[Selling items for good price, only for 10 minutes.]
That would be enough.
Karl didn't plan to waste more time than necessary.
Ten minutes was plenty to get rid of everything.
After that, he'd move on.
There was no need to specify the currency either.
Everyone knew what "price" meant: Lives.
"Wait, this guy's actually selling stuff?"
"ID says Oblivion, huh."
"Level 3!"
Karl heard the voices around him.
When checking another player's info, the only things visible were their ID and level.
Everything else, skills, stats, class, was hidden.
Half of the players didn't even bother approaching him.
They saw a low-level mage and assumed he was just trying to make a few Lives.
To them, he was insignificant.
But the other half came closer, curious about what he had to offer.
One man in particular walked up and pointed at the [Shadow Slash] skill book.
"How much for this?" he asked.
Karl looked up at him.
The man's ID read [CoffeeAddict], and he was level 6.
"Twenty Lives," Karl said simply, "It's a skill book, after all."
Karl knew the market values of [Gods Ascension] better than anyone.
He had lived and died in this world for seven years before.
Skill books were some of the most expensive things to buy, since they were permanent once learned.
"Twenty?" The man frowned, "That's a lot… a third of my total Lives."
Karl shrugged.
"That's the price."
He wasn't going to bargain. It was fair.
The man hesitated for a few seconds, clearly torn between greed and fear.
Finally, he sighed and nodded.
"Fine."
Ding!
[You have sold the "Shadow Slash" skill book and gained 20 Lives.]
[Lives: 58 → 78]
Karl's grin was faint but satisfied.
His total Lives were growing nicely.
After that, things picked up.
Several level 2 and 3 players approached his stall, excited to see actual items for sale.
It took less than three minutes for him to sell every single thing.
Including the skill book, he earned a total of 77 Lives.
It was a good profit for such a short time.
As Karl observed the area, he noticed some of the higher-level players, those level 8s and 9s, glancing his way.
Their expressions were hard to read, but he knew the look.
'Better stay alert,' he thought.
They hadn't done anything yet, but Karl trusted his instincts.
After years of fighting, he had learned to read danger before it struck.
And that look in their eyes told him enough.
Caution first. Always.
When everything was done, Karl stood and spoke briefly to the players around him.
"Thanks for all the trades. I'll come back if I find more items."
Some of them nodded and thanked him back.
He didn't linger. He had no reason to.
'Alright,' he thought as he turned, 'time to head back. I need to go deeper and find stronger monsters.'
His current goal was simple: reach level 10.
That was the threshold.
Once he reached it, he could finally leave the [Novice Continent].
That's when the real game would begin.
Without looking back, Karl left the square and reentered the streets of the [Broken Town].
Ten minutes later, he reached the same area he had been exploring before.
Powerful Fireball!
Boom!
Explosions echoed as blazing fireballs tore through the monsters ahead.
Every creature that crossed his path was reduced to ash before it could even attack.
His damage was overwhelming.
And as he kept pushing deeper into the ruins—
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!"
"HOLY SHIT!"
Karl froze for a second as shouts echoed from up ahead.
He grinned faintly.
'Good.'
He'd heard that kind of panic before, countless times.
And it always meant one thing: someone had found a boss.
A boss meant experience. Items.
And, most importantly, Evolution Points.
Without hesitation, Karl sprinted forward.
He moved quickly through the broken alleys until the street opened into a wide clearing.
There, surrounded by roughly a dozen players, stood a massive creature.
The temperature dropped the moment Karl arrived.
A freezing aura filled the area, biting at his skin.
Frost crept along the cobblestones. And then he saw it.
A towering white fox, its fur shimmering like ice crystals, its tail flicking slowly behind it.
It was feasting on the remains of fallen players, absorbing their Lives.
Karl narrowed his eyes.
'Is that the boss the players were talking about when I first entered [Gods Ascension]?' Karl's eyes narrowed, 'Probably.'
He quickly checked the monster's panel.
---
[Ice Fox (Level 5)]
[Rank: Uncommon Boss (Evolving...)]
[HP: 4,500]
---
The players surrounding it looked terrified.
Some trembled from the cold, others from fear.
But Karl's attention was on one thing: the word "Evolving…" beside its rank.
This was the clear sign that a boss had absorbed enough lives to evolve.
If it finished evolving, its stats would skyrocket.
And if that happened, defeating it would become almost impossible for others.
Karl readied himself instantly.
His staff flared as he gathered spirit energy.
One well-placed [Powerful Fireball] could interrupt the process.
But before he could even release it—
Fwish! Boom!
A violent blast of cold swept across the clearing.
Ice burst from the ground, spreading in every direction and covering the battlefield in frozen shards.
Karl took a quick step back, eyes narrowing as frost glittered around him.
He exhaled slowly, a grin forming on his face.
'Hah… I was too late,' he thought, watching the boss's evolving body rise through the mist of ice, 'But it's fine.'
Because even if it had evolved—
It only meant one thing.
The fight would be worth even more.