Karl didn't have to worry about anything else inside the [Fourth Floor].

The boss was already dead, and since the [Moon Skeleton King] was a unique boss, it wouldn't respawn for a long while.

That alone removed every possible danger this floor could have offered him.

Even if someone somehow found a way to jump in here, none of the [Moon Sect] members could enter unless the king himself allowed them to, which meant Karl had this whole place to himself.

The entire floor was basically his own private area for now.

Knowing this gave him a strange sense of freedom.

For once, he didn't feel rushed or forced to push forward immediately.

He could actually stay here as long as he wanted.

But that didn't mean he planned to stand around doing nothing.

Karl wasn't the type to remain idle just because there was no threat breathing down his neck.

If anything, having the time and space to handle things calmly made him want to get even more done.

'All free points on [Spirit],' Karl thought without hesitation, already accessing the level-up screen he had earned from killing the boss.

He didn't waste a second before pouring all of his free points into [Spirit].

[Spirit: 195 (+147)]

Seeing the number rise gave him a solid sense of satisfaction.

Every increase in Spirit directly boosted the very power he relied on the most, and at this point in the [Moon Tower], raw firepower was more valuable than anything else.

He needed it for what was coming.

Right after confirming the distribution, Karl moved straight toward the [Moon Skeleton King]'s corpse.

He hadn't forgotten about the loot.

A boss like that had to drop something worthwhile, and when he approached, he immediately spotted two items lying beside the massive skeletal body: the king's long, sharp blade… and his crown.

---

[Moon King Blade (Epic): Warrior/Paladin/Sentinel-type weapon. +550 Strength, +100 Physical Resistance. Requirement: Level 25]

[Lunar Slash (Active): Focus the power of the moon into your blade and slash forward.]

---

[Moon Crown (Epic): +250 Strength, +250 Agility, +250 Spirit, +250 Constitution. Requirement: Level 25]

---

"Damn!"

Karl couldn't hold back his reaction.

Both items were absolutely incredible, especially for something dropped this early in the tower.

Even at a glance, it was obvious how powerful they were.

The [Moon King Blade] wasn't something he could personally use right now, since it was mostly meant for Warrior, Paladin, or Sentinel-type classes.

But the stats were so good that even he had to admit it was a monster of a weapon.

+550 Strength and +100 Physical Resistance, along with an active skill, made it one of the best epic weapons he had ever seen.

As for the [Moon Crown], he instantly knew it was useful to him.

The moment he saw that it didn't list any class requirement, he understood what that meant: literally any class could equip it.

That alone made it priceless.

And because it boosted every single attribute: Strength, Agility, Spirit and Constitution, it was even better.

A full spread of major stats, all boosted at once, was insane.

On top of that, Karl wasn't wearing anything on his head.

His [Hat] slot was completely empty, so the crown would fit perfectly the moment he reached the required level.

'I guess I need to get to level 25 first,' Karl thought with a grin. 'Should be fine.'

He stored both items in his inventory with care, planning to equip them as soon as possible.

Then, once that was done, he pulled open the next panel he wanted to check, something he had been thinking about ever since the boss died.

[Current Evolution Points: 62.]

This was what he needed for the biggest upgrade he could currently make.

With this amount of evolution points, Karl could evolve one of his legendary-rank skills to mythical-rank, a step that would push his strength far beyond what ordinary awakeners at this stage could dream of.

The deeper someone went into the [Ranks] in [Gods Ascension], the more they understood how massive the difference between ranks truly was.

The gap between epic and legendary was already huge, but the gap between legendary and mythical was even more absurd.

Just crossing that threshold made a skill transform entirely.

And since he planned to fight the boss of the [Moon Tower], he needed every advantage he could get.

Anything that helped, anything that boosted his chances even slightly, was worth using.

But for Karl, there wasn't even a moment of hesitation about which skill he would evolve.

Ding!

[Do you wish to consume 50 Evolution Point to evolve "Cataclysmic Fireball"?]

He nodded to himself. It wasn't only for the upcoming fight.

It was also because of the [Moon Crown] he would soon be able to wear.

With that item, his [Spirit] would shoot through the roof, which meant his skills, Cataclysmic Fireball, would become even stronger than it already was.

"Yes."

Ding!

[You have evolved "Cataclysmic Fireball" (Legendary) to "Fire Meteor" (Mythical)]

[Current Evolution Points: 12.]

---

[Fire Meteor (Mythical): Summon a meteor from your staff that deals 1000% → 1500% of Spirit. May apply the "Burn" status effect. 12 → 10 (5)-seconds cooldown.]

---

Mythical-rank skills were things players shouldn't ever be able to obtain at this stage of the game.

Especially ones that dealt damage.

They were overwhelmingly powerful, capable of breaking battles wide open with a single use.

And yet Karl now had one, right in his hands, ready to use whenever he needed.

He felt a wide grin spread across his face.

'I guess it should be doable now.'

Before anything else, he wanted to check the next evolution price, at least out of curiosity.

[Do you wish to consume 100 Evolution Point to evolve "Fire Meteor"?]

"Damn."

Twice as much.

It was expensive, extremely expensive, but still possible if he managed to kill a lot of powerful bosses later on.

For now, he closed the panel and turned his attention back to the gate revealed behind the bookshelves.

No point wasting time.

He stepped forward into the dark veil, letting it pull him in and transport him higher.

This time, it wasn't another random floor, it was the very top.

Ding!

[You have reached the top of the "Moon Tower", a feat only a few could achieve.]

"Hm."

Karl felt his body shift, then land solidly on the ground.

Ding!

---

[You have arrived at the Fifth Floor of the Moon Tower: "The Moonless Beast's Cave"]

[Lives loss rate: 250.]

---

"Damn."

The new lives loss rate was five times higher than the previous floor.

That alone made it clear how dangerous this place was.

Any awakener who came here would basically be signing their life away.

And unlike the lower floors, this one actually had a name.

'Moonless Beast's Cave,' Karl repeated in his mind. 'Huh.'

The name fit. He was inside a cave, dark, quiet, and cold.

The walls were made of rough stone, and the only light he got came from faint silver glows embedded in the rock.

Curious, Karl approached one of them.

[Moon Shard (Epic): The lower evolution of the "Moon Crystal"]

So it wasn't a crystal.

Oliver had asked him to bring back a [Moon Crystal], not a [Moon Shard].

These weren't the real thing.

He looked around the cave, checking every glowing point he could find, but it was all the same.

Shards everywhere, and no crystal in sight.

'I guess he didn't lie when he said these crystals are extremely rare.'

Still, Karl knew there had to be at least one inside this floor.

Otherwise the quest made no sense.

So he pushed forward, deeper into the cave, his staff ready.

Eventually, he reached what seemed to be the end.

A massive tunnel opening stood before him, but it didn't look like it led anywhere further.

Just darkness.

And then—

Ding!

[You feel a presence in the darkness]

'Oh shit,' Karl thought, eyes widening. 'Introduction phase?'

If a normal boss started at phase 1, an [Introduction Phase] was like phase 0.5, something only the most powerful bosses had.

Karl immediately stepped back.

From the darkness ahead, four silver eyes opened, staring right at him.

He couldn't make out the full shape yet, but the eyes alone told him the creature was massive.

It took one step forward.

Then another, each one echoing faintly through the stone.

Karl took a deep breath, tightening his grip on his staff.

Whatever that thing was, he would face it head-on.

Ding!

[Something is engaging with you from the shadows.]

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