Karl was about to leave the [Moon Tower], but right before stepping through the exit, he remembered there was still one last thing he needed to take care of.

"Oh right," he grinned, slowing his pace and reaching into his inventory, "the [Moon Crown]."

He had been waiting for this moment.

The crown had been sitting in his bag since he obtained it in the [Fourth Floor].

And now that the requirement was finally met, Karl wasn't going to waste even a second more.

---

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

---

It was a direct, clean piece of gear.

No hidden effect, no special ability, nothing complicated.

Just raw, overwhelming stat boosts in every important category.

Karl liked items like these. They didn't need explanations.

They simply made you stronger.

Without hesitation, Karl pulled out the [Moon Crown] and placed it onto his head.

The moment it settled into position, a sudden surge of power shot through his entire body.

His muscles tightened, his reaction speed sharpened, and he felt mana pulse through his veins with far more intensity than before.

Even his breathing felt lighter, smoother, as if all the hidden limits inside him had just been loosened.

He immediately opened his attributes window to check the difference.

---

[Constitution: 130 (+280)]

[Strength: 130 (+250)]

[Agility: 155 (+295)]

[Spirit: 210 (+397)]

---

Every single value had jumped by a massive amount.

Seeing all those bonuses stacked together made Karl smile with genuine satisfaction.

He was far beyond what any normal player around his level could ever hope to reach.

"Perfect," Karl muttered.

That one word summed everything up.

With that simple upgrade completed, he finally turned toward the exit portal of the tower and stepped inside.

Fwish!

The teleportation effect wrapped around him, and a few seconds later, Karl emerged outside once again, right in front of the towering structure he had just conquered.

The exterior area surrounding the [Moon Tower] had changed drastically since the last time he saw it.

The number of players had easily doubled, maybe even tripled.

The entire field around the tower was filled with them, forming large crowds, parties, and clusters of curious players who had clearly gathered for only one reason.

Karl didn't need to guess why. He already knew.

'The global announcement.'

Any time a global announcement appeared, players flocked to the location involved in it.

Everyone wanted to see what had happened, who caused it, and whether something else could be found or triggered.

Curiosity alone was enough to gather masses, and curiosity mixed with greed was even stronger.

As soon as Karl stepped out, dozens of gazes immediately snapped toward him.

"HOLY SHIT."

"It's him!"

"Oblivion! That's the guy from the announcement!"

People reacted instantly, loud enough for even the players farther away to notice.

Karl didn't bother reacting to them, but he could feel every single gaze locking onto him.

Scanning his [Status Panel], trying to read his ID, inspect his gear, and figure out how someone his level had managed to achieve something big enough to trigger a global announcement.

Still, despite the attention, Karl didn't feel even a little threatened.

If anything, he felt amused.

Even if every single one of these players rushed him right now, even if they all combined their strength and attacked together, Karl knew he would still come out on top.

'One spell is all it takes,' Karl thought with a grin.

He didn't have to say it aloud.

He simply walked forward, and the players instinctively moved aside, giving him a clear path.

Their chatter continued nonstop, but none of them dared step in front of him.

None of them wanted to disturb "Oblivion."

After leaving the [Moon Tower]'s safe zone, Karl kept walking across the plains.

He could have summoned [Moonless] to travel faster, but he didn't want to use that creature in front of such a huge crowd.

He wanted a strong reputation, yes, he wanted his name to spread far and wide, but that didn't mean he would reveal every single one of his skills or abilities to the public.

Some things needed to stay hidden.

Fwish!

Even without [Moonless], Karl's speed had nearly doubled thanks to the [Moon Crown].

The stat increases made his steps lighter, sharper, and faster.

He cut across the plains with ease, and even some of the monsters roaming near the area couldn't catch up.

He barely had to pay attention as he moved.

After a while, Karl reached [Moon City] again and passed through the gate.

He didn't waste any time standing around the main square.

Instead, he immediately headed deeper into the city, weaving through the streets until he reached Oliver's blacksmith shop.

The place was empty, just like last time.

The familiar clanging smell of metal and heat welcomed him the moment he stepped inside.

"First time someone came back," Oliver said with a surprised tone as soon as he saw Karl walk through the door. "Hah, perhaps you gave up."

Karl ignored the remark.

Instead, he reached into his inventory and placed the [Moon Crystal] onto the counter.

Oliver froze. His neutral expression vanished instantly.

"Holy hell, you actually brought it?!"

Oliver grabbed the crystal with both hands, staring at it with widened eyes full of excitement.

His reaction alone confirmed how rare and valuable the item really was.

A big grin formed on the blacksmith's face, and he nodded firmly.

"Amazing. So I guess I'll do what I told you I would do."

Karl remembered the deal clearly.

Oliver had promised to craft one piece of equipment for him if he returned with the [Moon Crystal].

Karl didn't hesitate.

"I want a staff."

"Of course." Oliver nodded, then eyed Karl's current weapon. "I can see that your staff is… in harsh condition."

Karl glanced at the [Moon Staff].

The fissure caused by [Moonless] was still visible, and if he continued using it, the weapon would definitely break soon.

He needed an upgrade.

Oliver grabbed his hammer, which glowed with a powerful, almost pulsating light.

Then he placed the [Moon Crystal] onto the forging surface.

"Watch this, human," Oliver said proudly. "Watch the strength of a true blacksmith!"

He raised his hammer, ready to smash it down and begin the crafting process.

But right before the hammer struck—

"Wait," Karl said. "I want to ask you something first."

Oliver halted mid-swing, confused. He glanced back at Karl.

"What's the [Crystal Key], and how do I get it?"

The second Karl spoke those words, Oliver's eyes widened dramatically.

He slowly lowered the hammer and stared directly at Karl.

"How do you… know that?"

Karl stayed silent.

"How do I get it," he repeated.

Oliver hesitated.

It was clear that Karl's knowledge surprised him deeply, maybe even unsettled him.

"The [Gods Continent]," Oliver said quietly, turning away. "That's your goal, isn't it?"

"Yes."

That one confirmation was enough to tell Karl everything he needed.

If Oliver immediately connected the [Crystal Key] to the [Gods Continent], then the key was required.

Meaning reaching that continent wasn't simple.

There were steps. There was a process.

"Well," Oliver sighed, "I guess I need to craft that as well, then."

Without wasting another moment, Oliver turned back toward the forge, raised his glowing hammer, and smashed the [Moon Crystal].

BOOM!

A shockwave burst across the shop.

Power rippled through the air as several glowing lines and shapes formed above the forging table.

Karl watched silently as two forms slowly materialized from the splitting crystal.

Fwish!

One of the emerging shapes looked like a staff. The other looked like… a key.

"Done," Oliver said proudly, "My best work until now. Thank you for giving me the chance."

"No problem," Karl replied.

He stepped closer to the counter.

The [Moon Crystal] was gone completely, transformed into two items: the staff he had requested, and the mysterious key he had asked about.

Karl looked at the staff first.

---

[Moon Crystal Staff (Legendary): +500 Spirit, +200 Magical Resistance, Casting Speed +15%. Requirement: Level 25]

---

"Amazing," Karl thought.

The staff was crafted perfectly, smooth handle, sharp silver crystal at the top, and a clean flow of mana pulsing through it.

"The power of the [Moon Crystal] powers your staff," Oliver explained proudly.

Karl was already satisfied, but then he turned to the second item.

The moment he read the description, his eyes widened.

---

[Crystal Key: Allows the user to attempt the "Crystal" challenge.]

[Note: Not recommended until level 100 at least.]

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