Karl stared at the [Crystal Key] resting on the counter, and for a few seconds, his mind went completely blank.

The small, faintly glowing shape didn't look like something that should be easy to obtain, yet it was right here in front of him.

He blinked slowly, letting the realization settle.

'I got it… that easily?'

He expected something far worse.

Something that would send him through some hidden dungeon, or some brutal area deep inside the plains.

That was what the advancement panel led him to believe, after all.

It said clearly that this was the hardest tier-2 advancement task any player could receive.

The hardest. Not just difficult, the top.

So he thought it would drag him across half the map.

But instead… he got it right here. That meant either two things.

Either the task counted as the hardest simply because the requirement.

Clearing the [Moon Tower] and acquiring the [Moon Crystal] was already considered an impossible hurdle by the system after all.

Or…

"You seem confused," Oliver cut in with a wide grin, one that almost stretched too much.

Karl found it unsettling, as if the NPC knew more than he should.

"But don't worry too much about it."

"Why would I not worry?" Karl replied immediately, "You said it yourself, there are still many things I'm not ready for."

"Indeed." Oliver nodded slowly, the grin still there, "But… I have the feeling the worst has yet to come. So don't fret too much."

Karl studied the man for a moment.

Out of every NPC in [Moon City], Oliver was the only one who seemed to actually know something about what comes next.

Perhaps it was because he was the NPC linked to the [Special Quest] that he knew, after all he was the one who crafted the [Crystal Key].

Or maybe there was another reason, much more obscure

Karl didn't push the thought.

He simply reached forward and grabbed the [Crystal Key].

Instantly, the item vanished into his system panel instead of his inventory, confirming it: this wasn't a normal item.

It was a [Key Item] that couldn't be lost or stored somewhere else.

One meant to unlock something important.

And as for how to start the [Crystal Challenge], Karl had absolutely no idea.

But that was for later.

Definitely later, considering the item itself recommended not trying until level 100.

He wasn't even close.

Karl sighed lightly and dropped his damaged [Moon Staff] on the ground.

There was no point in selling something that was basically about to break.

Then he equipped his new [Moon Crystal Staff].

Power rushed through him instantly, and a wild grin formed on his lips.

And as if on cue—

Ding!

---

[Congratulations, you have completed your Tier-2 Advancement Task: Acquire the "Crystal Key"]

[Rating: SSS]

---

'Looks like I actually completed it,' Karl narrowed his eyes, 'Still… strange.'

It didn't feel like the end.

If anything, it felt like the beginning of something much bigger.

He would eventually need to face this [Crystal Challenge] whether he liked it or not, especially if it was really connected to the [Gods Continent].

Karl turned to leave the shop, ready to check his new panels, see his upgraded class, and prepare for the next step.

"Good luck, human," Oliver said suddenly. He was still grinning. "We probably won't meet again, but… I can see it in your eyes. You won't back away from anything."

Karl didn't reply. He didn't even look back.

He just kept walking toward the exit.

"And as for the [Gods Continent]," Oliver continued, his voice echoing through the workshop, "Even if I don't know much about it… that key is one of the things you'll need. Be careful of its dangers."

Karl paused only for a second.

"Thank you."

It wasn't much information, but even a tiny hint was better than nothing.

And as Karl stepped outside—

Ding!

---

[You have received 3,000 Lives, "Crystal Key", and "Moon Crystal Staff" for completing the "Special Quest"]

---

He looked over the panel and nodded in satisfaction.

No wonder the rewards were this good. The quest itself was practically impossible.

Anyone else would have died long before reaching this point.

'Maybe that's why humanity never reached the [Gods Continent],' Karl rubbed his chin, 'I'll have to be careful.'

If his advancement task hadn't told him about the key, would Oliver have crafted it anyway?

Or was the system pushing him forward intentionally?

Karl didn't know. For now, he simply checked his status.

[Level: 25 (0/200,000)]

'Good.'

He could start leveling again.

His next advancement task would come at level 50.

From this point onward, every level required an extra 20,000 experience on top of the previous one.

The grind would only get harder and more dangerous.

Ding!

[You have fulfilled the condition for your "Class Advancement"]

'Perfect.'

Ding!

---

[Your "Heir of Oblivion" class has evolved!]

[Tier: 1 → 2]

[Class Passive #1: All your magic damage is multiplied by 15 → 20.]

[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: You may fuse compatible spells into even stronger ones.]

---

It wasn't as huge as the first advancement, but it was still powerful.

His damage increased again. His spells became even more broken than before.

What annoyed him, though, was the fourth passive.

The one he still didn't use.

He had gone through an entire tower, a class advancement, and several fights, and he still hadn't fused a single spell successfully.

'Maybe I need a different method,' Karl thought, 'Maybe I really should try buying random skills just to test it.'

He shrugged the thought off for now.

The streets of [Moon City] were emptier than usual, so he kept walking.

Now at level 25, he could leave this area and head for the next zone.

But right as he took a step—

[You are tired.]

"Oh," Karl blinked.

Just like the hunger notifications, the [You are tired] panel appeared if you stayed too long inside [Gods Ascension].

It didn't affect him right away, but the penalty would get worse if ignored.

For a moment, he thought his body might be immune to this, but apparently not.

'Actually… this is good timing,' Karl smirked, 'I'll stop here.'

Before logging off, he opened one last thing: the [Extraction Menu].

---

[1. Extract Skills]

[2. Extract Equipment]

[3. Extract Bloodline (Not available)]

[4. Extract ??? (Not Available)]

---

He chose the first option, then select one of his skills.

[Do you wish to use 2,500 Lives to extract your "Fire Meteor" (Mythical) skill to the real world?]

It was very expensive. But thanks to the special quest reward, he had enough.

"Yes."

Ding!

[You have consumed 2,500 Lives.]

[You have extracted your "Fire Meteor" (Mythical) skill to the real world.]

Good. One of his strongest spells was now with him outside the game.

Now for the second extraction.

Ding!

[Do you wish to use 1,000 Lives to extract your "Moon Crystal Staff" (Legendary) to the real world?]

"Yes."

Ding!

[You have extracted your "Moon Crystal Staff" (Legendary) to the real world.]

Karl checked his resources again.

[Lives: 3,336]

Half gone already. Just like that.

But this was why he needed so many lives in the first place, reviving was only one reason.

Extracting skills, items, and anything else the system allowed was another.

[You are exhausted.]

Karl rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm going."

Ding!

---

[Do you wish to leave "Gods Ascension"?]

[Yes] [No]

---

He selected [Yes].

His body dissolved into thousands of blue fragments, the world fading around him as he logged out.

He would return soon, but for now, he needed a real break.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.