Smash! Smash!

The [Danger Orc] kept smashing the ground over and over, trying desperately to crush Karl beneath its massive bat.

But no matter how many times it attacked, it simply couldn't land a hit.

The difference in level was clear. The orc was ten levels higher than Karl, and not just that—it was a [Unique Boss], meaning its stats were naturally far above normal enemies. Its strength, endurance, and raw power were on an entirely different level.

And yet…

[Slowness] was still active.

That single debuff was enough.

Every swing of the bat came just a fraction too slow. Every step forward lacked the explosiveness it should have had. And in a fight like this, that tiny delay was more than enough for Karl.

He moved calmly. One step to the side.

A short backward dash. A smooth slide past the impact zone.

The ground kept shattering where he had been standing moments ago, but Karl himself remained untouched.

With every failed strike, the [Danger Orc] grew more agitated.

Its breathing became heavier. Its roars grew louder.

Its attacks became sloppier.

[How are you even dodging in such an enclosed space?]

The [Blooming Witch] finally spoke again, her tone no longer amused, but genuinely confused.

This clearing wasn't large. There wasn't much room to maneuver. She had fully expected Karl to get clipped at least once or twice, even if he survived afterward.

But he hadn't been hit even once.

Karl didn't respond. He didn't need to.

He was fully focused, his eyes tracking every movement, every twitch of muscle, every shift in balance. The orc's attacks were powerful, but predictable. And once a pattern formed, it was only a matter of time.

Eventually, the [Danger Orc] overextended.

Its bat smashed into the ground with full force, embedding itself slightly into the cracked earth.

That was all Karl needed.

"Over," he said calmly, lifting his staff.

Blazing Meteor! Storm of Lightning! Frostbite Crystals! Lunar Beam!

BOOM!

The clearing exploded with light and sound.

The blazing meteor slammed into the orc's chest, followed immediately by arcs of lightning tearing through its body. Crystals launched toward its chest, locking its movement in place as the beam of lunar energy pierced straight through it.

The [Danger Orc] froze.

Its massive body shuddered violently. Its grip loosened.

The bat slipped from its hands and crashed onto the ground.

Then the orc itself collapsed, its knees buckling before it fell forward with a heavy thud.

Bam! Ding!

---

[You have killed "Danger Orc (Level 50 Legendary-Rank Unique Boss)"]

[You have gained 500,000 experience points.]

[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 41!]

[You have gained 5 points in all attributes, and 5 free points to distribute.]

[You have gained 38 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 473 Lives!]

---

Hand of Oblivion!

The spectral hand erupted from Karl's staff and plunged into the corpse.

Ding!

[You have gained 34 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 502 Lives!]

Karl exhaled slowly, a faint grin forming on his face.

'Well,' he thought, 'at least I already covered the Lives I would lose if I ever died.'

That alone made the fight worth it.

A panel appeared again.

[Free Points to Allocate: 20.]

Karl stared at the numbers for a moment, thinking carefully.

Then he nodded to himself.

"Everything on [Spirit]," he finally said. "My [Agility] is already high enough as is."

Thanks to the [Dweller Boots], his agility had already been boosted by 900 points. He was faster than most warriors and assassins his level. Pushing it further wouldn't give him nearly as much value as increasing his damage.

His spells were his real strength. More [Spirit] meant harder hits.

'I really need a better robe,' Karl thought as his gaze dropped briefly to his equipment.

He was still wearing the [Undead Moon Mage Robe (Epic)] he had obtained back at level 15.

Now he was level 41. That gap was starting to hurt.

'Well,' he thought with a grin, 'I'm pretty sure the [Blooming Witch] will help with that.'

Karl walked toward the [Danger Orc]'s corpse and crouched down, picking up the single item it had dropped.

---

[Danger Orc Bat (Legendary): Warrior-type weapon. +10,000 Strength, +1,500 Agility, Attacking Speed +25%. Requirement: Level 50.]

[Self-Harm (Passive): Hit yourself repeatedly with the bat to temporarily boost your own strength to monstrous levels.]

---

Karl's eyes narrowed slightly as he read the panel.

This item was absurd. And the reason was obvious. It was a [Unique Item].

Just like [Unique Bosses], [Unique Items] only existed once. Since the boss could never respawn, neither could the item it dropped.

Which meant this bat would never appear again anywhere in [Gods Ascension].

A flat boost of 10,000 Strength was absolutely monstrous. Any warrior who equipped this would see their damage skyrocket beyond reason. And the passive perfectly matched the [Danger Orc]'s strange behavior, hurting itself to gain overwhelming power.

Karl stored the bat in his inventory.

He couldn't use it himself, but its value was unquestionable.

After that, the dark vines sealing the exits of the clearing slowly retracted, sinking back into the walls.

The path forward was open once more.

Karl glanced at his panels again.

[Current Evolution Points: 78.]

'At this point, each boss gives me enough EP to evolve a skill,' Karl thought with a grin.

And that was mainly thanks to [Hand of Oblivion].

Without it, his progression wouldn't be anywhere near this fast. He didn't hesitate.

[Do you wish to consume 50 Evolution Points to evolve "Frostbite Crystals"?]

"Yes."

Ding!

[You have evolved "Frostbite Crystals" (Legendary) to "Permafrost Crystals" (Mythical)]

[Current Evolution Points: 28.]

Karl finally evolved it.

Most of his core skills had already been upgraded, and now this one caught up.

Only [Lunar Beam] and [Bloom Curse] remained at legendary rank. And since he hadn't even used the latter yet, it wasn't a priority.

He immediately checked the new description.

---

[Permafrost Crystals (Mythical): Summon 5 → 10 permafrost crystals that deal exactly 750 → 2000 damage, it also applies the "Slowness" status effect. 8 (4)-seconds cooldown.]

---

"Nice."

The number of crystals doubled. The damage nearly tripled.

And even though the cooldown didn't decrease, it was still his fastest skill by far.

If all ten crystals hit, that was close to 400,000 damage in a single cast.

And although the description didn't specify it, Karl was certain the [Slowness] effect had been strengthened as well.

Satisfied, he lifted his gaze toward the path ahead.

He took a deep breath. Then stepped forward.

The second half of the [Danger Zone]'s maze awaited him. And he already knew it would be worse.

[This was rather entertaining~]

[Now let's see if you can go further~]

The [Blooming Witch] was still watching.

But at this point, Karl barely cared.

'Here we go,' he thought with a sigh. 'A few more hours of dead ends and rushing through a maze.'

He closed his eyes briefly, preparing himself mentally before continuing.

And then—

Another panel appeared.

[Let's just get this over with.]

"Huh."

Fwoosh!

Karl's eyes snapped open. A thin purple line had formed in front of him. It was unmistakable.

It looked exactly like the one he had seen back in the [Novice Continent], the one that led him straight to the [Ruins of Oblivion].

The line stretched forward, weaving through the maze, turning neatly around one of the many corners ahead.

'It's… showing me the way,' Karl thought, his heartbeat quickening slightly. 'Just like the first time.'

That path had never betrayed him. And there was no reason to doubt it now.

Karl adjusted his grip on his staff. Then, without hesitation, he followed the purple line.

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.