CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: SELLING ITEMS IN THE ETERNAL CONTINENT, BEGONE THIEF

It didn’t take long for Stark to make up his mind after clearing the [Undead Soul Land].

His next stop was obvious, the spawn square of the [First Ruined City].

There were no official safe zones in this place.

But the square where players first appeared acted like one by default.

Monsters sometimes wandered there, but they never lasted long.

Dozens of players grouped up in the center, hunting anything that came close.

By the time Stark arrived, the square was buzzing with activity.

Small groups huddled together, comparing items, making trades, bragging about their progress.

It had been less than seven hours since [Eternal Soul] opened, yet most already looked comfortable in this world.

"I extracted my sword into the real world, it cost me 30 Lives, but it actually appeared!"

"Yeah, we know already. Which means that [First Calamity] thing... it’s definitely bad news."

"Then stop worrying about that and grind. Whoever’s weak when it comes will just die first."

Their voices mixed with the hum of the crowd.

Excitement, nerves, ambition, everyone was still riding the wave of discovery.

Stark ignored most of it.

He had his own goals.

He moved to the center of the square and tilted his head up at the giant projection above, the leaderboard.

---

[Level Leaderboard:]

[1. Oblivion: Level 13][2. Ghost: Level 12][3. PrinceLucas: Level 12][4. EvilDemon: Level 12][5. GodOfViolence: Level 11][6. DivineGoddess: Level 11][7. BraveCop: Level 11]

...

---

Still at the top.

’Others should all have a few hundred lives saved up by now,’ Stark thought.

He himself had more thanks to [Hand of Avarice], but assuming everyone else was far behind would be a mistake.

Especially when there were talents out there that multiplied life gains outright.

He didn’t know who had them, but he was sure someone did.

Still, it didn’t bother him too much.

He had his own advantage, and that was enough.

Stark moved to the edge of the square, sat cross-legged on the ground, and dumped his inventory in front of him.

A pile of gear spilled out, mostly weapons and armor.

He kept the [Undead Soul Mage Robe] and [Soul Staff], but everything else was fair game.

He opened the [Stall] function and typed out a single blunt message.

[I can’t hold these items anymore, they’re cheap, come and buy them.]

He set the prices low enough that people would bite, but still enough to profit.

And, as expected, players swarmed.

Some hesitated at first, but once the first sales went through, the rest followed like sharks that smelled blood.

His gear sold piece by piece, most going for twenty lives.

The square around him buzzed louder, more players drawn over by the word "cheap."

It was going smoothly.

Until—

Fwish! Fwoom!

An assassin burst forward, shadow blurring as their [Speed Boost] ignited.

Their hand darted to the ground, snatching up the [Guardian Armor (Elite)] from Stark’s display.

Stark’s smile twitched.

’Of course.’

Since there were no rules and protection, anyone greedy or reckless enough could just try to steal.

The assassin bolted, feet barely touching the ground.

For a moment, it looked like he might actually get away.

But Stark’s hand was already raised.

"You’re not getting away," he whispered.

The staff in his grip pulsed, and he cast one of his newer skills.

Lightning Strike!

Fwish! ZAP!

A crack of light snapped through the air, hitting the assassin square in the back.

-10,275!

The thief froze mid-step, body convulsing, then dropped to the ground in a smoking heap.

The crowd went silent.

Dozens of wide eyes turned toward Stark.

"Ten... ten thousand damage?!"

"Impossible, how the hell—"

"I told you, mages are busted!"

"Shut up, idiot. Oblivion’s busted, not mages."

Their whispers didn’t matter.

Stark bent down, picked the armor off the ground, and set it back on display like nothing happened.

He didn’t bother using [Curse Flower].

He wanted to, but he didn’t want to reveal something like that yet.

The majority might be confused, but if even one figures it out, it wouldn’t be good.

He would rather keep it a secret than acquire the 30 lives from it.

By the time most of his items were gone, the crowd had thinned again.

Only one man lingered close, tall and imposing.

He wore a crimson priest robe, aura flickering faintly around him like firelight.

His ID floated clearly overhead.

[ID: EvilDemon]

"Oh?" Stark muttered under his breath.

The man pointed casually at the [Undead Shaman Scepter (Elite)].

"How much?" he asked, expression neutral, "It’s much better than my current scepter."

"Fifty lives," Stark answered, "It’s a powerful scepter from a boss in a zone."

EvilDemon inspected it with calm eyes.

Then he smiled and accepted.

The trade window flashed, and just like that, fifty lives transferred.

The scepter changed hands.

Stark watched him closely.

The name was familiar, but faint.

He didn’t remember [EvilDemon] standing out in his past life... maybe he’d simply forgotten.

Still, something about this man felt sharp.

"So you solo too, huh," EvilDemon said as he tested the scepter’s weight.

Stark nodded.

"Same," the man added, grin widening.

Stark’s gaze narrowed.

"But you’re a—"

"Priest?" EvilDemon laughed, "Yeah. Surprising? I could say the same about you. A mage, but you fight alone."

It was true.

Priests weren’t just heal-bots in [Eternal Soul]. Not here.

Later on, they gained frightening offensive power.

But seeing one strong enough to level solo this early was rare.

It meant one thing: this man’s class and talent were far from normal.

Their eyes met for a second longer, then EvilDemon smirked, turned, and walked deeper into the city without another word.

Stark watched him go. His instincts prickled.

He didn’t know why, but he felt this guy would matter.

He brushed the thought aside and focused on his stall.

Soon after, the last of his items were gone.

Ding!

[Lives: 434 → 889]

A tidy profit.

Four hundred and fifty lives earned in a single sitting.

Enough to bring him closer to extracting his levels into reality.

He stretched, packed away the leftovers, and checked his inventory.

[Inventory: 2/27]

Almost empty. Plenty of room for new loot.

He stood, spinning his staff once in his hand, eyes scanning the ruined skyline.

Level 15 was the immediate goal.

He had the [Undead Soul Mage]’s gear waiting, but he couldn’t equip it yet.

Every level gained now would make the difference later.

And beyond that... the [Events].

The stronger he was when they began, the greater the rewards he could claim.

His lips curled into a grin.

"Then let’s keep moving."

He stepped out of the square, picked a new direction, and fired off a [Sovereign Vines] at the first monster he spotted.

Instant kill. Stark lowered his staff and kept walking.

The grind wasn’t over. It had only just begun.