CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54: DARK NECKLACE, OVERWHELMING EVENT POINTS ADVANTAGE!

Like always, Stark poured his mana into the lock to open it.

Click!

The chest unlocked and opened, revealing a faint dark glow inside.

A single necklace rested at the center.

Ding!

[You have opened the "Epic Chest" and obtained the "Dark Necklace"]

---

[Dark Necklace (Epic): +100 Constitution, +43 Agility. Requirement: Level 25]

[Dark Immunity (Passive): While wearing this necklace, you are immune to dark-type attacks, and cannot be weakened by them.]

---

"Oh."

Stark raised his brows.

This wasn’t just a necklace, it was practically a hard counter to the very skill Ghost had just learned a moment ago.

The timing almost felt intentional, as if the system had predicted it.

He stared at the item for a few seconds, then slipped it around his neck without hesitation.

Currently, there weren’t many elemental attacks in circulation.

But later in the game, the number of elemental-based attacks would skyrocket.

And once they appeared, every single fight would get deadly.

Immunity to even one element was an enormous advantage.

Players could equip a maximum of two necklaces.

Stark already wore the [Revenant Bell], and now with the [Dark Necklace], his slots were full.

Still, he had no complaints.

These two pieces alone were worth more than anything most players could dream of.

He turned his gaze toward Grace and Ghost.

Neither of them asked what item he’d gotten.

That was the smart move, everyone knew better than to pry.

"Let’s go, Starfall," Ghost said casually, already pointing at the portal. "We need to stay at least in the top three."

Grace gave a small nod. "Right."

Stark noticed something subtle: Ghost had called Grace by her ID.

That likely meant Ghost didn’t actually know her real name.

Then again, none of them knew each other’s real names.

For now, that was how it should be.

Until trust was absolute, keeping things private was best.

Without another word, Ghost stepped into the exit portal, Grace following right after.

"See you," Grace said, smiling at Stark before vanishing.

Stark only gave a small nod, then joined them seconds later.

Fwish!

He emerged outside the ghastly door he had taken earlier to enter the [Tomb of Resentment].

The very instant he stepped out, the door behind him began fading, breaking apart into faint blue particles until it vanished completely.

’I guess that’s it. Nobody else can enter it anymore.’

He scanned his surroundings.

Neither Ghost nor Grace was nearby; they had probably left ahead of him.

Overall, Stark was satisfied.

He had cleared the special zone, gained rewards, and solidified his lead.

The only downside?

The event zone hadn’t given him any real clues about the [Church Sanctuary].

That still remained a mystery.

"Hm."

Glancing at the sky, he remembered the countdown.

There were still a little over four hours before the event ended.

Opening the leaderboard, he saw the results.

---

[Event Leaderboard:]

[1. Oblivion: 2,173 Event Points]

[2. EvilDemon: 1,347 Event Points]

[3. Ghost: 1,218 Event Points]

[4. SoulsGod: 1,033 Event Points]

[5. ILoveLasagna: 940 Event Points]

[6. CardMaster: 842 Event Points]

[7. GodOfViolence: 727 Event Points]

[8. PrinceLucas: 601 Event Points]

[9. Hollow: 599 Event Points]

[10. ZeroGravity: 590 Event Points]

---

The same names stayed in the top ten, though a few placements had shifted.

But what really stood out, Stark was so far ahead it almost looked unfair.

He was more than 800 points ahead of second place.

That gap wasn’t just large, it was nearly impossible to close within the remaining time.

A wide grin spread across Stark’s lips.

He spun his staff lightly in his hand, satisfied.

’Alright,’ he thought, ’time to hunt more bosses. Might as well squeeze out as many evolution points as possible before this ends.’

Regular level 25 ghosts gave him almost nothing now.

Only bosses mattered for what he wanted.

If he could push his evolution points past 50, he’d be able to evolve one last skill before leaving the [Ruined City].

Fwish!

He dashed toward the city’s edge, spells firing with every step.

Ghosts fell instantly, their bodies crumbling into blue particles under the weight of his [Fire Meteors], [Storm of Lightning], and other skills.

The hours passed quickly.

Stark maintained his place at the top with ease.

No one even came close.

But when only 30 minutes remained, something unexpected happened.

Three bosses appeared before him, all at once.

---

[Ghost General, Hands (Level 25)]

[Rarity: Elite (Unique Boss)]

[HP: 300,000]

---

[Ghost General, Mouth (Level 25)]

[Rarity: Elite (Unique Boss)]

[HP: 290,000]

---

[Ghost General, Feet (Level 25)]

[Rarity: Elite (Unique Boss)]

[HP: 300,000]

---

A wide grin spread on Stark’s face.

"Perfect."

Three elite-rank bosses together.

For most players, this would be instant death.

But for Stark, this wasn’t danger, it was opportunity.

’If I kill all three, I might just hit the EP I need.’

All he saw before him was a bundle of EP (both kind), freshly served!

He studied them quickly.

The names all carried the same pattern: [Ghost General] followed by a body part.

The one called [Hands] had six massive spectral arms large enough to crush a carriage.

[Mouth] had a grotesque, gaping maw that looked like it could swallow ten players whole.

And [Feet] stood on legs so large they shook the ground.

Despite their different shapes, they all used the [Dark] element.

Which meant one thing.

Dark Smash!

The Hands general gathered black energy into its palms and smashed them down toward Stark.

BOOM!

The impact shattered the ground, sending shockwaves across the area.

To a normal party, this would have been fatal.

But Stark stood there, unharmed.

Immune!

His [Dark Necklace] glowed faintly, nullifying the attack completely.

What would’ve been a deadly blow turned into nothing.

A grin tugged at his lips.

This necklace wasn’t just useful, it was broken.

Almost every ghost in this event used [Dark]-type skills, which meant the necklace had just turned the final stage of the event into a joke.

"Alright then," he muttered, pointing his staff forward.

Fire Meteor! Storm of Lightning! Vines of Fate! Plague Crystals!

All of his spells exploded outward, their range wide enough to engulf the trio of bosses.

-93,375! -49,800! -87,300! -15,000! -6,000! -6,000!

Each boss staggered, their HP bars shredded in seconds.

Still, they clung on, refusing to fall with one volley.

The three let out an unearthly wail in unison, their glowing eyes locking onto Stark.

Then they charged. All three at once. But none of them got close.

Stark’s [Invincible Magic Barrier] flashed into existence, blocking their combined assault.

Their massive limbs and crushing jaws slammed against the barrier, but the shield didn’t even flicker.

By the time his cooldown ended, Stark was already preparing another spell.

"Burn."

Fire Meteor!

A second flaming boulder crashed down from above, slamming into all three at once.

BOOM!

They didn’t survive this time.

Their HP hit zero, and their bodies shattered into countless motes of light.

Ding!

[You have gained 23 Evolution Points!]

[You have gained 143 Lives!]

[You have gained 150 Event Points.]

"Good."

Stark exhaled in satisfaction.

With that, he had defeated almost every major boss the event had to offer.

The rest of the time would be clean-up.

The remaining thirty minutes of the [Ghost Hunt] slipped away.

Stark killed anything in his path, keeping his lead unchallenged.

And then—

Ding!

The countdown hit zero.

Fwish!

A system announcement echoed across the world.

[The "Ghost Hunt" event is now over!]

[The top of the leaderboard will be rewarded accordingly!]