4.

    Seong considered leaving as per Kars Grimcrow''s instructions, the envoy from Overpalace with the ominous crow mask. Yet, as though captivated, he kept rereading the item''s grade.

    Twice, thrice—still the same.

    Almighty Grade.

    An item tier only attainable after clearing the main quest.

    But they’re just giving it to him? Like this?

    It was baffling.

    And the effects were even more so.

    『Ring of the Primordial Demon Insignia』

    Grade: 《Almighty》A ring engraved with the insignia of a primordial demon.Its creator among the primordial demons remains unknown, and its purpose is shrouded in mystery.Effect 1: Increases the power of darkness-type attributes (Pitch-black, Shadow, Abyss) by +30%.Effect 2: Grants complete immunity to darkness-type attributes (Pitch-black, Shadow, Abyss).Effect 3: Delays the transition of entities near the caster up to five times per day.

    Gulp.

    Even the normally calm and composed Seong swallowed audibly.

    A 30% boost to dark-type power, plus full immunity?

    That alone was extraordinary.

    But then there was transition delay.

    “An Almighty-grade item can shake the continent,” he recalled.

    And it was true.

    Seong stared at the item grade, dazed.

    Noticing Seong’s reaction, Kars Grimcrow spoke in a somber tone, as if apologizing.

    "It pains me deeply that we must escort one who has not yet fully inherited the mantle of a hero to safety. Such actions may cast doubt on the heir’s potential. But we have no choice; we must act preemptively to avoid catastrophe. For that, I beg your pardon."

    His words made sense: questioning someone’s capabilities was bound to sting.

    Yet Seong tilted his head slightly, as if puzzled.

    "It’s only natural to ensure safety if there’s danger, isn’t it?"

    "Ah...!!!"

    Seong’s understanding words moved Kars to tears behind his crow mask.

    How could one be so compassionate and understanding?

    The situation could have easily provoked anger.

    Someone in Seong’s position might have demanded to know why they were being doubted or seen as weak.

    But Seong didn’t.

    Instead, he accepted it as a given—thanking Overpalace for their protection, knowing he still had room to grow.

    While the sight of Kars’ tears dripping behind the mask was slightly unsettling, Seong let it slide.

    "Besides," Seong continued, "if you''re taking such measures, doesn’t it mean the heir is much stronger than me right now?"@@@@

    "T-that is correct."

    Clearly struggling to admit it, Kars coughed up blood. He was physically affected by the effort it took to say such words.

    "Then escorting me is fine."

    Seong nodded, inwardly acknowledging the reality.

    It was only reasonable. He’d only just begun, and it wasn’t realistic to think he was already stronger than the hero’s successor.

    Watching Seong’s composed acceptance, Kars closed his eyes as if deeply moved.

    Though Kars wanted to converse further with Seong, their time had run out.

    Lv: 92Class: 『Overlord』Titles: 『Monarch (Legendary)』... +32 others.Stats: Strength: 105 (80+25)Agility: 105 (95+10)Vitality: 105 (95+10)Intelligence: 199 (180+19)Wisdom: 200 (181+19)Spirit: 133 (120+13)Dexterity: 7 (6+1)Bonus Stat Points: 0"There is something I must tell you about the next region.""Yes, the one whose soul was lost. I sense its energy awakening in Dune Wild Trail.""A commander once loyal to the ancient lords. Though weakened, they were a Doom Knight who commanded countless undead."A large-scale event will begin in 28 hours at ‘Dune Wild Trail - Western Plains.’Levels 80–120 may participate.Details will be revealed later.Linked to the large-scale event.All conditions fulfilled.

    Ask any gamer, and they’ll likely echo the sentiment:

    “Ugh, there’s nothing to do.”

    Games inevitably lose their charm when content becomes repetitive. That’s why event updates are almost universally celebrated.

    This is one reason Eternal World is hailed as the greatest game of all time.

    It never runs out of content.

    With near-infinite freedom, the exhilaration of exploring every corner, a population of NPCs rivaling real-world numbers, and countless quests to match, there’s always something to do.

    And now, a major new event has been announced?

    Naturally, the player base was buzzing.

    [ChefWhenItComesToMonsters]: Whoa, a massive event? At Dune Wild Trail???

    [OtterSwimmingThroughDungeons]: I’m so salty... I’m level 150, so I can’t even join. This sucks...

    [NPCLocalLegend]: This is insane. I’m so jealous.

    [OrcsAreScary]: Screech??? Must. Join. Now!!!

    [PillarDamageMaster]: Does anyone know what the event is about? Large-scale events are always crazy, right?

    [HealerWith20YearsExperience]: Dunno, but Eternal World events are never lame. Been playing for 20 years, and they’re always awesome, lol.

    └[SleepingWolf]: What? Eternal World has only been out for 2 years, though.

    The excitement was palpable.

    Teams were forming to prepare for the event, and guilds were mobilizing en masse. Given the expected massive rewards, interest spread like wildfire.

    Traffic on the servers skyrocketed, and within hours, almost every player on the East Asia server knew about the event.

    Even high-ranking guilds began announcing their participation:

    [Guild Ranking #86: PineFire Guild declares participation!]

    [Guild Ranking #12: Sick Brothers Guild declares participation!]

    [Guild Ranking #8: Tempest Wing Guild declares participation!]

    [Karma Guild and Echo Willow Guild declare participation!]

    [Guild Ranking #4: Eclipse Order Guild declares participation!]

    Even infamous guilds known for bad manners, like Karma Guild, declared their involvement.

    This included Echo Willow Guild, which had previous conflicts with Seong.

    It was shaping up to be a grand festival—or a brutal battlefield.

    Even overseas guilds announced they’d be participating via the East Asia division, adding to the rising hype.

    Despite the event starting in just 28 hours, players were working tirelessly to prepare.

    Meanwhile, top players and guild hopefuls became the center of speculation.

    After all, in large-scale events, only a handful of players ever stood out.

    [AoEDamageManiac]: Who do you think will shine this time?

    [DeathEveryDay]: Probably Eclipse Order’s Mayran. She’s the top prospect under level 100 right now.

    └[24HourRaidPlayer]: Lol, Mayran? Get with the times. It’s all about the Demon King now.

    Seong’s name came up in conversations, though he wasn’t taken seriously.

    └[Swordsmith]: Oh, ‘Seong’? But there’s no way the Demon King can even join, right?

    └[LegendaryHomebody]: ??? Why wouldn’t he? He can join, can’t he?

    └[Swordsmith]: Think about it. The latest raid footage showed him fighting a level 60 raid boss. Even if he leveled up, he’s probably barely level 80. No way he beats Mayran, who’s already level 100.

    Seong’s relatively low level meant most dismissed him outright.

    No matter how impressive his achievements, in RPGs, level disparity is hard to overlook.

    It wasn’t an unfair assumption. Leveling in Eternal World wasn’t exactly easy.

    As a result, discussions naturally shifted toward other prominent players.

    └[OrcsAreScary]: Screech, true. Also, Kurosawa Ren is worth watching too.

    [PotionMaster]: Yeah, but Mayran’s still gonna win.

    [Skill-lessGuy]: Kinda wish the Demon King leveled up more. Too bad. At least we’ve got Junhyuk from Korea, though.

    [5MinPartyLeaver]: Fellow Koreans, let’s root for Junhyuk!

    [LowLevelBoss]: Seong should aim for next time instead.

    Most agreed that one of three players—Mayran, Kurosawa Ren, or Junhyuk—would dominate the event.

    Despite Seong’s rising fame, he wasn’t expected to perform well.

    Meanwhile, the person being overlooked—Seong himself—was testing his newly acquired skills.

    Under a blazing sun, black flames roared around him, consuming everything in their path.

    On the scorched ground, flowers of darkness bloomed among the remnants of his enemies.

    As Seong scratched his head, a notification popped up.

    [Level Up!] ×3

    [You have reached Level 95.]

    "At this rate, maybe I really can take on a million."