For the next several days, Marcus and his companions swept across the second level of the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb, clearing monsters with ruthless efficiency. Level 48 creatures roamed the floor in dense packs, far stronger than him on paper, yet he hunted them relentlessly. He had already decided he would not step onto the third floor until he reached Level 45. There was no reason to rush when the current hunting ground was feeding him exactly what he needed.

Fighting enemies five levels above his own pushed his growth at an absurd pace. Experience poured in without interruption, nearly a full level gained every day. His skills advanced just as quickly, and the familiar system chime echoed through his ears so often it almost blended into the rhythm of battle.

Ding!

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven’s skill ’One-Handed Mastery’ has reached Level 3. Effect enhanced.]

Ding!

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven’s skill ’Shield Mastery’ has reached Level 3. Effect enhanced.]

The improvements were immediate and noticeable. One-Handed Mastery advanced another tier, granting a ten percent increase to attack power, while Shield Mastery followed close behind, raising his defense by ten percent as well. Every swing hit harder, every block felt steadier, and the difference showed clearly in combat.

Other abilities climbed alongside them. Taunt reached Level 3, expanding its aggro radius to fifteen meters, making it far easier to control entire mobs at once. Shield Guard also advanced to Level 3, improving blocking efficiency by another five percent and allowing him to stand firm even under concentrated attacks.

The most satisfying upgrades, however, belonged to the two Temple Knight skills he had obtained back at Level 30. Hundred Phantom Strike and Sanctuary Covenant both ranked up, and unlike ordinary skills, their growth felt explosive rather than incremental.

Hundred Phantom Strike reached Level 2. Its attack power increased by ten percent, the stun chance rose by another ten percent, and a new effect unlocked, granting a ten percent boost to critical hit rate. Even the attack radius expanded, stretching to four meters. The skill now carved through groups like a sweeping storm of blades.

Marcus could not help grinning every time he imagined how devastating it would become at higher ranks.

Yet the true centerpiece remained Sanctuary Covenant. Temple Knights were feared because of this ability alone, and Marcus found himself reopening the skill window again and again just to read its description.

—

Sanctuary Covenant, Level 2 (0/35000). Active Skill. A unique Temple Knight ability granted only to those with exceptional aptitude. Players who fail to unlock it before Level 40 lose the chance permanently.

Effect: Invoke the covenant and borrow power from the Goddess of Dreams. Consumes 1000 MP to summon a Temple Knight to fight alongside the caster. The summoned knight possesses identical equipment, skills, and attributes as the caster. All buffs applied affect only the summoned knight and do not transfer back to the caster or party members.

—

Marcus glanced sideways at Pebble, the silent Temple Knight standing faithfully at his side. The summon truly was an exact duplicate, carrying the same gear, the same combat style, even the same defensive presence. The practical result was absurd. He was effectively fighting as two fully equipped Temple Knights at once.

If Level 2 already produced this level of strength, he could hardly imagine what Level 3 might look like.

His overall power curve climbed steeply after that. Monsters fell faster, pulls became larger, and battles that once required careful pacing turned into controlled massacres. Then, the moment he reached Level 40, another system notification rang out.

Ding!

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven has reached Level 40. You can now more effectively wield the Demonic Artifact ’Sea Soul Demonic Jade Necklace.’ You may summon up to two Sea Demon Souls.]

Ahead of him, two Sea Demon Souls drifted like dense blue mist before solidifying into towering azure giants. The massive spirits moved with slow, unstoppable force, functioning as nearly indestructible frontline tanks that locked entire groups of Level 48 monsters in place.

Marcus surveyed his growing lineup with quiet satisfaction. Pebble stood at attention. Goldie lingered nearby, ever eager for combat. Wyvern Saint Knight Lyanna radiated calm authority, while Vixen Queen Camillo watched the battlefield with amused confidence.

There were no restrictions holding him back now, no fragile party composition to worry about. He simply advanced, pulled enemies, and let overwhelming force do the rest.

’Maybe I really am favored by the Goddess of Dreams,’ he thought, half joking and half serious.

The second level of the Mystic Turtle’s Tomb had turned into a personal treasure field.

The only frustration came from the floor’s three special bosses. Their respawn timers stretched to a painful forty-eight hours. Two full days between attempts felt unbearably slow, especially when Marcus was determined to complete the Corpse Demon equipment set and replace his outdated Level 30 gear.

Fortunately, his absurd luck stat softened the wait. Each time he defeated the Corpse Soul Digger Demon, a piece of the Corpse Demon set reliably dropped, along with at least one golden-quality item. Without that consistent reward, the downtime alone might have driven him insane.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

That became the rhythm of his days. Grinding, leveling, waiting for boss respawns, farming equipment. It was repetitive, admittedly, but never difficult. With his stats climbing and his summoned army handling most threats, the process felt almost leisurely.

More often than not, he spent battles chatting casually with his companions, or simply enjoying the moment. For Marcus, gaming was meant to be relaxing. A place to unwind, not stress.

Six days later, the boss respawned again, and after another clean kill, the system delivered the notification he had been waiting for.

Ding!

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven’s level has increased to 45. HP increased by 10. MP increased by 10. You have 5 attribute points to distribute.]

’Level 45. Finally.’

He opened the level leaderboard immediately. Second place, RogueTheory, sat at Level 38. The gap between them had widened significantly. For the first time since entering the game, Marcus felt firmly ahead of the competition rather than merely keeping pace.

As if rewarding his progress, the Corpse Soul Digger Demon dropped something new this time, a golden weapon gleaming faintly amid the loot pile.

’Corpse Demon Dark Soul Sword.’

Marcus wasted no time casting Identification.

Ding!

[Stonehaven. Unfortunately, your Identification has failed.]

He blinked once, then smiled. With his luck stat, a failed identification rarely meant bad news. If anything, it suggested the opposite. High-tier equipment often resisted analysis on the first attempt.

His pulse quickened as he cast Identification again.

Ding!

[Congratulations, player Stonehaven has successfully identified the Corpse Demon Dark Soul Sword. Identification proficiency increased.]

Golden light burst outward as the seal broke. Immediately afterward, a darker radiance seeped from the weapon, deep black energy rippling along the blade while faint gray wraiths drifted within its shadowy aura. The hilt reshaped itself into skeletal patterns of ashen gray bone, giving the entire weapon an unsettling presence that felt almost alive.

Marcus needed only one glance to know this was no ordinary drop.

—

Corpse Demon Dark Soul Sword – Golden Equipment

Requirement: 250 Strength or 250 Constitution

Type: One-Handed Weapon

Forged by a millennium-old Corpse Demon at the Ghost Soul Platform using thousands of harvested souls, this blade contains immense demonic energy and condensed wraith essence. Those lacking sufficient strength risk suffering lingering misfortune from the restless spirits bound within.

Attributes:

Attack +350

Additional 200 Dark Damage per hit

Strength +30

Constitution +30

Accuracy +10%

Critical Hit Rate +10%

Skill: Dark Soul Entanglement (Passive)

Attacks have a 50% chance to summon Dark Wraiths that bind the target. Enemy HP regeneration reduced by 50%. Healing potion effectiveness reduced by 20%. Movement speed reduced by 20%.

—