Lord Of The Lost

The Hand of Darkness gripped the evil spirit tightly, suffocating its chaotic energy under William's crushing power. The dark energy within him surged like a storm, wild and unrelenting.

Clench!

BOOM!

The evil spirits exploded once again into scattered spiritual lights.

But they weren't done yet.

Two streaks of cold, malevolent light shot toward William, burrowing into his back, clawing at his soul, trying to seize control of his body.

For a moment, William's body trembled. His breath hitched.

Then, his eyes changed.

They flickered, shifting into the deep, haunting gaze of a demon wolf. Vast, dark, and endless, like the abyss itself.

"Get. Out."

The full force of the demon wolf's traits erupted within him, sweeping through his entire body like a purifying storm. The evil spirits were expelled violently, unable to anchor themselves.

Just then, his evil spear trembled. Dark energy poured into it, awakening something hidden within its core. The tip of the spear glowed like it was bleeding, and a sudden shockwave of air pulsed outward from William.

The two evil spirits screeched in agony, unable to seize control of his body.

William's incredible mental resilience, a gift of the demon wolf's nature, shielded him. Unless an enemy's spiritual power far surpassed his, no spirit could claim him.

But the cost was high. His mental reserves plummeted, and his breath grew heavy. He looked up just in time to see the evil spirits unleash their Soul Screams again. The air trembled, sand and debris swirled violently around him.

William didn't hesitate.

With a swift motion, he raised his hand and hurled the evil spear.

BOOM!

The spear tore through the air, cutting through the soul power and piercing the evil spirit's body, nailing it to a massive stone pillar behind it.

Without wasting a second, William leapt forward. His fingers clenched tightly into a fist.

→ [Piercing Attack]!

He struck.

CRASH!

The final evil spirit exploded into fragments of spiritual light.

---

> You killed the evil spirit.

[Your talent of Killing to Prove Your Truth takes effect.]

[Physical value: +0, Spiritual value: +0.05, Energy value: +0.]

[Your talent has absorbed a trace of pure telekinesis.]

[Additional +0.1 spiritual value.]

---

William blinked in surprise.

The three evil spirits had granted him nearly 0.5 spiritual points in total. His spirit value was now nearing 17 points, a massive increase.

"So that's how it works," William thought. Different monsters granted boosts to different attributes. His impressive physical fitness of over 20 was thanks to the countless physical creatures he had killed, werewolves, rogues, and others. But with his physical stats so high, further improvements had become difficult.

However, his other attributes still had plenty of room to grow.

Unlike most creatures, evil spirits didn't boost physical power. Instead, they provided pure mental energy. This energy was absorbed directly into William's mind, giving him feedback far superior to what his normal talent could achieve.

---

William stood atop the ruins, waving to the Forum Master and the others in the distance.

"Are you done?" the Forum Master called out as they approached, his expression uneasy. If he didn't have a talent for identification, he might have thought William was possessed and trying to lure them into a trap.

William smirked. "The evil spirit's weakness is obvious."

With skills like [Harm] and the power of dark energy, tearing them apart was almost effortless. They had no defensive capabilities, no teamwork, no survival instincts. They were just confused, lost remnants of what they once were.

The Forum Master gave him a strange look. "Why do I feel like you'd do just fine here without us?"

William chuckled. "Maybe I would."

William tilted his head. "Really?"

The Forum Master smirked. "What do you think?"

William glanced up, lost in thought.

The Demon Wolf was built for survival.

The Lost Maze was a nightmare, very tree a potential enemy, every shadow a lurking threat. But for a Demon Wolf? Surviving here wasn't difficult.

Now it made sense why Calcifer had sent him here. The magic wolf's escape abilities were unparalleled.

But there was a catch. Survival alone isn't enough. The Demon Wolf wasn't known for brute-force destruction. It lacked overwhelming attack power.

A lone wolf could only go so far.

To truly thrive, William needed allies, at least until they reached Level 10.

He shrugged. "Maybe."

Seeing that William wasn't about to go off on his own, the Forum Master relaxed.

The Forum Master came from a merchant's background, and his mindset was all about mutual benefit.

He never asked, "What can I gain?" Instead, he considered, "What value can I bring?"

Early on, when players had little access to resources, he had personally poured a fortune into creating player forums, sacrificing his own advantages to build a foundation for everyone.

The 20 high-level players he had gathered? They weren't just allies, they were investments. By following his lead, they'd earn opportunities to advance into elite professions.

To him, the key to survival wasn't power alone, it was binding people together through shared interests.

Once one side stops benefiting, cooperation falls apart.

Fortunately, that hadn't happened yet.

The gambler groaned. "Master, use your talent and tell us if there's anything worth digging up."

This place had once been a grand temple, now it lay in ruins, crushed as if a massive earthquake had ripped through it.

Finding anything valuable in the rubble was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Alex vanished into the shadows, slipping into a buried chamber to search.

Metatron activated [God's Perspective], skipping the process and glimpsing only the results, a cheat code for looting.

William?

He summoned a massive dark hand in his right palm, like a shadow excavator. The colossal fingers clawed at the ruins, tearing away stone and debris with ease.

Bit by bit, they unearthed their findings.

---

After some time, the five of them gathered their spoils.

1. A Dozen Golden Magic Coins

Inside a rotting treasure chest, they found about a dozen magic coins, but their design was unlike any William had seen before.

The back bore the engraving of a majestic temple.

The front depicted a war god gripping a battle axe.

These were Dwarven Kingdom magic coins, rare and exclusive to their empire.

The dwarves worshipped an invincible war god, who, in ancient times, had also been revered as a Sun God.

2. [Broken Whirlwind Axe]

An ancient whirlwind axe, once of extraordinary quality, now cracked and covered in dust.

Whatever mystical properties it once had? Gone.

Now, it retained only its raw durability and sharpness.

It had been stored here, forgotten for countless years.

3. Rusted Weapons

William, Alex, and the others found several rusted weapons.

Though their craftsmanship was excellent, time had worn them down to useless husks.

4. [Pristine Crucible]

Unlike everything else, one item remained untouched by time, a perfectly preserved crucible.

It could withstand extreme temperatures, used to extract plant and mineral essences.

A crucial tool for alchemy and potion-making.

William recognized it immediately, he had seen one before in the witch's hut.

Rare. Valuable. Essential.

A Surprising Observation

William dusted off his hands and looked toward the others. "Not bad."

The Forum Master stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "You know… I get the feeling you'd do just fine here without us."

William chuckled. "Maybe."

The Lost Formula and a Tempting Possibility

A Long-Forgotten Secret

Inside an old wooden box, they found it, a tattered, ancient scroll.

> [Broken Warrior Secret Medicine Recipe]

The Forum Master scanned the document, his eyes widening. "This formula… it enhances physical strength!"

William raised an eyebrow. That was unexpected.

In the game, players received three free attribute points to distribute when leveling up, but that was only for beginners. Once someone became an extraordinary being, that privilege disappeared.

For true superhumans, increasing physical strength required relentless training and unique rituals.

Werewolves performed hunting ceremonies to push their limits.

Mages relied on magic-infused training.

Others simply hit a plateau, unable to improve further.

Game Levels vs. Real Strength

Level ≠ Attributes.

A Level 11 transcendent with balanced stats wouldn't necessarily have all attributes at 11 points. If they never trained their physical body, their strength could still be stuck at 10, even at Level 14.

Sure, levels increased attributes passively.

But without focused development, a warrior could remain weak, while a mage; like Calcifer, could still lift and smash a Sequence 9 fighter with sheer force.

In this world, an alternative way to improve physical stats? No one would turn that down.

The Power of the Warrior's Secret Medicine

The Forum Master continued reading, his voice growing tense.

"This potion is created by blending powerful lifeform materials with rare herbs… it forges a physical enhancement elixir."

His hands trembled slightly.

> Warrior's Secret Medicine, also called the Constitution Potion.

For those on the Warrior Path, it accelerated growth dramatically.

For normal humans, it was even more miraculous.

It could reduce the time needed to become an extraordinary being by TEN TIMES.

It could awaken supernatural traits within a person.

The Forum Master's heart pounded.

In the beginning, warriors were the only transcendent path. Knights later branched off from them, forming a more refined path.

If this potion worked for warriors, it would work for knights too.

And most importantly…

> It could help Level 8 players transition into superhumans faster.

His mind raced. If he had this… it would guarantee his advancement!

But there was a problem.

The formula was damaged.

A Missed Opportunity… or a Bigger Treasure?

Disappointment swept through the group.

William exhaled slowly. His physical strength was already extreme, but he wouldn't have minded pushing it even further.

Then the gambler suddenly spoke up. "If the Dwarf Kingdom had a physical enhancement potion… then what about the Magic Kingdom?"

Everyone froze.

Metatron narrowed his eyes. "Are you suggesting we go knock on the king's door and demand his secrets?"

Silence.

It wasn't that simple.

Even if such potions existed in the Magic Kingdom, they wouldn't be common knowledge.

William remembered the Church's [Spiritual Oil Formula], which even Calcifer himself couldn't replicate.

Yes, players held high status in Border Town. Yes, the mayor had handed them considerable power.

But that didn't mean they could just waltz into the king's court and demand a priceless alchemical formula.

The King's Third Guard, Helka's Knight Guard, protected royal interests. Above them?

The Second Imperial Guard.

The Warrior Guard.

And at the very top… the Mage Guard.

Trying to get the King's Secret Medicine Recipe? That was borderline suicidal.

The gambler chuckled, scratching his head. "Yeah, maybe not the best idea."

Then Alex spoke, cold and sharp.

"But if this ruined temple had a formula… other ruins might have complete versions. Or entirely different potions."

Everyone paused.

Then their hearts ignited with excitement.

The Lost Maze, A Treasure Trove Waiting to Be Explored

If one forgotten ruin held a legendary enhancement formula, then what about the countless others hidden in the maze?

What else was buried in this place?

A new realization settled over them.

This maze wasn't just a death trap.

It was a goldmine of ancient power.