Lord Of The Lost

Among all players, [Miracle] was one of the most powerful talents.

But now, Alex was at a crossroads.

Once he fully embraced the Assassin's path, his [Miracle] trait would be erased.

And that would be a waste.

Most players who changed jobs too early suffered the same fate.

For example, the Knights of Despair, formed by the Forum Master, had discovered that after becoming high-tier knights, their original talents had been completely overwritten by the knight's characteristics.

But Alex's [Miracle] was still active.

Which meant—

The Assassin's traits weren't strong enough to suppress its potential.

This was rare.

---

Alex stood there, silent as ever.

With his curly black hair and high-collared Shadow Cloak, he looked like a nobleman hiding in the dark.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was low and hoarse.

"I'll find a way."

His Assassin pathway had three defining abilities:

[Forbearance] – The ability to endure, wait, and strike at the perfect moment.

[Disguise] – The art of deception, blending into any role, any environment.

[Execution] – Precision killing, ensuring a target never gets a second chance.

The highest limit of this path was Sequence 7—a formidable but rigid path.

---

William, watching Alex, spoke casually but with intent.

"Don't become an Assassin. Make the Assassin become you."

Alex's eyes flicked up, staring at William.

William continued:

"Merge your [Miracle] with the Assassin's path."

This was a radical approach.

The Assassin path was a complete, well-established sequence.

It had been forged through generations of trials, refinements, and sacrifices.

It had inertia, a strong pull that forced everyone who walked it into the same mold.

But William was suggesting something different.

Not to adapt to the Assassin's path—

But to force the path to adapt to Alex.

Forging a New Path

It's like Peter Parker trying to alter his Spider-Man genes—

He can't.

And if he injected himself with the Hulk's DNA, it wouldn't turn him into a stronger Spider-Man, it would destroy him.

But if he used his own genes to evolve?

That's a different story.

Alex's [Miracle] wasn't just another extraordinary trait, it was his own talent, unique and self-contained.

Unlike conventional extraordinary abilities, it wasn't bound to a fixed sequence.

And if he could successfully merge it with the Assassin's path, he wouldn't just be walking the same road as other assassins—

He'd create an entirely new transcendental path.

A road that had never existed before.

---

Alex, lean and unassuming, nodded silently.

He understood.

Reaching Level 10 was just the beginning.

It gave him the foundation to forge his own path, but there was a long journey ahead.

This was the price of being a pioneer.

To break from an established sequence meant walking into uncharted territory.

And pioneers?

They either changed the world… or got erased from it.

---

After two more kills, another player stepped across the threshold of transcendence.

The Forum Master had reached Level 10.

At that moment, his extraordinary traits surged, becoming richer, more complete.

And with it—

[Identify All Things] evolved.

The Forum Master's eyes widened.

"I can see the essence of everything."

---

A storm of data streams flooded his mind—

Every object, creature, and entity around him began feeding him new information.

But what excited him the most—

Was that he could finally identify extraordinary beings.

Before, no matter how much mental energy he poured into his ability, he could only see:

A target's level.

Their physical attributes.

But now?

Now he could read their fundamental traits.

Speed, strength, weaknesses, past injuries.

Where to strike for a fatal blow.

Every piece of combat-relevant information appeared instantly in his mind.

This—

This was the true extraordinary ability he had always wanted.

It wasn't just about analyzing lifeless objects anymore.

Now, he could read the very essence of the supernatural.

---

Reaching Level 10 wasn't easy.

The experience required was monstrous.

By his calculations, it should have taken at least half a month to gather enough experience.

And yet… here he was.

Level 10.

On the second day of entering the Lost Maze.

He knew why.

---

It wasn't because the Lost Maze was easy.

On the contrary—

This place was a nightmare.

A hell-tier dungeon.

But someone had been silently absorbing the greater dangers.

A protector in the shadows.

If not for William, their team would have been wiped out at least four or five times.

And each death would have cost them an entire day.

Even under the best conditions, reaching Level 10 should have taken at least a week.

The Forum Master clenched his fists.

He wasn't the sentimental type, but this time…

He felt something.

A deep gratitude.

A realization of how much had been shielded from them.

"Wallace…"

For once, the Forum Master struggled with words.

He had always been eloquent, but now, he didn't know what to say.

William simply snorted.

---

If William had the strength to break through the Black Forest alone, he wouldn't waste time helping others.

There was nothing in it for him.

But right now—

All players had only two months.

If someone reached Sequence 7, they could finally cut through the Black Forest.

If that happened—

Helka's Knight Guards would no longer be necessary.

---

A single Sequence 7 transcendent was stronger than an army of Sequence 8 fighters.

And if there were more than one Sequence 7…

The balance of power would shift.

The Black Forest, which had remained a cursed, untouchable zone, could finally be conquered.

Because at the moment—

Helka's Knight Guard was just barely holding the line.

If Helka's individual strength was rated at 200…

Then all of his knights combined barely reached 200.

If Helka ever turned against them, the knights would likely win, but at what cost?

The time was coming when players would no longer need protectors.

When they would become the true power in this world.

And William knew it.

A strong individual was dangerous.

A strong collective was terrifying.

But a collectively transcendent force?

That was unstoppable.

For William, strengthening the players as a whole wasn't a burden, it was an investment in survival.

The stronger they became, the safer he was.

With each battle, each discovery, and each breakthrough, William felt his own power growing.

He was close to another upgrade.

But even then—

Sequence 7 was still a distant goal.

---

Becoming transcendent had made William painfully aware of the gap between levels.

He had stood against Wolf Lord Mott.

He had witnessed the life-or-death duel between Mott and Iris.

Even in their final moments, their power had been enough to wipe out an entire town.

The difference in strength was staggering.

If his current power was a 5, then a Sequence 7 being was at 100.

There was no comparison.

In two months, if William could raise himself to 60, the players might reach 50.

But if they progressed together, he could boost the players to 100, while he himself reached only 55.

It was a trade-off.

We are all grasshoppers tied to the same rope.

Helping them was helping himself.

---

The last to reach Level 10 was Metatron.

His ability—[God's Perspective]—had also evolved.

Now, his vision of the future was clearer, more complete.

Instead of simple hints, he could now see blurry yet tangible scenes.

But his power was not true foresight.

It was more like a simulation, a glimpse into possible futures.

The more complex the situation, the more distorted the vision.

And the more uncertain the outcome.

---

After a brief rest, the group continued deeper into the maze.

Hunting monsters.

Searching for ruins.

Pushing their limits.

But something felt off.

William noticed it first.

The number of supernatural creatures they encountered had skyrocketed.

And almost all of them were Sequence 9.

"The maze environment changed after we hit Level 10," Metatron murmured, puzzled.

William narrowed his eyes.

"Transcendents can sense each other."

---

In the outside world, only certain highly perceptive beings could detect other transcendents.

But in the maze, things were different.

Before, when the Forum Master and the others were still normal players, they had been able to move undetected.

But now?

Now, they were radiating a presence that other supernatural beings could sense.

They had crossed a threshold.

And the maze had responded.

---

They were attacked.

Again.

And again.

Each battle was harder than the last.

Sequence 9 creatures swarmed them, each one deadlier than the one before.

Everyone was exhausted.

They had achieved their goal.

It was time to return.

---

Supplies were running low.

They had pushed their limits.

And now, they had to find their way back.

William, with his spatial awareness, took the lead.

Like a gust of wind, he guided them through the dark forest, navigating the twisting paths without hesitation.

And then—

They found it.

The golden portal, standing in the air.

---

The Path Was No Longer the Same

The Tree Demon Forest that once stood here?

Gone.

In its place; deep ravines, scars left behind by battles.

The gargoyles that once roamed these lands had left their mark.

But the portal remained.

Waiting.

Yet there was one last danger.

Portals always emitted strong energy fluctuations when activated.

Which meant—

Something powerful would be drawn to it.

That was inevitable.

No time to hesitate.

William grabbed the Forum Master and Metatron and leaped into the portal.

Behind them, Alex and the Gambler followed without looking back.

And just like that—

They vanished.