One SSS Affix per Level: My Novice Club Can Slay Gods!

John took out a gradual recovery potion and drank it, then followed it with a Mana Potion to restore the MP he had just lost.

[You have used an Intermediate Regeneration Potion!]

[Restores 25 HP per second for 60 seconds.]

[You have used an Intermediate Mana Regeneration Potion!]

[Restores 30 MP per second for 60 seconds.]

For the time being, his recovery rate exceeded the rate at which he was losing HP.

However, the black fog around him was only growing thicker.

Even if ordinary players managed to defeat the crystal guards at the entrance, they would not survive here for long.

After walking a little farther, visibility dropped to zero.

John raised his hand and summoned the Novice Club.

[Holy Enchantment!]

Buzz!

Pale golden holy light spread across the length of the club.

It barely illuminated an area five or six meters around him.

Carrying the glowing club, John continued feeling his way through the black fog.

He had not gone far when the sound of dense scraping suddenly came from ahead.

More than a dozen crystal figures emerged from the darkness.

Spearmen.

Archers.

And crystal mages carrying crystal staffs.

[Ancient Cathedral Spear Guard]

[Level: Lv.23.]

[Rank: Elite Monster.]

[HP: 8,600/8,600.]

[Ancient Cathedral Crystal Mage]

[Level: Lv.24.]

[Rank: Elite Monster.]

[HP: 6,800/6,800.]

[Ancient Cathedral Crystal Archer]

[Level: Lv.23.]

[Rank: Elite Monster.]

[HP: 7,100/7,100.]

Whoosh!

Several crystal arrows tore through the black fog.

John swung the club horizontally.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Every arrow was knocked away.

Immediately afterward, the Fire Crystal Staff appeared in his left hand.

"Fire Serpent."

Boom!

A flaming serpent illuminated the entire corridor and smashed head-on through two crystal archers.

[-15,280!]

[-15,340!]

[You have slain 2 Ancient Cathedral Crystal Archers!]

[EXP +420!]

Two spear guards had already charged into melee range.

John switched back to the Novice Club and brought it down.

Bang!

[-1,120!]

[True Damage!]

Boom!

[Cleave activated!]

[-3,360!]

Several nearby crystal guards were blasted backward at the same time.

John swung the club again.

Golden light continuously flashed within the black fog.

Fire Serpents and shock waves erupted in alternating succession.

More than ten minutes later—

The final crystal mage was pierced through by a Fire Serpent, and its body exploded into fragments.

[You have slain 19 Ancient Cathedral Elite Guards!]

[EXP +3,420!]

[Silver Coins +95!]

[You have obtained 21 Holy Candle Crystal Cores!]

[You have obtained the B-Rank Equipment: Crystal-Patterned Robe!]

[You have obtained the B-Rank Weapon: Holy Candle Longbow!]

[Ding! Your level has increased to Lv.14!]

[Current EXP: 320/4,000.]

[Free Attribute Points +5!]

[Unique God-Rank Talent "Supreme Evolution" activated!]

[You have obtained the SSS-Rank Affix: Impact Guard!]

[Impact Guard]

[Type: Weapon-Exclusive Affix]

[Effect: Refreshes once every 10 seconds. The first time you deal damage after the refresh, generates a shield equal to 50% of the damage dealt. The shield can absorb both Physical and Magic Damage.]

Another [Impact Guard].

John’s Novice Club already possessed one.

This time, he directly embedded the affix into the Fire Crystal Staff.

Buzz!

Rainbow-colored golden light pierced through the black fog.

[Irene’s Fire Crystal Staff has obtained the SSS-Rank Affix: Impact Guard!]

John then invested all five Free Attribute Points into Strength.

[Strength +5!]

[Voidwalker Trait activated!]

[Constitution, Agility, and Wisdom synchronized: +5!]

After dealing with the rewards, he continued deeper into the cathedral.

The black fog grew increasingly dense.

Even with the holy light illuminating his path, he could only see a few meters around himself.

John advanced slowly while keeping one hand against the wall.

Just as he passed what appeared to be an ordinary crystal wall—

Ripples suddenly spread across its surface.

A terrifying suction force erupted without warning.

"What the hell?"

John had no time to resist.

His entire body was swallowed by the wall.

Bang!

He slammed heavily into the ground and rolled several times before regaining his footing.

The black fog was gone.

Before him stood an enormous circular domed chamber.

A broad platform occupied the center of the floor.

Upon it stood an exquisite tea table.

Two high-backed chairs faced each other across the table.

A figure was seated in one of them.

Without question—

This was the Boss room.

John steadied his breathing and raised the Fire Crystal Staff.

Firelight had only just begun to gather when a lazy, gentle voice came from the distance.

"Would you care for some tea?"

John paused.

A Boss that initiated conversation?

Before he could react, the woman seated in the chair casually beckoned with one hand.

An invisible force instantly seized John.

His feet left the ground, and he flew toward the circular platform without the slightest ability to resist.

Thump.

John was firmly pressed into the chair opposite her.

Only then did he get a clear look at the woman.

She appeared to be around thirty years old.

Long, silky pink hair fell from beneath an oversized black witch’s hat, spilling across her shoulders and chest.

Her features were striking and mature. The corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, while a faint smile lingered within her pale crimson pupils.

A black-and-violet gown clung closely to her body, outlining full curves without making her appear heavy.

The skirt was slit at the thigh.

Her crossed legs were wrapped in pure white stockings, and the tip of one foot swayed gently through the air.

She merely lounged against the back of the chair, yet radiated an aura that was both dangerous and seductive.

Like a brilliant flower blooming within the abyss.

The woman snapped her fingers.

A teapot and two cups appeared on the table out of thin air.

Crimson tea poured itself into the cups, releasing a faint floral fragrance.

John activated [Scan].

[Thorn Witch—Rosaline]

[Level: Lv.25.]

[Rank: Ten-Thousand-Player-Tier Boss.]

[Status: Soul Fragment; Sealed by the Holy Candle.]

[HP: 200,000/200,000.]

[MP: 360,000/360,000.]

[Spell Power: 8,600.]

[Physical Defense: 2,200.]

[Magic Defense: 6,800.]

[Skills: Court of Thorns, Soul Rend, Crimson Sea of Flowers, Heartpiercing Myriad Thorns.]

[Special Identity: One of the Twelve Witches of the Dark Realm.]

[Seal Effect: All attributes reduced by 90%.]

John’s gaze sharpened.

The Dark Realm?

The Twelve Witches?

Even with all her attributes reduced by ninety percent, she still possessed two hundred thousand HP?

At full strength, would that not mean she had two million HP—and even more terrifying attributes?

This had already completely surpassed John’s understanding of what should be possible at the current stage of the game.

Even with his God-Rank Talent, he had absolutely no chance of defeating Rosaline at her full strength in a direct confrontation.

The witch seemed to notice his Scan.

She rested her chin on one hand and looked at John with an amused smile.

"Don’t be nervous, little one."

"Have some tea first."

John did not touch the cup.

Rosaline chuckled softly, poured herself a cup, and took a sip.

"Relax."

"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t need poison."

John thought for a moment before picking up the cup and taking a small sip.

It tasted unexpectedly good.

[You have consumed the Witch’s Black Tea.]

[Mental Resistance temporarily increased by 10% for 30 minutes.]

The smile on Rosaline’s face became noticeably warmer.

"Now you’re behaving like a proper guest."

John placed the cup down.

"Why did you kill the twelve members of the Investigation Team?"

Rosaline shook her head.

"You can’t blame that on me."

"I can’t even leave this room."

"You can’t leave?"

John looked around.

Rosaline slowly rotated the teacup between her fingers.

"It seems you were tricked into coming here without understanding anything."

"You were fortunate to make it this far alive."

"What do you mean?"

Rosaline did not answer immediately.

She raised her eyes and looked toward the top of the dome.

"A witch sealed inside a cathedral belonging to humanity."

"Don’t you find that strange?"

John frowned slightly.

It was strange.

"A hundred years ago..."

Rosaline gently swirled the tea in her cup, as though recalling some distant and thoroughly tiresome memory.

"The world was far more lively than it is now."