Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

One of the main reasons for that was the new category available in the [Universal Descent Forum]: [Broadcasts].

With the increase to 100 million players, players could now post videos and live broadcasts of themselves.

[How to level up fast in the novice village!]

[How to acquire an artifact level at the start!]

[What to expect from the advancement class trial]

Such videos would appear, gaining millions of views, both from players and those in the real world that were expecting to be able to enter soon.

If in under two real life weeks, the amount of players increased to 100 millions, then it was entirely possible in another 2 weeks it would increase again!

[Do you want to enter "Universal Descent"]

"Yeah."

In a flash, Alex was teleported back into the game, with Alice joining him a moment later.

They appeared within the [Fox Tribe Village] in the [Mystical Forest].

"Oh!" and the first thing Alex noticed was the fact that the barrier protecting the village was back up, "They don\'t waste time, huh."

"Obviously," a voice rang behind him, and he saw Lilith smiling, "If we don\'t have this barrier, mom would have to constantly defend us, now all the monsters don\'t even bother."

Considering that thousands of level 300 demons had taken ten minutes to break the barrier before, it made sense that lesser monsters wouldn\'t bother.

"Appreciate it," Alex nodded, "Well, I think I\'ll go, something big is about to happen."

"W-Wait!" Lilith grabbed Alex\'s arm, "Please just stand still for a few seconds," she mumbled while getting away.

"...?" Alex tilted his head, confused but compliant.

Lilith touched the pendant around her neck with one hand and, with her other hand glowing, reached up to place it gently on Alex\'s forehead.

Ding!

[You have been linked to Lilith and Alera.]

"Hm?"

"Now me and mom can contact you via telepathy whenever we need help, makes it easier," she beamed, "Though only we can contact you, not the opposite."

"Oh!" that was incredibly useful, as it mean he would immediately receive the news if anything happened, "Then make sure to send me a message if you see anything suspicious"

"We will," Lilith bowed.

Not wanting to draw attention from the other fox tribe members, Alex opened his [World Map] and teleported to [Bell City].

...

As soon as he arrived, he was shocked at the sight.

Bell City, once eerily empty, was now packed with players.

"Come on, we need to take quests!"

"The World Association put out new ones?!"

"How about we just head toward the dark dungeon instead?"

All the new players, who were already used to the world, were all ready to increase their levels.

The fact so many got through the [Toxic Forest] also meant that they should be level 30 at least.

Everything seemed pretty calm for now though.

Just as Alex was moving through the crowd, someone suddenly shouted:

"Isn\'t that FateBreaker?"

In an instant, all eyes turned to him. Even the newest players were already aware of his reputation.

"That\'s him!"

"Holy crap, keep back! I heard he soloed the entire dark dungeon!"

"Already? But aren\'t there hundreds of tier 5 monsters at the final floor?"

"That\'s the thing! No one knows how strong he is!"

Alex didn\'t bother talking to anybody.

He just wanted to head to the [World Association Building] quick, as he was sure that the second world event would happen soon.

[Players who entered Bell City: 993,471]

The moment that number reached 1 million, the event would start.

And unlike the last one, which locked them inside of Dawn City during the night, this one would happen in the entire surrounding area.

It wouldn\'t go beyond the [Toxic Forest] or [Dark Dungeon], happening exactly between the two though, so any players wanting to avoid it could stay in Dawn City.

But Alex didn\'t worry about that.

"FateBreaker!"

"Look at me!"

"Being famous is hard, heh," Alice teased Alex, hitting his arm with her elbow.

"Hah, look who\'s talking," Alex smiled, "Don\'t you hear?"

"Isn\'t that Alice?"

"From the Stardust family?!"

He wasn\'t the only one that was famous it seemed.

As they approached the [World Association Building], a group of players suddenly blocked their path.

There were hundreds of them, and they stood right in front of the entrance.

"A problem?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, the problem is you, asshole," the players sneered…

"..." Alex instantly knew that these people would be annoying, probably players that were jealous of his achievements, or from guilds like [Overlord] or [Madmen].

He knew they\'d be annoying, but he also wanted to avoid creating any trouble within Bell City.

Unlike Dawn City, and It\'s [Church of the Dawn], Bell City housed powerful NPCs, many of whom he wanted to maintain a good relationship with.

Plus, these NPCs were actual powerhouses, most of them at tier 6 or 7, meaning that much like Aldritch, they could deal with Alex if he created problems.

Deciding against a direct confrontation, Alex opted to use a skill he\'d acquired through the [Undead King Curse], one he hadn\'t yet tried.

\'There\'s a first time for everything,\' he thought, smiling slightly.

"Quit smiling asshole, we\'re gonna kill you, there\'s hundreds of us, you can\'t beat us, and I\'m sure you used some item to beat the dark dungeon, if that\'s even true to begin with."

The leader of the group of shouting players stepped forward, but as he did, an overwhelming presence washed over him and his group.

Alex had used the [Aura] skill.

[Aura: you can use your aura to pressure and intimidate weaker opponents.]

To the players surrounding him, it felt as if a massive devil appeared behind Alex, a towering figure of malice and strength.

The leader, standing closest, visibly paled, his body trembling.

A dark stain appeared on his pants as he lost control, his bravado evaporating.

"Not so strong now, are we?" Alex laughed, not even bothering to wait a single second for them to move.

While keeping [Aura] up, he stepped forward, and all the players made way for him, not wanting to stay close to this monster anymore.

They all thought one thing at that moment: "don\'t ever try to step in FateBreaker\'s way."

And even the leader of that small group decided he\'d made a grave mistake and retreated without a word.

...

Inside the [World Association Building], Alex noticed players crowding around the massive [Quest Boards], which displayed quests ranging from C-level all the way to S-level, the highest available.

However, Alex wasn\'t interested in these quests—they\'d be too easy.

As he scanned the familiar interior, nostalgia hit him.

In his past life, he\'d often come here for quests.

But today, he was here for something specific. He intended to speak to a certain person.

Just as he was about to move deeper into the building, he overheard two voices nearby.

"Get lost, Aiden," a woman with long black hair and striking crimson eyes snapped at a middle-aged man. "I\'m not helping you with that."

"R-Ravenna, come on!" the man pleaded. "Your guild is powerful enough to do it."

"I already said no. Find someone else," she huffed, scanning the room as if looking for an escape.

"Oh shit," Alex froze, "Ravenna!"

He instantly recognized her as the leader of the [Black Crow Guild], a powerful NPC assassin organization.

She was known for her strength and influence.

Alex had destroyed one of her crows when he\'d escaped [Undead Land].

If she reviewed the footage, she could potentially recognize him.

"Shadow Veil," Alex whispered, disappearing into the shadows right as Ravenna\'s gaze fell on him.

"Huh?" she mumbled, "I saw a face for a moment..."

"S-See, I told you Ravenna, refusing that offer is making you go crazy!"

"Are you implying I\'ve lost my mind, Aiden?" Ravenna growled, causing the man to shrink back.

She pushed past him, storming out of the building, both players and NPCs clearing the way for her.

"..."

But as she left, she hesitated.

"That face…" she murmured to herself.

She\'d only seen Alex\'s face for a split second before he\'d vanished, but something about it felt familiar. .net

She racked her brain, trying to place it, but the memory remained elusive. "Probably just my imagination."

Meanwhile, inside, Alex\'s heart raced.

If Ravenna had recognized him, it would\'ve spelled instant death.

After all, she informed even her guild members that if anyone touched her crows, she would kill them instantly.

[Ravenna - Leader of the Black Crow Guild - Level 700 - Tier 7]

He was powerful, but even he wasn\'t reckless enough to pick a fight with a tier 7 assassin.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex walked toward Aiden, as he was the person he wanted to speak to.