The timer reached zero, and immediately, a notification appeared before every player in Universal Descent.
[All novice villages that have failed to reach the first city have been wiped out!]
[The Rankings have been opened!]
The moment these notifications flashed before his eyes, Alex knew the game had entered a new stage.
Beside him, Alice blinked in surprise as the rankings unfurled before them, each ranking displaying the top ten players in various categories.
[Level Ranking:]
[First, Fallen Devil, Mythic Summoner, Level 27]
[Second, FateBreaker, Unparalleled Mage, Level 26]
[Third, StarPillow, Earth-Level Archer, Level 22]
[Fourth, Tricky, Clown Warrior, Level 21]
[Fifth, Miria, Saintess, Level 21]
…
[Tenth, Axolly, Knight of the Sun, Level 18]
The level ranking only displayed raw levels, which made it impossible to judge the actual strength of each player.
Alex knew that if combat prowess had been a factor, he would have ranked even higher than the top spot.
But, for now, he was content to sit just under the radar at second place.
Then, another screen popped up in front of him.
[Equipment Ranking:]
[First, FateBreaker, Awakener’s Set, Legendary]
[Second, FateBreaker, Elysian Staff of the Silver Mage, Legendary]
[Third, FateBreaker, Superior Backpack, Legendary]
[Fourth, FateBreaker, Vial of Undead Blood, Legendary]
[Fifth, StarPillow, Sharpened Undead Skeleton Bow, Epic]
…
[Tenth, Tricky, The Power Gauntlets, Epic]
“Of course…” Alex smirked, seeing his name dominate the Equipment Ranking.
His legendary items put him far above anyone else, with Alice following closely behind, equipped with the Sharpened Undead Skeleton Bow he’d synthesized.
Only items that were physically held counted towards this ranking, so artifacts like the [World Map] and [Soul Contract] didn’t appear, but that was an advantage in keeping some of his power hidden.
Alice glanced at him, clearly impressed. “You’ve got four of the top slots.”
“Not bad, huh?” Alex replied, giving her a wink.
Next came the Pet/Companion Ranking.
[Pet/Companion Ranking:]
[First, Fallen Devil, Fire Wyvern, Divine-Level Pet]
[Second, Fallen Devil, Earth Tiger, Legendary-Level Pet]
[Third, Donut, Light Fairy, Legendary-Level Companion]
[Fourth, BeastMode, Shadow Wolf, Legendary-Level Pet]
[Fifth, Transcendence, Water Fox, Legendary-Level Pet]
…
[Tenth, Miria, Fallen Spirit, Epic-Level Companion]
This time, Alex didn’t even place, but he wasn’t surprised.
He had no pet or companion, and most of the players in this ranking were Summoners, a class specializing in commanding powerful creatures.
Lastly, a new category popped up.
[Prestige Points Ranking:]
[First, FateBreaker, 18 Prestige Points]
[Second, Fallen Devil, 10 Prestige Points]
[Third, StarPillow, 7 Prestige Points]
[Fourth, Miria, 5 Prestige Points]
[Fifth, BeastMode, 5 Prestige Points]
…
[Tenth, Donut, 2 Prestige Points]
As the notifications continued rolling out, players all around the city murmured excitedly.
“Wow…”
“That FateBreaker guy is insane!”
“If you hear me, FateBreaker, join our guild! We’ll pay you hefty amounts every month!”
“Hah, don’t join them! Join us!”
Alex could hear the conversations buzzing around him, but before he could reply, a blinding light illuminated the entire nighttime sky, and every player instinctively looked up.
[Congratulations to all players who have reached the first city. Your path to saving the universe is only beginning… Keep going.]
A figure descended from the heavens, radiating a soft glow.
It was ethereal, barely distinguishable in form, but its presence was unmistakable.
“Wow! A god?” someone nearby shouted.
“Is that a saint?” another player speculated.
The entity was neither, yet both.
Its name was [Hopeful Light], a being of the same type as [Guiding Light], but it exuded an aura of optimism and encouragement.
It existed to guide players, urging them to continue their journey to restore balance to the universe.
After delivering its brief message, Hopeful Light vanished, leaving players in awe.
Alex, however, was unfazed.
He knew that for every benevolent entity like Hopeful Light, there were others—darker, more malevolent [Lights] lurking within the game.
[The lock mechanisms of this world have been released. Everything is now unlocked. It is up to you to find your own path!]
Before the novice village phase ended, much of the open world had been locked.
Now, everything was accessible.
Players could explore far-off regions, discover hidden quests, and level up in previously inaccessible areas.
Around him, the players were already abuzz with excitement, eager to leave the city and begin their next journey.
Alex, too, was ready.
But just as everyone was about to leave to do their own thing, the excitement reaching an all-time high, a notification appeared, freezing everyone in place.
[The First Event will now start!]
[Event: Night Howlers – Nightmare Difficulty]
[Duration: 3 days]
[Good luck!]
Events were just like items, quests and areas, they were also divided into categories: Easy, Normal, Hard, Hell, Nightmare, Abyss, Eternal.
The first event was from 5th category, showing just how difficult it would be for the average player!
CLICK!
The air around the city shifted as an invisible force suddenly locked down all the exits.
Barriers formed at the city’s borders, preventing anyone from leaving.
“Oh boy…” Alex smirked, his eyes narrowing as he felt the tension rise in the city.
Alice grabbed his shirt, her voice trembling. “A-Alex, w-what’s happening?”
Alex placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’s the event. Looks like we’re stuck here until the first night ends.”
The event notification continued, outlining the rules.
[If you die, you will not respawn until the end of the event.]
[The 24 hours in-game limit has also been removed for the duration of the event.]
A hushed murmur spread through the crowd.
This was serious.
Death would mean being sidelined for three whole days, unable to level up, participate, or gain rewards, basically, you can’t access the game.
Suddenly, the air grew cold, and a spine-chilling howl echoed through the streets.
“Oh no…” Alice whispered, her face paling as the realization dawned on her.
In the distance, dark shadows appeared over the rooftops of Dawn City.
Large, hulking creatures with glowing red eyes moved swiftly through the darkness, they were Night Howlers, ferocious wolf-like beasts with twisted, corrupted forms.
[Objective: Survive the Night Howlers’ attack.]
[1 point per Night Howler killed.]
[The people with the highest score will be rewarded.]
The beasts were Level 20, a dangerous threat to most players, especially those who were under-leveled or poorly equipped.
But for Alex, they were nothing more than another challenge to conquer.
“Stay close to me, Alice,” Alex said, drawing his dagger in one hand and gripping his staff in the other, “I’ll handle them.”
The first wave of Night Howlers descended upon the city.
Screams filled the air as players scrambled to defend themselves.
Some players fought valiantly, but others were quickly overwhelmed.
The howlers struck with brutal efficiency, their claws tearing through weaker players with ease.
Alex, however, was ready.
“Grand Fireball!”
A massive sphere of flame erupted from his staff, slamming into the oncoming horde of howlers.
The explosion tore through the pack, instantly incinerating three of the beasts and earning him three points.
Alice wasn’t far behind, nocking an arrow on her bow.
“Star Shot!” she shouted, unleashing a wave of arrows that rained down on the howlers, taking out two more in quick succession.
As the night wore on, more players joined the fight, their combined efforts slowly pushing back the wave of howlers.
But for every beast they killed, more seemed to take its place.
Alex darted through the battlefield with ease, using his agility to weave between attacks.
His dagger flashed in the moonlight, cutting down any howlers that got too close.
His strikes were precise, each blow dealing devastating damage.
“Boulder Smash!”
A massive rock formed at the edge of his staff, which he hurled at a particularly large howler, an [Elite] that earned 5 points when killed, stunning it before following up with a strike that cleaved its head clean off.
Alice fought beside him, her arrows finding their marks with deadly accuracy.
Together, they made a formidable team, each supporting the other in perfect sync.
Though even when the howlers tried to attack him, they did only 1 point of damage: Alex was mainly focused on protecting Alice.
But as the hours passed, the battle showed no signs of stopping.
More and more howlers appeared, with many variances: some now had wings, others two heads, and some could jump at intense heights.
The once orderly streets of Dawn City had become a chaotic battleground.
[Event Leaderboard:]
[First, FateBreaker, 89 points]
Alex was at the top, and by a significant margin, but he wasn’t slowing down.
His stamina was unmatched, his gear giving him the edge he needed to keep going.
As the night continued, it became clear to many that survival wasn’t just about skill, it was about endurance.
Alex smirked. For him, there was no question whether he would survive or not.
