Chương 132: Something You Can Only Run From

— Overlord, the fifth rank in the hierarchy of monsters and practically the most dangerous creature a Player can encounter. The dust around Mippo began rapidly gathering, swirling into a dense golden vortex. One particle after another joined together, forming a huge figure. First came broad shoulders, then a massive body, a head, and long arms. Soon, the silhouette of a gigantic creature sitting on a tall throne appeared before Lloyd.

— Most often, they are rulers of other monsters, as well as the masters of entire regions of the Oblivion. They can also appear as bosses in red dungeons. Mippo quietly chuckled. — But only a madman would go there. The dust continued forming the scene. Small silhouettes began appearing around the enormous monster, gradually surrounding it from all sides. Some stood on their knees, others held weapons, while the rest simply stared motionlessly at their master.

The more of them appeared, the more the entire scene resembled a kingdom ruled by a single creature. — Throughout history, only a few regions of the Oblivion have been conquered by Players. Surprise was clearly written across Lloyd's face, his eyebrows remaining raised. After hearing this, he remained silent for several seconds, trying to process what he had just learned. Mippo noticed his reaction and decided to explain further. — It is unknown whether even a ninth-level Player could defeat an Overlord alone.

And level nine is the highest rank Players have ever reached. There are only a handful of them. Lloyd frowned.

"Even level nine doesn't guarantee victory against an Overlord?" Until now, he had viewed levels as a simple system of progression. He needed to become stronger, fight, gain experience, and gradually climb higher. But now an enormous gap had suddenly appeared between him and level nine. And he was still only at the very beginning of that path. Mippo scratched his wooden mask, trying to remember some other information. Meanwhile, silence settled over the room.

The dust continued moving slowly, repeating everything he said: sometimes depicting the Overlord on his throne, sometimes his subordinates, and sometimes the vast territories of the Oblivion. — As far as I remember, among those still alive, only ten Players have reached level nine. Lloyd's eyes widened slightly. Only ten. He could not even imagine how enormous the world must be if people with such power could be counted on one's fingers.

"Only ten people have reached level nine..." The dust around the enormous throne gradually scattered. The small silhouettes disappeared first, then the throne itself dissolved, and finally the gigantic monster vanished. The golden particles slowly drifted through the air for several seconds before beginning to gather in the center of the room. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Silence filled the room once again.

However, only a few seconds later, the dust began gathering again. This time, it moved much faster, twisting around itself until a clear number six formed in the air. Mippo raised his head. — So, let's move on to the next rank. The number six slowly rotated in the air before scattering into hundreds of golden particles. — Calamities. They are the sixth rank in the hierarchy of monsters. The name of the rank speaks for itself. The dust suddenly accelerated.

Golden particles began spinning around the room, forming a massive vortex. Gradually, its shape became clearer until something resembling a gigantic tornado appeared before Lloyd. Its lower half seemed to dig into the floor, while its upper part almost reached the ceiling. After several seconds, the tornado began changing shape. The vortex widened, stretched upward, and transformed into an enormous wave resembling a tsunami. It towered over Lloyd, occupying almost all the space in front of him.

— They are like a volcanic eruption or a tsunami to an ordinary person. He cannot fight them, only run. Mippo's voice became noticeably more serious. — Calamities work the same way. Not a single Player has even the slightest chance of defeating even the weakest Calamity. They can only run and pray that it does not follow them. Lloyd silently stared at the enormous wall of dust. It continued moving slowly, while individual particles broke away from it and scattered throughout the room like drops of water.

"Even the weakest..." Those words unpleasantly stuck in his mind. If even the weakest Calamity could not be defeated, then what were the strongest representatives of this rank like? Mippo continued: — A single one of these creatures can destroy entire regions of the Oblivion. Their power is boundless, and the volume of their phantasm is so immense that even ninth-level Players would have difficulty remaining on their feet. The golden wave trembled, as if confirming his words, and then began slowly falling apart.

The dust no longer attempted to create a complete silhouette of the monster. Instead, it formed only separate images: ruined buildings, enormous cracks, burning territories, and gigantic waves. Mippo let out a heavy sigh. — There is nothing more to say. Very few Players have survived encounters with Calamities, so there is very little information about them. Lloyd frowned.

"So little information..." He looked at the dust that continued chaotically swirling before him. Throughout the entire explanation, it had not once attempted to form a complete silhouette of a Calamity, as though it itself did not want to give the creature a definite shape. Instead, the particles frantically supplemented Mippo's words with various patterns: enormous waves, ruined cities, shattered lands, and shapeless vortices.

For a moment, the silhouette of something enormous appeared before Lloyd, but it immediately scattered before it could take on any clear form. Lloyd slowly exhaled and looked at Mippo again. — And all of this exists in the Oblivion?.. Mippo remained silent for several seconds before nodding. — Yes. That single short answer was enough. Silence filled the room once again. Only the yellow crystal inside the lamp continued to glow steadily, casting a soft light across the walls.

Outside the window, the wind gently stirred the trees, while muffled sounds came from somewhere in the neighboring room, but inside Lloyd's room, all of it seemed distant and insignificant. He lowered his gaze to his hands and slowly clenched his fingers.

"Overlords, Calamities... And this still isn't the end." The thought sent a faint chill down his spine. He had already grown accustomed to every new explanation from Mippo revealing yet another danger. But now, for the first time, he found himself interested not only in how powerful these creatures were, but also in what existed above them. If even the sixth rank made Mippo speak so cautiously, then the final rank had to be something truly unimaginable.

The dust gradually slowed and began settling downward, as though its strength was finally running out. However, before it completely disappeared, Mippo spoke again: — Well, I think we can move on to the final rank...