I frowned. This is a rare-grade BOSS, definitely not something players at this stage can mess with. In the setting of "Phantom Moon," BOSS grades are, in order: Elite, Rare, Precious, Epic, Legendary, Primal, and Void. The server has just opened, and players across the server might not have even seen an Elite BOSS yet, let alone a Precious-grade one like this.

So, I followed a group of skeletons, carrying the shattered corpses that had fallen from the sky and tossing them into a huge furnace called the "Soul Refining Furnace."

While working, I summoned my little elf secretary.

"Whoosh!"

She fluttered around and landed on my shoulder, crossing her long, snowy legs and lazily yawning. "Master, Little Brooke is standing by. Is there anything you need Little Brooke to handle?"

I nodded. "I've triggered a hidden race and hidden class. Tell me about this place. I have no clue right now."

"Yes, Master."

She smiled innocently and began, "This is the Black Castle, a neutral area. The Black Castle is made up of a group of the dead, but they were originally human. They didn't want to be enemies of humanity, so they didn't join the Demon Legion. However, they couldn't resist the power of the Demon Legion, so they had to compromise. This Reincarnation Valley is such a place. They receive the souls of monsters killed by players, refine and remake them in the Soul Refining Furnace, and create new monsters to send to various maps. In fact, this is a monster respawn workshop, and your current task is to assist with the work here."

"Hiss..."

I took a sharp breath. "Then how do I level up? How do I grow... I can't just keep hauling corpses forever, can I?"

"Of course not."

She shook her head with a smile. "The Black Castle has its own unique setup. The map you're on now is called Reincarnation Valley, which is just one of the five outer pavilions of the Black Castle—the Pavilion of Reincarnation. The other four are the Pavilion of Wind and Cloud, the Treasure Pavilion, the Pavilion of Heaven and Earth, and the Ancient Battlefield. By working in Reincarnation Valley, you can earn 1 Black Castle Contribution Point per hour, and these points can be exchanged in the Treasure Pavilion and Pavilion of Heaven and Earth for rare skill books, equipment, items, and so on. In short, the treatment you get in the Black Castle is something other players can only dream of."

"I see..."

I nodded.

Little Brooke chuckled softly. "By the way, since you've joined the Black Castle and become a member of the Undead, it's time to confirm your growth path. Please choose a class!"

The next second, an interface popped up in front of me—I could actually choose my class early!

The nine main classes of Phantom Moon appeared before my eyes: Swordsman, Paladin, Archer, Assassin, Elemental Mage, Light Priest, Warlock, Boxer, and Bard. The first few are combat classes, Warlock is half combat, half support, and Bard is mainly support. As for my choice, no question—I'll stick with my old class.

"Confirm: Assassin!"

"Alright!"

The next second, my class was confirmed as Assassin, except now I was an Undead Assassin. Maybe I'll grow into a Shura Assassin in the future? That would be something to look forward to. If I were just a Skeleton Assassin, how would that be any different from a salted fish?

After confirming my class, there was nowhere to learn skills, so I continued working at the Soul Refining Furnace.

...

I worked hard for an hour.

"Ding!"

System prompt: Congratulations! Due to your hard work, you have gained 1 Contribution Point!

But Contribution Points alone aren't enough—I still need levels!

Just then, a flashing prompt appeared in the upper right corner of the interface with a "ding"—

Wind and Cloud Pavilion Showdown Countdown: 2:59:59

...

"Wind and Cloud Pavilion?"

I was confused again.

Beside me, Little Mason blinked and patiently explained, "The Wind and Cloud Pavilion is a battleground. Only the most outstanding young undead of the Black Castle can stand out there. Master, if you can become the final victor of the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, you'll qualify to be reborn as a BOSS-level existence on the public map. After that, killing players will let you quickly gain Contribution Points."

I shuddered all over. "With how poor and weak I am right now, do you think I can win in the Wind and Cloud Pavilion?"

She giggled and made a heart with her fingers at me. "In Little Brooke's heart, Master, you're the best!"

I laughed out loud. What a thoughtful Little Mason!

But this three-hour countdown—does it mean the first BOSS in the newbie village will spawn in three hours? That's very likely.

Fate is playing tricks on me. This time... it seems I've been reborn on the NPC monster side! Since that's the case... I'll just go with the flow!

...

Not long after.

"Knock knock~~~"

Outside, Little Flynn knocked on my helmet. "I'm going to pee, wanna come?"

"No. What level are you?"

"Level 4."

"Level 4 and you still need to pee?"

"Ahahaha, I drank too much water at lunch, damn! What level are you?"

"Level 0!"

"Respect... Looks like our Taihu Legends team is going to crash and burn on the very first day of the server, damn!"