Leon opened the chest and stared at the items that appeared inside his [Storage Space].
[Eternal Coins x400]
[Beginner All-Attributes Pill: Increases all attributes by 15.]
[Skill Stone x3]
[Enhancement Stone x3]
[Night Vision Goggles (Uncommon): Allows to see in the dark. Requirement: 50 Agility.]
[Poison Arrows (Skill Book): Allows its user to launch arrows that deal "Poison" when hitting a target.]
"…Damn."
That was the only word that came to his mind.
The rewards were far better than he had expected, even for an [Elite Treasure Chest].
The coins alone were already generous, but the rest pushed it into absurd territory.
The [Beginner All-Attributes Pill] especially stood out. Items that boosted all attributes at once were rare even later into the game, let alone at this stage.
The goggles were also useful. Darkness was common in many zones, and vision-related equipment was always in demand. As for the skill book…
Leon glanced at it for a moment, then shook his head.
"I'm not switching to a bow."
He had no intention of becoming an archer. His build was already set, and splitting focus now would only weaken him. Still, the skill book wasn't useless.
'Eleonoe is the strongest archer in the [Novice Village], maybe even among all humans,' Leon thought. 'Selling it to her would be better.'
Someone like her could make full use of it, and in return, he could gain favors or resources later. For now, he stored it away.
Next, Leon took out the [Beginner All-Attributes Pill].
The pill was smooth and faintly warm in his hand, with a subtle glow pulsing beneath its surface. Without hesitating, he swallowed it whole.
Nom! Ding!
[You have consumed the "Beginner All-Attributes Pill" and all your attributes have increased by 15.]
The effect was immediate.
A powerful surge spread through his body, far stronger than any essence he had consumed so far.
It wasn't focused on one area, everything improved at once. His muscles felt denser, his movements sharper, his breathing steadier, and his mind clearer.
At the same time, his combat power jumped sharply. Just like that, it increased by another 120.
Leon exhaled slowly, steadying himself.
"That pill alone is worth more than the entire cave," he muttered.
For most players, this would have been a once-in-a-lifetime reward. For him, it was guaranteed.
After that, Leon moved on to the stones.
He pulled out two [Enhancement Stone] and focused on his armor.
Ding!
[You have successfully enhanced your "Poison Mushroom Armor"]
The armor glowed faintly, the patterns on its surface becoming sharper and more pronounced. Leon frowned slightly.
"It still took two."
The armor was only level 1 before, but its rank made enhancement harder. Higher-rank equipment always required more stones. That was the trade-off for stronger base stats.
If he wanted to avoid that, he'd need to find an identical piece and gamble on fusion instead. That was easier said than done.
The enhancement finished a moment later.
[Poison Mushroom Armor +2 (Uncommon): +60 Constitution, +40 Strength, +25 Agility. Protects from "Poison".]
Leon nodded.
"That's solid."
The stat increase was massive. With armor like this, even prolonged poison exposure wouldn't be much of a threat anymore.
He checked his remaining stones. One [Enhancement Stone] left.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for anything else. His [Purple Jade Necklace] was rare-rank, and it needed three stones just for the first enhancement. There was no point wasting it.
That left the [Skill Stones]. Leon didn't hesitate.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have upgraded "Fireball (Level 2)" to "Strong Fireball (Level 3)"]
"Nice."
He had used two stones, and the skill didn't just grow stronger, it evolved.
[Strong Fireball (Level 3): Focus your Spirit and condense it into a strong fireball that hits a target.]
Leon read the description carefully.
As skills grew stronger, their requirements often increased as well. Some players found themselves unable to use upgraded skills because their attributes lagged behind.
Leon checked his [Spirit]. Still more than enough.
"No problem," he said quietly.
With everything sorted, Leon didn't linger near the cave any longer. He turned and headed back into the [Wild Forest].
Once he was clear of the cave entrance, he opened his status panel.
---
[Name: Leon Rykard]
[Talent: 100% Drop Rate (SSS)]
[Level: 4 (370/1,000)]
[Constitution: 50 (+90)]
[Strength: 62 (+65)]
[Agility: 142 (+35)]
[Spirit: 45 (+30)]
[Skills: Appraisal (Lv.3), Vision Enhancement (Lv.2), Strong Fireball (Lv.3)]
[Combat Power: 598 (+490)]
[Eternal Coins: 1358]
[Reputation Points: 20]
---
Leon looked over the numbers slowly. His total combat power was now well over 1,000.
At this point, he could comfortably fight level 6 or even level 7 monsters. That was ridiculous for someone who had only been in [Eternal Ascension] for a few hours.
Most players were still struggling against level 2 enemies.
Leon then glanced at the upper right corner of the panel.
[Players: 9,247/10,000.]
His eyes narrowed. In just two hours, 753 players had already died.
And it wouldn't slow down. If anything, it would get worse as time passed.
Leon knew this reality well. This was why so many races, including humans, eventually chose to submit to gods, demons, or higher beings. Survival alone pushed people to desperate choices.
Many would think, if only there was another way. Leon knew the answer: absolute strength.
If he became strong enough, he wouldn't need to bow to anyone. He wouldn't need protection. He would tear through whatever stood in his way.
With that thought in mind, Leon prepared to move deeper into the forest to continue hunting monsters. He needed more essences. More levels.
But then—
Tick! Tick! Tick!
A strange sound echoed through the air. Leon froze.
The two-hour mark since their arrival in [Eternal Ascension] had just passed.
"Oh god," Leon muttered, his expression turning grim. "The first event."
And at that moment...
Ding!
[It has been two hours, meaning that it is time for your first event!]
"What?"
"Come on..."
[All 10,000 Novice Villages will now face against each other in a forced event.]
[Each Novice Village will have another as their opponent, with only one being able to claim victory.]
[Event: Challenge Tokens]
[Be the first Novice Village to gather 50 Challenge Tokens to win.]
[The winning side of the event will be spared, while the losing side will have their experience and resources halved for 12 hours.]
[The person that contributes the most "Challenge Tokens" in this event will be granted 25 free attribute points and an "Epic Treasure Chest".]
"…Huh?"
"Holy shit, what?"
"I guess it really is a game. There are events too…"
"But wait, that means we'll have to fight another [Novice Village]?"
"There's not even a real reward for winning!"
Voices erupted around the place as players reacted in shock.
Leon stayed silent, his eyes fixed on the panels. This event. He remembered it very well.
This was one of the first moments where [Eternal Ascension] showed its true nature.
They were being forced to compete against other humans. Not monsters. But other players just like them.
And there was no real reward for winning. Victory only meant avoiding punishment.
Losing meant having half of their experience and resources cut for twelve hours, a devastating setback early on.
Leon eagerly kept looking at the panels, waiting to see who their opponents were.
Because if they were the same as is in his past life... he'd do anything to annihilate them.
And...
Ding!
[Novice Village #1 will battle against Novice Village #5]
Leon stared at the text. Then, slowly, a wide grin spread across his face.
"…Yeah," he said quietly. "I'm not letting them even breathe."
Novice Village #5. He remembered them clearly.
That village was filled with sadistic players. People who joined the gods, betrayed others, or caused chaos just to survive.
Not everyone there was evil, but most of the decent ones didn't last long.
In his past life, [Novice Village #1] was completely crushed during this event. Even with strong players and powerful talents, they were overwhelmed.
Back then, no one knew what kinds of talents existed in other villages. Some players were monsters in human skin.
But this time was different. Leon wouldn't accept that outcome again.
Ding!
[Challenge Tokens can be obtained by killing monsters. May the strongest Novice Village win.]
That meant every village was fighting at the same time. There was no hesitation in Leon's movements.
Fwoosh!
Fueled by his overwhelming agility, Leon shot forward, rushing deeper into the [Wild Forest].
Monsters were waiting. And this time, every kill mattered.
...
A/N
Powerstones greatly help the book, please donate some if you can!