Leon already knew how this would turn out.
In the entire Novice Village, the number of people who could actually contribute to the event was painfully small.
Most players simply couldn't do it.
Some were too scared. The idea of risking their lives for something as uncertain as [Challenge Tokens] was enough to make them stay inside the village.
Others did try, but reality hit them fast: they weren't strong enough to handle the monsters outside for long.
A few bad encounters, some close calls, and they retreated, shaken and empty-handed.
No matter the reason, the result was the same. Only a handful of groups were actively trying to win the event.
David's team was one of those groups.
Leon remembered them clearly from his past life. Among everyone in the village, they had been the ones who gathered the most [Challenge Tokens].
They weren't the strongest, nor the luckiest, but they kept pushing forward while others hesitated. That alone set them apart.
Slash!
The sound rang out sharply as David brought down his weapon.
The [Goblin Machete +3] flashed through the air and split a level 4 monster cleanly.
The creature barely had time to react before its body collapsed to the ground.
Leon watched from a distance as he approached the group.
That machete was something Leon himself had sold to David earlier. Seeing it now, stained with monster blood and being put to proper use, only confirmed Leon's judgment. David wasn't wasting it.
While walking toward them, Leon briefly opened the level leaderboard.
There was no real need to check it, he already knew what it would show, but habit made him glance anyway.
---
[Level Leaderboard:]
[1. Leon Skyward: Level 5]
[2. Eleonore Starlight: Level 3]
[3. David Windbreak: Level 3]
[4. Aaron Godfield: Level 3]
[5. Alice Evicton: Level 3]
…
---
The list went on, but nothing changed.
Everyone else in the top twenty-five was still level 3. Not a single one had reached level 4 yet.
Leon closed the leaderboard. The gap was obvious. He was far ahead.
To the others, reaching level 4 felt like a wall. To Leon, it had already become a distant memory.
His experience, his stats, his combat sense, everything placed him in a completely different category.
"I hope you're helping with the event," Eleonore said as she noticed Leon approaching. She wore a grin, but there was clear frustration beneath it. "I feel like these other guys are way luckier than us."
David wiped his blade and let out a long sigh. "We only get one [Challenge Token] every dozen monsters," he complained. "At this rate, it's going to take forever."
"Well, worst case," Aaron said with a shrug, resting his weapon on his shoulder, "we just stay inside the village for the twelve hours. No point risking too much. We don't even know what the other villages can do."
"Absolutely not," Eleonore replied immediately, shaking her head. Her tone was firm. "We need to grow stronger."
"I'm just saying," Aaron continued calmly, "we have an entire month to reach level 10. At the rate we're going, it'll take a few days at most."
Leon understood where Aaron was coming from.
From a normal player's perspective, that logic made sense. Why rush? Why push so hard when the system gave them time?
But Leon knew better. That mindset killed people.
If you moved too slowly, you fell behind. And once you fell behind, catching up became nearly impossible.
Monsters would grow stronger. Players would grow stronger. And those who hesitated would be crushed between the two.
That was why leaving the Novice Village as soon as possible was always the best choice.
Leon looked at the group in front of him.
They had potential. Not enough to survive on their own forever, but enough to matter.
He opened his [Storage Space] and pulled out two items without hesitation.
"Here."
He tossed a dagger toward Aaron and a glowing book toward Eleonore.
The [Poison Fang Dagger +2] landed neatly in Aaron's hands. The [Poison Arrows (Skill Book)] was caught by Eleonore almost instinctively.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then—
"How the fuck did you get that?" Aaron blurted out, staring at the dagger like it might disappear.
"Seriously…" Alice, the support of their team, said quietly, eyes wide. "We killed so many monsters and barely got anything, and you have all this?"
Eleonore didn't look away from the skill book in her hands. Her grip tightened slightly.
"What do you want in return?" she asked, finally lifting her gaze to Leon. "We didn't even get a single skill book."
Leon smiled.
It was the same expression he remembered. Sharp, observant, straight to the point. Even back when she later became a guild leader, Eleonore always thought this way.
"Nothing much," Leon said simply. "When I ask for a favor someday, just help me out."
Eleonore stared down at the skill book again.
She tried to keep her expression cold and composed, but it didn't fully work. Her eyes sparkled despite her effort to hide it.
"A-Alright," she said after a brief cough. "But I don't have any experience with anything else…"
David blinked: "?"
Alice tilted her head, "?"
Aaron looked between them, confused, "???"
Even Leon paused for a second, "...?"
All of them looked at each other in confusion: what could Eleonore even be talking about?
But before anyone could ask, Eleonore poured her mana into the skill book.
The light flared, and the book dissolved into particles as the skill engraved itself into her system.
Her presence shifted immediately. It wasn't dramatic, but it was clear, she was stronger now.
Aaron swung the dagger experimentally, feeling its balance and weight. A wide grin spread across his face.
"Damn," he said. "This feels amazing."
Luckily, neither item had strict requirements. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to use them at all.
"Well," Aaron said, motivation burning in his eyes now, "this definitely gets me moving. Let's crush Novice Village #5's ass."
"Well said," David nodded. "We should push into the level 4 area. I'm close to leveling up."
"So am I," Eleonore added. "Even if it's just us, we have to try."
"See you," Leon said neutrally.
He watched them leave, their pace quicker than before, their resolve clearly strengthened.
He had done what he wanted with them. And so, Leon continued forward.
After all, his goal was clear: he wanted as many [Challenge Tokens] as possible.
Not just to humiliate Novice Village #5, but also to secure the reward for being the biggest contributor.
As he moved deeper into the area, monsters began appearing one after another: [Small Goblins], [Demonized Rats], [Plant Foxes].
They barely had time to register his presence. The moment their eyes locked onto Leon, he was already in front of them.
Slash!
His blade cut through flesh and bone without resistance. The monsters were split apart as if they were made of paper.
His combat power was overwhelming. None of these creatures stood a chance.
Leon didn't slow down. He moved like a machine, efficiently clearing everything in his path.
Thirty minutes passed, and at some point, Leon realized there were no more level 3 monsters left nearby.
He had killed them all. Without hesitation, he turned back toward the level 4 area.
While Leon was doing this, the players from both villages continued their own struggles.
And eventually, the numbers updated.
[Novice Village #1: 13 Challenge Tokens.]
[Novice Village #5: 21 Challenge Tokens.]
They were losing again. The other village either had players who were more efficient, or simply luckier.
But it didn't matter. Leon checked his own count.
[Challenge Tokens x34]
In only a few more minutes, he would completely fill the event bar. Victory was inevitable.
As he continued slaughtering monsters, his talent activated several times. Essences flowed into him.
[+25 Strength, +12 Constitution, +15 Agility and +28 Spirit]
His body grew stronger with every kill.
He was also close to leveling up again. Level 6 required 1,500 experience points, and he was nearly there.
On top of that, mutated monsters dropped rewards: two [Skill Stones] and one [Enhancement Stone].
Leon exhaled slowly and smiled.
"Everything's going way better than before."
But for the other village, that wouldn't be the case for much longer.