The [Wild Ruins] was usually the very first dungeon that players encountered on their path toward reaching level 10.
In [Eternal Ascension], dungeons varied greatly in difficulty, structure, and danger.
Some were sprawling labyrinths filled with traps, others were short but brutally intense. Still, among all of them, many players agreed on one thing.
The [Wild Ruins] was considered the easiest dungeon.
Of course, that reputation came with a massive condition: most players chose the easiest difficulty.
Leon slowly approached the entrance of the ruins. The structure itself looked ancient, built from massive stone blocks covered in worn-down runes.
Time had eroded their edges, yet the dungeon still radiated a heavy, oppressive aura.
The moment Leon stepped close enough, a translucent panel appeared in front of him.
---
[Which difficulty do you wish to choose?]
[Easy] [Normal] [Hard]
---
Leon stared at the options without moving.
Above [Hard], there technically existed even higher difficulties like [Hell] and [Nightmare].
However, no one could actually challenge them at this stage, and they weren't even available in this dungeon.
Even in Leon's past life, no matter how talented or confident someone was, they were forced to choose [Normal] or [Hard]. There simply wasn't another option.
The dungeon system itself was unforgiving.
The level of the monsters inside the [Wild Ruins] never changed. No matter the difficulty, they were all level 10.
What changed was everything else: their strength, combat power, durability, and more importantly, their intelligence.
On higher difficulties, monsters didn't just hit harder. They fought smarter. They coordinated, reacted faster, and punished mistakes mercilessly.
Leon knew all of this very well.
He had never once heard of any human clearing the [Hard] difficulty of the [Wild Ruins]. It was simply too overwhelming.
And yet, Leon wanted to be the first.
The rewards would be far better, both in terms of drops and experience. Clearing [Hard] would widen the gap between him and everyone else by an absurd amount.
The usual recommended combat power for entering the [Wild Ruins] on [Easy] difficulty was around 1,000.
For [Normal], it jumped to about 1,500. And for [Hard], 2,500 at the very least.
Leon's current combat power was slightly above 2,000.
Strictly speaking, he didn't meet the requirements.
And yet…
"Gotta risk it," Leon grinned.
---
[Level Leaderboard:]
[1. Leon Skyward: Level 7]
[2. Eleonore Starlight: Level 5]
[3. David Windbreak: Level 5]
[4. Aaron Godfield: Level 5]
[5. Elliot Dusekaar: Level 5]
…
---
Leon glanced at the leaderboard.
Many players had already reached level 5 or 4. Compared to his past life, this was incredibly fast.
The reason was simple.
This time around, nobody had suffered the massive penalty that came from losing the opening event.
Without that setback, overall progression skyrocketed.
Still, none of that mattered. Leon was still far ahead of everyone else.
And once he cleared the [Wild Ruins], the gap would only grow wider.
Without hesitating any longer, Leon extended his arm and pressed his finger against the [Hard] option.
Fwoosh!
The panel shimmered briefly as his selection registered.
Ding!
[Wild Ruins (Hard Difficulty) has been selected.]
The moment Leon stepped forward, his surroundings distorted. The entrance vanished, replaced by swirling colors as space itself twisted.
Fwish!
A vortex swallowed him whole.
After a few seconds, his feet touched solid ground again.
Leon found himself inside the [Wild Ruins].
The chamber around him was enormous. Stone walls rose high above, carved with glowing runes that pulsed faintly with energy. He stood in the middle of a circular platform, its surface engraved with ancient patterns.
Several stone bridges extended outward from the platform, each leading deeper into the dungeon.
Below them flowed a river of thick crimson liquid. It moved slowly, almost lazily, but Leon felt an instinctive sense of danger just from looking at it.
He had no intention of finding out what it was.
A dungeon's challenge could vary depending on difficulty, but since no additional panels appeared, Leon guessed this was a straightforward dungeon: reach the end and defeat the boss.
Leon calmly walked toward one of the bridges.
As he stepped onto it, the stone beneath his feet felt solid, but the oppressive atmosphere intensified.
'As expected,' Leon thought while crossing, 'the dungeon layout changes depending on the difficulty.'
The [Easy] and [Normal] versions of the [Wild Ruins] were almost identical.
The [Hard] version was completely different.
When Leon reached the end of the bridge—
BOOM!
A loud noise echoed through the chamber.
The stone floor ahead cracked, and several massive figures began rising from the ground.
Leon stopped.
---
[Ruins Golem]
[Level: 10]
[Combat Power: 1,500]
[Details: Golems created by a powerful being, they have been in these ruins for a long time.]
---
Five golems stood in front of him, completely blocking the path forward.
Their bodies were made of solid stone, each one towering over Leon.
Cracks ran along their frames, glowing faintly with inner heat.
Where their faces should have been, hollow openings burned with small, flickering flames.
They stood perfectly still, like statues.
'Trying to throw me in there?' Leon grinned while glancing at the crimson river behind him. 'Won't work.'
Each golem had terrifying combat power for its level. Any one of them could rival the [Fire Lizard] boss Leon had just defeated.
Facing five at once would have been impossible for most players. But Leon wasn't most players.
Strong Fireball!
He raised his hand and launched a massive fireball forward.
The explosion slammed into the center golem, sending fragments of stone flying and disrupting the formation of the others.
Fwoosh!
Leon surged forward instantly. His [Flame Tail Sword] flashed as he struck the closest golem.
Crack!
The golem's head shattered completely from the force of the blow, its body collapsing lifelessly.
Leon didn't stop. He pivoted and swung at another golem. This time, the remaining golems reacted.
Swing!
A massive rocky fist came crashing down toward Leon. He twisted his body and leapt back, narrowly avoiding the attack.
At least he was no longer on the bridge. Falling was no longer an immediate threat. Unless they grabbed him.
And that seemed to be exactly what they were trying to do.
Instead of throwing punches, the golems lunged forward, arms outstretched, attempting to seize Leon.
"Perhaps throwing things into that liquid fuels something," Leon muttered.
Vision Enhancement!
His perception sharpened instantly.
The movements of the golems slowed in his eyes, making their intentions obvious. Leon dodged between them with precise steps, slipping past grasping stone hands.
Lightning Strike!
Zap!
A bolt of lightning slammed into one of the golems.
The electricity danced across its stone body, but it didn't even flinch.
"Oh, right," Leon clicked his tongue. Stone wasn't exactly conductive.
Strong Fireball!
He fired another spell. The explosion was violent.
Two golems were blasted apart, their bodies shattered into chunks of stone. They weren't destroyed completely, but their forms were heavily damaged.
The remaining two golems rushed Leon.
Leon met them head-on.
With a single swing of his sword, he shattered one's torso. Another swing reduced the second to rubble.
Even though their combat power was close to his own, Leon's experience, reflexes, and skill put him far above them.
Leon turned toward the last two golems, their broken bodies twitching on the ground.
He stepped forward, ready to finish them off.
Then—
BOOM!
A sudden explosion shook the chamber. Leon froze.
The shattered remains of the two golems began to tremble violently.
"Wait a minute," Leon's eyes widened slightly. "No way."
Stone fragments lifted into the air.
The two broken bodies began pulling toward each other, merging together as cracks sealed and energy surged.
Piece by piece, they fused into a single, towering mass.
"Hah… of course," Leon sighed.
---
[Ruins Golem (Mutated)]
[Level: 10]
[Combat Power: 1,900]
[Details: Two golems fusing with one another to create a stronger being.]
---
Leon had just witnessed a mutation.
It was rare, but not unheard of. In the future, mutations like this would become more common, especially in higher-difficulty content.
And now, the golem's combat power had surpassed Leon's.
ROAR!
The mutated golem let out a deafening roar. A shockwave rippled outward, shaking the chamber and rattling the bridges.
Leon tightened his grip on his sword. Even now, ke didn't step back.
Instead, he raised his blade and prepared to attack.