Fwoosh!
Leon sprinted through the [Wild Forest], moving at full speed as he searched for Eleonore, David, Aaron, and Alice.
Now that he had almost reached level 10, he knew his time in the novice phase was coming to an end.
Once he entered the [Novice Divine Temple] and completed his first assessment, the real [Eternal Ascension] would begin.
After that, there was no guarantee he would see them again anytime soon.
At the very least, he wanted to say a few things before leaving.
The forest blurred around him as he ran. None of the monsters roaming the area could even begin to keep up with his pace.
Leon's agility had long since surpassed what monsters at this level could handle, and even those that noticed him barely had time to react before he was already gone.
And honestly, even if they managed to attack, it wouldn't matter much.
With [Constitution Enhancement], his upgraded equipment, and the bonuses from essences and the crown, his constitution had climbed past 700.
That was an absurd value at this stage. Even level 10 monsters would need to land multiple solid hits just to injure him, and most wouldn't survive long enough to try.
Fear simply didn't exist for him anymore in this forest.
After pushing forward for a while, Leon slowed slightly as he entered the level 6–7 area.
Based on their pace and strength, this was roughly where Eleonore's group should be by now.
They were competent. Stronger than most. Their talents alone put them well above the average novice.
A few moments later, Leon felt it. Presences. Not monsters.
Fwish!
He dashed forward and emerged into a small clearing, where a familiar scene greeted him.
The four of them were sitting around a crude campsite, a pile of raw meat set aside, and a campfire that… wasn't actually lit.
"How are we even supposed to cook this if we don't have fire?" Aaron complained loudly, holding a slab of meat with clear frustration. "This is so dumb."
"Just eat it raw," David replied flatly, already biting into a piece of [Howler Wolf Meat]. "Like a man."
Aaron stared at him for half a second, then recoiled as he noticed David's expression twist.
"Yeah, no. That's disgusting. This is really bad."
"We need some kind of fire-related skill," Eleonore said thoughtfully. "Maybe I should try to get [Fire Arrows] or something similar."
"The drop rate is terrible," Alice sighed, leaning back. "And I'm honestly starting to starve."
Leon watched the scene for a brief moment, amused. It looked exactly like what it was, a group of capable players completely defeated by something as simple as cooking.
Then he stepped forward.
"Huh?" David turned his head first. "Damn. How do you always manage to find us?"
"Luck," Leon replied with a grin. "I am lucky, after all."
"With the amount of items you keep pulling out of nowhere?" Aaron laughed. "Yeah, I'd say that checks out."
Leon walked over and sat down near the campfire, settling beside Eleonore. Without ceremony, he raised his staff and focused his spirit.
Fwoosh!
A small, controlled flame bloomed at the center of the campfire, formed from the condensed heat of his [Strong Fireball]. It wasn't violent or explosive, just a steady, clean flame, perfect for cooking.
The mood around the campsite instantly shifted.
"…You're kidding me," Aaron muttered.
Leon casually pulled out a piece of [Roasted Ape Meat] from his storage and took a bite, clearly enjoying himself.
"You're level 9 already," David said, glancing at the leaderboard. "That's insane."
"It's not that special," Leon replied calmly. "But I won't be staying much longer."
"Where are you going?" Aaron asked before stopping himself.
"To another place," Eleonore answered instead, looking at Leon. "We do need to reach level 10. There has to be something after that."
Leon nodded. "Exactly."
He continued eating as he spoke, his tone relaxed but serious.
"I won't stay long. I just wanted to tell you to be careful later on. Especially during your first assessment. And even more once you step onto the [Eternal Continent]."
Eleonore narrowed her eyes slightly. "How do you even know about all that?"
Leon didn't hesitate. "Reward for clearing the [Wild Ruins]."
"Oh." She paused, then nodded. "That… actually makes sense."
Leon shared what information he could about the [Wild Ruins], avoiding anything that would raise suspicion.
He spoke with them for a few more minutes as they cooked their food properly this time, the earlier tension replaced by a calmer atmosphere.
Eventually, Leon stood up.
"I'll be going," he said simply. "See you later. If we all survive."
They nodded in response. But just before he turned away, Leon added something else.
"You can all send me friend requests," he said. "I'll accept them."
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Four notifications appeared in quick succession.
[You have received a friend request from "Eleonore Starlight"]
[You have received a friend request from "David Windbreak"]
[You have received a friend request from "Aaron Godfield"]
[You have received a friend request from "Alice Evicton"]
Leon accepted them all without hesitation. His friend list updated immediately, giving him a way to contact them.
"Oh, and take this."
He gave the [Dark Shell Shield +2] to Aaron.
"Damn, let me send you something!"
Ding!
[You have received 30 Eternal Coins from "Aaron Godfield"]
"Good enough," Leon nodded.
After that, they parted ways.
Leon pushed deeper into the forest, heading back toward the level 9–10 area.
Before long, he encountered a few wandering monsters.
Slash!
One clean swing of his sword was enough. The monster fell instantly.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have leveled up to Level 10!]
[You have gained 5 points in all attributes and 5 free points to distribute.]
Leon barely had time to register it before another panel appeared.
Ding!
[You have reached Level 10. Your experience will now be locked until you complete your first assessment.]
[You will be teleported to the "Novice Divine Temple" in five minutes for your first assessment. Take this time to prepare.]
Leon stared at the panel, expression neutral. This was expected.
But now that he had officially reached level 10, several things became possible.
Ding!
[Congratulations to Leon Rykard for being the first human to reach Level 10.]
Ding!
[Since you are the first person to reach Level 10, you have been rewarded with 10 Reputation Points and a Legendary Treasure Chest.]
Leon exhaled slowly. "Good."
This was exactly what he wanted. And the system wasn't done yet.
Ding!
[Your reputation has reached 50.]
[You have received the "Heavenly One's Favored" blessing. You will now gain 20 attributes per level.]
"…Wait a minute."
Leon's eyes widened as he read the panel again.
"That's way more than in my past life."
Reputation points existed to enhance growth, better level-up rewards, better long-term benefits.
But this was far beyond what he remembered. Either the thresholds had changed… or being the first to reach this milestone amplified the reward.
Either way, it didn't matter. From now on, every level would make him absurdly stronger.
Beep!
[Warning: Four minutes remaining before teleportation to the "Novice Divine Temple".]
"Gotta be quick," Leon muttered.
He pulled out the [Legendary Treasure Chest]. It materialized in front of him, radiating a golden glow that stood out sharply against the forest.
Even in his past life, legendary chests were extremely rare. Most players never saw one at all.
Leon didn't hesitate. He opened it.
Ding!
[100% Drop Rate has triggered. All items inside the treasure chest have been placed into storage space.]
Leon immediately opened his [Storage Space], eager to inspect it one last time before leaving the novice phase behind.