Leon quickly crushed the remaining [Enhancement Stones] in his hand and immediately began using them on his equipment.
There was no time to hesitate.
Ding!
[You have successfully enhanced your "Wild Forest Crown" (7 EC), "Wild Forest Sword" (7 EC) and "Silk Belt" (7 EC)][1]
Leon let out a short breath.
Since all three pieces of equipment were epic-rank, their first enhancement each required seven Enhancement Stones.
The cost was high, but the return was always worth it.
He could have chosen to enhance his [Skeleton Staff +3] instead. That option had crossed his mind for a brief moment.
But in the end, Leon decided against it.
Right now, raw attributes mattered more than anything else. The sword, crown, and belt all provided massive stat boosts, especially after enhancement. Compared to that, the staff could wait.
Leon quickly opened the updated item panels.
[Wild Forest Sword +2 (Epic): +400 Attack, +270 Strength.]
[Wild Forest Crown +2 (Epic): All attributes +150.]
[Silk Belt +2 (Epic): +350 Defense, +150 Constitution, +200 Agility.]
"…Damn."
Every single piece had grown noticeably stronger. The increases weren't minor either.
The crown alone granting +150 to all attributes was ridiculous.
Leon could feel it too. His body felt heavier, sturdier, more refined. His grip on the sword felt firmer, his movements more controlled.
Beep!
[Warning: Ten seconds remaining before teleportation to the "Novice Divine Temple".]
Leon didn't waste another second.
He immediately opened his status panel, wanting to see everything clearly one last time before being pulled away.
---
[Name: Leon Rykard]
[Talent: 100% Drop Rate (SSS)]
[Sub-Talents: Constitution Enhancement (E-Level), Strength Enhancement (F-Level).]
[Level: 10 (Locked)]
[Constitution: 424 (+655 + 216)][2]
[Strength: 384 (+570 + 95)]
[Agility: 405 (+490)]
[Spirit: 419 (+615)]
[Skills: Appraisal (Lv.4), Vision Enhancement (Lv.4), Powerful Fireball (Lv.6), Lightning Strike (Lv.3), Crescent Slash (Lv.2)
[Combat Power: 3,264 (+6,032)]
[Free Points to Allocate: 20.]
[Eternal Coins: 3,138]
[Reputation Points: 50]
---
"…Wow."
Leon stared at the numbers for a moment longer than he intended.
His combat power was brushing against ten thousand. That alone was insane.
Even in his past life, even across the many race he had encountered, almost nobody had reached something like this at level 10.
And yet, here he was. Leon clenched his fist slowly.
At that moment, he truly felt it. He was ready.
Then, just as the countdown was about to reach zero, another notification appeared in front of him.
Ding!
[You have received a message from "Eleonore Starlight"]
Leon blinked and opened it.
[Eleonore Starlight: I didn't get to say it before, but good luck ٩(◕‿◕)۶]
A small smile tugged at the corner of Leon's lips.
Without hesitation, he typed a response.
[Leon Rykard: See you soon.]
And the instant the message was sent—
BOOM!
A massive beam of blinding light descended from the sky.
The entire [Novice Village #1] shook as if struck by divine force. The pillar of light was so large it could be seen from anywhere within the village.
"H-Holy shit?"
"What the fuck is that thing!?"
"Someone's ascending already?!"
Players everywhere froze in place, staring at the sky in disbelief.
The beam struck Leon directly, wrapping around his body as if it were lifting him by force.
In the next moment, he was carried upward, his surroundings dissolving into pure light as he ascended to the next stage of [Eternal Ascension].
But just as Leon vanished into the sky, two figures appeared at the spot where he had been standing.
They materialized silently, their forms shrouded in dense mist. Their features were impossible to see, as if reality itself refused to reveal them.
One was tall and broad-shouldered.
The other slimmer, standing with relaxed posture.
"Earth is a low-level world, right?" the male figure spoke, his voice calm but tinged with curiosity. "It's only been a few hours, and one of them already ascended?"
"I guess so," the woman replied with a shrug. "But do you really think he has what it takes to survive the rest?"
The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Nah."
"As I thought," the woman smiled faintly. "Still, I wonder why the [Heavenly One] placed so much importance on this particular person."
"We're not meant to understand his intentions," the man replied. "Better to focus on what we were asked to do."
"True," the woman said softly. "All we can do now is hope things go well. Not just for us, but for everything."
The man nodded.
"All the pieces are set. Now it's time to see what happens. Everyone's been waiting for this."
As soon as the conversation ended, both figures dissolved into faint, dark particles.
The mist lingering around the area dispersed, leaving no trace of their presence behind.
…
Ding!
[You are the first person from Earth to reach the "Novice Divine Temple", you have been rewarded with 25 Reputation Points.]
Ding!
[You have arrived at the "Novice Divine Temple"]
[Please enter the temple to begin your assessment, you may also reset inside if you want to.]
Leon opened his eyes. Clouds surrounded him.
He was standing on them, his feet pressing against a solid surface that felt no different from stone.
Before him stood a colossal structure.
A massive temple floated in the sky, its scale so overwhelming it made everything else seem insignificant.
Above the enormous gate at the front, glowing letters were engraved into the structure itself: Novice Divine Temple.
This place hovered above the clouds, unreachable by any normal means. It was the first true checkpoint for anyone who advanced beyond the novice stage.
"Seeing this again after so long…" Leon muttered, a grin forming on his face. "Incredible."
There were other Divine Temples for later assessments, each with its own atmosphere and rules.
But this one… This was where it all began.
Leon took a quiet breath and walked forward.
The moment he reached the entrance, the massive gate opened on its own, revealing a long corridor stretching inward.
He stepped inside without hesitation. The corridor was breathtaking.
Walls made of white jade rose hundreds of feet high on both sides, engraved with countless patterns.
Figures of various beings, some humanoid, some monstrous, some divine, were carved into the surface with impossible detail.
The entire place radiated majesty. At the end of the corridor stood another massive gate.
Leon walked until he reached it, then passed through. He entered a vast hall.
Ding!
[Killing is forbidden in here, any violators will be obliterated.]
Leon barely glanced at the message. He had no intention of fighting.
But the moment he stepped inside, he felt it. Thousands of gazes turned toward him at once.
"Someone new arrived once more."
"That race… I've never seen it before."
"It's a human, though the ones I met weren't from this low-level world."
"I see… Earth. A low-level world."
Leon remained calm. He didn't react.
The hall was massive, filled with countless individuals gathered together. Every corner was occupied.
And yet, not a single one of them was human.
There were beings with wolf heads and humanoid bodies. Elves with glowing eyes. Demons with horns and wings.
Creatures with octopus-like limbs. Others with deep blue skin or crystalline features.
Races from countless worlds were gathered here in the [Novice Divine Temple].
Leon could see it clearly in their eyes: arrogance.
To them, someone from a low-level world couldn't possibly stand on the same footing.
Leon didn't care. Nobody could fight here anyway.
[Eternal Ascension] classified worlds into four ranks: Low, Intermediate, High, and Eternal.
No one knew exactly how the ranking system worked.
But Leon knew one thing: power decided everything.
Some of the races here possessed terrifying innate abilities.
Even so, Leon remained unfazed.
As he calmly observed his surroundings, a voice suddenly rang out behind him.
"No way…" a feminine voice said, filled with shock. "It's you?!"
Leon turned around. Standing right in front of him was Emilia Verdant. The elf.
The very same one he had saved from poison back in that cave.
"Oh."
That was all Leon managed to say. For the first time since arriving, he was genuinely surprised.
[1] I recommend checking the auxiliary chapter at this point to understand how stones work.
[2] the other + is from the talent