Novel Full Chapter 84: Second Assessment, Elemental Lands
Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Second Assessment, Elemental Lands
[You arrived at the S-Rank Assessment Ground: “Elemental Lands”]
[Goal: Reach the “Altar” at the end of the “Elemental Lands” by surviving all of its elemental disasters.]
A beam of light descended from above, and Leon’s body materialized beneath it.
The first thing he did was glance at the panels hovering in front of him, his expression calm and unreadable.
Compared to the first assessment, this one was… clearer.
At the very least, it gave him an actual objective. He didn’t need to wander blindly, guessing what the [Heavenly One] wanted from him this time.
The rules were straightforward: survive the elemental disasters, reach the altar, and complete the assessment.
That didn’t mean it would be easy. If anything, Leon expected the opposite.
The word “S-Rank” wasn’t something to take lightly.
The system never handed those out without a reason, and the difficulty difference between A-Rank and S-Rank was notorious.
Many players who breezed through A-Rank assessments ended up completely crushed the moment they attempted an S-Rank one.
Leon didn’t even bother looking around for Emilia.
Up until the [Higher Domain], all assessments were done alone. There was no way to interfere, no way to help, and no way to communicate. The only thing he could do was trust her.
And honestly, after everything he had seen, he believed her strength was more than enough to clear this.
As for Celeste, the phoenix girl they encountered before entering, Leon pushed the thought aside.
If she really was as strong as her presence suggested, then it was inevitable that they would meet again later.
The world of [Eternal Ascension] was vast, but the paths of the truly strong always crossed eventually.
For now, there was something far more important to focus on. Leon lifted his gaze and finally took in his surroundings.
The [Elemental Lands] looked nothing like a normal battlefield.
Much like the exterior of the [Intermediate Divine Temple], the air itself was saturated with elemental energy.
It wasn’t subtle. Leon could feel it pressing against his skin, seeping into his senses.
Lightning crackled constantly in the darkened sky, flashing between heavy clouds.
Wisps of flame drifted through the air like embers that refused to die.
Moisture hung thickly, as if rain could fall at any second, while violent gusts of wind tore across the land without warning.
Every element was present. Every element was unstable.
“I guess I know why the divine temple had those pillars now,” Leon muttered, letting out a slow sigh. “It’s because of the S-Rank assessment.”
The symbols of fire, water, wind, and earth hadn’t been decorative after all. They were a warning.
And since most players never even reached the S-Rank assessment, let alone survived it, that explained why Leon had never heard detailed accounts of this place in his past life.
Leon tightened his grip on his staff and took a deep breath.
Then he stepped forward.
He stood on a massive plain that stretched endlessly ahead of him. There were no clear paths, no signs pointing toward the altar.
Just a vast expanse of land filled with danger, waiting to test him at every step.
His boots pressed into the ground as he began walking. He didn’t even make it far.
BOOM!
The sky exploded above him.
Several blazing fireballs descended at terrifying speed, scorching the air as they rushed straight toward him.
Leon’s instincts kicked in instantly. He twisted his body, stepping backward and dodging to the side as the fireballs slammed into the ground where he had been standing moments earlier.
The impact sent waves of heat and dust flying. Leon planted his feet and raised his head.
Vision Enhancement!
His eyes glowed faintly as his perception sharpened, cutting through the chaos.
And that was when he saw them. Several figures emerged from the flames above.
—
[Flame Bird]
[Level: 25]
[Talent: Fire Affinity (D-Level)]
[Combat Power: 60,000]
[Details: A bird that usually acts in a group. Its body is literally made out of flames.]
—
The birds circled him from the sky, their bodies composed entirely of fire. Each flap of their wings sent sparks scattering through the air, and without hesitation, they launched another volley of fireballs toward him.
Leon watched them calmly. Then he grinned.
To most level 25 players in [Eternal Ascension], even a single Flame Bird would be a nightmare.
With 60,000 combat power and relentless ranged attacks, they could slaughter entire parties if underestimated.
But to Leon… They were nothing more than fodder.
He barely spared a glance at their combat power.
Instead, his attention focused on something else. Their talent: Fire Affinity.
’I need that,’ Leon thought.
Elemental talents were something he knew extremely well from his past life. For mages especially, they were invaluable. Even a low-grade elemental affinity could dramatically increase spell damage and efficiency.
If he acquired [Fire Affinity], his [Powerful Fireball] would become much stronger.
With such a talent, even a spell that barely hurt a level 25 monster could become a guaranteed one-shot.
And considering this place was literally called the [Elemental Lands]… Leon’s grin widened.
’There’s no way this is the only one.’
He lifted his staff.
Storm of Lightning!
Mana surged violently from his body as lightning exploded outward, filling the sky with blinding flashes. The storm struck every Flame Bird within range simultaneously.
Four of them were annihilated on the spot, their fiery bodies dispersing into sparks.
The fifth one, positioned slightly farther back, was struck hard enough to stun it. Its wings faltered, and it plummeted helplessly toward the ground, crashing with a heavy thud.
“Damn,” Leon muttered.
Ding!
[You have killed x5 “Flame Bird”]
[100% Drop Rate has triggered. Items have been automatically placed in your storage space.]
As expected, Leon didn’t gain any experience.
During assessments like these, where the objective was to reach a specific location, experience was locked.
That was precisely why most players avoided combat altogether. Killing monsters was a waste of time if it didn’t make you stronger.
As long as you were fast enough or durable enough, the optimal strategy was to dodge everything and rush to the end.
’Good for Emilia,’ Leon thought.
With her constitution, she could probably bulldoze through the entire assessment without caring about damage. Or simply ignore everything and walk straight through.
But Leon wasn’t “most players.”
He checked his [Storage Space].
“Bingo.”
[Sub-Talent Scrolls: x5 Fire Affinity (D-Level)]
Nothing else had dropped. Just the sub-talent scrolls.
That was strange. But the more Leon thought about it, the more sense it made.
’It’s probably intentional,’ he mused. ’Reducing the loot pool increases the chance of obtaining the sub-talent.’
If the monsters dropped dozens of useless items, getting elemental affinities would be far rarer.
This way, players who actually fought during the assessment were rewarded with something meaningful.
Leon didn’t hesitate.
Fwoosh!
Mana flowed into one of the scrolls, and the energy seeped into his body.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have learned the D-Level Sub-Talent: “Fire Affinity”]
Leon didn’t even bother reading the description. Instead, he immediately activated fusion.
Fwoosh! Ding!
[Fusion successful.]
[You have evolved “Fire Affinity (D-Level)” to “Fire Integration (C-Level)”]
“…Damn.”
The improvement was immediate. Leon could feel it, his connection to fire had deepened significantly.
He tried fusing the remaining scrolls. But the attempt failed.
Both scrolls were destroyed in the process, leaving only one remaining D-Level Fire Affinity.
Since he couldn’t use it effectively on its own anymore, Leon stored it away for later.
He exhaled slowly. Then paused.
’Right. Before I forget.’
Leon opened his [Storage Space] fully.
[Eternal Coins: 23,278]
That was more than enough.
Ding!
[Do you wish to spend 10,000 Eternal Coins to expand your “Storage Space” by 10 slots?]
“Nice,” Leon grinned. “Of course.”