[Appraisal (Level 1): Can be used to appraise monsters (better understanding) and item information.]
Leon stood still for a moment after reading the description.
He had successfully learned his very first skill in this new life.
And honestly, it wasn't one he had expected to get this early.
In [Eternal Ascension], skills were everything. Weapons broke. Equipment got outdated. Stats eventually hit walls.
But skills? Skills stayed with you.
Of course, even without [Appraisal], players could already see basic information. Item descriptions, monster names, levels, those were things everyone had access to.
But [Appraisal] was different. It showed more.
With it, Leon would be able to see hidden information others couldn't. And as the skill leveled up, that gap would only grow wider.
Eventually, it would allow him to analyze enemies before fighting them, evaluate equipment properly, and avoid countless mistakes that killed players early.
Leon exhaled slowly. This skill alone would save him months of trial and error.
He moved on to the next item in his storage space. And froze.
[Skill Stone: Can be used to upgrade a skill.]
"Oh shit."
Leon stared at it for a second, then laughed quietly.
He really thought he had reached the limit of how surprised he could be.
But once again, his talent proved him wrong.
Skill Stones were extremely valuable items. They were used to upgrade skills, increasing their levels and making them stronger, more efficient, or unlocking additional effects.
Normally, acquiring one was pure luck.
And upgrading skills wasn't cheap either. The higher the skill level, the more stones were needed.
Most players couldn't afford to upgrade even one skill until much later. Leon didn't hesitate.
If there was one skill worth upgrading right now, it was [Appraisal].
He summoned the Skill Stone into his hand. It was a small crystal, faintly glowing from within.
Without wasting time, Leon crushed it, focusing his thoughts entirely on his skill.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have upgraded "Appraisal (Level 1)" to "Appraisal (Level 2).]
[Appraisal (Level 2): Can be used to appraise monsters, item information, and terrains.]
"Oh?"
Leon's eyebrows rose slightly.
Terrain appraisal? That was faster than he expected.
Curious, Leon crouched down and pressed his palm against the ground beneath him.
"Appraisal."
A faint hum of energy spread from his hand.
For a brief moment, his vision blurred.
Then—
A map appeared directly inside his mind.
It wasn't perfect or extremely detailed, but it was more than enough.
He could see the layout of the [Novice Village], the surrounding paths, nearby forest zones, and several branching routes beyond.
'Amazing.'
Leon straightened up slowly, a satisfied look in his eyes. This was invaluable.
With this map alone, he could avoid dangerous routes, locate monster clusters, and optimize his farming efficiency.
Combined with his past-life memories… He would move far faster than anyone else.
Leon closed the map and returned his attention to his storage space.
There were still items left. Four of them.
Four machetes, all dropped by the [Small Goblins].
[Goblin Machete (Common): +5 Attack, +3 Strength.]
Many players would consider this useless.
After all, you could only equip one weapon at a time.
Extra copies just took up space. But Leon knew better.
Ding!
[Two identical equipments detected in storage space. Do you want to enhance them?]
Leon wasn't surprised by the panel.
Equipment enhancement was a core system in [Eternal Ascension], and one that players abused heavily in the future.
By consuming identical equipment, you could enhance an item, increasing its stats and adding a "+" level to it.
Of course, there was a risk. Enhancement could fail.
And if it failed, the equipment could break completely. But Leon didn't even blink.
"Enhance," he said calmly.
Ding!
[You have consumed two identical equipments… enhancement successful!]
[Goblin Machete +2 (Common): +15 Attack, +6 Strength.]
Leon smiled. The weapon was noticeably stronger now.
But he wasn't done. He still had two more identical machetes.
And that meant—
Another enhancement. He repeated the process. Once again, it succeeded.
Now he had two identical enhanced weapons. Leon looked at them, then shrugged.
"Gotta take risks in life," he muttered with a grin. "Enhance."
Ding!
[You have consumed two identical equipments… enhancement successful!]
"Yes."
[Goblin Machete +3 (Common): +30 Attack, +12 Strength.]
The stats jumped dramatically. Leon could feel the difference the moment he equipped it.
Of course, the rank of the item itself hadn't changed. It was still [Common]. No matter how much it was enhanced, the base rank would stay the same.
And every item had an enhancement limit. But none of that mattered right now.
At this stage? This weapon was monstrous.
Leon equipped the [Goblin Machete +3] and glanced back toward the [Novice Village].
Some players were still there, sitting down, frowning, arguing, or staring blankly at the ground.
Fear lingered. Leon sighed softly.
Then he turned away. There was no time to waste.
…
Beyond the [Novice Village] stretched the first real leveling area, the [Wild Forest].
In his previous life, Leon had entered this place cautiously. Every step had been measured, every encounter avoided unless necessary.
This time? He walked in confidently.
His [Combat Power] had already surpassed 150. The monsters here averaged around 100.
He noticed several players fighting nearby, struggling, grouping up, shouting instructions at each other.
Leon didn't interfere. He moved past them, deeper into the forest.
Until, he stopped. A group of monsters stood ahead, lurking in the shadows between the trees.
Leon activated [Appraisal].
---
[Shadow Dog]
[Level: 2]
[Combat Power: 150]
[Detail: A dog that usually fights in a group with its kind.]
---
Four of them. They were positioned in a loose formation, clearly used to hunting together.
The moment Leon stepped closer, all four turned their glowing eyes toward him.
Their combat power matched his. But Leon wasn't worried.
Fwoosh!
He moved first. One clean swing.
The machete cut straight through the first shadow dog, splitting its body in half before it even had time to react.
The remaining three roared in fury and lunged toward him.
Leon stepped aside calmly. [Combat Power] was important, but it wasn't everything.
Experience mattered. Battle sense mattered. And in those aspects, Leon was leagues above them.
Fwish!
He ducked under a snapping jaw and slashed upward.
Another shadow dog collapsed. Leon grinned faintly.
'The power of a [Magical Swordsman],' he thought. 'All I need now is my magic again.'
Most players took months to figure out their ideal build.
Even after deciding, they spent even longer gathering the equipment and skills they needed.
Leon? With this talent… With this luck… Getting what he needed wouldn't be hard at all.
Slash!
Another dog fell. Only one remained.
The last shadow dog trembled, instinct screaming at it to flee.
It stared at Leon, unable to comprehend how a single human had slaughtered its entire pack.
But instinct came too late.
Fwish!
Leon decapitated it in one clean motion.
Ding!
[You have killed x4 "Shadow Dog" and gained 48 experience points.]
[100% Drop Rate has triggered, items have been automatically placed in your storage space.]
Leon exhaled slowly and opened his storage.
Six items awaited him.
[Eternal Coins x16]
[Shadow Necklace (Common): +8 Spirit, +6 Agility.]
[Shadow Dog Essence x3: Consuming will increase Agility by 2.]
[Vision Enhancement (Skill): Consume a certain amount of Spirit to enhance one's dynamic vision for 30 seconds, 2-minutes cooldown. Requirement: 10 Spirit.]
"Oh shit."