"We cannot allow you to live any longer, Leon Rykard."
The words echoed across a battlefield soaked in blood.
Leon stood at the center of it, his feet planted in shattered earth, his sword clenched tightly in his hand. Around him were thousands upon thousands of figures, forming a living wall of enemies that stretched as far as his eyes could see.
They came from every race imaginable.
Humans stood in organized formations, their armor scratched and stained. Angels hovered above the ground, wings spread wide, expressions cold and detached. Demons snarled and laughed, their twisted bodies radiating malice. Elves nocked arrows with calm precision, eyes sharp and unfeeling.
Every single one of them had their weapons raised. Every single one of them was pointing them at him.
"Our master ordered us to eliminate you."
The voice was firm, without hesitation or doubt.
Leon lifted his head slowly.
Above the battlefield, far beyond the reach of swords or spells, a massive face filled the sky. It was impossibly large, stretching from horizon to horizon, smiling as if this were nothing more than a pleasant spectacle.
A god looking down on ants.
[All of my followers... get rid of this pathetic vermin.]
The voice boomed directly into their minds, crushing and absolute.
[Me and the other gods shall erase all of those standing in our ways, this one is the last.]
"Yes, master!"
"The [God of Eternity] has spoken!"
"Let us annihilate this vermin!"
The roars came from every direction at once.
Leon tightened his grip on his sword until his knuckles turned white. Among the countless enemies surrounding him, he recognized faces he never thought he would see again.
Old companions. Former allies. People who once fought beside him, laughed with him, bled with him.
Now, they stared at him with empty eyes, their expressions stripped of hesitation, loyalty, or guilt.
Once they chose to serve the [God of Eternity], they abandoned everything else. Morality. Bonds. Even themselves.
They existed only to obey. And this god was not alone.
There were many like him. Gods who descended upon the world, offering power, salvation, and false hope in exchange for absolute devotion. One by one, those who resisted were crushed. Those who followed became tools.
Leon and the others who stood against them had fought desperately. And they had failed.
Every single one of them had died without mercy.
'This is…'
The realization settled heavily in his chest, but he didn't let it slow him down.
[Goodbye, Leon Rykard.]
[You failed.]
The moment those words rang out, the army moved.
They surged forward from all sides at once, a tidal wave of blades, claws, and magic. Leon reacted on instinct, swinging his sword and casting his magic with everything he had.
Steel clashed. Blood sprayed. He cut down the first wave, then the second, then the third. But there were too many.
Attacks came from behind, from above, from the sides. His defenses shattered under the overwhelming numbers. Bones cracked. Flesh tore. His body was broken piece by piece.
And yet… There was no pain.
Leon continued to attack, over and over again, even as his body failed him. His arms trembled. His legs buckled. Still, he refused to stop.
[Incredible, you actually managed to put up a good fight.]
The god's voice carried amusement, as if watching a show.
Leon had killed hundreds.
Corpses piled around him, forming a grim monument to his resistance. His limbs were twisted at unnatural angles, blood pouring from countless wounds, yet his breathing remained steady.
He refused to fall. But no matter how many he cut down, thousands more remained.
And eventually… His strength ran out.
Leon collapsed, his sword slipping from his grasp as his vision blurred. The final thing he saw was the twisted, gleeful expressions of those who delivered the last blows.
And above them all, the smiling face of the [God of Eternity], watching his death with satisfaction.
Then… Everything went dark.
…
Ding!
Leon's eyes flew open.
He sucked in a sharp breath and jolted upright, his heart pounding violently in his chest. His hands immediately moved across his body, checking his arms, his legs, his torso.
Nothing was broken. There was no blood. No pain.
"This is…"
His voice came out hoarse. Leon looked around slowly.
He was inside a familiar room. His old apartment.
The worn furniture. The cracked ceiling. The faint smell of dust. Everything was exactly as he remembered it.
For a brief moment, a wild thought crossed his mind.
Had he been sent to another dimension? One where none of that had ever happened?
Before he could think any further—
Ding!
A sharp sound rang out, and several translucent panels appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations, you have been invited to "Eternal Ascension"!]
[I am the "Heavenly One"]
[This is your one and true chance to gain eternal life and ultimate strength.]
[The 100 million most promising individuals on Earth aged 16-65 will be allowed to ascend together to "Eternal Ascension"]
[All of the others... will be annihilated, as your world isn't fit to exist anymore.]
[Good luck.]
"THIS IS—"
Leon's eyes widened in shock.
"…I'm back to before [Eternal Ascension] descended…"
His breath caught in his throat. He was back.
Not only alive, but back at the exact moment the game first appeared in the world.
As the panels stated, one hundred million humans received the same message at that very moment. They would all be transported to another world, never to return.
And Earth itself… Would be annihilated.
Only around one percent of humanity was allowed to enter [Eternal Ascension].
To most, it seemed cruel and unfair. But Leon knew better. There was a reason for it.
He didn't fully understand it, not even now, but he knew it wasn't random.
Ding!
[You will be teleported...]
The world around him began to blur. The walls of his apartment stretched and warped, colors smearing together before dissolving completely.
Leon didn't resist.
All around the globe, the same thing was happening. Those chosen by the [Heavenly One] vanished from their homes, their workplaces, their streets.
No one knew the criteria for selection. Leon assumed it was those who could survive what was coming.
Fwoosh!
His vision went completely black.
When his eyes opened again—
"What the hell was that?"
"Hah, good thing I dropped out of school, I knew something like this would happen."
"I must be dreaming, right?"
Leon stood inside a vast, dark void.
Around him were countless other people, all looking just as confused and frightened as he was. In total, there were exactly 10,000 individuals gathered there.
Panic spread quickly. People shouted, cursed, cried.
Even Leon felt the familiar pressure pressing down on him. He had been here before, and he remembered exactly what came next.
"I came back to before [Eternal Ascension]'s arrival," he reminded himself quietly. "I can't waste this chance."
He carried ten years of memories. Ten years of experience, knowledge, and regret.
That alone was an unbelievable advantage. A golden finger that belonged to him and him alone.
Then—
Ding!
A brilliant white light flashed through the darkness. From it emerged a single figure.
Its shape was impossible to describe. Its face and body could not be seen, as if reality itself refused to define it. Yet the moment it appeared, everyone understood.
This being was far beyond them.
[You will all be sent to the beginning of it all.]
The voice echoed calmly.
[And perhaps... for some of you... you already came here once before... didn't you?]
The figure slowly turned its head. Leon felt his blood run cold.
Even though there were no visible eyes, he knew he was being stared at. The gaze lingered on him for several long seconds.
Leon instinctively stepped to the side. The gaze followed.
Only then did the figure look away, addressing everyone once more.
[You shall all receive a "Talent" that will help you in this new world once you arrive to the first location.]
[Perhaps you will be able to learn the truth in time, but until then, fight for your survival.]
Fwoosh!
The figure vanished. The darkness trembled, space itself folding inward.
One by one, every person was pulled away.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have arrived at Novice Village #1.]
[Each Novice Village contains 10,000 people, with 10,000 villages available.]
Leon appeared in a simple village, surrounded by wooden buildings and open land. One after another, the others materialized around him.
And once everyone had arrived—
Ding!
[Novice Assessment Quest has been activated: Reach Level 10 within a month or face annihilation.]
["Eternal Ascension" is extremely fair in the way it works, with several opportunities within your grasp.]
[If you cannot reach Level 10 even with all of this, then I believe you simply do not deserve to keep going.]
[Good luck.]
Information flooded Leon's mind, familiar yet overwhelming.
And then—
Ding!
[It is now time to draw your talent.]
"Hah…"
Leon smiled faintly. He was actually excited.
Whether he received the same [Talent] as before or not, he was ready.
The village fell silent as everyone focused on their panels.
Then—
Fwoosh!
A golden glow spread across the entire [Novice Village]. One by one, every player received their [Talent].
Leon's panel flashed.
Ding!
[Congratulations, you have awakaned the unique SSS-Level Talent: 100% Drop Rate.]