Chapter 34: Support Saint Title, Eternal-Level World Figures

"I don’t know if you already know this," Emilia began slowly, her voice calm but serious, "but even though [Eternal Ascension] is fair, worlds don’t all start on equal footing."

Leon nodded without interrupting her.

This wasn’t news to him. Every world, no matter how weak or powerful, began in a place called a [Novice Village].

On the surface, that sounded fair. But the truth was more complicated. The ranking of a world determined almost everything else.

Low-level worlds faced weaker monsters, simpler environments, and fewer hidden dangers.

Intermediate worlds were harsher. High-level worlds were brutal. And eternal-level worlds... those were something else entirely.

The enemies were stronger. The trials were deadlier. Even basic locations were filled with threats that could wipe out entire groups in seconds.

In exchange, those worlds offered better rewards, stronger growth paths, and far more opportunities to rise quickly.

That imbalance was one of the main reasons people from high-level and eternal-level worlds became monsters so early on. It wasn’t just talent or luck. Their starting line was simply further ahead.

"I was in the [Poison Cave] too," Emilia continued, her tone darkening slightly. "But it wasn’t like the one in your village."

Leon’s gaze sharpened.

"In my world’s cave, the snakes were much stronger. Faster. More aggressive. And I wasn’t alone," she said. "I went in with my previous companions."

She paused for a brief moment, then let out a quiet breath.

"I was betrayed. One of them struck me from behind while we were fighting. I was poisoned... and the snakes finished the rest."

Leon didn’t react outwardly, but his thoughts churned.

Betrayal wasn’t rare in [Eternal Ascension]. In fact, it was almost expected. When survival was at stake, trust became fragile. Still, hearing it confirmed left a bitter taste.

"After that," Emilia went on, "I really thought I was going to die. I could feel everything fading. My body wouldn’t move anymore."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she recalled it.

"But then... a light suddenly erupted around me. It was blinding. Before I could even understand what was happening, I was transported away."

"To your village," she added.

Leon hummed quietly.

Someone being transported from a high-level world’s [Novice Village] to a low-level one was already strange enough. But what bothered him more was what came after.

The fact that Emilia had been sent back to her original village the moment she recovered.

That kind of precision didn’t happen by accident.

It meant something had intervened. Something with authority over the system itself.

"All right," Leon said after a moment, giving a small nod. "At least you’re safe now."

"Thanks to you," Emilia replied, smiling faintly. "Did you get your reward?"

"Of course," Leon answered with a grin. "What about you?"

"Well..." Emilia glanced around instinctively, then raised her hand and tapped the air a few times.

A second later, several translucent panels appeared between them, angled so only Leon could see.

His eyes flickered across the information. And he was genuinely surprised.

Emilia had also obtained a title for completing her assessment: [Support Saint]. The name alone carried weight.

The title granted her two powerful passive effects: her constitution was increased by five times permanently, making her far more resilient than a typical support-type player.

On top of that, every single one of her support spells received a boost. It was absurd.

A basic healing spell, something meant to close wounds and stabilize allies, could now nearly restore someone to full health on its own.

Defensive buffs would be stronger. Enhancements would last longer. Even simple recovery effects would be elevated far beyond their normal limits.

"Incredible," Leon said honestly. "That’s an amazing reward."

In his past life, Emilia had died before ever reaching this stage. He had never seen her grow, never seen what kind of player she could become.

Now, seeing this, it was clear. If she had survived back then, she would have been terrifying in her own way.

He still didn’t know what her innate talent was, but judging by this title alone, it was bound to be exceptional.

Before either of them could say more, another panel appeared.

Ding!

[You have received a friend request from "Emilia Verdant"]

Leon chuckled softly.

"Oh? Sure."

He accepted without hesitation.

That brought his total number of friends to five already. It wasn’t something he paid much attention to in his past life, but this time around, connections mattered.

A moment later, another system notification appeared.

Ding!

[You may now leave the "Novice Divine Temple" at any moment by simply saying "Leave". Please note that doing so will transport you to the next stage.]

Leon glanced around the massive hall. That explained it.

Even among those who had cleared their assessments, many were still lingering. Talking. Resting. Watching others.

This was a rare moment of safety before the next stage began.

Naturally, players from high-level worlds attracted most of the attention. Their gear was better. Their auras stronger. Their confidence obvious.

Leon didn’t care.

"You know," Emilia said suddenly, her tone light but curious, "it’s kind of strange we haven’t seen anyone from an eternal-level world yet. Are they really that rare?"

Leon didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he let out a slow sigh.

They were rare. Extremely rare.

In his fifteen years inside [Eternal Ascension], Leon had only encountered people from three eternal-level worlds.

And each of those encounters had left a deep impression.

Before he could say anything else—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion echoed through the hall.

The ground trembled slightly as the massive doors at the entrance were blown open.

Dust and debris scattered across the marble floor, forcing many players to stumble back in shock.

Every gaze snapped toward the entrance. Three figures stepped inside.

They were tall. Easily over two meters each. Their skin was crimson, rough like hardened stone. Two thick horns curved from their heads, and their presence alone made the air feel heavier.

Leon’s eyes widened.

"Oh," he muttered. "Oh shit."

Emilia blinked, startled by his reaction. "What? Do you know them? They seem... strong."

Leon didn’t answer her directly. A panel had already appeared before his eyes.

---

[Titan Rowan]

[Level: 10]

[World: Fated Star (Eternal-Level)]

---

Leon’s breath hitched.

"Fated Star..." he whispered. "Oh shit."

This was one of them. One of the three eternal-level worlds he had encountered in his past life.

And they were monsters.

People from [Fated Star] weren’t just strong. They were born different. Their innate abilities alone placed them above most races, but there was one trait that truly made them feared.

They had nine lives. They could die eight times and still come back.

And each time they died, they returned stronger than before. Exponentially stronger.

It was a terrifying ability. Killing one of them didn’t guarantee anything. In fact, it often made the situation worse.

Because if you failed to completely erase them, you were only creating a stronger enemy.

"Move along," Titan Rowan said calmly, resting a massive hammer against his shoulder. "Let’s get this over with."

His voice was flat, uninterested. He didn’t seem to care about the stares, the tension, or the fear he was causing.

Leon could feel it. If killing had been allowed here, there would have been blood on the floor already.

Still... Leon remained calm. In fact, he was confident.

If a fight broke out, the ones in danger wouldn’t be him. It would be them.

’If I could remove obstacles like these early,’ Leon thought, his gaze steady, ’that would be ideal.’

But he couldn’t.

"Should we leave?" Emilia asked quietly. "I don’t like this."

"Yeah," Leon replied. "Let’s go."

As he turned, he noticed Titan Rowan staring directly at him.

Their eyes met. Titan’s gaze narrowed.

"Look at that human," he said suddenly, pointing at Leon. His two companions stiffened, their expressions shifting to surprise.

"But... how?" the woman among them murmured.

"There has to be something," the other man muttered, shaking his head. "Too bad we can’t use violence."

"If he’s really this strong," Titan said slowly, "then we’ll meet again."

He smiled faintly.

"That’s fine."

Leon didn’t respond. He didn’t care what they thought.

But one thing was clear. They could see his combat power, or at least feel it.

"Leave," Leon said.

"Leave," Emilia echoed.

Light enveloped them both. Their bodies dissolved into particles as the temple faded from view.

And just before everything went dark, a final panel appeared before Leon’s eyes.

Ding!

[You are being transported to the "Lower Domain"]