As he looked around, Leon quickly realized that his vision had changed significantly.

Because while one eye still perceived the world normally, the other allowed him to see deeper into the shadows, almost as if darkness itself had become transparent to him.

The two perspectives merged together seamlessly, creating a single field of vision that was far more effective than before.

"I guess I won’t ever need those [Night Vision Goggles] again," he said with a faint grin, clearly satisfied with the result.

Then, without wasting time, he checked the effects of his newly upgraded sub-talents.

[Supreme Constitution Enhancement (S-Level): Permanently increases constitution by 200%.]

[Supreme Agility Enhancement (S-Level): Permanently increases agility by 200%.]

The increase was massive, far beyond anything he had before, and Leon could feel it clearly in the way his body moved and reacted, his durability and speed both reaching entirely new levels.

He knew that if he wanted to, he could push things even further by using the [Enhancement Frenzy Liquid] to upgrade his strength or spirit to SS-Level as well, but even now, he held back.

’Not yet...’ he thought, forcing himself to remain patient despite the temptation.

He knew that once he used that item, his combat power would skyrocket to an entirely different level, but he didn’t do it.

At that moment, he also decided to check the description of his new darkness sub-talent.

---

[Monarch of Darkness (SS-Level): The shadows bow to you and follow your will, as your being fuses with their power. You are able to see perfectly in the dark, and the nature of shadows is familiar to you. Shadow-related attacks will deal almost no damage to you.]

[Only one more, and then what?]

---

Leon nodded slowly as he read through it, storing the information in his mind before moving on to the rest of his items, placing the remaining scrolls, potions, and the skill book back into his [Storage Space] in an organized manner.

Once that was done, he shifted his focus toward his equipment.

Replacing his old gear was an obvious choice.

The [Destiny Staff (Ascendant)] was far superior to the [Void Staff] he had been using since the [Shadow Horde] event, even when considering the [Blood Heart Blessing], making the decision effortless as he equipped it and felt the immediate increase in power.

He also replaced his current headgear with the [Spider Crown (Mythical)] and switched his boots for the [Void Boots (Ancient)], completing the upgrade without hesitation.

The difference was immediate and undeniable.

Finally, he turned his attention to the remaining consumable items.

The [Super Storage Space Expander], the [Supreme All-Attributes Pills], and the [Divine Essence].

He used them one after the other, not holding back this time.

Fwoosh! Ding!

[Your "Storage Space" capacity has reached 280.]

Ding!

[All your stats have increased by 12,500 points.]

Ding!

[Your bloodline has been purified by 20%, the assimilation to your future bloodlines will also be much stronger.]

Leon exhaled slowly as he absorbed everything, a faint smile appearing on his face as he processed the notifications.

"I guess that puts my human bloodline purification at twenty-one percent," he murmured, recalling the 1% boost he had received in the novice village from the [Divine Elven Essence].

Even if he didn’t fully understand the long-term implications, he knew it would matter eventually.

For a brief moment, he felt the urge to check his updated [Combat Power], because there was no doubt it had increased dramatically after everything he had just done, but once again, he held himself back.

Instead, his gaze shifted toward the final set of items he had yet to use.

The [Skill Stones], the [Enhancement Stones], and the [Ascendant Skill Stone].

With the amount of new equipment and skills he had just acquired, the stones sitting in front of him were absolutely crucial to pushing his strength to the next level, especially considering everything that was waiting for him outside.

The first thing he decided to use was the [Ascendant Skill Stone].

[Ascendant Skill Stone (Ascendant): Using this will upgrade one of your skills by three levels as long as they are below level 5.]

Leon already understood the value of this item perfectly, because the restriction made it clear that it could only be used once on a single skill, and if used properly, it could save an absurd amount of resources that would otherwise take a long time to gather.

The skill he had in mind was already at level 2, meaning that the stone would bring it all the way to level 5 without any additional cost, which made it the perfect target.

And more importantly, he didn’t even need to think twice about which skill to choose.

Fwoosh!

With a single motion, Leon crushed the [Ascendant Skill Stone] in his hand, the fragments dissolving into light that immediately flowed into his body as the system interface appeared before him.

[Which skill do you wish to upgrade?]

"Crimson Dance," Leon answered without hesitation, a faint grin forming on his lips as he made his choice.

Under normal circumstances, upgrading that skill from level 2 to level 5 would have required a massive amount of [Skill Stones], one hundred and fifty, which was not something most players could casually afford.

But now, he didn’t have to spend a single one.

Ding!

[You have upgraded "Crimson Dance (Ascendant Lv.2)" to "Eclipse Dance (Ascendant Lv.5)"]

[Eclipse Dance (Ascendant Lv.5): When facing an enemy, focus your power into your sword to send hundreds of eclipse slashes at them, each one holding the power of a fading eclipse. The range has been significantly increased.]

Leon’s smile widened as he read through the new description, already imagining the destructive potential behind it, especially when combined with his current stats and enhancements.

"Amazing... with this, I should be able to deal with much stronger enemies without any problem," he murmured, clearly satisfied with the result.

An ascendant-rank skill was already terrifying even at its lowest level, but now that it had reached level 5, combined with his weapon’s blessing that doubled the strength of his physical attacks, Leon was confident that even monsters with two million combat power wouldn’t be able to withstand it for long.

Once he was done with that, his attention shifted toward the staff in his hand: the [Destiny Staff].

A long, obsidian-black staff veined with flowing shadows, crowned by a fractured crystal that pulsed with deep, devouring darkness.

Leon slowly tightened his grip around it, feeling the immense power contained within, before closing his eyes and focusing inward, allowing his heartbeat to align with the rhythm of the [Blood Heart] inside his chest.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A faint crimson glow began to spread from within him, slowly traveling through his arm and into the staff, merging with its dark aura as the energy fused together.

Ding!

[You have used the "Blood Heart" on the "Destiny Staff"]

Leon expected the process to end there, with a slight change in the staff’s appearance like before, but instead, another notification appeared immediately after.

Ding!

[Since you have blessed five items, your "Blood Heart" has grown stronger.]

Leon blinked in surprise, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden development.