“Are you sure you don’t want any of them, Blanche? The cloak could be yours if you want.”

Man, distributing the rewards between party members was hard. Some items were too specific to be given to anyone and some items were too useful that everyone could use them. As the group leader, I had the final say on which item went to which person, and being fair was really difficult.

Blanche looked at me with an expression I couldn’t read.

“I do not need it. Wouldn’t it be better in your hands?”

She replied, crossing her arms. Her words were surprisingly selfless but I couldn’t help to think it was her way of trying to not tie herself too tight with us. Huh. Guess that's what she tried to do when she gave me items way back. It is kind of funny. I could push further but instead, I nodded, accepting her answer for now.

“Alright. Artemeni gets the Stone Key. Aurora gets the orb and Thalia the mirror. I get the arrow since I am the only one who has a bow. Guess the cloak stays in my inventory.”

As our main close combat specialist, it was easy to decide who would get the key. The orb and mirror were more tricky. Both could gone to Aurora as they would help her magic casting greatly but Thalia being able to stack buffs and healing sounded better than just offensive magic.

“Alright. Since everyone is well rested, we can start discussing the second floor.”

Even though we were on the second floor, we hadn’t entered the challenge area. We were camping on the “edge”. We had been awake for around 24 hours when we finished the last trial.

“From what I could gather,” I began, “it’s structured like a field battle. We will have constant minion waves on our side but also against us. All of our skills will be de-ranked into E rank and our stats will decrease to 10. We will have to gain them back by gaining experience which is acquired by killing minions, natural mobs, or enemy champions.”

The group exchanged glances, some looking intrigued, others wary.

“Field battle, huh?” Thalia muttered, brow furrowing as she considered the implications. “So we’re basically... starting from scratch?”

“Yeah,” I confirmed, nodding. “All that training, all those ranks and boosts—it’s going to be stripped down. We’ll need to rebuild from the ground up and adapt on the fly. The idea is for us to focus on strategy and resourcefulness. It’s not about raw power but how we apply it.”

Aurora looked deep in thought. “If we’re all forced to start at E-rank, then everyone—minions included—is bound by the same limitations. That means we can’t just rely on sheer strength to break through, can we?”

“Exactly,” I replied. “It’s all about coordination. We’ll be balancing offense and defense, pushing forward but also knowing when to fall back. We’ll need a solid plan, especially since there’ll be enemy champions, likely with some nasty tricks up their sleeves.”

I cracked my neck.

“Well, there are more things. We will each have to take a role. Tank, Ganker, Mage, Ranger and Support. Depending on our role, we will receive some buffs and some debuffs. Artemeni, you will be our tank. Your job will be to soak the damage and block enemies from getting to the Ranger and Mage. Blanche you will be the Ganker. You have to slay the natural mobs and help the others. Aurora will be the mage and Thalia will be the support.”

As I assigned each of them their roles, I could sense the shift in their expressions—some resolute, others a bit hesitant. The challenge ahead was like nothing we’d tackled before. Starting with base stats meant we couldn’t rely on our usual strengths; even the most seasoned among us would be on even footing with lesser enemies. Honestly, I couldn’t help to get excited. Growing strong was good but the stronger I was the fewer opportunities I had to see my flaws and improve.

“Bark!”

Gökbörü headbutted my thigh to get my attention. I patted his head.

“Of course, you are with me, you furball.”

With the roles set, I gathered everyone in a huddle.

“Alright, let’s go. Remember to stay safe.”

We stepped forward, crossing the boundary into the second-floor arena. The world around us shifted immediately—a vast battlefield materializing with jagged cliffs, broken fortresses, and barren plains scattered with abandoned siege equipment. Dark storm clouds churned above, casting an ominous light over the terrain, broken only by distant flashes of lightning.

(You entered the challenge of the second floor.)

(All of your stats decrease to 10.)

(All of your skills are lowered to E rank.)

(Choose one role: Tank, Ganker, Mage, Ranger, Support.)

“Ranger.”

(You choose the Ranger role. Your melee attacks will have no effect on the enemy. All of your ranged attacks increase in effectiveness based on your level.)

(Growth of your defensive stats decreases, and growth of your offensive stats increases.)

(Your precision increases greatly. The effectiveness of your armor decreases greatly.)

(You acquired passive skill Piercing Shot.)

(Your movement speed increases greatly.)

(Destroy enemy towers and nexus while protecting yours to conquer the second floor.)

“Artemeni, to the top lane. Aurora to mid. Blanche, you will start from our side of the jungle. Thalia and I will be at the bottom lane. Unfortunately, we won’t to able to communicate. Though it could be possible after Aurora levels up. ”

The team took their positions, each member slipping into a role they hadn’t fully experienced before. As we spread out, I felt a mix of anticipation and a twinge of nervousness. Starting from scratch with stripped-down stats and reduced skill ranks was no easy feat, even for us. Artemeni gave a reassuring nod as she trudged up the rocky incline toward the top lane, her massive form already embodying the resilience we’d need from her. Aurora moved toward the center, her eyes fixed forward with determination, clearly ready to test her magic in this altered state. Blanche was already a blur, vanishing into the jungle to hunt natural mobs and level up. Thalia, meanwhile, stood beside me, her gaze steady. We were in sync, each aware of the stakes.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

(You are in close proximity to your Support. You gain a small shield.)

We were at the protective range of our third tower. When I ventured forward, I saw the enemy’s tower and its protective range and came back.

With a deep breath, I notched an arrow, adjusting to the new weight of my stats and the slight dip in power. I couldn't help the grin tugging at my lips.

“Heh. This reminds me of a game back in my world.”

Thalia turned to me, clearly surprised.

“You had this kind of game in your world, Champion?”

“Yeah, something like this. We’d call it a ‘MOBA,’” I replied, keeping my eyes on the landscape, picking out potential positions for cover and ambush. “A battlefield split into lanes, enemy waves coming at you, and you’d have to rely on teamwork. Though, I’ve never played it on a field as real as this.”

Thalia’s face softened in amusement, though her brow remained furrowed. “Perhaps the gods inspired your people to prepare for this… it seems oddly fitting.” She shook her head with a small smile.

I doubted that but I didn’t say it. I remember skipping school to go to internet cafes with my friends before the invasion of the Horde started. It felt so far away now.

I shook my head. No point in remising now. Especially not when minions are coming. They looked like what might expect minions to look like. They reached around my waist, holding somehow cartoonish-looking swords, shields, bows, and staffs. Their entire body was covered with robes, obscuring what was under them. I could only see two red lights where their eyes should be. Ours were wearing red robes while the enemy wore blue.

“They are, somehow cute.”

Thalia said, picking up one of ours. It let out some weird noises and struggled to let go.

“What will be our strategy, Champion?”

She asked as she let go of the minion. Watching the minion toddle back into formation, I considered Thalia’s question, shifting my gaze to the advancing waves of blue-robed minions marching toward us in the bottom lane.

“Our first priority,” I said, “is to focus on leveling up as quickly as possible. The faster we grow, the sooner we can push toward their towers without getting overwhelmed by the minions or an ambush from their champions. We need to kill off their minions, gather experience, and stay close to the tower for added protection if they decide to press us.”

Thalia nodded thoughtfully. “So, we keep a balance, neither too cautious nor too aggressive?”

“Exactly,” I confirmed. “But once we have some experience and our skills improve, we’ll start pushing forward. For now, let the enemy come to us.”

I released my first arrow, aiming carefully at an approaching minion. As the arrow pierced through its cloak, it let out a bizarre, squeaky wail before vanishing into a puff of smoke, leaving a faint shimmer of light as experience filtered toward me.

“It is weird seeing them fight each other when they look so cartoonish.”

They didn’t bleed or leave a body.

Thalia gracefully weaved her own support magic through our ranks, granting minor buffs that helped our minions hold their ground longer and whittle down the enemy.

“Don’t overdo it, Thalia. If we push hard the enemy ganker can catch us. And speak of the devil…”

Two humanoid figures entered my vision. Enemy Ranger and Support, I thought to myself.

“Gökbörü. Can you patrol the jungle on our side? If you meet Blanche, get her to our side. If you see enemy Ganker, run back to me.”

He exited out of my shadow. I wasn’t sure how the floor classified Gökbörü but I guessed it saw him as a part of me. Wolf pup laid low as he ran towards the jungle, sticking the shadows to the best of his ability while borrowing my Shadow Melt.

“Thalia, we will wait for Gökbörü. Watch them and gain experience.”

I watched how they moved behind our minion wave, sometimes shooting one or two arrows to stop them from pushing us back to our tower. Both the Ranger and Support looked like what you would expect from a cheap MOBA. The enemy Ranger had an oversized, feathered cap and mismatched armor, and his partner, the Support, wore an odd mix of robes and metallic armor plates that looked barely functional. The way they moved was cautious as if they knew we were watching, but neither seemed overly eager to commit just yet. Their roles seemed clear—they were here to probe us, maybe test the waters before launching a full offensive.

I nodded, still scanning the treeline. “They might be stalling. Their ganker could be lying in wait, hoping to ambush us if we get reckless. This phase of the fight is as much about patience as it is about power.”

Moments later, Gökbörü reappeared from the jungle, his small but fierce form visible as he trotted over, a triumphant look in his eyes.

“She is around? Alright. We are going in the offensive.”

I checked my stats, seeing that I was in the 20 range. Good. This should be enough. I pulled Stormclad Arrow, fusing mana into it. I activated Arrow Rain as I released, killing the enemy minion wave and forcing the enemy champions to back away.

“Gökbörü, just focus on slowing them.”

I activated Monstrous Strength as Gökbörü jumped into my arms and I threw him towards the enemy champions. At the same time, Blanche exited out of the jungle, running to cut them off. The enemy Ranger's eyes widened, clearly caught off guard by the sudden offensive. As Gökbörü hurtled toward them, Blanche shot forward in a blur, her movements swift and merciless. The enemy Support scrambled, waving his staff to try and form a protective barrier, but it was too late. Blanche’s blade glinted as she struck, forcing them to retreat, stumbling backward to avoid her ruthless assault.

Gökbörü landed with a quiet snarl, nipping at the Ranger's heels, keeping him on the defensive. My arrow rained down, scattering the enemy minions and allowing our own wave to surge forward, pressing them back toward their tower but I wasn’t going to let them escape so easily. Activating Armor Collapsing Claw, I put most of my mana into my arrow, nailing the enemy Ranger right in the forehead. The Support panicked but Blanche had the same idea as me and finished it off. Both of them turned to mist.

At the same time, I felt a huge increase in experience. Killing champions gave more experience. Who could have guessed?

(You defeated Level 1 Ranger and Support. Level 2 Ranger and Support will spawn in 1 minute.)

“Good job everyone. Let’s get the first tower before they arrive.”