The last three skills Sora had unlocked were immensely powerful, each one pushing the boundaries of what he thought was possible. They weren't just mere imitations anymore—like True Mana Strike, they had evolved into something greater. These new techniques transcended the original class-based skills they once mirrored, making them potent weapons in their own right.
But with this newfound strength came a consequence.
Sora glanced down at the broken remains of his sword. It had finally given out in his last battle against a relentless Silverclaw Bear. He clenched the hilt in his hand, knowing the blade wasn't built to handle the raw force he was now able to channel through it. His mana had outgrown the weapon.
He sighed, knowing it was inevitable. He had spent the last seven days out here in the wild, longer than he had planned. His supplies were running low, and his inventory was nearly full with the spoils of his hunts. But more importantly, he was out of food. Only two loaves of bread remained, and that wouldn't be enough to sustain him for much longer.
"Time to move on," he muttered, wiping the dirt off his armor. He couldn't afford to linger without a weapon and with his supplies so low. Cordoba awaited, and he needed to reach it before his situation worsened.
Opening his inventory, Sora scanned through the items he had collected over the past week. Monster cores, high-quality bear pelts, rare herbs, and assorted drops filled the spaces between his equipment. It was a decent haul, enough to fetch a good price once he reached the city markets. Still, his bag was almost at capacity, and he'd need to offload much of it soon.
"Let's see… A few good monster cores, some materials I can sell to blacksmiths," he said to himself, mentally tallying the loot. "Enough to upgrade my gear and restock supplies."
But that wasn't all that was on his mind. The broken sword hanging at his side was a constant reminder of the fragility of his current setup. He needed better gear, but more importantly, he needed to find a class—not for the power it would grant him, but for the knowledge it held. He wasn't interested in growing stronger through the class itself; that wasn't his path.
His real goal was to learn how each class interacted with mana. He intended to steal every skill he could from these classes, understanding their inner workings so he could use them later, even after resetting. If he could learn how different classes channeled, filtered, and manipulated mana, it would only enhance his own evolution and open up new possibilities for his future growth. Every reset would be a chance to start fresh, with even more knowledge and abilities.
Finding a class was a step toward unraveling the mysteries of mana, not just gaining brute strength.
As for job opportunities, Sora couldn't count on them to earn too much gold for now. What he was truly seeking was knowledge. Certain jobs—especially specialized ones—could provide insights into the world that would affect his comprehension of mana and his path forward. Some jobs could even influence his growth direction, offering him the chance to learn things that could be integrated into his cultivation.
With Cordoba only a few hours away, Sora's plan was clear. He needed to sell his items, get better gear, and then explore the city's class offerings and job opportunities. Every piece of knowledge he gained, whether through combat or work, would feed into his larger goal—becoming something beyond the limitations of any one class or path.
His mind already raced with possibilities as he set out, leaving behind the wilds where he had spent the last seven days. It was time for the next stage of his journey—Cordoba, and the knowledge it promised.
Sora stood at the edge of the wilds, the last stretch of land between him and Córdoba in front of him. The distance was about 100 kilometers, but to him, it might as well have been 10. His body was buzzing with mana, his senses sharper than ever. He no longer cared about the dangers that lurked in the wilds—because he was the danger now.
As he began his sprint toward Córdoba, the landscape blurred past him. His strides were powerful, his legs moving at a speed that would have been impossible just days ago. Low-level beasts barely registered as obstacles. He could have stepped on them if he wanted to, but most fled before he even got close. His presence alone was enough to send weaker creatures running for cover.
For the few that dared to cross his path, Sora dispatched them with a single strike, not even slowing down. His [True Mana Strike] cut through them like a knife through butter, leaving nothing but fallen creatures in his wake. He didn't even stop to loot them—his focus was on getting to Córdoba, and his inventory was already nearing full capacity.
When it came to the higher-level beasts lurking in the wilds, Sora used his mana in a different way. Instead of trying to overpower them, he used his understanding of [Supreme skill : Mana Evolution] to mask his presence. By subtly manipulating the mana around him, he made himself nearly undetectable to these creatures, slipping through their territories without drawing their attention. The technique wasn't perfect, but it worked well enough to keep him out of trouble.
In less than half an hour, the towering walls of Córdoba came into view.
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As he approached the city gates, the familiar sight of guards and bustling traders greeted him. He slowed his pace, walking up to the guards with a confident stride. After a brief exchange, he paid the entry fee without a second thought and stepped into the city.
The first stop on his agenda: the Auction Hall.
Inside, the hall was buzzing with activity. Rows of merchants and clerks handled various transactions, and players moved from counter to counter, selling and buying loot. Sora quickly made his way to a free clerk, ready to offload the spoils of his week-long hunting spree.
One by one, the items he looted from the wilds were sold, each adding to his growing pile of wealth. The total from the loot he had collected came to 14,520 gold. Not a bad haul, considering he hadn't been focused solely on gathering items.
But that wasn't all.
He checked his inventory and smiled. He had also gathered a tidy sum of 9,750 gold directly from killing monsters. Adding that to his total:
[75,000 gold + 14,520 gold + 9,750 gold = 99,270 gold]
The final step was checking on the items he had put up for auction before leaving the last village. He had already received 28,500 gold in advance, but now it was time to collect the rest. A notification appeared as he pulled up the details of the auctioned items:
[All items sold for a total of 85,500 gold.]
After subtracting the 2% auction fee and the 28,500 gold advance, Sora was left with an additional 55,290 gold to collect.
His total earnings now stood at:
[99,270 gold + 55,290 gold = 154,560 gold]
With over 150,000 gold in his pocket, Sora was more than ready for the next phase of his journey. He could buy better gear, look into learning new classes, and maybe even experiment with different jobs. The possibilities were endless, and now, so was his potential.
He left the Auction Hall with a smirk, knowing that this was just the beginning.
Sora stepped out of the Auction Hall and into the bustling streets of Córdoba. The weight of his earnings was a satisfying reminder of his progress, but there were other things on his mind now. Buying new gear could wait. Before that, he needed to explore the city, get a better understanding of what opportunities lay ahead, and maybe—just maybe—figure out if there was something he hadn't considered yet.
He made his way to the nearest inn, checked in for a room, and quickly ordered a meal. The food was simple but hearty, and it gave him time to think. After eating, Sora decided to head to the Job Hall, a place where people went to either advance their professions or earn some money through their jobs.
The Job Hall was massive, filled with people from all walks of life. Some were seasoned adventurers, while others looked like regular townsfolk, eager to find a job. The hall was divided into sections based on various professions, with boards displaying available contracts and apprenticeships. Some people were here to increase their proficiency in a skill, while others were simply looking for a way to make gold.
Sora walked over to the board displaying the blacksmithing jobs, his most developed profession. As he scanned through the available contracts, his face twisted into a frown. Most of the jobs required a large upfront investment—paying to learn rather than earning. The system was clear: if you wanted to improve your blacksmithing skills efficiently, you had to pay for materials, equipment, and advanced training. Otherwise, you could spend years trying to gain proficiency slowly, forging basic items on your own.
"Great," he muttered to himself. "Pay to work. And here I thought I'd be earning."
Disappointed, he moved to the Herbalism section, hoping for better luck. But once again, the options were less than ideal. The board displayed two main paths for advancing herbalism.
The first option was the traditional method: go out into the wild, gather herbs, and train for free by using what you collected. But Sora knew that this method was incredibly time-consuming. It could take years to become proficient enough for the job to pay off.
The second option was to pay for efficiency—buy herbs that others had gathered, then use them to craft potions and other products to advance faster. It was faster, sure, but also expensive.
Fishing wasn't any better. The jobs on the board involved either spending days out on the water hoping for a good catch or paying for access to prime fishing spots where rare and valuable fish could be found. Both options seemed like a huge investment of time or money with little immediate reward.
Frustrated, Sora began to walk toward the exit. None of these options fit with his plans. They were too slow, too costly, or too tedious. He was about to give up and leave when he remembered there was still one job he hadn't checked.
[Human Resource Assistant.]
Sora made his way to the section for administrative jobs, half-expecting it to be empty. But when he reached the board, his eyes widened in surprise.
Twelve companies were actively looking for a Human Resource Assistant. On top of that, there were eight public offices that were offering contracts for the same role. The pay ranged from 100 gold per contract, which wasn't bad considering that most contracts didn't take too long.
"What the…?" Sora muttered. He hadn't expected such a demand for this job. He had received the skill when the world upgraded, but he had never thought much of it. After all, it had been a reflection of his previous life—his degree in human resources and his brief experience in the field before Earth was transformed. The system had translated that into a job, but he never imagined it would be useful.
And now, staring at the board, he was beginning to reconsider.
Was it worth a shot?
The contracts were lucrative enough, and he was curious about how the job worked in this new world. Could he apply his knowledge from before the update to make easy gold? Or was there something more to it that he hadn't yet considered? Sora stood there for a moment, contemplating his next move.
It looked like he was going to give this job a try after all.