Sora stood in the center of the clearing, surrounded by his teammates who were all bracing themselves for the trial.

He wasn't here to die, not today. Even if it came to that, he had his way out. Prestige would let him reset, but that wasn't an option he was keen on using unless absolutely necessary. Changing identities was a hassle, and reappearing as Sora would carry its own risks. What if Kara met him outside the dungeon and recognized him? It would be awkward, to say the least. 'No, it is better to avoid that situation altogether' he thought.

Besides, Sora had other concerns. 'What if Rachel has leveled up even further? What if she has level 80 or 90 allies ready to crush me again? Resetting won't save me forever if I don't have the strength to back it up. No, this trial was a good opportunity for growth. I'm not going to waste it.'

"10,000 mobs?" Sora muttered to himself. "Sounds like a lot of experience points."

His resolve solidified, and a familiar rush surged through his body. He had just leveled up after the last battle, and every time he gained a level, it felt like the ceiling of his power had been ripped off, letting him climb even higher.

He immediately set his body to forging mode, absorbing mana, expanding his strength, and hitting that new peak in an instant. His skills activated as if by instinct, his body surging with fresh power. This time, he wasn't going to hold back.

"Let's finish this," he thought as he rotated his abilities, feeling his entire system click into high gear.

Without hesitation, Sora turned to the voice. "Do we have to wait five minutes between waves?"

The voice paused, surprised at the question. "You may summon the next wave at any time. But you should to take use what remains of the five minutes to recover."

Kara, Thierry, Céline, and Amélie exchanged bewildered looks. "Five minutes isn't enough to fight and rest ! Why would anyone want to rush things?" Thierry muttered, confused.

Before anyone could react, Sora extended his hand, summoning Mana Shields around each of his teammates. The glowing blue barriers shimmered into existence, wrapping protectively around them.

Amélie glanced at her shield, then back at Sora. "Why now? We haven't even started yet. The first waves shouldn't be that bad, right? Don't waste your mana !!"

Céline frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion. "We're not even at the hard part. Shouldn't we save this for later?"

Sora just smirked. He didn't bother explaining. Instead, he spoke to the voice again, his tone firm. "Release every wave. Send them all at once. Whether it's a hundred or a thousand, I don't care."

The silence that followed his words was heavy. Even the voice seemed taken aback.

"Are you sure?" The voice sounded almost suspicious. "Do you wish to shorten your life and end this trial prematurely? If you seek to sabotage this potential disciple's chance, it's useless. She may return for the trial at a later time if she wishes."

Sora's voice was unwavering. "Don't worry about it. I'm serious. Send them all."

The voice hesitated, then shifted its attention to Kara. "This is your trial. Do you agree to this? Or do you wish to take the standard path?"

Kara, her face pale, turned to Sora. "What are you doing?" Her voice was shaky, filled with uncertainty. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

Sora met her gaze, his expression intense. "Trust me. Areva sent me to help you, and that's what I'm going to do. You haven't chosen the path to walk on yet, but i can show you the path I have chosen. And there's no place for hesitation in my path. No second guessing"

There was something in his eyes that made Kara pause. His calm, his confidence—it was overwhelming. In that moment, she felt small, like a child standing before a beast. His aura was so powerful, so intimidating, that she could feel it deep in her bones. This wasn't a man pretending to be strong. He was strong.

Kara swallowed, her mind racing. Could he really handle this? He seemed so sure, so determined. If there was anyone who could pull this off, maybe it was him. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Do as he says."

The voice, still somewhat skeptical, responded, "Very well. All waves shall be released at once. Prepare yourselves."

The moment the voice finished speaking, the ground trembled. The air grew heavy, thick with the promise of violence. In the distance, the sounds of countless beasts echoed—growls, howls, and the thudding of thousands of paws against the ground. The sheer number of enemies approaching was staggering.

Céline's grip tightened on her shield. "What… what did we just agree to?"

Amélie's face had gone pale. "There's no way we can fight all of these."

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Thierry's sword trembled in his hands. "This is insane. Ralph, are you out of your mind? We're going to die..."

But Sora didn't answer. His focus was locked on the approaching horde, his senses heightened, his body primed for battle. The pressure around them was suffocating, the weight of thousands of enemies bearing down on them. The first wave of beasts appeared on the horizon, a dark, endless mass of snarling creatures.

Kara's breath caught in her throat. She could feel the overwhelming pressure of the mobs approaching. Her hands were shaking. 'Is this still my trial ?' she wondered.

As the beasts closed in, Sora took a deep breath and clenched his fists. His mana surged, filling his body with strength. The ground beneath him cracked as he took his stance, ready to face the onslaught.

"Let's wrap this up," he muttered, his smirk widening.

The trial had begun.

Sora vanished from his position in the blink of an eye, his movements too fast for anyone to track. The others barely had time to react as a massive panther lunged toward Amélie from the back.

She hastily knocked an arrow, her breath hitching as the monster's snarling face loomed closer. But before she could even release her shot, a brilliant flash cut through the air.

Sora's sword had sliced clean through the panther, splitting it in half.

Yet, the spectacle didn't end there.

As the panther's body collapsed to the ground, more than ten beasts behind it were instantly vaporized into ash, their bodies crumbling before they could even understand what had happened. The team stood in awe, frozen by the sheer force of the attack. It wasn't just the panther that had died—Sora's sword sweep had obliterated an entire group of monsters in one motion.

[Level Up!]

[You are now Level 52.]

A bright light enveloped Sora's figure, signaling another level-up. The group remembered that he was only level 50 when they had entered the dungeon, yet his strength had already surpassed their wildest expectations.

His muscles ripple with every strike, his body pulsing with raw energy. It was as if he were evolving before their eyes, growing stronger by the second. Kara snapped out of her trance and quickly began casting buffs on him. She infused him with spells that enhanced his speed, strength, and a protective shield to reinforce his defense.

Sora felt the magic coursing through him, his senses sharpening even further. He nodded in approval. "Not bad," he muttered, the hint of a grin tugging at his lips. But he wanted more. "Just focus on speed and attack power," he called to Kara over his shoulder. "Forget the other buffs."

Kara hesitated for a split second, but then complied. She poured everything she had into boosting his speed and attack strength, amplifying his already devastating blows.

And then, just like that, Sora was gone again, moving faster than anyone could comprehend.

From the team's perspective, all they could see was a blur, darting between the swarms of enemies. One moment, he was slicing through a wolf-like beast, the next he was cutting down entire packs of monsters as if they were nothing. Every time his sword swung, a shockwave of destruction followed, vaporizing creatures in his path.

The others watched in disbelief.

"What the hell is going on?" Thierry muttered, his voice barely audible. "Is he… is he hiding his real level? He has to be at least level 70, right?"

"No way," Amélie whispered, her eyes wide. "He's leveling up! We saw it happen. He's not hiding anything. He really is… overwhelming."

Céline's shield trembled in her hand as she stood there, dumbfounded. "Is this… is this what true geniuses look like?"

Each time Sora killed a group of monsters, his level increased again. With every surge of power, his body underwent rapid transformation. He activated his body-forging techniques, refining his muscles, bones, and organs, and every time he did, his strength skyrocketed to new heights.

At first, the team could still catch glimpses of him as he moved. But soon, Sora became nothing more than a blur—a streak of light weaving in and out of the hordes of beasts. It became nearly impossible to track him with their eyes, and at times, he was completely invisible, only reappearing for an instant before vanishing again to slay the next group of monsters.

The pressure of the waves, which had seemed insurmountable just moments ago, was now nothing more than a backdrop to Sora's slaughter. His sword danced through the air, cutting down anything and everything in his path. His power was terrifying. It wasn't just that he was fast—he was efficient. He knew exactly where to strike, and his mana control was flawless. Every movement was calculated, and no energy was wasted.

The fight became a massacre. The once overwhelming waves of beasts stood no chance against Sora's relentless assault. Each swing of his sword felled dozens, and every minute his strength grew. The sound of the beasts' howls and roars was soon drowned out by the sound of Sora's blade cleaving through the air, followed by the heavy thuds of bodies hitting the ground.

Kara, Thierry, Céline, and Amélie could do little but watch in awe and disbelief. The shields on them seemed indestructible, and they could even sit down and watch if they wanted.

They had prepared themselves for a trial of endurance, for a desperate struggle against impossible odds, but Sora had turned it into a one-man battle of absolute dominance.

The beasts kept coming, stepping on bodies of fallen beasts, but Sora showed no signs of slowing down. His body continued to radiate raw, overwhelming power, and every time he leveled up, he pushed his abilities even further. His speed reached the point where he was nothing but a flicker of light—appearing only for the briefest of moments before vanishing again.

By the time the last group of beasts arrived, the clearing was littered with the remains of countless monsters. Blood soaked the ground, and the air was thick with the scent of death. Yet Sora stood at the center of it all, his breathing steady, his sword gleaming in the dim light.

The trial was over.

The beasts bodies turned into light, and the clearing was eerily silent once more, leaving not even one item behind. The others could hardly believe it—they had barely lifted a finger, and yet the trial had been won. All because of one man.

Sora sheathed his sword, turning back to the group with a satisfied smile. "I told you. We'll wrap this up quickly."

Kara's knees nearly buckled from the relief, her heart pounding in her chest. "How… how are you… this strong?"

Sora shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I got lucky"

Thierry, Amélie, and Céline exchanged glances, still trying to process what they had just witnessed. He was something else entirely—something they had never encountered before.

Kara, catching her breath, slowly nodded. "Thank you, Ralph… You just saved our lives."

Sora chuckled softly. "I gained more from this than you did"