Kara stared at the contract, her heart pounding. The weight of the words before her was impossible to ignore. This was more than just an agreement; it was a binding partnership, one that demanded complete trust from both of them.

"You're asking a lot of me," she said softly, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of the contract. "But you're also giving a lot."

Sora nodded, his gaze steady. "I am. If we're going to survive what's coming, we need to be on the same page. And I need to know that when things get rough, you won't hesitate."

Kara's breath caught, but she didn't take long to decide. With a deep inhale, she placed her hand on the contract. The moment her palm touched it, a surge of mana pulsed between them. The contract dissolved into a flash of light, and a notification appeared before both of them:

[Contract Sealed: Trust and Power Agreement between Kara Spirine and Ralph Eden.]

Sora gave a small nod, satisfied. "Now we can begin."

Kara exhaled slowly, still processing what she'd just committed to. She wasn't sure what lay ahead, but the weight of the contract made it clear—there was no turning back now.

Sora stood, observing her closely as the contract sealed. He could feel a shift in the energy between them, an unspoken bond forming. Kara, still reeling from the intensity of the moment, asked, "Where do we start?"

Sora's gaze sharpened. "First, I need to know what you're working with. Your skills, your status... everything."

Kara blinked, surprised. "What? My... status? You want me to share that with you?"

In their world, sharing one's status was considered a deep violation of privacy. It was like revealing your greatest strengths and vulnerabilities, something most players guarded fiercely.

Before she could respond, Sora acted. Without hesitation, he shared his status first, and his window appeared in front of her.

Kara's eyes widened as she read the details. Her mouth opened slightly, but the words seemed to fail her as her gaze landed on his real name:

Sora Hashino.

Two names? Why did he have two names?

Her eyes darted downward, scanning the rest of his status, and that's when her shock deepened.

Power Level: 36 billion.

Her breath hitched. That was... absurd. How could anyone at level 62 have that kind of power? 'What the heck!'

She kept reading, each new detail adding to her confusion.

His skill list was endless—skills spanning multiple classes, ranging from swordsmanship to mana amplification and body forging, all mastered at a level she hadn't thought possible. Many of his skills were perfected, the ultimate form of a skill honed to its maximum potential. She was aware that skills could be upgraded to such level when perfectly honed, but she had always expected it to be something for the endgame.

But then, something else caught her attention.

Supreme Skills:

There were two. He had two supreme skills. Kara had never heard of people possessing even one, and here was Sora with two. Her fingers hovered over the details, but she didn't dare open them. Instead, her gaze moved lower, falling upon something even more personal.

Innate Skill: Prestige.

Her breath caught in her throat. "He has an innate skill… like me," she whispered, barely able to believe it.

Sora stood quietly, watching as Kara's eyes scanned his status, her expression shifting between shock, confusion, and awe. Her mouth opened and closed several times, as if she were struggling to process everything she was seeing.

Kara's hand trembled slightly as she took in the full scope of his abilities. She had always believed her innate skill was unique, something rare in their world. But here was Sora, not only with an innate skill but also two supreme skills. Who was he?

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Noticing her shock, Sora gave a small, knowing smile. He had anticipated this. It wasn't every day someone encountered a background as strange as his.

Finally, Kara found her voice, though it was barely above a whisper. "What... what is this? You're called... Sora Hashino? And you also have an innate skill?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Ralph Eden is just the name I use for now, but my real name is Sora. And yes, I have an innate skill. So do you, apparently."

Kara blinked, still trying to wrap her mind around it. "But your power level... 36 billion? How? And... supreme skills? How can one person have so many abilities across so many classes?"

Sora shrugged nonchalantly. "It wasn't easy. But I've reset several times using my innate skill, Prestige. Each reset gives me a multiplier, and every time, I grow faster, stronger."

Kara stared at him, torn between admiration and intimidation. She was starting to understand why Sora had insisted on the contract. This wasn't just about trust—it was about sharing the kind of knowledge that few people on Earth possessed. And now, she was part of that secret. She felt relieved, though, that he saw her as worthy of this level of trust.

"So... this is why you need to know about my skills too?" Kara asked cautiously. "To make sure we're on equal footing?"

Sora nodded. "Exactly. If we're going to train together and fight together, I need to understand your abilities. That's the only way I can help you grow and ensure we both survive. You've seen mine. Now it's your turn."

Kara hesitated for a moment. Sharing one's status was deeply personal, but Sora had already taken the first step. It was only fair she reciprocated. With a deep breath, Kara summoned her own status window and shared it with Sora.

[Status Update]

Profile: Kara Spirine

Status: Alive

Class: Vital Sage (Class level 1 / Player Level 66)

Power Level: 3 billion

Body Level: AA

Energy Level: AA

Skills:

(…)

Innate Skill:

• Time-Bending

Sora's eyes quickly scanned through her status, his expression remaining neutral as he analyzed her skills and abilities. It was clear Kara had potential, particularly with her ability to manipulate life force directly in addition to mana thanks to her new class. However, it was also evident that she had much to learn before she could stand alongside him as an equal. Her new class was powerful, but her skill levels were too low since she had just recently changed.

"Your basic skills," Sora began thoughtfully. "They're good, but the levels are low. You've got a lot of room for growth considering the class change and the lack of class skills. And... you have an innate skill too. That's… impressive."

Kara nodded, her confidence faltering slightly. "Yeah, I thought it was unique. But now I see… maybe it's not as special as I thought."

Sora shook his head. "No, it is special. Your innate skill has incredible potential. We just need to refine it."

He paused as he checked the description of her innate skill.

Innate Skill: Time-Bending

Description:

Time-Bending grants the user the ability to manipulate time within a controlled zone, including themselves and any entities within the area. The user can slow, accelerate the flow of time inside the zone.

Effects:

Option 1: The affected zone can be placed away from the user, reducing mana consumption.

Option 2: Locked (Level 70)

Option 3: Locked (Level 90)

Option 4: Locked (Level 100)

Sora's gaze lingered on the description. Kara had incredible potential with this skill. With the right training, her ability to manipulate time could make her a key player in future battles. He nodded, knowing they could work with this.

"You're stronger than you think," Sora said quietly, his tone matter-of-fact. "Let's discuss how you can grow now."

Sora glanced back at Kara after reading her status, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered her abilities. Her Time-Bending skill was intriguing, but he knew that raw potential wouldn't be enough. They needed to put it to the test.

"Alright, Kara," he said, stepping back and gesturing toward her. "Let's see what you can do. Use [Time-Bending]."

Kara blinked, slightly startled. "Right now?"

"Right now." Sora's tone was firm but calm. "I need to understand how your skill works in practice, not just theory. Let's try a few things."

Kara nodded, a little unsure but ready to give it her all. She closed her eyes, summoning her mana and letting it flow through her body. A faint shimmer rippled through the air as her [Time-Bending] skill activated, forming a controlled zone around them both.

Sora immediately noticed the shift. Everything outside the range of Kara's skill seemed to speed up drastically, but within the zone, everything felt normal. The world around them blurred, the trees swaying faster, the sun moving quicker across the sky, yet inside their time-altered space, it was as if nothing had changed.

He took a step forward, testing his movement. It felt completely natural, just like before. He moved his hand through the air, expecting resistance or sluggishness, but there was none. It felt just as it always did.

He glanced at Kara. "I don't feel any different," he said, his voice sounding completely normal to both of them. But as he looked past the boundary of the time zone, he could see the world outside racing by. It was clear that from an external perspective, time inside Kara's field had slowed significantly.

Kara nodded. "Inside the zone, we don't feel the change. But everything outside is moving faster. From their perspective, we're moving in slow motion."

Sora stepped closer to the edge of the field, watching the outside world zip past. "Interesting. So from inside, it's normal, but from the outside, we're slower."