Sora studied her, impressed. "So, what else did you unlock?"

Kara's eyes lit up. "Well, thanks to the prolonged use of my [Time-Bending] skill, I made significant progress in refining my mana. My mana quality has greatly improved. I can feel that I can increase the time difference factor by 220 if I push it to the maximum" She paused for a moment before adding, "And I also developed a new ability: [Mana Absorber]. It's a skill that boosts my mana regeneration, lets me actively absorb mana if needed, and even increases my mana pool over time."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of options"

Kara nodded. "Yes. It was Epic when I first unlocked it, but toward the end of the year, it evolved into a Unique skill. It's one of the main changes, aside from a few other minor boosts to my mental strength, concentration, and overall abilities."

Sora crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Not bad. But now that you've refined your mana, what do you want to focus on next?"

Kara tilted her head slightly. "I'm not sure. I can either train my life force skills or work on improving my control over [Time-Bending]. Both have a lot of potential."

Sora's eyes narrowed slightly, considering the options. "Both paths are important. I don't want to limit your growth or push you in a direction that doesn't suit you. But I can offer advice if you want."

Kara's smile widened. "I trust your advice. You're more experienced, and I'd love to hear your opinion."

Sora looked up, reflecting on his own journey. "In the past, I unlocked fake skills in batches and then trained them. Once I filled in any weaknesses with other skills, I focused on refining each one. In your case, you only have [Fake Heal] right now, and honestly, it's not enough. You need a range of skills to match your new class and capabilities."

Kara nodded in understanding but grimaced slightly. "I get it, but I'm not thrilled about spending another year to get a new skill."

Sora waved a hand dismissively. "It won't take as long this time, not with the support of your Supreme Skill. You'll progress faster."

Kara looked thoughtful for a moment. "I had 14 skills I mastered in the past. Maybe I should focus on recreating those."

Sora nodded. "That's a good start, but focus on quality over quantity. Having too many healing spells, for example, is redundant. What skills do you want to bring back?"

Kara listed them one by one:

A skill that removes damage over time (DoT) effects and purifies poison. A skill that removes crowd control effects. A strength buff. A speed buff. An HP buff. A defense buff. A mana regeneration buff when immobile. A boost to healing abilities.

Sora nodded as he listened. "Good. Focus on mastering these. They cover a broad range of uses and will support both yourself and others. Ignore the healing abilities skill. It's probably useless because of your Supreme skill. However you can also train you new class inside"

Kara smiled, her determination evident. "I'll do that. Should I start training now?"

Sora raised an eyebrow. "It's up to you"

Kara nodded enthusiastically, her motivation clear. "Here we go again"

They both prepared for another round of training, and Kara activated her [Time-Bending] ability, creating a time bubble around herself. This time, she pushed the limits of the skill, accelerating time by 200 times.

Inside the bubble, Kara concentrated. She could still go faster, but she didn't want to risk draining Sora's mana too quickly. When she checked on him, Sora appeared frozen, standing outside the bubble with one finger in the barrier, slowly releasing mana into the bubble.

Stolen story; please report.

Kara smiled to herself, grateful for his support. With his help, she could focus entirely on mastering her skills.

As she began practicing, Kara noticed something different. The obstacles that had once made controlling life force difficult had disappeared. In the past, manipulating life force felt like wrangling a group of unruly children, but now, it flowed easily. It was almost too easy.

She spent hours honing her skills, and before long, she had successfully recreated many of the abilities she had mastered in the past. After that, she switched to learning and mastering skills of her class. She didn't have many as her new class was low level.

After a while ...

Hiyoko, who had been playing cards with Sora, was the first to react. They both stared at Kara, speechless.

"You're back already?" Sora asked, blinking in surprise.

Kara smirked. "I've been watching you two play cards for 3 days already. Last time it was a whole year. Don't you get bored? "

Embarrassed, Sora quickly shuffled the cards away. "We were just passing the time."

Kara chuckled but got serious again as she shared the list of skills she had recreated. Sora glanced over the list, impressed by how quickly she had mastered them.

"Not bad," he said, his tone flat but approving. "But don't get too cocky. You've recreated them, but now you need to master them."

Kara grinned but didn't let his words deflate her. "I know, I know. I'll keep training."

Before she returned to training, Kara shared her skill list with Hiyoko, showing off to her. However, the little bird was unimpressed.

Kara returned to the bubble, focusing this time on perfecting the skills she could use on herself. After a few more days of accelerated training, she emerged again, having pushed most of her skills to their perfected forms.

Sora stood up, Hiyoko perched on his shoulder. "I think it's time for a break. I haven't seen my parents for a few days, and it might be good to visit them before we leave France."

Kara was surprised by the suggestion but nodded. "That sounds nice."

After gathering their belongings, Sora took the lead, carrying Kara on his back as he sprinted toward his parents' house in Ales. Kara protested at first, hitting his back and demanding he release her, but Sora ignored her. He ran so fast that the world around them blurred, and Kara, unable to see anything clearly, eventually gave up her complaints.

When they reached the door of Sora's parents' home, both of them fell silent, the weight of the moment settling in.

As Sora and Kara stepped into the warm, cozy home, the familiar scent of baked bread and the soft murmur of a television greeted them. Kara took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, unsure of how to interact in this family setting.

Before she could gather her thoughts, a booming voice cut through the air. "Sora! You brought a girl home?" Sora's father appeared from the living room, his eyes wide with playful disbelief. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

Sora rolled his eyes, already bracing himself for the barrage of teasing. "Dad, please."

But his mother had already crossed the room, her hands gently reaching out to Kara's. "Oh my, you're absolutely beautiful!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with genuine warmth. "Look at you. Such a lovely young woman!"

Sora looked at her, as he didn't take a closer look the first time he looked at her.

Kara's dark auburn hair now cascaded just below her shoulders, its soft waves giving her a natural, effortless elegance that hinted at the year she had spent training in the time bubble.

The length of her hair framed her face, accentuating her sharp brown eyes, which had gained a newfound depth. Despite the fierceness in her gaze, Kara still exuded an approachable, gentle energy.

Hearing the compliment and sensing Sora's gaze, Kara blushed, offering a polite smile. "Thank you, ma'am." She looked at him, as if hinting at him to change the subject or clarify their relationship !

Sora's father, not to be outdone, moved closer and gave Kara a quick once-over before nodding in approval. "You know," he began, glancing at Sora with a grin, "she reminds me of Lara. That same kind and gentle vibe."

Sora's mother tilted her head in thought, then smiled. "You're right. She does give off that warm, easygoing feeling." She looked back at Kara, her eyes soft with affection. "It's a wonderful energy to have. You must be very special."

Kara, caught between the compliments and the family dynamic, shifted awkwardly. She was used to quests and farming, not this familial warmth. "Thank you," she managed to say, her smile remaining polite. "It's really nice to meet you both."

Before the conversation could get too sentimental, Sora's father chimed in again. "As long as they're your friends, i'm happy with anyone you bring home, son"

Sora finally spoke up, eager to move things along. "Mom, Dad, this is Kara Spirine, my… teammate."

Sora's father, Henri, and mother, Marie, now properly introduced, nodded warmly at Kara. The teasing from before softened, and Marie gestured toward the kitchen. "Why don't you both stay for dinner? It's nearly ready."

Kara smiled gratefully. "It would be lovely, thank you."

Marie turned to Sora, raising an eyebrow. "You go set the table. Let the girl relax after traveling with you."

Sora sighed but did as he was told, disappearing into the kitchen.