Sora and Kara raced across the landscape, the speed buff coursing through them as they moved effortlessly toward Stockholm. The wind whipped against their faces, but neither of them faltered. For them, traveling at speeds that would have left most players winded was a breeze.

Before noon, they reached the edges of the city. They slowed down, Kara breathing deeply, exhilaration clear on her face. "That was... incredible!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "I need to get my speed buff to feel like this all the time."

Sora chuckled, his gaze shifting to the city ahead. "It is fun, I admit. But before you start chasing after speed, you should focus on mastering your skill set first. Speed won't matter if you can’t control your other abilities."

Kara gave a small pout but nodded in agreement. "Fine, I get it. Still, that doesn't mean you can't keep buffing me." She shot him a playful look.

Sora smiled shrugging. "It costs me nothing, so why not?"

As they approached Stockholm’s Adventurer’s Guild, Kara marveled at the bustling atmosphere. The city, nestled between rugged hills and shimmering lakes, radiated a cold beauty. The architecture reflected the city's long history, with its stone buildings standing tall against the northern winds. The people here had light-coloured hair and many had blue eyes, their expressions anxious.

As they passed through the streets, Kara and Sora noticed that many of the players seemed tense. Some wore furrowed brows, their gazes distant as if weighed down by the battles to come. Others, especially those who stood in clusters, seemed more at ease, their confidence visible in the way they carried themselves. It wasn’t long before Sora picked up on a trend: the lower-leveled players looked nervous, while those with higher levels exuded calmness, almost cocky in their certainty.

"No one's below level 70 here," Kara observed quietly. "Even the weakest ones look like they've been through hell and back."

Sora nodded, his eyes scanning the crowds. "Makes sense. We're in the capital. These people are gearing up for war. Only the strongest come to places like this."

The highest-level players stood out the most. Sora noticed that the truly powerful ones—the groups of players above level 80 and even 90—didn't show off. They weren’t the loudest or the most boastful. They were quiet, deliberate in their movements, not wasting their energy. No aura leaked from them. In fact, they were so low-key, they almost blended into the background, their power more of a subtle hum than a loud roar.

Kara nudged Sora as she noticed the way people were looking at them. Eyes lingered on the two newcomers with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. Some seemed puzzled, as if questioning why they would show up here. Sora raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why are they looking at us like that?"

Kara shrugged, but her own uncertainty mirrored his. "I guess we don’t look like the typical level 70 players around here. Maybe they think we’re lost?"

Sora frowned. "Levels don’t mean everything."

Before they could discuss it further, a figure approached them. He was a rugged-looking man, probably in his late 30s, with a well-worn axe strapped to his back. His eyes were sharp but friendly. "Are you two diamond badge adventurers?" he asked.

Sora exchanged a glance with Kara before nodding. "Yeah, we are."

The man slapped his forehead, letting out a deep sigh. "Oh boy. You here for the war, right?"

Sora nodded again, a bit confused by the reaction. "Yeah, that's the plan."

The man shook his head, chuckling ruefully. "You know, you're not the only ones. A lot of adventurers have been coming in lately, but... there's a catch. They’re only letting 5,000 players participate. You need a shadow badge to even apply for the war now."

Kara’s eyes widened. "Shadow badge? No one mentioned that."

The man looked apologetic. "Yeah, that's the thing. Only those with shadow badges can fight. For the past three days, people have been getting turned away for not meeting the requirement. Obsidian-level players are being held in reserve in case some higher-ranked players don't show up on the day of battle. But the army also has shadow-level reserves lined up, so… let’s just say it doesn’t look good for anyone under that rank."

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Sora had a look of realization. He understood now why people had been looking at them with such skepticism. They were judging based on their badges, assuming they were too weak to compete.

The man scratched his chin, glancing at Kara. "You might have a shot, though," he said, eyes narrowing. "If you're a healer, they might make an exception for you, even if your level isn’t high enough."

Sora thanked the man before leading Kara into the Adventurer's Guild. The man looked after them for a moment, surprised by their calm confidence, but eventually dismissed his thoughts. He figured the girl might stand a chance, but the guy? Probably not.

Inside the guild, the atmosphere was different. The players here were even stronger, their presence almost suffocating in comparison to the crowd outside. Many of them were above level 90, and Sora could even feel the subtle power of some who were touching level 100. It was a milestone few ever reached in Europe.

They approached the counter, and the clerk gave them a polite but weary smile. "Welcome to the Stockholm Adventurer’s Guild. How can I assist you today?"

Sora didn’t hesitate. "We’re here for a badge assessment. I’m applying for the shadow badge."

The clerk blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Shadow badge? Are you sure you don’t mean Obsidian?"

Sora’s gaze didn’t waver. "Shadow."

The clerk studied him for a moment, as if trying to gauge whether he was serious, then shifted his attention to Kara. She gave a confident nod, showing that she was just as serious.

After a brief pause, the clerk cleared her throat. "Very well. Please follow me."

They were led downstairs, and just like in Paris, they passed through a door and found themselves teleported to a different space.

In front of them was an arena, its stands filled with hundreds of players watching. Some sat, others stood, but all had their eyes fixed on the center where tests were already being conducted. Kara glanced at Sora, curious. "Why are there so many people here?"

Before Sora could answer, one of the adventurers who appeared to be overseeing the tests greeted them. He was a burly man, a bow strapped across his back, his arms crossed as he sized them up. "They’re here for the same reason you are," he explained. "Half of them failed the shadow test, and the other half are enlisted adventurers. They want to see who the competition is, and they're curious about anyone still coming in for a badge update."

Sora smirked, his eyes scanning the arena. "Some people have a lot of time to waste."

The burly man raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue. He turned to Kara, his expression softening slightly. "Who's going first, then?"

Kara smiled, stepping forward. "I’ll go first."

Sora watched as she approached the center of the arena. His curiosity piqued as he waited to see how she would perform, a faint smile on his lips. Today was going to be interesting.

Kara stepped forward with calm confidence, her eyes scanning the arena before focusing on the burly man and the shorter, magician-like figure standing next to him. The shorter man, clearly in charge, sized her up with an analytical look before speaking.

“You’re a healer class, right?” the short man asked, his voice brisk and to the point.

Kara nodded. “Yes.”

The short man turned to his companion with a grin. “Hey, it’s your turn to help with this test.”

The burly man groaned, clearly annoyed. “Why is it always me? We’ve got two others here for this, you know.”

The shorter man waved him off. “It doesn’t matter who does it, but I’m a gentleman, and I’m not going to let the other two ladies handle it, right?”

The short man noticed Sora’s expression and turned back to Kara. “Since you’re a diamond-level adventurer, I’m sure you know how this works. We’ll be testing your healing abilities, resistance to damage, and buffing skills.”

Kara gave a quick nod, already familiar with the format. Sora, however, blinked in surprise. He had no idea that tests could be this complex—and, dare he say it, this cool. It made perfect sense, though. There was no way every healer could be tested by taking a beating, right?

Sora watched this exchange with growing curiosity. He hadn’t expected this kind of setup for a test. It was so much more... refined than what he had gone through with Areva. He chuckled to himself, remembering the beating he took back in Paris. This, at least, seemed more civilized and customized.

The short man smirked as the test began, catching Sora’s attention. Without warning, he raised his hand, casting a bright bolt of lightning that crackled through the air. It struck the burly man dead-on, sending him crashing to the ground. The smell of charred flesh filled the arena as the burly man groaned, twitching from the shock but still very much alive.

“What the hell, man?” the burly man groaned from the ground, his voice strained from the pain. “Why do you never hold back?”

The short man chuckled, shrugging nonchalantly. “Oh, stop complaining. You know if she can’t heal you properly, the guildmaster will. So just lie there and take it.”

Sora raised an eyebrow, half-expecting the burly man to retaliate, but the guy just muttered a curse and stayed down. It was clear this wasn’t their first time running this test.

The short man turned to Kara, his grin widening. “Alright, healer. Let’s see what you’ve got. Heal him.”