Kara approached Sora, watching as he lay motionless on the ground, his body fully healed, but his spirit bruised. She reached out, intending to ask if he was alright, but the words caught in her throat. One look at his face was enough to tell her that he wasn’t. His usually bright, determined eyes were dull, as if he was lost.
Without a word, she reached down and helped him to his feet. Sora stood, still in a daze, as if the ground had become the only familiar thing left to him. They walked together in silence.
After several minutes, Sora finally broke the quiet. “We’re leaving Stockholm,” he muttered, his voice low but firm.
Kara stopped in her tracks, blinking in surprise. “What? We can’t just leave! We’ve only just enlisted. We have responsibilities now. You know deserting would make us killed.”
Sora paused, his eyes narrowed as he processed her words. “We’re not deserting,” he said, shaking his head. “But we’re too weak right now. If we stay here and march into battle without preparing, we’re dead. You saw it—what happened today. Richard toyed with me. I’m no match for him, and there are probably hundreds more like him on the other side, maybe even stronger.”
Kara wanted to argue, to tell him that it was fine, that they could survive, since the opponents would be forcibly weakened to level 80, but she couldn't. He was right. The gap between them and their peers was enormous. Richard had crushed Sora without even trying, and if they were to face enemies of that caliber—or worse—there was no way they could survive in their current state.
Sora’s face hardened. “We’ve got three days before the war resumes. We need to use that time to train, to level up. Even if the enemy’s power is capped at level 80 for the battles, they certainly have ways to increase their strength and be extremely strong... We both need to level up. Our ranks are eye-catching, but not strong enough. They’ll target us, and we’ll be the first ones to fall.”
Kara’s breath caught in her throat. She had been thinking the same thing ever since the duel ended. They were too exposed, too inexperienced. But hearing Sora say it aloud made it real, and far more terrifying.
He glanced at her, noticing her hesitation. “Listen, Kara. It’s just a reminder that I’m still a frog at the bottom of the well. Every time I think I’ve climbed out, I find myself in a bigger well.”
His words echoed in the still air, and Kara found herself staring at him, searching his face for any sign of the despair she had seen earlier. But instead of pain, there was a quiet determination in his expression. .
“This defeat,” Sora continued, his voice gaining strength, “was inevitable. Now, we have to bridge the gap between us and the rest of the world if we’re going to survive. We can’t afford to waste time.”
He reached into his inventory and pulled out a map. “I got this earlier at the Swedish Adventurer’s Guild, before the test. There’s a level 80 zone nearby that’s offering an XP boost this week. It seems that the amount of high level players killing endless monsters triggered XP boosts in quite a few zones, so we need to make use of it. We can grind there for three days, level up, and be ready for the war.”
Kara looked at the map, then back at Sora. Something about him still felt off— as if he was forcing himself to keep going.
But as if reading her thoughts, Sora shot her a quick glance and said, “Don’t worry about me. I’ve been through worse, and I’ve always come back stronger. I’ll be fiine. Right now, we need to focus on getting strong enough to make it through this war.”
Kara nodded slowly, feeling a mix of relief and concern. Sora was strong, and she had started to believe he was invincible, almost including herself in such category. This was a wake-up call for her as well.
They pressed forward, following the path that led them to the hunting zone Sora had marked on the map. The landscape shifted as they traveled, dense forests and rocky terrain known as Kolmården.
When they finally arrived, the atmosphere felt different—heavier. Sora remembered the first time he entered a similar place, and died instantly. He had grown since then, and did not fear such zone anymore.
Without hesitation, Sora and Kara stepped inside, leaving the safety of the lower level region behind.
As a beast emerged from deep inside the forest, its presence sent a wave of tension through the air. Its dark fur dripped with water, and its sharp, predatory eyes locked onto Sora and Kara. The notification flashed before them:
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[Level 80 Water Monkey – Elite Beast]
The Water Monkey growled low, its body surrounded by swirling streams of water that hovered menacingly. The battle was about to begin.
Sora clenched his baton, his focus sharp as he glanced over at Kara. “I’ll tank it. Let's farm for a while”
Kara nodded, her expression focused as she began casting her buffs. Her hands glowed with soft light as she quickly stacked her skills onto both of them.
[Life Speed] [Life Strength ] [Life Defense] [Life Force Boost] [Mana Regeneration] [Overheal]
These were all buffs or skills drawn from her older and newer classes, each perfected and amplified by her supreme skill. Most of her abilities relied on life force, though she was still in the process of unlocking higher-level skills for her new class, which she hadn’t yet leveled up sufficiently.
Her buffs washed over them, and immediately, Sora could feel the power coursing through his body, heightening his speed and strength.
A moment later, Kara added the final layer of protection: [Life Shield], which surrounded both of them, stacking on top of Sora's own [Mana Shield]. Together, the shields formed a nearly impenetrable barrier around them, one that would absorb the brunt of the Water Monkey’s elemental attacks. She summoned a clone made of Life Energy, and had him take Sora's appearance, and use similar combat style.
Kara stood behind Sora, her eyes narrowed in concentration as she prepared to support him from the backline. With their shields and buffs in place, Sora stepped forward, ready to face the monster head-on.
The Water Monkey wasted no time. It raised its clawed hands, summoning a massive torrent of water that hurtled toward them like a tidal wave. Sora didn’t flinch. He braced himself, allowing the [Mana Shield] and [Life Shield] to absorb the impact. The water crashed into the barrier with enough force to knock lesser players off their feet, but Sora held firm, the shields protecting him from the brunt of the damage.
“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Sora muttered as he infused his staff with mana, causing it to extend and glow with power.
He lunged forward, swinging the baton with all his strength. The impact connected with the Water Monkey’s side, but the creature barely flinched. Its fur rippled with elemental energy, the water cushioning the blow. Sora gritted his teeth and attacked again, this time aiming for its legs. The beast dodged with surprising speed, its movements fluid and agile.
Kara, standing behind him, was already at work. Her hands moved gracefully as she cast [Vital Surge], targeting the Water Monkey. This was a part of her Supreme Skill, and probably the strongest tool in her arsenal. Thin streams of glowing energy began to siphon from the beast, flowing toward Kara and replenishing her life force. The monkey growled, feeling its vitality being drained, and whipped around, trying to disrupt the connection. But Kara’s focus was unshakable, her [Vital Surge] continuing to sap the beast’s health, quickly weakening it.
The Water Monkey retaliated, summoning another wave of water, but this time, it infused the attack with freezing energy. The wave turned into a torrent of ice shards, raining down on Sora and Kara. Once again, the shields absorbed the damage, holding strong under the assault.
“Let me get rid of that,” Kara said, casting [Purification], a skill that removed any lingering effects. The freezing shards dissolved before they could take hold, the area around them cleared of any lingering elemental danger.
The Water Monkey, clearly frustrated, shifted tactics. It opened its mouth, unleashing a deafening screech that sent shockwaves through the air. A moment later, tendrils of water wrapped around Sora’s legs, attempting to immobilize him.
Kara was quick to react, casting [Cleanse], a skill that removed most crowd control effects. The tendrils of water dissipated instantly, freeing Sora from their grasp.
Sora swung his baton again, landing a heavy hit on the Water Monkey’s side, but still, the beast stood firm. Its natural resistance to damage was incredible, making the fight a drawn-out struggle. But Sora and Kara didn’t falter. Their buffs, shields, and Kara’s [Vital Surge] kept them in the fight, ensuring they could outlast the creature’s relentless attacks.
Time passed, with the Water Monkey growing increasingly desperate. Every time it tried to land a blow, Sora was there, absorbing the damage with his layered shields. Every time it attempted to hinder them, Kara’s buffs and cleansing skills nullified its efforts.
The battle dragged on, but neither Sora nor Kara took a significant hit. The enemy's level and health were extremely high, but they were like cockroaches—resilient, difficult to kill, and relentless in their attack.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the Water Monkey’s movements began to slow. It staggered back, its energy reserves depleted.
Seeing an opening, Sora unleashed a powerful, [True Mana Strike], hitting the Water Monkey square in the chest. The impact sent the beast sprawling to the ground, where it lay motionless, defeated at last.
A notification popped up before them:
[Level Up!]
Sora hit level 63, and Kara reached level 67.
They both stood there, catching their breath as the adrenaline faded. The battle had been long and grueling, but they had come out on top, their teamwork and resilience carrying them to victory.
Sora looked over at Kara, a small smile on his face. “That was tough.”
Kara nodded. They had barely taken any damage, thanks to their shields and buffs, but the mental strain of the fight had tired them.
"Let's start grinding then" Sora said, activating [Prime Monster Radar]