Richard spent the next half hour going over the basics of the team structure, introducing each of the team leaders, and detailing the intricacies of the upcoming war. Sora listened quietly, taking mental notes and occasionally exchanging glances with Kara to ensure they were both following along.

Richard finally wrapped up, and Sora took a moment to summarize, solidifying his understanding.

'War is different from what I believed. Basically, it’s a massive PVP event—5,000 players against 5,000,' Sora thought, piecing together the details. 'Whoever wins secures control of the territory, which in our case is Sweden.'

He remembered the two phases Richard had described. 'The war starts with Phase One: skirmishes, where both sides aim to rack up points. These points allow access to the [War Shop], which opens at the end of Phase One. Then comes the main event, Phase Two, a 5,000 vs. 5,000 all-out battle where everything’s on the line.'

Sora looked back at Richard, a question forming in his mind. “Why bother with Phase One? Why not just dive into the main battle?”

Richard nodded, as if expecting the question. “Phase One gives the defending side time to gather strength. The attackers usually take their time to prepare thoroughly for war, but defending a homeland demands quick, reactive force. The first phase gives every player a chance to accumulate merit and points in each fight without the risk of dying, since we revive after battles in Phase One.”

“Still,” he added, “the side that’s more prepared tends to gain the upper hand in skirmishes, meaning they can stock up on buffs and debuffs in the [War Shop] to turn the tide in their favor for Phase Two.”

Richard explained that the [War Shop] offered a vast array of items: gear, potions, even specific [War Buffs] that could strengthen their side. There were also [War Debuffs], designed to weaken the opposing faction in strategic ways.

He paused, casting a shadowed look around the assembled team leaders. “We’ve lost the first three battles,” he said, his tone somber. “Out of three. And today, we’re heading into the fourth, and final battle of Phase One.”

After a while, a [Military Order] flashed in front of everyone in the Company, instructing them to follow their Captain and assemble at Treriksröset in an hour.

Sora and Kara joined with the rest of the Company and began the journey. The frontline lay just a few kilometers away from Treriksröset—the meeting point of Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Known as Three-Country Cairn,It was a small point where the three borders met. Now, it served as the main strategic location in the war, as the Dark Elf Kingdom waged an attack on all three nations from this single, shared border.

They left Stockholm, heading toward the extreme north of Sweden. Running together in groups of ten, each team used speed buffs to cover the distance quickly. Within moments, they reached the [Military Camp] near the border, where a sprawling setup awaited.

Richard led Sora and Kara to their battalion’s designated area, where they found the Colonel, Oliver Evans, already present, his posture rigid as he surveyed the troops. Around them, four other battalions were stationed, all seemingly waiting for something or someone.

A few minutes later, a figure emerged from the largest tent. According to Richard, most of the seasoned players who chose to participate in the war were military troops sent by their country. Seeing the General appear, most players gave a military salute. Sora and Kara, momentarily taken by surprise, remained still, uncertain whether to salute.

Missing the timing to salute, Sora took a closer look. The woman looked to be around 30 years old, with an elegant, confident presence. Her black hair was tied in the air, and her dark cloak partially concealed an arsenal of weapons. Glints of metal peeked out from her sleeves, and daggers rested against her pants— hinting at an Assassin class player. As her gaze swept across the crowd, her eyes met Sora’s, lingering for a moment before moving to Kara. She showed no sign of what she thought, her expression remaining completely unreadable. Above her head, there were question marks where her level should be, and her Adventurer’s Guild badge displayed a symbol he didn’t recognize.

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Richard leaned over and whispered, “She’s the General of the Swedish division for this war. That’s Asami Hito, a level 132 player from Japan. You’d best avoid annoying her.”

Hearing her level, Sora’s eyes widened. She was more than 50 levels above him! No wonder he couldn’t see her level.

Asami began to speak, her voice commanding, yet calm. “I’ll keep this short. We’ve lost the first three battles, and this is our last chance to turn the tides and secure our standing for Phase Two. Prepare yourselves for combat.”

Sora was surprised. 'This is it?'. He’d never been one for long speeches, and her approach suited him perfectly, but it did not feel like it had any impact on troops...

Moments later, a colossal structure appeared in the sky, descending toward the ground with a thunderous impact. A massive coliseum took shape, its walls stretching high and encircling the battleground. Without warning, Sora and his Company were transported to the southern side of the arena. Across from them, the Dark Elf Kingdom’s soldiers materialized on the northern side.

The east and west sides of the arena held rows upon rows of ghostly figures, spectating with an eerie stillness. Sora couldn’t discern their features clearly, but he felt the weight of their collective gaze.

Above the coliseum, glowing letters materialized in the sky:

[PVP Event: Dark Elf Kingdom vs New World Kingdom] [Category: Tier 4 War] [Reward: Sweden Territory Ownership] [Content: Greetings, Week 4]

Sora’s mouth dropped. This was Tier 4? With this many high-level players? He couldn’t fathom the power required for Tier 3, let alone the levels above it. And this was only a “greeting” phase?

A Notification popped up before him, prompting him to select his squad, team, and company members. Knowing the format, he turned to Richard, “Who are our weakest players?”

Richard pointed to a group of young men with shaved heads and another smaller group. Sora quickly gathered the 10 players, assigning four to his squad and four to Kara’s, while the squad leaders went to join other squads.

Sora chose the two squads as his team, and selected his whole company as his company members.

It seemed their division was prepared in advance by the Adventurer's guild to avoid wasting time making teams minutes before the battle.

Another bright light descended from the sky, and suddenly, a wave of energy pulsed through the arena. Every player above level 80 had their level forcibly capped at 80.

Richard groaned as his power diminished. “Damn it! I hate this feeling,” he grumbled, clenching his fists as he adjusted to the enforced restriction. Kara and Sora were unaffected;

With the teams set, Sora and Kara prepared to lead their squads into battle. This was the beginning of something massive, and they had only one chance to make it count.

A notification flashed before everyone:

[Squads who have been notified, advance to the field number prepared for you, and fight.]

The ground trembled slightly as a hundred squads from each side began moving toward their designated areas in the coliseum, readying themselves for the first round of skirmishes. Sora scanned the arena, noticing that neither his squad nor Kara’s had been chosen for the initial wave. However, he caught sight of Richard preparing to step into the fray.

Sora gave him a smile. “Good luck out there. Smash their skulls in the ground”

Richard's face turned black, a hint of embarrassment crossing his face. “Forget about that please...” he replied before disappearing into the arena, making his way to the battlefield with his squad.

Kara moved closer to Sora, her eyes following Richard until he was out of sight. “You're so petty... Look at the number of fighting fields, it looks like they’re running 100 fights at a time,” she murmured. “All 5,000 players will fight in these 5v5 skirmishes... Who knows when our turn will come up?”

Sora nodded, glancing around the bustling arena as more squads assembled for their upcoming battles. “Yeah, could be anytime. Let's see how our squads fare against the enemy's”

They watched as the first wave of fighters took to their positions, the tension thickened as battles began, echoing across the coliseum. Sora could feel the anticipation building, both within himself and throughout the arena, as they waited for their own call to fight.

Sora turned his gaze toward the northern side of the arena, where the dark elf squads had gathered. They exuded an imposing presence, even from a distance. The dark elves were tall and slender, with sharp features and silver hair that gave them a beautiful look. Their skin ranged from pale gray to deep ash, and their eyes—shades of red, violet, and green—shone with intensity. They also had their characteristic point ears.

As Sora scanned their ranks, he noticed the average level of the dark elf squads was significantly higher than that of his side. Even the more modest-looking players were around level 73, with the majority being around level 77 or more. Their team leaders were all above level 80.

Kara stepped up beside him. “They’re ahead of us in levels,” she murmured, frowning. “It looks like they still have the advantage.”

Sora nodded thoughtfully. The first three battles had been tough, and now he understood why.

“This isn't looking good for our faction,” Sora replied, assessing the situation. “They’re strong”