"His mana pool and regeneration are off the charts," one of the adventurers muttered. "It’s like he’s running dozens of skills at once without even breaking a sweat. How can it be possible"
The woman increased her speed further, adapting her strikes to the rhythm of his defenses.
Sora’s [Mana Shield] continued to break under her relentless assault, but she noticed something incredible—every time the shield was down, he was still there, dodging with [Speed Surge], staying just out of reach. His sword strikes, amplified by [Amplify], cut through the air with terrifying precision.
"He’s not just fast," one of the onlookers whispered. "Look at his strikes. Every single one of them is buffed, and not just a little. He’s using [Amplify] on every swing. He’s using the [Mana Amplifier] buffs and shield!!"
The woman pressed harder, her attacks becoming even more brutal. Her strikes began to land during the brief intervals when Sora’s shield broke, and she was quick enough to injure him. Yet, with each wound, his [Titan Regeneration] kicked in, healing him as fast as it could.
Sora gritted his teeth, his body regenerating while his [Mana Shield] reformed around him. His Amplified sword strikes pushed her back, and his stamina showed no signs of faltering. The adventurers watching the fight were awestruck.
"This kid... he’s not just holding his own. He’s excelling in every aspect—speed, strength, defense, even his mana control. Where did he come from?" one adventurer asked, shaking his head.
"It’s like he’s mastered every single part of his skill kit," another muttered. "His shield is breaking and reforming nonstop, and his mana regeneration is making sure he never runs out of steam."
The woman, now fully engaged in the fight, began to push Sora to his absolute limits. She wasn’t just testing him anymore—she was curious, even impressed, by his abilities. She cranked her power up to the peak of a Diamond adventurer, her attacks becoming faster and more dangerous. Sora, despite the increasing difficulty, held his ground.
His body was battered, covered in wounds, but he regenerated as fast as he was hurt. His [Titan Regeneration] worked tirelessly, healing broken bones and torn muscles. The woman’s blade shattered his shield again and again, but Sora would not fall.
"He’s still standing," one of the adventurers whispered, wide-eyed. "His endurance is insane. No diamond adventurer should be able to withstand that kind of pressure from Areva."
"Look at him," another pointed out, "he’s using the most basic sword skills, but he’s pushed them to such a high level, they’re rivaling advanced sword techniques."
At that moment, the woman launched a particularly vicious strike, aiming to finally break through Sora’s defenses. But just before her blade could land, one of the onlookers shouted.
"Areva!" the man called out. "He’s passed the test! Are you trying to kill him?"
The woman halted mid-strike, her sword mere inches from Sora’s chest. She blinked, realizing that she had lost track of the test. Looking down at Sora, who was barely standing, covered in blood and bruises, she sighed, lowering her weapon.
Sora’s vision blurred, the adrenaline that had been driving him through the fight finally fading. He swayed on his feet, his breathing ragged, but he had done it. He had passed.
Sora nodded, understanding their point. His strength far surpassed his level, thanks to his intense training, but he still had a long way to go in terms of pure level grinding before hitting a wall.
Areva, sitting a bit farther back, was watching Sora closely. After a moment, she spoke up. "You know, there’s a quest I’ve been thinking about. My disciple and her team are currently on it, but..." she hesitated, then added with a slight grimace, "Let’s just say I’m not confident in their ability to succeed."
Another adventurer snorted. "Yeah, her team’s hopeless. No talent, no grit, no way they’ll make it through the dungeon without help."
Areva nodded. "My disciple’s capable, but her team... they’re not. I don’t trust them to make it on their own. I was thinking you could help them out. It’s a high-level dungeon, and they need someone with real strength to improve their odds of surviving."
Sora’s curiosity was piqued. "What’s the quest?"
Areva gestured to one of the lower-ranked adventurers in the room. "Go get the details for him."
The adventurer hurried off, leaving the group to chat casually. Sora listened in as they discussed the dangers of the dungeon and the unpredictable nature of dungeon quests in general. He remained quiet, mulling over the opportunity. A dungeon meant not only dangerous creatures but also valuable loot and experience.
After a while, the adventurer returned with a file. Areva looked it over before handing it to Sora. "Look through it tonight. It’s not something you can take lightly. If you’re interested, come back tomorrow morning, and I’ll fill you in on everything you need to know."
Sora took the file and nodded. "I’ll think about it. Thanks for the opportunity."
After some more chatting with the group Sora excused himself. He had more than enough to think about.
As he left the guild, Sora’s thoughts kept circling back to the fight. His mana had been drained and refilled over and over again, thanks to his [Mana Evolution] Supreme skill. His [Mana Shield] had shattered multiple times, but he had regenerated it almost instantly. And yet, the fight had still been close. If Areva had truly wanted to, she could have killed him in those brief moments when his mana was down and his shield was broken.
His body, though immensely strong thanks to his class, still couldn’t keep up with the speed and precision of his mana usage. He needed more power. Not just in terms of mana, but in terms of physical durability, stamina, and raw strength. [Titan Regeneration] had helped him recover, but it wouldn’t be enough in future battles if his body couldn’t keep up. He needed the perfect versions of these class skills. He needed to reset to recreate those skills and push them to new heights.
Shaking his head, Sora pushed the thoughts aside for now. He needed rest. Tomorrow, he would decide whether to take on the quest or not. He could always decide tomorrow.
As he headed to the closest Inn, he thought, "I’ll keep training the Martial Titan skills and hopefully perfect them in the next reset. My body is too weak."
Hiyoko, left her safe bubble and had appeared on his shoulder as he walked. She looked at the shiny badge in his hand, her eyes full of curiosity.
"Here you go" Smiling at Hiyoko who only cared about food, good sleep and shiny objects, he threw the badge to his familiar. She would always be there to change his mood when he started worrying about things.