The ndscape stretched out before Sora, a seemingly endless path through rolling hills and sparse forests. From the map he had acquired, the jouro Córdoba was going to be around 1000 kilometers long.

  Not because the city itself was that far, but because of the path he o take. He wasn't about to charge straight through higher-level zones and risk his life unnecessarily.

  His pn was simple: avoid the level 20+ zo all costs and stick to areas where the mobs were weaker, ideally switg between level 1-9 and 10-19 zones. It would make the trip longer, but safer and more effit. He could easily run through the weaker zones, and when he reached areas with mobs in the level 10-19 range, he could farm experiehout slowing his progress.

  Sora's goal wasn't to grind excessively. Getting stronger was important, but his focus was on reag Córdoba and figuring out his steps. Any leveling along the way would be a bonus. He'd kill what he entered, farm if there was a good opportunity, but he wasn't going to waste time.

  He crossed into the first 10-19 zone just after a few hours. The shift was subtle but unmistakable. The air felt heavier, and the vegetatiohicker. Even the wind seemed to carry a sense of danger, as if warning him that this area was not to be taken lightly.

  Sora moved cautiously, his eyes sing the horizon for any signs of movement. It didn't take long before he spotted something—a creature lurking in the shadows of the forest. As he stepped closer, the mob emerged. It was a hulking bear, standing at least two meters tall with thick, dark fur and glowing red eyes. Its cws scraped the ground as it s him.

  [Level 10 Earth Bear]

  The Earth Bear was a knowure in these zones. With its incredible strength and tough hide, it was formidable for most pyers around his level. But Sora wasn't most pyers. His stats were far above average for a level 9, and he had five years of hard-earned experieo back him up.

  Still, he liked a challenge.

  Sora approached cautiously, uhing his sword as he prepared for battle. He quickly realized the bear was moving far too slowly pared to his honed reflexes and strength. He danced around its initial lunges, avoiding its heavy cws with ease.

  "This is way too easy," he muttered to himself.

  Without a sed thought, he equipped the Slowed Perception Gear. As soon as the gear activated, his senses dulled. The world sped up around him. The bear, which had seemed sluggish before, now moved with shog speed. The fight suddenly became a real challenge.

  The Earth Bear lu him with newfound ferocity. Sora dodged to the side, but not without some effort. Every move felt like it took a sed lohan it should. He could feel the dey in his reas, his body struggling to keep up with the bear's fast-paced attacks.

  Even though it was difficult, he fought on, his sword fshing in quick, calcuted strikes whenever he found an opening. The bear roared in frustration as Sora's bde sliced across its thick hide, drawing blood. The creature swung its massive cws again, but Sora dodged, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

  After a few more exges, Sora nded a final, powerful strike, cutting through the bear's thick shoulder hide. The creature let out a pained roar before colpsing to the ground.

  [XP Gained: 10%]

  Sora's XP bar shifted from 10% to 20%. He smirked at the notification. "Not bad," he muttered. "8 more like that, and I'll hit level 10." But still, he realized this had been too easy, even with the training gear on. Maybe getting back to level 50 wouldn't be as hard as he feared.

  No. He o stay humble. There were still challenges ahead. Sora adjusted his gear, taking a deep breath as he prepared for the fight.

  Moving further into the zone, he quickly spotted anroup of bears—a trio of smaller, sleeker creatures. These weren't as bulky as the Earth Bear, but they had a reputation for speed and aggression.

  [3x Level 10 Nightcw Bears]

  The Nightcw Bears moved in unison, surrounding him from all sides. Sora kept his Slowed Perception Gear equipped. He wao keep pushing himself. The bears lu him, their cws sshing through the air with deadly precision. He dodged, but the sluggishness of his movements nearly cost him. One of the bears mao swipe his leg, sending a sharp pain through his body.

  Sritted his teeth, retaliating with a powerful ssh to one of the bears' sides. The creature let out a howl of pain, but the other two closed in. He could feel the weight of the fight pressing down on him, but he held his ground, his every move deliberate, trolled.

  The battle dragged on as Sora traded blows with the Nightcw Bears. They were fast, their coordination sharp, but Sora's experiend raw power kept him oep ahead. Finally, after a flurry of attacks, the st bear fell.

  [XP Gained: 30%]

  Sora's XP bar shot up to 50%. "Halfway there," he muttered, catg his breath. But the weariness was starting to creep in. His muscles burned from the strain of the Slowed Perception Gear, but he khis was exactly what he needed. Every fight, every dodge, and every strike was sharpening his skills.

  Just as he was about to take a breather, anrowl echoed from the forest. Sora's eyes widened as a new creature emerged. This one was massive, its silver fur gleaming in the fading sunlight.

  [Level 14 Silvermane Bear]

  Sora's heart raced. The Silvermane Bear was leagues strohahers. Its massive frame and glowing eyes spoke of untold power. Without hesitation, he rushed forward, engaging the bear head-on without equipping his training gear.

  The Silvermane Bear moved faster than he expected. Its massive paw came crashing down, and Sora barely mao dodge in time. The force of the impact sent dirt and debris flying everywhere. Sora tered with a swift ssh to the bear's side, but the bde barely scratched its thick hide.

  The bear roared, lunging at him with terrifying speed. Sora dodged again, but the bear's cws grazed his arm, sending a jolt of pain through his body. Gritting his teeth, he pressed on, sshing at the bear's legs. But it wasn't enough. The creature's hide was too thick, its strength overwhelming.

  Realizing he needed more of a challenge, Sora equipped the Slowed Perception Gear again. The world around him shifted once more, the bear's movements being blurs of speed. It was faster than anything he had faced today, and for the first time, Sora felt real danger.

  The Silvermane Bear swiped at him again, this time with full force. Sora tried to dodge, but the sluggishness of the gear made it impossible to avoid entirely. The bear's cws raked across his side, leaving a deep gash. He stumbled back, blood p from the wound, but he didn't stop. He couldn't.

  The pain was excruciating, his vision starting to blur. He khe gear was making this harder than it had to be, but that was the point. He wao sharpen his skills, but he wasn't really risking his life. He knew he could always unequip his gear if necessary, but he still pushed himself to only do it if he was getting heavily injured. After all, he wouldn't let a third party finish him off.

  The bear lunged again, and this time Sora was ready. With a burst of energy, he dodged at the st sed, driving his sword deep into the bear's chest. The creature let out a final, guttural roar before colpsing to the ground.

  Sora fell to one knee, panting heavily. His body was full of injuries but nothing life threatening. A few ribs were probably broken, and the gash across his side throbbed with pain. He reached into his iory and pulled out a piece of bread, eating it slowly as his health bar began to inch upward. The bread's magic slowly began to heal his wounds, but the pain lingered.

  His arm felt heavy, his ribs ag with every breath, but he khe magic would eventually heal even the broken bohat's how this world worked. Even the worst injuries could be fixed with a potion or a bit of food. But the pain? That was still very real.

  Then, another notification appeared:

  [Level Up! You have reached Level 10.]

  [You have unlocked Mana.]

  [Css Options Avaible.]

  Sora stared at the notifications, his mind rag. He had unlocked mana again. After so long without it, the thought of using magic was exg. Another notification followed:

  [Css Options: Swordsman, Brawler.]

  Only two choices for now, but he wasn't surprised. At the bottom of the s, there was a note:

  [Additional csses be unlocked at the bat Trainier.]

  Sora frowned. "That's probably what I'll o fi," he muttered. The css options he was givehe most basies. To unlock more advanced csses, he'd o visit a specialized building and experiment with neons or teiques.

  Reminded of more advanced csses, Sora thought back to the stories he had heard about pyers who created unique, powerful csses by bining their real-world skills with in-game abilities. One such pyer came to mind, a former military sniper who was also a passionate meic. He had crafted a unique css by blending his knowledge of sniping and meics. His css, "Tearksman", allowed him to upgrade any sniper he owned and ize it at will. He could tweak its form, save different figurations, and optimize his on for any situation. It made him leagues above other snipers, not just in raw power but in terms of adaptability and potential.

  But what set the Tearksman apart was his reputation. He wasn't just powerful—he ioneer. He shared his knowledge freely, showing pyers how to push the boundaries of what ossible. By sharing his experiences and experiments, he had accelerated the world's adva, helping humanity pete with the other races that had invaded Earth. Pyers who tributed to the collective knowledge of the human race were highly respected, and their reputation could open dain favor with fas, and even grant them political power in the New World Kingdom.

  Sora admired these kinds of pyers. They didn't just grind their way to power—they innovated, experimented, and shared their findings with the world. They made others strooo. The thought something simir sparked an idea.

  "Csses..." he muttered to himself. Pyers couldn't easily switch between csses ohey chose o ossible, but not without effort. For most, switg csses involved difficult quests, expensive css tokens, or lengthy procedures that deterred them from experimenting.

  But Sora had an advahanks to his Prestige ability, he could reset every month. He could try new csses, experience different abilities, and explore binations others would never dare because of the risks involved. Maybe this was his key to unlog something truly special. He could use this endless cycle of resetting to experiment with different roles, mixing what he already knew with new skills.

  He thought about the possibility of being a buffer or even a wizard in this life. If he could mix his swordsmanship with magical abilities, he could develop a hybrid css that would give him versatility in bat.

  "Or," he mused, "I could go for something pletely new. Learn different fields, like that sniper-meic guy, and see how they blend together." The possibilities were endless. He could accumute knowledge from various csses, find hidden synergies, a until he discovered a bination that truly suited him.

  Side jobs could also influeheir css. For instance, a skilled bcksmith might unlock a warrior css with enhanced on ization abilities, or an herbalist could bee a support css with advanced healing and potioed skills. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.

  He realized that while most pyers had to carefully choose their path, he had the freedom to experiment. He could test binations that no one else would dare try. And perhaps, like the Tearksman, he could stumble upon something revolutionary—something that would make him stand out and redefine what ossible in this new world.

  With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Sora stood up. Córdoba was his destination, and while reag the city was his immediate goal, his long-term vision was clear: he would experiment, adapt, and create something truly unique in this world.

  "It's time to start my own path of innovation," he muttered, a determined grin spreading across his face, and dimissing the notifications.