Chapter 21 : Travel
Sora woke up at 4 a.m., his mind sharp and focused. Without wasting a moment, he geared up and left the inn in Barcelona. The streets were still dark, the city asleep, but his journey couldn't wait. He had a long way to go.
He left the inn, his bag packed with supplies for the trip ahead. But first, he needed to visit the [Combat Training Center]. One of the benefits of being in a massive city like Barcelona was the sheer variety of available classes. With more options than smaller towns, he was certain he could find something that matched his current ambition.
'I want to focus on speed when fighting and i want a body that can handle my speed' , he thought to himself.
Sora had become addicted to speed. The insane movement skills he'd honed in his last cycle left him hungry for more—he wanted a class that could match his desire for ultimate mobility and power. A class that would push his body to its absolute limit.
Arriving at the [Combat Training Center], he was greeted by the familiar hum of activity. Despite the early hour, a few players and NPCs were already engaged in training, their bodies glowing faintly as they tried out new skills. Sora made his way toward the central console, where class options were displayed.
But as he scrolled through the seemingly endless list, his head began to spin. There were too many choices. Each class seemed promising in its own way, but none stood out enough to match exactly what he was looking for. He rubbed his temples, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options.
"Need help?" a voice piped up from behind him.
Sora turned to see a kid, maybe around twelve or thirteen, watching him with a curious look. The training center was nearly empty this early, so the kid stood out, especially with how intently he was observing Sora.
"Uh, yeah," Sora admitted, glancing back at the console. "There are way too many classes. I'm having trouble finding something that fits."
The kid grinned. "I figured. You looked like you were about to pass out from getting too much information."
Sora raised an eyebrow. "You come here often?"
"More than you'd think," the kid said, stepping closer. "I know a lot about the classes here. I even sell little booklets summarizing what each class does. You tell me what you're looking for, and I'll help you find something."
Sora blinked, surprised by the offer. "You sell them?"
"Yeah," the kid replied casually, "gotta make a living somehow, right?"
Sora chuckled, appreciating the hustle. "Alright, let's hear it. I'm looking for a class that focuses on body strength—something that can push my physical limits but still has good potential for growth."
The kid nodded, thinking for a moment before rummaging through his bag. He pulled out a small stack of booklets, each labeled with a different class. "I got a few that might interest you. Here, take a look."
He handed Sora eight booklets, each one summarizing a class that seemed to align with what he was looking for. Sora flipped through them, the kid explaining briefly as he skimmed the pages.
[Martial Titan]
Focus: Extreme physical strength and endurance.
Abilities:
Titan Strength: Grows stronger with each training.
Infinite life: Body cells always regenerate if there is enough energy
Body Forging: As long as the body recovers from damage, it will get stronger.
[War Monk]
Focus: Combines martial arts with chi control for balance and power.
Abilities:
Inner Focus: Boosts strength and reaction speed.
Stone Palm: Devastating strikes that break defenses.
Body Meditation: Rapid health and stamina regeneration.
[Blood Berserker]
Focus: Uses pain and blood to fuel strength in battle.
Abilities:
Bloodlust: Grows stronger the more damage taken.
Berserk Mode: Massive boost in power but loses defense.
Regenerative Rage: Converts damage into health.
[Iron Fist Disciple]
Focus: Master of hand-to-hand combat with lightning-fast reflexes.
Abilities:
Unyielding Grip: Crushes through armor and weapons.
Lightning Reflexes: Counters attacks with perfect timing.
Fist of Fury: Rapid strikes that grow in power.
[Juggernaut]
Focus: Tank-like resilience with unstoppable force.
Abilities:
Unstoppable Charge: Smashes through enemies and obstacles.
Endurance Mastery: Greatly increases toughness.
Reckless Smash: Overwhelmingly powerful strike.
[Weaponless Warlord]
Focus: Uses their body as the ultimate weapon.
Abilities:
Bone Shatter: Powerful blows that break bones.
Limitless Endurance: Never tires in battle.
Warrior's Resolve: Heals wounds by converting battle energy.
[Flesh Shaper]
Focus: Can reshape and enhance their body during battle.
Abilities:
Bone Blade: Grow natural weapons like claws or spikes.
Muscle Surge: Temporarily boosts strength and speed.
Chitin Armor: Hardens skin to form impenetrable armor.
[Void Guardian]
Focus: Enhances the body using void energy for untouchable power.
Abilities:
Void Infusion: Temporarily strengthens the body.
Phantom Stride: Phase through matter to become untouchable.
Gravity Crash: Amplifies weight and impact of attacks.
Sora's eyes lit up as he read through the descriptions. These classes were exactly what he had been hoping to find—each one with the potential to make his body the ultimate tool for war. They all sounded promising, but which one would be the right fit?
"These are all solid," Sora admitted, impressed by the kid's knowledge. "But I need something that also allows for insane speed. I want to be fast, not just strong."
The kid grinned again. "Then you'll probably want to focus on either the War Monk or the Void Guardian. Both classes have movement techniques that make them really fast, but in different ways." He added : "For infinite growth of your body, nothing beats the Martial Titan. But that one is known to hurt a looooot !! Of course, if it is speed that you're pursuing, you're looking in the wrong section my friend, the potential of the classes in the assassin, and Fury section is way higher in terms of speed. Let me show you 2 more booklets about speed related classes"
Sora nodded, feeling a surge of excitement. "How much for these booklets?"
"Five gold each," the kid replied. "But I'll throw in the advice for free."
Sora laughed, tossing him a few coins. "Deal."
Sora took a look at the last 2 booklets :
[Stormrunner]
Focus: Mobility through electricity. Stormrunners harness the power of lightning to enhance their body and movement, making them capable of short bursts of super-speed.
Abilities: By channeling lightning, they can move at shocking speeds, delivering electrically charged strikes that stun or paralyze enemies. Their movement abilities allow for instantaneous dashes across the battlefield.
Ultimate Potential: Full mastery grants the ability to travel as pure electricity over short distances, moving as fast as lightning itself.
[Flash Reaper]
Focus: Pure burst speed. Flash Reapers have the ability to harness explosive speed, using it to overwhelm enemies in a short amount of time.
Abilities: These warriors use short bursts of speed to execute high-damage, close-range attacks before retreating quickly. They are perfect for quick in-and-out assaults in battle.
Ultimate Potential: Mastering this class allows them to move faster than the eye can track, delivering devastating hits in a single blink of an eye.
"Of course, everyone knows the inconvenient of these classes. They were too extreme, and they sacrifice too much to achieve their result, meaning their users lacked in all other areas" The kid kindly reminded. It seemed that he added these 2 blooklets to flex his knowledge or earn 10 extra gold coins.
Sora thanked him, paid, and stayed in place to think for a few minutes. He ended up choosing the [Martial Titan] to lay the basis for an unbreakable body before pursuing the ultimate speed path.
He had prepared thoroughly for the trip ahead. His bag was packed with a month's worth of supplies, enough to last through any unexpected detours or extended battles. Alongside that, he carried an assortment of items for different situations—tools for traps, healing potions, enchanted scrolls, and food for both himself and Hiyoko. Most importantly, he had an updated map that marked every monster zone from Spain to France, especially the ones near his destination: Ales.
From Barcelona to Ales, it wasn't too far—around 4000 kilometers. But with the inevitable detours and avoiding high-level zones, the total distance stretched to about 6000 kilometers. Even with his impressive stats, he missed his old skills—Speed Surge, Amplify, and Mana Shield. Without them, he felt naked. Weak. Slow.
Stepping into the first low-level zone outside the city, Sora couldn't shake the emptiness left by the absence of those abilities. His body felt sluggish, his movements lacking the explosive speed he had once mastered. He realized quickly that the first thing he needed to do was recover those skills, especially Speed Surge.
Sora stopped in the middle of the field, focusing on his mana. He recalled every aspect of [Speed Surge]—how it felt to channel mana into his legs, how it had improved his reaction time by flooding his mind and body with raw speed. He remembered how, at his peak, he had modified the skill so that he could channel it to specific body parts, enhancing only what was necessary. It had been more than just a buff—it was a true mastery of mana control.
"I can do this again," he muttered, gathering mana.
He pictured the skill in its entirety, concentrating the energy into his legs, feeling the familiar hum of power building up inside him. But when he tried to activate it... It was weak. The system labeled it as [Fake Speed Surge]. He let out a sigh, feeling the weight of disappointment.
But this was progress.
"Fake or not," he said to himself, "I recreated it." The real work began now.
Sora knew how to fix the fake skill. It wasn't the first time he'd faced this. The key was to constantly refine the mana flow, study every interaction between the mana and his body, and improve the efficiency with which he controlled it. He didn't deactivate the skill. Instead, he left [Fake Speed Surge] running, analyzing the way mana coursed through him. Every movement, every adjustment in his posture, was a chance to learn.
As he kept moving, he felt the flow becoming smoother. In less than five minutes, the system updated, notifying him that his skill had shifted from Fake to [Alternate Speed Surge].
He smirked. "Not bad."
With [Alternate Speed Surge] active, he was much faster than before, and as fast as the real [Speed Surge]. But it wasn't enough. He knew that an Alternate skill wasn't his true peak. He needed to push it further, turn it into something flawless.
And so, Sora kept pushing. He sprinted across the field, dodging between trees and rocks, using his mana to guide his legs faster, sharper, until every motion was perfectly synchronized. As he moved, he experimented with the mana structure, refining the spell layer by layer, until his body felt like it was one with the speed.
Hours passed as he trained relentlessly, only his body limiting his growth. The sun began to rise, casting light over the landscape, but Sora's focus was absolute. Every inch of progress was met with increased power, increased speed. And by noon, something clicked.
He halted abruptly. The mana in his body was perfectly aligned. Every part of him, from his mind to his muscles, was in sync with the flow of mana. The system gave its verdict.
[Skill Unlocked: Speed Surge (Perfect)]
Sora grinned, feeling the raw power course through his legs. "That's more like it."
With [Speed Surge] mastered again, he moved on to the next—[Mana Shield]. This one came naturally to him. He remembered the flow of mana, the defensive barrier it created, how he could manipulate it to deflect or absorb damage. The initial attempt recreated the [Fake Mana Shield], but just like with Speed Surge, he didn't stop there. He studied the flow, leaving the shield activated as he tweaked its mana patterns. Within minutes, it evolved into the Alternate version. By the afternoon, it was perfected.
Next was [Amplify], his all-important buffing skill. This one required more focus, as it involved not just his body but external targets. He tried, again and again, to recreate the intricate flow of mana that would enhance someone else's abilities. [Fake Amplify] came first, followed by [Alternate Amplify]within the hour.
He could feel the power growing with each minute.
By sunset, Sora had done it. In a single day, he had recreated and perfected his three core skills—[Speed Surge], [Mana Shield], and [Amplify]. Now, they were back to their original, peak forms, and he was stronger than ever.