Chapter 198: Earth V2.0 - First Battle

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But even before he could act, his [Veil] began to crack.

It was too much. His aura could no longer be contained. Bits of his true power leaked into the world.

The moment it happened—the three werewolves turned.

Arlot and Crathe Neol—the level 180 players—froze. Their smug expressions twisted into terror.

Zriko, who had been watching the crowd of humans with disinterest, immediately raised his guard.

A drop of blood appeared at his fingertips, floating before him.

Sora’s expression darkened.

‘Damn it, there goes the element of surprise… And that bastard is already using his blood essence?’

He gritted his teeth. That wasn’t a technique werewolves wasted against a weaker opponent. Zriko wasn’t looking down on him. 

'A 50-level gap, and he’s already preparing to go all out? No arrogance, no hesitation...' That realization sent a chill down his spine.

He turned to Kara.

“Be ready, and take this” he murmured, while holding her a ring.

She nodded, her hands clenching into fists. “I’ll come back as soon as I’m done.”

Sora shook his head. “No. Don’t. I’ll join you.”

Kara didn’t respond.

But she didn’t argue, either.

Sora turned and vanished.

Sora unsheathed his Tier 3 Soul Sword, the weapon humming with energy as he moved at frightening speed, weaving through the web of [Void Tunnels] he had created.

Through his countless , he had wielded many weapons.

A staff. Pistols. A Sledgehammer. He had even fought countless battles barehanded.

His lack of focus, his scattered efforts had held him back.

But in the end, he had chosen a weapon.

The sword.

It was always the obvious choice. In his early days, he had trained as a swordsman and he had seen the person he loved master it to a degree he couldn't fathom.

With Kara as a mentor, his overwhelming natural talent, and an endless drive to improve, he had reforged himself.

He felt Kara’s Time Acceleration buff, but something felt off.

‘The effect is lacking… It’s not enough in my current state.’

His power had grown beyond what her previous buffs could amplify properly.

But that didn’t matter.

Pushing his abilities to the limit, he instantly appeared in front of the two lower-level werewolves, his sword already in motion.

The moment his blade swung, it ripped through his own [Veil], revealing his form for just an instant—long enough for his sword to behead them both in a single strike.

Their bodies froze mid-air before collapsing.

A notification flashed across his vision.

[Level Up!]

[You have eliminated a Tier 2 enemy player from the Werewolves Kingdom!]
[You have been awarded 150,000 War Points.]

[You have eliminated a Tier 2 enemy player from the Werewolves Kingdom!]
[You have been awarded 150,000 War Points.]

Sora didn’t hesitate. He restored the [Veil] instantly and vanished again.

Zriko reacted quickly.

The moment his two allies fell, he absorbed the drop of Blood Essence floating at his fingertips.

His body ignited with power, thick fumes rising from his skin. His muscles bulged, his canines extended, and his claws grew longer and more threatening.

Sora watched, hidden behind his restored [Veil], his frown deepening.

He knew the trump card his opponent was using.

‘He’s ignited his blood essence and entered a frenzied state… It’ll take weeks for his body to recover from that.’

Zriko’s power was skyrocketing, but Sora didn’t flinch.

Instead, he sent a thought transmission to Kara.

‘It’s time.’

Glancing in her direction, he saw she had already saved everyone in the vicinity, sending them inside [Time-Space].

She was gone from sight. Hidden behind one of his [Veils].

Now, it was time for him to grant her the opportunity to enter Seoul.

Still concealed behind the Veil, Sora activated [Mana Eyes].

He scrutinized Zriko’s body, searching for an opening. But unlike weaker enemies, there was no obvious weakness.

‘He’s just pure, refined physical power. But in his current state, it's impossible to affect his mind.’

His grip tightened on his sword.

Direct confrontation was the only way out of this situation.

As he moved at high speed, he suddenly noticed Zriko sniffing the air, turning his head toward the fallen werewolves, then toward him.

‘He’s tracking me through scent? How is that even possible?’

He swiftly changed direction, moving through his [Void Tunnels] to throw Zriko off.

Zriko’s head snapped toward his old position before turning to his new position—but not immediately.

‘There’s a window. Small… but enough.’

Sora’s mind raced. If he could exploit that lag—

He abruptly switched movement patterns, twisting unpredictably through his tunnels before appearing right behind Zriko.

A single, decisive motion. His sword plunged forward. Aimed straight for Zriko’s heart.

The air around the blade trembled violently.

A powerful, almost tangible energy undulated along the surface of his sword.

[Sword Intent].

'It's far from Kara's level of mastery, but it still helps make my attacks reach a whole new level.'

As his blade approached his enemy’s back, Sora noticed something was off.

Zriko was turning away at lightning speed. Sora had committed everything to his strike, and now he couldn't redirect it. His opponent ducked just in time to evade the attack and countered with a vicious swipe of his claws.

Sora clicked his tongue.

‘He tricked me... He can track me in real time… but he pretends to be a step behind, luring me into overcommitting.’

The realization hit instantly, but it was too late for regrets.

Instead of forcing a clash, Sora stepped back in midair, twisting his sword into a deflection.

Zriko’s claws met the blade, but Sora had no intention of stopping the force directly.

Instead, he angled his sword, redirecting the attack just enough to throw Zriko’s balance off.

The difference between them became clear.

‘I thought I had an advantage in raw power, but he is stronger. However he fights like a beast, relying too much on instincts and raw power in his frenzied state.’

Sora vanished again.

He entered and left the [Void Tunnels] repeatedly, as he reappeared and struck—then disappeared before Zriko could catch him.

A storm of slashes fell upon the werewolf.

Zriko swung wildly, barely keeping up, his claws slicing through the air just milliseconds too late.

Sora’s attacks blurred, unpredictable, alternating feints and real blows.

As Zriko swung his arm and pierced Sora's abdomen, his eyes opened wide.

Sora, who was impaled on the werewolf's arm grinned... Before turning into elements particles.

It was a clone.

As soon as Zriko flinched and revealed a gap in his defense, Sora exploited the weakness instantly.

The real attack followed. A precise thrust aimed at his neck.

Expecting an instant victory, Sora frowned as the opponent managed to move in time to survive the attack.

However, his right knee bled profusely.

The blade had slashed deep.

[Sword Intent] surged into the wound, sealing off regeneration.

Zriko snarled, staggering as his knee collapsed under him.

His entire leg trembled, struggling to bear his weight as Sora’s Tier 3 Soul Sword injected soul damage with each pulse.

Through [Mana Eyes], Sora saw the werewolf’s body reacting—adapting.

Zriko had isolated the injury, cutting it off from his system to prevent further deterioration.

Sora pressed forward, focusing on dealing injuries rather than directly going for the kill.

His slashes forced Zriko on the defensive, despite his aggressivity. He eventually accumulated injuries.

His abdomen was slashed. His elbow was pierced. His back was cut twice.

Sora’s advantage widened with every successful.

The werewolf’s attacks became desperate, his swings less controlled, his stance breaking apart.

Zriko even stopped trying to counterattack—he was guarding his heart, his head and trying to keep the [Sword Intent] from spreading.

But the damage never stopped accumulating.

Until the situation changed.

Zriko coughed blood. His body started shrinking.

Sora’s eyes turned sharp.

‘His blood essence's drop is spent.’

Sora gathered a monstrous surge of energy from his [White Dwarf] form and [Sword Intent].

'I only have one attempt with such power.' He thought, as he swung his sword. He aimed directly at Zriko’s neck.

There was no resistance.

The werewolf failed to keep up, react or even resist the attack .

The blade sliced through effortlessly.

A notification appeared in front of Sora's eyes.

[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]

[You have eliminated a Tier 1 enemy player from the Werewolves Kingdom!]
[You have been awarded 300,000 War Points.]

Zriko’s head hit the ground. His body followed.

The battle, though filled with thousands of exchanges, had lasted only seconds.

Sora watched as his opponent's body started turning to particles.

Feeling the overwhelming amount of Soul Power leaving the area and heading toward the sky, he frowned.

‘So their souls… they’re returning to their real bodies?’

Turning and seeing the thousands of bodies covering the area, he shook his head.

'Not under my watch.'

During the update, Sora had learned many things. And one revelation had changed everything.

‘The Soul Power we have here is only enough to sustain this body. But our real selves—our true bodies—hold just as much Soul Power.’

‘The majority of that power is used to build the [Soul Link] between both ends…’

‘Meaning that if I absorb his Soul Power before it returns—his real soul will take damage. He’ll survive, but I won’t even steal 20% of his total Soul Power.’

His gaze turned cold.

Without hesitation, Sora reached out, seizing the rapidly escaping Soul Power, ripping it away from its path.

And absorbing it.

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