As the voice of the Trial Giver faded into the distance, leaving the room eerily quiet, Sora stood still, waiting for what he knew would e . Moments ter, a familiar ping echoed in his mind, followed by the appearance of a notification in front of his eyes.

  [Quest plete: Assist Kara irial of the Virtuous][Reward based on tribution: XP, Gold, Legendary Item]A rush of energy surged through his body, and the notification fshed brightly before him.

  [Level up! You are now level 60.][Level up! You are now level 61.][Level up! You are now level 62.]Sora's eyes widened in surprise as the colossal k of experience boosted him not just one level, but three. The rush of power was overwhelming, filling him with strength as his body surged with newfound energy.

  "Let's gooo!" he cheered enthusiastically, something unusual enough to surprise his teammates.

  But the notifications didn't stop there.

  [You have received: 9,500,000 gold.]Sora blinked in disbelief. "9.5 million gold?" he whispered to himself. Even for a hidden level 60 quest, that was an huge amount of wealth. Most high-level quests rewarded only a fra of that, but it seemed the Trial Giver had been exceptionally generous.

  However, the final reward was the ohat truly caught his attention.

  [You have received: Legendary Item – Ruyi Jingu Bang (Monkey King's Staff)] as a quest reward.Ruyi Jingu Bang (Monkey King's Staff) (Legendary)Level Requirement: 60

  Description: The legendary staff of the Monkey King, known for its ability to ge size at will. It is said to be able to extend to the heavens or shrink to the size of a needle. Infused with a magic, the Ruyi Jingu Bas to the wielder's mana, growing and shrinking based on how much mana is eled into it. This on was desigo adapt to any bat situation, from close-quarters to le, making it a versatile and formidable tool in battle.

  Options:

  Mana-Responsive Size trol: The staff ge its length and size based on the amount of mana the wielder els into it. The minimum size be as small as a needle, while the maximum size is only limited by the wielder's mana capacity.

  Durability: Iructible by normal means. The staff withstand the most extreme forces, making it a perfect defensive and offensive on.

  Sora's smile widened as the legendary on materialized in front of him. The staff was unlike any on he had ever seen. At first g appeared deceptively simple—a bck pole with golden ends.

  But the longer he stared at it, the more its intricate details revealed themselves. Engraved along its length were faint golden patterns, swirling like clouds, a and majestivoking the image of legends long past.

  Sora lifted the staff, feeling its surprisi despite its slim appeara felt like it was ected to him, responding to his thoughts, eager to obey his ands. He ran his hand along its smooth surfaotig the subtle hum of mana c through the on.

  "The Monkey King's Staff," Sora muttered with a grin. The world update really was something else. It seemed to borrow names, cepts, and even legends from human history and fi. And now, here he was, holding one of the most iic ons of a myth.

  He gripped the staff firmly, feeding it a pulse of his mana. Instantly, the staff responded, growing longer in his hand. With ahought, he willed it to shrink, and it obediently tracted, fittily into his palm.

  Shed softly, the satisfa of obtaining such a on evident on his face. "This is going to be fun."

  Sora looked at his teammates. Kara stood still, her eyes wide and unfocused, clearly engrossed iifications only she could see. The other three, Thierry, e, and Amélie, looked far more lively, wearing broad smiles as they admired their rewards. They seemed tent, chatting quietly among themselves.

  Sora broke the silence, curiosity gnawing at him. "So, are you guys satisfied with what you got?"

  Thierry grinned, clearly pleased. "Oh yeah, we each got 100,000 gold. That's a quite the amount sidering the fact that we spent the whole trial in your backpack... We give the gold if you want, since we feel like we earned his because of you, probably l your quest reward"

  Sora tried to suppress his embarrassment, knowing he'd received almost 10 million. He guessed the trial had decided that he'd done about 95% of the work, which wasn't too far off the mark. Still, he didn't want to demotivate them by mentioning his disproportionate reward. He simply shook his head, refusing their offer, keeping his faeutral.

  Amélie chimed i, excitement in her voice. "We also got some Unique ons and equipment pieces. Check this out!" She showed off a bow with a faintly glowing string. Thierry dispyed his new sword, and e proudly examined a reinforced shield, all brimming with power.

  Sora smiled faintly, pleased that they were happy with their rewards.

  At that moment, Kara snapped out of her daze, her face lighting up with excitement. "I ged csses!" she excimed. "I 't wait to go bad show Areva. She's going to be so proud!"

  Her excitement was tagious, and Sora could see that Kara was eager to return to her master and share her success. She then turo Sora, still buzzing with energy. "Why don't you e with me, Ralph? We return the mai now that we've pleted this hidden dungeon."

  Sora raised his hand, stopping her. "Not just yet. Since we're in a safe space, I go ahead and improve your bodies now, to plete our tract."

  The group paused, processing his words. Their excitemeurned quickly as they realized what this meant. e was the first to speak, her voice filled with determination. "If you're ready to do it, then so am I."

  Sora smiled. "Alright then. Sit down, all of you. I won't lie—this is going to be painful."

  The four adventurers exged nervous gnces, but their resolve remairong. Thierry nodded. "We've been through worse. Let's get this done."

  Sora raised an eyebrow at that remark 'This pampered warrior has been through worse? Was he sure about that?'

  Amélie added, her voice quieter but firm, "If this makes us stronger, we take it."

  Sora turo e first. "I'll start with you. You've already got the stro body of the group apart from Kara, so this will push you even further."

  e sat down took a deep breath, brag herself for what was to e and bringing all her defense, allowing 'Ralph' to do as he pleased.

  Sora focused his mana, his hands glowing with a soft blue light as he began applying the body f skills he had mastered. He started gently infusing the mana inside her body, his eyes focused, and slowly scouted her whole body, muscles and an to notiy thing that's be different from his body. She had no [Loved by Mana] or [Titan Regeion] to help her heal damage, so he would have to help her in another way. He focused his mana to imitate the time he had recreated the Regeion passive skill by f mana to heal the body passively.

  As soon as the body had a way to recover, he eled the mana into e's body, sending it deep into her muscles, bones, and ans. The process was brutal—her body had to be torn apart and rebuilt, and though he could regee her as he worked, the pain was immense.

  e gritted her teeth, her fists ched as the first wave of agony hit. Her body shook as Sora tihe mana seeping into every fiber of her being, breaking and ref her physical limits. Her breath came out in shasps as she tried to withstand the torment. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, blood was ing out of her mouth and her face twisted in pain, but she was trying to persist.

  Thierry and Amélie watched in horror, their eyes wide as they saw e ehe process. Amélie's hands trembled as she clutched her nehile Thierry looked pale, his face a mask of barely trolled fear. Even Kara, who had witnessed many battles, couldn't hide her ay.

  S the others as the process stabilized. "Are you ready?" he asked, his voice steady.

  "No, we are not !!" Thierry who was terrified couldn't help but shake his head.

  "Be a man Thierry. If you run today, we'll make fun of your for the rest of your life" Amélie couldn't help but say, trying to motivate the group.

  A momehey accepted their fate, their fear momentarily overshadowed by their determination. One by ohey sat down in front of Sora, brag themselves for the same grueling transformation. Sora worked tirelessly, moving from oo the , using his body f skills to enhaheir physical abilities. The pain was intense, and their bodies buckled uhe strain, but they endured.

  Hours passed in a haze of agony and regeion. Blood pooled beh them as their bodies were torn apart and rebuilt over and ain. The process was relentless, and soon all four y on the ground, their once powerful bodies reduced to bloodied, trembling forms.

  Sora stood over them, his expression calm as he observed the results. Their bodies had been pushed to their limits, every fiber of their being strengthened and reinforced. The blood that soaked the ground was evidence of the trials they had endured. Yet, despite the trauma, their bodies were fully recovered, intad strong. The mental fatigue, however, had taken its toll.

  Thierry, e, and Amélie had all passed out, their minds uo cope with the strain any lohey y unscious in the pool of their own blood, pletely spent. But Kara… Kara was different.

  She remained awake, though her breath was bored, her chest heaving as if she were struggling for air. Her body trembled, her mind clearly on the verge of colpse, but she held on. Sora was impressed by her resilience. She had a talent for survival, an irength that exceeded his expectations. She was leagues above him in that regard.

  He k beside her, his voice quiet but filled with respect. "You've done well, Kara."

  Kara's eyes were wide, her voice barely a whisper. "I… I stayed awake… but I wish I hadn't." She let out a strained ugh, though her body was clearly still in shock. "I would have rather passed out like the others."

  Sora chuckled softly, admirienacity. She truly was a talent. "Your body hit the limit of what I could give you. You've all pushed past your previous boundaries, but no one has limitless potential. This is as far as I take you."

  Kara nodded weakly, still trying to catch her breath. "Thank you… Ralph." Her voice was soft, but her gratitude was genuine.

  With the others unscious, Sora and Kara lifted their panions, carrying them out of the dungeon. Together, they dragged their unscious friends back toaris.

  The journey was long, and by the time they arrived, it was te. They brought their teammates back to an inn, ying them down carefully so they could rest. Kara stood by Sora as they finished, her body still weak from the ordeal but her spirit unbroken.

  "Let's meet tomorrow," Sora said, gng at her. "We talk more then."

  Kara nodded, her eyes tired but full of resolve. "I'll be ready."

  With that, they parted ways, the night falling over Paris as the weight of their trials finally began to settle in.