Dana approached Amina, who was sitting on a small rocky ledge, focused on weaving something with a stone needle.
"Do you want a hand?"
Amina looked surprised.
"Dana... you know how to sew?"
Dana touched her long blonde hair, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Well... no. I was hoping you could teach me... is that a problem?"
At that request, Amina's face immediately lit up with excitement.
"Yes! Absolutely!"
She quickly pulled her companion down beside her, catching Dana slightly off guard.
"Alright, look here."
Amina handed her some leather and the needle, then took Dana's hands.
"I was using the backstitch technique..."
Amina began guiding Dana's hands.
"Since you're right-handed, you move from right to left. Bring the needle up from the back of the fabric, make a stitch forward, push it back through the material, then bring the needle back until the end of the previous stitch. Then repeat."
Amina released Dana's hands.
"Alright, now try it yourself!"
Dana looked unsure, but seeing Amina's excitement, she decided to give it a try anyway.
"Okay..."
Meanwhile, Dalai watched them from below.
It's been at least a week since we added Ethan and Amina to the group...
He walked around the area, noticing Estrella practising with her bow while Ethan watched beside her.
The group is becoming more and more united. We're getting stronger every day.
Estrella released an arrow that struck a fruit hanging from a tree.
Ethan applauded in surprise.
"Great shot!"
"Thanks!"
The two exchanged a high five.
Dalai continued walking.
However, this improvement definitely doesn't come only from our own strength...
He stopped in front of a tree, where Riccardo was sitting on a branch observing the surroundings.
"Riccardo! Come down, your watch is over. I'll take your place!"
Riccardo heard Dalai and grabbed his sword before jumping down effortlessly.
"Thanks, but there's no need. I'd like to have a meeting with everyone."
Dalai nodded.
"Got it."
Riccardo moved to the centre of the group.
"Everyone! Come over here!"
Dalai continued watching him.
Our improvement is mostly thanks to him. He tells us how to spend our points and how to handle fights... I wonder what he used to do back on Earth...
He sighed as he noticed the others approaching.
So many secrets... what a pain.
Eventually, Dalai also joined Riccardo.
Noticing him arrive, Riccardo turned to everyone.
"If I've been keeping track of the days correctly, it's been one month since the tournament started. I wanted to see everyone's progress. Who wants to go first?"
"Me!"
Dana stepped forward and showed her status screen.
[User: Dana Falk]
[Level 14]
[Strength: 22
Agility: 22
Dexterity: 14
Vision: 5
Resistance: 11]
"I'm comfortable with these stats, but I think maybe it's time to start putting some points into Vision."
Riccardo thought about it for a moment.
"Yes... let's do this. Every level, put two of your three available points into Vision. At least until you reach ten points. After that, I'll leave the rest up to you."
"Okay!"
Riccardo then looked at Ethan.
"Ethan, I'd like to see yours too, since you're fighting alongside Dana as the vanguard pair."
"Sure."
Ethan showed his status screen.
[User: Ethan Vance]
[Level 14]
[Strength: 19
Agility: 8
Dexterity: 18
Vision: 10
Resistance: 19]
Riccardo analysed the stats.
"They're almost perfect. You're starting to understand how to manage them yourself."
"Yeah, it's not difficult. I just have to be very careful."
Ethan summoned his divine weapon, Twin Fang.
"My stats need to make using this weapon easier... I'm very limited because of that."
Riccardo nodded while thinking.
"What if you stopped putting points into Vision and Resistance? Start increasing Agility instead. That way, you'll have many more options during battles."
"Hmm... I'll think about it."
Riccardo then looked at Dalai.
"What about you? Did you level up at least two more times compared to last time?"
"What, are you making fun of me now?"
"Just a little..."
Dalai proceeded to show his stats.
[User: Dalai Sen]
[Level 12]
[Strength: 8
Agility: 19
Dexterity: 16
Vision: 7
Resistance: 8]
"Overall, you're doing well. Considering your role in battle... how about from the next expeditions onward, you take the frontline instead of me?"
"I'm fine with that. I want to level up!"
Riccardo showed a slight smile.
"I'm glad to hear that."
Then he looked at Estrella and Amina.
"Now it's our archers' turn."
Both showed their stats.
[User: Estrella Silva]
[Level 10]
[Strength: 9
Agility: 17
Dexterity: 11
Vision: 6
Resistance: 4]
Riccardo was shocked by Estrella's stats.
"Estrella... I understand that you like fighting while moving around. But you're still an archer."
She gave a relaxed smile, almost ignoring Riccardo's words.
"I know! But I really like fighting up close!"
Dalai looked at her in confusion.
Then why did you choose a bow!?
Riccardo sighed in resignation.
"Just try to put more points into Dexterity and, above all, Vision."
"Got it!"
Then he moved on to Amina's stats.
[User: Amina Juma]
[Level 9]
[Strength: 5
Agility: 7
Dexterity: 13
Vision: 15
Resistance: 5]
"Now these stats are exactly what you'd expect from an archer!"
Riccardo was impressed, surprising Amina.
"Ah... thank you!"
Then Riccardo looked at Estrella with a disappointed expression.
"Unlike her..."
Estrella pretended not to hear him.
Then he returned his attention to Amina's stats.
"Your build is definitely the right one, especially because it makes the most of your Unique Skill: Celestial Trace."
Dana approached Amina and hugged her.
"Exactly! Your skill is essential! You're basically a sniper!"
"With this, the team is truly balanced," Ethan added.
Everyone began sharing their opinions.
Then Dalai looked at Riccardo with curiosity.
"What about you? How far have you gotten?"
At that question, everyone turned towards Riccardo.
"If you want to see them, here they are..."
[User: Riccardo Aliberti]
[Level 18]
[Strength: 23
Agility: 23
Dexterity: 26
Vision: 26
Resistance: 23]
Everyone was shocked, especially Dalai.
Those numbers scare me...
Ethan examined them more carefully.
"They're all so balanced... couldn't that become a problem?"
"No, not if you're capable in everything."
Riccardo's answer left everyone confused.
"Fair enough..." Ethan added, raising his hands at the information.
Riccardo began walking away.
"Tomorrow we'll go on another expedition. After eating, try to get some rest. Dalai, you start the guard shift."
The group returned to their own activities.
Meanwhile, Estrella watched Riccardo with a smile.
Ethan approached her curiously.
"What's up?"
"Just a couple of days ago, he wouldn't have easily given up his guard shift. But he realised that we can make a difference too!"
Ethan nodded.
"That's true!"
[The sun is setting]
Dana finished preparing the campfire.
"The fire is ready!"
Then she approached Estrella and Dalai, who were preparing the meat.
"Come on, hurry up! I'm hungry!"
"Of course you can't wait," Estrella replied, amused.
"I can't help it, it's a biological necessity!"
"Well, at least you're not as bad as Ethan..." Dalai replied while finishing his part.
Dana and Estrella looked at Ethan lying on the ground in front of the fire, exhausted.
"I'm so hungry... I don't think I'll survive much longer..."
He even let out a suffering sigh.
"Pathetic..." Amina said while standing nearby.
"If you're just going to lie there doing nothing, I'd rather you go call Riccardo," Dalai said, looking at Dana.
"He's still training?"
"Like always, isn't he?"
Dana headed towards the forest.
Until she saw Riccardo training with his sword, shirtless.
"You really never get tired, do you?"
Hearing her, Riccardo stopped, breathing heavily.
"You're the one who seems to have gotten a little too comfortable lately!"
Dana approached him with a wool cloth.
"Here."
Riccardo took the cloth.
"Thanks."
He dried himself off, then examined it.
"It's well made... is it Amina's?"
Dana put her hands on her hips, looking proud.
"Actually, I made it!"
Riccardo stopped for a moment, processing that statement, then looked at Dana in disbelief.
She noticed his reaction and became slightly annoyed.
"What? Does that surprise you?"
"To be honest, yes—"
Dana punched him on the shoulder.
Riccardo felt the impact and grabbed the spot.
"Okay... sorry."
Dana looked at the reddish sky of the sunset.
"Another day has passed," Riccardo said, joining her.
"Do you think that back on Earth, all the people we left behind... our parents, relatives, or friends... are still searching for us?"
Riccardo noticed Dana's saddened expression.
"I don't know. At this point, they've probably started giving up a little... but what about you? Do you miss them?"
"Yes... a lot..."
Riccardo put his shirt back on and placed his sword into its sheath.
"Even though it's painful, they can become a reason for you to keep fighting."
Then he began walking back through the forest.
"What about you? Do you have someone?"
Riccardo stopped and thought about the question.
Before answering, he turned around with a smile.
"I don't know... but I'll definitely fight for what I have now."
Dana was left speechless for a moment by those words.
But then she smiled back.
"Me too!"
The two eventually walked back towards their camp together.
"What are we having for dinner tonight?" Riccardo asked.
"Guess."
"Seriously... more goat meat?"
"We have plenty of them. We need them for their wool. The nights are getting colder, and besides, the meat Dalai prepares with those aromatic herbs—"
"Those aren't aromatic herbs. One day we're going to die because of them."
"Maybe—"
Dana was interrupted by something that shot past her at incredible speed.
The two froze in shock.
"What the hell was that!?" Dana exclaimed.
They turned around and saw Ethan crash violently into a tree.
"Ethan!"
They rushed over to him.
"What happened!?" Riccardo asked while checking his condition.
Ethan was on the verge of passing out, but forced himself to speak.
"It's a giant... help the others..."
Riccardo nodded and immediately stood up.
"Dana, take care of Ethan!"
"Okay! Be careful!"
Meanwhile, back at the camp, Amina was keeping the giant occupied.
Estrella was trying to carry the injured Dalai to safety.
However, the creature was pushing them to their limits.
Every step it took made the ground tremble.
Its body, covered in stone plates covered with moss and roots, looked as if it were part of the mountain itself.
Amina fired arrow after arrow, but none of them could pierce that rocky hide.
"Its skin is too tough! I'm not doing anything to it!"
"Amina, watch out!" Estrella shouted.
The giant slammed its foot into the ground, creating a shockwave that destabilised Amina.
The creature took advantage of the opening and swung its open hand towards her.
Amina couldn't do anything.
But at the last possible moment, she was pulled away.
Looking up, she saw Riccardo holding her tightly—the one who had saved her.
"That was close..."
[Unique Skill Activated: Instant Shift]
[Instant Shift: By concentrating all the strength of the legs into a single moment, the user performs an explosive burst forward in a straight line.]
[Effect: Allows the user to instantly cover a chosen distance up to a maximum of 50 metres. Once the burst begins, the direction cannot be changed.]
[Drawback: Agility -3 for 5 seconds]
[Duration: Single Use]
[Cooldown: 45 Seconds]
Riccardo released Amina, who was still shaken.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes... maybe I'm still a little dizzy from that speed..."
"Good. Now go help Estrella! I'll handle the giant!"
"Yes!"
Riccardo charged towards the enormous target, which was about to attack Estrella.
He then activated his sword's Unique Skill: Glimmer of Light**.**
He managed to distract the giant and injure its right leg.
However, Riccardo was still shocked when he saw the small wound he had created.
I'm doing this little damage at my level... and especially while using my Unique Skill!
After a few moments, the situation became even worse when he saw the wound begin to heal.
Damn it... what a shitty situation!
The giant's attacks were incredibly fast.
It threw a punch at Riccardo, who partially blocked it with his sword.
But even so, he was sent flying several metres backwards.
Meanwhile, Estrella noticed Riccardo was struggling.
Realising Dalai was far enough from danger, she decided to move.
"Amina, take care of things here!"
"Okay..."
Estrella dashed forward at incredible speed.
Riccardo saw her.
"Estrella! Go to the top of the cliff!"
"Okay!"
She followed his order.
"And wait for my signal!" Riccardo added.
Estrella looked confused.
"Which one!?"
The giant hurled rocks at Riccardo, who quickly dodged them.
"You'll know!"
Estrella took her position, still confused.
A signal... a signal...
She prepared an arrow and waited motionless.
Riccardo dodged another attack, then moved beneath the creature's legs.
The giant tried to anticipate him and grab him, but he slid beneath its hand.
And managed to reach the base of the cliff.
"Estrella, get ready!"
"Yes!"
The giant approached, and Riccardo watched it with complete focus.
Just a little more...
It took another step and stopped directly in front of the cliff, only a few metres away from Estrella.
"Now! The eye!"
Estrella released the arrow and struck the giant's right eye.
The creature staggered backwards several steps.
"Excellent! Now the other one!" Riccardo shouted.
Estrella prepared her next shot.
One more...
However, a sudden movement from the giant destabilised her aim, causing her to miss, even though the target was extremely close.
How did I miss!?
Riccardo noticed and clicked his tongue.
I need to find another way to bring it down...
The giant moved in pain from its injured eye, while Estrella struggled to find another opening.
"I'm useless..."
"It's not over!"
A voice echoed throughout the area.
It was Amina, who had also climbed onto the cliff and was ready to fire.
"Celestial Trace!"
[Unique Skill Activated: Celestial Trace]
From an incredible distance, she managed to hit the giant's moving eye with perfect accuracy.
Estrella was left speechless.
Then she started crying.
"What are you doing here!?"
"I treated Dalai and left him somewhere safe..."
Amina approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You did great."
"That's not true! I put Riccardo in danger... I wasn't good enough!"
"But you hit one eye, and I took care of the other! We're a team. If one of us makes a mistake, another person covers for them... that's how it works!"
Estrella felt reassured by those words and nodded, wiping away her tears.
"Besides, it's not over yet. Now it's their turn."
"Their turn?"
Estrella looked up and noticed Dana's arrival.
"Riccardo! What's the plan!?" Dana shouted.
He saw her and smiled slightly.
"Try to make it fall!"
He dodged an attack before continuing his explanation.
"Aim for the Achilles tendons! We need to hit it as much as possible from the chest down!"
"Got it!"
The two charged forward with long strides, crossing the entire area while dealing damage to the giant, which struggled to react while still blinded.
Riccardo noticed the wounds trying to regenerate, although extremely slowly.
"He's reaching his limit! Keep going!"
"Obviously!"
Suddenly, the giant began thrashing around chaotically, putting the two of them in danger as they were forced to dodge its feet.
After Dana struck the giant's left tendon, it finally fell to one knee.
"I did it!"
Riccardo noticed it.
"Now it's my turn!"
The other tendon is exposed... an easy target.
"Riccardo! Dana! Get out of there!"
Riccardo heard Estrella's warning and noticed the giant's right hand glowing with a green light.
What is it doing—
Pieces of the cliff where Estrella and Amina were standing began breaking off and being launched toward the two below.
It can use magic!
Amina grabbed Estrella's hand and escaped from the collapsing cliff.
Meanwhile, Riccardo and Dana dodged the falling debris.
After successfully avoiding the attacks, they moved away from the area.
Dana let out a relieved sigh.
"Thank goodness—"
"Dana, don't let your guard down!" Riccardo shouted urgently.
More debris came toward her, but she skillfully dodged it and reached Riccardo.
He grabbed her hand.
"We have to leave! This is too dangerous!"
But she refused.
"We can't! We have to save Ethan!"
"Damn it!"
Meanwhile, a gigantic rock approached from behind Riccardo.
Dana noticed it.
"Riccardo, watch out!"
He released her hand and grabbed his sword with both hands.
The weapon began glowing.
[Unique Skill Activated: Glimmer of Light]
"This situation is getting annoying!"
The skill of Riccardo's Feather Sword of the Tenth Sun sent the massive rock flying into the air, shattering it completely.
Dana was shocked by the power of that skill.
"Right! We have to help Ethan... so the only way is to take down that huge idiot! Otherwise, he won't let us pass!"
Dana was left speechless by his determination.
However, she soon stood beside him.
"We'll definitely bring him down!"
"Dana... that new base skill you learned, are you ready to use it?"
"Yes, but if I fail, I'll have to wait ten minutes before I can use it again!"
"You won't fail... trust me."
Riccardo charged toward the giant, whose wounds on its eyes and legs had already regenerated.
"Do you want an opportunity?"
Riccardo showed an unusually excited smile.
"Here's your opportunity!"
[Base Skill Activated: Impulse Matrix]
[Impulse Matrix: A base skill that can be awakened by anyone who fulfills its conditions. It briefly syncs the user's body with kinetic energy, modestly boosting strength and agility.]
[Effect: Increases the user's Strength by +5 and Agility by +5 for a short duration, slightly improving attack power, movement speed, reaction time, and jumping ability.]
[Limitations: The enhancement lasts for 30 seconds. The skill cannot be activated again while it is already in effect.]
[Cooldown: 1 minute.]
And with the two of us...
[Unique Skill Activated: Instant Shift]
[Unique Skill Activated: Glimmer of Light]
Fall again, bastard!
Riccardo reached a speed beyond human limits, disappearing from everyone's sight for a brief moment.
Only to reappear behind the giant.
Right after activating his unique skill, he swung his sword, cleanly cutting through the enemy's foot.
Due to his momentum, Riccardo crashed into the wall.
However, it did not lose consciousness and even started running again.
"Dana! Now!"
The giant, now completely defenseless, was about to collapse to the ground.
As Dana advanced toward it, ready to strike, her sword released a powerful dark aura.
She positioned herself on the creature's right side, at the height of its neck.
"Unleash! Abyss Rend!"
[Base Skill Activated: Abyss Rend]
[Abyss Rend: A base skill granted only to certain chosen individuals, selected for the divinity they represent, that condenses absolute darkness into a single razor-thin slash capable of severing nearly any physical object in its path.]
[Effect: Unleashes a blade of compressed darkness that cuts through armor, weapons, terrain, and living beings while ignoring the physical durability of the target. The slash travels in a straight line until it reaches its maximum range.]
[Limitations: The trajectory cannot be altered once released. The user must have a clear line of sight to the target, and the slash cannot distinguish between allies and enemies.]
[Cooldown: 10 minutes.]
[Drawback: Activating the skill consumes an enormous amount of energy and places immense strain on the user's body. Repeated use before full recovery may result in severe internal damage or complete exhaustion.]
Her slash connected, cleanly cutting through the giant's neck.
Several glowing screens appeared before Dana.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[You have reached Level 16!]
[You have six attribute points available to distribute among your stats.]
Seeing the notifications, she finally relaxed.
"We did it..."
Due to the sudden release of tension, her body gave out.
But before she could fall, Riccardo caught her.
"Got you..."
Dana noticed and blushed.
Then he helped her stand again.
"Stay on your feet, we won!"
Hearing those words, she smiled.
"Right..."
"Guys!" Amina shouted as she approached together with Estrella, supporting Dalai.
"Is everyone alright?" Riccardo asked.
Dalai showed his bandaged right shoulder.
"Yes... can't you see?"
"Yeah, it could've been worse..."
Dalai looked at him with disapproval.
"Don't downplay my injuries..."
"Amina, could you go recover Ethan?" Dana asked, pointing toward the area.
"Yes, of course!"
Amina left Dalai with Estrella and walked away.
Meanwhile, Estrella couldn't bring herself to look Riccardo in the eyes, remembering her mistake with her bow.
"Riccardo... I'm sorry!"
Riccardo looked at her with a compassionate expression.
"You don't need to apologize. Things like this can happen..."
"No!"
Estrella clenched her fists in frustration.
"It shouldn't have happened! All of this happened because I didn't listen to you when you advised me how to distribute my points... I would've had enough Dexterity and Vision to properly use the bow."
A moment of silence filled the air.
"Yes, that's true... you were wrong not to listen to me."
Riccardo's statement made everyone shiver, not just Estrella.
"Riccardo..." Dana tried to intervene.
"But that doesn't mean the same thing couldn't have happened even with the right distribution of points!"
Estrella looked confused.
"The gods gave us attributes and skills that elevate us beyond ordinary humans... but in the end, we're still human. Everyone can make mistakes. The important thing is to stand back up!"
Estrella lowered her head to hide her tears.
"Yes..."
Dana moved away from Riccardo and went to hug Estrella.
But in doing so, she almost made Dalai fall.
"Woah!"
Riccardo caught him before he hit the ground.
"I caught you too..."
Dalai looked at him with a confused expression.
"What luck..."
In the end, Amina returned with Ethan as well.
And so, they spent the rest of the day treating their injuries and recovering from the battle.