BXBX NOVEL Chapter 94 : Nara, Japan
Sora’s eyes flicked to the name floating above his head:
[ARAM] [Ganbold] - Level 148.
Sora’s eyes shifted to the others in the group.
[ARAM] [Yo Haneul] - Level 145.
A small figure, almost entirely concealed by dark clothing, moved next to Ganbold. Her features were obscured by a mask, with only her long hair suggesting she was female. No weapons were visible, but the way she moved made Sora suspect she was an assassin class player.
[ARAM] [Min Haneul] - Level 143.
Next to her stood another figure, this one lean and tall, with long hair and a bow strapped to his back. From his sharp features and name, Sora guessed he was likely Korean. ’Considering his name, he should be related to the girl beside him, but why does he seem angry?’
[ARAM] [Oni Obi] - Level 145.
The fourth person was almost two meters tall, a broad smile on his face. A massive axe was attached to his back, and his short hair and dark skin contrasted with the white armor that was showing part of his well-built physique. He seemed to be trying to lighten the atmosphere with his loud voice.
’The elites of the guild,’ Sora thought, impressed. ’Thirty levels above the guild’s average…’
Finally, Sora’s gaze settled on the last member of the group.
[ARAM] [Rachel Claude] - Level 138.
Sora’s heart skipped a beat. ’She was level 117 yesterday! What the hell!?’ His gaze landed on her as she walked at the back of the group. Rachel hadn’t changed much—still around 1m70, with messy red hair falling just past her shoulders. She looked healthier now, almost glowing, with a smile on her lips.
I’m confident I could beat a monster of that level in the wild, but Emily called Rachel a genius... and from the description of the two I killed in France, her talent is immense. By bringing Kara into this infiltration, I might be putting her in danger. I can always bail myself out if things go south, but leaving Kara behind is out of the question. I wanted to play tricks on Rachel, but this is getting out of hand.
Sora didn’t let his gaze linger on Rachel for long, forcing himself to redirect his focus to Ganbold. He maintained his calm façade, acting as though nothing had fazed him, while thinking, ’Wow, they sure are brave, leaving their backs to that snake.’
Emily broke the silence, speaking first. "Look at you all, walking around like you’re hot stuff when you know that without Kim, you’d be far from your levels. Have I not told you to tone it down? Especially you, Ganbold! We’ve got two new recruits joining us for the trip to Japan—so come here and greet Ralph and Kara."
Kara and Sora exchanged polite greetings with the group, the atmosphere lightening slightly. Then Rachel spoke up.
"Ralph Eden? Are you the one who kept sending me friend requests?" she asked, her sharp eyes locking onto him with a curious glint.
Sora, having anticipated the question, responded smoothly. "Yes, I was tasked by the Adventurer’s Guild in Paris to locate five of the strongest players in France, and an information broker gave me your name."
Rachel’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What? Me? There’s no way, right?"
The group laughed, and Oni Obi chimed in with a grin, "Don’t sell yourself short, Rachel. With your strength, it’s no surprise you’re one of the top players in Western Europe. You’re already stronger than us after all... Your talent is frightening!"
Sora maintained his casual tone, adding, "I’m not sure about all the details, but it seems both you and Kara were on the list. They wanted me to see if you’d consider joining the next war effort as a colonel or general."
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "A colonel? I’ve never participated in a war, so I’m not sure how high that rank is... but why not? I have some plans, but I can probably fit that in."
"The war hasn’t started yet," Sora replied, relieved that she seemed to be buying his lie, even lowering her guard. "The Dark Elves haven’t attacked France yet, so there’s no rush. But we’ll definitely be needed for the next war in Europe."
Emily, intrigued by their interaction, glanced between them. "You know Rachel?" she asked.
Sora shook his head. "Not really. We just knew she was a high-level French player and were told we could find her here. Remember when we told you we were looking for someone? She’s that person."
Emily nodded, recalling the earlier conversation, and decided to drop the matter. "Alright, enough chit-chat. We’re leaving South Korea now."
They set off toward Busan with high speed. Even if Earth had expanded to ten times its original size since the update, with their enhanced bodies, such distances were trivial for them. The sea between Korea and Japan, while home to sea monsters, posed little danger in this region. They could easily run across water or fly above it, making quick work of the journey to Japan.
Nara, the site of the upcoming event, piqued Sora’s curiosity. He couldn’t help but watch in awe how much the city had transformed after the World Update. The changes were breathtaking. The Nara Sora had once learned about in articles and documentaries was barely recognizable. Once an ancient capital of Japan, it had been renowned for its deer park, where visitors would buy special crackers and bow to the deer, who would bow in return.
Now, Nara was a seamless blend of ancient architecture and game-inspired mechanics that had emerged in the recent years.
The concrete streets had been replaced with beautifully crafted stone pathways. Floating lanterns lined the streets, casting a soft, magical glow. The towering skyscrapers were gone, replaced by structures designed to resemble ancient Japanese buildings, though enhanced with magical features. Cars and bikes were nowhere to be seen. Instead, people rode magical mounts, while others stood on glowing magic circles that transported them instantly to various parts of the city.
Even the civilians seemed extraordinary. The average level in Nara hovered around 60, and most children appeared to have unlocked mana, their movements exuding a subtle energy that marked them as more than ordinary.
Kara, clearly impressed, couldn’t help but comment, "This feels like an entirely different world… It’s amazing how Japan has embraced mana and the new rules of the world to reshape their cities. On the other hand, Seoul has chosen to continue pushing their technology to new limits."
Sora nodded, adding, "It’s probably not all of Japan. Cities like Tokyo or Osaka have taken different approaches according to what I’ve seen online. I can’t imagine Tokyo being completely rebuilt like this. What surprises me the most is that they allow children to leave the civilian identity behind, and teach them mana early on... In contrast with most places we’ve visited, so far."
"We’re not here for tourism, keep up with us." Emily commented, noticing the duo slowing down significantly.
They continued on, following Emily to Nara’s Adventurer’s Guild. Upon entering, they were guided to the basement. Sora, familiar with the routine, thought, ’It’s probably the testing area again…’ But this time, what he saw caught him off guard.
The basement was massive, filled with thousands of people from all over the world. The energy in the room was electric, the variety of gear and power levels on display creating a lively scene.
Kim Dong turned to Sora and Kara. "The qualifiers for Europe, excluding Turkey and Russia, are over there. Get your qualifications and come back to us. Emily, follow them and return when they’re done. We’ll be entering the competition in our own region. Rachel, since you don’t have a recommendation from your region, you’ll be competing with us in South Korea. Are you ready?"
Rachel nodded confidently. "Yes, Guildmaster Kim. I’m ready."
Sora couldn’t help but think, ’She can’t even compete in her own region? That’s what you get for not contributing to your own region.’
Without further questions, Sora and Kara nodded and left the group, heading toward the European qualifiers. As they made their way to the European section of the qualifiers, they couldn’t help but notice the different groups around them.
One group immediately caught Sora’s attention. Judging by the flags on their uniforms, they appeared to be from Oceania. The group wasn’t uniform in appearance—some players looked like others in the area with standard equipment, while others carried more modern weaponry. They wore army uniforms that partially covered their armor, equipped with rifles, sniper weapons, riot shields, and other military gear. Sora found it fascinating, as he wasn’t accustomed to using such weapons himself, though he knew some countries insisted on developing and utilizing them.
When he focused on the gear, he noticed a faint glow surrounding the items—a clear sign that they were system-recognized and possessed rarity levels, just like game items.
As they passed by more groups, Sora noticed many players with a clear military experience. Emily, catching his curiosity, remarked, "Most of the top players in the world are either active military, ex-military, or special forces. Their training before the update gave them a natural edge—mentally and physically. Don’t underestimate them just because you’ve got special abilities. If you have them, why wouldn’t they?"
Sora nodded, recalling news reports from that time. "I remember hearing they monopolized the early monster kills during the first signs of change, before the World Update. That early advantage carried over, didn’t it?"
Emily nodded again. "It’s not that simple, but yes. Most military forces found ways to stay competitive after the update. And that’s not even counting the groups and major powers that experimented with just about everything. They’ve done things you wouldn’t believe."