She lunged again, faster than her first attack, and aimed for Sora's skull. This time, he had time to completely dodge her attack, but could only step back to better anticipate the next one.

Sora tried to remember all the advice Emma had given him. He knew that defending was good, but attacking was even better. With this thought in mind, Sora gathered his courage and took the initiative to attack. He lunged towards Emma, attempting to surprise his instructor with a series of swift, precise strikes. They were all parried without too much effort, but Sora could see a glint of satisfaction in Emma's eyes.

Their exchange of blows continued for almost an hour. An hour during which Sora didn't manage to hit Emma once, but he received dozens of blows all over his body.

Every muscle ached, and sweat poured down his forehead. His breath was ragged, his legs trembled and his hands struggled to maintain a firm grip on his sword. Despite the pain and exhaustion, a gleam of determination still shone in his eyes. He refused to give in.

Emma, on the other hand, remained unperturbed, as if this fight was merely a warm-up. She lowered her sword and looked at him for a moment, an encouraging smile on her lips. "You're holding up better than I thought," she said calmly. "But to progress, you have to learn to push your limits, even when every muscle is screaming at you to give up."

As he watched Emma's posture, he noticed a slight change in her stance. Had she let her guard down? Was she about to attempt another attack?

Sora didn't know, but an opening had been created. Since the start of training, he'd only seen one or two. So he knew that if he wanted to try and surprise her, he had no choice but to try an attack now.

He grabbed his sword with both hands and launched a direct attack. Just before the impact between the two wooden blades, Sora stopped dead in his tracks, pivoted on himself and attacked Emma's flank, which was now exposed.

His sword swung as his body swung, but stopped short when it met Emma's sword, who was looking at him with a satisfied expression. "Well done, Sora. You're finally starting to use your head. Only, when such a predictable opening suddenly appears, there's a good chance it's a trap."

Emma kicked Sora's weapon out of the way and gave him the same sweep she'd given him at the start of training.

Sora's skull crashed to the ground and a thud echoed throughout the training area.

Sora lay stunned on the ground. A sharp pain pulsed in his head, and he could see stars dancing before his eyes. He could no longer clearly make out the clear blue sky in front of him, but he could feel Emma leaning over him.

"It's not a real fight if you don't end up with a few bruises," she joked, while reaching out to help him up. "But don't forget, you have to learn to see beyond appearances. Many experienced fighters will leave an opening on purpose to trap you. Confidence in yourself is important, but don't let it make you reckless."

Sora grunted in pain as he took Emma's hand and struggled to his feet. Every part of his body seemed to cry out in protest. Still, he sketched a faint, if painful, smile. "I'll remember that... Next time, I won't fall into the trap."

As he went to retrieve his sword lying a few feet away, Emma addressed him. "I think we should stop for today... Keep producing so much effort and you'll see that in a while, you'll have improved much faster than you think."

Sora nodded, his mind still clouded with fatigue, but the satisfaction of having held out to the end lit up his eyes. He knew he still had a long way to go, but hearing Emma's encouragement gave him new impetus, a reason to push himself.

"Thank you, Emma," he replied, his voice betraying exhaustion mixed with gratitude. "I'll be getting back then, I've got missions to complete."

Watching him walk away, Emma spoke a few last words to him before putting away her sword. "Don't die, or I'll have wasted my time training you."

Sora smiled slightly at Emma's haughty advice. He scanned the mission board, looking for something that would test him, but not push him over the edge. After his intense training with Emma, he felt his limits were approaching, but he still wanted to see if his training was beginning to bear fruit. As he pondered the various missions proposed before him, he noticed one that looked rather interesting:

The extermination of Mouthstones, a plant that appeared in cave entrances and imitated the appearance of a stone in order to attack its various prey.

"Well... That doesn't sound like a bad mission. And with a reward of 23 écus, I can only accept." Sora added, as he spoke aloud to himself, alone in front of the mission board.

He then went to the reception desk to choose his mission and left the Order to go where his mission took him. When he emerged from Grimpoint, a System0 message appeared in front of him.

[ Congratulations ]

[ Climber Won: 1 EPX ; Reason: Intensive Training ]

[ EXP Missing Before Next Level: 91 EXP ]

Surprised to receive this message so late, Sora didn't really know how to react. He'd just earned 1 EXP, but given the intensity of each of his training sessions, he'd hoped to earn more.

He didn't focus any longer and continued his walk, which would turn out to be longer than he'd thought. He hadn't thought about it, but in the few days he'd been on ARK, he hadn't once seen a trace of a cave or surrounding mountain. He hadn't thought that it might take him several hours to find the one where these famous Mouthstones are located.

...

After several hours' walking, Sora was beginning to feel the weight of fatigue building up all over his body. His muscles were still aching from his training with Emma, and his steps were becoming heavy. Yet he pressed on, determined to prove his worth by succeeding in this mission. The vast plains around Grimpoint gradually gave way to steeper terrain. In front of him rose rocky hills, overgrown with vegetation and punctuated by dark rock formations.

Daylight was beginning to fade when he finally spotted the entrance to a hillside cave, almost hidden by the lengthening shadows. Stones lay scattered around the entrance, giving the place an eerie, almost sinister look. Sora then remembered the description of the Mouthstones : stone-mimicking plants, ready to snare any living thing that came near.

Since he didn't know how many plants he'd have to contend with, or whether he'd have to enter this unwelcoming cave, Sora preferred to follow a small rocky path back downhill. He hoped it was a path leading to a nearby village, but he had no idea.

After a few more minutes of walking, the sun had almost completely set behind these immense rocky mountains. The warmth it brought escaped with it, too, bringing a damp, cold breeze settling over the entire mountain slope.

Sora shivered, tightening his grip on his sword. Twilight had never been so heavy. The air was heavier, and every shadow seemed to grow thicker, making the atmosphere even more eerie. The silence of the mountain was disturbed only by the occasional crunch of small stones beneath his feet.

He paused, scanning his surroundings. What he needed was shelter for the night. Even a simple cabin lost in the mountains would suffice. But he saw nothing of the sort. He had no fire, no light, so moving forward almost blindly over rough terrain was taking him longer and longer.

Just when he thought he'd never find a village, Sora noticed a faint light below where he was now. His eyes, adjusted to the darkness, made out a faint, flickering glow, almost obscured by rocks and undergrowth. He hesitated for a moment, but he had no choice. If he kept moving forward in the darkness, he risked tripping, injuring himself, or even falling off a ledge.

Taking a deep breath, he descended cautiously, his eyes fixed on the source of light. The closer he got, the clearer the glow became, and he finally made out a small stone hut, almost embedded in the mountain. Fine smoke billowed from the chimney, a sign that someone was probably occupying it, then a second one appeared, a few meters away, and even a third.

It wasn't a village as he'd hoped, but three little shacks no bigger than a children's hut.

Sora approached the huts cautiously, each step measured, his senses alert. Even in his old life, he wasn't used to mountains, so he was currently imagining a thousand things that could come out of these dwellings. The huts, though simple, seemed to have been sheltered for some time. Smoke from the chimneys indicated that they were occupied, but who was there? Lonely merchants, hermits, or even mercenaries like himself?

He stopped a few metres from the first hut and looked around. There was total silence, except for the gentle breeze caressing the mountains. The huts' windows were small and opaque, making it impossible to see inside.

Sora took a moment to think. If these cabins were occupied, he might find himself facing someone who wouldn't necessarily welcome him with open arms.

His mind turned back to the mission he'd just taken on. Exterminate the Mouthstones. These devious creatures hid in the form of stones, a death trap for the unwary. He would have preferred to complete his quest in a single day and be able to sleep in the Order, but, given that the light was much dimmer when he spotted the cave entrance and taking into account his growing fatigue, he preferred to avoid any unnecessary risk. He now hoped to receive hospitality in one of the little huts in front of him.

He finally decided to approach the first hut, though he remained on his guard. The cold night air became more biting as he drew closer, but the flickering light from the chimneys guided him.

Sora knocked softly on the door, hesitating. A moment of silence passed before anyone answered. He stood ready for any eventuality, his hands trembling slightly around the hilt of his sword. Finally, a creak of wood was heard and the door slowly opened. A man appeared in the doorway, his wrinkled face marked by years of exposure to the elements. Wearing a worn shirt and canvas pants, his initially wary gaze softened when he saw Sora.

"A traveler, eh?" he said in a husky voice. "It's pretty rare to bump into someone at this hour. Are you lost or do you have a good reason for being on these mountains?"

Sora hesitated for a split second before answering, embarrassed by the old man's question. "Actually, both. I'm here on a mission for the Mercenary Order, but given the lack of ambient light, I'm looking for a place to spend the night." As if to prove his point, Sora showed him his badge, proving that he was indeed a mercenary.

Skeptical, the man looked Sora up and down before addressing him in a more friendly manner. "I'm not in the habit of taking in strangers, but since you're a member of the Mercenary Order and probably have a mission in these mountains, I'm willing to let you sleep here for the night."

Sora released a slight sigh of relief. Fatigue weighed heavily on him, but the stranger in front of him seemed benevolent, despite his rough appearance. He inclined his head in gratitude.

"Thank you very much, I won't trouble you for long," he replied, his words dragging a little because of the exhaustion that overwhelmed him. He felt the warmth emanating from inside the cabin, a warmth that seemed to draw him irresistibly.

The man shifted slightly to let him pass. "Come on in. It's not much, but at least you'll have a roof to sleep under. Just be careful not to trip over any of the stones - it'd be a shame to hurt yourself before you've even had a chance to do your mission."

Sora entered cautiously, his eyes adjusting to the subdued light inside. The cabin was simple but welcoming. A fire crackled in the fireplace, a comforting crackle in the cool mountain air. A few wooden benches were arranged around the fire, and a solid wood table was cluttered with various tools, scattered maps and worn cups. The smell of vegetable soup mingled with that of burning wood, and it reminded him somewhat of his own family's home-cooked meals, a thought that touched him more than he would have imagined.

"Sit down. I'll whip up some soup, it'll do you good after all this cold." The man turned to a cauldron sitting on the fire, adding some water and vegetables.

Sora sat down on one of the benches, removing his sword and placing it beside him. He watched the stranger silently. He wondered what kind of person could live in these remote mountains, far from the main roads.

"I don't want to bother you with too many questions, but... are you here alone?" Sora finally broke the silence.

The man turned slightly, his eyes fixed on the fire, before answering in a calm voice, "Here, in the mountains? Yes. There are three of us living here, in this part of the mountain. We don't live too far from a village a little further down the valley, but the peace and quiet of the mountains suits us better. At least, it does for me." He shrugged, as if all this were a simple reality to be accepted.

"And... what brought you here?" asked Sora, intrigued. It was rare to come across anyone in such a place, especially an elderly man, and there was something mysterious about the atmosphere surrounding this hut, friendly though it was.

The man seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if weighing the question before answering. "I have no real reason, only peace and quiet. That's all I like."

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