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  Part-257

  James straightened, gripping his sword tightly. He had been holding himself back, stig to the safer parts of the dungeon, grinding through the lower levels to sharpen his skills. But it was time to move forward.

  “I’m ready,” he muttered to himself, staring down the dark tuhat led deeper into the dungeon.

  The Level 2: Early Midse had been waiting for him, taunting him with its challehe st time he had faced it, he hadn’t been ready. The creatures there had always overwhelmed him, and he had barely escaped with his life. But now, with his improved swordsmanship and the precision of his Sloth View, he felt a new surge of fidence.

  James knew he couldn’t keep running from the harder fights. If he was going to survive in this world—if he was going to protect the people who mattered—he o keep pushing himself, keep growing stronger.

  He took a deep breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he made his decision.

  After the charade at the shopping mall with Toya and having a good sleep, tomorrow, he would return to the dungeon and face the Level 2: Early Midse again. But this time, he wouldn’t be retreating.

  This time, he would quer it.

  James stepped off the bus and walked toward the entrance of Banani Shopping Mall, his mind spinning with questions. Toya’s request for a "date" had e out of nowhere, aill couldn’t quite his head around why they were doing this. What was the e between this seemingly harmless shopping trip and Rakib, the man trying to force his way into Toya’s life?

  He checked his phone again to firm the time. He had arrived earlier than pnned, but that didn’t stop the growing sense of fusion. This was Toya’s grandmother’s idea, so maybe there was something he wasn’t seeing—some hidden agenda to this whole pretense. Whatever it was, it had to be important. After all, Rakib wasn’t just any guy. He was the son of Yacob, a high-ranking politi, and from what James heard, Rakib was used to getting his way through intimidation and influence.

  But now wasn’t the time to dwell on the politics behind it. James looked up at the rge mall building, its gss fa?ade refleg the soft afternoon sunlight. It dawned on him that, fake or not, this was his first official "date." The thought stirred something in him, aement he hadn’t expected. He could feel a flutter of anticipation, the kind he’d read about in books but never experienced firsthand. *This isn’t real, remember that*, he reminded himself, but the small thrill still lingered.

  He wandered into the mall, his eyes dartiween the various stores and the occasional group of shoppers passing by. The pce was bustling, people moving in and out of stores, bags in hand, couples walking side by side. James felt a little out of pce, standing alohe entrance. He leaned against a n and checked his phone again, trying to distract himself from the nerves creeping up on him.