Solo Leveling: Forceborn

"A team is only as strong as the trust between its members."

The days that followed my first raid blurred together in a whirlwind of training, strategy meetings, and dungeon runs. Ironclad didn't rest on its laurels. Success in one dungeon meant preparation for the next. Every member had a role, and every role demanded perfection.

This, to me, was honing my gravity manipulation. The team pushed me very hard, and I pushed myself harder. In this controlled environment, I began testing the limits of my powers in the training hall within the guild. Can I hold the gravity well for more than just a few seconds? Could I make it smaller but intensify its pull? Each question demanded an answer, and every failure taught me something new.

Dungeons, though, were where the real learning happened. Each raid was a test of endurance, a puzzle of combat and tactics. And sometimes, things went wrong.

On one particularly grueling run, we ventured into a high-end C-rank dungeon—a sprawling labyrinth of tunnels crawling with wolf-like beasts called Shadowfangs. They were fast, coordinated, and relentless.

It all went well during the first few encounters. Allen led from the front, his greatsword carving through the creatures with practiced precision. But as we pressed deeper, the pack's tactics changed. They started attacking in waves, luring us into choke points, testing our cohesion.

That's when it happened.

A Shadowfang lunged at Allen from his blind spot. He dodged the first strike, but another beast pounced from the side. Its claws raked across his armor, sending him sprawling. Blood spattered the ground as the creature bore down on him, its jaws snapping inches from his face.

"Allen!" someone shouted.

Time slowed. My heart pulsed. Without thinking, I focused on the creature pinning him to the ground. A concentrated burst of gravity slammed it to the ground, flattening it. Allen seized the moment and plunged his sword into its chest. The beast released a final, gurgling growl before going still.

"Nice save, kid," Allen muttered, wincing as he pushed himself to his feet. Blood dripped from his side, soaking into his leather armor.

"You're hurt," I said, stepping closer.

"Just a scratch," he replied, though his pale face told a different story.

And from there, we sped up the raid so that we easily retreated back into the surface with our fruits. The Healers in the guild hall worked on Allen, restoring his torn flesh with their magic. He brushed off the concerns waved before him with his usual bravado, but I could tell it had shaken him.

That evening, Allen found me nursing a drink in the corner of the hall.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, already pulling up a chair.

"Not at all," I replied.

He set down a tankard and took a long sip before speaking. "You've got good instincts, Kael. That save back there? Couldn't have done it better myself."

"Thanks," I said, feeling a flicker of pride. "You'd have done the same for me."

He chuckled. "Maybe. But let me give you some advice. This line of work, it's not just about power. It's about the people beside you. You learn to trust them, and they'll trust you. That's how we get through this."

I nodded, letting his words sink in.

After that, the conversation just kept drifting. We spoke about life, about the roads that had brought us here. Allen came to share stories of his early days as a Hunter, all the struggles and triumphs. I spoke with him about my own childhood, my years in an orphanage, and about the quiet, ordinary life I used to dream of.

"You're a good kid, Kael," he said finally, his voice softening. "You'll do fine in this world. Just don't lose sight of who you are."

Over the next few days, Allen and I worked closely together, refining our teamwork. I learned to anticipate his movements, to complement his raw strength with my control over the battlefield. In turn, he taught me the finer points of combat strategy, of reading an enemy's intentions and exploiting their weaknesses.

With each raid, each shared drink, and every quiet moment of understanding, our bond grew stronger. And with each passing week, I began to feel something I hadn't felt in years

Belonging.