Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Sora looked around and sighed. 'Now everyone will know about her ability... I just hope we won't regret this.'

The two groups of players flying toward them gradually slowed down, eventually coming to a near standstill.

With Kara's time acceleration, Sora could see every detail: the strain in the Dragonborn's eyes, the slight twitches of their muscles, and the slow flow of their mana as they readied their skills—but to him, they might as well have been frozen in place.

'There are a little more than twenty opponents, and I'll need to leave the [Vipers] alone. I can do this!' He thought.

Sora tightened his grip on his hammer and flew forward, closing in on his enemies instantly. He wanted to rely on his physical abilities to reduce his mana consumption. He was mindful that using too much mana would strain Kara's mana reserves, shortening the duration of his accelerated state.

None of them reacted as Sora closed in, almost face-to-face with them. With [Lava In My Veins] active, he swung his sledgehammer at the lowest-level member, reducing him to nothingness before moving on to the next target. The Dragonborn group began to slowly turn their heads, each one just starting to register the appearance of an enemy near their ally that took the first hit.

As Sora moved through the group, focusing on Fox players, it felt almost too easy. His hammer crushed another target. He watched as the Dragonborn's eyes barely began to react when he was blown to pieces.

He swung again, sweeping his hammer across the chest of the next player, sending him flying. The player had a body strong enough to endure the first strike. Chasing after him, he had to throw dozens of blows to finish him off.

As he prepared his next strike, Sora noticed one of the Dragonborn twitch faster than the others. This one—a level 155 warrior from the fox group, judging by his gear and aura—seemed to be using all his strength to resist Kara's time manipulation.

The player's movements gradually sped up. The warrior's eyes sharpened, locking onto Sora as he gritted his teeth and forced his body to respond faster. To Sora, it was like watching a video go from slow-motion back to normal speed, and for a brief moment, Sora felt surprise at such an unexpected scene.

'He didn't cancel Kara's skill... He's getting faster. So many extraordinary abilities exist; I shouldn't be surprised anymore,' he thought, deciding to eliminate this warrior before he fully adapted to the situation.

The Dragonborn warrior clenched his fist, golden energy covering his body as he roared, his voice barely audible over the time-dilated silence. He started flying toward Sora, gaining speed with every moment and surpassing matching Sora's movements.

The warrior swung a massive, electrified spear toward him.

'A supreme or innate skill specialized in speed?' Sora wondered, unease creeping into his chest.

Not willing to risk anyone else activating a life-saving skill or some overwhelming ability, Sora triggered his boots' second effect, accelerating even further. His body became a blur compared to the warrior's movements.

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Dodging the spear, Sora swung his hammer with full force, aiming directly at his opponent, who struggled to evade the blow. His timing was perfect; the Dragonborn's momentum left him unable to stop or dodge the incoming sledgehammer aimed at his face.

'His defense is too low,' Sora thought as the hammer connected, meeting no resistance from the Dragonborn's body. A notification immediately appeared before his eyes.

Capitalizing on the remaining burst of speed from his boots, he rushed toward the other opponents. He caught the changing expressions on their faces and the surging mana fluctuations as they began to release abilities. Among the familiars already present, he noticed new ones gradually materializing, positioning themselves defensively between him and his enemies.

'They won't last,' he thought, dismissing the familiars entirely, knowing they would vanish with their owners. Ignoring them, he focused on the Dragonborn players who emitted the strongest mana signatures, eliminating them as he zigzagged through the chaotic battlefield.

As Sora reached one of the last remaining Dragonborn, he noticed a strange glow enveloping his target's body. Ignoring the weird phenomenon, he raised his weapon and prepared to crush his enemy with a decisive blow.

But just before the sledgehammer made contact, an immense, invisible force intercepted his strike, rebounding it directly on him. The recoil slammed back into him, sending him flying through the air. He crashed into the ground with a thunderous impact, feeling his bones crack under the force. Pain shot through his body, his vision blurring as he struggled to breathe.

'What… the hell?' he thought, gasping for air and fighting against the intense pain. 'How did he do that?'

Looking up, he noticed the player he had just struck was also sent flying in the opposite direction, albeit extremely slowly, as Sora's perception still operated in slow motion.

'So, the damage did reflect… but he wasn't immune,' Sora realized, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the enemy's condition.

Exiting his Lava State, which hindered his healing, Sora remained on the ground to recover. His breathing steadied as Kara's life force flowed through their [Soul Link], assisting his healing alongside his [Adaptive Regeneration].

His smashed legs, twisted beyond recognition, began to mend—bone fragments reconnecting, muscles knitting back together until they felt whole again. His chest, crushed from the recoil, gradually regained its shape as ribs realigned and internal organs healed.

Feeling his rapid recovery, Sora stood up, sensing his body overflowing with life.

'What would I do without you, [Eternal Body Craft]?' still in shock, Sora even thanked his skills.

Scanning the battlefield, he cursed under his breath. 'Damn it, I gave them enough time to react.' His eyes locked onto the remaining Dragonborn, and noticed how many had adapted.

Two of the Dragonborn had vanished. Another pair stood close together, their hands joined, with a powerful shield shimmering around them, protecting both.

'I can't touch them, as the one protecting the other is from my group...' he quickly concluded.

The last opponent was the dragonborn he had sent flying. He saw him heading toward a familiar figure, his movements slow.

Sora recognized her, 'Melinda... We were allies on the fourth floor, and it seems that we are still in the same group on this floor.'

Noticing the two looking at each other, distress in their eyes, Sora guessed the relationship between his opponents, and understood how helpless the remaining Dragonborn from the [Viper] group felt.

'You're the ones who wanted to attack us … Don't make that damn expression if you're not ready for retaliation. Damn it, this is ruining my mood.'

'There are nine Dragonborn left, including seven that I can't attack and two that have lost their fighting spirit.' He thought, understanding the situation in the blink of an eye.

Ignoring the remaining group of Dragonborn, he turned to check on Kara, scanning for any signs she might need his help.

Kara, who usually relied on clones to fight, stood still on the ground, a sword in hand. A colossal amount of life force was being released from her body.

Behind her floated an ethereal figure—a graceful yet formidable-looking swordswoman. Draped in flowing white robes that rippled in the nonexistent wind, the figure exuded elegance and power. Her facial features were obscured by a veil and a conical hat, adding an air of mystery to her presence.

The spectral entity mirrored Kara's stance, its aura sending chills down Sora's spine.

'What is this feeling?' he thought, goosebumps prickling his skin.

Kara swung her sword with elegance. Each movement was slow and deliberate, as if it had been practiced millions of times. Confused by her actions, since her enemies were still at a distance, Sora turned his gaze to the Dark Elves.

Most of them remained floating in the sky, attempting to use abilities, while players from her [Fox] group retreated to avoid the conflict.

Seeing the number of players remaining, he smiled, a bit smug about having taken down more enemies himself. But just as a smile began to stretch across his face, he froze.

The Dark Elves suddenly stopped moving. One by one, they began to crumple, drifting down toward the ground as if their strength had simply vanished. There were no visible wounds, no signs of magic, nor any surge of energy that Sora could sense.

He could only watch in awe, realizing they probably hadn't even known what had hit them. It was as though the grim reaper's scythe had delicately severed their threads of life, letting them fall as softly as autumn leaves.

As their bodies dissolved into particles, Sora's mouth fell open.

'She never used that against me…' Sparring with Kara hundreds of times had taught him that her mastery of the sword was extraordinary. Her proficiency in time manipulation, healing, and swordsmanship made her a rare existence. But this… this was something else entirely.

'How did she die twice with such an amazing ability? Was she ambushed or overpowered?' Despite his questions, a wave of excitement and pride filled him. He was happy for Kara, marveling at her strength.

Then he noticed the barrier around him shaking, the effects of her time acceleration fading until they disappeared entirely. Alarmed, he rushed to her side, sensing something was wrong. He caught sight of the ethereal figure behind her beginning to dissolve.

Glancing toward Emily, who had started moving, he shouted, "Protect us, please."

Reaching Kara just as she began to fall forward, Sora caught her, surprised by how light she felt in his arms. Gently turning her onto her back, his heart clenched at the sight of her exhausted eyes and the faint, strained smile she managed to give him.

"I'm alright… don't make that face," she murmured softly.

Sora's vision blurred, his throat tightening as he fought to keep his emotions in check. He forced a wavering smile.

She was not alright.