Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Sora was in no hurry to kill Rachel. He had questions—questions that needed answers.

'The first thing I want to see is the real Rachel. Show me who you truly are,' he thought, pouring massive amounts of mental power into his clones, making them as realistic and lifelike as possible.

At the same time, he cast [Powerful Suggestion], subtly influencing Rachel's perception.

'She just needs a little push… enough to miss small inconsistencies, like level gaps or details I don't know about,' he thought as he activated the skill he had bought inside the tower.

Sora knew that the greater the difference in mental power and proficiency, the stronger the effect. And when it came to Rachel, his mental power was vastly superior.

Moments after his clones vanished from his side, he saw figures stepping into his invisible dome.

Rachel noticed them as well. "Pedro! I'm right here!" she called out.

"Pedro" emerged from behind the trees and flew toward her. "Thank god! It's not too late. Clémence and Asia are on their way," he said.

More figures appeared from various directions, quickly clearing the space around Rachel.

Her relief was clearas "Clémence," "Emily," and "Asia" joined the battle. Her grip on her sword loosened, her shoulders relaxing as the tide turned in her favor.

"Thank you so much for coming to my rescue," she said. "With all of you here, there's a chance to beat these waves of undead."@@novelbin@@

Watching from a distance, Sora smiled. 'She didn't remember that Emily and Clémence are still inside the tower…'

"Emily" moved fast, her long ranged attacks supported by summoned blood clones that took the front line. But despite their strength, the lack of blood in the skeletons made her skills less effective, forcing her to adjust the amount of blood she used on each attack.

"Clémence" fought with precision, throwing axes that hit the undead. Each toss sent shockwaves through the battlefield, shattering bones upon impact. "Manage your energy reserves. This might take a while!" she commanded, her tone authoritative.

"Pedro's" unique combat style caught Rachel's attention. His floating weapons—animated hands wielding blacksmith hammers, swords, and maces—attacked from all angles, striking down enemies as if they had their own minds.

Unbeknownst to her, Sora was the one controlling the weapons with his immense mental power, ensuring that "Pedro" appeared both formidable and real.

At the rear, "Asia" cast overlapping spells with flawless accuracy. Her attacks chained together, forming devastating barrages that slowed and weakened the skeletons before they could reach the group.

Rachel took center stage, her sword flashing as she cut down enemies in close combat. With each precise strike, her confidence grew, her mood lifting with every enemy that died before her.

For a while, the group moved perfectly, their teamwork turning the tide of battle. Rachel's confidence swelled.

'Keep smiling,' Sora thought, his frown deepening as he caught the joy in her eyes. He turned his gaze toward the empty space above him and sent a silent message to Alius.

The skeletons attacked in greater numbers, forcing the group into a defensive stance. Emily's blood clones struggled, their effectiveness limited against enemies without blood to manipulate.

The increasing pressure eventually took its toll. Clémence's usually precise throws started to miss. Pedro's floating weapons moved with practiced efficiency, but as the enemies multiplied, his impact lessened and he was forced into a corner.

At the rear, Asia remained the most vulnerable. She relied on Rachel to hold the front line while she channeled overlapping spells, but Rachel's movements became erratic. Openings appeared in the defense, allowing skeletons to slip through.

"Rachel! Watch your positioning!" Asia shouted, panic creeping into her voice as a skeleton's claw reached her and managed to graze her side.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Sorry!" Rachel called back, rushing to cover the breach and stop the infiltrated enemy. She cut down the skeleton, her expression a mask of regret. "I'll do better!"

Sora's gaze turned colder. He recognized the pattern.

'That wasn't a mistake. Damn traitor. That was deliberate. You're sabotaging the formation, just like before.'

Despite the anger rising in his chest, Sora forced himself to stay calm, to analyze her actions. 'Why? What's pushing you to do this? You'd even put the lives of your so-called allies in danger? That's just… stupid. Unless you gain something from this...'

The pressure on Asia escalated. Rachel's "mistakes" left her increasingly exposed, forcing her to fend for herself more than she should. Skeletons swarmed her position, their blades slashing dangerously close as she struggled to keep up.

"Rachel! I can't keep this up!" Asia screamed as another undead broke through. "Help me!!"

A Skeletal Knight's sword pierced her, the energy in its blade draining her life force away.

Rachel jumped forward, cutting down a skeleton before rushing to Asia's side. She placed her hand, full of energy, on her friend's shoulder.

"It's okay, I'll heal you," Rachel whispered, her voice comforting.

Asia exhaled, her tense expression relaxing in relief. But then, the glow in Rachel's hands changed.

The light turned darker. Asia's body tensed, her eyes widening in shock as the energy coursing through her wasn't healing her...

"Wha—" Asia gasped, as her life force was drained away even faster.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, moving to block the others' view. "I couldn't save you…"

Asia's body crumpled to the ground, her eyes dull, her life extinguished. Rachel stood over her, her sword trembling in her hand.

Rachel's heart pounded as adrenaline surged through her. She had done it. The betrayal was complete.

She waited for the surge of power, the leap in talent that [Betrayer's Gift] always granted.

But nothing happened.

Her hands shook as she glanced at Emily, Clémence, and Pedro. They were still fighting, unaware of what she had done. The three required witnesses were alive. She had followed the rules.

So why wasn't it working?

Her breath quickened.

'It's delayed. It's just delayed,' she told herself, clinging to the lie.

--------------------------------------------

Sora watched from a distance, shaking his head. He could feel her unease, the cracks forming in her confidence.

'We were right. She gains something through betrayal. But she doesn't realize she hasn't killed anyone, thanks to the confusion caused by [Powerful Suggestion]. Still, I can feel her mental power pushing against my skill now because she's noticing too many inconsistencies… Should I let her win?'

Smiling at the thought, he slowly began withdrawing the effects of his skill.

--------------------------------------------

The battle raged on, but Rachel lost her composure. She fought fiercely, her strikes fast but no longer fueled by desperation. Emily, Clémence, and Pedro noticed the change, their expressions turning to concern.

"Rachel! What's going on?!" Clémence shouted, throwing an axe that shattered a skeleton.

Rachel didn't answer. Her mind raced as realization set in.

Her [Betrayer's Gift] wasn't activating. The "allies" she had just killed weren't real. Even their levels didn't match the ones in her friend list.

'Someone orchestrated this. And I just did something shameful right in front of them…' she thought, her gaze flickering to Asia's lifeless body. 'A meaningless betrayal.'

Suppressing the urge to curse, she analyzed the situation. 'Someone is playing with me. This is either an extremely strong illusion, or these are clones… Or maybe both. Is this part of my [Supreme Quest]? Or is a powerful force testing me?'

She pushed the thought aside as the battle escalated.

Emily was the next to fall, her blood clones overwhelmed by the sheer number of skeletons. A Skeletal Knight impaled her with a spear, her body falling lifelessly to the ground.

Pedro followed soon after. His floating weapons, once unpredictable and deadly, were broken. Claws and blades tore through him, his scream silenced in an instant.

Clémence fought with everything she had, her axes carving through the undead. But even her immense strength wasn't enough. Surrounded and exhausted, she let out a final cry before a blade slashed across her chest, dropping her to her knees.

Rachel watched them fall, one by one.

She exhaled sharply. "Illusions… all of them."

Now alone, she stood amidst a sea of enemies, holding her sword tightly. The skeletons stood around her, their glowing eyes locked onto their prey. Her breaths came in gasps, and blood dripped from countless wounds across her body.

'If I die here, my [Supreme Quest] will fail. A whole year wasted. Countless opportunities in the New World Kingdom, gone. Damn it!!'

Her grip tightened. She tried to calm down, without success. Then, she raised her voice.

"I know you're hiding somewhere," she called out, scanning the empty space beyond the battlefield. "You've already proven you're stronger than me. Why don't you show yourself and state your purpose?"

Silence.

The undead remained motionless.

She sighed, then smiled, a small, resigned smirk replacing her earlier frustration.

Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

"Did you have enough fun?" she said. "You're not letting me die. And you're not facing me. What do you want from me?"