Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Sora and Kara sat at the table, enjoying breakfast with Henri and Marie. The warmth of home, the laughter, and the way Henri kept stealing portions from his wife’s plate reminded Sora of the times he used to share with his own family. But as the meal came to an end, he knew it was time to return to reality.

They said their goodbyes, promising to return soon, before leaving the house.

Walking side by side through the quiet streets of Ales, Sora broke the silence first. “What do you think? Who sent those players to guard my parents?”

Kara glanced at him, thoughtful. “It’s hard to say. Could be a government, the Adventurer’s Guild, or a guild interested in recruiting you.”

Sora frowned. “I don’t know if I should be grateful or cautious. Whoever it was, they had enough resources to keep two high-level players stationed here for so long. Mom said the guards have been rotating for the past five months.”

Kara nodded. “At least your parents are safe from harassment, but we should still figure out who’s behind this. It’s strange they never reached out to you directly.”

Sora shook his head. “They probably tried but couldn’t contact me. I’ve received thousands of friend requests, and I ended up blocking communication with strangers. ”

Kara eyed him up and down. “Combined with the veil, the mask, and everything else, it’s no surprise no one can find you.”

They walked in silence for a while before Kara’s expression softened. “What about us? What’s next?”

He smiled at her. “I don’t know yet… What about you? Do you have goals ? A dream, maybe?”

“A dream?” She looked up at the sky, her voice quiet. “I don’t know if I’d call it a dream, but… I want to help people. Not just in one village or one country, but everywhere. Even if it’s just in small ways, I want to make people's lives better.”

Sora took a moment to digest her words. Then he said, “I like that. It suits you. Can I join you? Help you make it happen?”

Kara’s lips formed a warm smile, though her eyes were playful. “You can start by helping your parents level up. You promised them.”

He chuckled. “Fair point. But why stay with them? I can leave a clone behind to help them train.”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “Then why not leave a clone to protect them too?”

Sora fell silent for a moment before answering. “I’m not sure how far my clones can survive without me being in the same region.” Curious, he tested it. He summoned a few clones and sent them off in different directions. They quickly disappeared into the distance.

Satisfied with the experiment, he continued, “They can go quite far. Still, no one knows what tomorrow holds. I want them to be able to defend themselves in case something happens to me. It never hurts to be stronger.”

Kara gave him a knowing look. “You sure about that?”

Sora caught the meaning in her words. “You’re right… We got stronger, but at a huge cost. I’ll make sure my parents don’t have to go through that.”

She let out a bittersweet laugh. “You’re still a little naïve, you know that? But it’s not a bad thing.”

He smiled, brushing off her comment. “Maybe. But what about you? Why do you want to help people now?”

She murmured, “Because I’m tired of training, of fighting, of the blood on my hands. I know you’ll say I haven’t hurt many people, but I’ve even harvested people’s time. Helping others… maybe it’s my way of making up for it. Of trying to be better than I was.”

Sora stopped and turned to her. “Kara, you’re already the kindest person I’ve ever met.”

She shook her head, sadness in her smile. “I’m not sure about that but thank you...” She paused, then pointed ahead. “Look over there. It seems like people have been waiting for us.”

Sora followed her gaze and spotted a group of players gathered outside the Adventurer’s Guild. Among them, they recognized a few players.

[Clémence Berger: Level 180][Pedro Luiz: Level 175][Morgan Casey: Level 180][Hannah Stone: Level 180]

Kara, noticing the strength of the players, commented, “So many level 180s… What are they all doing here?”

"Even Hannah is there. From her smug expression, she's probably unaware someone’s after her life." Scanning the players in the crowd, he noticed another familiar figure.

It was someone cloaked in a long robe that obscured most of their body. A hood concealed their head, and a black mask hid their face. A pair of round glasses peeked out from beneath the mask.

[Sin Soo-Yun: Level 160]

Kara smiled, recognizing their information broker among the players. "Our friend is there as well. And it seems like they're part of a larger force."

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Sora nodded, noticing Sin Soo-Yun standing behind a group of players dressed in similar outfits.

"Time to show ourselves," he said.

Sora removed the veil surrounding the two of them and watched as the players reacted with surprise when he and Kara appeared in front of them.

Taking on his Ralph Eden appearance, Sora glanced at Kara, who had also removed her mask.

Morgan immediately greeted them with his usual grin. “Ralph! It’s good to see you outside the tower. You left early! Guess you didn’t need the upper-floor rewards, right?”

Clémence nodded in agreement, quieter than usual. “It’s been a while.”

Sin Soo-Yun, standing quietly behind his group, gave a small nod, while Pedro lazily waved from his spot, treating the gathering as nothing out of the ordinary.

Hannah Stone stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Sora. “It’s good to see you, Ralph,” she said, extending her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about your exploits.”

Sora’s expression didn't change as he looked at her hand but made no move to shake it. “I've heard about your exploits as well,” he said, before looking away.

The tension was immediate. Hannah’s smile faded, and she slowly withdrew her hand. A ripple of unease passed through the group, making the atmosphere heavy.

Morgan, reading the room, held Ralph’s shoulder, changed topics. “Congratulations on your Ascension inside the tower, mate. There’s a lot to talk about, and we’ve got a meeting room ready inside. Plus, there’s someone waiting to see you.”

Sora raised an eyebrow. “A friend?”

Morgan grinned. “You’ll see. Come on.”

The group entered the Adventurer’s Guild, their arrival drawing the attention of the lower-level players inside. Whispers were soon heard as the gathered players cast excited glances at the high-level figures passing by.

Sora chuckled at their reactions. 'Alès isn’t used to this kind of spectacle.'

They were soon led to a private hall deep within the guild. A long table dominated the room, surrounded by chairs on either side. Near the far end of the table, Sora immediately spotted someone familiar, reading something on a tablet.

“Guild leader Kim,” Sora smiled, genuinely surprised.

The ARAM guild leader looked up from his tablet. “Ralph, Kara. It’s been a while.”

Sora nodded. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Of course, since you've been avoiding me,” Kim Dong replied, standing to shake his hand. “But we’ll catch up in a moment. Take your seat first.”

Morgan gestured toward the main chair at the head of the table. “This is your spot today, Ralph. You’re the reason everyone’s gathered. Kara, you can take this seat.”

Sora complied, taking the seat next to Kim Dong. Kara sat beside him, her gaze moving between the players present.

As the others filed into their seats, Sora noticed that one chair at the opposite end remained empty.

Leaning toward Morgan, he asked, “Why are some people standing when there’s an empty seat there?”

Morgan smirked. “That’s reserved for someone important. They might not show up, but we’re leaving it open just in case.”

Sora’s curiosity deepened, but he let it go for now.

Turning to Kim Dong, he asked, “So, what’s all this about? Why are you here?”

Kim Dong chuckled, setting his tablet aside. “They want something from you. And I’m here to make sure no one tries to bully you.”

A hint of amusement appeared in Sora's eyes. “Bully me? They can always try…”

Kim Dong smirked. “You’re not the only one they can target if they want to pressure you. Let me help. Emily isn’t here yet, but you can count on me.” Turning to Kara, he added, "That goes for you too, Kara."

Sora studied the room, then leaned back in his chair. “So, who are all these people? Feels like I just walked into a world summit.”

Kim Dong smirked, as if expecting the question. “Not far off, actually. Let me give you the short version.”

He subtly gestured toward a man standing to the side, engaged in conversation with another well-dressed man. “That’s Admiral Figaro, the Great Admiral of the French Naval Army. You’ve probably seen him on TV before. He created the military and player force after the World Update and currently controls France.”

Sora scratched his temple. “Heard of him but never knew what he looked like... Why would someone like him come here today?”

Kim chuckled. “You should already know the answer.”

He continued, enjoying his role as the informant.

“Over there,” Kim said, nodding toward a tall man seated in an inconspicuous spot, smiling at the woman beside him, “is the last president of the United States before the system reshaped the world—Edward McCall. Don’t be fooled by his humble smile. It's fake. He’s rumored to be the one pulling the strings behind the [GODS] guild.”

Sora blinked, trying to process the scale of the gathering. He had seen the last U.S. president on TV before but barely recognized him.

'He looks 30 years younger than when he was president…' he thought.

[Edward McCall - Level 178]

'And from what I can sense, his power matches his level…' he mused.

Kim then gestured toward the woman sitting next to McCall. “That’s his wife. I've heard rumors about running their secret service, but my broker refused to give me any information about her.”

Turning his head slightly, Kim continued, “The woman in yellow? That’s Hu Lexin, the leader of the Chinese faction. The man next to her is the last Indian Prime Minister. And see that guy surrounded by those four female guards? That’s Moussa Kagate, the head of the Nigerian government.”

Sora frowned. “All these world leaders… What are they doing here? Couldn't they have sent someone to represent them?”

Kim shook his head. “You have something of incredible value, and they all want it. Or at least a piece of it. The top reward from the Ascension Tower.”

Sora sighed when he understood. “The [Haven of Peace]...”

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