Sora’s breath came in quick, controlled bursts as he stood over the lifeless body of the defeated Ice Bear. He and Kara had been pushing themselves relentlessly all day, determined to close the gap between them and the stronger adventurers in the guild. With this latest kill, they had hit a critical milestone.
A notification flashed in front of him:
[Level Up!]
Above their heads, their levels were showing.
[Ralph Eden: Level 68]
[Kara Spirine: Level 70]
Sora turned to Kara, a small but genuine smile breaking his usually calm expression. “Congrats,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of pride. Kara had reached a major milestone, and despite the long day of grinding, it felt like a step closer to their goal.
Kara was still catching her breath, eyes focused on the flood of notifications appearing in her vision. She looked almost in a daze, her attention locked onto one in particular. Sora noticed the shift in her behavior and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
Kara’s gaze was fixed on something only she could see, her eyes widening with excitement. She muttered something under her breath, too soft for Sora to catch.
“What was that?” Sora stepped closer, watching her with interest.
Kara’s voice came out as a whisper, filled with wonder. “[Time Space]...”
Sora’s curiosity spiked. “[Time Space]? What’s that?”
For a moment, Kara remained silent, her mind racing as she processed the details of her new ability. Then, finally snapping back to reality, she grinned and opened her status window, sharing her newly unlocked ability with Sora.
[Time Space: Accumulate mana in the Time Bead created by your innate skill. Once enough mana is accumulated, you can access your Time Space]
Sora’s eyes scanned the description, his own excitement rising as he realized what it meant. “You can create a personal time space?” he said, almost in disbelief. “That’s incredible!”
Kara nodded, her excitement matching his. “Exactly! Maybe It’ll let us train for hours, maybe even days in there, while only a few minutes pass outside. We really need to try this skill. It's even better for training than what I had... I thought my innate skill would only be useful in combat, but this can be amazing for training.”
Sora’s mind raced with the possibilities. This was the edge they needed. They had been fighting tooth and nail to keep up with stronger players, and now they had a tool that could potentially help them bridge the gap faster than he had imagined.
“We need to test it,” Sora said, his tone filled with determination. “If we can train in your [Time Space], we can prepare for the war without losing any more time out here.”
Kara nodded eagerly. “Right. I just need to gather enough mana to activate it. We'll then see what it is worth”
Despite the exhaustion from their long day of grinding, the promise of Kara’s new ability filled them both with renewed energy. Sora could see it in her eyes—the same drive to become stronger.
They were on the cusp of something great. With Kara’s abilities and their determination, nothing could stand in their way.
“Let’s farm more monster so I can hit level 70 before we charge your Time Bead. Even if we can not become decent leaders for the upcoming war in three days, we need to at least become strong enough to carry the teams we lead. That's the least we can do to avoid bringing shame to ourselves and our faction” Sora said, his voice resolute. Kara looked at him, a fire of determination blazing in her eyes, and nodded.
She also had no idea how to lead a group, and her experience with Thierry, Amélie and Céline was the best proof of how bad of a leader she was.
They weren’t preparing to deserve their rank through leadership, but through power..
As Sora and Kara pushed forward, cutting through the monsters in the treacherous zone, each level-up came with a surge of strength.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
For most players, getting stronger was like pouring water into a receptacle. Each new level made the receptacle bigger, allowing them to hold more water— power. But the receptacle had limits—it could only hold the volume it encompassed. Players had to wait for their next level-up to expand it. Otherwise they could only refine their skills to reach higher levels of mastery over their strength, filling the receptacle.
But Sora’s Supreme Skills—[Mana Evolution] and [Eternal Body Craft]—changed everything.
Where other players had a similar-sized receptacle, Sora’s receptacle refined by supreme skills was bigger and sturdier. His foundation allowed him to support more power without the risk of leaks or stagnation. And with denser content, his power was more effective. When others were trying to fill a 'glass' with 'water', he was already filling a swimming pool with a liquid denser than mercury..
For most adventurers, leveling up fast could crack their foundation—skills would fail, or they’d injure themselves after using too many skills, and mana would leak out of the body, making their power stagnate or fall. But Sora’s foundation was solid. Each level-up would only make him stronger.
'Players like Richard have oceans of power. So i should at least try go gain a few levels and catch up"
Kara’s Supreme Skill: [Life Force Mastery] was the key to keeping pace with Sora. While his strength came from refining his body and mana, Kara’s power lay in her control of life force, which grew stronger with every battle.
As she absorbed the life force of fallen beasts, with [Life Recycling] her own vitality and control deepened, making her stronger over time. This constant flow of life energy allowed her to match Sora's rapid development.The bond between them, formed through [Soul Link], further accelerated her growth. As Sora got stronger, so did Kara, making them both more powerful together.
Kara’s abilities weren't just defensive; they allowed her to actively grow, adapting to Sora’s increasing strength. With every victory, she evolved, ensuring she stayed right beside him.
A few hours later a notification soon flashed before them:
[Level Up!]
[Sora: Level 70]
[Kara: Level 71]
As the numbers appeared, Sora felt something shift deep inside him, a barrier breaking. It was a new limit being unlocked, a surge of power flooding his entire being. His [Mana Evolution] and [Eternal Body Craft] kicked into overdrive, working to refine his body and mana further.
He felt his muscles coil with newfound strength, his mana growing more powerful. The air around him seemed clearer, and for the first time, he felt like he could sense the elements more distinctly, understanding their flow. It was as if the world itself was revealing new layers of comprehension to him, opening the door to a realm of possibilities he had only glimpsed before.
As his body and mana adjusted to this new level, Sora immediately activated his refining skills, pushing them to their limits. His body began to absorb and perfect the newfound energy, making sure no potential was wasted. The familiar sensation of his skills working deep within him, pushing against this new limit, filled him with more motivation to grow.
He opened his status window, eager to see the new effect of his [Prestige] skill. This skill was the reason he was alive and gave him an opportunity for growth. His heart raced with anticipation—Maybe this new ability could be the key to closing the gap between him and those who stood far above him.
[Status Update]
Profile: Ralph Eden (Sora Hashino)
Status: Alive (Prestige 2)
Class: Martial Titan (Level 70) Power Level: 742 billion
Body Level: S
Energy Level: S
Talent Level: 4
Growth Factor : 1
Skills: (...in progress...)
Supreme Skills:
• [Mana Evolution] (Click to see effects)
• [Eternal Body Craft] (Click to see effects)
Innate Skill:
• [Prestige] (Click to see effects)
Sora’s fingers trembled slightly as he opened his status window, feeling the rush of anticipation. His gaze locked onto his [Prestige] skill , the very skill that had defined his journey so far. He knew something had unlocked now that he had reached level 70, and the thought of gaining a new advantage was exhilarating.
With a deep breath, he clicked on it.
The familiar description of the skill appeared in front of him:
[Innate Skill: Prestige]
Description: The ability to reset your training and experiences upon death or by choice after reaching Level 50. When activated, all levels and skills revert to zero, allowing for a fresh start.
He scrolled past the first effect, New Identity, his eyes now firmly fixed on the second option that had been locked until now.
[Option 2: Soul Pearl]
Upon activating the skill after reaching Level 70, or dying when the skill is off cooldown, a Soul Pearl is created.
And that was it. No detailed explanation, no further description. Just the promise of something called a Soul Pearl.
His brow furrowed as he stared at the words, waiting for more information, but none came. “That’s it?” he muttered under his breath. For all the monumental power his [Prestige] skill had already granted him, the lack of explanation was unsettling.
What was a Soul Pearl? What did it do? How was it meant to help him?
There was only one way to find out. He’d have to experience it firsthand.
“Looks like I'll have to end this life,” Sora thought, the anticipation rising within him. The mystery of the Soul Pearl teased at his curiosity, hinting at new potential.