“I’m not here to harm any of you, nor do I have any interest in doing so. As you travel and encounter top players, you’ll eventually come to understand these things. There’s a limit to how far you can go without Supreme Skills.”
Sora and Kara were about to leave the Adventurer’s Guild when her words stopped them in their tracks. She suspected they were hiding Supreme Skills, but now they were intrigued instead. So, they weren’t the only Supreme Skill holders… and these abilities had even become something top players competed over?
Sora asked, “Are all high-level players using Supreme Skills?”
Hannah shook her head. “If they were so easy to acquire, they wouldn’t be called Supreme Skills. I’ve only heard of a limited number of players with them, and it’s no surprise—one must do something truly exceptional to unlock one. Quite a few humans started experimenting early on, so some have gained access. But you must know that no two Supreme Skills are the same, and the lower your level when unlocking one, the greater its potential.”
She paused, then added, “I have one myself, and it’s what allowed me to reach my position and level. I’ve never seen anyone below level 80 flaunting a Supreme Skill , so be cautious—don’t flaunt your power too openly when you’re traveling.”
“My advice to you is simple: head to Japan. An event will take place there in a month, and such events have created powerhouses before. Missing this opportunity would be a waste. Every region can send 20 players to participate. I’ll recommend the eight of you, though the final decision isn’t mine alone. There will be a competition among all recommended candidates, so focus on growing your power. I suggest reaching level 120 or higher by then… It may sound ambitious, but I believe you’re capable.”
Hannah turned to Sora and Kara. “You’re free to go. I’ll be guiding these colonels and Asami, helping them understand how Supreme Skills are gained. I hope to see you both in Japan.”
They nodded and left the office, ready to exit the guild, when Kara suddenly had an idea.
“Don’t you want to upgrade your badge?” she suggested.
“Upgrade my badge?... Why” Sora asked, puzzled.
“Maybe it might come in handy later. And I want to undergo another test!” Kara suggested with a smile. Seeing her excitement, Sora couldn’t help but smile back, warming to the idea and aware of Kara's attempt to change his mood.
They approached the counter and greeted the clerk.
“Hello, esteemed adventurers. It’s been a while! Congratulations on your return. How may I assist you today?”
Sora replied, “We would like to apply for the Astral Badge.”
In their discussions with the colonels, they’d learned that the Astral Badge came after the Celestial Badge. Beyond that were the Sovereign and Vortex ranks; most captains held an Astral Badge, while the colonels were Sovereigns, except for Aang, who held the Vortex rank. Asami held the prestigious Primordial Badge.
Sora now understood why he’d drawn so many skeptical looks when he’d assumed the Captain’s position with only a Phoenix Badge.
The clerk looked at the two players with a mixed feeling of awe and surprise. It had been less than a week since he’d last seen Sora, who had requested only a Shadow Badge back then.
With a sigh, the clerk pulled out two badges. “Here you go. These were prepared for you in advance. I’m glad you came to pick them up.”
Sora was taken aback. They’d anticipated his request and prepared the badges in advance? 'What kind of sorcery was this?' He thought, smiling, and they both took their badges.
Sora and Kara spent the day catching up with their company members and bidding farewell to everyone. Soon after, they left Stockholm, heading for Paris. Kara wanted to visit her master, Areva, at the Paris guild. After catching up, she rejoined Sora, who was waiting outside, lost in thought.
“Sora, what’s your plan now?” she asked, noticing he hadn’t even realized Hiyoko was tugging on his hair with playful bites. Kara couldn’t decide whether to laugh or be concerned.
“I want to figure out what my Innate Skill’s new effect does—it’s the perfect time to test it out. Plus, I want to see what the next effect will bring. I’m level 78 now, and I feel like reaching the next milestone shouldn’t be too hard,” Sora explained, his eyes thoughtful.
He needed to discover the effects of Soul Power and unlock the level 90 effect description.
“Mind if I tag along?” Kara asked, glancing at him with a mix of hope and determination. “Honestly, I’m a bit at a loss. My master told me she couldn’t teach me anything more and that I should forge my own path. I know what I need to do to grow, but… I don’t want to walk this path alone.”
Sora opened his mouth to respond, but he wasn’t even sure what to say.
Kara raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re actually hesitating? When I ask to join you?” She folded her arms, half-serious, half-teasing. “You’re the worst teammate ever. Forget it. I’m coming with you, your mother asked me to take care of you after all. ”
Sora couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her teasing. This girl was becoming more honest with him by the day.
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Kara quickly pulled out her phone and snapped a picture.
“What are you doing?” Sora asked, puzzled.
“You laughed! I needed proof that you actually can laugh—in case I forget.” She grinned, checking the photo.
Sora smiled. “Well, welcome on board, then. Let’s travel together, my first teammate.”
“Oh, your first teammate? So you’re planning on bringing more girls onto the team?” Kara asked, feigning curiosity.
“Who said anything about girls? You did! Let’s find some girls to keep you entertained, then.”
“No way! I want our next teammate to be a man! Preferably bald.” She laughed.
“What the—where’s this even coming from?” Sora replied, looking confused.
“Perfect!” Kara said, capturing another picture of Sora, his baffled expression enhanced by Hiyoko perched on his head, nibbling his hair.
They kept up the banter as they made their way toward his parents’ house, where they’d decided to stay when possible. Sora realized it had been a while since he’d last made contact with his parents
----------------------------------------
The next day, they went to the bank to empty out all the bound items from Sora’s storage. Afterward, they flew to a secluded training area, eager to test a few things.
Before they began, Kara stopped him, looking uncharacteristically hesitant. "Sora, before we start training, I need to confess something to you." Her tone was serious, her gaze intense, as if she had been holding back for days.
Sora's mind went into overdrive, his heart pounding. 'She’s going to confess? To me? Why now?' he wondered, panicking. 'She doesn’t even know my real appearance… Will she still love me when she'll discover that I'm not as tall with my real identity? Does she want to settle down? Does she want babies? But I haven’t even avenged myself against Rachel yet! It’s way too early to think about retiring!'
Determined, he thought, 'I’ll have to turn her down gently.'
While Sora was spiraling into his own delusions, Kara’s voice snapped him back to reality. “In the final battle… I did something to Sarsha. Seeing her like that before she died… it broke my heart. So I did something that might seem terrible.”
Her words caught him off guard. He quickly asked, “What—what did you do?”
Kara lifted her hand, revealing a small, faintly glowing ball of light hovering above her palm. “I used [Soul Preservation] on her,” she admitted.
“You saved her soul? So… you can now revive her?” Sora’s voice was a mix of surprise and hope.
“Yes,” Kara nodded, a bit unsure. “I don’t know why I did it… I just couldn’t help it.”
Sora shook his head. “I understand your feeling, I also felt terrible at her situation during the battle, and can't blame you for being kind... However we absolutely can’t revive her yet. She was a colonel, Kara. Even if I never checked her level, she had to be over 110. She’d probably kill us in seconds now that there's no restriction of levels.”
"Maybe summoning her would even endanger her, as it is forbidden to enter enemy faction territory outside of war. " Sora added, explaining why he felt they could not revive her so early.
Kara flinched, then let out a nervous laugh. “Right… I almost forgot about that.”
Sora thought out loud “Keeping her soul isn’t a mistake. Let’s focus on getting stronger first. If she’s willing to cooperate after her resurrection, we could use a binding contract to keep things safe and maybe learn more about the world. Her general seemed like a decent guy we could talk to. Maybe she can tell us things as well?”
Kara’s shoulders relaxed, clearly relieved. She hadn’t been sure how he’d react, but he always seemed to think one step ahead. It’s good to have a reliable teammate.
Sora took a breath and said, “I’m going to reset my level. You've seen the description last time, so you probably know what it means. If I don’t come back right away… let’s meet at my place tonight”
He called his status
[Status Update]
Profile: Ralph Eden (Sora Hashino)
Status: Alive (Prestige 2)
Class: Martial Titan (Level 78)
Power Level: 60 Trillion
Body Level: SSS
Energy Level: SS
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)
Ever since leaving the [Time Space] his body level was above even his energy level. After training his body through many limits and gaining a few levels, he had a body comparable to level 99 or 100 players. It was an incredible level, made possible with Kara's cooperation and [Time Space]. Without his incredible body level, his power level would be around 7 or 8 trillions.
He was ready to reset, and couldn't help but see how high he would go in the next prestige level.
He clicked on his [Prestige] skill, and clicked on the Manual Activation option.
[Do you want to undergo a prestige reset?]
[You will lose all acquired experience, classes, classes experience, jobs profiency, items]
[Yes] [No]
Without hesitation, he pressed the Yes button.
[Innate skill : Prestige has been Triggered]
Kara saw him disappearing from where he was.
Sora appeared in the familiar space he was now used to, and there was still no mysterious woman this time neither.
[Choose an identity for an immediate revival or create an identity]
[Sora Hashino]
[Ralph Eden] [New identity (30 Days penalty)]
He still had the same options, and selected [Ralph Eden]. This identity was becoming famous, and it was honestly burdensome, but Sora didn't want to waste a month just for that as he was curious about the event in Japan. It was not worth missing the opportunity mentioned by Hannah.
His body returned to being Ralph Eden. In an ethereal form, he reappeared above the area he chose to activate his prestige skill.