Sora was powerless in his [Soul Palace] and felt a wave of panic as he glanced up at the trembling ceiling, fearing it might collapse on both him and his alter ego lying on the bed. Thankfully, the rumbling soon subsided.
Not long after, a series of notifications appeared:
[Your Soul Palace level increased to 1]
[Your Soul Palace reflects your Soul level.]
[Congratulations on discovering the link between your Original Body and your Character]
[You can make this link stronger by feeding Soul Power to your Original Body]
[Warning : Sharing this secret will result in being forcibly logged out from the server]
Sora was stunned by the messages.
'I was right; that really was my body!' he thought, grappling with the implications of this revelation.
'If this is true, then all of us players are characters trapped in this world. But what happens if we die in the game? Are we simply logged out? Or does the link work both ways, meaning that if we die here, it could end our original bodies too? I need to find a way to uncover the truth.'
He quickly opened his status panel, looking for any changes:
[Status Update]
Profile: Ralph Eden (Sora Hashino)
Status: Alive (Prestige 3)
Class: True Mage (Class Level 1, Player Level 78)
Power Level: 72 Trillion
Body Level: SSS
Energy Level: SS
Soul Level: 1
Talent Level: 8
Growth Factor: 8
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)
His power level had soared to a new peak, with around 17 trillion derived from his mastery of mana and skills, while the remaining 55 trillion came from his body forging.
What surprised him most was the addition of a new line indicating his [Soul Level]. He didn’t yet know what it could do, but he suspected it couldn’t hurt to keep increasing it…
He reread the notifications, pondering the link between his physical body and his in-game self. The system clearly labeled him as a [Character], a realization that was as mind-blowing as it was unsettling.
"This changes everything I thought was true… This means I’m playing some sort of game, and my soul is used to project me here? But does that mean all players have characters here, with their bodies hidden somewhere? Is this another Earth, or the same place, transformed? Does my body die if I get ‘logged out’ or killed? Damn it! I thought I’d found an answer, but now I have even more questions… I can’t keep thinking about this for now." His thoughts were a mess, panic creeping in as he tried to make sense of it all.
'This is one heck of a discovery,' he mused, considering the consequences if this news spread. 'People would probably quit the game en masse, desperate to return to reality—if reality even exists. Maybe that’s why there’s a “Delete Character” option in the first place?'
Leaving the hut with his mind in turmoil, he noted how the landscape had changed. The light outside was brighter, and the ground around the hut now boasted proper soil, bordered by a modest fence. Despite still looking rather shabby for a “Palace,” the hut was certainly an improvement over when he first arrived.
'Is it dangerous to leave my body here in this desert? I hope there are no dangerous creatures around,' he thought, unable to shake his worry for his sleeping alter ego, lying there oblivious, like some kind of princess.
'I can’t stay here forever. If I want to improve its protection, I’d better farm more [Soul Pearls]...' His thoughts led him to the solution he needed.
'Guess I know what to do now before going to Japan. I’ll reset as often as possible and increase my talent exponentially.'
Thrilled by his discovery, he could hardly wait to share it with his parents and Kara.
He suddenly realized, "I almost forgot—I’m not allowed to share this secret! If I can’t talk about it, it means I can’t tell my parents or Kara. Damn it, I’ll have to find another way."
With nothing left to explore, Sora left the [Soul Palace] and felt his control over his body returning.
He walked over to Kara, who was still training in her space. She opened her eyes as he approached.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“Kara, I’m going to grind Prestige for more [Soul Pearls]. I’ll likely leave France, as I’m looking for a level 90+ zone with an experience bonus to make the most of my time,” he explained.
“Sounds like they’re worth farming after all? Is it something useful?” Kara asked, curious.
Sora shook his head, knowing he couldn’t reveal too much without risking punishment. “It should be, but I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know more when I find out. For now, let’s just say it’s… intriguing.”
“Good luck with the grind, then. I’ll stay here and refine my class skills, like you. I don’t have your incredible Mana Control, but cheating with the [Time Space] gives me an edge.”
“Want me to charge the [Time Bead] before I go? I might be gone a few days.”
“Sure, that’s a good idea—thank you.”
They left the [Time Space], and Sora used his condensed mana to charge it.
[Current Charge: 261 weeks]
Pleased with the five-year duration, they entered to inspect the difference.
[Time Dilation Active – Inside Time Space: 1 week = ~4 minutes outside]
The Time Dilation had increased even further, now at a 2000:1 ratio.
Kara was shocked. “How did you manage this? I can stay here for five years, and barely a day will pass outside!”
Sora scratched the back of his head, smiling. “It’s my new class; it taught me something incredible. You should try it too! Try condensing your life force after refining it. It should be similar to how mana works. Who knows? Maybe it’ll give it a boost.”
Given the new dilation rate, Sora charged the [Time Bead] further so Kara could train as long as she liked. Then he headed to the closest level 90 area he knew of.
After finding no experience boost there, he moved on until he located one in Turkey.
Ensuring his inventory was empty, he began his Prestige grind.
[Do you want to undergo a Prestige reset?]
[You will lose all acquired experience, class levels, job proficiency, and items.]
[Yes] [No]
Without hesitation, he selected [Yes], choosing to keep his identity as Ralph Eden.
[You have acquired a Soul Pearl]
In his ethereal form, he ignored the notification and located a level 92 [Ultimate Rabbit] and materialized above it.
The [War Shop] temporary boost to his Growth Level was something he wanted to test, so he bought one just as was brought back to life.
[You have acquired a Temporary Growth Factor Boost]
Satisfied when he saw his growth get a 50% bonus, he smiled and launched his attack.
Anyone passing by would have seen an almost naked level 1 Player appearing in mid-air, launching a somersault onto a massive, 15-meter-tall rabbit. Hiyoko appeared as well, sighing at her master’s odd choice of landing spot and his action of tossing her into the sky for safety.
Sora focused on the rabbit, sending a powerful shockwave rippling through the ground with his initial impact. The rabbit was buried several hundred meters beneath the surface, but it quickly scrambled to its feet, attempting to flee.
Sora gave chase and, after almost half an hour of struggle, delivered the final blow.
[You have killed an Ultimate Rabbit (Elite)]
[Level up!] x 59
[You are now level 60!]
The experience boost, combined with his new [Growth Factor], provided massive experience gains. He equipped his legendary staff and a few other items, brushing off the notifications. This was enough to reset again, but not enough for a [Soul Pearl].
After a few more encounters, he reached level 70 within two hours of entering the zone, bulldozing his way through monsters using his immense body strength.
However, monsters were scarce, and he was too lazy to return to the city for a mere [Monster Radar]. He had no intention of encountering the same bank clerk multiple times a day, as a level 1 player. He decided to only go to the bank to empty his inventory, and store his [Soul Pearls] before resetting. If his level changed too much from his previous visit, he would just go to another city bank.
Having emptied his inventory, the familiar message appeared:
[Do you want to undergo a Prestige reset?]
He clicked [Yes] again.
The next day, he sat on a rock, Hiyoko on his head as usual, gnawing at his hair. Deep in thought, he was engrossed in the notifications before him.
[Warning: Your talent level can no longer grow through your [Prestige] until level 150.]
It seemed he had hit a limit—a frustrating one that threw a wrench into his plans of farming [Soul Pearls] while achieving infinite strength. He had always expected a limit to this growth, but it was still a disappointment to reach such limit.
'If it were that easy, surely the previous holders of this talent wouldn’t have died.' He thought, saddened by the sight of his status.
[Status Update]
Profile: Ralph Eden (Sora Hashino)
Status: Alive (Prestige 20)
Class: True Mage (Class Level 1, Player Level 84)
Power Level: Omega 19
Body Level: Omega 19
Energy Level: Omega 19
Soul Level: 1
Talent Level: 1048576
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)
After surpassing 999 trillion, he had the option to display his power level differently. Each Omega level was ten times stronger than the last, with Omega 9 equaling a billion. The numbers had lost meaning, and this new format made reading his power level far easier.
This profile status was something that would probably shock a few people to death, but Sora was still unhappy to see his Talent Level capped...
'Even if i don't get Talent Levels anymore, I still want to farm [Soul Pearls]. I'll stop in a day or two.'
He pressed [Yes] once more.