Sora entered the city of Bursa, Turkey, having completed his last round of Prestige Grinding. Mentally exhausted from the repetitive task but satisfied, he decided it was time to rest .
He had pushed himself hard these days, and even after his last reset, he farmed for a few more hours leveling up to 93—his new maximum level.
It had only been a week since he’d begun this intense grind, but after discovering a few small time saves to increase his efficiency, his speed had skyrocketed.
One change, in particular, made a massive difference: he no longer wasted time returning to the bank to deposit his Soul Pearls and the items he looted from monsters.
Instead, he’d purchased a Premium Chest from the Bank of Istanbul for 10 million gold.
This special chest allowed him to store and retrieve items directly from his bank vault, even from a distance. He could leave it behind when resetting, only to find it waiting to be used again. There was a risk of theft, as the chest was lying on the floor. However anyone using the Chest could only access their own bank vault.
On top of that, they would need to appear, take the chest, and leave in the time Sora used to reset. It was unlikely, but Sora didn't care about the ten million gold Premium Chest. He could always buy another.
After acquiring the chest, Sora had focused entirely on resetting and leveling, shaving hours off his routine.
Now, reflecting on the grind, he checked into an inn, settled into his room, and took a moment to review his progress. His stats had climbed to Omega 20 in both body and energy, and his [True Mage] class had reached an impressive level 90. For the first time, he gave the class the attention and respect it deserved, by taking it to a higher level.
Soon he noticed a new addition to his skills;
[Innate Skill: Prestige] – Skill Option 3:
[Description : In the Soul Palace, the user gains access to the Prestige Forge. The user can use Soul Power to forge items bound to himself, allowing them to follow him beyond death.]
Reading this, Sora frowned. He now had access to a… forge?
Since the inn was managed by NPCs and therefore a safe zone, he signaled to Hiyoko to guard him, warning her of his temporary absence, and entered his [Soul Palace].
Once inside, he noticed a new structure beside the familiar wooden hut—a shabby, old workshop. Curious, he stepped inside, only to find it dusty and run-down. Scattered around him were various workstations, each seemingly tailored to a specific purpose. One station, with an axe and sword hanging above it, caught his attention. As he touched it, a notification appeared:
[Select the weapon you would like to forge]
[Sword]
[Two-Handed Sword]
[Axe]
[Hammer]
[Staff]
[Scepter]
Sora scrolled through the list, which contained thousands of options, including weapons he recognized and many he did not. Selecting the [Staff] option, he was greeted by another message:
[Consume 50 Soul Pearls to craft a rank 1 Staff]
The price surprised him—50 Soul Pearls was a hefty investment for a single weapon. He had no idea how powerful this weapon would be, but he’d need to try it out eventually. After all, he couldn’t keep resetting and appearing as if he’d lost everything every time.
He inspected the other workstations, realizing he could also craft armor, shields, masks, clothes, accessories, and more. However, each item required significant Soul Power, meaning he’d have to spend a fortune to fully equip himself.
Before leaving, he checked on his Alter Ego, making sure it was unharmed. Satisfied that his other self was safe, he exited the Soul Palace and returned to his room in the inn.
Looking around the room, searching for Hiyoko, he couldn't find her. He felt a small weight on his head, and felt that she was sitting on his head, like a chicken protecting her eggs and using his hair as a nest. 'This isn't what I meant when I asked you to guard me... Idiot'
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He grabbed her gently and sat her in front of him.
Sora glanced at Hiyoko, noticing the changes his Prestige grinding had on her. Though nowhere near his power level, her Talent Level had surged past a million, causing her to grow considerably. She was now capable of handling monsters within her level range and could even challenge those of a slightly higher level.
He smirked, "Hiyoko, you’ve gotten quite powerful these days."
The little bird, who had been meditating on his head then on the floor as Sora moved her, opened her eyes and chirped in response.
“Oh? You say you’re stronger than Kara now?” Sora chuckled at her boldness. The small creature had gained strength alongside him and now held herself with an almost divine arrogance, as though she were a phoenix reborn.
"Alright then, you’ve earned yourself a duel with Kara. I’ll even help you train if you’re not confident in winning. Need a bit of body forging? Your feathers could use some polishing and refining. I could even introduce you to the five elements if you want to take it further and train your resistance."
Hiyoko shivered at the memory of her master’s grueling training and shook her head quickly, refusing the offer. Sora laughed out loud, realizing that with Hiyoko, some things would never change. They chatted a bit before settling down to sleep. Though his body brimmed with energy, the constant resetting had taken its toll on him mentally.
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The next morning, Sora and Hiyoko left the inn and made their way to the [Auction House]. He’d emptied his vault into a few [High-Grade Space Bags] and was ready to convert his mountain of items into gold. He headed to the counter to get the gold from selling items in the past resets and it seemed that they had earned him a tidy 82 million gold.
Even Sora, who did not care about wealth anymore, couldn't help but smile. 'Maybe I will need this gold eventually. Who knows?' He wondered, seeing the numbers.
At the counter, the clerk trembled as he recognized Sora as soon as he saw the amount and hastily pulled out a [Mana Phone]. Sora could hear him whispering, "Hall Master, he’s back! … Yes, it’s him … Come quickly." Sora sighed. Apparently, he’d made quite a name for himself here, which he found a bit of a nuisance.
Turning back to Sora, the clerk greeted him with nervous enthusiasm, "Once more, good morning, esteemed client! We are honored to welcome you to our humble hall."
Sora, not one for excessive flattery, replied curtly, "You have already greeted me a few minutes ago. I'm just a normal player, don't be so courteous. Please appraise my items and set them up for auction."
Before the clerk could respond, Sora sensed a rapid movement nearby and wondered who would use skills in this core area, where it was supposed to be forbidden.
Soon, a young man, appearing no older than twenty, approached with remarkable speed. Looking at the title above his head, Sora saw ‘Auction House Hall Master’—an interesting title for such a young NPC.
The young man greeted him with a polite smile, "Hello, esteemed guest. Would you care for a cup of coffee or anything else?"
"Not really," Sora replied, slightly annoyed. "I just want to sell my items."
"Understood," the Hall Master replied smoothly. "I wanted to discuss a potential arrangement that could increase the gold you earn from your sales. If you have a moment, I’d be happy to explain."
Sora crossed his arms, "Alright, but let’s keep it brief. I have a busy day ahead."
The Hall Master nodded, launching into his pitch. "We’ve noticed that some of your items could benefit from a more strategic pricing approach. Specifically, 37% of your items have sold below market value, 9% went unsold due to high initial prices, and 19% were sold during periods of low demand or in large quantities, impacting their value."
"For distinguished clients like yourself, we offer a Private Agent System. This service assigns a dedicated agent to optimize your sales, ensuring you consistently receive more gold than you would by selling in bulk. The agent monitors demand, market trends, and ideal selling periods."
Sora considered this. “Makes sense. With so many items, I don’t always have the time to set prices carefully. It’s a hassle just managing it all.”
He asked, "So what’s in it for you? How much does this service cost?"
The Hall Master chuckled, "Of course, there’s a fee. The commission rate would increase from 2% to 5%, but we’re confident it’s worth the investment. Additionally, we’ll provide you with an [Auction Mailbox], allowing you to send items directly to the auction from anywhere, sparing you the need to return to our humble hall each time."
Sora glanced around, admiring the grandeur of the hall—much larger and more impressive than the one in Paris. The wealth flowing through this place was astounding, making the term ‘humble’ seem almost ironic.
'They sure have excellent salesmen to be smelling the potential to leech money from me. Anyway, I'll probably earn even more than before, so they might as well be paid for their work"
After a moment's consideration, he nodded. "Alright, we have a deal."
The clerk trembled with excitement, and the Hall Master turned to him, "Roland, please fetch an [Auction Mailbox] for our newest VIP."
Roland dashed off eagerly to fulfill the request, while Sora looked on, ready to streamline his sales and make the most of his items.