Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Sora asked, "Experimentation? What did they do?"

Emily sighed. "After the world update, people everywhere tried to create their own skills. Thousands died in South Korea alone from trying to manipulate raw mana. Creating skills without help was impossible. But some succeeded, creating skills like [Meditate] which did not need mana to create, which were then shared with the world. Those were the individuals who experimented on their own, pushing the limits of what was possible."

She paused, glancing at Sora. "But not everyone did it willingly. Hidden forces, even known governments, got involved. They experimented on people, trying to harness the power of mana for their own gain. From the leaks that surfaced over time, it became clear—most of the old governments were involved in these projects, trying to hold onto power or for various reasons."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "So they used people as lab rats?"

"In many cases, yes. Mana was used in ways you can't even imagine, from trying to force new abilities into people to creating artificial mana mutations." After a pause she added "You'll meet such modified people eventually."

Sora shook his head. 'Some things haven't changed, it seems.'

They soon reached the area where about a hundred players from Europe were gathered, clearly waiting for something. Sora scanned the crowd, and to his surprise, he recognized a few familiar faces.

Players in the area were between level 100 and 150, with most people hovering around level 120

'Asami Hito... and the five colonels from the War in Sweden,' he thought, recalling their names one by one—'Lois Nale, Oliver Evans, Cero Vux, Edward Schwartz, and Aang Li.'

Beside him, Kara observed, "Look at their levels, all around 115. And Asami... She's level 136 now. Wasn't she level 132 during the war?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah, they all gained a few levels. Let's go say hi."

Sora and Kara approached the group, and as they got closer, Asami Hito noticed them first. She was facing their direction, looking at Sora with a slight nod of recognition. Her dark hair was tied, and she radiated the same confidence Sora remembered from the war.

"Ralph, Kara," Asami said, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "It's been a while... You've grown."

Sora felt a little embarrassed by the praise and replied, "You all did too. Hello, everyone, it's been a while indeed. How have you been?"

Before he could finish, Oliver, ignoring Sora's polite tone, burst into laughter and pulled him into a bear hug. "Ralph! Cut the crap, greet your brothers like a man!"

The rest of the group laughed heartily, stepping forward one by one to greet him and Kara with warm, friendly smiles. It felt like a reunion of old comrades, forged through war. They greeted Emily as well, after a short introduction.

"What is everyone waiting for?" Sora asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"We're waiting for Hannah. Word is, she's going to be the one testing us," Edward replied, crossing his arms.

"Hannah? The guildmaster from Stockholm?" Kara asked, surprised.

"Yeah, but that wasn't a permanent position," Lois chimed in. "I've seen some high-level players treat her with respect. She's someone... famous it seems."

Sora raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the revelation.

Lois turned to him, continuing, "You're level 110 now, Ralph. That's impressive. You almost caught up to us in just a month... And Kara, level 122? Damn! I was feeling good about the few levels I managed to gain, thinking leveling was getting impossible. Comparison really is the thief of joy." She chuckled wryly. "Congrats to both of you, but now I kind of want to cry."

Kara blushed slightly, but smiled, appreciating the praise.

Sora sensed a familiar presence and turned around. His instincts immediately picked up on something strange. It was as if a subtle force was probing his mind, a charming aura that seemed to want to infiltrate his mental space. He turned around and locked eyes on the source—a stunning and familiar woman with long silver hair, dressed in crimson leather armor.

'I remember this feeling... So Hannah was using mental power the whole time. That aura, it's not even an active skill right now, or it would've been restricted in the city... But it's still so strong, even when passive,' Sora thought, realizing why he had struggled to think clearly each time they had met.

Kara noticed Sora's intense focus and, unaware of the mental probing he was feeling, poked his shoulder and whispered, "Look at her level..."

Sora glanced up, his eyes catching the name above her. He almost bit his tongue in shock.