Chapter 217 - 214: Soul Stamp
Sora stared at One Hundred-One, stunned by his words.
"Let go of your fear. If we die, so be it."
Sora was taken aback by these words.
'Is fear really holding me back?'
'But why do I feel that it is something else? Something I can't quite put into words.' He thought.
He glanced at the faces of his Alter Egos, these people who were more than just reflections of himself. Each one had grown into their own person. To him, they weren't expendable tools.
He clenched his fists.
'I had never intended to treat them as sacrifices. But here they are, willing to throw themselves into the fire without hesitation.'
Because they didn't fear death.
One Hundred-One, sensing Sora's hesitation, didn't wait for an answer. He turned toward Seven instead. "Where are the others?"
Seven understood who he was referring to. "Six, Eight, Nine, and Ten revived in Spain alongside me," he explained. "We all agreed to wait for a month before reviving, to make sure we could reset. But after coming back, we each scattered across the world—to gather information, infiltrate enemy territory, and get a feel for the situation."
His tone changed. "However… One, Two, Three, Four, and Five didn't take the same approach."
Silence fell over the group.
"Before we left, those five had agreed on resetting directly. Instead of waiting, they had decided to revive simultaneously, hoping they could find a way to escape from Abbott Nel and Norj. The last time we've seen or heard of them was more than a month ago." Seven explained.
Nineteen clenched his fists so hard blood was dripping from them.
He tried his best restraining his anger and spoke, "They killed our brothers…"
Twelve immediately shook his head, trying to rein in the growing tension. "Calm down," he said, his voice firm. "You know how resourceful everyone is. Maybe they reached Level 50 before dying. If they did, they'll reset and come back stronger."
His gaze flickered with emotion. "And if they don't…"
One Hundred-One interrupted him, his tone sharp.
"Then we'll avenge them."
"One reason so many of us are barely making progress is because we spent too much time hiding in Kara's [Time Space], having more than enough time to slowly refine our skills."
His eyes swept across the group.
"We hesitate too much. We're scared. Scared of dying. Scared of failure. Scared of making the wrong move. We've wasted too much time trying to make everything perfect. We're always training and aiming for perfect victories."
"But that is over. We have no more time. We need to find solutions. And we have to act. It's time to fight back."
Sora observed the changes in everyone's expressions. Some nodded. Others seemed lost in thoughts, reflecting over his alter ego's words.
He wasn't blind. He could see how deeply One Hundred-One's words had struck them.
He felt it, too.
'Was he right?'
With all his power, all his training, had he unknowingly let himself be shackled by the same fears?
'I've always pushed myself to the limit, but maybe he's right in the sense that I've rarely ever been in real danger since Rachel's betrayal. I've always prepared myself for the worst, but I have been avoiding it...'
One Hundred-One stepped forward, his sword resting against his shoulder. His eyes locked onto Sora's.
"My company is ready," he said, his voice brimming with anticipation. "Let us out. We'll make them pay."
Sora met his gaze, then shook his head. "I get it. I do."
His expression didn't change, but his next words sent a ripple through the gathered Alter Egos.
"But I'm not just sending the hundred swordsmen. Everyone will leave at once. Me included."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then some voices were heard saying the same thing : "What?"
They turned to one another, as if waiting for someone to confirm they'd heard wrong.
Twelve was the first to break the silence. "Holy shit. We're going all out?"
That cracked the dam.
Seventy snorted. "Works for me."
One Hundred-Seven smirked. "If I knew all it took was some peer pressure, I would've tried it sooner. Never expected the boss to listen to our opinions."
"Next thing you know, he'll let us choose our own tasks."
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Sora scanned the crowd and smiled.
"Maybe it's time we let loose," he admitted. "But we have one last thing to prepare."
A few still looked surprised.
Sora snorted. "You didn't think we'd walk out of here without a plan, did you?"
And so, the final preparations began.
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The next day, the air was thick with anticipation.
A crowd of goblins stood at the edges of their village, watching the outsiders who had lived among them for weeks.
Some looked on with confusion, standing uncomfortably as they observed the intruders' reunion. Others gripped their weapons, instinct screaming at them to stay alert.
And yet… there were some who watched with something close to warmth.
Despite the enmity between their kinds, some goblins had grown used to the strange, powerful humans in their midst. Perhaps even fond of them. They were the goblins who 'played' with Seven Hundred-Seventy-Seven for a few weeks .
Then, they saw it.
One by one, the outsiders vanished, devoured by the human the one standing at the center of them all.
The goblins' expressions twisted from confusion to horror.
The others were gone. The presence of a thousand warriors had been devoured into nothingness, leaving only one figure standing in their place.
And he was smiling.
Then, as if he was done digesting his meal, he stretched his arms before disappearing.
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Sora stepped out into the fresh air, stretching his fingers as he adjusted to the feeling of being whole again.
He flexed his hands, rolling his shoulders as he felt the waves of Soul Power surging through him. The strength of a thousand warriors compressed into a single body. The overwhelming amount of knowledge and memories integrated into his brain.
This time, it felt… easier.
'Time to get started. I need to move fast.'
Without hesitation, he raised his hand, focused his mana and summoned a small portal.
After entering through the portal, Sora appeared in front of the entrance of another dungeon.
His gaze flickered over the towering wooden door.
| [Sky Dragon Prince Dungeon – Level 200] |
