Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Sora woke early, the morning light filtering through the small window of his rented room.

He found Hiyoko awake, playing with his Diamond Badge and a shiny ... watch ?

"Did you go out to steal things ?" His voice was full of suspicion as he looked at the little bird.

Hiyoko shook her head, showing a place under the bed. "You found this here?... You can keep it until we return it to the Inn then"

His familiar, understanding the meaning of those words, turned to face a corner and sulked on her shelf. Sora smiled at her actions.

The sight of the Diamond Badge was a reminder of what he had achieved yesterday. But instead of satisfaction, a strange restlessness filled him. He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his temples as he replayed the fight with Areva over and over again in his mind.

The truth was clear: his mana control was leagues beyond anything he could have hoped for a cycle ago. His [Speed Surge], [Mana Shield], and [Amplify] worked flawlessly together, keeping him in the fight despite the odds. But the problem remained—his body was lagging behind his mana control. He needed to upgrade his defensive abilities if he wanted to survive in the long term.

He stood up, stretching his still-aching muscles as Hiyoko fluttered onto his shoulder, chirping softly.

"You've been watching me the whole time, haven't you?" Sora smiled as he reached up and lightly scratched the bird's tiny head. Hiyoko puffed up, preening under the attention.

"You know, I'm thinking about pushing myself even further," Sora muttered, almost to himself. Hiyoko tilted her head, listening as if she did not understand the reason. She seemed to think that he was already the strongest existence in the universe.

Sora's thoughts drifted back to the file that Areva had handed him the day before. A high-level dungeon quest where her disciple needed backup. It was a tempting offer. A dungeon raid meant experience, treasure, and perhaps an opportunity to test his limits once more. But he also knew that accepting such a quest would come with its own set of risks.

The other adventurers had said the team was mostly hopeless, save for Areva's disciple. Could he really trust a group that couldn't even hold their own? Sora sighed. He was still hesitant about giving others his back. His journey had been a solitary one so far—trusting people wasn't easy after Rachel's betrayal. But the prospect of a new challenge tugged at him.

"Maybe it's time to see what the world has to offer," he whispered, turning his gaze out the window toward the bustling city of Paris below.

With a resolute nod, Sora dressed quickly and grabbed the file from the table. It was time to see what this quest was all about.

---

The Adventurer's Guild was just as lively as it had been the previous day. Sora navigated through the throngs of adventurers, merchants, and guild staff, making his way toward the place where he had agreed to meet with Areva before living yesterday. The morning sunlight streamed through the grand windows of the guild hall, casting long shadows across the floor.

He spotted Areva, seated with a few other high-ranking adventurers, but her attention shifted as soon as she saw him approach.

"Good to see you back," she said with a small grin, nodding toward the file he carried. "Did you take a look at the information?"

Sora handed her the file. "I did. It seems… interesting."

"Interesting is one word for it," Areva replied, a hint of sarcasm in her tone. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "The dungeon itself isn't the problem. We don't have information about the second part of the dungeon and it's the team that worries me. Like I said before, I don't trust them to make it on their own. But with you in the mix… I think they might have a chance."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Why is your disciple working with people you don't trust?"

Areva shrugged. "Everyone has to start somewhere. But I didn't expect her to end up with a group this... unskilled. She didn't want to change teams, are they are her best friends. They're enthusiastic, I'll give them that, but raw enthusiasm only gets you so far in the game. My disciple, Kara, is strong, but she can't carry the whole team alone forever."

Sora nodded, understanding the situation better. "So, what exactly would you want me to do? Just support them?"

Areva stood up, her gaze serious now. "Support them, yes. But more than that, I want you to make sure they survive. Kara's capable, but she's still learning. If things go south, I need someone I trust to pull her and the rest of the team out. If that means stepping in to finish the fight yourself, then do it."

Sora considered her words. It was more responsibility than he initially thought, but the challenge was exactly what he had been looking for. And perhaps, through this quest, he could test his limits once more—both with his [Martial Titan] class and his mana control.

"I'll do it," Sora said, his voice steady.

Areva smiled. "Good. Head back here tomorrow morning, and I'll give you all the details you need. The team's already prepping for the dungeon run, so you'll meet them before setting off."

Sora nodded, feeling the excitement bubbling up inside him again. He had a goal. And whether it was his curiosity or the thrill of battle pushing him forward, he knew this quest was the next step in his journey.

"See you tomorrow," Sora said, turning to leave.

"Ralph," Areva's voice stopped him just as he was about to walk away. He turned back, and she gave him a knowing look. "Don't hold back during the quest. If they're in danger, use every bit of power you've got."

Sora smirked. "I don't plan on holding back."

---

From there, Sora's mind wandered to his [Martial Titan] class, considering how he wanted to evolve it. His usual strategy after reaching level 50 involved resetting, becoming classless, and slowly recreating the skills he had trained in his previous life by filtering and refining mana. This method allowed him to recreate 'fake versions' of the skills that eventually evolved into alternate versions and, ultimately, perfect versions.

With newfound determination, Sora headed to a nearby hunting ground to train in peace.

He wondered if he could recreate his class skills without resetting.

"What if I resisted the class's natural guidance?" Sora thought. Could he recreate those abilities from scratch, forging a path that didn't rely on the guiding light of his class?

His usual method involved following the class's path for guiding mana, but what if he could block that path? Could he forge a completely new direction, one that wasn't reliant on the class itself?

Sora began to focus, blocking the class's guiding light in his mind. Immediately, it felt like walking in a dark room. The path forward was unclear, and his mana scattered in all directions.

For hours, he attempted to navigate the unfamiliar terrain, switching between [Bone Forging], [Muscle Forging], and [Limit Breaker]. With each technique, he sought similarities, looking for the underlying principles that connected them.

He became so absorbed in his efforts that he didn't even notice the constant notifications of unlocked skills flashing in the corner of his vision. All that mattered was the mana—the way it flowed, dispersed, and interacted with his body.

Each of the forging techniques led to new insights, but they weren't enough. Sora craved something deeper. The perfect skills he had created so far were impressive, but they weren't satisfying anymore. He didn't want just to perfect techniques—he wanted to understand the bigger principle behind body forging.

"Why settle for the class's limitations?" Sora muttered to himself, growing more and more intrigued by the idea.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to push further. What if he could forge not just his bones and muscles, but something more intricate—something more vital?

He focused on his heart.

At first, his [Martial Titan] class resisted. It was like being held back; the class was advising him not to go in that direction, as if telling him he was not ready for that. But Sora ignored it. He guided his mana, slowly and carefully, into his heart.

The pain was immediate, sharper than any battle wound he had received. His heart strained under the pressure, threatening to stop altogether, but Sora kept going.

He started convulsing, coughing blood, and could barely control his mana under the pain.

He felt his life flickering, as if he could die any second.

He couldn't afford to back down now. Slowly, however the mana began to refine his heart, making it stronger with each pulse. The process was excruciating, painful, and crude, but eventually, it worked.

His heart was beating stronger, faster, more efficiently.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, but the excitement in his chest overpowered the fatigue and his injuries. He had succeeded. His heart was now slightly stronger, more durable. He could feel it.

"Could I do the same with my blood?" he wondered.

The struggle was even greater this time. His body resisted the change fiercely, but Sora persisted. With each pulse of mana, he refined his blood, forcing it to carry more energy, to move faster, to flow more efficiently. Again, success.

Just like that, he discovered two directions he could improve his body with.

Encouraged, Sora's thoughts drifted to his brain. He hesitated. The risk was too great. What if he lost control of his thoughts, and passed out?

Instead, he returned to [Muscle Forging], eager to revolutionize the technique. The traditional method involved saturating the muscles with mana, strengthening them through nourishment. But why did it always have to hit a limit before he used [Limit Breaker]?

His mind flashed back to the old days, before the world upgrade, when muscle growth came through destruction and recovery. Why not try something similar?

Sora transformed his mana into something violent, guiding it to destroy his muscles—tearing them apart—while simultaneously bathing them in calmer mana for recovery. It was like using [Limit Breaker] and [Muscle Forging] at the same time.

Pain coursed through his entire body. Blood dripped from his skin as his muscles screamed in agony. His [Titan Regeneration] worked tirelessly to heal the damage, but Sora remained focused. His Mana Eyes scanned every cell in his body, searching for changes.

It was working—but not perfectly. Something was missing.

Suddenly, he realized he had overlooked a critical part of his class: [Titan Regeneration]. It had always been a passive skill, working silently in the background, but what if it held the key?

He concentrated on simulating the way [Titan Regeneration] functioned, trying to recreate its effects manually. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing happened. He couldn't command the mana to act in the same way.

He kept trying in many ways and after hours he started losing patience.

Frustration boiled over. "Just heal me already!" he yelled, anger and conviction seeping into his voice.

And then, something remarkable happened.

As if responding to his frustration, the mana changed color. It shifted away from his control, surrounding his muscles and healing them independently. The mana acted as if it had a will of its own, obeying the command embedded in [Titan Regeneration].

For the first time, Sora got a glimpse at what passive skills truly were. They gave mana a mission, a purpose that went beyond direct control. This was the essence of passive abilities—they transformed mana into something that acted of its own accord, guided by a mission.

Sora stared at the shimmering mana around him, a slow smile spreading across his face. He was on the verge of something monumental, a breakthrough that could revolutionize not just his [Martial Titan] class, but his entire approach to power.

 

"This… this might be is the answer," he whispered, feeling a surge of excitement. "This is how I'll forge my body."