Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

As the group stepped into the dungeon, the atmosphere immediately shifted. The air was thick and cold, the light dim, casting long shadows along the walls.

The entire dungeon felt otherworldly—a chunk of a different realm, cut from its origin and pasted into Earth. A barrier, white and tangible, enclosed the area. No one could cross it, nor could anyone see what lay beyond.

The only ways to leave a dungeon were retracing your steps to the entrance or defeating the dungeon's boss and exiting through the designated path after beating the boss.

Kara turned to the group, her tone confident but focused. "Just like usual, everyone. We know this place. Let's push through to the boss."

Her companions nodded, assured in their routine. They had beaten this dungeon several times to train, and today was no different, except for the presence of Sora. Kara glanced at him.

"We'll handle the mobs and the boss on our own. You can step in if things get really bad or for the hidden section, if you don't mind" she said.

Sora simply nodded. He was here for the hidden part of the dungeon, the section where a legendary scepter waited—an item that could greatly enhance a Kara's abilities. His mission was clear. The rest of the dungeon was just an exercise in patience.

As they moved deeper into the dungeon,the first group of enemies appeared, emerging from the shadows. These creatures were massive bear-like beasts, standing well over seven feet tall with leathery skin and bulging muscles. Their faces were twisted into grotesque snarls, and their claws scraped the stone floor as they approached.

Kara immediately took charge. "Céline, up front! Thierry, get into position! Amélie, find your angle and keep shooting from their back!"

Céline, the tank, moved forward, her large shield raised in front of her. She braced herself as the first monster lunged at her, its claws crashing against her shield with a deafening clang. Céline grunted under the force but held firm. Thierry darted to the side, his sword flashing as he aimed for the beast's legs. Amélie, the archer, nimbly positioned herself, loosing arrows that found their marks in the monster's face and eyes.

Sora watched quietly from behind, observing the group's dynamic. They were competent, working in unison to take down the monsters. But it was clear they were trying to impress him. Thierry's swordplay was flashy, almost exaggerated, and Amélie was rushing her shots. Céline was putting on a brave face, but she was clearly struggling to keep the monster's blows from overwhelming her.

Sora wasn't impressed. Their teamwork was solid, but their individual skills were average. They took far too long to deal with these low-level mobs, which hovered around level 57. At this pace, they'd burn out before they even reached the boss.

What truly held the team together was Kara. She was their core, the one making sure no one faltered. Her command of the battle was good. She knew exactly when to buff, when to heal, and when to direct her teammates. Kara's presence elevated their performance to a decent level, but it was evident that without her, they'd struggle much more.

The fight dragged on longer than it should have, but eventually, the beasts fell. Céline let out a heavy sigh, lowering her shield.

"Not bad, right?" Thierry grinned, wiping sweat from his brow.

Amélie nodded in agreement. "We handled that well."

Sora said nothing, but he could see their confidence. They were barely keeping up with these mobs, yet they acted as if they were invincible. The truth was, they were leaning too hard on Kara's healing abilities and leadership without even realizing it. They were taking too much damage.

They pressed on, clearing wave after wave of monsters, slowly but steadily making their way to the boss room. It was the same story every time: Kara's leadership kept them coordinated, but the others struggled to maintain their concentration and were often disctracted.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Sora, they reached the boss chamber. The room was vast, filled with crumbling pillars and ancient runes glowing faintly on the walls. In the center of the room stood the dungeon boss—a towering, armored beast with glowing red eyes. Its name appeared above its head:

Gergo let out a thunderous roar, shaking the room as he rose to his full height. His massive frame was covered in thick fur, but beneath that, Sora could see the intelligent gleam in the bear's eyes. This wasn't just a mindless monster—it was an evolved beast, one with intelligence and strategy. Its claws glinted like sharpened steel, and the air around it shimmered with a faint magical aura.

Kara stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "Céline, tank it! Thierry, get ready to strike at his ankles! Amélie, keep your distance and aim for his eyes or mouth!"

Céline charged in, shield raised high as Gergo lunged at her. The force of the impact almost knocked her off her feet, but she held on, gritting her teeth as Gergo's claws scraped against her shield. Thierry moved in, slashing at Gergo's legs, but his strikes barely pierced the thick fur. Amélie fired arrow after arrow, but even her well-placed shots didn't seem to phase the beast.

Gergo was too powerful. His defense was incredible, and even with Kara's buffs, the group was struggling. Céline's shield was cracking under the relentless assault, and Thierry's attacks weren't doing enough damage. Amélie was running out of arrows, and Kara was working overtime to keep the team alive.

Sora could see the strain in Kara's eyes. She was holding the group together, but her energy reserve wasn't enough. Gergo's attacks were getting faster, more aggressive. Céline was buckling under the pressure, her shield barely holding up.

Sora sighed. He had hoped they could handle it, but it was clear they were reaching their limit. It seemed that they were used to rely on their fifth teammate as well to beat this dungeon, as they couldn't beat it with their damage output.

Without a word, Sora activated Amplify, sending a surge of mana toward the group. Instantly, their attacks doubled in power. Thierry's sword strikes bit deeper into Gergo's flesh, and Amélie's arrows flew with greater speed and force. Even Céline's shield seemed to glow brighter as it absorbed more of the boss's attacks.

Kara's eyes widened as she felt the sudden boost in power, but she didn't hesitate. She adjusted her strategy immediately, using the amplified strength to push the team harder.

Thierry grinned as his sword strikes finally started cutting into Gergo's legs. "What the—?! This is incredible!"

Amélie fired off a rapid series of arrows, each one hitting with twice the force. "Ralph, you're amazing! We can do this!"

Céline, who had been on the verge of collapse, suddenly stood firm. With Sora's [Mana Shield] protecting her, she felt invincible. "I'm not taking any damage! I can hold him!"

The fight, which had seemed impossible moments ago, suddenly shifted in their favor. With Sora's [Amplify] and [Mana Shield], the team's damage output soared, and Gergo's health bar began to plummet. Within minutes, the once invincible boss was reduced to a heap of fur and claws.

As Gergo collapsed, Thierry leaned on his sword, panting. "That… that was incredible. Ralph, you saved us."

Amélie, her bow still in hand, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, so you were a buffer. That power boost was insane. I've never seen such a powerful [Amplify]"

Kara walked over to Sora, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Ralph. We wouldn't have made it without you."

Sora shrugged with a small smile. "My pleasure"

Now, with Gergo defeated, it was time to move to the real challenge—the hidden section of the dungeon.

---

Sora felt the familiar hum of energy coursing through his body as he leveled up. A faint notification blinked in the corner of his vision, confirming it. Ignoring the kill notification, he read the other two.

His contribution in the fight against Gergo had been enough. He had done more than he expected, but it wasn't what caught his attention.

Throughout the entire dungeon run, Sora had quietly observed the others, watching how they controlled their mana, analyzing their techniques, and trying to grasp the mechanics behind each of their skills.

Each member's mana usage told a different story. Kara's healing spells were particularly fascinating—the way her mana moved and latched onto her allies with precise control.

Thierry's sword strikes had an underlying flow of mana that enhanced his speed and power, though he lacked the refinement Kara had.

Céline's mana reinforced her defenses in a rhythmic, steady manner, aligning perfectly with her tanking role.

But despite his observations, Sora realized something: watching them for just a few hours wasn't enough.

They only used each skill a handful of times, and while he could grasp the broad direction their classes shaped mana, it wasn't enough to mimic their techniques. If he wanted to understand their skills deeply, he would need to spend much more time with them, or grow stronger himself. It was too early for his dream to steal skills on sight to become reality.

His thoughts were interrupted by Kara's voice, pulling him back to reality.

"Fall back, everyone."

Sora blinked in confusion. The boss, Gergo, lay dead in front of them, his massive, lifeless form still on the ground. The rest of the group exchanged puzzled glances, but Kara stepped forward with purpose, her hands already glowing with mana.

"Kara?" Céline asked, her voice uncertain. "What are you doing?"

Without answering, Kara began casting spells—healing spells—but they weren't directed at any of them. Instead, she aimed them at the dead boss.

"Healing the boss? What's going on?" Thierry muttered, confused.

Sora narrowed his eyes and activated his Mana Eyes. That's when he saw it. Deep inside Gergo's body, faint mana flickered. There was something still alive. A baby bear, weak and struggling for life, lay within its mother's belly. Kara's healing spells were directed at this tiny creature, trying to bring it back from the brink of Death.

"Kara's healing the dying baby," Sora whispered to himself.

The baby beast, too weak to move, started to respond to Kara's spells. Light fell from the sky and filled the chamber, pouring into the dead body of Gergo. They looked at each other, trying to understand what was happening, but they had no clue.

The baby bear within began to stir, wriggling and pushing its way out of its mother's corpse. Its fur was matted with blood, and its tiny frame shook with confusion and fear.

The light intensified, strengthening the cub. As it blinked and looked around, its eyes showed hesitation, fear, and... confusion.

The girls, Amélie and Céline, gasped, visibly shaken by the sight of the tiny bear struggling to live.

"We… we killed its mother," Amélie whispered, her voice trembling. "Was this the right thing to do?"

Céline, her eyes red, almost crying, shook her head. "It's just a baby..."

But Sora's focus was elsewhere. His Mana Eyes tracked the flow of power around the bear, fascinated by the energy pouring into it, accelerating its growth.

Kara's healing triggered something in the dungeon and made a mysterious light appear, heal this baby and even push further. The baby bear was growing stronger by the second, its tiny body expanding, muscles forming, fur thickening. The entire process was mesmerizing.

Thierry frowned, watching the baby as it grew. "This thing can't be the hidden boss, right? Madam Areva didn't say anything about a baby bear…"

Kara remained silent, focused on the process, her mana guiding the cub's revival. Sora could see that she had access to information they didn't have.

Then, the baby bear opened its eyes fully, now large enough to stand on its own. It gazed at the group, hesitating. For a moment, it seemed unsure whether to attack and avenge its fallen mother or to flee. Its small body tensed, eyes flicking between Kara, who had healed it, and the others who had killed its mother.

There was a long, painful pause.

Finally, as if recognizing Kara's mercy, the baby bear made its choice. It let out a soft growl before turning and bolting toward the far wall. With a powerful swipe of its paw, it shattered the stone, revealing a hidden tunnel.

The barrier around the dungeon shifted, expanding to encompass the new path the bear had created. The tunnel glowed faintly with magic, marking it as the entrance to the hidden section of the dungeon.

Kara, without missing a beat, stood and called to the group. "Let's move. We need to follow it."

The team, still shaken by the scene, picked up the loot from the boss and followed her quickly. Their initial confusion was replaced by a sense of urgency. The hidden section was now open, and with it, the chance to claim the legendary scepter Kara had spoken of.

Sora took one last look at Gergo's remains, then followed the group into the tunnel.

As they descended deeper into the new section of the dungeon, the air grew colder, the walls tighter, and the eerie glow of the dungeon shifted to something darker.