Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Kro Nel stepped into the arena, his dark armor radiating an ominous red and black glow. Confidence radiated from him with every step.

His angular face was framed by two smoothly curved horns, and his red eyes held a cold, calculating gaze that seemed to dissect everything around him.

Sora assessed him carefully, his mind focused. 'He's probably the strongest player I've met in the tower so far. Even if I didn't give him time to act on the 12th floor, I can feel it—his body and energy levels rival mine and Morgan's. Hiyoko and Netsu wouldn't stand a chance against him.'

Deciding not to take any risks, Sora stepped forward, preparing to end the fight himself before Kro Nel could play any trick.

Before the fight began, the demon spoke. "Hello, Ralph Eden. To think someone could reach the first limit with a level so low... Human, you are truly impressive. Yet, despite your immense power, it seems from how you acted earlier that you're still quite clueless about the world."

Sora's eyes narrowed slightly at the unexpected greeting, but he remained on his guard. He had heard players from the Demon Race were notorious for their tricks and clever wordplay.

"Hello, Kro Nel," Sora replied calmly. "It seems you're just as powerful as I am. What is this limit you're referring to?"

The demon smiled at his response and replied, "Every World Update imposes a limit on how strong players can be. You've reached such a limit in all aspects of your power before even hitting level 150... It seems you've awakened an amazing Innate skill and developed great Supreme skills. I'm quite jealous."

Sora looked at him and said, "It seems you've reached such a limit in two aspects as well. But your mental defense appears to be one of your weaknesses."

Kro Nel froze at Sora's words, then smiled and admitted, "To think even my concealing ability is failing me... You must have a supreme skill related to mental power, or perhaps you've upgraded your..." Then, after a pause, he continued, "Forget it. I wanted to propose something to you."

Sora gave a slight nod.

"I can provide information you desperately need," Kro Nel said, his tone low and deliberate.

Sora didn't trust him but felt intrigued. 'It doesn't hurt to hear him out,' he thought. "What kind of information?"

"I can tell you a secret," Kro Nel replied. "But revealing such a secret will result in my death. There's only one place where we can discuss this." He paused, throwing out subtle hints, hoping Sora would read between the lines.

"What do you want in return?" Sora asked, his curiosity piqued, though he refused to proceed without understanding Kro Nel's motives.

"I don't want anything, for now," Kro Nel replied calmly. "As I said, I can't tell you everything without facing consequences worse than what you endured earlier. This will have to wait until after the war. For now, I'll offer you a few hints. Perhaps you've noticed others trying to add you as a friend or earn your favor recently. I'm inviting you into something different. A circle of individuals with… a particular goal."

Sora frowned, his mind working to piece together the coded message. 'Is he hinting at discussing something taboo? Like the body in the 'Soul Palace' or the true nature of the 'game'? Maybe even how to resist the system?' The thought sent a shiver through him. 'I want to know… but I've had enough punishments to last a lifetime.'
Enjoy new tales from empire

"It's common knowledge that demons can't be trusted," Sora said sharply, his tone edged with caution. "Why should I trust you? And why would you share secrets with me of all people?"

Kro Nel's expression didn't waver, his calm demeanor unfazed by Sora's suspicion.

The demon race had a bad reputation, and Sora wasn't about to lower his guard.

"You've probably seen the nature of people during wars, or even inside the trials. Everything isn't black or white. Someone's hero is the devil in someone else's eyes. Don't be so naive as to judge people as good or bad based solely on their race or reputation," Kro Nel said, his tone calm but cold. "It's up to you to decide whether to trust me. And really, what do you have to lose? It's not like I'm stronger than you."

The demon's expression softened,as he shook his head. "I'm simply investing in your future. I want to become your friend. Over the years, I've seen many talented players from all races, but for some reason, I feel like you're the one with the most potential. Others have displayed incredible strength, but you… you went from a total nobody to an absolute monster between the 8th and 12th floors. The five years in the [Alternate Dimension] yielded entirely different results for everyone. And no, I don't think it's just luck. You have something we don't."

Sora remained silent, processing Kro Nel's words. 'Why would an enemy invest in me? Wouldn't my rise in power be a threat to other races?'

Before Sora could ask, Kro Nel spoke again, cutting him off. "In the grand scheme of things, we don't have to be enemies. I'm thinking beyond this war. One day, we'll meet again. When that time comes, seek me out, and I'll tell you everything."

Sora, with dozens of questions swirling in his mind, wanted to interrupt, but the demon never gave him the chance. 'I thought he was aloof and cool, but he's even more talkative than Emily,' Sora mused, amused despite facing an enemy.

"One last thing," Kro Nel said with a grin, "please go easy on my sister, Eloj. She's still fuming about the slap you gave her on the 12th floor. One more slap and she might actually go crazy. Why go for the face when you could've beaten us in literally any other way?"

Sora's face almost blushed from embarrassment, recalling the fight with their team during the previous event. 'So they're siblings... That day, I was surprised they survived my elemental attack. I blinked in front of them and slapped them both right out of the arena. Almost took their heads off.' He smirked slightly at the memory. 'Thinking about it… that was fun.'

Completely unaware of how warped his idea of "fun" had become, Sora nodded and replied, "Sure. Just surrender next time, then."

Kro Nel's grin widened, revealing sharp, terrifying teeth. "You're right. I surrender."

Before Sora could fully process the words, he felt his body dissolving and reappearing outside the arena. His mind raced. 'What the hell? The strongest opponent surrendered without even fighting?'

Still, he couldn't entirely complain about the outcome.

Sora's thoughts turned to the previous conversation. Remembering the purpose of this world—what he'd been told, what the news had reported, he began piecing together Kro Nel's cryptic words.

'It's been clear for years now that only one kingdom can emerge victorious from the World War,' he thought. 'According to Emily, this is exactly why there are no alliances—humans don't want to risk betrayal from supposed allies. There have been attempts to ally with the dwarves, but in the end, the 'vote' was against it. Emily even believes humans might be the strongest kingdom, since we have the most players, with billions of humans "playing" this game. The other kingdoms have fewer players and even fewer civilians...'

Lost in thought, he sifted through the information he had gathered both inside and outside the tower. 'If that's the case, and humanity does win the war… where and when would I meet Kro Nel? Is he hinting at survival despite one of us having to lose the war? Could it mean humanity isn't truly at risk if all of this is just a game?' He frowned, unsure. 'Am I being naive, thinking that?'

'Maybe Kro Nel has a way to survive, no matter the result of the war. This can be a reason for him to look beyond the result of the war. Or he's certain of his kingdom's victory, and thinks I'll survive the war anyway? This is so confusing.'

Shaking his head at the theory, he dismissed the comforting notion. His intuition told him otherwise. These trials, this world—none of it seemed designed to be kind to humanity or the invading races.

Frustrated, he pushed the thoughts aside and refocused on the trial.

Sora made short work of his remaining opponents, claiming first place in his group ahead of Kro Nel, Salim, and a Spirit race player. With his victory, he qualified for the second stage of the tournament.

As he surveyed the waiting room, his eyes scanned the remaining players, searching for familiar faces. When his gaze landed on Kara, a wave of relief washed over him.

'She made it,' he thought, exhaling softly. 'Hopefully, she'll enjoy the rewards of the next few floors.'

But as he focused on her, his heart sank. Kara looked exhausted, her expression weary, her face aged, like that of a middle-aged woman. The sight sent a pang of pain through him. 'She's been pushing her innate ability too hard.'

Her words snapped him out of his daze, and a smile broke across his face as the meaning behind her message sank in.

Through their [Soul Link], Sora felt her exhaustion, but Kara also seemed to sense something strange coming from him.

Feeling the wave of life force she sent his way, Sora's smile softened at her sincere concern and tentative attempt to heal him.