Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Kara placed her hands on Sora and Emily, enveloping the group in the effects of [Time Acceleration].

This time, she controlled the skill's intensity carefully, accelerating their movements only a dozen times faster rather than a thousandfold, as she had in the previous battle. The measured use of her skill allowed her to conserve her dwindling life energy while still giving Sora and Emily a significant edge.

Leaving Kara near the storm to recover, the two human players launched their attack on the approaching group simultaneously. Knowing she wasn't back to her full strength yet, Emily left two clones behind to guard Kara, ensuring no one would reach her unnoticed.

Netsu, the Time Dragon and Emily's Blood Fox appeared as well, engaging the opposing familiars.

Using [Blink], Sora appeared directly in front of a demon from the Fox group, eager to test his [Elemental Nexus].

The energy pulsed in his hand, exuding an ominous glow. As Sora struck, the nexus obliterated every inch of flesh it touched. The demon barely had time to register the attack before half of his stomach vanished, and Sora's hand drove through his chest as if slicing through air.

The lack of resistance was almost unsettling, and Sora felt a strange awkwardness as his hand fully traversed the demon's body, forcing him to retract it the same way it had entered.

As he pulled back, he observed in fascination as the destruction didn't stop at the gaping hole in his opponent's chest. Instead, the damage spread outward, freezing some parts of the body, incinerating others, and sending a violent electric current through the lifeless body. The combined forces of the [Elemental Nexus] consumed the demon entirely, leaving behind little more than dissolving particles.

Sora stared at the [Elemental Nexus] in his hand, astonished that it remained even after causing such destruction, only losing a portion of its volume. It still pulsed, ready for more.

Turning his attention to the next target, Sora focused on the Fox players, efficiently eliminating four more demons. Each strike of the [Elemental Nexus] was enough to take down an opponent. By the time he faced the fifth player, however, the energy finally dissipated, leaving his hand empty.

'This has incredible potential,' he thought, a surge of excitement rising within him. 'If I can master this and integrate it into my fighting style, my power will reach a whole new level.'

As he prepared to engage the remaining demons, he noticed the last three Viper players attempting to retreat. Emily, who seemed unbothered by their escape, glanced briefly at Sora before shrugging.

"They're not worth chasing," she said casually.

Sora, who was bound by the rules preventing him from attacking his own group's members, ignored them as well.

Kara removed their [Time Acceleration] effect. The sluggish movements of the demons instantly shifted to high-speed escapes as the world around them returned to normal.

Emily remarked, "The event should be over soon. We'll probably qualify in a few minutes."

Sora frowned at her words, rebuking her, "Don't jinx it! Please."

Kara and Emily exchanged amused smiles at his cautious reaction, brushing it off. "Don't worry," Emily teased, "as long as a group of Fox players doesn't surround you, you should be fine." Her words sent an chill down his spine.

'What if that really happens? What if I die… and then get spawn-killed? It's not impossible.' The unsettling thought crept in before he could push it away.

"Just so you know," Emily added, breaking his train of thought, "while we were waiting for you to 'train' in the storm, we both received a notification warning us not to stay idle. A yellow flare went up from our position, and those demons arrived a few seconds later. We should keep moving." She turned and began heading in one direction without waiting for his answer.

Sora followed her lead, a puzzled look on his face. "Why didn't I get the notification?"

Kara glanced at him. "Maybe because you were inside the storm?"

After a minute, Emily frowned slightly, as if sensing something. "There's a group of humans ahead. Also, one of my clones was just killed behind us—a group of players reached our previous position, but I managed to injure a few of them," she reported, her clones continuing to scout as they traveled.

"Let's join up with the humans ahead, then," Sora suggested. Kara and Emily nodded in agreement, and the trio quickly made their way toward the group of 25 human players.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

As they approached, Sora was momentarily taken aback by the sight in front of him. Twelve of the players wore uniforms, instantly recognizable. 'So many Chinese region players survived, it's incredible…'

When they had formed their coalition of 35 players, none were from this region—a notable absence, given the global reputation of Chinese players as some of the strongest talents. It seemed they had formed another coalition and managed to survive this far.

The rest of their group was a diverse mix, including players from African regions, other parts of Asia, and even some faces Sora recognized from earlier in the trial.

Pushing aside his thoughts, Sora followed Emily as she approached the group with her usual confidence. Flashing a smile and offering a wave, Emily greeted them.

"It's nice to meet everyone! Looks like the Ascension's trials haven't slowed you down one bit," she said, her tone friendly. "We'd love to have allies as skilled as you for what's ahead. How about joining forces? We're aiming to clear as many floors as possible, and combining our strengths on PVP floors, could take us all further."

One of the Chinese players, eyeing her carefully, nodded in understanding. "Our objective is the same. Even if this trial is ending soon, facing what lies ahead with more strength makes sense. Welcome to our group," he replied as though speaking for everyone present.

Emily extended her hand, sealing the alliance with a firm shake. "Perfect. I'm Emily from the Korean Region. Kara and Ralph, behind me, are from West Europe and are part of my guild."

Sora and Kara offered polite nods to the group, and the man who had introduced himself returned the gesture. "My name is Liang," he said, "and I lead the Chinese group of this coalition."

Liang turned, gesturing toward the others standing with his team. "We're joined by allies from several regions," he continued. "Here is Adebayo and his team from the Nigerian region. They've been our most reliable allies in this event." Adebayo stepped forward with a broad grin, shaking hands with Sora and giving Kara and Emily small nods.

"It seems we've met before… You've grown, kid," Adebayo said, his grip firm as he shook Sora's hand. The light of recognition flickered in Sora's eyes—this was the same man he had met in Nara just before entering the tower. Back then, Adebayo's bloodlust had sent chills down his spine. Sora tensed at the man's unusual teasing.

Liang, noticing the strange tension, changed focus quickly. Gesturing toward another group, he introduced them. "These are players from Southeast Asia, led by Rahim from Indonesia, and Salim's team from North Africa. You're welcome to stay with us for this trial, and we can support each other when we reach the 12th floor."

Salim, standing with his arms crossed, glanced past Sora's group, his sharp eyes narrowing. "A group of players is approaching from behind," he said calmly. "Thirteen players, mixed races and teams. They'll be here in about seven seconds."

Sora was impressed by the level of detail in Salim's report. 'His sensing abilities are on another level. Reminds me of Pedro's skill… Having someone like that is essential in this trial.' He made a mental note to develop a similar ability for their travels.

The coalition moved immediately, each player moving into position rapidly. Without a single word spoken, they set up an ambush. Many of them disappeared from sight entirely.

As the approaching players drew nearer, Sora, Emily, and Kara prepared for a fight, but Salim held up a hand. "Just watch," he said quietly. "We don't know your strength yet. There's no need for you to intervene."

Understanding the request, Sora nodded, stepping back with the others. He was curious to see how this coalition operated.

The enemy players appeared seconds later, their regret evident when they spotted the waiting coalition. Realizing they were outmatched, they attempted to flee, but it was too late. Members of Liang's group emerged from the shadows, ambushing the opponents from behind. Sora noticed that Liang had cloaked his allies in a field of darkness, concealing them perfectly.

Another player cast a field spell that disrupted the opponents' abilities, blocking their skills while leaving the Viper team members unaffected. Meanwhile, an earth manipulator summoned moving walls that split the enemy group into three isolated teams, scattering their forces and leaving them vulnerable.

Meanwhile, another coalition member summoned moving walls of earth that skillfully separated the enemy players by their teams, isolating them into three distinct groups and pushing them farther apart, disrupting their cohesion.

Sora's eyes widened as he watched the coordinated assault unfold. 'They don't rely on overwhelming might, but push their synergy and teamwork to the limit instead. This is on a completely different level from our previous alliance that relied on items and brute force…'

One coalition member summoned thick vines that erupted from the ground, binding the legs and arms of several Chicken players, immobilizing them. Chains of glowing metal followed, binding them even tighter. In another section, a gravity field pressed down on a group of Fox players, pinning them to the ground under crushing force.

Each skill flowed seamlessly into the next, layering restraints and preventing any counterattacks. The coalition's damage dealers then unleashed a torrent of spells and attacks, rapidly depleting the enemy players' health.

The entire ambush was a masterclass in control, power, and timing. Each ability was perfectly synchronized, amplifying the effects of the previous one. The result was complete devastation, leaving the enemy players helpless.

As the last of the enemies fell, a notification flashed before everyone, announcing the end of the trial.

Shields materialized around each player, forming protective barriers that blocked any attacks.