Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level-Chapter 246 - 242: I have a plan
Sora shook his head.
'No, that would be insane. I don't know how I survived my first incursion to Earth, but I doubt I'd slip through the cracks again this time.'
'I'm sure I'm being closely watched while the server is running. Going back to Earth now would be suicide. Actual suicide!!'
'I'm 90% sure it's Nate, but I can't risk everything to try. I need to stop doing dumb things. I will check once I'll be the strongest on Earth. Big bro, you will have to wait for now.'
He gave up on the idea and equipped his [Liar's Mask]. Unsure what alias to use, he settled on the name Arsène Lupin. Satisfied with his disguise, he glanced down at the massive city beneath his feet. Thousands of people were fleeing through various exits, most of them geared up from head to toe, ready to defend themselves against the monsters outside.
Sora quickly assumed that these players were likely the city's less fortunate players and citizens.
'Can they really not afford to teleport to another city? How is it possible so many people can't pay for a teleport scroll?' he wondered.
Seeing players of all levels among the crowd, his surprise turned to disbelief. 'Level 80 players? There's no way they can't afford a scroll…'
Unable to resist, he teleported in front of a couple who had just left the city.
"Yo. Sorry to bother you, but why is everyone fleeing Paris on foot?" he asked them.
Startled by the sudden appearance of a "level 100" player seemingly out of nowhere, the couple reacted the same way—jumping back several meters and drawing their weapons.
Realizing his hands were raised in peace and that the stranger, who had the name Arsène Lupin above his head, meant no harm, the young man exclaimed, "You scared the crap out of us! Don't you know we're on edge right now? Popping out of nowhere's not a great idea!"
The girl caught her breath and added, "Paris is done for. It's no longer one of the protected cities during wartime. Same goes for Seoul, London, and two distant cities I don't remember the names of. Everyone from those five cities and elsewhere is flooding into the remaining twenty-five… And since those cities banned teleportation scroll entries temporarily, we have to walk."
Sora hadn't heard about those restrictions on scrolls.
'Not like I need them anyway,' he thought to himself.
"Why not buy a scroll to a neighboring city then? Any city near your destination should work, right?"
The young man shook his head. "Doesn't matter which city. As soon as scrolls go up for auction, they vanish. With the reaction time of high-level players, there's no chance of winning one… We've tried for hours already. Running or flying there is faster."
Sora quickly understood the issue and asked, "Where are you heading? I can send you there as a thank-you."
The couple looked thrown off by the offer. They exchanged a long look, and Sora sighed, realizing they didn't trust him.
He opened three portals in front of them and said, "These lead to Moscow, Istanbul, and Cairo. They'll stay active for at least twenty-four hours. Spread the word to anyone who's interested. It's up to you."
Each portal was massive, wide enough to let a hundred people through at once. The spectacle drew the attention of hundreds of passersby who quickly approached. They didn't even need to ask what the portals were for.
Above each portal, glowing letters displayed:
MOSCOW
CAIRO
ISTANBUL
Sora pretended not to notice the disbelief on their faces and vanished just as suddenly as he'd appeared. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
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Walking into Paris, Sora observed its transformation with a sharp eye. Paris had once been one of humanity's thirty great refuges, and Sora quickly noticed the thousands of towers in the city's periphery.
'They didn't go for hidden dimensions here... In Paris, they went all in on masonry, reinforced with spatial magic. Reminds me of [ARAM]'s old headquarters in Seoul. Each building looks like it has thousands of floors only thirty centimeters high… but looking closer, each floor is actually about three meters tall, just like traditional Parisian apartments.'
'So that's how Paris managed to house millions of Europeans,' he realized.
He couldn't help but exclaim, "God, that's ugly… Seems like some people never learn. Didn't France get tired of those old housing projects? It's ruining the beauty of Paris."
Reaching the heart of the city, Sora landed in front of the Adventurers' Guild. Though the vast majority of people were fleeing the city, a handful of players, like him, were heading in. He pushed open the doors of the guild and walked up to the front desk.
Around him, a dozen groups were scattered across the hall, drinking, eating, and talking about the future of their city and their nation.
"You heard the news, Céliane? The Five Races launched wars on every front. That makes what, fifty tier 3 and 4 wars we've got on our hands? Where are we gonna find enough people for that many battles at once?" a man in his thirties asked a young woman who had just joined him at the table.
She grabbed the bottle from his hand and poured herself a drink. "That's not what worries me, honestly. There's a tier 2 war in London starting tomorrow… and when we get sent to these so-called 'minor' conflicts, there won't be any high-level people to help us this time. Some fronts will get all the priority."
The man sighed. "You think they're going to throw us into the meat grinder, huh? Send us off to battles where the elites won't even show up?"
She nodded. "Pretty much guaranteed. We signed up to fight, so we'll go to the frontlines. But it'll be Russian roulette. If we're lucky, we'll be on a battlefield that has many elites. If we're unlucky, we'll be with the worst teammates ever. Since we're average players, we'll be in a war where we can't make any real difference."
At another table, Sora overheard two high-level players speaking quietly. "What do you think of the ones who went upstairs so far? Word is, the big bosses are picking the high-ranking officers of the New European Union region from among them."
His friend, a level 150 player, grinned. "Five level 180+ players have gone up already. We'll have to cozy up to whoever ranks highest if we want a shot at a tier 3 war instead of tier 2. No way I'm going to fight level 180 monsters in London."
Sora frowned. 'News spreads fast, huh.'
Noticing the lack of response at the front desk, he went straight upstairs to meet with the guild master.
Two players in military uniforms stood guard in the hallway upstairs. When they noticed his name and level, they shook their heads.
"Access is restricted today. If you have any specific requests that requires the guild master's attention, please come back tomorrow," one of them said politely.
Knowing the people downstairs couldn't see him anymore, Sora removed his mask. The information floating above his head updated instantly:
[Sora Hashino – Level 225]
The two guards stared at him in stunned silence. Sora waved his hand in front of their wide eyes and asked, "Can I go in now? I was invited, so I rang the bell downstairs but there was no one at the desk!"
They immediately stepped aside, parting like the Red Sea.
"Our apologies, sir!" they said, showing a door in the hallway. Sora couldn't help but enjoy the special treatment, taking a few steps before reaching the door to the Paris guild master's office.
He knocked, and the door opened a few moments later. Behind it, Sora recognized three familiar faces.
[Richard Dosse – Level 182]
Sora smiled upon seeing his friend and former vice-captain during the war in Sweden. Richard had spent quite some time training alongside Sora in the Alpha Division. Seeing how far he'd come, Sora couldn't help but feel happy for his friend.
[Amélie Aubespin – Level 170]
Amélie was a friend of Kara's and also a member of the Alpha Division. She had been trained by Sora before the system update. Her impressive level showed she hadn't wasted a single opportunity, having worked hard to close the gap between herself and the elite players.
[Jérôme Figaro – Level 180]
Sora had met the man known as "The Admiral" before, but he didn't know much about him. He only knew that he'd been leading France for a few years now.
"Hello, everyone… I hope I'm not too late. I'm Sora Hashino, and I'm here to apply for the position of Supreme Commander of the European forces," Sora introduced himself casually. Giving a quick wave to the room, he walked toward Admiral Figaro, who looked surprised by both his arrival and his statement. Everyone in the room knew who the man was. To say they were shocked would've been an understatement. But his words hit like a bomb.
"Supreme Commander?! The streamer, the GOAT, Sora Hashino wants to lead official wars?!" someone at the back blurted out, unable to contain their voice.
"Compose yourselves back there," Admiral Figaro cut in sharply, sensing the excitement and tension in the room.
Extending his hand to Sora, he added, "I wasn't expecting you to actually show up after the invitation. Having you here is an honor. But as for the role of Supreme Commander... I fear it might be too boring for someone of your caliber. Your army is only eligible for tier 1 wars, after all."
Sora shook his hand and smiled. "Don't worry. Trust me."
Then pointing at his head, he added, "I have a plan!"
