LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 5 : Plans
His mind buzzed with possibilities. Prestige.
It had been both his salvation and his new mystery. The ability to reset his progress and retain a multiplier for his experience was undoubtedly powerful. However, the skill's description had been vague. He didn't know how far this advantage could go. Was there a cap? Could he truly keep resetting and growing infinitely? There had to be a catch, but for now, Sora needed to focus on what he could control.
As he reviewed the situation, he began to break down his thoughts. His ultimate goal was to become strong enough to never be betrayed again. Rachel had shown him the depth of betrayal, and now, with his skill, he had a chance to rewrite everything. But this time, he wouldn't rush blindly into things. He would be smart, cautious, and strategic.
He exhaled deeply, then looked up at the sky. "What do I need to do next?"
He remembered the skill description:
[Innate Skill: Prestige]
[Description: The ability to reset your training and experiences upon death or by choice after reaching Level 50. When activated, all levels and skills revert to zero, allowing for a fresh start. However, every reset comes with certain conditions:
Death Activation: Upon dying, the Prestige skill will prompt you with the option to reset your character, effectively beginning anew. Cooldown: 30 days
Manual Activation: Alternatively, you can choose to activate this skill voluntarily upon reaching Level 50. No cooldown.]
The first thing that crossed his mind was the potential of the Prestige skill.
If he could exploit the experience multiplier, he might be able to become stronger faster than ever before. But how could he maximize it? His past knowledge of leveling was crucial here.
He remembered how certain zones offered an experience boost, often due to environmental factors or special quests. He would need to seek out such areas, but first, he had to reach a high enough level to survive them. The key was abusing the manual activation of his skill.
Sora thought back to his days as a level 49 swordsman. Five years. That's how long it had taken him to reach his former strength.
Now, with his experience, knowledge, and the Prestige boost, he calculated he could cut that time down drastically. Maybe even one year. He didn't need to play it safe anymore, like he had in his former life. No more slow grinds or hesitations.
"Reaching level 50 in a month would be ideal," Sora muttered to himself. "If I can keep resetting after hitting level 50, I could keep the multiplier effect going... potentially indefinitely."
That meant as long as the time it took to hit level 50 was less than a month, he could endlessly reset.
And to hit level 50 in a month… he would probably need the +10 level bonus experience.
The higher the difference in level between a player and a monster, the higher the bonus experience. However, the larger the level difference, the greater the suppression in terms of power. A monster 10 levels higher than a player was usually 20 times stronger.With level suppression on top of that, a x32 multiplier seemed necessary.
That meant resetting four more times. He couldn't wait years to reset by slowly grinding his way back up to level 50.
He would have to die at the end of every cooldown period for his innate skill. It would take around four months to reach that multiplier, but he wouldn't stay idle during that time.
That was the core of his strategy: find opportunities during those four months, reset every month, and do it all over again. If there was no cap on the multiplier, he would eventually outclass everyone. He could rise through the ranks so quickly that no one would be able to stop him. His determination surged as he clenched his fist.
Still, there were lingering questions. How long would this double experience last? He assumed the effect would diminish or cap at his previous highest level—level 49—but he wasn't sure. If the multiplier lasted until level 100, it would be incredibly overpowered. Sora chuckled, imagining himself leveling up at lightning speed, grinding his way to near-absolute power.
But until he tested it, he couldn't rely on assumptions.
He shifted his focus back to his immediate tasks.
Step one: Reach level 10. Once he hit level 10, more options would open up. He would be able to equip better weapons, unlock mana, and truly start his adventure. He'd be strong enough to travel, take on quests, and figure out where he was in this new world. Being reborn through Prestige meant he had no equipment and no allies. He needed to get his bearings and understand his surroundings.
Step two: Find his way back home. He needed to keep an eye on his family. Though he had abandoned his previous identity, part of him couldn't help but wonder how they were doing. Were they safe? Would they even know he was gone? He wasn't ready to reveal himself yet, but watching from afar would give him peace of mind as he planned his next moves. Dying while Death Activation was on cooldown would likely mean true death, so it wasn't worth risking four months in the wild. Instead, he'd spend that time seeking quests and opportunities with special rewards. He would map out farming zones and plan for his insane grinding sessions, aligning them with his future strength.
Step three: After the four months were up, he would target key locations that offered faster experience gains. With his knowledge of high-level zones and quests, he could tackle challenges beyond his level, maximizing experience gains by fighting stronger enemies. Of course, only if he could survive those battles.
Sora stood up, brushing dust off his clothes. His immediate goal was to reach level 10 as fast as possible. He scanned the area, searching for anything that might help him identify where he was. Based on the low-level creatures he had encountered earlier, he knew he was in a beginner zone. But where exactly? None of the landmarks looked familiar.
"I need to get my bearings," Sora thought, squinting toward the horizon. If he could find a town or village, it might help him figure out which part of the New World Kingdom he had ended up in.
The New World Kingdom was massive, and getting lost without a point of reference was easy.
He began walking eastward, where the terrain seemed to rise into a small hill. From there, he might get a better view of the landscape. Along the way, he encountered more low-level creatures—small, vicious beasts that hardly posed a challenge but were useful for gaining experience.
They weren't good enough to test his strength, but anything above level 3 was decent for XP.
Drawing the Fiendish Fang from his inventory, Sora lunged at a small group of spined rats. His Critical Strike connected with lethal precision, felling the first rat instantly. The others scattered in fear, but Sora pursued them, his movements sharp and efficient. It was a far cry from the clumsy struggles of his early days years ago, when even a rat posed a real threat. Now, backed by his experience, each fight felt natural.
The battle ended quickly, and Sora felt a small surge of experience flow into him. It's not much, but it's something, he thought as he sheathed the Fang. He knew these low-level battles wouldn't sustain his rapid growth, but they were necessary stepping stones toward bigger challenges. He kept moving, searching for more prey.
By the end of the day, Sora had reached level 9. The low-level beasts were abundant, making it easy to grind. However, he realized it would take four to five more hours of killing level 9 creatures to hit level 10, and the bonus XP had dwindled. He stopped hunting them.
I need to find a slightly higher-level zone, a low-level boss, or a village, Sora thought.
His mind wandered back to the shadowy figure who had spoken to him earlier. Their cryptic words echoed in his head, warning of greater challenges ahead. How long did he have to prepare? He couldn't waste time like this on every reset. He needed to optimize his efforts and improve with each Prestige.
By the time Sora reached the top of the hill, the sun had dipped low, casting long shadows across the land. From his vantage point, he finally saw it—a small village nestled in the distance. Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, and flickering lanterns illuminated the quiet settlement.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Sora's lips. Step one wasn't complete—he was still only level 9—but a village was a good enough find. He knew where he needed to go.
As he descended the hill, regretful that he hadn't killed more creatures, Sora steeled himself for what was to come. This was only the beginning. There would be time to grind on his way out of the village.
Seeing this village, Sora thought of how it all began...
The world in which Sora now lives is a strange and brutal fusion of reality and game mechanics, brought about by a mysterious event known as "The Awakening."
In 2044, strange dungeons began to appear in the most densely populated cities across Earth. The event was followed by two weeks of relentless rain and a global fever, after which people discovered they had gained abilities, skills, and status panels, similar to those seen in RPGs.
This wasn't the world humanity had known, but a hybrid realm where the lines between reality and fantasy blurred. Over time, it became clear that Earth was no longer the same, and every individual had to adapt to survive.
The dungeons that appeared harbored monsters, treasure, and danger. It was soon discovered that killing creatures inside these dungeons granted experience points, which players (as people began to call themselves) could use to level up and grow stronger.
Not only players, but animals and monsters, too, experienced this evolution, and soon governments established rules and control over how the leveling and dungeon systems worked. At first, it seemed like a way for people to grow stronger and improve their lives, but the illusion of progress quickly gave way to chaos.
As different nations vied for control over the most powerful resources and dungeons, a new kind of war erupted. Monsters from the dungeons began spilling out, terrorizing cities, while the appearance of portals to other dimensions introduced alien creatures to the battlefield. These races, each with their own kingdoms, came with the intent of colonizing Earth. Some attempted to negotiate, while others waged war. Humans soon realized they were just one of many races battling for supremacy in this new, hostile world.
After the highest-level player, Roméo aka XGAMER170, reached level 50, something unprecedented happened—something that would shake the foundation of reality for every living person on Earth. As soon as he hit the milestone, a notification appeared on everyone's panel, and the world itself seemed to hold its breath. What followed was a massive three-day update, one that left humanity stunned and scrambling for answers.
[Global System Notification:
Congratulations, Players of Earth!
The First Milestone has been reached. Earth has officially become a Level 1 Realm.
The update will now commence. During this time, all activities will be suspended.]
Back then, Sora didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that notification. As the three-day update unfolded, the Earth was reshaped, both geographically and politically.
Earth was divided into ten kingdoms. The first nine were controlled by the invading races, each with their unique cultures, powers, and territories. These races were diverse, ranging from beast-like creatures to sentient magical beings, each carving out their territory on Earth. The tenth kingdom was humanity's, the largest in terms of land but fragmented by the chaos of the invasion and internal conflict. Players of all kinds fought to gain control over resources, grow stronger, and defend their race. Cities became strongholds, and alliances shifted as quickly as the tides of battle. Human's kingdom's was called the New World Kingdom.
Sora, having just experienced his first Prestige reset, finds himself in one of these kingdoms—though it seemed like the New World Kingdom. His world is ruled by the logic of leveling up, gaining skills, and navigating through quests. Zones are divided by difficulty levels, with low-level creatures wandering the outskirts of settlements, and high-level monsters lurking in dangerous dungeons and forests. Special quests, high-risk dungeons, and world events are the key to rapid growth, but they come with deadly risks.
In this transformed Earth, power is everything. Players are constantly battling not just monsters but also each other. Betrayal, alliances, and survival are the order of the day. For Sora, it's no longer just about leveling up—it's about taking control of his destiny, growing strong enough to protect himself and his family, and finding a way to not just survive but thrive in this ruthless, unforgiving new world.