After a few hours of consistent grinding, Sora unlocked [Mana Shield], providing him with his first real layer of protection.
[Mana Shield (Level 1)]
[Description: Creates a barrier made of mana around the user. The strength of the magic shield is proportional to the mana used to create it.]
[Warning: Maintaining the shield consumes mana.]
Sora activated the skill the moment it appeared in his interface. He immediately felt a steady stream of mana venting from his body to form a protective bubble. To the naked eye, it was nearly invisible, but through Sora's eyes—which could see the flow of mana itself—it looked like he was encased in a blue sphere. Almost as if the energy sensed his discomfort with the visual obstruction, the mana quickly adapted, becoming completely translucent.
'What the hell?' he wondered, tilting his head as he watched the mana become transparent. 'Is this an effect of [Mana Evolution]? Does the mana naturally accommodate my needs, or is it adapting to my intent?'
He pushed the mystery aside for the moment, deciding not to waste time guessing which part of his supreme skill was responsible. He turned his focus back to the new skill. First, he noted that as long as he wasn't taking direct hits, the mana drain was negligible—at least for him.
"I could keep this up forever," he whispered.
Thanks to his observation, the logic of the skill clicked into place quickly. It used a portion of his reserves to manifest the layer, but the shield naturally "leaked" energy into the environment, necessitating a constant feed to keep it stable.
Experimenting further, he began pouring a massive amount of mana into the barrier. Just as he suspected, a second layer of protection crystallized over the first.
'Wait a minute. With my mana reserves, won't I basically be invincible?' His delusions of godhood faded quickly when he tried to stack more layers. He couldn't stack the skill more than five times.
'It was worth a shot...' he thought.
Still, with [Mana Shield], Sora finally had a dedicated defensive technique. He had never been able to replicate the heavy defensive parries of the standard Swordsman class, so discovering a skill that provided protection without requiring his full attention in the heat of battle was a massive win.
'I could even use this to protect allies. If I ever have any...' A small smile played on his lips at the thought.
Content with his new acquisition, he took a mental inventory of his kit. 'I can amplify my attacks, gain bonus damage if I'm in a party, and shield myself from hits as long as I have mana. Combined with my own base skills, I'm not far from being completely self-sufficient. I just need a bit of healing, and this class will officially turn me into a war machine.'
The following day, Sora pushed deeper into the zone, gaining several levels and a new skill: [Speed Surge]. It was a mana-intensive buff that promised a massive boost to both movement and attack speed.
[Speed Surge (Level 1)]
[Description: Increases movement and attack speed for one minute.]
When Sora triggered it, it felt as though lightning had replaced his blood. His body moved at a frightening speed—a pace his brain struggled to track at first. Drawing on his experience as a former Level 49 player, he focused and regained control over his body.
His strikes became faster, less predictable, and far more lethal. But just as his smile began to widen at the performance of the buff, he felt something strange. He was slowing down.
He checked the buff timer immediately. '21 seconds left? Why am I slower?' Within moments, he was panting, barely able to keep his feet. His speed plummeted until he was moving even slower than he had been before activating the skill. It didn't take long for the analytical side of his brain to find the culprit.
'My body is giving out... I'm out of stamina.' Sora realized, panting heavily as the buff flickered and died. 'Even if I can keep [Speed Surge] fueled with mana, if I burn through all my endurance, I'm a sitting duck.'
For the first time since unlocking [Mana Evolution], Sora collapsed from pure exhaustion.
'I have to find a way to regenerate stamina if I want to keep this in my rotation of skills...' An unbearable hunger gnawed at his stomach, paired with a desperate need for sleep. He pulled a ration from his inventory to solve the first problem and settled in for a nap to fix the second.
When he resumed the grind, he was much more careful. He used his physical endurance sparingly, treating it as a finite resource while his mana remained infinite. By the time his class reached Level 25, he unlocked one of the most vital tools in an Amplifier's kit: [Mana Cascade].
Sora read the prompt with a skeptical eye.
[Mana Cascade (Level 1)]
Description: Increases the target's mana regeneration rate for a short period. Can be applied to allies or oneself.
For most players, [Mana Cascade] was a lifesaver. Without high-tier regeneration, most Amplifiers burned through their pools in minutes. This skill allowed them to stay in the fight without the constant fear of "running dry."
But for Sora, the skill felt like overkill. With the [Loved by Mana] effect, his regeneration was already unmatched. Adding [Mana Cascade] felt redundant. Still, out of pure curiosity, he activated it. He waited for the familiar rush of energy or a change in his mana flow, but nothing happened.
"Is it broken?" he muttered, toggling the skill off and on again. "Why isn't it working?"
He activated [Mana Eyes] and peered into his own dantian. Only then did the reality of the situation become clear.
"It's active, but it's not doing a thing..." he noted after a moment of observation. "I guess [Loved by Mana] can't be modified by lower-tier skills."
He surmised that [Mana Cascade] simply couldn't stack with the supreme effects of his evolution. The power provided by [Mana Evolution] was so far beyond the scope of a standard Level 1 skill that the system just ignored the lesser buff.
"A shame," he shrugged, "but I don't really care. I've got more than enough mana as it is."
For any other player, [Mana Cascade] would be a game-changer. For Sora, it was just another skill he'd likely never touch.
He put the new skill out of his mind and dove back into the grind. Because his class couldn't benefit from the XP-bonus gear he was wearing, it continued to lag behind his character level. By the end of the week, Sora had reached Level 34, while his [Mana Amplifier] class only reached Level 29.
He had spent the last several days meticulously honing every ability, experimenting with combos, and testing the absolute limits of his new role. Through constant use, his skills had leveled up rapidly, growing more efficient and more powerful with every kill.
Sora's mastery over [Amplify] had reached the point where the delay after activation was non-existent. The mana cost to trigger it continued to drop as the skill level rose, making it even more efficient. To Sora, this was easily the most fascinating tool in his kit.
'This skill interacts with my pure mana to double my sword's output... How is that even possible?'
Despite the lackluster damage of [Echo Strike], Sora had forced himself to use it constantly, hoping to refine the logic behind it for a future evolution. After nearly a week grinding, he had pushed it to Level 5. At this rank, the skill provided a 30% damage bonus per buffed ally.
'It's still my weakest attack,' he noted. 'But maybe one day I'll find a way to tap into its full potential.'
Thinking about [Mana Shield] brought a smile to his face. It was the technique he had prioritized above all others, and for a simple reason: his massive mana pool allowed him to keep it active indefinitely. It had transformed into a passive barrier capable of soaking up devastating hits. At Level 15, the maintenance cost was so low Sora couldn't even feel the drain. A single activation kept the sphere active for days. To even gain experience for it, he often had to stand still and let monsters bash against the barrier just to deplete the energy enough for a refresh.
His relationship with [Speed Surge] was more complicated. While he loved the intoxicating rush of velocity that grew more intense with every level, he hated the inevitable crash that left him gasping for air in under a minute.
'At least I can manually deactivate it now...' Sora shook his head.
Then there was his final skill. He sighed just thinking about it. Leveling [Mana Cascade] was an exercise in frustration. Because the buff didn't actually affect his already maxed-out regeneration, he couldn't perceive the progression at all. He constantly questioned if the effort was even worth it. The only reason he insisted on using it was in order to have it ready for allies, in times of need.
The synergy between [Amplify], [Mana Shield], and [Speed Surge] had turned Sora into a near-unstoppable force. He could now ram into high-level monsters, injuring them through momentum without even using his perfected techniques. Though a portion of the class's potential was wasted in solo play, the buffs provided him with terrifying combat capabilities.
'It's alright. I'm satisfied enough with what I've got,' he thought, checking to see if even a drop of monster blood had managed to penetrate his [Mana Shield].
Sora wanted to stay and max out his class tree, but after seven days in the wilds, he was officially out of potions and rations.
'[Speed Surge] is going to kill me before a monster does...' He sighed, remembering the dozens of times he'd collapsed from exhaustion in the middle of a field.
'Time to head back to Córdoba.' He scooped up the remaining loot from the dead beast at his feet.
Gazing toward the distant city, Sora began weighing his next move. Should he return to France, the home of his previous life? Or should he focus on accumulating more wealth to secure higher-tier gear? He felt strong enough to travel, and he was genuinely curious to see how much time he had shaved off his initial timeline.
'My progress is moving so much faster than I anticipated. It's like I've already used [Prestige] several times over.' The thought of his innate skill sparked a rush of excitement. 'I can't wait for the next reset!'
'If I do reset, will I appear in that same cavern again?' he wondered. There were still so many unanswered questions about his abilities.
Dismissing the thoughts for the moment, he broke into a sprint toward Córdoba. The city appeared on the horizon in record time. Before crossing the gates, he pulled up his status to review his growth.
[Status Update]
Profile: Ralph Eden (Sora Hashino)
Status: Alive (Prestige 1)
Talent Level: 2
Growth Factor: 2
Class: Mana Amplifier (Class Level 29, Player Level 34)
Body Level: 440,340
Energy Level: 802,030
Innate Skill: [Prestige]
Supreme Skills: [Mana Evolution]
Skills: (...)
Class Skills:
Amplify (Level 8) Echo Strike (Level 5) Mana Shield (Level 15) Speed Surge (Level 6) Mana Cascade (Level 3)
Sora glanced at the list and let out another sigh. Many of his self-made skills didn't even register with levels, while the basic skills were becoming increasingly obsolete. He focused on the raw numbers instead.
'I've already cleared 800k in Energy Level... that's enough to take down an average Level 40 player.' He smiled. 'A standard player at my level should be around a hundred thousand, and I'm sitting at eight times that. I still don't fully understand how it's scaling this high.'
He knew the imbalance between his Body Level and his Energy Level was a direct result of [Mana Evolution], but he thought his Body Level was higher than it should be.
"[Prestige] was supposed to make me twice as strong as the competition... but with these mana changes and this class, I'm way past that point," he murmured, intrigued by the absurdity of his own stats.
He shrugged it off. Obsessing over the numbers was pointless. He passed through the gates of Córdoba and made a beeline for the Auction House. A week of hunting had filled his inventory with a massive amount of items, and he had no intention of letting them sit idle.
Before speaking to the clerks, he sorted through the pile, pulling out specific crafting materials and gear that might be useful for his future lives.
'Anything that helps my professions or carries over goes to the bank.' Sora isolated the items he needed and dumped the rest onto an Auction House stall. When the final appraisal for the bulk sale popped up, he couldn't help but crack a smile.
[Estimated Value (Total): 1,023,010 gold]
'My first million!'
Investing in that 100,000-gold spatial bag had been the ultimate quality-of-life upgrade. It allowed him to stop agonizing over what to scrap and what to keep. For an entire week, Sora had simply vacuumed up everything in his path, and seeing the total value of his labor was deeply satisfying.
When the clerk finalized the transfer, a window chimed in his vision.
[Payment Received: 651,200 gold]
The amount included an advance for his recent loot plus the payouts from the items he'd listed the week prior. With his budget officially overflowing, he didn't hesitate to purchase a high-tier Level 40 equipment set before leaving the Auction House. Even after dropping over 400,000 gold on the gear, he still had more than half a million in his pocket thanks to the gold he'd looted from monsters.
Flush with cash, he headed toward the Job Hall to push his [HR Assistant] rank. The moment Riley spotted him, she rushed over and pressed thirty tokens into his hand.
"Ralph! You're all anyone has been talking about for the last week! They couldn't mention you by name, obviously, but the rumors are everywhere. I've already had ten other companies reaching out specifically for your services!"
"Seriously?" Sora felt a mix of amusement and annoyance. 'So much for a confidentiality clause... What a bunch of amateurs.'
When Riley nodded emphatically, he asked, "Why the sudden spike in interest?"
Riley scratched her temple, looking uncharacteristically shy. "Usually, this kind of efficiency only happens when a high-level mage passes through town. They're so much faster than the beginners who typically take this job. But since those mages are rare, they charge an absolute fortune for their time..."
Sora's brow furrowed. "So I'm just high-tier labor at a discount? Seriously?!"
Riley quickly held up a new contract proposal. "But look! I negotiated a new rate for you... It's way above the market average!"
Sora blinked as he read the figure on the parchment: 120 gold per contract. He looked up and offered a genuine smile. "I owe you one for this."
He accepted the thirty contracts and made his way to the office of Aria, his first client. She was already waiting by the entrance, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Mr. Eden! You left without a word last time. I'm so glad to see you back!" She greeted him warmly and ushered him inside.
Sora nodded, following her in. "You have work for me?"
Aria nodded. "Before you arrived, we were turning down a lot of business because we couldn't meet the deadlines. Córdoba is a beautiful city, but the pace isn't as fast as the major hubs. But once Riley told us you were returning, we prepared a massive backlog."
Sora froze. "You prepared work? How much work... exactly?"
Aria held up five fingers.
"Five hundred contracts?!" Sora exclaimed, caught off guard. When she nodded, he pressed for clarification. "Is that just for your agency, or everyone combined?"
Aria gave a sheepish smile. "Five hundred just for us... and more elsewhere. You've become a bit of a star in our circles! We don't know when we'll get the chance to work with someone as talented as you again. And judging by how much your level has jumped, you aren't going to stay in Córdoba much longer..."
Sora let out a long sigh. He had been trying to remain anonymous, but he had failed spectacularly.
'Good thing this is a fake identity.' He sent a silent prayer of thanks to the system. '[Prestige], thank you for the cover. You're saving me a lot of headaches.'
He was relieved the system allowed for name and appearance changes. Fame was the last thing he wanted; if word spread too far, he'd lose the low profile he needed to remain under the radar.
Once Aria led him to a private desk, he thanked her and got to work. This time, he used his own specialized pen and, tucked away from prying eyes, gave it his all.
In just an hour, he had cleared the initial mountain of paperwork. Over the next two days, he finalized more than seven thousand contracts, raking in a staggering 900,000 gold. While the money was a nice perk, he had pushed through the volume primarily to deepen his understanding of the profession.
'I feel like I could draft my own contracts from scratch now... I can feel the mana flow, and I actually know what I'm doing.' With every signature, he felt his connection to the job strengthening, his mana adapting to the specific needs of the task.
'Is this the final effect of [Mana Evolution] making this possible?' he wondered as he deposited the bulk of his earnings and excess items into the bank.
Ready to leave Córdoba for good, he stopped by to give Riley a parting gift and say his goodbyes. When she burst into tears upon receiving it, Sora stood there awkwardly, unsure of how to handle the curious stares from other players in the hall.
She eventually coaxed him into staying for a few more hours.
After a dinner with the blue-eyed, red-haired woman, Sora left Córdoba feeling conflicted. He'd had a good time with the woman he now considered a friend, but her revelations had left a bitter taste in his mouth.
He thought back to Riley's tears and their conversation. Despite her upbeat exterior, she carried a deep loneliness he hadn't suspected. She had confessed that he was the first human who had ever treated her like a friend. No one had ever given her a gift before, and no player ever spoke to her about anything other than business or gold.
'Riley and the other NPCs... they don't feel at home here. The players don't treat them as people, and there are so many things they aren't allowed to tell us. This wall between us just keeps them isolated.' Sora found the general player mentality repulsive and hoped it might change one day.
After a few minutes of quiet reflection, he crossed the magical barrier protecting the city's outskirts and checked his mini-map.
'Heading east. Barcelona, here I come.'