LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 19 : Last sprint
Barcelona was 8,000 kilometers away, but the path Sora mapped out—dodging high-level zones and weaving through safer areas—extended that distance to 13,000 kilometers. With his speed and ability to evade danger, it would take only a day to reach the city, but his goal wasn't simply to arrive. Testing if moving far from his original spawn point would alter his next respawn was important, but he knew he had time to do that anytime in the future. He could always go back if necessary.
'What more can i get from this skill ?' he asked himself. 'With 12 days left before I can Prestige again, it wouldn't make sense to rush anywhere. I'd rather make the most out of this cycle. Prestige isn't about rushing home after all'
Sora understood that now. The true power of his Prestige skill lay not just in reaching level 50, but in mastering the journey there, perfecting his comprehension and making his skills his own. If he relied only on the week he'd spent training with his [Mana Amplifier] class, there was no way he could recreate those skills perfectly after resetting. And even if he could recreate them, it would take too long. That would waste the next cycle.
He needed to spend the next 12 days pushing his understanding of his skills to the limit, making them truly his.
He thought back to his time as a swordman. He hadn't even translated all of his old skills into classless versions—no movement techniques, no defensive abilities, and his strongest level 45 skill, which he rarely used because of its complexity, was still untouched. There were five more sword techniques that he hadn't even started working on.
Sora knew resetting every time at level 50 without fully mastering his skills was holding him back. His [Mana Evolution]'s potential was limitless, but scratching the surface with each class wasn't enough. He needed balance. His plan to reset each time and grind quickly wasn't sustainable if he wanted to master [Mana Evolution].
He would need to rethink his cycles—maybe two cycles to fully master a class, maybe more. With less and less time for each cycle as he learned faster, he would need to find an optimal strategy.
For now, he would spend these 12 days mastering the [Mana Amplifier] class. Every time he hit a wall, he'd practice his old sword techniques to unlock their classless versions. He could evolve them later.
12 Days Later
Sora stood at the edge of a cliff, the wind whipping through his hair. He had trained relentlessly, pushing his [Mana Amplifier] skills to their limits. He had reached level 10 in all of them. [Amplify], [Mana Shield], and [Speed Surge] had been his primary focus, and his comprehension of these skills was astounding. He knew he could unlock them in his next life, no matter what.
But there were three new skills he had unlocked during his training that still intrigued him. He hadn't had time to fully master them, but their potential was enormous.
Here are three new Mana Amplifier skills for levels 30, 35, and 40 and his understanding of them.
[Skill Unlocked: Mana Resonance (Level 30)]
Type: Buff
Description: Mana Resonance creates a link between the Mana Amplifier and one or more allies. When linked, any buff the Amplifier applies to themselves is also applied to their allies at 50% of its original potency. Mana is drained from the Amplifier for both themselves and their allies, meaning the Amplifier must carefully manage their mana reserves to avoid exhaustion. The skill grows stronger with additional allies, amplifying mana efficiency within the resonance network.
Effect: Amplifies any self-buff applied to allies at 50% strength. Mana cost scales with the number of linked allies.
Limit: Maximum of 3 allies linked at level 1, but the number increases with skill level.
Skill Unlocked: Arcane Overload (Level 35)
Type: Offensive
Description: Arcane Overload is an unstable burst of raw mana energy that can be directed toward an enemy, enhancing the Amplifier's or their ally's next attack. The more mana the Amplifier channels into the Overload, the more devastating the attack. While powerful, the skill has a cost: after the attack is executed, the Amplifier suffers a temporary mana regeneration penalty, reducing their regeneration speed for a short time.
Effect:
Boosts the next physical or magical attack by 200%, increasing with more mana input. Causes a temporary 20% reduction in mana regeneration for 60 seconds after use.
Limit:
Can only boost one attack at a time.
Skill Unlocked: Mana Burst Field (Level 40)
Type: Area of Effect Buff
Description: Mana Burst Field creates a localized zone of highly concentrated mana around the Amplifier, amplifying all mana-based abilities for allies within the field. It increases the potency of spells, skills, and buffs used inside the zone by 50%. While active, the Amplifier's own mana consumption increases significantly, making this skill a high-risk, high-reward option for intense battles.
Effect: Amplifies all mana-based abilities used within the zone by 30%, including healing and offensive spells. The Amplifier's own mana cost increases by 50% while the field is active.
Duration: Lasts for 30 seconds, with a cooldown of 2 minutes.
Limit: Radius of 20 meters at level 1.
He could use Mana Burst Field as a battlefield game-changer. By turning a localized area into a mana-amplifying zone, the skill can drastically turn the tide of combat, particularly in group fights or raids. However, the increased mana cost requires careful management to avoid burning out too early in a fight.
"Status."
[Profile: Ralph Eden (Sora Hashino)
Status: Alive (Prestige 1)
Class: Mana Amplifier (Class Level 45, Player Level 45)
Title: Master
Power Level: 29,000,000
Body Level: A
Energy Level: A]
His power level was staggering, far beyond what it had been in his previous cycle. His mastery of [Mana Evolution] was pushing him into a whole new realm of strength. He had regained his Master title after crossing level 40, and his body and energy levels were now Grade A, a monumental achievement at his current level.
Sora also glanced at his Innate Skill, Prestige, which was now off cooldown. He could reset again whenever he wanted.
With a deep breath, Sora stepped off the cliff.
As he plummeted toward the ground, hundreds of meters below, Sora's mind flashed back over the last 30 days of training. Every moment spent refining his skills, every fight, every breakthrough in his understanding of mana surged through his thoughts.
His training with [Speed Surge] had shown him something critical—he could condense the buff to specific parts of his body, rather than spreading it across himself. Focusing most of it on his legs gave him explosive speed, while keeping [Mana Shield] active for defense, and a portion of the buff went to his brain and eyes. This allowed him to speed up his reactions and increase his agility beyond what was normally possible.
As the ground rushed toward him, he channeled mana into his feet, condensing Speed Surge into his legs.
The moment his feet touched the earth, he vanished.
Sora's speed was so intense that sonic booms echoed behind him, shattering the stillness of the landscape. He was a blur, his movements too fast for the eye to follow. His body tore through the air at a blistering 3,000 meters per second—ten times the speed of sound.
The ground blurred beneath him, the horizon vanishing in the blink of an eye. He was only a thousand kilometers away from Barcelona, and at this speed, he would be there in less than three minutes.
He felt the power of [Speed Surge], now beyond the limitations of his class. His comprehension had transcended what the system originally allowed, and he could maintain this explosive speed for far longer than any normal [Mana Amplifier] could dream of.
He shot through the landscape like a flash of light, unstoppable.
In exactly three minutes, Sora reached Barcelona.
He didn't care how the city had changed since the apocalypse. He was here for one thing. He went straight to the bank, emptied everything he had, and left the city as quickly as he had arrived.
At the edge of a level 80 zone, Sora paused. He called for Hiyoko, the little Piou that had become his familiar.
"Come here," he said softly, watching as the small bird fluttered to his side.
The little bird chirped, landing on his shoulder. Sora glanced down at the bird, worried about what he was about to do. He didn't want to scare the creature.
"Listen, Hiyoko. We're about to do something... well, something dangerous."
The bird chirped in response, tilting its head curiously.
"I'm not sure how this is going to go, but I'll need you to be brave," Sora continued, stroking the bird's head gently. "I'll be fine, but you might see some things that'll shake you."
Hiyoko stared at him with wide eyes, chirping softly. It didn't understand everything, but it trusted Sora completely.
"Alright then. Let's go."
With a deep breath, Sora entered the level 80 zone, feeling the oppressive atmosphere immediately. The air felt heavy, almost as if gravity itself had increased tenfold. The weight of the place bore down on him, and he felt a crushing sense of dread wash over him. The pressure here was intense.
Suddenly, a blur of movement appeared before him.
Before Sora could react, he was hit by something—a force so fast and so powerful that his body shattered in an instant.
In a single blow, Sora was destroyed.