Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Chapter 68 : Trust

The room grew tense as everyone considered the items they could buy. Lois stood at the head of the table, looking at each Colonel as if encouraging them to speak first. After a moment, Colonel Edward cleared his throat.

"We should focus on defensive buffs first," he began firmly. "The [Reinforced Armor] and [Elemental Armor] buffs are very good. Boosting both physical and elemental defenses will increase our troops’ durability and let them endure longer in combat. It’ll cut down on casualties and buy us crucial time to strategize and adapt to their debuffs during battle."

Lois shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "Sure, they’re good for defense, but they’re not worth the cost. Remember, those buffs only add 20% to physical defense and 30% to elemental resistance. With the enemy’s power and tactics, that increase might buy us an extra few minutes, but it won’t turn the tides of battle... They’ll have much more buffs on their sides"

Oliver leaned forward. "What about [Crowd Control Immunity]? If our troops can’t be stunned or held down, they can keep pressing forward and wear down the enemy. It’s game-changing!"

Lois looked at him, stunned. "Yes,

[Crowd Control Immunity]

would prevent stuns and holds, but it costs 100,000 points, Oliver. Did you even read the prices before suggesting something? We have 33,370 points! Are you trolling?"

Colonel Cero smiled at Lois’ expression before suggesting. "Why wouldn’t we heavily invest in our best players and make them one-man armies? Let’s say we buy [Crowd Control Immunity Tokens], [Damage Immunity Tokens], and all individual buffs in bulk to arm the strongest 10 players and send them to slaughter the enemies. I’m confident we can wipe them out quickly with Ralph, Asami, and Aang’s might and protect our troops with elites like Kara."

Lois gave a frustrated sigh. "I can’t say I don’t like the idea; it would probably give us the best chance of winning… But I’m afraid all our remaining troops would be slaughtered just as fast. The whole division contributed to these points, and we can’t just sacrifice them. And I doubt a few players can protect thousands of players for long"

Colonel Aang responded with his own suggestion. "Then maybe we need to invest in [Mana Waste] to cripple them. If the Dark Elves are forced to spend more mana, they’ll run out faster, weakening their attacks over time. We’d be leveling the playing field by draining their resources."

Lois nodded, "I like the idea.

[Mana Waste]

would hurt them a lot. It’s the best item we can afford, and I feel like it’s really worth the price. , However, we’d be spending 30,000 points on one item... It would leave us with next to nothing for other game-changing options. We only have a little over thirty-three thousand points after all."

"And think about it," she continued, "they’ll likely spend their points on [Mana Waste] and add five levels of [Suppression]… dropping our max level from 80 to 75. If I were them, that’s exactly what I’d do with this many points…"

The tension rose in the room at the idea of losing five levels during the main battle. Players above 90 and 100, like them, were all limited to level 80 during the war, and losing even more levels would make a dent in their power.

"One of the strategies I’m considering that would give us the maximum chance to win the war is... combining Aang and Cero’s ideas. We’d invest on Captain Ralph, General Asami, and Aang for destruction, and criple the enemies with [Mana Waste] as Colonel Aang suggested. However, the points left after buying that buff would be minimal."

Colonel Oliver raised an eyebrow. "You’re planning to sink nearly all of our points into one debuff? That’s too risky. We’ll be left with almost nothing for buffs."

Lois countered, "We need to hit them with the harshest penalty we can afford. Without a debuff like [Mana Waste], they’ll obliterate us."

Asami, listening intently, added, "If we can disrupt their casting and focus on our top fighters, we’ll make the most of the remaining

3370 points."

Lois scanned the list one last time, then turned to Sora. "If we go with this, I need your opinion, Ralph. Do you think you can handle the responsibility of crushing them with the support of [Mana Waste]? General Asami and Colonel Aang are our other powerhouses, but I know what they need."

Sora replied confidently, "If you want me at my best, I’ll need [5 Level Up Tokens] and a few [Crowd Control Immunity Tokens]. With these, I can maximize my strength."

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Lois blinked, surprised. "I’d almost forgotten you’re not even level 80 yet… You were barely level 70 when you joined the war, and you were like a God of war on the battlefield. But if you reach level 80…"

The surrounding crowd gasped at the thought of this overpowered Captain harvesting the lives of their enemies.

With a final nod of agreement from Asami, Lois locked in their purchases. "It’s settled then. Let’s make sure the Dark Elves are as outmatched as we can make them. Every point will be invested in Ralph Eden, Asami Hito and Aang Li. Ralph will be our Ace, allowed to do whatever he can to make the most value of his Skill kit. As for the rest of us, we can not complain as we have 3 monsters taking the pressure from us and 30,000 spent on making sure we’re not sending 5000 players to their deaths.!"

Asami then addressed the room, her voice unwavering. "Lastly, a warning: we’re not buying the [White Flag]. I want that 5% power bonus because I trust our chances of victory, and I intend to push them even further. This choice will reduce casualties on our side. Do you understand?"

The room fell silent after Asami’s declaration, the gravity of her words sinking in. Faces reflected a mix of determination and anxiety, everyone knowing that the decisions made here would impact their very survival.

Colonel Oliver was the first to break the silence. "Alright, so if we’re sinking most of our points into Ralph, Asami, and Aang, we need to make sure the rest of us are fully prepared to support them. This means every effort goes into stalling and surviving—no holding back."

Colonel Aang crossed his arms and said "I still have my reservations about this. If the Dark Elves adapt faster than expected or have bought countermeasures, we’ll be left outnumbered, without even the option to retreat. That said…" he cracked his knuckles, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "I’ll make sure I take down as many of them as possible."

Looking at Lois and Asami, Sora added "I’ll do whatever it takes. You can count on me today. But I have one request."

Lois raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what’s that?"

Sora’s expression turned solemn. "Please get Kara one of those [Revival Tokens]. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to watch her back every second, and I won’t risk losing her."

Kara looked stunned, her expression quickly shifting to anger as she shot Sora a sharp glare. "I don’t need one, Ralph! I’m stronger than most of the enemies! We’ll win, and I’ll survive without an-—"

Asami placed a hand on Kara’s shoulder, silencing her, and nodded at Sora, making a note. "Consider it done. Vice-Captain Kara will receive a [Revival Token]. She’s one of the most talented players in this war and has more than earned it with her wins. Now, everyone, get your troops ready. Prepare for [Mana Waste]; it’s likely the debuff they’ll invest in. Let’s be ready."

The Colonels exchanged uneasy glances, each mentally steeling themselves for the fight ahead. They had battled side by side countless times, but never with stakes this high.

With those final words, the group dispersed, each determined to fulfill their role in the upcoming battle. The air felt heavy with resolve as they prepared to meet the enemy head-on, fully aware that every decision made today would ripple through the war’s endgame.

Shortly after, Sora, Kara, Aang, and the other selected players gathered their items and set off to ready their battalions and companies.

Sora glanced at his inventory, noting the items with a mix of gratitude and pressure.

5 x [Level Up Token], 3 x [Crowd Control Immunity Token], 1 x [Damage Immunity Token].

’They really invested heavily in me…’ he thought, eyeing the small but powerful stack of tokens in his hand.

Lois had suggested a stash of

[Mana Refill]

items, which cost a mere 10 points each, but when she offered one to him, Sora declined. She had stocked up on them, distributing the items among the elite players. In this battle, those small boosts could make all the difference.

Then, a notification flashed across everyone’s vision.

[Everyone who has been notified, advance to the field number prepared for you, and fight.]

The final battle was upon them, and each soldier braced themselves.

Sora took his place beside an angry Kara and Richard. Ahead, Oliver, the other Colonels, and Asami stood at the front lines, their faces set and determined. Across the field, the enemy army mirrored their formation, standing resolute and ready.

Silence filled the space between the two forces. Only the distant clink of weapons against armor and a few unsteady breaths disturbed the silence, each soldier feeling the immense weight of what lay ahead. The tension was thick, pressing down on everyone as the field lay waiting for the inevitable clash.

Asami stepped forward, her voice calm yet filled with conviction. "I may not be from these lands, and I didn’t grow up here. To most of you, I might even be a stranger."

"Yet, from the moment I first set foot on this soil, I fell in love—with the snow covering these landscapes, the fierce brilliance in your eyes, and, yes, even the beauty of your men."

She had a warm smile on her face. "I came here alone, on a simple mission. But with every step, I found friends, comrades who fought by my side."

She paused, letting her gaze sweep over the faces before her, touched with memories and emotions.

"I watched every fight you entered, always rooting for you. It feels natural now, seeing you all here."

Her expression grew serious, her tone heavy with meaning. "Today, we stand on the edge of everything we love, and it hurts to know we’re risking it all on this one battle."

"We were given the opportunity to forfeit and save everyone here from death in case things went south."

Her eyes shone with fierce determination. "Make humanity proud. Do not yield. Do not give up. Fight to the death!"