Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

[Congratulations on winning 20 matches in a row. +10,000 points][Your team is tied for first place. Battle the other team to break the tie, or forfeit and be ranked second.]

Sora blinked in surprise at the notification. ’Another team hasn’t lost either,’ he mused, his curiosity piqued.

[You are the party leader. Please choose an option.]

[Forfeit] or [Tie-Breaker]

Sora glanced back with a confident smile, "No need to ask, right?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, though Sollmunn, the demon player, who was still angry, his expression strange since his drop in power within the group.

[You have selected the option ’Tie-Breaker’.]

The waiting room dissolved once more, and they found themselves in a new setting. By now, they were used to the ever-changing environments of each battle, but this one radiated a particularly intense energy.

They stood on the edge of a massive, dormant volcano. The ground beneath their feet was cracked and hot, with thin streams of steam rising from between the fissures. Around them stretched a vast expanse, offering plenty of room for the battle ahead.

Melinda let out a quiet sigh, her gaze sweeping over the hot environment. Her Ice Dragon stood beside her, but she knew it would suffer in such terrain. While strong enough to resist environmental damage, her familiar relied on water and ice elements, which were rare in this volcanic setting. She clenched her fists briefly, frustrated at the energy cost her ice dragon would have to bear to maintain its usual effectiveness.

In contrast, Netsu and the Balrog thrived in the heat. Such environment was a natural amplifier for their power. Sora could feel Netsu’s excitement through their bond, his flames rippling with anticipation as he drew energy from the abundant fire elements saturating the battlefield.

[Your opponent will be team 287]

Sora scanned the opposing team, expecting no familiar faces. But as his gaze landed on two figures across the empty battlefield, his eyes widened.

There, standing side by side, were Emily and Kara, both smiling at him.

’I’ve seen some teams with multiple players from the same race,’ he thought, ’but what are the odds these two end up on the same team?’

The duo waved enthusiastically. Sora waved back instinctively, only for Emily to blow a few kisses in his direction. His hand froze mid-air, and his expression turning ugly. He immediately dropped his arm, pretending the exchange hadn’t happened.

’So much for maintaining my cool...’ He’d worked so hard to keep up a composed, formidable image with this new team over the last few days, but all of it was ruined in an instant.

Behind him, Klunor let out a chuckle, clearly enjoying the rare moment. "Looks like even the master of the mighty phoenix can get embarrassed," he teased, enjoying Sora’s discomfort.

Resting at home, I was playing cards with big sister Hiyoko.

I’d gladly admit that, thanks to master’s endless training, my sight, intelligence, and all my stats were leagues above Hiyoko’s. However, her skill in this matching pairs game was unmatched. Somehow, in the hundreds of rounds we’d played, I’d never won a single game.

I sighed. Master’s words ring true: there is always someone better.

I still remembered the "lesson" master gave me after I’d boasted that I might be stronger than him after eating that incredible fruit the pointy-eared one gifted him. That round of body forging had hurt like never before. Did he use that thing he calls condensed mana?

My thoughts wandered as I felt master’s summoning call ignite. After dropping my earned cards as fast as possible, hoping to avoid embarrassing master once again I was forcefully teleported.

The warmth of fire elements surrounded me, rich and hot, filling me with energy. I took a deep breath, absorbing as much as I could, and exhaled, satisfied.

But as I turned to greet my master, I noticed something unusual: the others were laughing, casting amused glances his way.

My feathers shook in irritation. ’How dare they mock my master, who has brought victory after victory in this trial? Are they tired of living? Perhaps I should teach them a lesson...’

The thought of turning up the heat a little, just to see how that block of ice and its master would react, was tempting. But I remembered master’s words about harassing weaker beasts and grudgingly let the idea go.

Curious, I followed their gaze and noticed two creatures standing near my master—two who bore a striking resemblance to him.

I noticed the small figures from across the battlefield staring at Master with grimaces on their faces. Do they know Master? I wondered but couldn’t be sure. They looked so much like him that I struggled to tell them apart. To make things easier, I focused on their colors—one covered in white, the other in blue.

Noticing that Master’s head fur was a bit shorter than theirs, I made a mental note. ’Maybe I can use that to tell them apart in the future.’

A voice echoed in my mind: ’The two women on the other side are my friends. Don’t bully their familiars. No playing with food in this battle. End it quickly if you meet any of them.’

Master’s friends... I responded with a respectful nod and turned my gaze forward, curious and eager to see which familiar I’d be facing.

Soon, another message from Master came through, more specific this time.

’Netsu... I have more information. This fight is going to be different. It’s a group battle. Keep your distance from Binryong, Melinda’s Ice Dragon. You’ll just disturb each other. Fight to the best of your abilities, but don’t underestimate the woman in white’s beast—knowing her, it’s anything but ordinary.’

I gave a firm nod, readying myself for the battle. There was a different weight to this battle, knowing Master’s friends were watching.

I couldn’t let them think poorly of him for raising anything less than an extraordinary familiar. And truth be told, I was also curious—if these women shared even a fraction of Master’s brilliance, they’d be quite formidable.

Taking my position at the front, I watched as the other beasts joined me. The [Black Tortoise] had recently evolved, though I still felt confident I could roast it in its shell if necessary. Our side was strong, with me alongside the [Spectral Dragon], [Ice Dragon], [Balrog], and, of course, the newly empowered [Black Tortoise].

On their side, however...

I turned my gaze toward the creatures across the field—some creatures I had never seen before. They were radiating strange, unknown power.

The first opponent was a serpent-like beast with blue scales and long horns. Despite lacking wings, it hovered above us. This creature moved with a fluid elegance, almost as if it were one with the sky.

I recognized the second beast. It was a dragon.

I’ve seen so many dragons recently that meeting another one has become routine. They all seemed to have immense potential comparable to mine, but none of them had a master as amazing as mine. This one, however, was different.

It was small, almost transparent, its body covered in shiny scales that reflected the light of the flames around us. Its presence was faint, its aura weak, as if it might vanish at any moment. Despite feeling like the weakest dragon I’ve ever met, there was something strange about it—something I couldn’t quite place.

Master’s voice echoed in my mind. ’That dragon is my friend’s familiar. Don’t judge it by its looks.’ His words sent a ripple of caution through me. If Master felt it necessary to warn me, this creature was no ordinary opponent.

The next opponent caught my attention—a fox. I’d seen something like it before, but this one seemed to have an extra tail. Its fur was a deep red, and its tails dripped with blood that floated around it. The sight was scary.

’Is it bleeding? Why would its master send it out in such a weakened state?’ I wondered, turning the question over in my mind, and asking my master.

’That is a Nine-Tailed Blood Fox. It seems to have unlocked seven tails, so be careful as well. It seems to be Emily’s beast. Emily is the human in blue.’ Master kindly responded to me, always eager to teach me new things.

I didn’t know how to react to the sight of the fourth beast. It had too many heads and its body was covered with shiny blue stones. It had the body of a snake, and its scales looked quite sturdy.

Despite its unsettling appearance, something primal stirred in me. It wasn’t unpleasant to my eyes, and something deep in my blood urged me to roast this beast and devour it.

Then my gaze landed on the final beast, and I couldn’t help but sigh.

Hovering with slow, deliberate flaps of its wings, it was surrounded by a faint aura of flickering flames, radiating heat that reached me even from a distance. It looked... like me.

The Phoenix across from me was both familiar and strange, like a darker version of myself. Its feathers were black with streaks of red, while mine was red with golden edges.

I could feel it devouring the fire elements around it, instead of simply absorbing them. Sensing my gaze, it turned, its calm eyes assessing me.

I didn’t like its look one bit, so I let out a shriek, making it clear who was the best Phoenix here. There was only room for one Phoenix in Master’s field of view, and this ugly distant cousin better backed off before I got mad.

The signal for the fight was about to be given, and my mind was already made up. I’d chosen my target.

Turning to my teammates, I issued a simple command, my voice carrying a note of finality. "Leave the Dark Phoenix to me." I locked onto my prey, ready to prove who was the best phoenix.