Prestige Grinding : I Can Reset My Level

Chapter 144 Hannah, the Shareholder

A few days later, watching over Alius who was training his troops at night, Hope tensed, turning suddenly, her senses alert.

A familiar figure emerged, her silver hair glowed under the moonlight. Dressed in crimson armor, a figure walked toward them with measured steps. Her eyes were locked on him, a smile on her lips.

"Alius," she greeted, her tone carrying a mix of confidence and curiosity. "I've heard a lot about you."

Alius kept his expression neutral, though his mind raced. 'I know this woman... She's the representative of the New European Union. I met her twice when I was still Sora... Does she recognize me?'

He decided to pretend he didn't know her. "You are?"

Reading the information above her head, he understood that she was probably like Hope, a powerhouse in the current world.

"Hannah Stone," she said, her smile widening. "Elder of the number one guild in the New World Kingdom."

Before Alius could respond, he received a message from Hope.

Hannah's expression remained steady as her words hung in the air. "Hope. It's rare to see you. Are you on one of your strange quests again? I've heard you've been in this area with Alius for some time. Are you two friends?"

Leaning against a nearby tree, Hope's smirk revealed her lack of appreciation for the woman. "What I do is none of your business. Now, state your purpose. Or is chasing after young men all over the world still your favorite hobby?"

Alius kept silent, his gaze flicking between the two women. The tension between them was palpable, and he had no intention of getting involved. For now, he was just "Alius," a stranger caught in their crossfire.

Hannah frowned at Hope's jab but quickly refocused on Alius. "I came because I've been hearing stories. A super rookie controlling legions of beasts and undead? That's not the kind of talent I can overlook. Seeing it with my own eyes... I'm impressed."

Alius tensed slightly at her words. 'Another nosy pest? But this one seems much stronger than the others...'

Hannah stepped closer, her gaze unwavering as it locked with his. "I have resources most players can only dream of, and I can help you reach the summit in record time. If you trust me, I can ensure you reach the maximum level with ease."

Alius raised an eyebrow, intrigued but cautious. "What do you want in exchange?"

Hannah's smile widened slightly, pleased by his apparent interest. She explained, "I have an ability that accelerates others' growth, and in return, I gain a small portion of their progress. For example, if I provided you with a certain amount of experience, we could agree that you'd give me, say, 10% of all the experience you earn for a certain period. It's just an example, but think of me as an investor—one who takes a small share of your success."

Alius raised an eyebrow, surprised by her pragmatic approach. 'So she's proposing a win-win deal... It doesn't sound bad, but I don't need experience,' he thought, intrigued but uninterested.

Choosing his words carefully, he responded, "That's an interesting offer, but I don't really need to accelerate my growth right now. I'm content with my current pace, and extra levels won't make much of a difference."

Hannah chuckled, as if she had expected his reply. "You're right, of course. Leveling up is probably effortless for a genius like you. But my ability isn't limited to experience. It works for stats, talent levels, growth factor, skills—anything on your profile, except Innate and Supreme Skills. Imagine if your talent was multiplied by a hundred. Wouldn't that be extraordinary?"

Hearing that, Alius almost sneered, 'Multiply my talent by a hundred? Can you even afford it? But this is interesting. It means I'm not the only player with a high Talent Level... There are other abilities achieving that as well.'

"So, what happens if you invest in my talent level? If I go from 1 to 100, what do you gain?" he thought, trying to understand what she would receive from such a unique arrangement.

"Maybe you're not aware yet, but the more talented you are, the more opportunities to increase your talent level. So that 100 in talent will eventually rise. I'll need to take the talent back at some point, but by then, you'll have already benefited. And I'll get a slight increase as well," Hannah explained.

Alius considered her words but failed to see any benefit that made him feel truly interested. Not giving him a chance to reject her outright, Hannah materialized a scroll, revealing the details of her offer.

The scroll appeared in the air, with faint threads of mana glowing softly across its surface. Alius squinted as he began reading the neatly arranged conditions.

Alius read the scroll carefully, keeping his expression neutral as he absorbed its details. 'So she'll give me a massive boost for a few months, but she's taking far more in return. It's not entirely a bad deal, but to me it's nowhere near as tempting as she thinks it is.'

Hannah watched him, her expression confident but patient, as she waited for his response.

Something about the contract felt off. Alius felt his Soul Power reacting to it and probed it using his Soul Power. Hidden characters began to reveal themselves, glowing faintly with the energy he recognized all too well.

As he read the concealed clauses written with Soul Power—disguised to evade detection—his neutral facade cracked slightly, a flicker of surprise breaking through.

'There's no way. So all of this was a... scam?' he thought, his mind racing as he pieced together the implications. 'This entire offer is built on hidden conditions. She didn't just underestimate me—she tried to deceive me.'

Alius thought, 'So if I let her invest in me, she'd own part of my power. If I really had a talent of one, and she gave me 999 talent levels, wouldn't she gain 99,9% of shares ?? The more she would invest, the higher her return, as she would entirely own me... I'd basically become a farmer, working for her benefit. How many players has she already scammed like this? This is beyond insane.'

Noticing the clever trick of hiding conditions with a different "ink," he couldn't help but admire the ingenuity. 'How many players would ever see through this? Even if I'd refused without mastering Soul Power, I'd have never known just how much of a demon she truly was.'

Feigning contemplation, he finished reading the contract and then looked up, his expression calm. "Thank you for the offer—really—but I'll be fine on my own."

Hannah's brow furrowed slightly in surprise. "I rarely offer deals like this to other players! But if it's the terms, I can adjust. I'd be happy with just 5% of your gains—no strings attached!" she insisted.

Alius had to fight to keep his composure. 'You could write 0% in that contract, and I'd still know it's worthless.' Smiling politely, he said, "I appreciate it, but I'll have to decline. Thank you."

Hannah's smile became strained, but she nodded politely. "No worries. The offer stands if you change your mind. Feel free to contact me anytime. Good luck, and have a pleasant evening."

She sent a friend request, which Alius saw but was not in a hurry to accept. He watched her leave.

Hope asked, "How come you were so adamant in refusing her proposal?"

Alius paused, debating whether to reveal the truth. After a moment, he replied, "Her contract had hidden clauses. Everything she said was a lie. The truth behind her so-called 'investment' is... sinister."

They spent the next hour discussing Hannah's visit. Afterward, they resumed their activities, but the encounter left a lingering unease.

And indeed, weeks later, Alius found himself face-to-face with Hannah once again.

This time, she wasn't alone. A group of high-level players stood behind her, their presence intimidating.

Hannah stepped forward, her tone cold, and threatening. "Alius, what you're doing to the monsters in this region is destabilizing the ecosystem. It's dangerous for the growth of the region and its players."

"With your control over the undead and beasts bound to their souls, these areas will remain barren for as long as you're alive," she explained. "You have two choices: release your hold on them willingly, or we'll be forced to make you."

Her words hung in the air, her group watching Alius closely.