Chapter 143 - Nightmare

Lara's frustrations have not stopped even after her fifth death. Even though she saw improvement in her ability in this short time, she knew it would never be enough if she kept on going like this.

Her goal was that island, and it appeared there was something restricting her from other participants to approach one another. This was most likely a test to prosper on her own. The last time she was on her own, all that followed was a disaster, that may follow this time also, but at least she won't be a slave. Not again.

She stood upright from her mediation, looking at the setting sun. The effect of the weirdly mushroom was almost gone, and it was time again. Her mana application finally reached Level 9, and she finally found the wall that was stopping her from getting to the intermediate realm. Intermediate realm will be a great help to her in the current circumstances. She will be able to protect and attack at the same time more freely.

It was time for the nightmare to approach again. Lara checked her sword and calmed herself by breathing evenly, waiting for the nightmare to approach.

'What is it going to be this time?' she wondered. If it's the tempest with the wild sea monster, then she has no chance of succeeding, but if it's the nightmare, perhaps she will succeed.

Even though Lara was prepared for it, when the wind swirled, she insides churned, as all her efforts on keeping her breathing steady rendered useless.

Her vision darkened and the murky gloom loomed her vision entirely, before she woke up, and found herself running. Half a dozen fellows followed her into the thick wood.

Lara knew very clearly where she was and what she had to do. Probably.

[Individual Quest: Stand tall

You found yourself in the land of your past failure, which may hold you back in later parts of your life. Do everything in your power to get out of here.

Condition of clearance: Unknown.

Reward: Mysterious Artifact box, Mysterious Lunch box.]

The vision she was experiencing was nothing foreign to her. It was something she had lived through once and something she did not like in the slightest. As a matter of fact, she hated it, she hated almost everything about it, and most importantly, she hated the guy.

The guy who will intercept her in a few seconds.

Lara stopped running and took a stance against the men who were chasing after her. Last time she had tried to run away and failed both in the quest and trying to flee.

"She has some fight in her," one of her chasers said, laughing.

Lara's eyes narrowed as she shot at him. In this vision, her all stats were limited, but that is only limited to her stats. The mystery over her swordsmanship was still there.

The ones that were laughing at her, stopped and came into the challenge. Lara snorted and feinted her move to shove into the gut of one, before withdrawing a step to dodge a mace from another one of the chasers. Another tried to grapple her, but she lurched her sword in that direction as he withdrew.

The few others already got busy encircling her. Lara looked at them with narrowed eyes. Her sword churned with mana, as it turned shaper, deadlier.

Lara crept towards one with her best speed, swinging her sword in a devastating blow. Her sword was blocked, but she followed it with another, twisting it upwards towards his mouth. In that time, the ones in the sides and back made their way towards her, Lara cursed, and followed up with that swing. Two withdrew, but the other two did not.

One shoved his sword at the sides of her ribcage. Even though it was a vision, Lara felt every bit of the pain. Her eyes blazed as they darted towards the one that wounded her and with a single swing she severed his head.

Blood sprayed on the air, coming on her face, as he moved towards her next opponent. She had no second thought. Even if the killing felt real, it was only a vision. She could feel it was changing her, but that hardly matters. She had enough of being a lamb, waiting for others to save her.

Her sword moved like an extension of her body. The unity realm. Her opponent could not even see it coming before a sword was shoved into his jaw, piercing through his head.

Lara severed it ruthlessly, panting.

Abruptly, the sound of clapping came as she heard the sounds of footsteps.

"Bravo! Bravo!" a voice said, and she recognised it easily. It was a handsome man with blonde hair, a sharp look, but the moment she gave him a look, her stomach churned. This was the first man she started hating with her heart and probably hated the most.

Renal. The bastard who captured her and make her into a slave.

"Fierce," he said, laughing brightly at her. "I like it. I want you."

Behind him were a couple more females, and one of them knew it was very friendly. It was Ileana, currently like a docile lamb, eyes so adrift that she did not recognise it. It was this bastard's charm ability.

The three of the underlings who still could fight were about to come at her, when Renal gestured at them to stand by. "I will deal with myself," he said and brought out his sword.

Lara's eyes narrowed. Yes. This was what she wanted. She will shove her sword into his stomach and twist it slowly to have fun at his suffering. She will not kill him like the others. She will do it slowly, taking every bit of fun she could.

Lara knew these kinds of thoughts were not natural for her, and something else was causing it with her hate overflowing, but she did not care.

"I will kill you and clear the quest," she snarled and shot at him, swinging violently.

Renal intercepted her with his treasured sword, eyes still smiling, bringing her hate to the point that it was unnatural.

"Girls should never be this fierce," he said again, shoving his sword towards her. "Even though I like fierce girls, I like docile ones better."

Lara snarled at the comment, sidestepping to avoid the blow. Then something hit on her head, not literally, it was those eyes. Renal was using his cheap tricks on her again.

But her mind was already crazy. She swirled every bit of her mana, which was not actually lot, considering she skilled three men and fight another three with the body that had just been introduced to mana. This was probably going to be her last attack with mana, and she would very much want to make it count.

But she still swung with everything she got, sword twisting to find its way towards Renal's lower body, shoving it onto his balls.

A sword came and blocked her move, then a hard punch hammered onto her head as she fell onto the ground, a figure climbing on top of her.

"Look at me," Renal said, eyes glued to her palms, choking her neck and cheek.

Lara twisted her head in a struggle, and even tried to move her leg, but her initial body was poor. With not even a single bit of mana in her body, she was like a helpless lamb.

A helpless, defiant lamb.

The charm had no effect on her.

Lara spat in her mouth, screaming. "I will kill you the next time I meet you," she bellowed eyes dagger at the bastard. "I will cut you into pieces ever so slowly. First will be the fingers, then your limbs, then will . . ."

Renal's eyes darkened as he choked harder, so hard that Lara found it hard to say a word.

She coughed and deliberately coughed at his face.

[Congratulations! You have cleared the quest!]

The darkness came again before she found herself back on the boat, on her back lying, devoid of all mental strength. 

She passed the quest, but she did not know why. Was it because she did not give in to his charm ability? But the other time, well, the other time, she got herself captured without a fight.

[You are rewarded with Mysterious Artifact box, Mysterious Lunch Box.] 

[Congratulations! you have gained a level.]

[You have reached Level 36. 2 free stat points are added to your system.]

[Congratulations! you have gained a level.]

[You have reached Level 37. 2 free stat points are added to your system.]

Lara sighed and found two boxes next to her. Looks like it wasn't so bad, even though she had to see that face again. It's better than dying again.

She sat upright to find her rewards. She can probably guess what was inside the lunch box and it was  what she had feared.

[Mysterious Mushroom]

Well, it will help her in mana control ignoring the weird shape.

She opened the other box as what came out was actually a round shield.