Chapter 98: Strange Dream

At this moment, the crowd in the Stadium had slightly calmed their moods.

"This year's Challenger League second and third-ranked will each get one high-grade Earth Rank skills, one Grade Nine Gold Injury Pill, one 100-year-old Blood Lingzhis, and 200,000 silver."

As the city head glanced at the confused look of the crowd, he continued," Although the prizes of the second and third ranks were significantly lesser than the first, they all have a chance to join the Star academy of Star Kingdom."

"As for the other seven young geniuses that are ranked in the Challenger league, they will each get one high grade Earth Rank skill, and 100,000 silver." 

The Stadium was filled with a rising commotion.

"Star Academy! Are they talking about the number one academy in the entire Kingdom?"

"Well! Not only number one in the Star Kingdom but also ranked 4 in the 10-Alliance Kingdoms."

The 10-Alliance Kingdoms were the kingdoms that were situated in the west part of the southern region.

Altogether they formed an alliance that was regulated by the west state governor.

After finishing the announcement, the city gazes at Kritos who had a faded look on his face.

"Kritos, this year's first rank in the Challenger League is something you fully deserve! As for the prizes, we will give them to you later on at the prize ceremony."

The city head nodded to Kritos.

Defeating Foundation Realm expert with a peak Apprentice Realm cultivation, he acknowledged his defeat.

He wanted to ask many questions to Kritos. His heart was beating thinking of the power he displayed.

'In the transformation form, he could easily match with a Rank 2 foundation expert. No, even Rank 2 would be easily defeated. Only Rank 3 foundation mage could give him any competition,' Sol Dwivedi thought to himself while looking at Kritos.

However, Before Kritos could respond anything, a sudden incursion happened inside his body.

One by one Kritos body was returning to normal.

He could feel his power drastically decreasing at a great speed.

[Time Remaining: 0 seconds]

[First Form Deactivated….]

[Weak State accelerated…]

[ -20 STR, -17.5 STA, -19 END, -16 AGI, -20 VIT, ]

[Host: Kritos Rathore ]

[Race: High Human( Stage 3)

[Soul beast: Aurelius]

[Bloodline: None]

[Form: Initial Form] 

[Physique: Blue crescent moon physique(1st form)]

[Soul cultivation: Rank Eight apprentice Realm] 

[Body cultivation: Level one Blue crescent Moon Physique ]

[Body cultivation techniques: Blue crescent moon body cultivation]

[SP: 030]

[Body status] (weak state)

[STR: 20 (40*)]

[STA: 17.5 (35*)]

[END: 19 (38*)]

[VIT: 20 (40*)]

[AGI: 16 (32*)]

[Soul status]

[Magic: 00 (Weak state)]

As Kritos saw the information of his current temporary stats, a sudden mental haziness occurred in his mind.

He felt he couldn't even push his hand. 

All of a sudden, Kritos falls to the ground.

Thud!!!

"Kritos!"

Noticing Kritos collapse, Lakhan quickly leaps towards him. 

"What happens to him? I don't saw any heavy injuries in his body," one of the Judge murmurs

"Maybe he just exhausts due to using his full power and energy," Someone replied

Lakhan checked Kritos body temperature and pulse and then only he had a sigh of relief.

Kritos collapsed on the ground only because of his weakened state. His body doesn't have a single energy to sustain his body after transformation.

Lakhan put him on his shoulder and went towards a safe spot. 

Finally, this year's challenger League came to an end.

This year's ranking was released.

First, Kritos Rathore.

Second, Clara Augusta.

Third, Vishwa Tigreal.

Fourth, Sam Dwivedi.

...

...

That night, there was a great fair outside the Stadium.

Nonetheless, Kritos was sleeping in his room. 

***

After two days…

Due to exhaustion and weakness, Kritos most of the time sleeps in his room.

However, something abnormal is happening these days. 

The following days, he would wake up at night. A bloody and terrifying scene tormented him like a nightmare.

In his room, he dazedly sat, his mind unfocused, his complexion extremely poor. Looking at the grasses that were growing well in the ground from his window. Once, he was a carefree boy living in the village with his happy family, he suddenly felt that his life had changed a lot, completely different than before.

Why was it like that?

He asked himself.

He remembered the strange dreams that had puzzled him for two days. The slightly familiar voice in the dream. Unconsciously, he couldn't help compare the nightmare of the last two days to the frequently repeating dream. Compared to the nightmare of the last few days, the usual dream didn't have a bit of blood. But whenever he was shocked awake, it was like he had been lifted out of the water, his entire body soaked.

It clearly wasn't a bloody and scary dream but it always made him so nervous, terrified. Yes, terrified. When he woke, other than sweat, there was also his stiff body. He didn't know when he was dreaming, what his sleeping body was like. But undoubtedly, he was definitely afraid. But he didn't know what he was afraid of.

That dream was the reason that he had a dull face. He believed that there was really something behind the dream.

That "You must not forget even in death," damn it, what is it!

Kritos recalls the words which were said by the familiar man to a living corpse.

Suddenly those blood and the headless corpses became less scary in Kritos's eyes. For some reason, the frequent yet not scary dream, the terror that it brought Kritos far outweighed those bloody scenes.

Those black corpses were standing, walking like living beings. Some have strange powers, some look strange. But all of them were following the order of a single man.

What was he doing?

Kritos suddenly seemed to have woken up. He hit his head heavily.

Why did he get scared by just that scene? To search for the answer, wasn't he willing to put his life on the line?

This world, what was more frightening than having the same dream repeating each night? This world, what was more frightening than clearly knowing you had something important you shouldn't forget but could not remember? What was more frightening than having a complex mind which sometimes remembered an unknown boy in his village?

Kratos's blank eyes slowly focused, his eyes resuming clarity and brightness.

What was he afraid of?

Wasn't it just his life?

He told himself inside. If he wanted to kill the demon lord and search for the Secret of his dreams, he would encounter many difficulties. If he couldn't get through this barrier, how can he become the strongest?

Kritos stood up. After thinking it through, his mind became clear. Unknowingly, his mental state and health improved hugely. 

"What to fear from that ugly necromancer? He doesn't even have eyes."

These days, In a dream, he sees a familiar but weird person who can communicate and control the corpse of strange beings. 

Even his eyes were weird, but the most terrifying part was that he was telling bizarre things to them. 

"You must not forget him even in death," 

It was the only line he could remember.

Who was 'him'? If they were already dead, why was he saying such words?

Nonetheless, these things couldn't frighten him but he saw something which he could never believe.

Kritos recall the horrifying part where he said, " How are you?" after looking in a particular direction.

The particular direction he looked was the place where Kritos was observing from his dream.

Kritos suddenly felt, he was asking him.

"Forget it, it was just a dream. Anything could happen in it," Kritos murmurs in a low voice.

After neglecting these thoughts, Kritos glances at the screen.

[ Remaining: 24 hours]

"So only one day remains before I could use System," Kritos sigh

It was odd but Kritos couldn't use the System in a weak state.

He couldn't even check his status screen. 

Previously when he first woke up after sleeping for an entire day, he tried to see the mission reward, but he failed. Only a notification pops up telling him about the remaining time.

"It may be due to the first time using the First form," Kritos thought to himself.

Due to his condition, Kritos didn't attend the prize ceremony event. His father had received the prizes in his place.

Talking to the prizes, they all were at his tables but in this state, he couldn't use them.

Furthermore, Kritos grandfather already denied joining the Star academy in his place. Kritos requested him to do so.

"Alas! There is nothing to do but to continue writing poems!"

It was one of Kritos' hobbies after learning how to write, but due to the cultivation and training, Kritos doesn't get enough time to write it.

××××××××××××××

Stats comparison-

Ordinary Peak apprentice Realm limit: <30 points in each stat.

Apprentice to Foundation Realm breakthrough: 20 points increase in all stats

Each minor breakthrough in the foundation realm normally increases 10 points in each stat.

If there are any questions about the stats distribution, you can ask in the comment section.