Chapter 85: Trapped

“Damn it. You mortals are so weak and pathetic!”

Mongrel pretended not to care, yet he clenched his teeth tightly. His large eye darted around with clear worry, and a sheen of nervous sweat formed across his form as fear gripped him more strongly than he wanted to admit.

“Is this Nightmare strong?” Elizabeth asked, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of tension.

“...Because that Nightmare King forced the seed to germinate ahead of time, it’s... it might not be a fully matured one. It is likely a Nightmare Embryo right now,” Mongrel explained, his tone growing more serious. “Hence, it is devouring the souls trapped here from those that recently died, attempting to grow into a Matured Nightmare. It is a larva right now, technically... it can be killed relatively easily. The problem is getting there.”

“Defenses, right?” Elizabeth pressed.

“Yes. As the Master of this Nightmare Realm, it knows how weak it is and will not let anybody close to it!” Mongrel analyzed carefully. “It will shape this world into a fortress for its own protection. That star you are seeing is likely its shell. You will have to break it to enter the Nightmare Heart.”

“Is... is Alfrion still salvageable?” Elizabeth asked, her eyes filled with quiet determination and a flicker of hope.

Mongrel was left speechless for a moment. “Are you kidding me?! You want to save him?!”

Suddenly, another presence emerged behind Elizabeth, formed of soft azure pixels that shimmered gently in the strange light of the Nightmare Realm.

Astraea.

“Master Elizabeth! I am glad you are safe,” she said with a heavy sigh of relief. “A lot happened... but I am glad you are alive and well. Thank you, Mongrel, for saving her.”

“It’s nothing. If she dies, I will die too,” Mongrel shrugged with his many tentacles, though a hint of genuine concern lingered in his voice.

Elizabeth smiled warmly. “Astraea! I am glad you are alright too. Do you think we could save Alfrion?”

Astraea rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, the Nightmare has not fully matured. It likely has not eaten its host yet... as long as we can separate him from the Nightmare by destroying it while keeping his body intact. But that may seem impossible, since both are fused... But maybe... maybe if you use Harmony...”

“Right, Harmony!” Elizabeth nodded firmly. “I guess that is going to be my main weapon right now...” she sighed, the weight of the task settling over her, yet resolve burned steadily in her chest.

“Also... you fought a lot of monsters so you earned plenty of rewards,” Astraea added.

“I did, right?” Elizabeth wondered aloud, a spark of anticipation rising within her.

Ding!

[Due to the accumulation of EXP, your Levels have increased dramatically.]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[Level Up!]

[...]

[Your Dragon Path has Leveled Up from Level 146 to Level 155!]

[Your Chaos Demon Path has Leveled Up from Level 127 to Level 135!]

[Your High Human Path has Leveled Up from Level 100 to Level 107!]

[Your Ice Dragon Path has Leveled Up from Level 1 to Level 8!]

[Your Adventurer Class has Leveled Up from Level 100 to Level 111!]

[Your Jack of all Trades Class has Leveled Up from Level 0 to Level 17!]

[All your Stats have increased.]

[You earned a large quantity of Stat Points.]

[You have earned 2,200,000 System Points.]

[Your Bonded Familiar: [Incarnation of the Spiral of Eternity: Paragon – Rank 3: Level 125/300] has Leveled Up to Level 132!]

[Several Skills have Leveled Up!]

[The High Human Path Skill: [Adaptive Learning – Tier 1: Level 6/10] has Leveled Up to Level 8!]

[The High Human Path Skill: [Arcane Prodigy – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 3!]

[The High Human Path Skill: [Scholar’s Mind – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 3!]

[The High Human Path Skill: [Noble Presence – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 3!]

[The Ice Dragon Path Skill: [Reflective Crystal Scales – Tier 1: Level 1/10] has Leveled Up to Level 3!]

[The Ice Dragon Path Skill: [Frost Breath – Tier 1: Level 1/10] has Leveled Up to Level 3!]

[The Adventurer Class Skill: [Stealth – Tier 2: Level 10/20] has Leveled Up to Level 12!]

[The Adventurer Class Skill: [Knife Rain – Tier 2: Level 12/20] has Leveled Up to Level 14!]

[The Adventurer Class Skill: [Pathfinder’s Instinct – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 2!]

[The Adventurer Class Skill: [Versatile Combatant – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 2!]

[The Adventurer Class Skill: [Bonded Companion Enhancement – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 2!]

[The Adventurer Class Skill: [Adventurer’s Luck – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 2!]

[The Jack of All Trades Class Skill: [Versatile Aptitude – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 4!]

[The Jack of All Trades Class Skill: [Skill Weaver – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 5!]

[The Jack of All Trades Class Skill: [Improvisation Mastery – Tier 1: Level 0/10] has Leveled Up to Level 3!]

[The Harmony Affinity Skill: [Harmonious Restoration – Tier 1: Level 6/10] has Leveled Up to Level 8!]

[The Harmony Affinity Skill: [Light of Harmony – Tier 1: Level 6/10] has Leveled Up to Level 8!]

[The Ice Affinity Skill: [Sorrowful Winter Garden – Tier 2: Level 11/20] has Leveled Up to Level 13!]

[The Ice Affinity Skill: [Freeze Shock – Tier 2: Level 3/10] has Leveled Up to Level 5!]

[The Ice Affinity Skill: [Origin Frost – Tier 3: Level 1/10] has Leveled Up to Level 3!]

[The Spiralwalker Ability: [Nebula of Memories – Tier 8: Level 10/20] has Leveled Up to Level 12!]

[The Spiralwalker Ability: [Little Star of Destiny – Tier 8: Level 1/10] has Leveled Up to Level 5!]

Elizabeth felt a powerful surge of new strength course through her body as she realized the full extent of her new levels and skill advancements. Her stats and magical power had both been significantly boosted, filling her with renewed confidence and vitality.

Above all, she noticed her Little Star of Destiny Skill resonating strongly within her. Reinhardt and those he had bonded with were still alive, and they were calling out for her across the twisted realm.

“Alright, I can sense them more clearly now...! Let’s go, over there!”

She pointed toward a floating island to the left, a massive formation of jagged stone and ruined buildings covered with sharp spires of black crystals and a dense forest of twisted black trees that seemed to writhe under the dim light.

She transformed into her Harmony Dragon Form, her body shifting with graceful power as radiant scales shimmered across her form. She spread out her wide wings and took flight toward the distant island, carefully bringing Mongrel and Astraea along with her through the unstable air of the Nightmare Realm.

“Come to think of it, Dryad? Paragon?”

She summoned them both. Although they seemed to have landed elsewhere after the chaotic separation, the moment she called for them, they were drawn to her side in a swirl of familiar energy.

“Ugh, where are we?!” Dryad asked angrily, glancing around with clear irritation and confusion.

Paragon remained in silence, his gaze sweeping across the surreal surroundings in quiet awe as the strange, oppressive atmosphere of the realm settled over them all.

“We’re inside a Nightmare Realm!” Elizabeth explained firmly. “Sorry that this happened, but please lend me your strength for a little longer!”

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