Another flurry of strikes came my way—fast, brutal, surgical. But more than that, they were beautiful.
Each move flowed into the next, a lethal dance that made every twitch of my body scream to move faster or die.
Damn it! His swordsmanship is completely different now! It's not brute rage—it's refined. Clinical. Deadly.
Even in my buffed state—my reaction time cranked to the limits, my mind running faster than humanly possible—I was only surviving by hair's breadths.
Counter? Not with that thing.
Engage? I might as well stab myself.
I twisted, ducked, rolled, and blinked again, staying just far enough out of reach that the blade only brushed my clothes—but not far enough that I could regroup. Heck I had to always watch my surroundings - afraid our rematch would harm the others and need a suitable space for my plan to work out.
Was running out. And I didn't even have the plan yet.
This wasn't just some rage-fueled berserker.
Aeron was finally fighting like a main character. No… not just a main character. He was one.
A protagonist possessed. The type who'd make demon lords piss themselves in his peak arc. But now he was dancing to another tune, and I was the unlucky background character caught in his trial episode.
There has to be a weakness. Something I can use…
Aeron lunged again, his blade carving a crimson arc through the air. I barely twisted aside, feeling the cursed steel graze my ribs—
The Verdant Shield flared, absorbing most of the impact, but the force still sent me skidding back.
How can he keep up with me? Is it because he is an MC? Or...
Then—an idea struck me.
Aeron wasn't just a puppet.
He was Aeron—the guy who blushed when Livia teased him, who carried Emilia's books without being asked, who'd once spent an entire night practicing sword forms just to impress his teacher/family/crush/friend(probbaly).
Somewhere under the sword's control, he was still there.
And if I couldn't break the sword… maybe I could break the control.
My mind spun, analyzing every possibility.
Possession ≠ Perfection – The sword controlled him, but his body still had limits.
Predictable Rage – Every time I rang the bell, he grew more aggressive. More reckless.
One Track Mind – He only saw me. Not the environment. Not the fallen students around us.
My Only Chance: Exploit the human beneath the curse.
I Blinked sideways as his sword carved through the air where my ribs had been—
Not at the sword or to disarm.
A straight punch to his once handsome now freaky face.
Aeron's blade flicked up instantly, deflecting my fist with the flat of the sword. The impact reverberated through my arm, but I'd expected it.
I let the momentum throw me back—
A gamble. A desperate one.
And for the briefest instant—
The sword's glow flickered.
And in that split second of hesitation—
I Blinked behind him, fist already cocked for a brutal strike to the base of his skull.
But Foresight started screaming again.
Aeron was already turning, his grin widening, the sword whipping around in a diagonal slash aimed to bisect me at the waist.
I kept punching, throwing every ounce of enhanced strength into the blow.
The black blade connected with my side—
The Verdant Shield shattered under the force, the sword's edge biting into my skin—
But I Interception Stepped mid-impact.
Suddenly, I was in front of Aeron again, my fist still driving forward—
And this time, it landed.
My knuckles smashed into his jaw with a sound like a tree splitting.
Aeron's head snapped back, his body lifting off the ground from the sheer force. He flew backward, crashing into a pile of overturned chairs, wood splintering under him.
I collapsed, rolling across the floor, my side burning where the sword had grazed me. Blood seeped through my shirt, but I gritted my teeth and forced myself up.
Aeron was already stirring, the sword still clenched in his grip, its red aura pulsing erratically.
Blinked the last of my energy—
My foot slammed into his wrist with a sickening crack.
The sword clattered away, skidding across the marble.
Aeron's eyes flickered—crimson to black, then — they fell.
The sword's glow starting dimming like a malfuncitoned battery..
Aeron finally fainted.
The moment the blessing faded, my body betrayed me.
Every muscle screamed in protest, joints locking as if my bones had turned to lead. A deep, gnawing ache spread through my limbs—not the sharp pain of injury, but something worse: the hollow exhaustion of overclocked limits.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay upright. Compared to the nightmare bath, this was manageable— and there was no bleeding from my eyes/ears and etc or fainting on the spot. Just the brutal reminder that my body wasn't meant to handle that kind of power.
[Scenario - "Crimson Dream" - Completed!]
"You walked through the garden of madness and picked its thorns one by one. Where others would have become just another screaming bloom, you remained the gardener."
- Favorability with Key Characters (Zephyr, Luna, Sara)
- ??? (Complete the hidden objective)
Major Psychological Trauma: Avoided
Oh, it's time to reap the rewards-
[Title Earned: Dreamweaver]
You navigated the labyrinth of collective unconsciousness and led others back to daylight.
➤ +15% resistance to area-wide mental attacks
➤ Slightly improves mental stabilization
[Achievement Unlocked: Mass Purification]
Successfully freed over 50 minds from advanced hallucinations within time limit.
➤ Level up [Exorcist's Gaze]
Oh, let's look at the actual reward I was hoping for -
[New Ability Acquired: Exorcist's Gaze - Lv1 (Active)]
Pierce the shroud of deception. Reveal the unseen.
- Mental Interference Detection: Automatically sense hostile mental influence within a 15-meter radius.
- Illusion Recognition: Discern the strength and complexity of illusions upon visual contact.
- Mental Disruption: Briefly destabilize weaker mental assaults targeting the user or allies within 5 meters. (2/day)
- Cooldown: 45 minutes.