Possession

The advance team arrived near the incident site. Under the pitch-black conditions, relying on non-visual senses and carefully comparing the images from their memories to the distant scene, navigation proved difficult.

Approaching, they continued their careful search.

After searching for a short while, Tinina's steps became noticeably unsteady; she stumbled and fell.

Nie Hong, having noticed Tinina's unwell state, reacted swiftly, spinning to use stasis to stabilize her falling body, then caught her before she hit the ground.

"Miss Tinina?!" he exclaimed in alarm.

She hadn't appeared injured before, yet her condition was now extremely poor.

Her breathing was ragged, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"I…" Tinina tried to say she was fine, but quickly realized that would be too strong a claim.

Her condition deteriorated rapidly, abnormally fast.

"How long have we been inside?" a Sanctuary reinforcement suddenly asked.

After checking, the timekeeper responded, "Thirty-seven hours; a day and a half."

"This… is Eternal Night's effect on beast miracle believers so severe?" Nie Hong asked anxiously.

Everyone possesses beast nature; beast miracle believers with active beast nature being affected by Eternal Night isn't surprising, but this sudden, rapid deterioration was excessive. By this logic, the normal humans among them should quickly display negative symptoms.

"Mithra stayed here for three days without incident," Nie Hong recalled. "Though Mithra isn't comparable to a normal human, her resistance offers some indication. This shouldn't be happening…"

"One, two, three… four…" Suddenly, Tinina began to count amidst her tremors.

Under everyone's questioning gazes, Tinina raised her head. Of course, she couldn't see anything; even with the Eternal Night, some semblance of sky should still exist.

"Five… six… seven…"

Tinina continued counting. No one understood what she was doing, whether she'd lost her mind, but no one dared to interrupt her.

As she continued counting, her breathing became steadier, and Nie Hong could feel her trembling lessen significantly.

Finally, Tinina rose from her prone position.

"Whew… Sorry for causing concern," Tinina said in a low voice.

"…Miss Tinina, let's find the marker and return. Your condition seems very poor," Nie Hong suggested. The other team members nodded in agreement.

Tinina was the team's strongest combatant, especially in this environment where many miracles were limited; beast miracles, however, were exceptionally powerful.

If her condition was poor, they wouldn't be able to risk Tinina losing control.

It wasn't good for them either.

"…It's the burden on my consciousness from Daphne's body. Otherwise, my beast nature wouldn't have become uncontrollable so quickly," Tinina said after a moment of silence.

"Though I'm anxious, I can't carelessly drag Daphne along, nor risk you all. We should find the return marker and retreat…"

Her voice was filled with reluctance, but Tinina knew her special condition made further travel through Eternal Night unsuitable.

This body wasn't her own.

However, as a vessel for her will, once she beast transformed, this body would still be affected and mutate.

Then, the beast transformation of Daphne's body would again affect Daphne's will, creating the worst possible scenario.

She'd already been reckless and almost caused Daphne to be killed by Mithra; now wasn't the time for stubbornness.

This child, whose body she'd inhabited since a young age… couldn't be subjected to unnecessary danger due to her recklessness.

Though somewhat regretful—they seemed so close to their goal—the uncertain outcome wasn't worth the risk. Ensuring the person's safety was the priority.

The entire team retreated without complaint.

Along the way, Nie Hong looked at Tinina and curiously asked, "Miss Tinina, you counted to calm yourself just now. Is that a habit?"

"What else? Did you think it was a miracle?" Tinina, relaxing slightly, replied teasingly.

Though the time spent together was short, fighting side-by-side easily shortened the distance. Nie Hong's behavior was satisfactory, so she didn't hesitate to share some knowledge and guidance.

Of course, casual banter had become routine.

Nie Hong chuckled, "If only there were a miracle better than Stabilize for calming down."

Stabilize, while versatile, has inherent limitations as a basic miracle. It can't truly resist all factors leading to frenzy, nor can it restore consciousness to someone who's lost control.

"Sometimes, compared to miracles, personal habits and routines are more effective for finding one's bearings when lost," a nearby teammate chimed in, offering a brief lesson.

"Counting is a common technique; some people count specific things, or solve simple math problems. Another method is reciting the names of familiar people. Nie Hong, you should try that in the future."

The overall tone was light, but the voice became serious when delivering the final sentence.

Nie Hong nodded appreciatively, then remembered something, "My own name counts, right?"

"Of course, anything familiar to maintain basic reasoning can be tried; names are essential. However, names are often obscured first in many situations. Without extremely strong willpower and overwhelming stimulation, reciting your name in chaos is more difficult than you think."

Nie Hong expressed his gratitude, surprised by this knowledge.

Planet Blue residents, besides their initial experiences during the Dreamland era, had rarely experienced uncontrolled incidents caused by miracles after the Planet Blue miracle learning system was established. Unless trapped in Dreamland with no escape, finding a teleport to return to Planet Blue solved everything. This type of knowledge was mostly precautionary, not guaranteed, and thus wasn't systematically taught.

Suddenly, the sounds of Eternal Night creatures moving echoed from the surrounding darkness.

Something seemed to be causing a disturbance nearby.

This wasn't unusual; considering the recent commotion, it was only natural for these monsters to create a ruckus.

They intended to quickly pass by, avoiding involvement.

At that moment, a strange, faint purple light flashed in the chaotic darkness.

Tinina suddenly sensed something unusual.

After a sound of collision, something flew towards them, rolling cleanly across the ground.

"What was that?" someone asked.

Following the sound, Nie Hong touched a hard, crystalline object: "A crystal? Wait, that shape… an Eternal Night crystal!"

Immediately, everyone's attention was drawn.

"An Eternal Night crystal!?"

"Why is there an Eternal Night crystal here?"

"Left behind by a branch bishop?"

"Not necessarily. Eternal Night crystals are formed from the lingering power of Eternal Night; it's not strange to find them in a wild Eternal Night environment."

The Sanctuary members, who were mostly intellectuals, immediately began discussing.

Tzu—

The Eternal Night crystal emitted another faint purple glow.

Tinina, focusing on it, used her Night Eyes to view the information.

[Eternal Night Crystal: Fragment of darkness…■■■—]

The displayed information was incomplete.

This was a normal reaction for Tinina's eyes; how much information they could display was a matter of luck; at times, she might see nothing.

She had seen Eternal Night crystal information before, once even seeing some description of Eternal Night, but this time, she saw nothing beyond the beginning.

That was strange.

Suddenly, the information before her changed.

[——Those who cannot bear the weight of darkness, who recklessly enter Eternal Night, will be crushed by it. Even the common use of an eye's power demands a price.]

The words struck Tinina like a heavy hammer.

Until now, the lifeless text seemed to come alive.

Then…

"Roar—!"

A deafening roar of a wild beast reached her ears.

No… that was her own voice.

It happened so suddenly that everyone was caught off guard.

Even Tinina herself.

Her flesh and bones began to mutate; fur sprouted on her skin, her nails transformed into claws, and her teeth became sharper.

Even if she'd reacted quickly to suppress the change, it was already too late.

"Tinina?!" Nie Hong called out, turning his head.

"Get away from me!" Tinina shouted back; her voice was becoming rough and indistinct.

What happened?

Why had Tinina, who had just regained control of her beast transformation, suddenly lost control?

Claws wildly slashing, she repelled everyone around her, then collapsed to the ground.

"The Eternal Night crystal!" A Sanctuary member suddenly realized something. The most significant variable was the crystal they'd unexpectedly found!

Nie Hong looked at the crystal in his hand, quickly retreating: "I'll try moving it further away!"

But before he could move far, a great commotion echoed from the surrounding darkness, a large number of creatures rushing towards them.

Nie Hong was directly attacked from the darkness.

Using Ki to protect himself from the impact of several monsters, Nie Hong sensed a multitude of creatures surrounding them.

The Eternal Night crystal in his hand pulsed with an eerie light.

This was undoubtedly the cause of their recent misfortunes.

After confirming this, he didn't hesitate; he threw the Eternal Night crystal away. Now wasn't the time to risk their lives for it!

Unexpectedly, a condensed sense emanated from the crystal; inky black liquid seeped out, forming a long, blade-like shape.

"What!?"

A living Eternal Night crystal?!

The blade hovered momentarily in mid-air, then, as if targeting him, slashed towards Nie Hong.

Nie Hong nimbly dodged, narrowly avoiding the black blade each time.

"Roar—!"

"Nie Hong, watch out!" A Sanctuary member shouted.

Without needing the warning, Nie Hong noticed Tinina, in her beast transformation, charging towards him.

The long blade, after whirling gracefully, swung down with immense force.

Without time to think, crimson Ki surged through him, directly mixing into his protective Ki; the originally smooth protective barrier began to become somewhat "chaotic" under the infusion of this Ki.

Dong!

A monster that had attempted to sneak attack Nie Hong directly collided with this crimson-black Ki barrier; it was immediately repelled, the point of contact severely damaged.

Nie Hong suddenly spread his arms, rapidly expanding his protective Ki, simultaneously blocking the blade and Tinina's attack.

Simultaneously confronting both attacks, Nie Hong's Ki reaction was incredibly fierce.

Both the blade and Tinina's beast transformation were stronger than Nie Hong; even the specially strengthened Ki barrier couldn't completely deflect them, merely delaying their actions slightly.

Taking this opportunity, he quickly retreated.

As he moved away, his protective Ki rapidly dissipated, leaving the blade and Tinina to clash.

Tinina swung her arm, deflecting the blade, then stumbled, bracing herself against a nearby wall.

The blade struck the ground near a shadowy pillar dweller. On the inky black blade, the Eternal Night crystal faintly pulsed again.

The shadowy dweller, drawn to it, approached and reached out to grasp the blade.

In the next instant, the black substance spread across its body, like cracks climbing its form.

The shadowy dweller didn't even utter a scream before falling silent.

Then, its previously hunched body straightened; its posture stiff, it turned towards the struggling Tinina.

"Darkness… eyes…" It rasped, its throat seeming to be sliced by a blade.

The Sanctuary members caught up with Nie Hong; still shaken, they struggled to understand the situation.

"Damn it, this world is too damn bizarre!" someone involuntarily cursed.

"Prepare for a split retreat; we need to ensure someone survives."

"Tinina and Daphne?" Nie Hong unconsciously asked.

But as the question left his lips, he nearly knew the answer.

They fell silent for a moment. Amidst Tinina's cries of pain, someone weakly said, "A beast miracle's loss of control during beast transformation is almost irreversible."

"This…"

Nie Hong gaped.

Tinina clutched her head, attempting to maintain her rationality, but to no avail; the savage beast within surged like a tide through her mind.

"One, two… two… Roar… three…"

Suddenly, a blade sliced into Tinina's back, abruptly ending her attempt at counting, transforming her voice into a mournful bestial roar.

The "shadow pillar dweller," wielding the blade, swiftly swung down, severing her legs, causing her to fall.

Tinina collapsed, sensing a sharp edge before her eyes.

The blade, pointed directly at her…

That Eternal Night crystal was wrong; something was inside, something that had possessed it and targeted her…

Tinina's last vestiges of rationality continued their assessment.

If she didn't think, it would truly be over!

At that moment, a beam of purple light shone down, illuminating Tinina's surroundings like a spotlight.

The Sanctuary advance team members didn't understand the nature of this light.

But the shadowy pillar dweller, wielding the blade, suddenly abandoned Tinina and fled.

However, four flying swords were faster; they surrounded and struck it, quickly embedding themselves within the creature.

Its escape halted; as it reached for the blade, a pale blue light flashed, and both its hands, along with the Eternal Night crystal blade, were blown away.

The moment the blade left its hand, the shadowy pillar dweller, the black substance receding, died instantly.

The blade tumbled across the ground, about to take flight again, when the light shifted, engulfing it.

A foot stomped on it, pinning it to the ground.

Mithra's light illuminated the blade, clearly forged using an Eternal Night miracle, much to her surprise.

["Possession": Self miracle. Rumored to temporarily highly activate the spirit or soul, allowing for posthumous transference into another object. Upon transference, they do not experience rebirth but rather a form of spiritual transformation.]

[Ikli's Distilled Sense: A distilled sense of a steadfast Night Hunter branch bishop. His Possession attempt should have failed, but due to the Eternal Night crystal and the Eternal Night environment, it unexpectedly crossed the rift between reality and illusion. His Distilled Sense, instead of being truly possessed, infused itself into the Eternal Night crystal, formally completing the "Possession".]

The branch bishop who'd been playing with the long blade was the one Mithra's Stranger had instantly killed.

Even within Self miracles, there were such bizarre ones.

In the Dreamland environment, this wasn't particularly surprising.

Mithra raised the Night Hunter Greatsword and struck the blade.

The inky black substance was dispelled by the Night Hunter Greatsword, leaving the Eternal Night crystal on the ground.

But the moment it landed, it rapidly began to bounce away from Mithra, emitting a brighter light than before.

This was real light.

Instantly, a large number of Eternal Night creatures stirred around them.

The chaos resumed.

"Mithra!?" Nie Hong recognized her from the four flying swords and quickly called out.

Mithra didn't turn, simply stating, "Help me block anything getting close."

"Huh?"

The situation changed too rapidly. The advance team members hadn't recovered from Tinina's mutation, the living Eternal Night crystal, and the crystal targeting Tinina, before Mithra's appearance further accelerated events.

They also noticed the newly revealed Eternal Night crystal, shining without concealment, attracting the attention of surrounding creatures.

Several Sanctuary members were furious; if they survived this Eternal Night ordeal, they'd have a lot to say.

What kind of "designer" made this map's light-attracting monster mechanism?!

May their whole family be cursed!

Despite their complaints, they followed Mithra's instructions.

Though they intended to rescue Mithra, their actual role was more accurately described as "finding Mithra and guiding her home".

The situation was far beyond their capabilities. With Mithra's arrival, their task was simple: assistance and following her instructions.

The team rapidly moved to Mithra's side, intercepting the monsters charging towards her.

The monsters were already numerous; now, the Eternal Night crystal excited them, making their reactions even faster.

Mithra's two great swords swept through them, only to be instantly replaced by others.

In moments, a bat-like creature swooped past, seizing the Eternal Night crystal and attempting to flee.

Mithra prepared to use her flying swords to shoot it down, but a crimson swirling figure suddenly appeared beside her.

Nie Hong!

[Deathly Ki: Ki miracle. Renewal and decay, the cycle of life and death, a self-defined principle. It gathers blood, discarded blood, and everything "old and discarded" within the body. In the symbolic cycle, the negative aspects are extracted, forming highly destructive killing intent.]

This was a newly learned miracle that Nie Hong had been practicing.

In Nie Hong's hands, the deep crimson Deathly Ki, combined with normal Ki, formed a core of inky blackness surrounded by a scarlet sphere; it shot towards the bat-like creature.

Incredibly fast, like a cannonball, it possessed high penetration; it pierced through a crowd of monsters, striking its target.

Creatures affected by the Deathly Ki would have the negative aspects of their internal cycles amplified; simply put, "decay".

Many monsters collapsed directly.

As for the bat-like creature directly hit by the lethal Ki, it didn't even wait for decay to set in before being blown to pieces.

Nie Hong maintained steady breathing, another crimson Ki constantly flowing through him.

[Life Ki: Ki miracle. Within the self-defined principle, the Ki symbolizing rebirth, a vibrant and flourishing tide of life that absorbs all things. In the symbolic cycle, the positive aspects of life are extracted, forming life energy.]

A Ki miracle that complements and contrasts with the Deathly Ki.

These two Ki miracles must be learned together; neglecting one while mastering the other leads to errors in the Ki user's internal Ki cycle.

Deathly Ki would cause her own decay, while Life Ki would trigger a surge of blood and flesh.

But in balance, they complemented each other, becoming stronger.

As she passed him, Mithra patted his shoulder in affirmation, then planted her greatsword firmly on the ground, activating Enlightened Step and pursuing the Eternal Night crystal through the gap created by Nie Hong.

But after her gaze passed through the dense net of monsters, she discovered that the Eternal Night crystal had rolled towards the half-beast-transformed Tinina!

Her Night Eyes suddenly displayed a miracle's information.

["Possession": …]

The information appeared again; theoretically, the "Possession" should continue.

Although the Eternal Night crystal granted immense power, a single crystal as a body was insufficient; it required a powerful physical body to support itself.

The moment the crystal touched Tinina's skin, it merged into her flesh.

Tinina immediately felt excruciating pain, screaming out; her already unstable spirit experienced a severe rending sensation.

But before she could fully react, four flying swords pierced her limbs, pinning her against the wall behind her.

Then Mithra reached Tinina, aiming for the spot where the crystal had just entered. Her free hand transformed into a claw, directly piercing into it.

She arrived in time; the crystal had barely entered and hadn't moved before he grabbed it.

Tinina struggled violently; her eyes were consumed by pain and frenzy. As Mithra wrestled with the crystal, she suddenly lowered her head and bit into Mithra's neck.

Rip—

A strained sound came from Mithra's neck; blood flowed down, spattering her face.

But Mithra's expression remained unchanged; she merely adjusted her angle slightly, her Night Eyes close to Tinina's beast-transformed face: "You came to save me?"

Her question was irrelevant to the current situation.

Of course, only Tinina's rough, bestial breathing answered.

"Whether I need it or not, I appreciate your good intentions, so I'll try my best to help you. Bite harder; don't bite your tongue. Endure the pain; it'll be over soon…"

"Mmm…" Mithra's calm voice seemed to have a calming effect; a whimper escaped Tinina's mouth.

Mithra's claws stirred within Tinina's body.

The Eternal Night crystal trembled violently.

Crazy! It had already entered another's body, the Possession was only seconds from success! Even this could be snatched away by this madman!

It was trapped!

If it continued with the Possession, the two connected entities would disrupt the casting!

Possession was a miracle with an extremely low success rate. Its desperate final act, successfully possessing the Eternal Night crystal, was something to be thanked for countless times—"Bless Anderet".

Using it on Tinina, who was on the verge of collapse, was already risky due to the immense threat Mithra posed; now, there was also Mithra herself?

A gamble!

But Ikli had to risk it.

If it didn't, being captured by Mithra meant certain death; it had no other choice!

Possession!

Three participants were involved in the Possession, with the Eternal Night crystal serving as a crucial, specialized material.

This was a miracle operation that even those obsessed with miracle mysteries wouldn't dare attempt.

At that moment, a white light from the Self miracle rapidly spread from Tinina's body.

Mithra and Tinina's figures were enveloped.

Mithra had mentally prepared for this type of "possession" miracle, the Manic autistic preparing herself again.

But suddenly, everything before her began to blur uncontrollably.

Her spirit wasn't affected, but… why the blur?

Suddenly, Mithra remembered the description of Ikli's Possession from Night Eyes.

It was a failed Possession attempt, but due to the environment and the special nature of the material, it had crossed the rift between reality and illusion.

The rift between reality and illusion… Mithra recalled a similar description—

The Dreamscape Gap?

...

Mithra opened her eyes.

Before her was not the pitch-black Eternal Night world, shrouded in darkness without light.

She was in a classical-style manor; birds sang, flowers bloomed. Only when looking towards the distance did she see the familiar white swirling mist.

After glancing around, Mithra reached into her hip pouch and took out her sleeping bird bell.

A gentle chime rang; she listened quietly as the clear sound spread.

White feathers drifted from behind her to before her eyes; light footsteps approached slowly.

"...I didn't expect to see you again. Your fate seems intertwined with many things, impolite passerby," a familiar voice echoed. Mithra turned and saw Elise standing elegantly behind her.

Those uncanny eyes stared at Mithra without concern.

"Though I wanted to try again, I didn't expect it to be so sudden," Mithra replied.

"So I must say again, there's nothing particularly memorable in the Dreamscape Gap… but it's pointless to say it now. Your reappearance means my role is the same as before," Elise said with a faint sigh.

Having said that, Mithra didn't look at her again, but continued observing the surrounding architecture: "Again, I need to find the Dreamscape master, then find a way to deal with them to leave?"

"As you said." Elise followed behind Mithra, like a solemn lady-in-waiting.

Mithra thought Elise would have excellent presence in a classical lady-in-waiting outfit.

"Please focus more on leaving this Dreamscape; you have things to attend to outside, passerby," Elise's gaze remained fixed on Mithra.

"Don't bother me; I'm thinking, noisy Elise," Mithra replied.

Only then did she begin to walk through the manor with Elise.

"Hopefully, this Dreamscape's master isn't as hostile to you as the last one," Elise said along the way.

Mithra pondered, "Hard to say."

It could be related to Tinina, Daphne, or Ikli, the branch bishop. A less likely possibility was a connection to Eternal Night, or even Anderet.

That last possibility was highly improbable.

Would she get to see the boss's privacy?

That wasn't good. But she did want to see it.

Mithra and Elise strolled through the tranquil manor; this Dreamscape's attacks seemed less intense. They hadn't encountered any aggressively attacking Dream-born creatures for hours.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps rushed past Mithra and Elise; a figure resembling a classical maid ran past quickly.

"A birth! The child is born! But… the eye color is very strange!"

The shout alerted Mithra and Elise.

"Well then, it seems we know who the dreamer is," Mithra said.

Strange eye color—probably Night Eyes, therefore, Tinina was a strong possibility.

Mithra and Elise spent some time following the Dreamscape's changes before locating the newborn child.

Numerous people surrounded the house.

But these people weren't the stitched-face Dream-born creatures from the previous Sheng Dreamscape; their movements were natural, blending seamlessly with the Dreamscape setting.

"If we approach, will we be captured by suspicious individuals?" Mithra crouched in the nearby bushes, observing.

Elise crouched behind her, her movements graceful even in that position.

"Actually, we don't need to hide; the Dreamscape isn't yet aggressive. In a peaceful scenario, as long as we don't actively disrupt the Dreamscape, our actions and the Dreamscape's changes run on parallel tracks, without influencing each other," Elise's clear, cool voice rang out.

"There's such a setting?" Mithra looked at Elise in surprise.

"Didn't you notice that we've passed many people without them paying attention to us?"

"I thought it was just a Dreamscape leading us through background animation…"

"Sometimes, it's hard to tell if you're too perceptive or just lack common sense, passerby,"

"The last Dreamscape was...?"

Despite her sharp tongue, Elise always fulfilled Mithra's requests: "The last dreamer was severely affected; entry was immediately aggressive. Outsiders and the Dreamscape directly interacted, even collided. If it weren't that kind of Dreamscape, this one might be much easier."

"Not necessarily," Mithra stood up and approached the manor.

Last time, Sheng's dream contained the variable of Chrysalis; this time, another high-probability variable existed—Ikli, the cause of all this.

Honestly, while Ikli was arguably the strongest Night Hunter branch bishop Mithra had faced, he still hadn't surpassed her in beast transformation form, only to be casually killed by her Stranger. But killing him led to this troublesome aftermath.

This "Possession" was far more potent than some simple life lock?

But this miracle seemed rare; moreover, its success rate, side effects, and practicality seemed unrelated, so Mithra planned to research it after resolving the Sun City issue.

Mithra and Elise bypassed the crowd and entered the manor.

Inside a room, they found a couple conversing.

The young woman was sweating and weak, clearly having just given birth, her face filled with worry.

"Our child… what's wrong with him? His eyes… they'll be alright, it's just a bit dark…"

"It's alright, my dear; it's excellent news!" The tall man sat by the bed, holding his wife's hand, gently stroking it. "I know. That pair of dark eyes… they're the legendary Night Eyes!"

"Night Eyes?"

"Yes, a gift from the night sprites, eyes kissed by a higher being. Those who possess them are destined for greatness; this is a blessing for our land!"

Listening to the couple, Mithra and Elise quickly approached the infant's crib.

Mithra felt something was amiss.

After the couple's conversation was translated by Night Eyes, she noticed a problem.

With this in mind, she and Elise approached the crib, peering inside.

A delicate, lovely infant lay quietly in the bed, emitting faint whimpers.

He wasn't asleep; his tiny, inky black eyes, reflecting no light, curiously stared at Mithra and Elise.

"Night Eyes… like this. Speaking of which, passerby, you also have such eyes."

"A gift from others; I don't know," Mithra gently reached out to touch the infant.

"So this baby is the dreamer we're looking for… no, that's not right; I don't sense any concentrated Ki on him," Elise frowned slightly.

Mithra clicked her tongue, "Precisely not."

She lifted the cloth covering the newborn, revealing what lay beneath the infant.

The typical male genitalia were present.

But to Mithra, this was entirely abnormal.

No wonder the couple's conversation, after translation, consistently referred to the child using masculine terms.

This was a boy!

Where was Tinina?!

Suddenly, a side door was violently smashed open.

This brutal act shattered the Dreamscape's harmony; standing in the doorway was Ikli, the branch bishop. He still carried his long blade; his appearance in the dream was almost identical to his real-life self.

Upon entering, he saw Mithra and Elise by the crib.

"You're here, after all," Ikli said, looking at Mithra.

The Abhorrence staff protruded from Mithra's wrist; she held it in her hand: "Knowing I'm here, you still dare approach?"

Ikli didn't speak further; he wasn't one for words. In the cramped room, he wildly swung his blade.

His entire body glowed purple.

The power of the Eternal Night crystal.

In an instant, a powerful downward slash swept towards Mithra and Elise, completely disregarding the potential collateral damage.

Mithra and Elise raised their weapons simultaneously, blocking the blow.

With a resounding clang, neither faltered. Elise, using the force, counter-attacked Ikli.

Feathery light flickered on her twin blades; Ikli's swift blade was easily avoided; several wounds quickly appeared on his body.

Ikli's blade skills were excellent, but unfortunately, Mithra had witnessed the best in Elise.

Ikli's fight against Mithra was somewhat strained; against Elise, the difference was stark.

Elise fought Ikli up close; his long blade was rendered ineffective, and soon, he was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds.

Her twin blades locked onto his shoulders; Elise lightly leaped, avoiding his struggling counterattack. In mid-air, she adjusted her position, her feet striking the ceiling before she delivered a swift downward slash towards Ikli.

Bang!

Ikli had no time to react; his head separated from his body.

Splash!

But, the moment he died, his body crystallized, turning purple before shattering and dissipating.

Elise landed, sheathing her blades, her brow furrowed.

"What happened?" Mithra asked, leaning on her staff.

"He used something to withstand my fatal blow; his core escaped; he didn't succumb to my strike," Elise said, looking at Mithra.

Mithra considered, "The Eternal Night crystal?"

Though Ikli was in the dream, his previous Possession, the Eternal Night crystal, remained tightly bound to him.

He could directly utilize the powerful residual energy within the Eternal Night crystal; temporarily acquiring a physical body beyond his original one, he could demonstrate his full capabilities.

Even in a dream, his power was undoubtedly several levels higher than his original strength.

He could even use the Eternal Night crystal to teleport within this Dreamscape.

"Eternal Night? Wasn't it a failure? But the lingering power isn't strange," Elise remarked.

Her expression remained impassive.

Mithra shrugged, "In short, eliminating him in this dream might be difficult?"

Elise shook her head, "That was unexpected, but I've seen it once; next time, I'll ensure he's dead before he escapes."

"Confident after just failing, are we, Miss Elise?"

"Don't be sarcastic, lazy passerby,"

"I trust you," Mithra tapped her staff.

As she spoke, the Dreamscape shifted; what they'd seen quickly blurred and vanished before reappearing in a manor hallway.

"The balance hasn't been broken…" Elise observed.

A nearby door opened; a boy with Night Eyes emerged.

Behind him, a figure with an obscured face said, "Young Master, your talent is exceptional; you truly possess the legendary Night Eyes. You've excelled in all your cultural and academic studies."

"Thank you, Master Macallan," the boy politely bowed.

"Brother!" A girl's voice called out.

The boy glanced towards the sound but remained polite, "My sister is calling; I'll take my leave."

"Rest well, Young Master; in half an hour, it's time for your swordsmanship lesson."

"I know."

The boy closed the door.

A dirty little girl ran down the hallway, "Alarcus brother! Save me! Grandma Eileen wants to beat me!"

"What is Tinina doing?" the boy sighed.

"I just wanted to borrow the kitchen to bake some cakes, and I accidentally spilled some things! Grandma Eileen is so fierce!" The girl clung to the boy's arm.

The boy, despite his sister's disheveled appearance, said seriously, "That's not right. Even with good intentions, mistakes require apologies and responsibility."

"Oh…"

"It's okay, Tinina. I'll apologize with you, and then we'll bake a cake together," the boy's tone softened.

"Okay!" The little girl's mood changed quickly.

"Hurry up; we need to finish before my next swordsmanship lesson."

"Sigh, brother, you have so many lessons! It feels like there's no time left to play," Tinina complained.

"It's necessary. I'm blessed; these eyes are proof. I'll have many responsibilities in the future, so I must study hard! It's to protect Mom and Dad, and you, Tinina."

"…Okay, since you say so…"

The two children ran further away, their voices fading.

Elise watched silently, "Children growing up… this is a more subtle, layered Dreamscape."

Mithra tilted her head, "Tinina is the sister of the Night Eyes possessor? So, like Daphne, she isn't the original possessor of Night Eyes…"

"Could Tinina be the dreamer you mentioned?"

"For now, this Dreamscape seems built around Tinina's memories, but the Tinina who just appeared isn't the dreamer?" Mithra was puzzled.

Elise responded, "Perhaps it's deeper within the dream; with these layered Dreamscapes, a brief glimpse doesn't reveal the full picture."

Mithra and Elise followed the children.

As they walked down the hallway, it seemed to stretch endlessly before them.

The children were no longer visible, but their voices occasionally reached Mithra and Elise, conveying the memories contained within this Dreamscape.