Chapter 1195: Entering The Fractured Nightmare Realm
Chapter 1195: Entering The Fractured Nightmare Realm
After Sofia and the other girls insisted on Jonathan joining, I also asked for Partner, Sofia protested though.
"Hah?! Are you out of your mind, Maria?!" Sofia asked. "You can't just-"
"The only one that can convince Jonathan is me, Sofia, so agree to my demands or we won't have him with us," I said.
"Ah... Y-You're getting a bit on my nerves today," Sofia sighed, waving her hair. "Whatever! Do as you please! Sheesh, you're such a bad friend..."
Bad friend? Maybe you should look yourself in a mirror...
Heh, I think I can manipulate her using Jonathan, that was easier than I imagined!
After that, Jonathan and Partner joined, the rest of my family formed their own parties, so it wasn't that bad.
Lucifer, Nyx, Nia, Celes, Arthur, and Arachne formed a party together.
Meanwhile, Emeraldine decided to join the elves that liked her so much, plus the two guys that were friends with Lucifer's character.
I was a bit worried about them, especially Emeraldine, so I decided to leave a Divided Ego in their Shadows to monitor and see if everything goes well.
"Alright students, follow me!"
Professor Hendrick led us through a long tunnel, until we reached another area of this enormous stadium-like building.
In there, there were several black doors with numbers imprinted on them.
"If you didn't know, this academy has rankings based on parties! So right now you're all No Ranked, but as you defeat Nightmares, pass exams and tests, and progress, you can Rank Up and receive benefits!" said the professor.
"For now, today's test is simple, enter these newbie-level Fractured Nightmare Realms and slay ten Nightmares and the Boss. You're all strong so I am pretty sure there shouldn't be much of an issue."
As the professor explained, I noticed there was a bracelet around our wrists.
When did that appear? Was it always there? I seriously didn't realize.
"But if there's one, don't doubt on using your bracelets to call for help. We'll go help you immediately, but that'll also mean you'll be disqualified! Okay?"
Oh, so there's such a security system, I guess it's not too bad, though being too weak ora coward means getting disqualified, an instant F in the exam.
And if I want to complete the Trial, we can't afford that.
The professor then walked towards the many doors in front of us, they emanated slight auras of darkness.
"Now, chose a door, they're all the same anyways! You'll have until the end of the day to get it done, so take your time and be careful. Make sure to employ everything we taught you in classes about Fractured Nightmare Realm exploration!"
It was finally beginning!
Let's see what the hell these Nightmare Fractured Realms all are about.
"Hmm, let's pick the lucky number, seven!" said Emily, pointing at that door.
"W-Wait! Someone else is going there already!" Alma panicked, noticing that Lucifer's group quickly opened the door and went in.
"By mama! See you later!" Nyx waved her little hand at me.
I wanted to give her a kiss and a hug, but I guess that can't be done right now.
"I guess they took that one," I said. "How about four, it's also a lucky number for some people- Ah."
However, Emeraldine's party quickly choose it as well.
At the end, we had to settle with the door number 13, the unlucky number!
"W-Why the unlucky number from all of them?!" Alma cried.
"Well, it's not like if it's an unlucky number or not matters," Jonathan smiled gently. "It'll be okay, girls."
"You think so~? Really?" Sofia wondered, giving him puppy eyes.
"If he says so... Well, Maria is with us too, and Sofia's pretty tough as well, me too! I'm strong, hehe," Emily giggled. "So don't worry, Alma!"
"Anyways, are we going or not? It's going to be ok," said Partner. "Let's go!"
She opened the door, and we followed behind, I stepped forward right behind Jonathan, quickly finding myself in what resembled...
Hm, this looked like the interior of an old manor, probably of the last two centuries or something.
The entire area was made of old, dark brown wood, there were spiderwebs everywhere, the windows were broken, and what was outside was just the black void.
The floor was slightly cracked and there were holes. There was also a huge staircase that split into left and right, with corridors leading further into the manor.
There were also little details, such as clocks whose arrows were constantly spinning, chairs and tables with rotten food on top of them.
And creepy portraits hanging on the walls near the staircase, with people that lacked faces.
Damn this was really giving me the creepy crawlies, how exciting!
[Your Party has entered the [Fractured Nightmare Realm]: {Abandoned Manor of the Puppet
Master}
[Recommended Difficulty Level]: {Grade 5}
[Nightmares Present]: [50+]
[Nightmare Decaying Rate]: [4%]
[Current Task]: [Eliminate at least 10 Nightmares and the Nightmare Lord of the Realm]
"Huh, so this is a Grade 5 Nightmare Realm," Emily said. "It looks like some random shabby
house, hahah!"
"Yeah, its- Wait, Emily!"
Suddenly, I heard Alma scream as Emily ran forward, only to trip on a chair that suddenly moved on its own, falling the ground.
The wooden floor then fractured and transformed, revealing a huge, fleshy jaw, withn/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
countless sharp fangs inside.
"Mimicking Puppets!"
Sofia called their name, immediately noticing what they were.
"Shyaaaggh!"
The chairs and the tables quickly grew insect-like legs and jaws with long tongues, rushing towards Emily, who was suddenly wrapped around a slimy tentacle-like tongue.
"Uuuaaaggh! What the hell?!"
"Emily!"
I ran to her help, but then...
BOOOM!
A sudden explosion of electricity emerged from her body, the Floor Mimic's mouth was blown
off into pieces, blood and wooden pieces splattering everywhere.
"Hah, you damn things! Who do you think you're messing with, huh?!"
Emily unleashed her Dream Heart Weapon, a full-body armor made of bronze and gold-
colored metal, with sharp spikes all over her body.
"Don't worry about Emily, Maria," Sofia laughed. "She's the owner of the [Metallic Thunder Sentinel Armor]. If anything, she's the one we should worry about the least."
"OORAH!"
With a furious roar, Emily's armored fists, covered on spikes conducting electricity, punched
the Chair Mimics coming after her, blowing them up into pieces.
BAAAM! BAAAM! BAAAM!
I guess she was pretty strong, then-
"ООООНННН..."
However, a lugubrious voice suddenly startled us.
The paintings behind Emily started to shake.
And come to life.
"Give me back my face...!"