“Why now, out of all times? It could've waited for another time,” Dream lamented, his gaze quickly casting behind him, where he saw several golden threads fluctuating even more vividly. This meant that the valkyries after him were getting closer.
While exerting all his strength to run away from his faraway pursuers, deep down, he knew that, at this pace, they would soon catch up to him. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to rely on more than just his physical strength. Although he still had his aero-elementalis to fall back on, he was reluctant to use too much of his remaining Prana.
Name
H.P
P.P
O.P
O.M.P
A.P
Level
Dream
75/82▲
513▼/997
318/438▲
41.7▲
126▲
14
He had a feeling that even if he were to exhaust his elemental powers in an attempt to get away, they would eventually catch up to him. The thought of being caught by the valkyries with little to no prana left to defend himself was a chilling prospect that sent a cold shiver down Dream's back.
“If it were just for me to end up not getting my Aspect, what did I waste all that Prana for?” Dream bitterly clenched his fists in frustration.
Dream just got the opportunity to voice out his frustration when he heard something flying ominously towards him from behind. With swift reflexes, he leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the incoming threat. In spite of his evasive maneuver, whatever it was crashed heavily onto the ground, unleashing an explosion that sent it rolling a couple of times before coming to a stop.
“What the hell was that again?”
A glance at where the thing hurled at him landed, and Dream's eyes fell upon a golden chakram that withered into dust. Understanding that he'd come to a point where he could no longer leave his back exposed to them, Dream looked in the direction from where the chakram had been unleashed.
Just like the other time, what was after him were three valkyries, but what the system showed to him was nothing like the previous valkyries. The one in front of him was completely of a different league.
"You've got to be kidding me," Dream muttered in disbelief, at the sight of their status.
Name
HP
O.P
O.M.P
A.P
Class
???
68
662/998
197
⥈
Valkyrie lvl.44
The highest-ranking valkyrie of the trio was tall, if not straight-up towering Odoe with two pairs of large horns—one pair V-shaped, and the other curled in a goat-horn-like manner. She also had a large tusk that seemed to come out from her neck, and unlike any valkyrie or Odoe Dream had encountered so far, she possessed long ashen hair. Instead of wearing a visor, her own hair took over the role of a blindfold, which, while not seemingly very practical, somehow held itself in place.
The Valkyrie's attire left little to the imagination, with her nearly exposed form clad in a singular, delicate golden fabric that draped from the back of her neck, covering her chest and the lower part of her body.
Name
HP
O.P
O.M.P
A.P
Class
???
62
593/862
170
⥈
Valkyrie lvl.41
Unlike the first Valkyrie, the second one had at least the decency to dress in more than just a singular fabric. In fact, she was clad in what looked more like proper armor, missing only the helmet to complete the ensemble. Like the first valkyrie, she also had two pairs of golden horns. On one hand, she wielded a shield-shaped appendage, and in the other, a golden lance.
Name
HP
O.P
O.M.P
A.P
Class
???
63
681/867
170
⥈
Valkyrie lvl.41
The last Valkyrie of the trio looked eerily similar to the one before, almost as if they were sisters, if not straight-up twins. She too was dressed in proper armor, but unlike either of the other two, she didn’t seem to have visible outer appendages or supplementary limbs. This gave her a banal and somewhat harmless appearance. However, Dream knew very well that it was she who ruthlessly unleashed the chakram at him.
Aside from the one connecting Dream to the trio, there were two other golden threads fluctuating into the distance, indicating that two more Valkyries were making their way toward them, meaning that there were at least five of them.
It was hopeless. If it had been just one of them, or perhaps two, he might have stood a chance. But facing three Valkyries with that level of power, let alone five with the ones coming his way, it was utterly hopeless.
One level 44 and two 41…. Just how am I supposed to win this?
When an Odoe surrenders itself to the Odo tree and becomes a valkyrie, it experiences a linear growth during the merging process. Both its Odo Potential and Odo Manipulation Potential continually increase alongside the Odo tree. Each level for a valkyrie is equivalent to seven years spent merging with the Odo tree. This meant that the valkyrie in front of him was close to, if not already beyond, 300 years old.
“For them to awaken so many old relics, knowing what it costs them and send them after me, they must really want to see me dead, don’t they?” Dream internally joked, his composure gloomy.
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“An arbian child…”
“…With a crown.”
The two sisters-like valkyries looked at each other as if to confirm their respective thoughts.
“This crown..." the towering valkyrie began, pointing accusatorily at him, "You're the one, aren't you? The One who stole the Matriarch’s blessing.”
“You guys must have got the wrong person,” Dream denied, his mind racing to come up with a plan on how to get away from this messy situation. “I know no blessing, nor do I know a matriarch. So, if you search well, especially in that direction you came from, I'm sure you'll eventually find the person you're looking for.”
In response to those words, the towering valkyrie summoned a weird smile that might as well qualify as a sneer on her face, before adding, “You're a funny one, aren’t you? But with that crown that you obviously don’t deserve to bear, it can only be you: The one who stole the Blessing from the Odo, The BlessingReaver”
At that point, Dream had gotten used to being called out about not being worthy of his crown, but this was something entirely different.
“BlessingReaver…”
What’s that?
Yet another name to add to his list?
Who cared about that? What’s important now was getting out of there alive.
With that much O.P at their advantages, I don’t see how I’m going to take them down. Should I open up with my strongest Mantra? I still have just a little more than half my prana available, I should be able to pull that off.
There had been a maxim ruling Dream's mantra's level linearity – his strongest allocated mantra was always maximally cast, requiring nothing more than just half his overall prana potential. It was designed this way for a reason; in most cases, it was believed that he would have to resort to using his strongest mantra mostly, if not only, in a life-and-death situation. In such scenarios, Suraxai deemed that if the mantra failed to hit the target, at least Dream would still have half of his Prana available to do what's expected of any reasonably skilled individual: run.
Remembering what had just happened with the Mawcrawler, Dream shook off the idea of unleashing his strongest mantra. He felt that if he were to miss his target somehow, it would mean being left with nothing to fend himself against the valkyries. He didn’t see himself overpowering them with his O.P alone, especially when each one of them had at least twice his O.P.
Breaking the silence that settled in, the valkyrie closed the distance, the towering one summoning a battlestaff of Odo in her hands. Dream watched as they wordlessly decided on what had to be done. He, too, had to immediately come up with a course of action, but as his eyes squinted at the two golden threads fluctuating, Dream realized something.
“Her… out of anyone, why is she here?”
That realization still sinking in, Dream without a single moment of hesitation turned around, calling forth his aero-elementalis to propel him forward. Dream dashed through the forest, weaving between trees and avoiding obstacles that were the toppled-over trees on his with the grace of a seasoned acrobat.
Without much surprise, the valkyries behind him gave chase, their speed and skill displaying how easily they could keep up the pace with him. Although having his back exposed to them didn't initially feel like a good idea, compared to what he sensed approaching through the thread, it was still, in his opinion, a far better alternative.
Dodging the chakram unleashed at him from behind and trying to maintain a reasonable distance between them, Dream ran through the dense undergrowth, scanning his surroundings for any potential advantage. He knew he couldn't defeat the valkyries head-on, or it would be very difficult to do so, especially if the ones attached to the other end of the thread were to catch up to him. However, he realized that he could use the terrain to his advantage.
Striding into a sparse area of the forest, there was nothing around him but fallen trees, strewn about here and there.
Striding into a sparse area of the forest with less and less tree cover, Dream found himself becoming an easier target for the valkyries pursuing him. The majority of the few remaining trees were littered with fallen trees, strewn about here and there, leaving him with limited options for cover.
"Where do you think you're going?!" a chakram-projecting valkyrie exclaimed, hurling another of her chakram at Dream, leaving him with not much choice but to turn and block her attack with a shield of Odo of his own.
While Dream was able to block the projectile, the blunt force of it sent him reeling into the distance. He wasn't even done recovering when he saw the other valkyrie charging at him at full speed. Still on his four the ground, Dream unleashed his electro-elementalis.
[ Electro ]
Acolyte
Slithering Strikes Lvl.1
46
While Dream succeeded in stopping the two valkyries from getting any closer to him, it didn't stop them from viciously attacking him. Turning her battle staff into a spear, one of the valkyries hurled it at Dream. The latter summoned his aero-elementalis to propel himself backward, evading the fate of being impaled. However, while he was still in midair, he saw the other valkyrie unleash her chakram at him.
[ Aero ]
Acolyte
Wind Shield Lvl.1
46
With no time to fully dodge, Dream quickly summoned his Wind Shield, narrowly deflecting the projectile before landing on the ground.
The valkyries weren't giving him any room to breathe, relentlessly pursuing him and attacking without mercy. Dream knew he had to find a way to turn the tide, but with their speed and skill, it seemed nearly impossible. As he continued to evade and defend, a desperate plan began to form in his mind.
With a burst of determination, Dream took advantage of his small opportunity to pull it off. Inspired by the valkyrie with the chakram, he channeled his prana to form a powerful swirling torrent of wind, incorporating dozens of daggers within it.
Naturally, the Valkyries weren't going to sit idly, allowing him to execute his plan without resistance. They all went on the offensive, prompting Dream to rely on his [Wind Shield] to buy himself enough time.
[ Aero ]
Acolyte
Wind Shield Lvl.1
46
[ Aero ]
Apprentice
Unrelenting Wave Lvl.2
38
Luckily for him, the valkyries' chakrams and thrown lance didn't make it past his shield, allowing him to continue his casting uninterrupted. With a final burst of focus, he unleashed the swirling storm of daggers at the valkyries. The sharp blades sliced through the air, hurtling toward their targets with deadly precision.
As the storm of daggers rained upon the valkyries, each of them swiftly took action to protect themselves in their own way. The towering valkyrie spun her newly summoned staff in a mesmerizing display, using it as a formidable shield against the oncoming blades. With each rotation, the daggers were deflected away, leaving her unscathed.
The second valkyrie, with her lance in one hand and shield in the other, exhibited masterful skill as she expertly deflected the incoming blades with precise swings. Her movements were fluid and calculated, ensuring that none of the daggers found their mark.
The third valkyrie, who had earlier unleashed the chakram, responded by summoning a large mass of Odo to create a formidable barrier between her and the daggers. However, the daggers proved to be too powerful for the barrier to withstand. As they pierced through the Odo mass, they were almost instantly swallowed, harmlessly losing their momentum within the barrier
Undeterred by the sight of his attack failing to even slightly faze let alone injure any of the three valkyrie, Dream continued to channel his prana, preparing to unleash something upon them that he was fairly confident they weren't expecting.
It was a mantra he himself wasn’t particularly fond of using due to its very unpleasant drawback. Unlike the bolts and sparks that were directly produced by electro-elementalis, leaving him completely unharmed, this one hurt even him, even if he kept his eyes closed.
[ Electro ]
Apprentice
Flash Lvl.▲
38
As Dream unleashed the harmless but blinding light, the valkyries were taken completely by surprise. They instinctively shielded their eyes, momentarily blinded by the intense radiance. Their precise attacks faltered, and they stumbled backward, disoriented and vulnerable.
The towering valkyrie let out a startled gasp, her hands trembling as she struggled to regain her composure. “What... what is this?” she exclaimed, her voice tinged with fear and uncertainty.
The second valkyrie gritted her teeth, trying to force her vision to clear, but the blinding light persisted, leaving her defenseless. The third valkyrie growled in frustration, unable to see her surroundings clearly.
Dream, though not spared from the intense flash, was prepared and quickly recovered from it. Understanding that he had to act swiftly, he seized the opportunity while the valkyries were still disoriented.
In that moment, he had the choice between the towering valkyrie, the valkyrie with the shield and the spear, or the valkyrie who had unleashed the chakram. Each had their set of specialties. Naturally, he wanted to take down all three of them, but for now, he could only focus on one.
With a split-second decision, he focused on the towering valkyrie. Not only did she possess the most O.P, but she also seemed to act as a leader of some sort for the other two. If he could take her out and absorb her O.P, it would weaken the others moral and overall fighting tactic significantly. This was the opportunity he had been searching for to gain the upper hand in this battle.
I can finally see it… how I can win this battle—
With a quick burst of his aero-elementalis, he propelled himself forward toward the vulnerable valkyrie of his choosing, summoning a small spear in right hand and his electro-elementalis with the other.
—but first, let’s take care of this giant.
With just half a dozen meters separating them, Dream clenched his spear tightly, its tip thrust forward, aiming for her neck, while his other hand was ready to crush her skull and sear her brain.
The intensity in his eyes matched the fierce determination in his heart as he prepared to strike with lethal force. He was just about to do so when he felt something whistling in his direction. His body reacting on its own, Dream conjured his electro-elementalis.
[ Aero ]
Acolyte
Wind Shield Lvl.1
46
Even with that Mantra, Dream was veered off course by the blunt force of the projectile.
“An arrow… of Odo,” Dream barely managed to mutter before another arrow, with a whistling sound, came at him.
Jumping back, Dream evaded the arrow. Bitter about having his plan thwarted, Dream had his aero-elementalis swirl around his spear, determined to at least land an attack on the giant valkyrie—one that even she wouldn't simply walk off from.
Dream was about to unleash the spear at full speed at the Valkyrie, but the sight of the person who recklessly wedged herself between the giant Valkyrie and Dream made him reconsider what he was about to do and ultimately give up.
Dodging several arrows released at him, Dream put some distance between himself and the Valkyries. Bitter at the wasted opportunity, he bit his lips, clenched his fist, and quickly gathered himself up.
Getting emotional isn’t going to help me, especially now when two more Valkyries joined the ranks of my opponents. But still…
His voice biting, almost venomous, he asked, “Out of anyone, why are you here?”
Her long, scaled tail dancing in a snake-like manner, the newly emerged valkyrie locked her gaze with Dream and went on to say, “Under normal circumstances, considering how long we've been apart, I would've said that I'm glad to see you well, but things are what they are. I would be lying if I were to say so, Rustler.”
“Men’ma…”