The Dreamer's POV

[00 Months: 01 Days: 13 Hours]

I lay on the ground, my body frozen and unresponsive.

Paralyzed. Helpless. My mind raced with a mixture of fear and confusion as Lucy Fer's laughter echoed in the room. She had introduced herself just moments ago, a seemingly innocent encounter that had taken a sinister turn.

'Lucy... Fer?!' There was no way I could forget that name.

When I first saw it, I found it bizarre, but there was another reason why I found it significant. It belonged to the 3rd highest-ranked person on the Leaderboard.

Lucy Fer was someone undoubtedly superior to me!

"You're an interesting guy, Sleepyhead," she said, her voice laced with amusement. "You didn't disappoint me by surviving the whole poisoning ordeal. I must say, I had my doubts."

I tried to respond, to ask her what she meant by doubts and disappointments, but my lips refused to move, my voice trapped within me.

"It's almost hilarious that you thought I wouldn't notice your Demon Summon and that glowing rock that followed our group from behind."

'So she knew?!' My thoughts echoed deep within me.

I had been glancing over at her, and she seemed none the wiser. Had she been playing me this entire time?!

"Though, it made me somewhat happy that you thought of doing that. If you hadn't, you would be dead now, after all." Her grin intensified on her pale face.

I couldn't even gulp if I wanted to, but I felt sweat pour out of my skin.

"Still, looks like you weren't good enough to stop yourself from being paralyzed."

How was she still fine? How was she still alive after dying? Was this her Exclusive Skill? How much of everything did she plan?

As I watched her, my mind tried to think of something... anything!

Lucy Fer continued regardless, her tone almost casual as she explained the horrifying truth. "You see, our teammate Jeff has an Exclusive Skill called <Paralysis Poison>. He secretes poison from his glands. His entire fluids are poisonous."

My eyes widened. The possibilities for my poisoning suddenly expanded, and my mind now began to examine every possible interaction I had with Jeff.

Just when did he poison me?!

"And the skill he used on all of us... it amplifies the effects of the poison over time. The longer we're together, the stronger it becomes. That's why the paralyzing effect hit you so hard. We've been together for hours."

My mind reeled, trying to process the information. I hadn't even realized Jeff possessed such a deadly ability.

Also... how did she know all of this?! Wasn't this a confirmation of her ability to see through Status Windows?

'Does that mean she knows all my Skills too? Damnit! She's even immortal too?!'

As I was still processing all of this, her next words struck me like a physical blow.

"Didn't you know the poison was in his hand when you shook it, Mikey?" She asked, her voice dripping with a mix of mockery and incredulity.

Surprise gripped me, my thoughts racing. I had no idea. How could I have known?

I had greeted Jeff like any normal person would, unaware of the danger lurking within his touch. The realization sent shivers down my spine.

'So in an attempt to act normal, I already fell for his trap at the very start.'

Lucy Fer continued her twisted monologue, her words dancing on the edge of sadistic pleasure.

She spoke of the unfortunate souls who hadn't known any better, who had fallen victim to Jeff's poison.

"I admit, my original plan was to let Jeff do his dirty work and kill everyone before finally killing him myself. That way, I could reap the rewards for my own gain." Hearing those familiar words made me realize how similar our line of thought had been.

This girl thought of doing the same thing as me. Unlike me, however, she was far more prepared.

"But it looks like there's been a certain complication in the whole plan. You."

Now that I had defied her expectations by surviving, I already knew what she would be thinking. Right now she had a decision to make.

"Should I kill you, or spare your life?"

At this point, I was already preparing myself for the inevitable decision she was going to come to.

People like her, who would do anything for profit... there was no way they would let easy prey like me go. Besides, I already knew too much about her.

"It would be so much easier to just kill you, Mikey," she said casually, her voice now inches from my ear. "No loose ends, no complications. But there's a part of me that wonders... maybe I should spare you. After all, you've impressed me by staying alive."

My mind whirled with disbelief. She had the power to end my life in an instant, and she was actually considering sparing me?

The thought was both terrifying and perplexing.

As Lucy Fer drew closer, her malevolent presence engulfing me, I tried desperately to move, to defend myself, but my body remained frozen, a prisoner to my own helplessness. Surrounded by darkness, I could only watch as her intentions hovered between life and death, unsure of what fate awaited me.

Surprise turned to dread, as I realized the magnitude of the decision Lucy Fer held in her hands. Would she choose to spare me, leaving me to grapple with the aftermath of this horrifying ordeal? Or would she decide it was easier to snuff out my life, eliminating any trace of her involvement?

I was a pawn in her twisted game, a pawn with no voice, no agency. All I could do was wait, trapped within my own immobility, hoping against hope that mercy would prevail over her cold, calculating nature.

'But... I refuse to go down like this!'

With all my might, I focused my mind on the mental link I shared with my Energy Ball, which floated nearby.

I swiftly willed it to rush at Lucy Fer, a desperate attempt to strike her down.

~WHOOOOMMMM!~

In an instant, however, my feeble attempt was thwarted.

Lucy Fer's hand shot out with lightning speed, snatching the Energy Ball out of the air as effortlessly as plucking a flower.

'W-what?!' My heart sank as I watched my last hope crumble in her grasp.

Still... I wasn't done.

At that same moment, I mentally commanded Root, my current Trump Card, to attack.

The Tree Demon unleashed a flurry of deadly spikes toward Lucy Fer, all of them whirring straight toward her like drilling projectiles.

But before they even had a chance to reach her, they shattered apart, as if disintegrating upon contact with an invisible force.

'N-not yet! Root should go for a melee. It has a Life Force of 100, plus it has the ability to regenerate. If I use it to either drain her strength or pass time until I've recovered, I can use Invisible Cloak and escape from this place!'

Using that logic, I commanded my minion to attack with all its might.

Root drew closer, its monstrous form ready to strike, but Lucy Fer's response was swift and devastating. With a single strike, she connected with the demon, obliterating it in an instant.

~BOOOOMMMM!!!~

'E-eh...?!' The shock was enough to dissolve some of the effects of the paralysis as my eyes widened instantly.

As I saw the wooden shards of Root descend to the ground, my shell-shocked mind struggled to comprehend the scene before me.

Root had a Life Force of 100, and yet, with just a single punch from Lucy Fer... it was neutralized?!
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'She didn't even seem to be trying hard at all.'

Her cold, dismissive mutterings reached my ears, mocking the fallen Tree Demon. "Too weak," she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.

'A-ah... ahhh...' The words struck me like a physical blow, sending a chill down my paralyzed spine.

Shell-shocked and bewildered, I could only watch as Lucy Fer loomed over me, her presence radiating an aura of invincibility. My mind raced, searching for a glimmer of hope, a means of escape from the clutches of this formidable adversary. But in the face of her overwhelming power, I could only wonder if survival was even a possibility.

The realization of her immeasurable strength crashed over me, overwhelming any remaining hope.

Energy Ball suddenly darkened in her grasp, and it fell to the ground, now completely indistinguishable from a regular stone. I couldn't even connect with it any longer.

It almost felt... dead.

The realization that I was facing an adversary of such immense power shook me to my core.

In the midst of all my shock, a question echoed within the depths of my being, inspired by both awe and fear.

"How... how strong is she?"

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[A/N]

What did you think of this chapter? How do you see Lucy Fer now? Like her? Dislike her? Still deciding?

Also, how strong do you think she is?