Conqueror

"I'll be charging up my mana. Hold on until then!" Afal then dispelled the illusion casted on his body.

Me and Neco were shocked at seeing his true form for the first time.

I was scared. "Afal... You're..."

"..." He looked at me. "I'm sorry for my appearance but you have to cooperate with me for now."

"G- got it."

The thunder bear slammed the seawater below and splashed the poisonous water, splashing it everywhere and the lightning was striking everywhere.

We were saved once again by Helga's barrier as she casted it on all of us.

We all then received a message from the system, [Water Breathing and Tenacity applied.] I'm guessing this is Feran's work.

The thunder bear got on its all fours again and began to charge up. The lightning surrounding its body became even more violent. Its stronger than before, literally melting the rocks that are above the seawater.

It charged at us and we knew, we couldn't dodge it. All we could do was block.

[Immovable applied.]

Our bodies were suddenly petrified and turned into gold and when the thunder bear charged at us, it suddenly got knocked back and the petrification on our body disappeared. We could move again.

"Hey, do you hear me!?" I suddenly heard Feran's voice in my mind.

"Feran?" I was confused.

"Oh good you hear me. Zieglind passed me this skill, Telepathy, I remembered the name just now. Anyway, I can cast Immovable every few minutes or so. It makes you immune for one attack only. Good thing I have increased target skill so I could apply it on all of you. Anyway, the charge attack of the bear is completely unavoidable."

"Got it. What should we do to buy time?"

"Buy time? Why?"

"Their source of power is that dark cloud in the sky. We can't damage it directly if that exists. Afal will blow it away!"

"Where is he?"

I was hesitant for a moment. "...There."

"T- t- that's Afal!?"

"Yeah..."

"I guess we have our own secrets... Got it! We'll support you from here! I'll try to contact Zeta to help here. Or the other girls at the other side."

"Got it!"

"I'll be leaving the telepathy on, you're connected with Afal, me, my sister and Neco."

I focused on the battle and it seems that the thunder bear is confused. Its charge attack suddenly got stopped by us. It looked at the basilisk then pointed at us. I'm guessing it's ordering it.

The basilisk dived in the water and resurfaced. It looked at me directly in the eye and a bright flash almost blinded me.

I closed my eyes and I didn't know where I was. Its like I'm in the abyss itself. Darkness stretched out to infinity.

I then see two shadows in the distance. "...Hey? Can you hear me? May I ask where I am?" I ran to up to them. But they were leaving me. "Hey! Wait! Where am I!?"

They then entered the house. I opened the door and a memory that I desperately tried to forget came all flowing right back at me.

The male and female's bodies laying down in the floor. Bodies ripped open and disemboweled.

I then heard the cries of a little girl hiding behind the closet. I opened it. Her eyes were dilated. Her body shaking as she wet herself from the absolute terror that she witnessed.

"ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!" I heard the voice of a male. I looked around and saw a man, incredibly skinny feasting on the male and female's body like there's no tomorrow.

I rushed in to grab his neck but I couldn't even touch him. I merely phased through him.

The door creaked and another man entered. "Master." It was Fredo. "We need these beastmen for the slave trades."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Fredo. Can you shut up? I'm feasting here."

"But master-"

"I'm not giving you any."

"...Just please don't do this next time. We'll be scolded by lord Ouroboros. We need to gather funds immediately. By killing these two beastmen we already lost around hundreds of gold."

"Argh... Enough with your nagging. I'll make it up!"

"Make it up...?"

He then stood up and went to the closet and opened it. "Hello there little girl." Followed with an insanely creepy smile on his face.

She was speechless. Her whole body was trembling.

"Oh. That's the chief's daughter? That will be a good one."

"Yeah... But I'm still a little bit hungry..."

"Master!"

"...Yeah, yeah shut up. I won't eat her. Seems like she got a little problem down there. Disgusting." He then walked over to the desk on the side and grabbed the notebook on it and opened it. "Your name... It's a nice one. Given by your parents?"

"..." She couldn't speak.

"I'm asking you a question so answer!" He then slapped the girl. But his slap was too strong so he took off a part of her skin.

She then began to cry uncontrollably. "UWAH!!!"

"Goddamnit this is why I hate children. Heal." He recovered the wound he inflicted on the little girl. "I'll ask again. This name, was it given to you by your parents? The ones laying there in the ground?"

"...Y-"

"Y? What? Speak up. I'll do it again and again until you learn your lesson."

"...Yes..."

"She is the chief's daughter. Greta Gurvein. Take her. A weird old pervert on one of the kingdoms might have a use for her. And those kinds give a lotta money. There I made it up. Make sure to put a good word for me on lord Ouroboros to put me in more missions like these."

A sudden stab of pain went on my chest. It was excruciating. I was slowly losing air and I'm trying to inhale to grasp some air. All these moments, they're not simply illusions. "They're my memories."

Everything I've lost since then came flying back.

The memories of my parents since I was a kid and how they taught me everything.

Every single birthday cake my mother made for me.

My friends and other family members.

How everyone died in the village.

How I was captured.

How I tried to survive in the slave houses.

How I desperately hurt myself by cutting and trying to kill myself so that no one could pick me or buy me.

How I tried to forget all these memories all those years.

"I see. My life was a living hell all these time. Why did this happen to me? Why did all these things happen to me? What did I do?"

Tears came running out of my eyes. Every single moment of my life came replaying again and again. How those happy memories turned into the worst things.

"G...a!" I then heard a voice in the distance. "Gre..a! Argh! Cleanse!"

I snapped back to reality. I was there in the battlefield again. Afal still charging his ski and Neco shaking me trying to call me.

"Greta! Can you hear me?"

"...Helga?" I asked.

"Oh... I was worried for a second. Are you okay? The basilisk must've cast an illusion on you. You were out for a good five seconds."

While I was in there it felt like my life flashed before my eyes. I looked at the basilisk. So this is the enemy that made me remember all those things. I need to kill it.

"Heh... I don't even care anymore."

"Huh? Greta? What do you mean? Are you okay?"

[Insanity Immunity is disabled.]

[Gazer form dispelled.]

[Beast form is evolving.]

I grew considerably larger. My white fur turned into black. Two spiky gemstones appeared on both of the side of my shoulders. I feel even stringer than before.

[Beast Form, turns into the beasts of the depths of hell. Has four sub-skills,

||Hunter's Fest||

Gains increased damage and heal a small amount of health when attacking the enemy. This effect increases when attacking continuously. If you get hit or after an hour of time passes, the damage and healing per hit will reset.

||Boosters||

The gemstones on your shoulders will absorb and amplify an element for you to use on your claws. You will gain 50% damage resistance on the element on your boosters.

||Famine||

Gain increased damage and movement speed against a wounded target by 100%.

||Elemental Beast||

Absorbs one element from your booster and surround your body with it. You will not take damage using it. You can recast this spell to explode the element that you're currently using.

Increased jump height, speed and damage.]

"Greta!" I heard Helga's voice over the telepathy. But it disappeared and every color around me. All I could see was this basilisk.

I took one step forward and I noticed I'm already in front of it. I grabbed its body and lightning struck me. But I couldn't feel anything. Was the barrier of it always this weak?

I grabbed it with both of my hands and began to rip its body apart.

I raised it up and followed with a loud battle cry.