{PRIMARY MISSION - SURVIVE}
{REWARD- MEMORY FRAGMENTS}
{FAILURE- DEATH}
Loki immediately became alert as his mind registered the words. Anticipating conflict, he opted to use his mastery over illusions. Four identical copies of himself appeared out of thin air, each facing a different direction, forming a protective circle. The rag on their forearms transformed into sleek black daggers, hovering menacingly beside each replica. As they took on battle-ready stances, Loki's aura vanished from existence as he used his concealment, making each replica indistinguishable from the other. In an instant, Loki displayed his mastery over four of his abilities.
However, despite Loki's best efforts, he found himself staring out at a vast wasteland, utterly void of life.
'Am I overreacting?'
'Does this imply survival, in a broader context?'
Yet, just as doubt began to infiltrate his thoughts, Loki sensed something—a palpable dread and an imminent danger that rattled him to his core. But before he could identify the source of this threat, he heard an amused chuckle that radiated power and oppression, unlike anything he had ever encountered.
"Hehe, interesting"
Those words echoed throughout the space, originating from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, instantly paralyzing him.
Without warning, a thick, impenetrable black fog began to materialize just a few meters from where he stood. It swirled around, its texture heavy and foreboding. As it coalesced, it took the distinct shape of a humanoid figure, exuding an unsettling presence that sent chills through the air. The silhouette loomed ominously, its form appearing almost alive—a chilling embodiment of darkness that pulsed with an eerie energy.
Suddenly, the fog started to recede, revealing a silhouette of a woman within it.
As the fog lifted, the silhouette became clearer. A woman who stood at two meters tall, her skin sickly pale. A blindfold covered her eyes, and lines that resembled blood trickled down her pale white face from beneath the blindfold.
The woman was enveloped in a deep, velvety black gown that cascaded around her like a dark waterfall. It seemed to emanate an ethereal black fog, swirling and curling around her form as if she was cloaked in shadows, and in her hands, she held a pitch-black scythe that radiated a bloody red aura.
Even though her eyes were covered, Loki sensed her gaze was fixed on him, meticulously scrutinizing and studying his every movement like a predator stalking its prey.
Swiftly, Loki's main body darted back several meters as his illusionary figures vanished from their original positions, appearing mere inches from the woman's form with their daggers in hand, each aiming at the woman's vital parts in hopes of making a decisive blow.
A small smile appeared on the woman's face as Loki's illusions approached.
Suddenly, time seemed to freeze when she lightly tapped the hilt of her scythe with her index finger. Instantly, all of Loki's illusions burst into a plume of smoke, vanishing from existence.
The woman showed no reaction as she turned her head towards Loki, still smiling.
Loki stood silently in his position with a pondering expression. His physical illusions could replicate, at most, only a tenth of his maximum strength, so it was not surprising that she was able to defeat them. What unsettled him, however, was the power she used to achieve that victory.
'What was that power, and why does it feel so familiar?'
But now was not the time to get lost in thought. He shifted his attention back to the woman, who stood silently smiling at him. He asked the only question that mattered at that moment:
"Do you intend to kill me?"
As the words left his mouth, the woman's smile widened, almost blissful. She offered no response as she vanished and reappeared less than a meter away from him, her scythe- already swinging in a vertical arc aiming to dissect him.
Loki's reflexes kicked in as he sensed the deadly arc of the scythe slicing through the air. With a quick sidestep, he narrowly evaded the blade, feeling a chill as it whooshed past him by mere inches. The scythe's strike met the ground with a thunderous impact, carving a deep, jagged gash into the earth beside him. Loose dirt and gravel exploded outward from the force, and for a moment, the air was filled with dust.
With a swift wave of her hand, the masked woman dispersed the swirling dust, unveiling the chaotic aftermath of the recent strike. As the particles settled, her sharp gaze focused on the scene before her, but at that very moment, her scythe arced upward with deadly precision, expertly deflecting a gleaming dagger that had come soaring through the air, its metallic surface catching the light in a fleeting shimmer.
As her face turned in a certain direction, a figure appeared, and the tension in the air thickened.
"You're one crazy bitch, you know," Loki remarked, his voice laced with an underlying annoyance. He now wore even less than before, the remnants of his rags having been blasted away in the explosion. Standing just a few meters away, his gaze locked onto the woman, a dagger swirling back into existence in his hands.
Loki Instantly disappeared from his position, appearing before the woman, the blade of his dagger slicing through the air and aiming to sever her head. He opted for a close-range attack, precise and swift, attempting to limit the use of her scythe.
With a serene smile gracing her lips, the lady in black deftly raised her hand, grasping his wrist with a grip that was both firm and unexpected, halting his strike mid-air. But this was merely the beginning; with fluid grace, she released her scythe, letting its dark blade plunge into the earth with a resounding thud. Instantly, the atmosphere crackled with intensity as they entered a fierce exchange of blows, their movements a blur of power and precision.
Loki's mind whirled in a chaotic dance, each assault he launched met with a swift and ferocious counter. For every strike he aimed, a response hit back with even greater force, a relentless barrage that left him reeling.
The advantage was becoming more and more unmistakable
But Loki wasn't merely clinging to existence by a thread; with every strike that landed upon him, a fire ignited within. Each blow heightened his senses, making his reactions quicker and more instinctual. As the seconds slipped by, a mesmerizing transformation unfolded—his movements became increasingly fluid and precise, as if he were honing his skills in the crucible of battle.
[REACTIVE ADAPTATION]
Loki was experiencing a remarkable transformation with every fleeting moment, his abilities and control- sharpening as if he were a blade being honed to perfection. Each second brought newfound insights and skills, revealing layers of his character that had previously remained hidden, as he evolved at an astonishing pace, embodying change and growth like never before.
As if noticing the change, the lady suddenly struck out with a strength greater than before, completely obliterating Loki's arm and sending him tumbling as he attempted to block.
However, Loki's expression remained inscrutable, devoid of any hint of pain as he rolled to his feet. The moment he landed, a subtle shimmer coursed through his body, signaling that his remarkable healing factor was already at work, mending his injuries with astonishing speed.
As he steadily regained his composure, he noticed that the lady in black was nowhere to be seen; a sudden and vicious blow landed squarely on the left side of his chest. The impact was so forceful that it sent him hurtling through the air, his body twisting and tumbling before crashing to the ground.
At that very moment, amidst the silence of the battlefield, it became unmistakably evident that hostilities had reached a whole new level of intensity.