Dimensional Descent

Leonel stepped out with a huffing breath, the image of the Ma'at Bubble fading. He could feel the stares of thousands of Spirituals on him as his gaze flickered with an unwillingness. But once they vanished, he rolled his shoulders and settled in.

'Damn, what an annoyance...' he mumbled beneath his breath.

In truth, he had, indeed, gone all out. But without the help of the Life Tablet which he had purposely not used, actually winning was a tall, tall task.

He was just barely better than the two. The problem was that he lost points because of Clarence, and in the end, he had taken a loss as a result.

As he had said previously, the challenge sequence in this format was different. Rather than an open world, there were more one on one challenges, and there was more variety in what could or couldn't happen. Even he wasn't certain of exactly what would happen.

What was ultimately true though was the fact that making up for lost points when you had bad teammates or not teammates at all in Leonel's case was impossible. It was made worse by the fact that he had no rest whatsoever.

He didn't have to fake how tired he was because he truly was at the end of his rope. The only way he could have won was if he could take advantage of the Life Tablet. But if he did that... then what would all his previous plans have been for? He would have been finished and the war happening in the Owlan Bubble right now could come back and fall right on top of his head.

He had to avoid that outcome at all costs.

However, he wasn't helpless. Although he hadn't lost on purpose in the most obvious sense, in a general sense, he still had.

He didn't need teammates that would definitely win, he just needed teammates that would at least accumulate some points.

As for why he had lost on "purpose", that was obviously because he wanted to be the one to fight against the Nomad Race Bubble. If it wasn't him, then what would be the point?

'I'll need to find a way to make it feel more realistic, though. I'm a genius, aren't I? It's about time my Dream Force breakthrough.'

Leonel grinned.

It wasn't like he had gained nothing from this battle other than a loss, and he hadn't wasted months just to force them into a pyrrhic victory either.

He had gained quite a lot from the exchange.

It had to be remembered that the Challenge Sequences between the Dream Pavilions were designed for healthy competition, it was a method of promoting unity, and that was why there were so many chances at improving one's Dream Force.

And, obviously, this time around, Leonel had gained even more of that.

Leonel's Dream Force was at the Lower Life State. Thanks to his Dream Sovereignty, he was easily comparable to the Middle Life State, even the Higher Life State depending on the opponent and the situation.

The Emberheart Lady and Vanama had been in the Higher Life State, the both of them. It was no wonder, then, that Leonel had struggled so much.

The trouble was that whoever the Khafra Dream Pavilion had would almost certainly be far more powerful than this.

But the trouble for them was that much like Leonel, they wouldn't be allowed to display this power without being exposed.

And that would be his opportunity.

Aina suddenly appeared by Leonel's side, giving a smile that wasn't a smile. Of course, this wasn't a threat, but was more so a forced happiness.

She didn't like what Leonel had to do sometimes, and she knew it was eating him up inside.

"You look tired."

Leonel grinned. "I am, but soon it won't matter. Give me a minute."

Leonel stood there in silence, taking a breath and then another breath. He didn't seem intent on exhaling at all.

Suddenly, a Forgetful Orb appeared in his palm and he crushed it.

Seconds later, his aura flourished like a rising tide, his Dream Force multiplying several times over as it finally climbed to the Middle Life State. In fact, it even seemed to show faint inklings of reaching the Higher Life State.

It seemed that even compared to his Fire Force or Bow Force, his talent in Dream Force just felt like... it was on a level all its own.

His aura settled down and he exhaled a breath, feeling much better. The fatigue from the past several months also settled down and he felt alive again.

At that exact moment, he felt a vibration. A message was trying to get through to his Dream Pavilion, but it couldn't.

Leonel chuckled. "Cute."

With a thought, the letter on the outside was burnt to ash without being able to enter.

But the process itself not only told him of what the letter said, but also alerted him to the thinly veiled threat. Obviously, whoever this Dream Asura was happened to be using this opportunity to let him know that they knew exactly where the Vast Dream Pavilion was now.

Leonel didn't take it seriously. After he was done with them, they wouldn't have the luxury to care about the Human Bubble.

'As expected...' Leonel smiled. The letter was telling him to challenge the Khafra Dream Pavilion. And she even wanted him to do it right this moment.

Flaura was feeling confident. She had seen through the limits of Leonel's talent already, and if his fatigue was factored in on top of that, they would have no chance whatsoever.

When it was likewise considered that the members of the Khafra Dream Pavilion were certainly hiding their true strength, she felt that this victory was in the bag. Taking advantage of Leonel's hot-headedness was just the cherry on top.

No one would be thinking about the Khafra Dream Pavilion, they'll just be thinking about the fallen genius that was Leonel Morales.

And it filled her with pleasure.

Watching people writhe beneath her schemes, unable to carve a path out...

She loved it the most.

Leonel took a moment to collect himself, his mind already churning with plans and strategies. He couldn't afford to dwell on his recent loss; there were bigger battles on the horizon.

Turning to Aina, he flashed her a reassuring smile. "I'm ready. Let's see what this Khafra Dream Pavilion is made of."

With renewed determination, Leonel prepared to face his next challenge head-on. The stakes were higher than ever, but he was resolved to emerge victorious, no matter the obstacles in his path. The game was far from over, and Leonel Morales was ready to play his part in shaping its outcome.

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