Chapter 207: Lower Realm Evaluation!

Chapter 207: Lower Realm Evaluation 6!

Tessa rose to her feet with deliberate caution, her body aching but her resolve unyielding. Her gaze fell on the door labeled Panel 2, its metallic surface gleaming ominously under the dim, flickering light. Gastro followed closely behind her, his movements muffled as they slipped into one of the open fields- blind spots, behind a jagged collection of rocks The air around them felt charged, heavy with an unseen menace.

Each step closer heightened the tension. If they could catch the door guardian unawares, maybe they could have a chance to complete this part of the challenge unharmed or so she thought. Just as Tessa moved closer, her head throbbed painfully, as a relentless, probing force battered her mental defenses, seeking to infiltrate her mind.

It was as though invisible claws were scraping against her psyche, testing for weak points. She gritted her teeth, her pulse quickening. A quick glance at Gastro confirmed her fears—he was visibly struggling, beads of sweat lining his furrowed brow.

A voice, cold and laced with mockery, resonated in the air.

"You really are naive to think you could sneak up on me.—Heheheh, You've just walked right into my mental web," the Door Guardian intoned, its voice like a velvet dagger. "Now it's only a matter of time before you succumb to my control."

The words hung in the air, heavy with malice, as the door's surface rippled like liquid metal. An otherworldly glow radiated from it, casting shifting, multicolored lights that made it difficult to focus.

"Shit," Gastro muttered under his breath, his hands clutching the sides of his head. His usually sharp eyes were clouded, his breathing labored. "This… this is worse than I thought."

Tessa straightened her posture, shaking off the wave of dread threatening to paralyze her. She knew the Guardian could sense their every thought, every intention. The pretense of stealth was pointless now.

"No use hiding," she muttered, stepping into the open, her voice steady despite the pounding in her head. "Let's face this thing head-on."

The Guardian's form began to coalesce, emerging from the swirling light like a phantom taking shape. Its laughter was a low rumble, growing louder as it fully materialized—a figure of imposing height, its features obscured by a shifting, kaleidoscopic glow. The Guardian's confidence was palpable, radiating an aura of absolute control.

Tessa didn't dare look directly into the hypnotic light emanating from its form. She could feel its power pulsing, a tangible force designed to disorient and dominate. But her resolve was ironclad.

The Guardian's smile widened. "You think your pitiful resistance will save you? You've already lost."

Suddenly, the world around Tessa shifted. The stale air of the familiar surroundings was replaced by a vast open field under a blood-red sky, where the horizon seemed to pulse ominously. Before her stood Adrian, his piercing blue eyes locked onto hers, an intensity in them that could burn through stone. Beside him loomed Rhemon, his shadow unnaturally long and writhing like living tendrils.

Adrian extended his hand, his voice low, commanding, and oddly soothing. "Take my hand, Tessa. Together, we can destroy this bastard."

At first glance, it was a flawless projection, a scene so vivid and real that anyone would have been fooled. But the Guardian had made a fatal mistake. Tessa's mind caught the flaw almost instantly: Adrian doesn't talk like that. His words would have been sharper, Biting even, his tone laced with quiet confidence. That... that worded message, would've been from Ecdy. Or Nymff.

The realization hit her like a surge of clarity through fog. The scene's edges wavered, and her instincts screamed to resist. The mental intrusion wasn't subtle anymore; it was a corrosive force clawing at her defenses, trying to corrode the foundations of her mind. The field seemed to darken, the air tightening around her as the Guardian's trap began to constrict.

"No," she whispered, the word trembling on her lips. Then louder, steadier, as her resolve hardened, "This… is not real!"

Drawing on every ounce of her willpower, she unleashed a scream that seemed to reverberate from the depths of her soul. The sound wasn't just defiance—it was force, an expulsion of the foreign energy infecting her mind. The illusion cracked, splintering like fragile glass, until it shattered entirely.

The crimson sky faded, the field dissolved, and Tessa found herself back in the familiar surroundings of the lower realm evaluation dimension. The Guardian staggered before her, its kaleidoscopic form flickering and distorted. It let out a guttural roar, its once-imposing presence reduced to a sputtering, unstable figure.

Tessa's breath came in heavy gasps, but her eyes remained sharp, fixed on the faltering Guardian. She had seen through its web of deception, and it would think twice before underestimating her again.

Gastro gasped, the pressure on his mind easing. "You… you did it," he stammered, his voice tinged with awe.

Tessa didn't waste a second. Grabbing Gastro's arm, she pulled him toward the now-open door. Each step sent searing pain through her head, but she pushed forward, ignoring the Guardian's enraged howls.

The Guardian collapsed to the ground, its form sputtering like a dying flame. Its voice, once filled with confidence, was now hoarse and incredulous. "How…? Your mind… it's like a fortress…" it felt like he just smashed an egg against a rock.

Tessa spared it one last glance, her expression resolute. "You underestimated me."

As they crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind them with an echoing thud, silencing the Guardian's anguished cries. Gastro slumped against the wall, his chest heaving, a mix of relief and admiration etched on his face.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," he said, forcing a shaky grin as he glanced at Tessa.

She didn't respond immediately, her gaze fixed forward, already calculating what lay ahead. Her breathing steadied, and the pain from the earlier mental assault began to ebb away. She stood straighter, the fog in her mind lifting. The sharp clarity that followed confirmed her theory: crossing each door seemed to reset their physical and mental state, healing the damage they'd endured.

The faint throbbing in her head was gone now, her mental walls fully restored, stronger even, as if the trial had fortified her resolve. Tessa's lips pressed into a thin line. So, as long as we push through these challenges, we'll recover each time, she thought. The realization wasn't comforting—it was a cold, logical fact that hinted at the brutal design of the Lower Realm's evaluations.

Without another word, Tessa moved ahead, her steps deliberate and unyielding. Gastro followed, his earlier grin replaced by quiet determination. The air grew heavier as they approached the next door, a subtle hum resonating through the corridor, promising another trial that would push them to their limits.