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The leader of the Blighters sensed a powerful presence, something that only a high ranked spirit could exude. She reflectively stepped back several times, her scepter gathering her dark, corrupted nature's essence, her eyes glowing sharply. 

"A High Rank Spirit? And not a normal one! What is this?! Dreams and Nightmares? Such an abstract element, into a Spirit protecting a mere child?!" She roared furiously. "That goddess must have casted that spirit to protect her! Be careful, my siblings."

"W-What the…?!" Elena stepped back, suddenly realizing she was being shrouded by the essence of nightmares and dreams in the form of black and purple clouds. 

She quickly noticed it took the form of a black scythe with a skull on top, glowing with a crimson aura. And it talked! Not only Elena was shocked, but Anna, Steiner, and Elisa all gasped as they saw this phantasmal being appear.

"Hahh… That aura, feels familiar, somehow…" Monica looked into the scythe.

"I really thought you could solve things on your own, but it seems an enemy like this cannot be easily defeated!" The scythe spoke.

"W-Who the fuck are you?!" Elena asked the thing.

"Such manners…" Sighed the entity. "My name is Morpheus! I am a Spirit of Nightmares and Dreams created by your mother. She has given me the task to protect you from all danger- well, and your friends too, if possible."

"What? Really? Mom did that…?" Elena was surprised. "B-But even then… Why did you appear so late?!"

"I was trying to see how far your strength could carry you. It wouldn't have been good to see you being helped right away, right? After all, why did you even gained that power if you were not even going to test it?" Laughed Morpheus. "However, these foes are no mere monsters anymore… It seems there are multiple factions of enemies working together. This is bad. I never thought my Master would make this many enemies by just living her life…"

"They're all mom's enemies?!" Elena asked, suddenly growing furious. "W-Why? What has she done to them anyways?!"

"Those Blighters… No idea. But she did kill a Demon, so that guy blocking the way out must have been his friend, or something. Not like demons have friends but, well, you get the idea." Morpheus spoke with a lugubrious voice.

"The Demon that tried to kill Gabriel… Mom killed it, right…" Elena sighed. "Wait, does this means she's an enemy of all Demons now?!"

"Maybe. Depends how stupid they are to mess with her." Morpheus laughed. "Now, I doubt this lady over here will wait for us any longer."

"Heh, you might be strong…" The Blighter woman said. "But through my life, I've killed many High Rank Spirits, and devoured their Essence. I am a Sorceress of the Nature Eaters Society, Priest of the Goddess of Decay, Kalmas! And we walk in her name. As we shall consume all Nature in her name!" The woman began floating in midair, her Aura of Magic growing larger.

"S-She's actually a magician of Earth, right?! Not a player… Holy shit, there's people that strong out there?!" Elena panicked. "She started floating, that's not good news! She's going for an ultimate spell or something! Morpheus, what can you do?"

"I can do a few tricks, but I am not all-powerful either. My job here is to buy time and protect you." He spoke. "And that is what I'll do! First of all, we have to take care those small fries don't sneak in!"

[Summon Nightmarish Skeleton Knights]

Morpheus' magical aura erupted from his body, turning into a liquid black miasma made out of nightmares, which started to cover the floor and stretching out around the group. From within them, black skeletons surged, slowly rising from the nightmarish miasma.

Dozens of skeletons wearing black armor and black weapons, from swords, to shields, to spears, and to bows appeared out of the miasmic shadows. Quickly pointing their weapons at the incoming Bone Beasts, that kept pouring out of the Gate that the Demon King of Death had most likely created.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

The clash between the skeletons echoed, sparks of black flames erupted each time the weapons from the Nightmare Skeletons hit the Bone Beasts. The monsters from the Gate were slightly stronger and had larger bodies, but the Nightmare Skeletons were smart, and knew how to fight.

They cut through the bone beasts' claws and legs, making them trip and then ganged on their chests, until they were to manage to pierce their cores and kill them once and for all. However, as this happened, the Blighters didn't stand still.

"Oh mother of Decay, bless me with your curse!" Laughed the Blighter woman, as if in ectasis. Her aura of dark and corrupted nature surged from within her, a putrid smell surging from it as the appearance of a zombie woman wearing a black dress, with long white hair emerged, glaring at everyone with crimson red eyes. She opened her mouth, revealing her falling teeth. "[Breath of Decay]"

FLUOSH!

The putrid zombie goddess manifestation released a wave of green smoke. Anything that touched this smoke weakened. The Bone Beasts were not spared, their bodies instantly falling and beginning to rot their bones. Their cores cracked; their souls were feed to the Aura of the Blighter.

As the decay spread, Morpheus panicked. He quickly conjured a powerful mass of Dream Energy and distorted space itself, opening a Dream Portal. He couldn't bring the girls inside though, it would be too dangerous to be confined inside a random Dream Realm.

"Your Spell is powerful, but useless if it never touches us." He roared. "Open!"

[Dream Portal]

A portal to a small Dream Realm opened, absorbing the Breath of Decay like a black hole, and saving everyone behind him from dying by rotting to death. However, not only Bone Beasts died, but a couple of bystanders nearby were affected, their arms or legs beginning to rot.

FLUOSH!

"Hahaha! Is this all you can do?" The Blighter woman laughed. "My siblings, get them!"

As she kept her Breath of Decay active, Morpheus realized two other Blighters had sneaked behind him and his summons, rushing towards Elena's friends.

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