The grotesque appearance of the ghostly Melissa wasn’t horrifying enough on its own. Now, wearing a deeply unsettling smile, it charged straight at him with its arms transformed into two vicious saws.

Kyle immediately backpedaled as the sharp blades sliced through the space he had been standing in just moments ago.

His first instinct was to create distance from the real Melissa, who still sat lost within her own world. Her body remained unmoving and eyes lost, as if the chaos around her didn’t exist.

Even if this thing was born from her consciousness, it looked frenzied enough to attack Melissa herself.

"Where are you going?" the ghost asked, its hollow eyes narrowing with amusement. "Didn’t you come here to talk?"

Its grin widened grotesquely.

"Then let’s talk."

The creature lunged forward again with terrifying hunger.

Kyle already understood he couldn’t use his weapon here.

This would have to be close combat.

The saw-like arms extended nearly two feet in length, yet the creature swung them around effortlessly. That meant one thing.

Poor control.

The ghost raised both saw arms, aiming directly for his shoulder.

Instead of retreating, Kyle stepped even closer at the last second, causing the spinning blades to cut through nothing but air.

In one swift movement, he shoved his arms beneath the creature’s own and planted his feet firmly against the ground before lifting it clean off its feet.

"Stop moving!"

Kyle roared as he spun around, intending to throw it away—

Crunch.

Kyle froze.

That ghostly motherfucker had actually bitten into his collarbone.

"Fuck!"

Pain flared instantly.

"Nasty asswipe!"

Roaring in fury, Kyle ripped the creature away from himself, already feeling warm blood running down from the wound.

The monster only grinned wider as it was hurled across the ground.

And it didn’t stay down for long.

Its muscles twisted unnaturally, knees bending backward while its spine arched inhumanly.

Without using its arms or relying on any support, the creature slowly rose back onto its feet.

Kyle instinctively took several steps backward while clutching his bleeding shoulder.

Oddly enough, the pain itself wasn’t too severe.

But his side was already drenched in crimson.

"What happened?" The creature tilted its head unnaturally. "Don’t want to talk anymore?"

Kyle clicked his tongue in irritation.

His consciousness was beginning to feel heavy inside this place, a clear sign that his presence within the mindscape was being rejected.

He wasn’t meant to remain here for long.

Brawler: [Amusing.]

Myuri: [Kyle, retreat! Screw whatever that oaf said and leave this bitch here!]

Tharos: [Kyle...you are hurt...]

Kyle slowly exhaled and forced himself to calm down.

Meanwhile, the creature continued approaching him, swaying left and right as though savoring every second of the fight.

Then—

A notification suddenly appeared before him.

[Quest from viewer WarHorse: Break her arms.]

[Reward: Enhanced Magic Control(SSS-rank), 50 SP]

[Duration: Three Minutes]

Kyle frowned deeply. "What the fu—"

Whoosh!

He jerked his head aside just in time as one of the saw arms rushed past, aiming cleanly for his neck.

Kyle snickered under his breath before crouching beneath the follow-up strike, instantly closing the distance again with a clenched fist.

The ghost grinned wider.

As though it had been waiting for this exact moment.

Suddenly—

A spinning saw burst out from its stomach and lunged directly toward Kyle’s face.

’Fuck!’

Kyle barely tilted his head aside in time, several strands of hair flying away as the blade grazed past him.

At the same moment, he slammed his forehead directly into the creature’s exposed torso with full force.

The ghost staggered backward from the impact, but the laughter that escaped its mouth was deeply unsettling.

"Eheh!"

Squelch.

And Kyle immediately realized why.

The creature had brought both saw arms downward the moment it was pushed back, driving the spinning blades directly into his back.

Kyle groaned in pain.

The blades had definitely sunk into his flesh, and the burning sensation spreading through his body was unbearable.

[Host, this is a great opportunity. Heightened control over magic may help you retain your sanity more effectively.]

Kyle read the message and instantly made his decision.

Before the creature could pull its arms away, Kyle grabbed both blades directly from the middle.

His palms split open as the edges bit into his hands, blood instantly pouring down his fingers, but he tightened his grip with every ounce of strength he possessed.

"Hmm?"

The smiling abomination tilted its head curiously as Kyle slowly ripped the blades out from his own back before rising to his full height.

His expression darkened completely.

The killing intent in his eyes was unmistakable now.

With a savage snarl, Kyle raised his leg and stomped down onto the ghost’s right shoulder.

"Sorry, Melissa...but this is gonna hurt!"

At the same moment, he shoved downward with his leg while violently pulling the arm in the opposite direction.

"Ah-ghhaaaaak!"

The creature shrieked horribly.

Its body proved far more fragile than expected as the shoulder instantly snapped apart beneath the force.

....

Outside—

"Ghaaaa!"

Amanda panicked upon hearing Melissa scream despite the girl still being unconscious.

Sweat drenched Melissa’s body, her face ghostly pale while her entire expression twisted in unbearable agony.

Amanda clicked her tongue anxiously.

"What in the world is happening?! Kyle, can you hear me?! I’m breaking this barrier if you don’t answer me soon!"

....

Inside the mindscape, the ghost thrashed violently, desperately trying to escape.

But Kyle had already made up his mind.

Gritting his teeth, he poured every bit of strength into forcing the creature’s body away while keeping its arm locked firmly in place.

The ghost clawed at him frantically, both saw arms trembling as they screeched against Kyle’s sides and back, carving shallow cuts while he forced its body forward.

But Kyle refused to let go.

His bleeding hands remained locked around both blades while his foot drove harder into the creature’s shoulder line.

Crck...crrk...

The joints began tearing apart together.

"AAAAGHHHH—!"

The ghost screamed violently, its body convulsing as dark blood splattered across Kyle’s arms, chest, and face.

Kyle snarled through gritted teeth and pulled harder.

Flesh stretched sickeningly under the force before finally giving way.

RIP!

Both arms tore free at once in a violent spray of blood.

The creature collapsed onto its knees, shrieking hysterically while black crimson gushed from the ruined sockets of its shoulders.

Kyle staggered backward afterward, breathing heavily, both torn limbs still clenched in his trembling hands as blood steadily dripped onto the ground beneath him.

He tossed the arms away and watched the ghost withering in pain. Though, much to his annoyance, it was not yielding. And to add further, it was regrowing its damn arms!

"Fucking demon." He cursed before he read the notification,

[Congratulations, quest achieved.]

[For the next three minutes, your magic control would reach its maximum potential.]

[Starting in 3...2...1]

"!!!" Kyle’s eyes widened, his eyes turning completely blank as he stared at the sky.

In that moment, when he just barely touched what could be his one day, he saw something. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

A fragment of his memory.

Not of this life.

But what he once used to live.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far, please leave a comment or review.