Cassandra slowly opened her eyes, confused as to where she was. She sat up and looked around, taking in the vast expanse of greenery before her. The place was peaceful, and she could feel a gentle breeze blowing through the grass. She looked down at herself and realized that she was wearing different clothes from before. "Where am I?" she whispered to herself.
Just then, she heard a voice behind her. "You're in a dream," the voice said.
Cassandra turned around and saw a man standing a few feet away from her. He wore a long, flowing cloak, and his face was partially obscured by a hood. "Who are you?" she asked, rising to her feet.
The man smiled. "I'm Mr. Dreamer, the same guy you met earlier," he said. "And you, my dear, are in a place where all things are possible."
Cassandra's eyes widened. "A dream?" she repeated. "But how did I get here?"
Mr. Dreamer shrugged. "I brought you here," he said. "I wanted to have a chat with you."
Cassandra frowned. "About what?" she asked.
"About your future," Mr. Dreamer said. "You see, Cassandra, you're a very talented fighter. You've proven that time and time again. But I believe you have the potential to be even greater."
Cassandra narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at?" she asked.
Mr. Dreamer chuckled. "I'm simply saying that you should never limit yourself," he said. "There are no bounds to what you can achieve. So dream big, my dear. Dream big."
Then, out of nowhere, Mr. Dreamer disappeared.
All of a sudden, she felt a strange presence around her, and before she could react, a clone of herself appeared in front of her. The clone was a perfect copy of her, but it was much stronger and more skilled. Cassandra knew she had to fight if she wanted to wake up from this dream.
The clone attacked her with a flurry of powerful strikes, which Cassandra barely managed to dodge. She counterattacked with a series of quick jabs and kicks, but the clone easily blocked and countered her moves.
Cassandra felt the pressure mounting, but she refused to give up. She pushed herself to the limit, using all her skills and experience to fight her clone. The two of them clashed in a fierce battle, exchanging blows and strikes with incredible speed and precision.
The fight went on for what seemed like hours, with neither of them gaining the upper hand. Cassandra was sweating profusely, and her muscles ached with exhaustion, but she refused to give up. She knew that she had to defeat her clone if she wanted to escape this dream.
'It knows everything about me. Even the things I haven't used in the tournament.' Cassandra clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Cassandra gasped for air as she stood panting, her entire body dripping with sweat. The clone of herself was proving to be an intense opponent, and Cassandra was having difficulty keeping up with her movements. Suddenly, Mr. Dreamer appeared once more, his gentle voice breaking the silence.
"Do not be in a hurry to leave, dear champion," he said. "Time flows differently within this dream. Take as much time as you need."
Cassandra looked at him in confusion, but Mr. Dreamer continued to speak.
"You may learn from your clone," he said. "She is a reflection of your skills and weaknesses. Take this opportunity to shatter your limits and become stronger."
Cassandra felt a wave of understanding wash over her. She realized that this was more than just a fight; it was an opportunity to grow and improve. She nodded at Mr. Dreamer and turned back to face her clone.
With renewed vigor, she raised her fists and charged towards her clone. The two fought fiercely, their limbs clashing in a symphony of a beatdown. Cassandra found herself observing her clone, looking for patterns in her movements and finding ways to counter them.
The fight lasted for what seemed like hours, but Cassandra did not tire. She was focused on learning and growing. Finally, she saw an opening and struck her clone with a fierce blow. The clone dissolved into mist, leaving Cassandra standing alone in the field.
Cassandra looked around, her mind reeling from the intensity of the battle. She realized that Mr. Dreamer had been right. She had shattered her limits and become stronger. And she had done it in a dream.
She felt a sense of gratitude towards Mr. Dreamer, and silently thanked him for his guidance.
"The feeling of progress certainly feels nice, isn't it?" Mr. Dreamer's voice sounded behind her once more.
Cassandra turned around and nodded at him. Then, Mr. Dreamer said this:
"I'm giving you a chance to pick." His voice rumbled in her ears, "One, you can take your leave. You've done the bare minimum to go past your limits, and you're one step stronger compared to you before."
"You can wrap it up here and take a long rest. After all, the past few days had been hectic for you, I'm sure that you're very tired." Mr. Dreamer continued.
"..." Cassandra refused to comment just yet. Instead, she just waited until he tells her the other options there were.
"Or two, you can stay here for some more time." He says, "I will let you fight more stronger versions of yourself. Each one you defeat will signify greater progress on yourself."
"Choosing this option, however, must mean that you are prepared to get hut." Mr. Dreamer grimly reminded, "You won't die here, per se. I'll make sure you won't. But the experience of dying will feel real every time you fail to defeat your clone. This is the magic of this dream. Whatever happens to you here will affect your body, both positively and negatively."
Cassandra hesitated for a moment, her mind racing as she weighed her options. Leaving now would be easy, but she knew that she had not yet reached her full potential. She made her decision and turned to face Mr. Dreamer.
"I choose to stay," she said with conviction.
Mr. Dreamer nodded and a small smile played on his lips.
"Very well," he said. "But remember, don't be in a rush. Time here flows differently from the outside. I won't tell you how different it is just yet, but keep that in mind."
"Anyways, you're off-duty as long as you're here anyway, so don't rush anything. Learn as much as you can before leaving."
Cassandra nodded, her eyes bright with determination. She was ready for whatever lay ahead.
As Mr. Dreamer faded away, Cassandra looked around at her surroundings. The peaceful greenery was still all around her, but she could sense that something was different. The air was charged with energy, and she knew that she was not alone.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of her. It was her clone, but this time, it was even stronger than before. Cassandra knew that she had to fight if she wanted to get stronger.
The two of them engaged in a fierce battle, their movements fluid and graceful. Cassandra pushed herself harder than she ever had before, determined to come out on top.
As the fight dragged on, Cassandra could feel her strength waning. Her clone seemed to be inexhaustible, and Cassandra knew that she couldn't keep up much longer. She was on the verge of collapse when Mr. Dreamer appeared once more.
"You're doing well," he said. "But don't forget that there is always room for improvement. Remember, this is your dream. You can do anything you want."
With renewed determination, Cassandra summoned all of her strength and unleashed a powerful attack. Her clone was caught off guard and stumbled back, giving Cassandra the opening she needed. She struck her clone with a final blow, and it shattered into a million pieces.
Cassandra was panting, her heart racing as she looked around at her surroundings. The dream world was still there, but it felt different somehow. She could sense that she had grown stronger, that she had shattered her limits and pushed past her own boundaries.
She knew that there was still more to learn, still more to gain, and so she made her decision to stay in the dream a little while longer. She was not done yet.
Meanwhile, the other finalists of the Mystic Guild Tournament also found themselves in similar dreamscapes, facing their own challenges and enemies. At first, they were confused and scared, just like Cassandra was, but soon they realized that this was an opportunity to improve themselves and become even stronger.
As they continued to train and fight, they became aware of one another's presence in the dream world. They started to communicate, share tips and advice, and even spar with each other. It was a strange and surreal experience, but they all agreed that this was the most precious reward they could have received from the Mystic Guild.
Eventually, they all chose to stay in the dream world for as long as they could, knowing that the lessons and experiences they gained here would be invaluable in their future endeavors. They fought, they bled, and they learned. And as they continued to hone their skills, they knew that they would emerge from this dream world as even greater champions than before.