The Warrior is noble.
The Apprentice is inexperienced.
The Kind One is simple.
The siblings are innocent.
Aisling has nothing.
Only in this way could he survive.
[Wake up, Aisling.
Your nightmare is over.]
[Prepare for the appraisal…]
‘If I had died… Who would cry for me?’
Aisling was bleak.
Inside a black void, he lay prostrate, too weak to rise.
He was lost in thought, watching the threads of light that passed through that unfamiliar space.
[You have received a… a… You have received a Memory: World-Loving Doll]
The Spell’s voice continued speaking, but he paid no attention.
“Nightmares ain’t real.
”
Those are the words one receives to survive.
They can behave like living, emotional beings, but they are not.
“It doesn’t matter… It’s over now.”
He clutched his hair in frustration.
The power of that creature was insidious and harrowing.
Even dead, he could feel like it crawled on his brain, using him; at a certain point in the Nightmare, he could no longer think clearly.
With his mind clear, he found relief in being able to think about simple, normal things.
“In the end, it was my Attributes and Aspect that saved me.”
He had a couple of theories, but unless he experienced a similar situation, he couldn’t know anything with certainty.
He only understood that his Aspect had given him the necessary support to endure that entire Nightmare, or at least until the end.
He had truly believed he was going to die; he had given up everything and stabbed himself, resigned to his fate.
Now, alive, he no longer wanted to die.
A new determination was born within him.
In the end, after all, no matter what happened, he would have to move forward.
still in the black void, the voice of the Spell spoke:
[Aspirant!
Your trial is over.]
[An unknown being crossed the desolate desert.
So useless, it could only survive by relying on the noble and the humble.
One by one, the survivors committed suicide.
The weather was horrific, and even worse, its human condition; resorting to perverse methods, it devoured its companion.
Watching the last one die, it could see that it itself is the enemy.
With the strength of its fallen companion and a stubborn resolve, it managed to end its pitiful life and, in doing so, avoid the worst fate.]
“Wretched… Did I really… devour my companion…?
And that’s not enough, was that also the only way to overcome everything?”
Recalling his actions once more, he felt the iron-tasting blood run through his mouth and the raw flesh being ground by his skill.
“Human flesh… what a crappy taste.”
His stomach churned, but he resisted the urge to vomit.
At that moment, he was in a trance; however, he knew that he had eaten it willingly.
That Nightmare Creature could never have known my power.
If it had, I wouldn’t have let it devour it.
That final effort of the Kind One was the instant he needed to kill himself.
He didn’t hesitate to commit suicide, even without knowing that it was the requirement to overcome it.
At that moment, what he wanted the most was to die.
[You have defeated two Awakened Demons, Seed of the World’s Lover.]
[You have defeated a Dormant Human, Follower of the Enemy of the World.]
[You have defeated an ascended human, Hunter of the Enemy of the World.]
[You have defeated a Cursed Tyrant, World-Loving Flower.]
[You have received the stigma of being the last follower of the Enemy of the World.]
[Unthinkable!]
[Final appraisal: Catastrophic.
You are a living disgrace.]
Catastrophic?
A living disgrace?
How many times does the Spell have to insult me before it’s satisfied?
Putting aside the garbage rating he’d been given, he managed to calm down a little and tried to think about the good things he had.
‘A cursed tyrant… Does such a thing even exist?’
An incredible feat for a mere human in his First Nightmare.
The fact that the creature was practically himself didn’t diminish its importance.
With his appraisal, he could only sigh.
But he was happy.
Perhaps his future wasn’t so bad after all; his nightmare was worthy of a good reward.
[Dreamer Aisling, receive your boon!]
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Hollow of Inevitability.]
Aisling nearly fell over upon hearing it.
A True Name!
His future was definitely bright!
With just that, his life would take multiple leaps forward, and he would be recognized.
He could live a stable life!
[Your Aspect is ready to devolve.
Devolve Aspect?]
‘What kind of bullshit question is that?!’
Aisling thought it over deeply and accepted.
He didn’t think he could receive anything worse than what he already had; it was useful in a way he didn’t want it to be, and he didn’t want to be seen as a creature that only knew how to eat.
[Dormant Hungry Aspect is devolving…]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Dormant.]
Aisling was close to spitting blood.
[Aspect Name: Devourer.]
[Your attributes are devolving…]
[New Attributes acquired.]
[New Attribute acquired: Supernatural Body.]
[New Attribute acquired: Supernatural Mind.]
[New Attribute acquired: Supernatural Soul.]
[New attribute acquired: Enemy of the World.]
───
Attributes:
[Supernatural Body]: Your body is a sacrifice, a resource that resonates with the world.
[Supernatural Mind]: Your mind is simple; it discerns the truth of the world.
[Supernatural Soul]: Your soul is insignificant; it refuses corruption.
[Enemy of the World]: You are a little of everything and a little of nothing.
The Gods and Fate disregard you, and you will be despised by the world.
Aspect: [Devourer.]
Rank: [Dormant.]
Aspect Description: [Your crime has no redemption.
You will be treated as a monster, all for going against the world.]
Innate Ability: [Negation.]
Description: [You are a fugitive who enjoys freedom.
You nullify unwanted anomalous intentions.]
“Rot in hell… This isn’t even funny; that doesn’t tell me anything.”
Too much information was thrust before his eyes, too much to swallow.
He absorbed the worst parts more than the ambiguous explanations.
He didn’t have time to think much, and the Spell’s voice continued to echo in the blackness.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]
“Ugh!
Let me… think.”
His body began to change.
An intense pain surged; he felt his body being destroyed and rebuilt with greater strength.
He had never felt so healthy and capable in his life.
[Awakening Aspect Ability…]
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Body Consumption.]
“Sounds… good?”
He felt like he was on a roller coaster.
Good things came and went, and then he got garbage; he felt happy with a future ahead, but they kept giving him reasons to shoot himself.
‘Nightmare Spell, am I just a toy to you?’
Without wasting a moment, he checked his Runes.
Name: [Aisling]
True Name: [Hollow of Inevitability]
Rank: [Dreamer]
Soul Core: [Dormant]
Soul Fragments: [1000/1000]
Memories: [Insidious Robe], [World-Loving Doll].
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Supernatural Body], [Supernatural Mind] [Supernatural Soul], [Enemy of the World].
Aspect: [Devourer].
Aspect Rank: [Dormant].
Aspect Description: [Your crime has no redemption.
You will be treated like a monster, all for going against the world.]
Innate Ability: [Negation]
Description: [You are a fugitive who enjoys freedom.
You nullify unwanted anomalous intentions.]
Aspect Abilities:
Aspect Ability: [Body Consumption]
Aspect Ability Description: [Uses bodies to become whole.
Pain is the core of your strength.]
“Why does it have to explain everything like that?”
He already had a lot of turmoil inside him, and these explanations didn’t make him feel any better.
[All power has a price.]
Now what the fuck are you going to come up with?
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: …]
Aisling crossed his fingers, not believing it would work, but it was better than nothing.
Flaw: [Cannibal].
Flaw Description: [You can only feed on your own kind.]
Aisling fell to his knees.
The silence of the void became so bleak and pitiful, carrying a mountain that didn’t allow him to stand on his body and soul.
He clenched his fists so tightly that blood seeped out.
He stared into the dark emptiness, still feeling the echo of the Nightmare Spell’s words.
Time stretched out, and the Spell didn’t speak again, almost waiting for his reaction.
Aisling sensed the anticipation and, truly, didn’t want to give it that satisfaction.
He inhaled deeply and exhaled forcefully, releasing every bleak feeling within him.
Then, a mocking sound escaped his lips, starting with ragged breathing that escalated into a chilling sound.
He began to laugh like a madman.
“I understand… I understand perfectly well.
I am the enemy… What role does the enemy have in a place like mine?
If you want to see me burn so badly, I’ll give you the pleasure you crave.
You shitty Spell!”
He moved his legs and managed to stand, still gripped by the incessant tremors that assailed him, which were no longer hopeless but had transformed into a disturbing resilience.
“Anyone can bang their head against a wall, some out of frustration, others out of hatred, and some, strangely, out of a yearning to break free from the chains that bind them.
This world is too small a cage for me!
That’s why I always crash into the same wall, not looking for a way out, just trying to find a coherent answer in my struggle to survive; and even without knowing what exists on the other side, it won’t matter: because I’ve already decided to give my life!”
Aisling was too agitated but more alive than ever.
“My crime is rejecting the selfish world and being so selfless.
Asking for nothing, without gaining all it has to offer me!
You can take my nightmare and my abilities, take my food and be the most wretched being in this fucking world.
Just remember what you didn’t allow me to have, no matter how much I suffer!
I swear I’m going to tear all your evidence apart…”
Raising his middle finger to the void, he declared:
“…and I’ll shove it up your–!”
[Wake up, Hollow of Inevitability!]
Aisling smiled with wholeness.
“…huff puff…
what other way will you cope with me.”