[Wake up, Hollow of Inevitability!]
Aisling opened his eyes and saw the stark, simple reinforced ceiling.
Inside the police station, in the underground section, it had to be sealed off in case he transformed into a nightmare creature for failing his Nightmare.
Calming his rage, he acknowledged the real world.
He was on the verge of tears, unable to believe it.
He had overcome the First Nightmare!
A misfit and a rat of society.
The odds were so slim, and he had even thrown away his life in that Nightmare.
The only downside was that it would be difficult to profit from it!
Not just his Flaw; everything about him was horrible.
Just when he thought he could have a moment of peace and finally relax in the world, the Spell sent him to hell.
Wanting to continue complaining about the Spell, his senses throbbed intensely, feeling stimulated.
He rarely remembered feeling such strong emotions, perhaps only when he went days without eating and committed desperate acts; even then, it was too intense.
He peered around the basement room and saw a beautiful woman sitting in a simple plastic chair.
The beautiful stranger appeared to be about her twenties; she had short, raven-black hair and cold, blue eyes.
Her white skin was soft and delicate, unlike Aisling’s pale, sickly complexion.
She wore a government agent’s uniform, displaying three stars on her shoulder.
As she stretched, her beautiful figure pressed against the uniform, offering a very suggestive view that would surely captivate any man; unfortunately, Aisling was in much worse shape at that moment.
The woman noticed Aisling’s slight movements and, with an anxious look, asked sharply:
“What are you looking at?”
Needless to say, Aisling wasn’t in her right mind, barely registering the question.
His first thought came out:
“Can I bite you?”
The woman’s terrifying glare snapped him back to reality, and as if that weren’t enough, he received a slap that sent him sprawling to the ground.
“I haven’t learned to control my strength yet, so you’d better not say the first thing that comes to mind.
Do you understand, or are you dead?”
Aisling didn’t dare speak or question; he was ashamed of having acted impulsively.
So he gave her a thumbs-up, completely fresh minded but with a red and swollen cheek.
Looking carefully at the stranger, he finally noticed the three stars on her uniform.
“Are you a Master?
You look—”
“Do you want to keep talking?”
“I’ll be quiet.”
He rubbed his cheek, feeling a slight sting.
The beautiful woman sighed, touching her head with an annoyed expression.
“Forget it.
I’m Master Jet.
In charge of getting rid of you if you haven’t overcome the Nightmare.”
“Thank you.”
“Good; it’s the best thing you can do.”
Jet looked at him intently, narrowing her eyes, as if she could see beyond his appearance.
“You give off a bad feeling.
Something about you doesn’t sit right with me, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.”
Aisling understood what she meant, possibly related to a certain Attribute.
“Well… I have something like that.
It seems the Nightmare Spell has made me less than flattering.”
“And your comments aren’t helping matters.”
Jet laughed, much more cheerful.
She leaned closer, studying his mouth closely.
“Besides, you have extra teeth.
Is that related to you biting me?”
Aisling nodded, not wanting to reveal too much; she wouldn’t tell anyone, not even if she owed them her life.
Jet’s demeanor softened, and with a smile, she declared,
“You’re not doing so badly.
Congratulations on returning from your First Nightmare, Sleeper Aisling.”
“I survived,” he whispered, convinced of his own reality.
“I thought I was dead.”
These weren’t casual words after enduring such immense danger; he had practically stabbed himself and felt the abyss between life and death.
“It’s normal.
Rats are underestimated and don’t see how resilient we are, including ourselves.”
Aisling was speechless.
A woman from the outskirts had achieved Ascension; that was a remarkable accomplishment.
He knew that few survived the First Nightmare, and those who did didn’t always dare to take the next step.
“Did she also grow up in the garbage…?
No, wait.
Why is she even supervising a mere Sleeper like me?
Isn’t that degrading for a Master?”
Jet shrugged and replied simply,
“I just became a full-fledged Master.
There have been reports of Gates opening in the area; I monitor them from time to time.
And, since I work directly for the government, I have to obey.
I didn’t think much about it.
As you can see, it’s a proper career.
Giving up wealth for duty?
Sounds good, doesn’t it?”
Aisling, with the powerful, government-appointed figure before him, looked at her as if she were crazy.
“It’s awful.”
Jet sighed wearily, placing her hand on Aisling’s shoulder.
“Yes, it is.”
───
After waking up from his Nightmare and meeting Master Jet, he took a hot bath for the insistence of her.
A marvel where he was allowed to be reborn after countless fainting spells.
He looked at his healthier and stronger than ever body; his appearance had improved.
He had left the emaciated rat behind.
He no longer looked so sickly, and his eyes were clearer.
His only complaint was his hair, which remained ashy and dirty.
“You’re not that special, Spell.
Not even good enough to fix my hair.”
He let out a laugh, but stopped immediately.
“Or do you know my hair bothers me and you just left it like that?”
Paying attention to his reflection, he carefully examined his teeth.
It was even more noticeable than before!
His number of teeth had increased.
He understood that humans have thirty-two teeth, and after counting carefully a couple of times, it turned out he now had forty in total.
And they weren’t ordinary teeth.
Most of his flat teeth had been replaced by terrifying fangs, except for his few front teeth.
Adding to his attribute to curse the world and view it with contempt, it was clear he was someone easily distrusted.
All he could do was hope he wouldn’t be killed if someone mistook him for a Nightmare Creature.
Though they weren’t that noticeable, and he doubted anyone would stop to look at his mouth.
Reflecting on his future, he devised several believable excuses to avoid being seen as so bad.
He would never admit his problem, but he would raise suspicions if I have acted like an idiot at all times.
They might not even be interested in him.
Even so, it was best to be prepared.
Although Master Jet didn’t seem so bad; she was quite understandable.
‘I think I’m in love.
Should I follow my intrusive thoughts?’
───
“Here, you must be hungry.”
Jet handed him a tray of synthetic food.
Cheap food; he was very used to it, but this wasn’t the best time.
Aisling looked at the food, conflicted.
He had replayed his problem in his mind, searching for solutions, and the sight of the food in front of him filled him with disgust.
Deep down, he felt repulsed.
He couldn’t even smell it without feeling a little nauseous.
“Thank you, Master Jet.
It’s just that I can’t eat.”
“Isn’t it to your liking?
Would you like a steak and a drink?
We can also bring a servant to attend to you.”
Jet said this without getting upset, joking and feeling a little understanding.
She had to assume it was a Flaw or some kind of strange Aspect.
“It doesn’t matter; you don’t have to tell me.
I’ll follow protocol and inform you of a few things.
Formalities and such…”
She sighed.
“First, you have the right to receive psychological counseling.
If you want to cry or ask for help, there’s no shame in doing so; anyone would.
It’s important to have a strong mind for a strong body.
Interested?”
“No.
I think I’m fine.”
“That’s enough for me.
I can also offer you a shoulder and listen to your troubles.
Was it really that bad?”
As if the blood and flesh were still in his mouth, he swallowed anxiously.
“Yes.
It was awful.
It wasn’t difficult in a way, and yet it was as bad as I thought it would be.”
Jet whistled, nodding.
“You’re not that ruined; just enough, like anyone else.”
“I guess that’s how we are on the outskirts, and we don’t even need to enter a Nightmare.
Did you really live in the outskirts, Master Jet?”
“I’m not lying to you.
Don’t let my Legacy Clan boy’s demeanor fool you.
Even though I look like that, I have the outcast girl inside me.”
Jet was amused and continued with her explanation.
Sje explained several things before offering him the option of visiting the Awakened Academy and preparing to enter the Dream Realm.
‘Food and lodging?
The first option was out of the question, but having a bed and security, besides learning to survive, didn’t sound bad.’
“Yes, take me to the academy.”
───
In a vehicle, Aisling was escorted to the academy along with Jet.
Looking at the city, he felt strange and in a position he shouldn’t be.
He had always wanted a personal vehicle, though he quickly gave up on that idea because he couldn’t escape his miserable situation.
During the ride, Jet coughed awkwardly and addressed him.
“Let me give you some advice before you leave here.
A small favor for our background.
First, they’ll offer you psychological counseling again.
They also offer rewards in exchange for your experience within the Nightmare and for the details of your appraisal.”
Aisling shook his head.
“I’m not interested.”
Jet smiled at his frankness.
“Good decision.
It may not be the experience-based one I wanted, but it’s enough.”
“Why?”
Jet sighed, giving her a strange look.
“Nightmare creatures aren’t the only danger.
When you become powerful enough, humans are the ones who profit from the information.
The less they know about your Aspect, the better off you’ll be.
Including your Flaw.
Don’t let yourself be influenced like some idiot youth… Stop looking at me like that.”
Aisling shook his head and bowed deeply, as if pleading.
His next words greatly disconcerted Jet:
“Well… Marry me.”
“You’re out of your mind.”
“No.”
“It wasn’t a question.”
Jet sighed.
She looked at Aisling to read his intentions, finding a young man with a slight blush.
With his pale skin, the blush was even more noticeable.
He kept looking away and then back at her.
Jet sighed again.
She brought her hand to her forehead, feeling a sudden throb in her head.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“Yes… I don’t have to reveal the information about my Runes or share my experiences, which reveal so much about me.
Would you consider my proposal?”
“My second piece of advice concerns time.
You have until the winter solstice before entering the Dream Realm again.”
Aisling shrugged.
He understood that there were still half a year until then; it was enough time to prepare, although he would have liked to have the whole year to increase his chances of surviving.
He had time.
“I have time.”
Jet frowned; she was starting to find it difficult to keep her bewilderment hidden behind her professional facade.
‘Does this guy have his head in the clouds?’
“Can you read the date?
It’s less than a month away.
You don’t have time.”
There was a moment of silence, where Aisling stared at her and simply leaned in deeply.
“Marry me.”
“Stop it… Do you think you’re going to die?
Is that why you’re checking things off your bucket list and trying to hold on?”
“No.
You genuinely believe I’m going to live.
That’s enough for me; I have a responsibility to return.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Your effort to help me captivated me.”
“Listen, you don’t have much time left.
The best way to make the most of it is to ignore all courses, whether combat or nightmare creatures, except for one called Wilderness Survival.”
“Sounds good.”
“Hesitate a little.”
“Why should I join that?”
“What was your biggest obstacle in the Nightmare?”
Aisling thought for a moment.
At first, the creatures never stopped threatening him; if he stood still for even a moment or let his guard down, he would definitely die.
However, after going over it in his mind again and again, he came to a conclusion.
“I am my own worst enemy.”
Jet’s fist trembled; she was holding back from punching him in the head.
Noticing the murderous intent, Aisling looked away and gave another answer:
“The weather almost killed me.”
“Exactly.”
Jet regained her composure and all traces of murder vanished.
“I understand.
What’s the third piece of advice?”
Jet stared at him, as if waiting for him to choose some questionable word.
“Find companions.
No matter how much of a lone wolf you are, no one can survive alone in the Dream Realm.
Even if it’s someone you hate, just take their hand and go for a walk to break the ice.”
“Speaking of breaking the ice… Consider my proposal.”
“Do you even know what it means?
Why so suddenly?”
“You care about me, you’re beautiful, and you understand me.”
Jet leaned back in her seat and sighed.
Aisling’s eyes held too much determination; she knew she couldn’t turn them off, at least not now.
“Don’t get the wrong idea.
It’s my job, and I do it out of pity.
In terms of beauty, I’m below average and this, simply is hypocrisy on my part.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t go along with it.”
“I knew it.
You’re so kind, but you need to maintain your role as a Master and not get involved, or do you think I’m an idiot?”
‘Am I wrong?’ Those words almost escaped her lips, but she managed to control herself in time.
“Your proposal is absurd; You’re confused and affected by the nightmare.”
“Don’t worry about it…”
‘I’m worrying about myself!’ If Jet spent another second with that guy, she’d end up making a mistake.
Even so, she let him continue.
“When I become a Master, I’ll ask you again.”
She regretted letting him continue.
Jet looked at him, noticing a passionate flame burning in his eyes.
If she stayed with that guy for another second, he was going to make her doubt herself.
“Is that your only reason?
It sounds lame.”
“Well, my mother said that if I found a girl I liked with all my heart and soul, I shouldn’t let her go.”
‘What part of me did you like?!
Heart, mind, aside.
Must be teenage stuff.
He’s being too frank in a way that’s not normal.’
“I can see what your eyes are saying; your expression is getting more and more wrinkled.”
For some reason, Aisling seemed proud to say that.
“My mind sees a stable future with you; you don’t have anything bad worth mentioning, just the ordinary.
And my heart calls me to be with you; I think it was love at first sight.”
“Thanks…?
I guess…
Is that why you wanted to bite me?”
“It’s different; you’re my type.”
Jet finally caught sight of the academy, letting out a sigh of relief.
Of all the Sleepers she had met, Aisling earned a special place among the most unique, though not unpleasant.
Upon arriving at the academy, they stood in front of the entrance.
“Good luck.”
Jet patted him on the shoulder and turned to leave, when Aisling called after her again.
“Master Jet!
I may have lost a little bit of myself in the nightmare.
But for the most part, I have a lot of confidence at not fooling myself.
Apparently, I have a simple mind and it allows me to see things as they are.
So wait for me: I’ll be back, and I won’t be stopped until I become a Master.
Jet’s jaw dropped.
Part of her didn’t mind waiting; she’d probably forget about him.
Another part of her just told her not to wait too long.
‘Why am I questioning myself?
This guy is so easily influenced.’
She decided to make a choice and not let the passion in his eyes die.
“The Dream Realm is crueler than you think, and becoming a Master is an even worse path, one that’s impossible for most.”
“Anything is possible; I’ll try to survive.”
Jet chuckled, took something out of his pocket, and tossed it.
Aisling caught it and noticed it was a blood bag.
“I won’t interfere in what doesn’t concern me, but it seems you need something like this.
It’s just a guess; Throw it away if I’m wrong.”
Jet drove off, leaving Aisling alone at the academy entrance.
What they didn’t know was that several years would pass before they met again.
───
Days later.
Inside the academy, Aisling attended the Wilderness Survival course.
“Was Master Jet the one who took care of you?”
“Yes, Professor Julius.
Do you know her?”
Professor Julius, who taught the Wilderness Survival course, nodded with a small smile.
Only the professor and Aisling were in the class, since it was a one-on-one course: literally, only Aisling attended.
“Of course.
She’s a very promising Awakened and a lunatic killer.”
Aisling knew he had made the right decision; everyone has their own issues.