Author’s Note: I usually don’t do these at the beginning of a chapter but this one is a long one so i decided to do it like this.
Anyway next chap is gonna be Steven’s nightmare and it’ll be out on Tuesday and then the academy arc will start, the chaps should be more consistent and many questions will be answered.
And i feel kinda bad that only Nathaniel got an appraisal so i decided to go ahead and give one to Amy and Steven.
This i the reason that his chap is longer than it would have originally been.
Anyway enjoy the chap and see you on Tuesday, also make sure to leave some comments to motivate me :).
Also the aspects and things like memories, attributes, echoes…
and other things will be in bold letters because it does kinda get annoying to keep track of.
________________________ (AMY) My eyes fluttered open and I looked at the somewhat familiar ceiling.
Groaning slightly, I stood up from my bed and planted my feet onto the ground.
Stretching, I made my way towards the water basin in my modest room.
The room was spacious enough for a person to move around in comfortably, but it was still only a little bigger than the room I had in my world.
Sighing as I looked out the window of my room, I admired the sight before me.
In front of me was a vast and ancient city, spanning many kilometers, granted, it’s splednor was somewhat undermined by the fact that this entire city was within a large cavern.
And my current residence wasn’t in any of the regulaar buidlings and houses, instead i was within the church that stood at a high altitude, overlooking the city like a watchful guard.
I was currently in the church’s third floor, as I was in the body of a priestess, namely the body of a priestess that resided in the Underworld, along with many others.
Looking up slightly, I focused for a bit on the cavernous roof lined with long stalagmites that stretched high into the distance.
A few of the stalagmites were massive, and these massive stalagmites were covered in glowing moss.
This moss was equally massive, and thus it helped to light up this dark cavern slightly.
Currently, it was day two of my First Nightmare, and while I was in it I had learned quite a few things.
The first was that, in these ancient times, people from the Storm Realm were sort of abandoned by the Storm Goddess.
Their entire kingdom was destroyed, and they had to flee, and they had been offered salvation by none other than a Daemon, namely the Daemon of Destiny, Nether.
Nether was clearly rather infatuated with the Storm Goddess, so in that love he had guided these people into a safe region of the Underworld.
Maybe to sweeten the deal and get into her pants, however that was only speculation.
For now… This part of the Underworld was a safe region, and well a safe region existing in this hellhole was already strange, but it was much stranger that a Daemon was a lot more sympathetic towards other beings, at least enough to pity these people, when even their goddess didn’t seem to give a shit about them.
“Well, maybe I shouldn’t say them… for now I am one of them.” Sighing, I felt my gaze shift to the entrance of the church.
The church had a massive entrance made out of peerless onyx, and connected to the entrance were the two towers.
I was currently residing in the east tower.
And at the front of the church was a large staircase that led to the town square, and at the bottom of it, it branched into two paths, going around the massive statue of what the people referred to as the Jade Titan.
One of Nether’s Champions, a full-fledged creature of darkness, however it was only like that in appearance, as it showed no signs of life, only acting as a silent sentinel observing the goings-on of the people.
Still a little entranced by the sight, I shook my head and went to the wardrobe in the corner of the room.
Opening it, I took off my nightgown and quickly put on underwear.
I quickly moved the folded sheets and covered my armpits and tied them around my hips.
I then put on the remaining robes and tied them at the edges that needed to be tied.
The robes themselves were surprisingly light despite their many layers.
The first was a long cream-colored tunic that reached all the way to my ankles, the fabric soft and finely woven, almost silk-like against my skin.
It fit loosely around my body, only truly taking shape once I fastened the woven sash around my waist.
Over that came another robe, this one sleeveless and dyed a deep jade green.
The edges were embroidered with intricate silver thread that formed swirling patterns resembling ocean waves and curling storm clouds.
The embroidery wasn’t flashy, but every stitch had clearly been made with painstaking care.
The sleeves came separately.
Long white sleeves, detached from the robe itself, wrapped snugly around my forearms before being secured beneath the shoulders with hidden ties.
They billowed slightly near the wrists before narrowing again, giving every movement a graceful flow.
Finally came the mantle.
It rested over my shoulders like a short cloak, woven from darker green cloth with a broad silver trim.
Hanging from either side of it were two long embroidered ribbons that nearly reached my knees, each decorated with tiny silver charms shaped like droplets of water.
I turned towards the mirror beside the wardrobe.
The woman looking back at me couldn’t have been much older than twenty.
Long sea-green hair flowed almost to her waist.
A few loose strands framed a delicate face whose gentle features made it difficult to imagine her ever raising her voice.
And her deep navy-blue eyes would cause anyone looking at them to be lost in their depths.
Caressing my cheek, I admired her beauty once again and went to the door of my room.
Turning the handle, I exited and closed the door behind myself.
Through these few days of living here, I had grown accustomed to it rather quickly.
Our only duties were to go to the prayer hall, get on our knees, and pray to the Storm Goddess for her to return to us.
Which was… a little distasteful, given that the damn goddess abandoned an entire civilization.
Still, praying to Nether would also cause problems, given that such a thing would contribute to the awakening of the Forgotten One who slumbers in the Void.
Sounds of my footsteps echoed through the long hallway of the church.
As I neared a corner, I turned and was met by a large open door that led to the prayer room.
Making my way into it, I noticed that quite a few of the other priestesses were already there, praying quietly to the Storm Goddess.
The first thing you’d see when entering would be the massive statue of Storm Goddess.
Her beautiful face was all that could be seen, as the rest of her body was covered in flowing robes, but that was probably a good thing.
Since just looking at her face made me shiver.
Its beauty was inhumanly uncanny, reaching a point of being disturbing in a way.
Getting into position, I just began to murmur the same phrases that the other priestesses were speaking, and well, after about half an hour of praying, I made my way out.
The other ladies there were much more devoted.
Who knows how long they had been praying there?
Since there was no sun to speak of, the concept of time was rather loose, so everyone woke up at different times.
I decided to go towards a certain place in order to relax.
Since there was no commotion in the Nightmare, I had no real idea on how to actually beat it.
But instead of stressing about it, I simply awaited the catalyst to occur and start the end of this nightmare, however for the time being i decided to visit a new place i had stumbled across yesterday before going to sleep, it was a garden.
Making my way down the winding staircase of the eastern tower, I eventually exited through one of the church’s side doors and stepped outside.
A cool breeze immediately brushed against my face.
Looking up, I once again saw the impossible ceiling of the Underworld stretching high above me.
Massive stalagmites hung like the fangs of some ancient beast, while patches of luminous moss clung to them, casting a soft emerald light over the city below.
The light resembled an eternal twilight, enough for one to comfortably make out the streets and buildings, but never enough to truly banish the darkness lurking between them.
“It’s beautiful…” As much as I hated admitting it, the Underworld possessed a strange beauty.
Well, this region in particular.
The other regions of it were sure to be unspeakably harrowing and miserable.
The buildings were ancient, carved from smooth black stone that shimmered faintly beneath the moss’s glow.
Their architecture was unlike anything I’d ever seen.
Elegant arches connected buildings together while narrow bridges stretched over streets dozens of meters below.
Walking along the stone path, I passed several priests and priestesses, all of whom politely lowered their heads in greeting.
“Greetings, Sister.” “Greetings, Sister.” “…Good morning.” I still wasn’t entirely used to answering them.
Every time someone called me Sister, a small part of me instinctively looked around to see who they were talking to.
‘Right…
that’s me.’ My mind flickered to my family for a moment, but I shook my head at the saddening reality of what they must be going through.
After another minute of walking, I finally reached the garden.
Unlike the rest of the city, which was almost entirely built from dark stone, the garden burst with life.
Flower beds stretched between carefully maintained pathways, and small trees bearing onyx leaves gently swayed in the underground breeze.
Taking a seat on one of the delicately carved and beautiful benches, I relaxed slightly and looked at the flowers.
There were only two type however, half were a vibrant cyan, while the others were a breathtaking violet.
Each of them was taken from the kingdom and planted here.
The soil in the Underworld was horrible, however, with the help of certain Aspects, it was much more manageable.
‘Speaking of…’ I focused, and glimmering runes appeared before me: Name: Amanda Wien Rank: Aspirant.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Memories: — Echoes: — Attributes: [Fated], [Mark of Darkness], [Forsaken], [The Guidance].
Aspect: [Priestess of Storm].
Aspect Description: [Your faith was pure and genuine, yet Storm Goddess forgot about you and neglected you.
Yet with a burning passion, you continue to sing praises to her name.] [Fated] Attribute Description: “The strings of fate wrap tightly around you.
Unlikely events, both good and bad, are drawn by your presence.
There are those who are blessed, and there are those who are cursed…
but rarely both.” [Mark of Darkness] Attribute Description: “Your very being holds a faint vestige of Darkness, one that may one day bloom and grow mightier.” [Forsaken] Attribute Description: “You were forgotten by your deity, now masterless, you search for a new master to take you in.” [The Guidance] Attribute Description: “You have inherited the lineage of Storm God.” ‘Haa… at least two of my attributes are passable.
If I actually finish this Nightmare, I’ll probably get an Aspect related to Darkness… maybe even Nothing.’ Getting an Aspect related to Nothing would be, well, incredible.
Just Darkness was already rare enough, but Nothing was something that basically no one had.
Only Mordy kinda had control over it, although it wasn’t truly complete control.
“What has you so bothered, Sister?” I jumped in my seat a bit and looked to the right, and there before me was none other than the saintess, aka just the Saint of the people, the only one left.
There was apparently a Supreme, however, they were killed while trying to protect all of the people.
This lady here was nothing short of beautiful.
Her long locks of black hair were glistening with an almost metallic luster, while her eyes were a deep amethyst that seemed to almost encompass all of its other shades.
Her frame was slim and perfect, giving her a perfectly hourglass-like figure with large… assets.
I looked down at my chest and sighed.
The saintess seemed to notice, and a smile graced her supple, pink lips.
She walked forward, and I shifted nervously as she sat beside me.
‘She hasn’t caught my suspicious behavior, has she?’ The beautiful saint admired the garden with a smile, then looked to me.
Her perfect face was simply astonishing.
Like, seriously, she looked as if she were carved from flawless marble.
‘A jade beauty.
Oh boy, Nate would be jealous if he heard that I got to see such a beautiful lady… hehe, maybe I should ask her for a couple of tips on how to gain similar assets.’ Her soft smile seemed to slacken slightly.
“Are you thinking something strange?” I gulped and looked away with a faint giggle.
“Ah, you must be imagining it… Sister.” I got a good look at her and saw her raise a brow, clearly unconvinced.
“Hmmm, well, it is good to see that you aren’t in a bad mood.” She hummed harmoniously and looked at the flowers.
“You know, in the castle, there used to be a greenery with hundreds of kinds of flowers… yet all I managed to save were these two kinds.” Looking at the flowers, I frowned.
“Well, at least these were saved, better some than none.” Her face remained impartial, however, her smile seemed to grow a bit sadder.
“Ah, I suppose that’s a good way to look at it.
Still, it really is unfortunate.
If only I had taken another, this dark land would be just a shade livelier.” A shadow of piety seemed to cross her face, however, it was gone as soon as I had spotted it.
She then turned to me with a soft and pleasant smile.
“Tell me, how come you’re here?
I barely recall the last time I saw someone else here.
Have you taken a liking to my little garden here?” Smiling, I nodded.
“Yes, very much so.
Honestly, just this little bit of color makes the entire city seem far more vibrant… it’s just so pretty, compared to the constant darkness and all.” The saint evaluated my words for a moment, and a soft smile graced her perfect face.
“It does, doesn’t it…” Her face was clearly filled with deep regret.
Maybe the flowers that she was referring to weren’t really flowers.
Maybe it was symbolic of how she couldn’t save all the people.
Or maybe she was regretful that she couldn’t help her Sovereign.
Either way, it wasn’t any of my business.
She seemed to want to add on, however, in the next moment her ears perked up and she turned her head south, her eyes locking onto it with a dark expression.
Getting up from her seat, the saint looked at me for a moment and didn’t say anything.
Instead, she walked quickly and disappeared from view.
‘…I guess it’s starting.’ There was no telling what the main conflict of this Nightmare would be, but I could come up with a few, considering the fact that we were in the Underworld.
There were actually probably couple dozen reasons.
Most of which relied on a terrifying creature or creatures of darkness making their way to our little utopia here.
Putting a hand over my mouth, I got lost in thought for a moment, and after a few minutes of thinking, I was shaken out of my thoughts by a loud rumble.
The entire cavern shook, and I brought my gaze upward.
It landed onto the massive stalagmites above me.
A few cracks riddled their surface, and then they expanded.
“Cazzo!” (NARRATION) A massive bird with black and white feathers flew through the vast cavern in the bowels of the Underworld at supersonic speeds.
Her many-winged frame caught quite a few eyes, and many already knew that this was their one and only Transcendent.
Seeing her transformed, the people of the Storm Realm shuddered at what could cause such panic in their Saintess, and so they got on their knees and prayed to the lady.
The saintess ignored the myriad of eyes and flew to the massive gate made of perfect onyx, with only the engravings of strange and shifting forms to showcase its very existence.
If they weren’t there, one would think that it was merely another part of the wall.
As she neared, she flapped her wings, and the gust of wind caused the gates to open with a loud rumble.
This rumble was accompanied by something much more severe, as another rumble caused the cavern to shake.
As she landed on the outside of the city, her gaze froze as she saw countless wolf-like creatures constantly trying to pierce through the dome of darkness that prevented anything from getting in.
The dome also encompassed the entire city, hiding it from beings of higher ranks.
It could hold off many beings, but beings of the Great Rank could prove troublesome.
She assumed her human form and approached the Ascended with their weapons ready.
One of the Ascended noticed her presence and instantly sprinted towards her with labored breaths, his face slightly dirtied by soot and blood, while his armor was torn and equally bloodied.
“Lady Adrianna… I’m not sure if the protective barrier can hold for much longer.” In response to this, the beautiful saint walked past him and offered only a few words.
“Get everyone to the Tempest Gate, everyone you can at least.
I’ll hold them off.” “But!
We ca-” He stopped as a terrible pressure descended upon him with the gaze of the saint.
“Ascended have no business felling these abominations.
I’ll buy time, and you’ll immediately evacuate everyone.
Do I make myself clear?” Gritting his teeth in frustration, the Ascended accepted with a heavy heart, and the rest of the Masters and Awakened retreated.
Adrianna stood before the dark barrier and eyed the faint images of the beasts beyond it with a melancholic expression.
‘Mistress Luqua… is this how you felt, when you had to take that cursed one to save us… oh, my lady, if only I were stronger back then… maybe…’ Such thoughts surfaced in her mind.
However, she merely shook her head and steeled her resolve.
Even if the abominations did manage to break the barrier, they would still grow weaker within, so she should be capable of holding them off… maybe she would even live.
Her saintess garments disappeared into a flowing darkness and reshaped themselves into armor made out of sleek black steel, gilded with engravings of flowing winds.
A helmet manifested itself over her head, and in her right hand a gale began to pick up, forming into the shape of a wind blade, and in her left hand a shield made from a strange oppressive force took shape.
Moments passed, and a strangely disastrous wind began to coil around her body.
In the next moment, cracks began to appear across the surface of the barrier.
And in the next, it shattered, and from it came a horde of massive wolves with black fur, their maws drooling with saliva as they came towards her.
The disastrous wind swirled and swept over the first attackers.
Instantly, their bodies were mangled as they were encompassed by the force.
The first of the simple Corrupted were instantly torn apart, while the stronger of the Corrupted, namely the Demons and Devils, managed to break through.
But it was pointless, as she just brought her sword up and split the heads of the wolves open.
Their bodies fell to the floor one by one, and then came the Devils.
They were only faintly wounded, so they were much more difficult to kill.
One of the wolves managed to swipe at her armor, its plating now damaged by its claws.
She brought the shield in her hand to her right shoulder and swung it towards its snout, causing some of its teeth to shatter and fall to the floor.
Its sneer sounded, and soon another Devil came from the tempest, and then a third.
The second wolf came with frightening speed.
However, the saint simply raised her sword and pointed the tip of the blade at its head.
A wind blew from it, shredding its head and blinding its eyes.
It whimpered and stopped abruptly, twisting its head and causing the wolf from behind to ram into it.
She defended the attack from the wolf that was still alive with the shield.
She then pushed it upward slightly and used the confusion of the other two to bring her blade upward and pierce its head, causing blood to spurt like a geyser.
Retracting her gaze, she pushed the body of the wolf with the shield and demanifested the shield, reshaping it and the sword into a massive warhammer.
She brought it upward and summoned another gust of wind to accelerate the falling hammer.
The wolf that wasn’t blind noticed and managed to duck away.
Its partner in crime, however, wasn’t quick enough, as its body was crushed ruthlessly by the hammer.
In that same instant, she reshaped the hammer’s form into a spear before quickly thrusting it forward.
The Corrupted Devil noticed the danger and barely evaded the strike from becoming a critical hit, only getting its hind leg pierced.
It would’ve been fine if it had been a normal spear.
However, this one was made from a disastrous wind.
And so the shape of the spear came undone, and the disastrous wind entered its body, shredding its insides quickly, and in the next moment its body burst like a watermelon.
Heaving a sigh, the saint looked on at the wall of wind that was now more akin to a wall of blood and bones.
She didn’t let her guard down though.
Instead, she sensed what was approaching and moved the wind into a more protective barrier around her body, as in the next second a massive claw darker than the deepest night came and swiped at her.
While flying through the air, she cursed under her breath and fell to her feet a hundred meters away from the Corrupted abomination.
She lifted her head and met it head-on.
Then her face darkened as she saw the colossal black wolf before her.
It wasn’t a regular wolf, as two more legs protruded from where its legs should’ve been, while a pair of dark horns protruded from its head and swirled like branches.
Its low growl reverberated through her soul and mind.
In that moment, she felt as if it was a better idea to simply give up her resistance and succumb to the will of this Corrupted Terror.
The terror spread through her.
However, her resolve was far too powerful for her to give up.
Snarling, she dismissed the wind and her armor started to come undone, because soon her body morphed and changed.
A massive bird with eight wings took shape, and its massive frame rivaled that of the Corrupted Terror.
She cawed an insult towards the wolf.
“Come at me, wretched hound.” It responded with a loud howl and leapt at her with a maw of long fangs, each as big as a human and whiter than clouds.
She flapped her wings, and shredding winds spread across its form, causing it to veer off its course, and it only managed to bite into her upper wings.
It didn’t let go, and soon enough a white mist began to exit its maw, spreading across her form.
She held in a pained scream, and instead she folded her wings like a cocoon around the wolf.
Its upper body was completely trapped, and in the next moment she released all the harrowing power of her Aspect.
The winds blew from her mouth and from every other part of her body, tearing the flesh of the abomination and causing it to whine.
The ferocious madness in its eyes grew more insatiable, and it finally bit further into her wings.
Its head then moved, and it tore one of her wings off.
Then, as its mouth was free, it tried to go for her throat.
However, due to the ferocious winds, its head was constantly blown away, so it went for the next best thing, and that was simply scratching and biting her body all over.
Resisting the urge to scream, she continued to push past the pain.
Her mind was filled with agony, and the Nothing that the wolf released ate away at her, further adding to her mounting agony.
‘Die, die, die, die, die, die, die…’ Her mind continued to fill with these thoughts as she continued to assault the creature.
She was currently running on fumes, and her essence was reaching a critical point.
Thankfully, it seemed that the wolf was growing weaker by the second, so in a desperate bid, she released the wind completely, focusing all her essence onto her beak, and in the next moment she began to peck at the head of the wolf.
The wolf resisted, however the ferocity of her previous attacks weakened it, and so, surely enough, its body went limp, and she released her grip on the body, causing it to fall to the ground with a loud thud.
*THUD* She released her transformation and fell to the ground, breathing heavily and exhausted.
She allowed herself a bit of rest and collapsed with her back to the ground.
‘I must head to the city, maybe I can fix the barrier.’ While in thought she frowned.
‘Allegedly, the barrier should be able to hold off even Greats, so how did it…’ Her head fell to the hole in the barrier, and then she was overtaken with primal terror.
A massive shape moved beyond the barrier, and as it seemed to raise its paw, the barrier shattered completely.
Gazing at the Great abomination before her, she released a self-deprecating chuckle and closed her eyes.
‘My lady… I never abandoned the people of Storm…’ The Great abomination moved, and the Saintess’s head toppled to the floor, and her body was shredded to ribbons.
*** Amy stumbled across the floor as a thundering boom sounded from behind her.
Another one of the titanic stalagmites fell to the ground and caused another boom to sound.
She heaved a breath and just barely dodged pieces of debris from nearly crushing her.
Instead, they just barely missed her and struck a part of the church.
Instead of the larger debris hitting her, smaller bits of it crashed into her body and riddled it with wounds.
She was about to move, but her intuition screamed at her to stand still.
She followed it, and without moving, she saw as a pair of stalagmites crushed the roof of the church, making it collapse onto the area that she was going to follow.
Nodding for a moment and thanking her newfound intuition, she scrambled as heavy rumbles spread across the entire city.
‘Fuck, I hope everyone’s Nightmare is just as bad as mine!’ It wasn’t out of malice, of course.
They were friends, and friends were meant to suffer together!
Running through the courtyards, she just barely managed to dodge the countless pieces of the wall from crushing or heavily wounding her.
And well, she didn’t really know where to go, so she just followed wherever she felt she needed to, mostly just following a little itch that told her, ‘Go there!’ So she abided by it and made her way to the ruins that used to be the entrance of the church.
There she went down the staircase and fell to the ground every time she heard the crashing stalagmites falling to the ground.
While her steps carried her, her gaze landed on the building in the distance.
There she froze for a moment as her eyes landed on a colossal wolf.
An extra pair of legs protruded from its ribs, while its fur was almost impossibly dark.
She couldn’t look at it for too long, however, as she felt her head throb.
Now on the ground, she held her head and felt that same itch scream at her to move.
She moved her feet and unfortunately stumbled, falling across the staircase with a litany of curses.
Just barely managing to stop her violent tumble, she felt her breath hitch, and her body was screaming at her.
Blood was dripping from her forehead and casting her vision into a deep scarlet.
Placing her hands on the railing, she walked at a slightly quickened pace down it.
‘Damn it, who the hell makes these staircases so damn long.’ The shape of the massive Jade Titan came into view.
Her eyes widened as she realized what her intuition was guiding her towards.
‘Haa… you better come to life.’ After a few more rumbles and earthquakes, she finally descended to the bottom of the branching staircases.
She came from the right one and made her way to the feet of the Jade Titan.
Her eyes glanced at it, and she placed a bloody palm over it.
“Come on!
I could really use a helping hand!” The Jade Titan was nearly two hundred meters tall.
Its hands rested on the handle of the sword, as the tip of the blade was pointed to the ceiling.
Its face was hidden behind a bascinet-like helmet, while its entire body was covered in beautiful and masterfully crafted heavy armor.
A twitch spread through her body as she fell to the ground.
The adrenaline had begun to recede, and so she just barely managed to stand.
Stretching out a hand and pulling up the cloth that covered her leg, she looked as a deep flesh wound was present on it.
‘Damnation!’ After a few moments of her contemplating what to do, a massive form leapt through the sky, and she watched as it soared nearly an entire six kilometer’s worth of distance.
Its massive form crashed onto what remained of the church, pulverizing it to rubble, while its pieces were sent flying.
Fortunately, the immovable Jade Titan blocked the chunks of onyx, so she was unharmed.
For how long, she didn’t know.
While looking at the remains of the church, the smoke that rose from it obscured the shape of the terrible wolf, however its two terrifying eyes still shone with a terrifying light.
Noticing it, she hid herself somewhat, however her scent was still there, so while she was trying to move away, a thunderclap sounded, and as she looked to the side, the terrifying snout of the abomination appeared.
Followed by the rest of its terrifying head, it snarled with a low growl, and finally its titanic form fully revealed itself in all its splendor and tenebrous magnificence.
As she looked at the abomination, her face fell, and she collapsed to the ground.
Her gaze was completely focused on the Great Abomination in front of her, and she felt as if looking away from it would mean instant death.
‘Am I really about to die?…
Hah, what a joke.’ Gritting her teeth and looking spitefully at the abomination, she cursed silently.
The Great abomination smelled her beautiful flame, preparing to savor it’s magnificent splendor.
However, its snout suddenly perked up as it sensed a familiar scent.
A small vestige of darkness resided within her soul, and as it sensed further, a faint and eerie feeling of death ruffled its fur.
It backed away for a moment as it sensed something odd.
While it tried to decide what to do in its momentary surprise, the girl before it barely managed to stand up, clutching her hands tightly.
‘Like hell I’ll die like this!’ She knew that no matter what she did, there was no way she could even touch the Great abomination before her.
After all, it was a whole four ranks above her, along with however many cores it had, each one also pulsating with corruption.
However, she had made her choice, and that was to stand up and at least die with a defiant attitude.
It was in her nature, after all.
It was in the nature of all humans to stubbornly stand against the impossible.
And as she made her choice, the voice of the Spell whispered into her ears, and the massive Jade Titan shuddered slightly.
[You have made the choice to face the impossible.] [Nether has heard your pleas for help and admires your choice.] She grew confused, and then frightened, as the wolf before her raised its terrifying paw to swipe at her.
However, it never struck her, as it seemed to almost freeze in mid-air.
Instantly cocking her head, she heard a low rumble sound from the Jade Titan.
Its armor seemed to almost dissolve, as it was now seemingly made out of pure shifting darkness.
The wolf backed away and growled lowly.
The Jade Titan’s empty eye sockets ignited with a ferocious red light, and its head moved as it locked onto the form of the wolf.
Amy smiled as she looked at the Titan, then gave the wolf a middle finger.
But she didn’t get to see its reaction, as her vision was overcome with darkness.
Then, she felt as if her body shifted and she was sent flying through the air.
She couldn’t see what was happening, but from what she heard, the Titan had started its battle with the Great Abomination.
While she flew through the air, the voice of the Spell sounded in her head.
[You have successfully survived the Underworld.] [You have inspired the Daemon of Destiny with your foolish show of courage.] Suddenly, she felt a strange shift occur inside her body, and she felt as if the very core of her being were overflowing with water.
[You have successfully assimilated the River of Eternal Darkness!] [Aspirant!
You have been given the Sequence 9 Characteristics for the Darkness Pathway!] [Aspirant!
You have been given the Sequence 9 Characteristics for the Death Pathway!] [Aspirant!
You have been given the Sequence 9 Characteristics for the Twilight Giant Pathway!] Her body felt as if it were about to explode from the strange force that had risen inside her.
However, the Spell ignored her pain and continued.
[You have received the right to claim the title of Eternal Darkness!] [You have successfully claimed the Lineage of Storm God!] [You have slain a Great Tyrant, Stygian Hound.] [The Jade Titan has witnessed your bravery and has accepted you as it’s new master!] [You have recieved an Aspect Legacy, Daemon’s Treasure.] [Wake up, Amanda Wien!
Your nightmare is over.] [Prepare for appraisal…] *** Amy found herself in a strange space between dream and reality.
Her mind was reeling from what had just happened, and so it took her a moment to adjust to the world around her.
The Spell waited for her to fully regain her composure, and then it started its appraisal: [Aspirant!
Your Nightmare is over.] [A lady of the Storm Realm wandered through the land of the Daemon of Destiny without purpose or desire.
She was the only one of her sisters who didn’t trust that their goddess would return, and in that blasphemous behavior she managed to persevere.
Her Saintess went to defend the land that they had been bestowed, and she only managed to run and hide.
In a moment when a treacherous and fiendish being was about to slay her, she proved just how foolish one can be and defiantly looked upon the abomination that was ready to tear her apart.
In the last moments of her perilous Nightmare, she managed to impress the Daemon of Destiny, and so he allowed her ownership of his Treasures.
In the end, she managed to survive the perils of the Nightmare and emerged victorious…] Amy narrowed her eyes at the appraisal and just shrugged.
She really didn’t do much, and it wasn’t nice to be called blasphemous.
After all, she didn’t even for a moment hold any faith in the Storm Goddess, so how could she be blasphemous just by not believing?
[You have defeated a Great Tyrant: Stygian Hound.] [You have successfully inherited the will of Nether, Youngest of the -Unknown-!] [You have overcome an impossible obstacle!] [Final appraisal: glorious.
Your bravery and courage have been witnessed by…] Shuddering at the appraisal, Amy instantly became alert as she awaited it to continue.
However, the Spell stopped there and didn’t continue with the appraisal, much to her horror.
[Dreamer Amanda Wien, receive your boon!] [You have been bestowed a True Name: Princess of the Underworld.] Her eyes widened as she felt her mouth go agape.
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve.
Evolve Aspect?] Amy was still confused but quickly stammered a response, considering for a moment what would happen if she said no.
She didn’t have the courage to do so… which was ironic, really.
“Yes.” [Dormant Aspect Priestess of Storm is evolving…] [New Aspect acquired.] [Aspect Rank: Divine.] [Aspect Name: Source of Darkness.] She waited for a moment and summoned her Runes, examining the Aspect Description: Aspect: [Source of Darkness].
Aspect Rank: Divine.
Aspect Description: [You have within you a well of profound and great darkness, enabling you to use it in a myriad of terrible and dark ways.] ‘Okay then, so it’s a Darkness Aspect.
Neat.’ She really didn’t mind.
After all, darkness was pretty versatile.
Only light could counter it properly, so all she needed to do was make sure not to fight anyone with an affinity for light.
Bringing her gaze downward, she examined the innate ability.
Innate Ability: [Child of Nether].
Ability Description: [You have been seen and commended by the Daemon of Destiny.
You may truly wield and control the powers worthy of one who was taken in by the Daemon… whether they are good or bad will be up to you.] This one… Amy didn’t know how to feel about it.
Sure, it was nice to know that the bloody Daemon of Destiny was impressed by you… but being called his child… now that was a bit odd, even in this strange and bizarre world.
[The First Seal is broken.] [Awakening dormant powers…] Amy felt a deep and profound change occur within her being, and for the first time in a while she felt… truly alive.
After minutes of transformation, everything settled, and soon the voice of the Spell began a litany of announcements.
[Aspect Ability acquired.] [Aspect Ability Name: Extinguishment.] The Spell said softly, then continued: [One of your Attributes has evolved.] [You have lost an Attribute.] [You have acquired an Attribute.] [You have acquired an Attribute.] Raising a brow, Amy hoped for a moment that the attribute she had lost was [Fated].
However, as she summoned her Runes, she sighed in disappointment.
Name: Amanda Wien Rank: Aspirant.
Darkness Core: Dormant.
Darkness Fragments: [255/1000].
Memories: — Echoes: — Attributes: [Fated], [Primordial Source], [The Guidance]… Unfortunately for the young lady, the attribute was far too stubborn to leave, and if she wanted it gone anytime soon, she’d have to go and seek an odious bird.
There also came the Darkness Core, which likely meant that she would have a similar problem to Sunny’s.
And to think that just a single Great Tyrant would have that many fragments.
It was truly nice, so she would, like Sunny, gain more fragments from beings that hold her affinity.
‘How troublesome, but oh well.
I guess that my attributes will be good enough to help out with the fragment farming.’ Just thinking about the RNG made her sick.
Since [Fated] was still here, she knew it wouldn’t be easy.
However, it seemed that [Mark of Darkness] had evolved and become more profound.
[Primordial Source] Attribute Description: “Within your body is a source of True Primordial Darkness that bends to your will eagerly.” “Holy Spell, damn, alright, now that’s what I’m talking about.” She smiled a wolfish grin and became a bit elated.
After all, having access to darkness—and not just any darkness, but True Primordial Darkness—was nothing short of incredible.
She then brought her gaze to the two new attributes.
…[Nether’s Favour], [Dark One].
Humming to herself, she summoned their runes.
[Nether’s Favour] Attribute Description: “Nether has granted you his blessing.
With it, you may command those of darkness…” [Dark One] Attribute Description: “You are a being of darkness, which grants you an incredibly powerful affinity toward it.” These attributes were… nothing short of astonishing, really.
Like, seriously, she had three attributes that just made her so bonded with darkness that it might as well have become a core part of her existence.
Now, whether that would be good or bad was still up to speculation, but who knew?
It might be simply incredible.
She might even hold the potential to outdo Revel by leaps and bounds.
That was just how busted it was.
She grinned excitedly and looked at her Ability.
Aspect Abilities: [Extinguishment].
Aspect Ability Description: “You may extinguish anything, so long as you are powerful enough to overcome that which you wish to extinguish.” Whistling with an impressed nod, she then brought her head down, and there she spotted something rather odd.
Sequences: [Sequence 9, Sleepless] Digestion (0%/100%).
[Sequence 9, Corpse Collector] Digestion (0%/100%).
[Sequence 9, Warrior] Digestion (0%/100%).
Looking at the sequences, she thought for a moment, and it seemed that potions would be capable of being consumed on their own, without the influence of Aspects.
Deciding to simply talk with the others once she escaped the Nightmare, she looked at her Aspect Legacy.
Aspect Legacy: [Daemon’s Treasure] Daemon’s Treasure Description: [I looked upon the dark clouds above and scowled.
“Your promised salvation, what has become of it?” They refused to answer, and lightning descended in a barbaric manner.
Looking upon it, I detested such a thing and spoke.
“Your people have lost everything.
They have been abandoned by you.
Why?
You have the opportunity to mother children, yet you abandon them.
Why?” Those skies that promised disaster remained still, and they spoke in a snarl.
“A child is given life.
A child is bestowed love for a time.
A child must be prudent to her mother’s whims.
A child is meant to respect their mother.
A child is a child, and that is why.” Such a response was foolish and self-centered, and so I unfurled my wings to eclipse the land.
“You’ve abandoned your children, all because you think better… Truly… you truly think yourself right.
How treacherous and vile… I will then take care of them… because that is my choice.” Those dark clouds thundered in protest.
However, I paid them no heed, and I went to allow those of the Storm to receive their salvation.] Reading this passage of Nether, Amy smiled and was glad to see that this damn goddess got what she deserved, namely the humbling experience of watching beings that were meant to serve her get saved not by her, but by her rival.
It was nice, and she couldn’t help but bow her head slightly in respect to the Daemon.
She then moved her gaze to the rest.
Daemon’s Treasures Earned: [1/7] Treasure of Bravery: Earned Treasure of Tribulation: Unearned Treasure of Longing: Unearned Treasure of Sonlocity: Unearned Treasure of Reticence: Unearned Treasure of Encompassing: Unearned Treasure of Divinity: Unearned Looking at the Legacy, Amy couldn’t really respond.
After all, how the hell had she already managed to earn a treasure?
[Claim Treasure?] Observing the runes before her, she took a deep breath and confirmed her choice.
Then the runes disappeared, and the voice of the Spell sounded in her ears in an almost reserved and indignant tone.
[…Very well.] ‘What!
Not “So be it”?
Wait, I’d rather—’ Her thoughts were jumbled as she felt a profound shift occur within her being.
The strange realm she was in seemed to darken, and from the vast nebulae of stars, a dark one shone with a strange and illustrious brilliance.
As it shone, she felt her soul tremble and morph, as if it were ready to accommodate something it wasn’t prepared for.
Holding her stomach in pain, she closed her eyes and tried to think happy thoughts.
However, once she opened them, she was terrified as the star appeared before her.
Its brilliance became more strange and viscous, as if it had become liquid.
The liquid slowly floated through the strange realm and began to cover her body.
Amy didn’t try to resist and allowed it to cover her body.
As she felt it seep into her body, the voice of the Spell spoke softly into her ears.
[You have received a Darkling, Stone Saint.] While the liquid continued to pour into her, she didn’t have the chance to react as the Spell spoke once more.
[All power has a price.] [You have received a Flaw.] [Your Flaw is: Dark Nature.] [The Darkness within you has gained a mind of it’s own.] Amy cursed inwardly, and soon the realm before her became undone.