(STEVEN) A thundering headache began to spread across my mind, and I jolted awake.
My eyes blinked, and for a moment the headache lessened before once more sending another wave of pain through my head.
“Aggghhh!” The headache felt as if it were about to carve my skull open and i let go of an object that i was holding and let it fall to the ground, then i gripped my head and moaned in pain.
Several minutes passed, and just as I was about to lose consciousness, I felt the headache slowly lessen.
“Haaa… what the… wasn’t I ju…” Opening my eyes with a few mumbles, I looked around the place I was in.
I was in a strange room made of smooth stone walls.
The room was large, and its ceiling stretched high.
However, strange black things seemed to riddle the stone.
A few arches kept it in place.
Turning my gaze downward, I shut my eyes a couple of times to fully adjust to the light, as everything seemed hazy and illusory.
After calming down, I sighed in relief.
Finally, that damn headache was fully gone.
However, the slight trembling of my brain still remained, proving the existence of the headache.
I felt a strange substance on my mouth, and I wiped it off with the strange gray sleeve of the outfit I was wearing.
Once I no longer felt it, I began rubbing my temple.
When I did, I felt my hand almost stick to my head.
Confused, I examined it and froze.
There, my hand was slick with a deep crimson and blackish liquid, one that looked as if it had only just begun to dry slightly.
Shaken by the sight, I brought my gaze downward and looked at what I had let go of.
There, a gladius made almost entirely of silver lay.
Its blade was slightly longer than I had expected, and that wasn’t the only thing that was strange, as it was covered in what looked to be blood and some strange viscous substance.
Gulping at the sight, I stood up and hesitantly brought my hand down, picking up the dirty gladius.
I brought it toward my nose and sniffed it slightly.
Instantly recoiling and dropping it, I covered my nose and held myself back from throwing up.
*CLANG* It fell to the floor with a sharp sound, and I instantly got frightened by it.
Still a bit confused, I scratched the back of my head and pursed my lips in annoyance.
‘Why don’t I remember anything?’ It was clear that I was currently in the First Nightmare.
However, just what the hell happened, and what could’ve possibly happened for me to get a sword?
While in thought, I once more noticed that the floor had thoes same strange blackish vines, each one stretching across the floor like roots that had dug their way above the surface.
Confused, I looked behind myself at where the roots diverged and froze.
The wall…
No, it wasn’t the wall.
For a single dreadful moment, my mind refused to understand what my eyes were seeing.
Something was fused into the smooth stone, as though the wall itself had grown around it over countless years.
It was large, at least ten meters tall.
Its body had lost any resemblance to something living.
Thick layers of pale stone had swallowed most of it, leaving only parts of its grotesque frame exposed.
Jagged ribs protruded from the wall like broken pillars, each one thicker than my arm, while dozens of twisted limbs disappeared into the rock at impossible angles.
Its flesh, or what remained of it, had petrified into a black, glossy substance riddled with crimson veins that looked disturbingly fresh.
The thing possessed no discernible eyes.
Instead, its face consisted of dozens of elongated jaws, each layered atop another like the petals of some horrifying flower.
Rows upon rows of yellowed fangs remained locked open in a silent scream, while strands of dried black ichor stretched between them like cobwebs.
A pair of massive horns curled backward from what I assumed was its skull, only to disappear entirely into the surrounding stone.
The black vines covering the floor rose upward across the wall.
I slowly followed them upward, and my stomach twisted.
Every vine emerged from cracks in the creature’s petrified flesh, burrowing into the floor and walls like veins spreading through a living body.
“…What…” The thing radiated an overwhelming feeling of malice.
It felt as though it had died while trying to claw its way free from the stone prison surrounding it.
Shuddering, I backed away and looked around for an exit.
Once I turned, I sighed in relief.
There, opposite the terrifying abomination, was an old stone door that seemed to have been destroyed from the inside, as pieces of it were outside the room.
Deciding to get the fuck out of there, I took a step and hesitated.
Frowning, I quickly went to pick up the gladius and made sure to try my hardest to ignore the terrible smell.
Exiting the room, I was met with a strange sight.
The chamber beyond dwarfed the room I had just left.
It resembled an enormous entrance hall carved from a single block of pale stone.
Massive pillars rose toward a ceiling so high that it disappeared into darkness, while ancient arches connected them in graceful curves that somehow made the place feel even larger.
Directly before me stood a colossal staircase.
Actually, it was two staircases.
From a broad central landing, one flight climbed upward into the darkness above, while the other descended into the depths below.
Both were absurdly wide, easily large enough for dozens of people to walk abreast, and each step had been carved delicately.
Some even seemed dented, as if someone had walked on them constantly.
I observed for a bit, and then my eyes finally lowered.
“…” There, riddling the floor, were nearly a hundred bodies.
Humans lay scattered across the polished stone in twisted heaps, some slumped against pillars, others sprawled across the stairs as though they had died while desperately trying to flee.
Their armor had been torn apart, along with their bodies, leaving only fragments of tarnished metal clinging to brittle, mutilated, and savagely maimed corpses.
Not all of them had armor.
Very few actually did.
Some seemed to have long gray robes that almost seemed ashen.
Of course, they too were mauled and wounded gruesomely.
Most of what I guessed were either soldiers or guards still gripped their weapons, while several corpses had their fingers permanently wrapped around broken blades, as though even death hadn’t been enough to make them let go.
“For spell’s sake…” I swallowed, if it was any consolation, the human corpses weren’t alone.
Mixed among them were things that no human should ever resemble.
One corpse looked vaguely canine, except it possessed six legs ending in hooked claws that had gouged deep trenches into the stone before it died.
Its elongated skull had been split cleanly in two, exposing rows of needle-like teeth that continued all the way down its throat.
Another resembled an insect the size of a horse.
Its shell had cracked apart like shattered pottery, revealing shriveled flesh beneath, while dozens of blade-like legs curled inward around its body.
A rusted spear remained lodged through its thorax, pinning it permanently to the floor.
Further away rested something almost humanoid.
Its arms were far too long, dragging across the floor even in death, while clusters of black eyes covered the sides of its head.
Half of its torso had been torn away, exposing blackened ribs surrounding organs that were sprawled onto the ground.
“What the hell happened here?” My voice echoed through the hall, and I barely held back the bile that threatened to escape.
I closed my eyes and counted to a hundred to control myself.
Then I slowly turned in a circle.
The walls bore enormous gouges, as though claws larger than wagons had raked across the stone.
Entire sections of pillars had collapsed, while black stains covered the floor in winding trails leading both up and down the staircase.
Some of those stains weren’t black, instead, they were crimson.
I sneered at the sight and looked away, tightening my grip on the gladius slightly.
I looked around a bit more and found that, to the left, a door that had been torn open still seemed to be connected to its hinges.
Taking another look, I made my way around some of the corpses and entered the room.
The room itself was surprisingly intact.
Unlike the devastated hall outside, this chamber had escaped most of the destruction.
Tall bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling, though many had collapsed from some crushing force that seemed to have struck them.
Countless books lay scattered across the floor, their pages brittle and yellowed.
“A library?” I frowned, thinking for a bit and examining it further.
I widened my eyes slightly, it wasn’t quite one.
Several long stone tables stood in orderly rows, accompanied by chairs, mostt of which that had been reduced into little more than splintered wood.
On the tables rested cracked ink bottles, broken quills, and stacks of parchment.
I looked around the room once more and listened intently.
I was pretty sure that there wasn’t anything out to get me, so I sighed and went to one of the intact chairs.
Sitting on it, I sighed and put the sword on my lap.
Then I noticed a table close by.
I moved the chair closer to it, sat down, and placed the sword onto it.
With the gladius no longer taking up one of my hands, I sighed and leaned back in the chair, making sure not to put too much pressure on it so that it wouldn’t break.
‘Holy fucking shit… what the hell is happening?
How did I get into that room?
And what the hell was that thing?’ Thinking back on the strange dead creature, I shuddered and looked at the ceiling.
Then, almost as if a lightbulb had lit up, I decided to bring up my Runes.
I focused, and shimmering runes appeared.
Their words were incomprehensible for a bit, however, soon they resembled English.
They read: Name: Steven Simmons Rank: Aspirant.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Memories: [Sliver of Courage].
Echoes: — Attributes: [Fated], [Spark of Divinity], [The Spirit], [Ashen One].
Aspect: [Ash Nomad].
Aspect Description: [Without end, you and your people wandered, seeking knowledge and a place to call home.
Yet everywhere you went, you were welcomed with malice and hate, reducing your smoldering flame for knowledge to ashes.] [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.” [Spark of Divinity] Attribute Description: “Every fire starts from a spark.
Somewhere deep within your soul, a radiant spark shines with divine light.” [The Spirit] Attribute Description: “You have greedily feasted on the flesh of Heart God’s blessed, allowing you to claim a Divine Lineage.” [Ashen One] Attribute Description: “As an Ash Nomad, you hold a strong connection to ashes.” While looking at the runes, I felt my mouth slacken.
Examining the third attribute, I frowned deeply and put a hand over my mouth, ignoring the blood still on it.
‘So that…
that was on my mouth when I woke up… gross.’ Berating my past self and rethinking my life choices, I sighed and addressed the Memory.
Looking at the [Sliver of Courage] Memory, I tried to summon it.
However, in the next moment, the gladius before me disappeared into white sparks.
I opened my palm and thought about summoning it again.
However, it didn’t summon itself.
Frowning, I tried to do it again and then realized what had just happened.
Hitting my forehead with my palm, I cursed.
‘The Memory was damaged, and great, now it’s repairing itself.
Just love that.
Yippee.’ Shaking my head at the stupidity of my decision, I groaned and decided to examine its runes instead.
Memory: Sliver of Courage Memory Rank: Dormant Memory Tier: I Memory Type: Weapon Memory Description: [The Ash Nomads wandered through countless places, seeking knowledge and spreading their wisdom to those who were willing to listen.
However, to hide from the White Abyss, they required power, and so, in search of something to help them survive, they traveled to the Tower of Contemplation.
Many told tales of boundless knowledge being held in its annals and a potential promise of salvation.
And so they journeyed toward it in search of knowledge and the legend that, at its top, a gate would allow one to cross the realms.
Once they reached it, they entered and read its many books.
However, a greedy wretch sought to change fate, and so he opened gates which weren’t meant to be opened.
And so, with his greed, he brought about the extinction of the Ash Nomads.] While looking at the description, I narrowed my eyes and felt my brows pull together as I shuddered at just what the hell the me from the start of the Nightmare was thinking.
Granted, it was a decent idea.
Opening some gate that wasn’t meant to be opened and allowing its horrors to kill off the Ash Nomads would, in turn, mean that the people would die out, and who knew how much influence they had.
They wouldn’t have been mentioned otherwise in the novel.
However, the fact that I endangered my own life just for a good appraisal did seem rather… odd.
While I felt as if I was about to realize something… I felt my train of thought disappear.
A little confused, I couldn’t think properly.
‘Hmmm, well whatever.
So how come the Nightmare isn’t over?’ I looked at the Memory again and read the middle part of the description: …and so they journeyed toward it in search of knowledge and the legend that, at its top, a gate would allow one to cross the realms… “The top, eh?” I murmured and held my hand an inch from my mouth, just in order not to really taste the blood that was on it.
I decided to finally wipe my hand on my long garments and also examined them.
The clothing was strange, unlike anything I had ever owned before.
A long, ash-gray robe covered most of my body, the fabric surprisingly durable despite its worn appearance.
The edges were slightly frayed, and faint patterns resembling drifting smoke had been embroidered into the material, though they were so faded that they were barely noticeable.
Underneath the robe was a simple dark tunic and loose trousers made from a rough but comfortable fabric.
Around my waist was a leather belt holding several small pouches, though most of them were either empty or contained things I had no idea how to identify.
A thick cloak rested over my shoulders, its color somewhere between gray and black, resembling the ashes left behind after a great fire.
It was honestly rather fitting.
I did indeed probably look like the embodiment of an Ash Nomad.
However, while it was cool to be an Ash Nomad, I would rather return to the real world, so I decided to plan ahead.
If the Memory description was anything to go by, the top of this place held some sort of gate.
Whether that gate was the thing that would end the Nightmare or something that would get me killed was impossible to know.
But staying here wasn’t going to accomplish anything, especially not when I had a damaged Memory that seemed to be my only weapon.
I sighed and rested my head against the back of the chair.
“Guess I’ll wait.” There wasn’t much else I could do.
Forcing myself to rush ahead without a proper weapon would be stupid.
The hall outside already had enough dead monsters to prove that whatever happened here wasn’t something I wanted to experience unprepared.
So I waited, and minutes passed by slowly.
Every now and then, I would glance toward the doorway, half expecting some nightmare creature to crawl through the entrance.
Thankfully, nothing came, and so, in boredom, I decided to look around the library.
And browsed through some of the books.
The ones that caught my eye were three books: “The Nuances of Establishing Runic Sorcery,” “Exploration of Different Runes and Their Effects,” and “Basics of Smithing via Runic Spells.” I spent a good bit of time just reading through them, and it was truly interesting.
It could even be said to have been rather complex.
Runic sorcery was something that relied on both Soul Essence and proper runes.
For example, one couldn’t put the runes for ‘Create Friction’ and ‘Create Motion’ together without properly establishing a circle around them.
This circle wouldn’t cause the two runes to interfere with each other, as the friction wouldn’t allow the motion to move whatever was the designated target.
So, after being engrossed in reading the books, I only realized halfway through the second book that quite a bit of time had passed.
Closing the book, I thought about it for a moment, and white sparks gathered in the palms of my hands, forming a refined and sharp gladius.
“Finally.” I swung it lightly and smiled.
It was a bit regretful that I couldn’t read these books.
I would’ve rather taken a storage Memory to put as many of them into it as I could.
However, I had no such privilege.
I simply sighed and looked away from them.
I focused on the sword and tried to adjust to it.
Surprisingly, my grip naturally adjusted itself, my stance shifted slightly, and for a moment I felt as though my body remembered something my mind didn’t.
I stared at the blade and chuckled.
“…Interesting.” Placing the gladius in my left hand, I tried to see if it would give a similar reaction.
However, it seemed that the right hand was the dominant one, so the muscle memory responded more naturally there.
Nodding, I let it hang at my side and exited the room.
The corpses in the hall remained exactly where they had been and i sighed in relief.
While I moved through the gory scene of murder, one that I had apparently caused, I sighed.
‘Okay, it’s not like they’re real people.
If I had committed a real genocide, then I would’ve felt worse.
Hey, I only opened a door, so it’s not really my fault… yeah, yeah, I’m not coping.’ Sure, i had caused this tribe of the Ash Nomads to go extinct, but maybe there were others, so it was all fine and good.
As I reached the staircase, I looked upward and gulped.
It seemed to stretch almost three hundred meters into the sky, and when I looked down… Well, thankfully I didn’t have a phobia of heights, because if I did, I would’ve just about shat myself two times over.
Sighing, I examined the bloodied staircase and looked at the faint body parts that were scarce but still present on the steps.
With a heavy sigh, I took a step onto the staircase and began my ascent.
(NARRATION) A young Aspirant ascended the grandiose staircase with heavy breaths.
His ashen-brown hair was dirtied and bloodied, while his blue eyes were bloodshot.
It had been nearly an hour since he began his ascent, and the farther to the top he got, the more exhausted he became.
He was so tired that he had to actually lie down on the staircase and catch his breath.
“Haaa, oh what the hell, who puts a portal this high up?” Lost in thought for a moment, Steven had to remind himself of his goal, and that was to reach the portal.
It may have been easier if he actually remembered what the beginning of the Nightmare was, but there was no such luck.
There was also the fact that he still wasn’t sure what to think.
Just how many memories had he lost?
Also, he had no idea just how long it had been since he entered the Nightmare.
Maybe it was only a few hours, or maybe it was already day five or six.
Steven was a very logical person, and he, like most people, liked to be in the know about things.
That’s why he had decided to never drink alcohol.
And so, being so clueless was a rather crushing blow to his ego.
Truly, being clueless was a curse.
It made him almost pity Martin and Damian.
The two of them were pretty much always just going with the flow, but he did find it impressive in its own way.
‘If only I could relax and take it easy.’ The thought of trying to relax a bit faded nearly as soon as it appeared, and Steven only rested for a few minutes before continuing.
Half an hour passed before he finally reached what he could only describe as salvation.
It was a small part of the staircase that was wider and looked to be a platform.
Smiling, he was about to rush faster.
However, he stopped himself, after all, he had no idea if there was someone up there.
Maybe there was an Ash Nomad that wanted his head on a stick, maybe even worse things.
Of course, it could have been a Nightmare Creature.
One that was even more eager to tear him apart.
So instead of rushing ahead, he continued to slowly ascend.
Finally reaching the top, he went ahead and stuck close to the wall.
The platform was big enough to fit about ten people standing side by side, and it connected to a large door made of pale wood.
The door was large, and also open.
Quietly and stealthily reaching the edge of the doorway, he took a peek inside, and almost instantly he retracted his gaze and pressed his lips together to hold in a girly scream.
He hadn’t even gotten a proper look, only managing to catch a very small glimpse.
Yet that single glimpse had been enough to send every instinct in his body into panic.
After several long seconds, he slowly leaned forward again, just enough for one eye to peer past the doorway.
The room beyond was circular, easily sixty meters across, its domed ceiling supported by enormous white pillars that stretched into the darkness above.
The center of the chamber was occupied by a massive stone circle that looked like an altar of sorts.
On the altar, however, was a strange and terrible creature.
It looked to be a mix between a scorpion and a tarantula.
Its carapace was a deep blackish-red, both lustrous and unnervingly dark.
From its abdomen extended a long, segmented tail that arched over its body like that of a scorpion, ending in a stinger the size of a spear.
The barb glistened with a viscous black fluid that slowly dripped onto the stone altar below.
Each of its eight limbs was thicker than a man’s torso, their chitin covered in jagged ridges that resembled overlapping blades.
Even while perfectly still, they looked capable of cleaving through solid stone with little effort.
Steven’s gaze slowly traveled upward.
The creature’s upper body rose from the monstrous arachnid frame, vaguely humanoid from the waist up, though only in the most disturbing sense of the word.
Its torso was unnaturally slender, covered by overlapping crimson-black plates that looked almost like armor grown from flesh.
Four elongated arms rested against the altar, each ending in long, curved claws instead of fingers.
“…” He couldn’t see its face.
Its head remained turned away from the doorway, long strands of pitch-black hair cascading over its shoulders and concealing whatever lay beneath.
For a fleeting moment, Steven wondered if it was asleep, then he noticed the floor.
Dozens of enormous cracks radiated outward from beneath the creature, as though simply resting there had fractured the stone.
Dried red blood stained the altar, while the surrounding floor was littered with broken weapons, shattered shields, and splintered pieces of armor.
Not a single corpse remained, and the evidence of anyone who may have fought or tried to fight this thing was gone.
Only their equipment remained to even prove their existence.
Steven swallowed, and his breathing became shallow as he instinctively tightened his grip on the gladius.
His eyes cautiously drifted past the altar.
Beyond the monstrous creature, suspended within an arch of pale stone, a shimmering silver portal quietly rotated, its surface rippling like liquid mercury.
His heart leaped as he saw the thing that promised an end to the Nightmare.
Unfortunately…
there was only one path leading to it, and it required walking directly past the sleeping abomination.
‘Damn you, Fated!
Why can’t I be lucky just once?
Damnation!’ Fearing that the abomination would awaken if he looked too long, he looked away.
Looking directly at the abomination could cause it to sense him, so he had to be cautious.
There was one thing that seemed wrong.
The creature was pretty much completely still, barely even moving.
After thinking it over for a bit, a realization struck him.
It could have been evolving.
After all, who knew just how many humans it had eaten?
Which must have meant that it might have reached the threshold for an evolution.
Mulling it over for a bit, Steven gripped his gladius and sighed heavily.
There weren’t many options, really.
If he didn’t act sooner, it might have been too late for him to run.
So, as much as he despised having to put himself in danger, he really didn’t have a choice.
It was either he took the chance and left, or he wussed out and didn’t leave.
Either way, he was going to have to face death.
And he would prefer not to leave his friends alone.
Also, if he died, he would become a monster, and if he did, there was no telling what would become of his friends.
‘I’m not dying here.’ The conviction wasn’t particularly inspiring.
It wasn’t born from courage or anything else remotely honorable.
He simply refused.
And perhaps even more than that…
He refused to become one of those things.
The thought of failing the Nightmare, of his soul twisting into some horrific creature that would kill innocent people, terrified him.
Of course, he didn’t know if he was still in the outskirts.
Maybe he had been taken by Sammy and Nathaniel to the police station.
Or maybe they were clueless, and if he died, the creature that he would become could kill all his friends in moments.
The thought made his stomach turn and his blood boiled.
His grip on the gladius steadied as he released a quiet sigh.
His eyes were filled with defiance as he took a small step.
“I’ll take my chances.” He whispered to himself to steel his resolve, which was beginning to waver, and with one final glance toward the motionless abomination, Steven slipped through the doorway.
Each step was painfully slow, and every footfall was placed with deliberate care.
His breathing was shallow enough that even he could barely hear it.
The distance to the portal couldn’t have been more than thirty meters.
Yet, as he crept toward the altar…
it felt like the longest walk of his life.
‘Damnation… Damnation… Damnation… Damn it, why am I saying Damnation?
Damn, it’s Damn!’ Trying to keep his cool with these thoughts, he continued forward and made sure to keep as far away from the abomination as possible.
He was practically glued to the wall and he made sure to take a step only every two seconds.
It was painstakingly slow, but it was a necessary precaution.
Making sure not to look too directly at the abomination too much, he also made sure not to look completely away from it either.
After all, making sure that it wasn’t awake was also necessary.
If he so much as noticed it rise even a centimeter, he would make a beeline for the portal.
The closer he got to the portal, the more his heart thundered.
After getting closer the portal, he also finally managed to get a good look at its head.
His pupils shrank as he got a good look at it.
It wasn’t a scorpion’s head, nor was it a spider’s, instead, it was almost…
human.
A pale feminine face rested against the black stone, impossibly beautiful despite the monstrous body attached to it.
Long raven-black hair spilled across the altar like a curtain, concealing most of her features, while the visible half of her face possessed delicate, almost ethereal beauty.
It was wrong.
So painfully wrong that, for some reason, he felt his eyes begin to tear up.
While looking at it, he just couldn’t help but feel a deep and excruciating pain grip his chest.
And his gaze continued to examine her face.
Her skin was flawless, untouched by scars or decay, as though she had merely fallen asleep.
Two impossibly long fangs protruded from between pale lips, curving downward past her chin like polished ivory daggers.
Thin strands of dried red blood clung to their tips.
Steven immediately looked away.
‘Don’t stare…
don’t stare…
You mustn’t… no matter what!’ Every instinct screamed at him that looking at her for too long was a mistake.
His breathing became even quieter, while he felt his heart continue to thunder.
Fifteen meters separated him from salvation.
The silver portal rippled silently only a few strides away now, its liquid surface shimmering with a gentle glow that looked almost heavenly compared to the nightmare surrounding it.
‘Just…
a little more…’ Ten meters separated him from the portal, and he had to hold back the urge to just spring forward with every bit of speed he possessed.
His shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, unfortunately for the young Aspirant, that tiny lapse in concentration proved to be a mistake.
*TAP* A faint sound echoed through the chamber, and his heart stopped as he froze mid-step.
Then a shadow of fear crossed his face.
‘…No.’ He turned his eyes toward the altar.
One of the creature’s bladed legs had shifted barely a centimeter.
However, as he looked at its face, he froze as a primal and vicious terror washed over him completely.
Facing him wasn’t a face with its eyes closed.
Instead, it was a face, and its eyes were fluttered open.
Those eyes were completely dark, filled with a hunger that Steven instantly felt was directed fully toward him.
For a single heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Then, in a moment that made the chamber more suffocating and terrifying than before…
the creature smiled.
Its pale lips slowly parted, revealing rows of needle-like teeth hidden behind the two great fangs.
The smile wasn’t one of amusement or joy.
Instead, it was recognition, the kind a predator would have when it found its prey.
Steven’s blood ran cold, and every instinct he’d ever possessed erupted into a deafening scream to run like hell.
His body moved before his mind could catch up.
The gladius scraped against the stone as he threw himself toward the portal with every ounce of strength he possessed.
The chamber exploded behind him.
*BOOM* The altar shattered and stones that were the size of wagons flew through the air as the abomination launched itself forward with terrifying speed.
Its bladed legs punched through the floor as though it were wet soil, leaving enormous craters with every step.
The shockwave sent him flying.
However, before he could put too much distance between himself and the abomination, he felt a searing pain spread through his body.
As he flew, he felt his back hit the arch of the portal.
Blood erupted from his mouth as he violently fell to the ground.
He was in so much pain that he could barely breathe.
His head was ringing, and he felt his eyes thunder and quake in his skull.
However, what terrified him more was the sight before him.
His eyes fell down toward his legs, or at least what was left of them.
Where they had been before, now two bloody stumps remained, ones that were bleeding profusely to boot.
Not even being able to scream, Steven brought his gaze upward and grew more horrified as the visage of the abomination was before him.
Its face was still holding that smile, and now it had become more sadistic.
It brought one of its claw like pincers down and took out the legs that it had severed.
A loud crunch echoed through the room, followed by the sounds of flesh being torn apart then filled the chamber.
Steven looked on in horror as the abomination feasted on his legs with a satisfied and sadistic smile.
Then, from its mouth, a guttural and ear-piercing laughter sounded.
.
His body trembled uncontrollably as he stared at the creature before him, his mind struggling to process the situation he was in.
The pain was overwhelming, but somehow the fear was worse.
The abomination lowered its head slightly, its dark eyes staring directly into his own.
It seemed almost curious now, as if it wanted to see what he would do.
Steven’s breathing became ragged.
His fingers dug into the stone floor weakly, trying to pull himself backward, but his body refused to cooperate.
His strength had already left him, and the blood loss was making his vision grow hazy.
The creature seemed to notice his pathetic attempt, and its smile only widened further.
It slowly raised one of its strange appendages, it’s sharp tip gleaming beneath the faint light of the portal.
Steven’s pupils shrank even more, and his mind screamed at him to move, to do anything it could to flee from the abomination.
‘Move.
Move.
Move.
Move.
Move.
MOVE!
Please!
I’m so fucking scared!
PLEASE!’ Tears welled in his eyes as he felt nothing happen.
His body was too damaged and too exhausted.
For the first time since entering the Nightmare, Steven felt completely helpless.
He couldn’t calculate his chances.
He couldn’t analyze the situation.
He couldn’t think of a strategy.
There was no plan and no logical solution he could make to flee.
He was so completely and utterly helpless that it was almost laughable.
Only death seemed possible.
And then, as the pincer descended toward him, his hand moved.
Not because he had thought of something.
It was simply instinct, it was the instinct that had begun to spread across his body.
It was like a deep hunger that made him push as far as possible to survive.
His fingers stretched desperately toward the silver portal behind him, and the tips of his fingers brushed against its surface.
A strange sensation immediately spread through his body.
It was cold… yet comforting.
Almost like touching a river made of moonlight.
The abomination noticed, and its triumphant expression changed.
For the first time since awakening, its confidence disappeared.
A low growl escaped its throat as it quickly moved forward, attempting to kill Steven before he could disappear.
But it was too late.
The moment the creature’s pincer reached Steven, it only managed to pierce through his gut.
However, he was slowly turning into a ray of radiant sparks, and in response to this strange change, its body reacted violently.
The corruption in its body began to smoke, and it tried to pull back instantly.
Letting out a roar filled with rage and pain, it desperately tried to reject the same change from embracing it.
Steven stared in confusion.
The portal wasn’t rejecting him, and it wasn’t harming him, instead…
it was the creature that was suffering.
The silver light spread from where the abomination had pierced him, crawling across its massive body like flames.
Its flesh began to crack.
The dark carapace that had seemed almost indestructible began to crumble away, revealing the corruption beneath.
The creature screamed a scream of genuine agony.
Steven watched in disbelief as the terrifying being that had almost killed him was suddenly forced back.
Once the realization dawned on him, a smile of vicious glee found purchase on his face as he watched the abomination slowly crumble.
‘Ha… haha… HAHAHAHA!’ A deep-seated joy spread through his body as soon his vision was obscured by silver light, and he felt as if he had become some sort of liquid.
He no longer felt the agonizing pain, and soon he watched as he began to swirl toward the portal.
The last thing he saw before fully entering the portal was the massive frame of the abomination crumble, and its scream was cut off as he no longer had ears to hear.
However, even without ears, he did hear something, and that was the voice of the Spell sounding in his ears.
He hadn’t heard it before, but it was the only logical thing to consider.
It whispered softly: [You have successfully passed the Boundary between Realms.] [You have escaped certain death.] [You have slain an Awakened Devil, Putrid Paramour.] As Steven heard the voice of the Spell, he almost sighed in relief.
He did note the name of the disgusting abomination, and the fact that its name would be PP for short.
[You are the last of your people.] [You bear a Spark of Divinity.] [You have been deemed worthy!] [You have successfully assimilated The Knowledge Moor!] [Aspirant!
You have been given the Sequence 9 Characteristics for the Hermit Pathway!] [Aspirant!
You have been given the Sequence 9 Characteristics for the Paragon Pathway!] ‘I better have!’ He was elated at the thought, and soon he felt that the world around him had begun to come undone.
[You have received the right to claim the title of Demon of Knowledge!] [You have successfully claimed the Lineage of Heart God!] [As the last remaining member of the Ash Nomads, you have inherited their Will!] [You have received an Aspect Legacy, Ashen Serpent!] [Wake up, Steven Simmons!
Your Nightmare is over.] [Prepare for appraisal…] *** Steven no longer found himself embraced by that strange light.
This new place he found himself in was a strange and beautiful dark realm.
Which was a bit odd to get accustomed to, after all he had just been bathed in light.
It was a realm painted by a tapestry of stars, Steven relaxed and was just glad that he didn’t feel the agony of having his legs chopped off.
‘Ahhh, I hope that bitch suffered.’ He didn’t feel any pity for it.
Its death was violent and terrible, as it deserved!
The Spell waited for a moment before it began its appraisal: [Aspirant!
Your Nightmare is over.] [In a realm of countless horrors, the Ash Nomads faced them all with a desperate desire and hunger to live.
In these desires, they searched far and wide for a way to persevere through all hardship.
While they wandered aimlessly, they managed to find a promise of Salvation.
With it, they could both be saved and find knowledge.
However… a conniving and cunning rat heard of their plight, and through his desire for strength, he found a door he was told not to open.
He opened the door, and with it, he released a myriad of terrible abominations.
Moment after moment, countless were killed, while he himself took the opportunity and killed his own.
With a blade he gained from the death of one of his brothers, he slew the tyrant that was on the cusp of evolution and feasted on its enticing heart.
Once he awoke, he ascended the staircase that promised freedom and an end to his Nightmare.
Barely managing to survive an encounter with a defiled Mistress, he managed to escape and bring an end to his Nightmare.] Listening to the appraisal, Steven rubbed his chin in confusion.
‘If this is to be trusted… I seriously was conniving.
Hmm, didn’t know I had it in me.
Still, it doesn’t explain how I lost my memories.’ While thinking, he also focused on the part where he feasted on its heart.
‘So I guess the heart had some sort of… mind attack?
So when I ate it, maybe it was supposed to do something to me?’ Steven blinked rapidly and sighed in annoyance as he didn’t quite recall what he was thinking about.
Not really willing to continue thinking about his… questionable decisions, he listened as the Spell began to speak once more.
[You have defeated five dormant humans: names unknown.] [You have defeated a dormant monster: Vessel of Skinwalker.] [You have defeated an awakened tyrant: Skinwalker.] [You have defeated an awakened devil: Putrid Paramour.] [You have inherited the Will of the Ash Nomads!] [You have overcome an impossible obstacle and went above and beyond to reach your goal!] [Final appraisal: glorious.
Your hunger for power has proven itself to be completely insatiable!] Steven waited for a bit, and his mouth slackened.
‘Wait… I killed what?’ [Dreamer Steven Simmons, receive your boon!] [You have been bestowed a True Name: Providence of Ashes.] [Your Aspect is ready to evolve.
Evolve Aspect?] Steven was still surprised by the fact that he had killed the bloody Skinwalker!
But he barely managed to comply with the Spell’s request, and of course, it was a yes.
[Dormant Aspect Ash Nomad is evolving…] [New Aspect acquired.] [Aspect Rank: Divine.] [Aspect Name: Ashen Slayer.] He contemplated the name for a moment before deciding to simply look at his Runes.
The Runes shimmered to life, and he examined them: Aspect: [Ashen Slayer].
Aspect Rank: Divine.
Aspect Description: [You have taken the lives of your own people.
Both human and monster fell at your hands.
Thus, you have been bestowed the opportunity to prosper in the presence of all manner of death and slaughter.] While looking at them, he put a hand over his face with an exasperated sigh.
It seemed that the Spell was rather focused on the only part of his Nightmare that he forgot.
At the end of the Nightmare, he was cautious and careful.
Not even close to being anything close to barbaric maniac!
He was a logical person who was mostly a pacifist.
He would have much rather gained an Aspect related to creation.
However, the Spell had a different idea about what he was most compatible with.
Without further ado, he examined his Innate Ability.
Innate Ability: [Assiduous Killer].
Ability Description: [Those you slay will be turned into ashes.
These ashes will saturate you and act as your source of power.] Not knowing the full extent of just how powerful this ability was, Steven waited until the Spell continued, waiting for his Aspect Ability to manifest.
Just in time, the Spell made the announcement.
[The First Seal is broken.] [Awakening dormant powers…] Steven felt a profound change occur within his being, and the feeling of his body changing and becoming filled with power made him feel an exhilarating joy.
After minutes of transformation, everything settled, and soon the voice of the Spell began a litany of announcements.
[Aspect Ability acquired.] [Aspect Ability Name: Ash Manifestation.] The Spell said softly, then continued: [One of your Attributes has evolved.] [You have acquired an Attribute.] [You have acquired an Attribute.] Without a second to waste, Steven examined his Runes once more.
Name: Steven Simmons Rank: Aspirant.
Ash Core: Dormant.
Ash Fragments: [92/1000].
Memories: [Sliver of Courage].
Echoes: — Attributes: [Fated], [Spark of Divinity], [The Spirit], [Ode of Ashes], [Funeral Pyre], [Erudition].
It seemed that the Attribute [Ashen One] had evolved, and along with that, he had gained two additional ones.
He also didn’t possess a Soul Core.
Instead, he possessed an Ash Core… whatever the hell that was meant to be anyway.
Instead of focusing on that, he looked at his Attributes: [Ode of Ashes] Attribute Description: “You are a being whose very nature was changed by Ashes.
As such, you have a great amount of control over them and can call upon them for assistance.” [Funeral Pyre] Attribute Description: “With each being you slay, your Body and Soul will become more powerful for a few moments, and with each additional foe slain, it will only continue to strengthen you and last longer.” [Erudition] Attribute Description: “Your mind has grasped the basics of sorcery, and with this knowledge, you have gained the potential to become a master sorcerer.” While he read them, he approved of every single one, except for a certain one that would make him go through all sorts of trouble in the future.
[Ode of Ashes] was definitely going to be helpful since his Aspect was clearly very focused on ashes.
Then [Funeral Pyre] would further strengthen him, granted he’d have to kill quite a bit of beings.
And he didn’t know how long that little boost would last, or even how many he’d have to kill in order to actually receive a substantial boost.
Continuing to analyze them, he decided to then turn to the ability he got.
Aspect Abilities: [Ash Manifestation].
Aspect Ability Description: “You may control and grant ashes a physical form.
One which you may use in a myriad of ways.” Steven blinked, and his nose wrinkled as he examined the ability.
As far as he knew, there was no one in SS who had an affinity to ashes, well, apart from Kai.
However, that was a very faint affinity.
There was no telling how useful his Aspect would be, but he was sure that he’d be able to experiment with it plenty.
So he went ahead and tried to examine his Aspect Legacy.
However, something else caught his eye.
Sequences:[Sequence 9, Mystery Pryer] Digestion (0%/100%).
[Sequence 9, Savant] Digestion (0%/100%).
He expected to see something similar to this.
However, he was a bit surprised to see that he could know just how much of the potion would be digested.
While focusing on this, he lowered his head and looked at his Aspect Legacy.
Aspect Legacy: [Ashen Serpent] Ashen Serpent Description: [When the war came, it destroyed all who fought in it, even the gods and daemons.
As the last of the many fell, the last one standing was left alone and surrounded by nothing but ash and blood, and before the last one standing fell…
‘He’ locked gazes with the mighty existence, and so ‘He’ became nothing but ash.] Steven shivered at the mention of a ‘He’, and he was even more unnerved after the mention of a mighty existence.
Before he could think further, the voice of the Spell sounded.
[All power has a price.] [You have received a Flaw.] [Your Flaw is: Knowledge Seeker.] [You hold an almost insatiable curiosity for knowledge… one that may lead to unforeseen consequences.] As he heard those words, a strange shift occurred within the realm as it became undone.
In moments, everything turned hazy and illusory.
Steven felt his mind ache, and before he passed out, his eyes landed on a pair of hypnotic and terrifying white eyes.
___________________ Author’s Note:Hmmmm, really dunno how i feel abbout this chap, i wanted Steven’s Nightmare to have more horror elements, however i didn’t want to make it to long.
So yeah this is the best i could come up with.
Anyway now that the fuhh ass nightmares are over the chapters will be shorter, about 2k to 3k words.
Next chap is on Thursday and another on Sunday.
These two will focus on the aftermath of the nightmare, and then from there on a mini academy arc.
As always give some comments to motivate me to write more and ask me anything, see you all on Thursday :).