Chapter 10: Power
A profound shift occurred deep within Hugo's being. With a startled expression, he clutched his chest as he felt his senses turning inward to the strange phenomenon. It wasn't painful, but it was strange in the sense that it was both something from within him yet at the same time the sensation felt uttuerly alien but it was undoubtedly the sensation of something fundamental being unlocked and set into motion.
This burgeoning power began to shift and mend together until it no longer invasive slowly becoming an awakening of a potential that had been seeded within him ever since the beginning of the first nightmare, now that same potential was being catalyzed and forcefully drawn out by the Spell.
It was the latent energy from the relic—the Omni-energy—that had saturated his body, spirit, and shadow during the experiments, now igniting as it merged with the core of his soul. A pure, divine fire was kindled at his center threatening to consume him whole.
This energy suffused every fiber of his being, a wave of clarifying power. His thoughts, previously clouded by trauma and fatigue sharpened to a razor's edge. His emotions, once a turbulent storm, settled into a cold, focused calm.
Then the physical changes began.
A nexus of power bloomed in the center of his chest, no longer a star of heat, but a crucible of conceptual energy. From it, a wave of resonant frequency pulsed outward brining every part of him together. It reached for his stomach and shoulders, then his arms and legs, then his hands and feet. His bones, muscles, organs, and blood vessels—already altered by the Omni-energy—were not rebuilt but instead had undergone a thorough evolution of sorts.
They were tuned to a higher state of performance, their very molecular structure singing in resonance with the divine relic on his wrist. It was a feeling of profound rightness, as if he was finally becoming the being he was always meant to be.
The process was not linear. It felt as if his body, spirit, and shadow were being woven together by two forces at the same time, the spell and the Omnitrix.
with his soul acting as both the loom and the final completed tapestry that both parties saturating and changing it in their own ways.
He felt a surge of agency, a terrifying and exhilarating power to dictate the course of his own destiny.
After what felt like an eternity, the resonant pulses from his core settled into a steady, humming stability. The active harmonization was replaced by a profound, soothing integration, a cool certainty that settled over him, ironing out the last vestiges of imperfection.
Then, his vision bifurcated.
He could still see the star-filled void of the Spell. But superimposed over it was another vision: a silent, sprawling world of intricate, emerald like green structures forming a colossal labyrinthine maze. A brilliant green sun hung in its sky, casting deep, sharp shadows. This as he knew from his studies was his Soul Sea. But its form was nothing like the common descriptions.
Every Awakened's Soul Sea was unique, as it was the very nature of their soul laid before them , but this—a vast, complex puzzle of a world—was far beyond the norm.
'That's... unconventional.'
His eyes were drawn to the green sun, and a grimace touched his lips as he was reminded of the pervasive green of Galvan technology.
"Couldn't it have been a different color?" he mumbled, a flicker of annoyance in his thoughts.
As if in direct response, the device on his wrist—the Omnitrix—pulsed. In one swift, silent motion, its luminescence shifted. The bright green hourglass symbol bled into a deep, majestic blue. Simultaneously, the entire Soul Sea transformed, the landscape now bathed in the cool, serene light of the blue sun.
"Well, that's definitely not normal," Hugo stated, a note of wary hesitation in his voice as he realized the strange divine relic could hear his command suggesting it may be more then just a soulless relic
Still, he was relieved. The constant reminder of the Galvans was now gone, replaced by a color he found far more palatable.
Upon closer inspection, the soul sea's maze-like nature intrigued him. He had always possessed a curious, analytical mind and the endless intricate pathways presented a fascinating puzzle that it made him see his soul sea as a challenge to be understood and mastered.
His gaze returned to the blue sun, and he noticed the two white orbs orbating his soul core, these were the two memories he had acquired floating like ethereal jewels within his soul.
They were [Proto-Tech Armor] and the still unexamined [Polymorphic Crystal].
Just as he moved to inspect the crystal, the Spell's voice pulled him back from the depths of his Soul Sea.
[Awakening Aspect Ability…]
'... I guess This is it. The defining moment.'
Divine Aspect or not, his immediate role and survival would be dictated by the nature of his first Aspect Ability. If it was combat-oriented, he would be thrust onto the front lines against the Nightmare Creatures.
A sorcery-based ability would make him a powerfully diverse asset which was what Hugo preferred even though the thought process clashed with his dream a little bit.
There were also utility type powers which could make him invaluable in supporting roles, and finally a healing ability was the rarest and most sought-after boon of all.
But of course, these were only the known catagories humans made for themselves since the descend of the nightmare spell and as such while they were the common abilities your average awakened would possesses, they still were not a limitation as there was still a lot of strange wanderous abilities in the world.
But Hugo had an idea about what his dormant ability would be.
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Morph]
Hugo hurriedly summoned his runes. His instinct was to dive straight into the ability's description, but discipline made him review his overall status first.
Name: Hugo
True Name:Paragon of Purity
Rank:Dreamer
Omni-Core:Dormant
Soul Fragments:[0/1000]
'What? What is this?'
Where "Soul Core" should have been, it now read "Omni-Core."which was not normal.
He blinked, processing the change which had had to be linked to the Omnitrix, a unique manifestation of his Divine Aspect. But The fact that his progression was still tied to Soul Fragments was a relief; it meant his path, while unique, wasn't completely alien and untrodden.
A separate unknown progression system while full of potential was also fraught with unimaginable peril. The known, even if difficult, was always safer than the absolute unknown... And there was nothing more terrifying then the unknown in the age of the nightmare spell.
'Though an Omni-Core is strange in itself... I wonder if it offers any abilities once it's saturated...'
Unable to find a definitive answer, he continued.
Memories: [Proto-Tech Armor], [Polymorphic Crystal]
Echoes:—
Attributes:[Mutant], [Flame of Divinity], [Extraordinary Memory], [Anatomica], [Spirit Core], [Shadow-Rend], [Soul Bound]
His [Mark of Divinity] had evolved into [Flame of Divinity] after the first nightmare
The description was succinct yet profound: [Your soul is aflame with the light of divinity.]
This piqued his interest significantly. A strong affinity with the divine was never a minor thing in the context of the Dream Realm, it could open doors to powers and understandings far beyond the mundane but he would need to do more research about it before he could be sure of how exactly it's usefulness resides.
Furthermore, he had finally gained the attribute representing the last of his seven parts: the soul.
[Soul Bound] Attribute Description: [Your soul has bonded with a divine relic, granting you blessed abilities.]
Attribute Enchantments:[Omni-Mind]
Enchantment Description:[The Omnitrix is immune to mental attacks.]
Hugo's eyes widened, his mind racing through the implications. Firstly, he hadn't known Attributes could possess Enchantments. Was this a feature unique to his Divine Aspect? Or was it something related to the nature of his attribute?
'But why only one? If it only had one, it should just be part of the main description... unless...'
The possibility was more then shocking as it sugguested the idea that he could acquire more Enchantments for this Attribute somehow. The 'how' remained a mystery, but the potential was staggering as it allowed him to gain seperate abilities from the ones his aspect provides.
'A hassle, but what a blessing!' he mused, focusing on the [Omni-Mind] Enchantment.
'It doesn't say I am immune, it says the Omnitrix is. But my Aspect description states that the relic and I are one. The distinction might be semantic... or it might be critically important.' He theorized that the protection likely extended to him, as the core consciousness bonded to the relic, but he still felt the need for caution against mental assaults until he could confirm that he was completely immune to them himself
He sighed, the familiar frustration at the Spell's cryptic nature returning. 'Well, I'll find out the specifics through practical means later'
Finally, he turned his attention to his Dormant Ability.
Aspect: [Omnitrix]
Aspect Rank:Divine
Aspect Abilities:[Morph]
Aspect Ability Description:[You can transform into creatures imprinted on your soul.]
'I see. So it functions just as I theorized.'
The structure was elegantly simple yet immensely powerful.
The Innate Ability, [Essence Imprint], served as the method of collection, while [Morph] was the engine of execution. It was a shapeshifting ability of an unparalleled scope.
'So I have ten potential transformations but for For now, I only have two.'
His focus shifted to the two filled slots.
[First Imprint: Chimera Sui Generis]
[Second Imprint: Galvan]
He studied them carefully. The method of gaining Imprints was still unclear, but the results were undeniable.
One was the ability to become a Galvan. The idea was uncomfortable, taking on the form of his former captors, but he immediately dismissed the sentiment as foolishness.
rejecting a tool, any tool for the matter out of pride was a luxury he couldn't afford as Survival was paramount.
The other was more intriguing. 'Chimera Sui Generis? Is that the specie Vilgax belonged to?'
The prospect of wielding even a fraction of the power that had made Vilgax a force of nature was deeply compelling. As a Dreamer, his transformed self wouldn't be an Ascended, but it would still be undoubtedly powerful.
'But how powerful, exactly? And do I gain all the innate abilities of the species, or just the physical form?'
He held his breath, re-reading the descriptions, searching for hidden nuances that would reveal the full extent of his power. But at that moment, a new set of runes materialized below his Aspect information. Simultaneously, the Spell's voice resonated through the void, cold and final.
[All power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: …]
Hugo's eyes narrowed, all other thoughts vanishing as he focused on the emerging text, his fate about to be sealed by the other side of the coin.
Flaw: [unstable ego]
Flaw description: [the like between your true self and that of your transformations is thin]
Hugo looked at the runes with a hesitant expression, attempting to decipher the full meaning...
"it sounds simple enough but how dangerous is it?" he mumbled under his breath. Unsure of what to make of it.
The flaw sugguested that his personality would be altered whenever he tranforms but to what extent he did not know.
Hugo knew that the more powerful an aspect is, the more the severe the flaw would be. so he was naturally a bit frightened on how severe his flaw would be.
Some flaws could be crippling after all.
Before Hugo could contimplate his flaw's meaning any deeper, the voice of the spell spoke once more.
[Wake up, Paragon of purity!]
The black void suddenly blinked, disspaering completely.
–––
Hugo opened his eyes slowly.
The armored ceiling of the police station basement was the most beautiful thing in tbe world as of this moment.
He had long wished to see it everytime he was knocked out unconscious in the nightmare so naturally he was more then happy to see it.
But that sensation suddenly changed as he noticed the figure standing next to him.
On a plastic chair besides him, a women sat there with a neutral expression on her face,
She had short, raven-black hair and icy blue eyes. Her flawless skin was smooth, supple and as white as snow.
The woman seemed to be in her late twenties. She was wearing a dark blue uniform with silver epaulets and black leather boots. The jacket of her uniform was casually unbuttoned, revealing a black tank top beneath.
Of course, Hugo immediately recognized who this person was. After all she was the person he built his entire ideals upon and to an extent was the reason behind his driving motivation.
This was the same women he had met many years ago, but back then she was merely a teenage awakened.
This was soul reaper jet.
Now, she seemed to be in her late twenties, and was no longer a mere awakened, she was a master.
An ascended by the nightmare spell rank, an ascended was a person who had conquered the second nightmare and it was the highest rank after transcendant. Well the highest humanity has achieved so far.
Hugo was in a lost for words, he had long dreamed of meeting soul reaper jet again and fighting side by side with her. Some of his thoughts about her were less then proper but that was besides the point.
Soul reaper jet however, was looking at him with a strange expression...
'does she recognize me?' he thought, feeling something strange within his heart.
After a long moment soul reaper jet spoke "what are you looking at?"
Hugo almost fell over when she spoke , but the restraints were still holding him.
After a long second, he opened his mouth "ah... You I guess?"
'idiot! What kind of person says something like that!'
Jet looked at him with a strange expression then she sighed "well at least you aren't a rascal like the other kid"
She said before slowly moving her body towards him, making Hugo instantly turn red.
To his disspointment, she only removed the restraints chaining him to the table.
'why I'm I even disspointed? This is pathetic...' he thought solemnly.
Unaware of his inner turmoil, jet spoke again with a smile " color me impressed , I didn't think you'd survive a nightmare spanning an entire week"
Hugo expression changed as she said that, turning into a frown...
'a week?! But the winter solstice was already a month away when I entered the nightmare....'
Eventually all he could muster was one word...
"Shit..."
Jet looked at him with something akin to pity, then that expression dissapered as quickly as it appeared. "in any case, since you're awake — welcome back to the land of the living. Congratulations on surviving your First Nightmare, Sleeper Hugo."