[Your trial has ended, Aspirant.]
[A traveler torn from his home world journeyed to a land besieged by endless war. Using his cunning and betrayals, he killed both allies and enemies alike without remorse. For he cared only for his own survival.]
[Prepare for evolution...]
I smiled broadly upon hearing those words, the words I had waited so long to hear. Finally, after nearly a year within the first nightmare, enduring unimaginable horrors, surviving as best I could, killing and deceiving... I was finally free.
I let out an audible sigh of relief. Everything felt like a bad dream. Although, it surely was one.
I still remember parts of my previous life. I was just a teenager who had turned 20, who liked to read anything entertaining—among them were novels, manga, books, and bad fanfictions from dubious websites.
It wasn't that I was a book maniac, but I simply enjoyed reading because it was fun. I felt as if my mind traveled into the books, recreating the scenes in my head.
"Heh, who would have thought I'd be sent to this place?" A dry laugh escaped my lips. I couldn't even remember my own name.
I looked around. My soul sea, or what the Awakened possessed within them, was a bit... different.
It was a vast green field, and in the distance rose enormous mountains. The sky was a clear blue with clouds and a gentle breeze. There was no sun, which would have represented my soul core. It was simply a place to rest peacefully.
[You have received a memory: Crescent Moon Blade]
[You have received a memory: Shadow Priest's Cloak]
[You have received a memory: Necklace of Silence]
[You have received a memory: Paladin's Remembrance]
[You have received a memory: Black Mask]
[You have received a memory: Necklace of Thought]
"Oh, wow. Five memories. That's undoubtedly incredible. Although I expected to have about three. After all I did to survive and kill, I at least hoped to have a maximum of three, not five."
A smile spread across my face as the spell continued to evaluate my performance in the first nightmare.
Finally, I heard the voice of the spell again.
—You have defeated 113 inactive beasts.
—You have defeated 1000 inactive humans of unknown name.
—You have defeated an Awakened human:Aletheia of the Nine.
—You have defeated an Awakened human:Azarax, the King-Slayer.
—You have killed an Awakened terror:Skull Moth.
—You have received the blessing of the Beast God.
—You have achieved the impossible!
—Final evolution: Glorious. Your tenacity is Unbreakable.
I felt my body become ecstatic at this. It was undoubtedly incredible. It was glorious. My effort was worth it. My suffering was worth it. Everything was absolutely worth it. Every wall placed before me, I tore down with strength and intelligence or scaled it using others.
—Dreamer. Receive your boon.
—You have been granted a true name: King of Salvation.
—Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?
—Yes, — I confirmed, anxious.
—Sleeping Aspect [Influence] is evolving...
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Divine.]
[Aspect Name: The Last Creation.]
---
"So I obtained a Divine Aspect. That's pretty good," I murmured, thinking of the possibilities.
Aspect: [The Last Creation]
Aspect Rank:[Divine.]
Description: [You are a miraculous being left behind by a dead god. As his last divine creation, you possess many strange and wonderful abilities. Your existence serves to demonstrate the greatness of your creator.]
Innate Ability: [Salvation]
Description: [You are an envoy who brings salvation to living beings. By killing them, they will enter within you where they will be cleansed and exist as peaceful beings. This is salvation.]
"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked aloud but received no answer.
[The first seal has been broken.]
[Awakening latent powers...]
---
I felt something awaken within me. I felt a strange sensation in my chest; it wasn't painful but it wasn't pleasant either. A strange energy began to flow into my soul without stopping.
It was as if something inside me continuously strengthened, reinforced, and grew. After a time that seemed eternal, everything finally ended. I noticed something in me had changed.
I looked around and noticed something that wasn't there before. They were faces. Familiar faces I had seen and killed in my first nightmare.
From human faces to terrifying nightmare creatures. There was also the face of a young woman in hunter's clothing with a bow on her back.
Then another young man with a calm face, once an arrogant one who ruled his kingdom for entire generations.
It was disconcerting to look at their faces, now peaceful and serene.
"I hope they find peace within me," I murmured, clasping my hands together.
Looking at the sky, I noticed an enormous bright sun, which was currently somewhat dim due to the lack of essence.
—Awakening Aspect ability...
I grew anxious hearing this. It was the moment of truth; everything would depend on my ability.
—Name of Aspect Ability: Domination.
I immediately invoked the runes.
Name: Elpis
True Name:King of Salvation
Rank:Dreamer
Core of Salvation:[900/1000]
A smile spread across my face. I was only about 100 fragments of salvation away from becoming a Sleeping Monster. This is undoubtedly great. I obtained a Divine Aspect and will reach the Monster rank.
And if I anchor myself in a Citadel, I can challenge the second nightmare quickly.
Memories: [Crescent Moon Blade], [Shadow Priest's Cloak], [Necklace of Silence], [Paladin's Remembrance], [Black Mask]
Echoes:—
Attributes:[Flame of Divinity], [Lesser Steel Body], [Fire], [Darkness]
Aspect: [The Last Creation]
Aspect Rank:Divine.
Aspect Abilities:[Domination]
Aspect Ability Description:[You can exert your authority over monsters below your power level, forcing them to obey your commands.]
—All power has a price.
[You have received a Flaw.]
—Your Flaw is: [Empathetic Consciousness]
Description:[You possess empathy for living beings.]
I blinked several times reading those eight words. The spell was supposed to be frivolous, giving descriptions, but now it simply went straight to the point.
And what is Empathetic Consciousness supposed to mean? Will I start caring about others? That's ridiculous!
I was someone selfish, seeking my own advantage. This helped me survive that hell. But now, I just have to... be kind? The mere idea made my head spin.
[An error has occurred.]
Suddenly, I was snapped out of my thoughts by the voice of the spell. Was it my imagination, or did it have a somewhat... surprised tone?
[The process of transferring the soul to a body matching the soul has failed. To avoid the destruction of the soul, it has been transferred to a different body.]
'What is happening?'
[Awaken, King of Salvation!]
I felt dizzy and dazed for a few moments before regaining consciousness.
---
I opened my eyes abruptly, getting to my feet, but immediately lost my balance, falling onto a hard, rocky floor. I looked around, confused.
"What's going on? Where am I?" I tried to ask, but only growls came out.
'Growls?'
Finally, managing to sit up somewhat, I looked at my hands, seeing that instead of human hands, I possessed monster hands—long, dark fingers with sharp claws.
I felt my heart shrink.
'This isn't how it's supposed to work. I need to be human. Not a nightmare creature,' I thought angrily.
Letting out a sigh that sounded more like a snort, I got up and stepped out from the crevice where I was.
It was a bit strange. My height was much greater, easily reaching two meters tall.
I possessed a bipedal body that resembled a human form, except that instead of human legs, I had beast-like legs, and instead of a face, I had a white skull with two wide, robust horns pointing forward.
Oh, and yes, I was naked, though my fur now covered my entire body. But it was still uncomfortable.
I looked around and could only see ruins everywhere I walked. They were the ruins of what was once a city. Collapsed buildings, huge chunks of rock, and parts of buildings adorned the streets.
Well. I think I know where I am.
From the remains of buildings and words written in English, along with the architecture, I deduced I was in America.
And well, this is either very good or very bad.
From what I remembered from the novel, America was besieged by a chain of nightmares over a decade ago. Of humanity's four continents, it was reduced to three.
It was a continent filled with nightmare creatures of all ranks and classes. I wouldn't be surprised if there were great tyrants or impious titans roaming freely out there. I honestly never expected to encounter them.
Though now I was a monster, I wouldn't have to worry about dying so easily. Naturally, monsters are stronger than unawakened humans.
If I survived, I could make my way onto the path of ascension and gain more core to reach the Titan rank.
If I survived and passed the third nightmare, I would be a Transcendent, and I wouldn't have to worry about dying so easily.
Although Sovereigns, the Awakened, and many other things are difficult now that I am a nightmare beast.
Technically, I'm incredibly screwed in this situation. I'll be hunted by humans, hunted by nightmare beasts, and who knows what else.
'This is too much. Who put me on infernal difficulty?'
A snort escaped my nose. I didn't know how much time was left until the winter solstice. Given that I couldn't anchor myself to a portal because I was, well, a monster, I would have to directly take the second one, become a Master, travel to the Dream Realm, and conquer my own Citadel.
Something that is much easier said than done.
I can't use essence because I am a Sleeper, and without essence, I couldn't use the enchantments on my weapons.
Hearing the sound of something moving at high speed, I snapped out of my thoughts and observed a nightmare creature that resembled a wolf, except it had eight legs.
Immediately, I invoked the only weapon memory I had. A long sword of a sky-blue color materialized in my hands.
The nightmare creature lunged at me with its maw open. Running towards the nightmare beast, I swung the sword, delivering a strong and swift cut. The sword bit into the creature's flesh, and with a movement, I completely ripped through its body, letting it fall to the ground.
After a few seconds, its body stopped moving, dead.
[You have defeated an Awakened monster: Aberrant Wolf]
[You obtain a fragment of salvation]
I looked at the corpse with pity and sorrow in my eyes.
I ignored the voice of the spell, extracting the core from the monster's corpse. I crushed it, but I felt nothing.
'Well, I can't absorb the fragments. This is crap. I'm not the protagonist; my life wasn't supposed to be this hard.'
'Sigh. Better stop thinking so much; it's starting to give me a headache.'
Still keeping the memory in my hands, I moved forward. It would be a long battle for my survival. I just hoped to become a Demon before the winter solstice.