So I kind of calculated it on my own and even lowballing it gives a crazy number.
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[Prepare for appraisal...]
Gorsa rested in a black void, the only other thing present in it apart from himself being the countless bright stars whom's radiance bled onto the abyss. The sight was nebulous and would leave more than one shocked if they saw it for the first time as Gorsa did yet, he could not find himself to be impressed, instead his mind focusing on only one thing.
'How many.'
[You have received an attribute.]
Remembering the pain that Kai and Sunny presumably felt everytime they received an attribute, Gorsa tensed up for a moment yet all he could feel was a slightly prickling feeling. He didn't ponder on it as the Spell didn't wait for him to get his bearings.
[Aspirant! your trial is over.]
[A simple dreamer was trapped into a simulation by the very people he once was a part of. Making him sleep from the beginning of his nightmare to the end of it. Undaunted still, he embraced the sun and felled an entire civilization with his own two hands as he collapsed it into an instrument of destruction.]
[You have defeated three quadrillion unranked humans, names unknown.]
His mind blanked out a little since, he didn't feel bad seeing the numbers. Alone they couldn't give the same feeling as watching the consequences of his actions destroy the lives of every human on the megastructure directly it was another realisation that made him feel like this.
For the Spell they were just a statistic.
[You have defeated an unranked living construct: Hyperion.]
[You have achieved the impossible!]
[Final appraisal: Glorious, your adaptability truly know no bounds.]
Maybe they forgot the word merciless existed, Gorsa darkly thought as a chuckle left his lips. Truthfully nothing still guaranteed he would receive a good fitting aspect for himself, and there was also the matter of the Flaw... well he would know right then and there what role he will take in this world.
[Dreamer Gorsa! Receive your boons]
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Despised Miracle of the World.]
'That's a mouthful to say now.'
Apart from maybe Cassie and Rain, Gorsa was probably the top contender for the longest True Name of all times. Hopefully there was a prize from the Spell for this.
Now fear was building up within Gorsa's guts as he read the rewards for his trouble.
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
He confirmed without a second thought.
[Dormant Aspect Dreamer is evolving...]
[New Aspect Acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Unranked]
[Aspect Name: Lord of Fantasy]
Gorsa breath quickened as he trembled slightly in the void. Was this better than Divine or worse? Matter fact it could be neither and simply be... different. As far as he understood Divine Aspects were those linked to a specific Deity, this might be wrong but the novel had still not disproven that idea for now, although Mordret might.
His Aspect didn't seem to have anything to do with the Goddess of War after all. With that affirmation he summoned his runes, being pleasently surprised by what he saw.
Along his attribute, a new one replaced the once harrowing [Matrioshka's Slave].
Attributes: [-Unknown-], [Common Sense], [Sound Sleep] [Merciless], [Best Friend].
Attribute: [Merciless].
Attribute Description: [Killing empowers your mind and body.]
It's description was simple yet what it meant for Gorsa was terrifying. While he didn't know how it would apply the description was straightforward enough for him to understand. Although if he had to guess, the effect would only start piling up now, else he would have became stupidly powerful by now.
And finally the main dish of this whole thing.
Aspect: [Lord of Fantasy].
Aspect Rank: Unranked.
Aspect Description: [You were once a child, dreaming of otherworldly places that you could hazily feel yet never grasp. Today your gaze has been sharpened, piercing the veil of reality itself and showing you the other Worlds that you once dreamed of. Better yet, you can go conquer them.]
Innate Ability: [Hub of Fantasy].
Innate Ability Description: [A place to sooth the wounds on weary souls as they prepare for their travels.]
'What?'
If Sunny had seen Gorsa right now, he probably would have associated the crafty teen with perverts or generally deranged people. That for a good reason, Gorsa body stopped moving completly for a few moments, processing the information.
"Other worlds. I can go to other worlds!" His muttering quickly turned into a shout before joyful laughter filled the void.
The Spell undeterred by his enthusiasm, continued.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]
Warm heat suffused Gorsa entire being, spreading from his mind to his body. If he had to describe it, it was probably like becoming... more of yourself.
Like his existence has been strengthened making his will, his flesh, his cells and even his emotions stronger, more important to the World.
Maybe this was the power of essence, the one shared ability by all Awakeners on the Path of Ascension.
Gorsa vision doubled, showing him his Soul Sea. He expected it to be quite different from normal ones but the overall atmosphere didn't even seem to ressemble a Soul Sea.
He stood on a small celestial body, possibly the size of the moon or maybe smaller. on it, countless habitats of foreign kind rose, shifting each instant into a new one. Sometimes Gorsa could recognise them, sometimes he didn't, the buildings appearing foreign to the concept of reality he was familiar with.
Ahead of him, a path rose connected to the core of the celestial body itself, extending in the sky toward a softly glowing sphere that acted like a window to other places.
What happened inside the sphere constantly shifted, but Gorsa felt that, extending his will toward it, he could affix the reality in it permanently.
'So my Soul Cores act as Gates?'
If he understood his Innate Ability well, Hub of Fantasy healed Soul Damage, but from it's name alone and his Aspect Description, it seemed to also be the intrinsic reason that allowed him to voyage.
The exact workings would have to be figured later as the Spell voice brought him back to the Void.
[Awakening Aspect Ability...]
'So what will I get?' He mused to himself
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Gracious Voyage.]
He read his runes one last time, taking note of everything before the dreaded Flaw arrived and he woke up.
Name: Gorsa
True Name: Despised Miracle of the World.
Rank: Dreamer.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Soul Fragments: [0/1000].
Memories: —
Echoes: —
Attributes: [-Unknown-], [Common Sense], [Sound Sleep] [Merciless], [Best Friend].
Aspect: [Lord of Fantasy].
Aspect Rank: Unranked.
Innate Ability: [Hub of Fantasy].
Aspect Abilities: [Gracious Voyage].
Ability Description : [Benefits are made simply by traveling betwen Worlds.]
"Gaining the powers..."
Maybe the only reason he was able to so seamlessly integrate into the world of Shadow Slave was because he was reborn as a human there, hence the Spell could still infect him and allow him to walk the Path of Ascension, would that mean that Natural Awakening would have been impossible for him? That he didn't know.
Gorsa guessed that he'd be traveling with his body to the other Worlds in a fashion not too dissimilar to an Awakened going to the Dream Realm and so, his Aspect Ability was the bread and butter of his travel, if his intuition and frankly, he really wished it was.
It would allow him to assimilate other Power Systems within himself.
"Now that would ne glorious." He muttered before scratching his ear.
He was sure he had heard the Spell laugh just now.
[[All power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: ...]
Somehow Gorsa felt like there was a built up by the Spell as if it was excited to reveal it, as if it waited a few instants before showing him what he would have to cope with for the rest of his existence.
Flaw: [Pat on the Back].
Flaw Description: [Anyone you touch will be infected by your condition].
'Condition? Wait...'
If it meant it in the absolute way, wich it probably did. Anything that affected him, would affect anyone he touches.
The term infected alluded to foreign things that affected him. Such as the Nightmare Spell.
"So That's why you're treating me as youur best friend?"
The cold, emotionless voice of the Spell did not respond. But Gorsa could almost feel how overjoyed it was. Apart from other things.
Anyone Gorsa touched would be infected by the Nightmare Spell, in here and in Other Worlds. In essence he was the Apostle of the Spell.
A gate for it to affect other Worlds.
[Wake up, Despised Miracle of the World!]
The Spell warmly adressed him, making the black void spin and dissappear.
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Gorsa opened his eyes, above him a mischevious teen stood with a grin blcoking the view of the ceiling. Warmth spread through his tensed body as he realised he was back in the waking world, relaxing as he did so.
"Get off my face punk." He jokingly said, shoving Sunny's head aside as he lifted his body, the straps had already been undone as signs of him waking up probably has been noticed, or of his body changing.
"How cruel, when I'm the one that dutifully stood over, protecting you from the possibility of someone attacking you—"
"Alright cut the crap, so... how was your nightmare?"
Gorsa asked cutting to the chase of the matter. At this a forwn formed on Sunny's face, probably remembering the things that happened inside.
"Horrible. What about you?"
"Same as you."
A glint formed in their eyes as they met. Now with newfound abilities who would come out on top? While they were both their closest friend to the point of considering each other brothers, it wasn't ridiculous to say there was a sort of sibling rivalry between them.
They fought, on multiple occasion and as of now Gorsa held a streak of twelve victories and ten defeats. The problem was that anytime he used a new move, Sunny seemed to easily understand how to replicate it, he got that the mischevious teen talent for combat was incredible, but it was a little disturbing if anything.
"You guys are done? If so welcome back to the land of the living. Congratulations on surviving your First Nightmare, Sleeper Gorsa."
A woman's voice resonated in a practiced manner, making him freeze in the middle of his antics. Gorsa looked to his left and lazily sat on a chair, a woman of unparalleled beauty to any Gorsa had seen before was smiling at him.
"You're lucky I was still here, two more days and I would have to delegate the task of watching you to an Awakened, I'm a little busy after all."
"Thank you for your service ma'am, and how should I address you?"
"Mastee Jet although, between outskirts rats we need a little solidarity... so call me Jet"
Gesturing for both Sleepers to follow she left the room in the direction of the cafetaria.
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'That boy did something.' At first when Jet saw him wake up, he assumed he had a relatively easy nightmare as the usual scent of Nightmare that reeked from Sleepers when they first rose from their slumber wasn't present.
It was psychological and a little bit fantastical in nature but bloodshed and despair had a smell. Upon finishing a Nightmare one carried such smell partly because of their own emotions and the feelings of the beings they had killed.
So before their eyes met she hadn't realised. Sometimes Awakening changed someone's appearance in big or small way depending on the attributes they had as well as their Aspect.
Within the eyes of Gorsa swirled the crystallised cries of countless humans. His pale green iris swirled with black skulls, crying, laughing or losing their minds, said skulls seemed to be pulled in a vortex in the depth of his being. What she could note was that each skull she saw was different. There never was the same human twice.
She shivered at the thought.
'I think those two won't have many problems in the Dream Realm'
The perverted teen too, an atmosphere existed wherever he went as if the world itself dimmed. But exploring people Flaws and Aspect wasn't her job.
Looking back toward the academy where she had dropped both Sleepers after giving them some much needed advice from a senior, she left them to fend on their own they would meet later down the line when they became full-fledged Awakened.
Little did she know, after the next four weeks she wouldn't see these rats for two years.
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Short chapter but hey, I didn't want to directly continue in the Academy, next chapter both these guys will be exploring their powers.
The Nightmare Spell isn't evil per se but it's existence does mean the Forgotten God's influence also spreads, so more places to add to the Dream Realm.
This multiverse stuff isn't one sided as you can see. This is also to prevent Gorsa from using the SS world as a haven to protect from his enemies.
Don't mind the typos, or do tell me, my screen is kind of fucked up so I have a hard time writing.
hope you enjoyed the read.