[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
[Lost in the desolation of the nightmare desert, an interloper from another world wrestles with fate-breaking power. Betrayal hangs heavy in the air as he confronts the daunting task of slaying a titan, a deed that requires the sacrifice of a hero's life.]
Asher spat blood. "Betrayal! That bastard tried to kill me! Which part of it was a betrayal to you, you goddamn spell! I only returned the favour!" he yelled at the stupid spell as he seethed in rage. He didn't care if it was a misunderstanding or whatever! The fact is, that Eurys tried to kill Asher with the latter just killed his first Nightmare creature! "Forget that, I almost got my neck cut off in the first 20 minutes when I entered this world!"
[You have defeated an Awakened Monster: Stone Golem.]
[You have defeated an Awakened Human: Eurys of the Nine.]
[You have defeated an Awakened Titan: Skinwalker.]
Asher's pupils shrunk as he remembered who Eurys was. "Damn. My nightmare was kinda similar to Sunny's," he said aloud.
[You have achieved the impossible!]
[Final appraisal: Glorious. You changed the fate of gods and their lineages.]
"My nightmare was only an hour long…" Asher repeated with narrowed eyes as he wondered if he could return to his world or not. He was sure he would get a divine aspect with how things were going.
[Dreamer Asher, receive your boon!]
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Echo of the Abyss.]
Asher scoffed. It was only natural that he got a true name. He was now one of those Isekai MCs after all!
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
" Wait man! or women.. Give me some time to react! Anyway, the answer is an obvious yes."
[??? Aspect, Gravity is evolving…]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: ???.]
[Aspect Name: Celestic Dictator.]
Asher frowned, "Strange. Does the spell not know my aspect rank?" Asher sucked in a deep breath before sighing and summoning the runes describing his aspect.
Aspect: [Celestic Dictator].
Aspect Rank: [???].
Aspect Description: [You are one that commands the wrath of gravity, a cosmic power that can bend spacetime. Born of foreign skies and whispered secrets, your existence is a profane enigma, a disruption in the natural order of this world. Yet, within your touch lies the allure of the forbidden, a tantalizing promise of boundless power waiting to be unleashed.]
Innate Ability: [Gravitic Resonance]
Ability description: [With your innate connection to the fundamental force of gravity, you possess the ability to perceive the subtle fluctuations in gravity with unparalleled sensitivity, allowing you to sense the presence of massive objects, detect disturbances in spacetime, and even anticipate impending gravitational anomalies.]
"Damn."
Asher's face was staring starry-eyed at the translucent screen as he jumped for joy. His aspect was to his advantage as he was a physics student in his past world. His saliva became bitter as he remembered his past world.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]
Asher suddenly felt a sharp pang in his chest. It was not painful, yet it wasn't pleasant. Asher felt his body change. His soul changed. Empowered even. Asher felt.. masochistic. The sensation was addictive. With a blink, Asher felt as if a cold breeze passed through him as he shivered. He looked around him to realize he wasn't in the inner networks of the spell.
'My Sea of Soul…'
It was as if he was in the middle of a nebula. Stars all around him. Asher's bright core stood still at the centre. 'Better than the 7 wonders of the world…' Asher mused.
[Your Memory has been destroyed.]
Asher blinked in disbelief. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" Asher snorted loudly as he took a step back. He hurriedly summoned his runes with a look of disdain. His eyes narrowed as he looked through the runes. "The question mark memory is gone."
Suddenly, Asher felt a sharp migraine as he collapsed to the ground. Or rather, the void. He gripped his head with his left hand as he began panting. "What?" His voice was barely a whisper, lost amidst the chaos of his thoughts. Something had shifted within him, a subtle yet profound change that left him feeling unsettled and disoriented.
As he struggled to regain his bearings, Asher's gaze fell upon his soul core once more. The core still shined like a star. Nothing changed.
But then, a new message flashed before his eyes, illuminating the void around him.
[You have received a new Attribute]
[Attribute name: Photographic Memory]
"I see." His words were tinged with a mixture of awe and trepidation as he rose to his feet. He remembered every detail in the novel. He remembered every detail in his daily life. Even the ones he would rather forget. "Gosh. I felt like I was about to die!" His laughter echoed through the desolate landscape, a defiant cry in the face of uncertainty.
"Fuck. My head still hurts!"
His thoughts were interrupted as he felt an invisible force kick him out of his Sea of Soul.
"DAFUQ?!"
He was suddenly back in the inner workings of the spell again.
[Awakening Aspect Ability…]
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Gravitic Nexus]
[Aspect Ability Description: Control gravity around you.]
Asher's vein popped. "What the fuck?!" He seriously had enough. He could already do that from the beginning! He wanted to punch the spell so badly and as if the spell was answering his curses, it said.
[All power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
"Don't be bad." Asher grimaced at the spell as if blaming it for every misfortune that had ever happened to him.
[Your Flaw is: Emotional Amplification]
Flaw: [Emotional Amplification].
[Flaw Description: Every feeling, from joy to sorrow, is amplified threefold.]
Asher shrugged. "I mean, it's not bad." In truth, he was feeling the effects of the flaw as his little happiness amplified, making the boy grin.
"It could've been worse," Asher said as he snickered uncontrollably.
(A/N: If you think the flaw is not terrible, "All" in emotions are amplified, including fear. Now, think again :])
[Wake up, Echo of the Abyss!]
As the spell said that, the black void surrounding Asher began to crack and splinter, fractures spreading like fissures in the fabric of reality. With a deafening roar, the void shattered into a thousand shards, scattering into the ether like grains of sand in the wind.
Asher felt a rush of wind as an enormous hand from the abyss reached out, looming closer with each passing moment. Dread coursed through him as he braced myself for the inevitable.
And then, just as the hand was about to grasp him, everything dissolved into darkness.
That was the moment I woke up, my heart pounding against my chest as I gasped for breath, the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to my consciousness.
ASHER POV
The ceiling was white.
I was still panting, 'I don't think that hand part was supposed to happen..'
I raised my torso, a creeping unease settling in as I took in my surroundings.
My gaze fell to my lower half, and a sinking feeling washed over me as I realized I was restrained. Panic surged through me (amplification) as I struggled against the bindings.
"I see you're up."
I tried to keep a stoic expression as my head drifted to the seductive voice.
Short, raven-black hair…
Icy blue eyes…
My eyes widened as I pointed a finger at the beautiful lady before me. "Y-You a-are-" I stuttered as I looked at one of my favourite characters in the novel.
"I am?"
Just as I was about to say soul reaper Jet, I caught myself, my gaze sweeping the room once more. The sterile, white surroundings suggested an underground bunker, likely a police station. A sense of caution settled over me as I assessed my situation.
I could deduce that I was not a legacy. The gorvernment would most likely think I am an outskirt rat due to not having any data on me. 'Since I am an outskirt rat, I should probably not know a particular awakened's name. Sure, I could make up an excuse that I idolize her or whatever but I didn't want to even raise a small suspicion from where I am or who am I.'
"Hot." My lips were already at an O shape so it may have been fishy if I suddenly change my lip movement. Though I can think really fast, I still had limited time. Jet arched a brow, her expression a mix of amusement and disappointment. "You're even more shameless than that flower boy," she remarked with a facepalm, a hint of exasperation laced in her voice.
I appraised her once more as my sight landed on her chest. A deep flush crept up my cheeks, intensified by the amplifying effect of my flaw. 'Gosh, Sunny was not exaggerating when he said hers were big,' I thought, my eyes widening with surprise.
'Where are you looking at?" Jet asked, her voice laced with venom. I blinked, snapping out of my reverie. "Nowhere," I replied quickly, my gaze still fixed on her. "Then why is your face so red?" She asked in a cold tone with narrowed.
"That would be my flaw ma'am. I am cursed to live the rest of my life with a tomato face." I stated in a straight voice. Jet took a deep breath as she narrowed her eyes "Why are you still staring?" Her voice grew more threatening, a clear warning to cease my scrutiny.
"For comedic effect," I said as I continued to stare. As a certified Otaku, a bit of lust was only natural, but I struggled to tear my eyes away from her assets, which seemed to draw my gaze like a magnet.
Jet sighed wearily, rising from her seat. Concerned, I blurted out, "Ma'am, careful! It might spill out!" But before I could finish, a sharp sting erupted on my cheek, accompanied by the sound of my bed toppling over from the force of her slap.
A red outline burned on my cheek as I recoiled along with the bed from the blow.
I felt the slight need to cry due to the pain but the emotional amplification hit me like a tidal wave, threatening to overwhelm my senses as tears welled up in my eyes. As footsteps drew near, I restrained myself from crying like a child while Jet bent down to my level and said with a twitching smile.
"Congratulations on surviving your First Nightmare, Sleeper Asher."