The ground shuddered beneath Ash's feet, a deep vibration that resonated through his bones. The oppressive aura pressing against his skin wasn't just an enemy's presence—it was something more. Something ancient. Something predatory.
He inhaled sharply, his Observation Haki sharpening. His vision—though absent in the conventional sense—was replaced by something deeper, something more primal. He could feel the movement in the air, the rippling energy of a being that stood at the pinnacle of the food chain.
Then, from the mist—
It emerged.
A colossal beast loomed over him, its form obscured by the swirling darkness. Its glowing amber eyes burned like embers, locked onto him with an unsettling intelligence.
Abyssal Dreadfang (Ascended Rank - Predator-Class).
Its elongated limbs ended in razor-sharp claws that looked capable of slicing through steel. Its muscles rippled beneath its obsidian hide, thick as armor yet moving with unnatural grace.
Ash felt the weight of the moment settle upon him.
This was no mindless creature.
This was a Nightmare-born Tyrant.
And it had set its sights on him.
---
The First Exchange
The air tensed.
Then—
It moved.
The Abyssal Dreadfang blurred forward, its speed unreal. One moment, it stood before him, the next—it was already upon him.
Ash barely had time to react. He pivoted to the side just as a massive claw carved through the air, missing him by a hair's breadth. The sheer force behind the strike sent a shockwave through the ground, splintering stone where he had stood.
Too fast.
Before he could counter, the beast's tail lashed out like a whip.
Danger.
His body moved on instinct. He bent backward, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike, but the wind pressure alone sent him skidding backward. His grip on Midnight Fang tightened.
I need to end this quickly.
Ash's stance shifted. His Predator's Conquest activated at full force, analyzing the monster's attack patterns, its movement. He wasn't just fighting—he was learning.
The beast lunged again, its claws descending in a deadly arc.
This time, Ash countered.
Phantom Rend!
His blade flashed. A burst of pure speed cut through the air, striking before the beast even realized it had been attacked.
A deep gash appeared along its side.
The Abyssal Dreadfang howled.
Good. It can bleed.
---
A Battle of Predators
The beast recoiled, amber eyes narrowing as if reassessing him. Ash didn't give it time. He closed the distance, his blade humming with lethal intent.
Abyss Fang!
He slashed—but nothing happened.
For a second, it seemed as though the attack had missed—
Then, the wound appeared.
A perfect, delayed cut carved through the monster's flank, slicing muscle and bone.
The beast staggered.
Ash smirked. Now we're even.
But his confidence was short-lived.
The creature's body shifted.
Ash felt it before he saw it—an ominous, suffocating force flooding the battlefield. The wounds he had inflicted sealed themselves with unnatural speed, leaving no trace behind.
It could regenerate.
Of course it can.
A low, rumbling snarl reverberated from the beast's throat. The look in its eyes had changed. It no longer saw Ash as prey.
It saw him as a threat.
And that meant—
It was about to get serious.
---
The Unleashing of Instinct
The Abyssal Dreadfang lowered its stance.
The mist around them stirred unnaturally, swirling as if alive. Ash felt a sudden shift in the air, an oppressive force weighing down on him.
His instincts screamed a single warning.
Move. Now.
He pushed off the ground just in time.
A shockwave exploded from where he had stood, the sheer force enough to shatter the earth. A fraction of a second slower, and he would have been obliterated.
It's enhancing itself.
The beast's form was now a blur of motion, its strikes coming from angles Ash could barely track. He was on the defensive, forced to evade, unable to counter.
I can't keep up.
His mind raced. His raw stats weren't enough to match it. If this continued—
A claw grazed his side.
Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth.
He needed something more. Something beyond raw power.
His Aspect stirred.
Abyssal Tyrant—Tyrant's Form.
Power surged through his body, his muscles burning as his speed, strength, and reflexes skyrocketed. The strain was immense—this ability drained stamina at an alarming rate—but right now, he had no choice.
His body adapted instantly.
His speed matched the Dreadfang's.
For the first time—he fought on equal footing.
---
A Battle of Titans
The mist boiled around them as they clashed. Flesh met steel. Strength met technique. Instinct met calculation.
Ash moved with absolute precision. Every block, every counter, every evasion was perfected in real-time.
His Predator's Conquest was working.
Every second, he understood the beast more.
Its habits. Its rhythms. Its weaknesses.
His blade bit deeper. His attacks became unavoidable.
The Abyssal Dreadfang, once an unstoppable force, was being pushed back.
It realized—it was the hunted now.
A final, decisive strike.
Phantom Rend—Abyss Fang Combo!
His blade slashed through the air—and the world froze.
The beast's body split apart.
It collapsed.
Dead.
---
Victory and Consequence
The battlefield fell silent.
Ash stood over the fallen beast, breathing heavily. The exhaustion hit him like a crashing wave—Tyrant's Form had drained him severely.
But he had won.
> Defeated: Abyssal Dreadfang (Ascended Rank - Predator-Class)
Stats Absorbed: +12 Strength, +8 Agility, +6 Perception
Power surged through his veins, his body evolving from the absorption. He was stronger now.
But then—
A sharp pain lanced through his skull.
His vision—already absent—turned to darkness.
And this time, even Observation Haki failed him.
Ash collapsed to his knees, gasping. Something was wrong.
> Flaw Acquired: Abyssal Corruption (Stage 1) – Temporary Loss of Perception.
...Damn it.
As the world around him faded, he realized—this victory had come at a cost.
And the true Nightmare was only just beginning. Ash's breathing was uneven, his body still trembling from the aftershocks of his victory. Power surged through him, but something was wrong—his vision had vanished completely.
Not just his regular sight. Even Observation Haki—his newly gained ability—offered no clarity.
The world was empty.
He clenched his fists, feeling the tremors of exhaustion seep into his muscles. His body was stronger than before, but at the cost of something invaluable.
> Flaw Acquired: Abyssal Corruption (Stage 1) – Temporary Loss of Perception.
The moment the system notification appeared, he realized what had happened. The Abyssal Dreadfang's power hadn't just challenged him; it had tainted him.
He gritted his teeth.
So that's the price.
It wasn't just about survival anymore. The Nightmare Realm demanded balance. He had grown stronger—his stats increasing at a rate far beyond what should have been possible—but he had also lost something in return.
Still, he refused to panic.
Blindness was nothing. He had trained himself to fight without relying solely on his eyes. His instincts, experience, and sheer combat sense were enough to keep him alive.
At least… for now.
---
The Silence After the Hunt
The battlefield was eerily quiet.
Ash remained kneeling beside the corpse of the Abyssal Dreadfang, his sword still embedded in its hide. The thick mist swirled around him, but he couldn't see it. He could only feel the weight of its presence.
A sudden shift in the air made him tense.
Then—footsteps.
Light. Almost soundless. But his honed instincts caught them immediately.
He didn't move. Didn't react. He listened.
The presence approached from the side—slow, deliberate. Not an immediate threat, but cautious. Calculating.
Then—a voice.
"…Are you still alive?"
Ash exhaled, recognizing the tone. Kai.
"Tch. Barely," he muttered. "How long was I out?"
"A few minutes," Kai said, stepping closer. "After you killed it, you just froze. I thought you were dead."
Ash scoffed. "Not yet."
Kai didn't seem convinced. "Then what happened?"
Ash pushed himself to his feet. The moment he moved, he felt the weight of his new flaw pressing down on him. His perception was still gone.
But that didn't mean he was helpless.
"Just a side effect," Ash muttered. "Nothing I can't handle."
Kai was silent for a moment, then sighed. "You're stubborn as hell, you know that?"
Ash smirked. "That's what keeps me alive."
---
Checking His Stats
Now that he had a moment to breathe, Ash mentally commanded his system to display his stats. Even though he couldn't see, the information appeared in his mind like an instinctive awareness.
> [Name]: Ash
[Rank]: Dormant (Peak)
[Aspect]: Abyssal Tyrant (Divine-Level)
[Stats]:
Strength – 45 (Dormant)
Agility – 42 (Dormant)
Endurance – 38 (Dormant)
Perception – 35 (Dormant)
Resilience – 30 (Dormant)
[Absorbed Stats from Abyssal Dreadfang]
+12 Strength
+8 Agility
+6 Perception (Currently inactive due to Abyssal Corruption)
His strength and agility had increased significantly—but his perception stat was useless until he could recover.
Ash scowled. Losing perception was dangerous. Even if he had Observation Haki, he wasn't sure when it would return.
> New Skill Gained: Observation Haki (Basic Level)
Allows perception of surroundings beyond sight. Can detect movements and intent within a limited range.
For now, it was still weak. But the fact that he had acquired it at all meant that it could be trained.
A trade-off. Power in exchange for limitation.
Ash sighed. He would make it work.
---
The Aftermath of the Trial
Kai helped him stabilize himself, but Ash refused to rely too much on assistance. His pride wouldn't allow it.
Still, he listened carefully as Kai explained what had happened.
"The others saw the fight," Kai said. "Everyone felt it. The moment you killed that thing, the entire Trial's atmosphere shifted."
Ash frowned. "Shifted?"
Kai hesitated. "It felt… like something woke up."
A chill ran through Ash's spine. He didn't need to see to understand what that meant.
This wasn't over.
The Nightmare Realm had acknowledged his victory—and now it was watching.
And that meant something worse was coming.
---
An Ominous Reward
As if to confirm his thoughts, another notification rang in his mind.
> Trial Rating: EXCELLENT
You have slain a powerful entity and exceeded expectations.
Your name is now marked in the Nightmare's Record.
Reward Unlocked: Abyssal Insight
Ash stiffened.
What?
That was new. No one in Shadow Slave had ever received something like this.
He focused on the reward, and suddenly—his mind was pulled into a vision.
---
A Glimpse into the Abyss
The world shifted.
For a moment, Ash felt like he was floating in endless darkness. A vast, infinite ocean of shadows stretched before him. He saw shapes moving in the abyss—colossal beings beyond comprehension.
Titans. Monsters. Gods.
And then—he saw himself.
A figure standing at the edge of the abyss. But he was different. Stronger. Unstoppable. His form radiated a presence that rivaled even the creatures beyond.
And then—
His future self turned.
And looked directly at him.
A single whisper echoed in the abyss.
"Devour or be devoured."
The vision shattered.
---
Awakening
Ash gasped, his consciousness snapping back to reality. He stumbled, his hands gripping his temples. His body burned—not with pain, but with something new.
Something unfathomable.
Kai's voice cut through the haze.
"Ash? What happened?"
Ash straightened, his breath still ragged. His vision had not returned—but something else had taken its place.
A deeper awareness.
His mind still reeled from the vision, but he understood something now.
He wasn't just another survivor in the Nightmare Realm.
He was something else.
And whatever the Abyss had shown him…
It wasn't just a warning.
It was a promise.