Ash sat in the dimly lit training room, the faint hum of the facility's energy systems buzzing in the background. His body still ached from previous battles, but his mind was elsewhere—on the Nightmare Spell's looming presence. He had survived his first trial, but the next one was already calling.
He clenched his fists, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His Observation Haki had sharpened, his instincts honed, and his body had grown stronger. But he wasn't satisfied. Not yet.
A deep breath. One month of survival had given him the foundation. Now, the real test was about to begin.
Preparations Begin
The underground training center bustled with activity. Awakened warriors moved between stations, sharpening their combat skills or strategizing for the inevitable horrors ahead.
Ash had spent the last week gathering supplies—equipment, rations, and whatever information he could extract from the other Awakened.
He approached a small shop inside the facility, run by an older Awakened named Vikram, a merchant known for dealing in rare materials.
Vikram smirked as Ash approached. "Back again, kid? You sure like to spend your hard-earned credits."
Ash placed a few soul shards on the counter. "I need reinforced gear. Something that can last through another trial."
Vikram inspected the shards before nodding. "You're in luck. A shipment just arrived. Light armor, sturdy but flexible." He slid a mid-tier reinforced vest across the counter. "Won't slow you down."
Ash took it, feeling the weight. Not bad. It wouldn't make him invincible, but every advantage mattered in the Nightmare Realm.
As he turned to leave, Vikram chuckled. "Try not to die this time."
Ash smirked. "No promises."
---
Encounters with Other Awakened
Moving through the facility, Ash felt eyes on him. A few Awakened had started noticing him—his silent but efficient fighting style, the way he adapted quickly in battle. He had kept a low profile, but that wasn't going to last forever.
A familiar voice called out.
"Yo, Ash!"
Turning, he saw Dario, an Awakened he had sparred with before—a muscular man with a scarred jaw and a grin that never seemed to fade. "Heard you're heading back in soon. You sure you're ready?"
Ash nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Dario crossed his arms. "I saw your last fight. You fight like a beast, but there's always room for improvement." His grin widened. "How about a spar? One last warm-up before you jump into the abyss."
Ash considered it. A fight before the trial could help him fine-tune his skills. Ash tilted his head, considering Dario's challenge. A spar right before a Nightmare Trial wasn't ideal—but instincts told him he needed this. A last test.
Without a word, he nodded.
Dario grinned. "That's what I like to hear."
The training room cleared as a few other Awakened gathered, drawn by the tension in the air. Ash stepped onto the combat platform, loosening his shoulders. Dario cracked his knuckles.
"No weapons," Dario said. "Just fists."
Ash smirked. Perfect.
Sparring Before the Storm
Dario moved first—a burst of speed that belied his size. A feint. Ash's Observation Haki flared, warning him of an incoming low kick. He stepped back, letting the strike brush past.
Dario didn't stop. His fists blurred as he launched a flurry of jabs.
Fast. But not fast enough.
Ash weaved through the attacks, his movements fluid. He countered with a sharp elbow strike, slamming into Dario's forearm. The bigger man grunted but turned the impact into momentum, spinning into a hook.
Ash ducked. His foot shot out—a sweeping kick—but Dario jumped over it, narrowly avoiding a fall.
The crowd murmured.
They're evenly matched.
Dario grinned, breathing hard. "Not bad."
Ash simply raised his fists. "Again."
They clashed once more, trading blows in a whirlwind of motion. Ash's Abyssal Tyrant abilities let him analyze and adapt, each second sharpening his technique. He learned Dario's patterns—his tell before a punch, his slight hesitation before a feint.
Then he struck.
A sudden burst of speed—Ash slipped past Dario's guard and drove his fist into his ribs. A solid hit. Dario staggered back, gasping.
The fight was over.
Silence. Then a laugh.
Dario clutched his side, shaking his head. "Damn, you're a monster."
Ash exhaled slowly, feeling the rush of battle fade. He was ready.
---
The Nightmare Spell Calls
A few hours later, Ash sat in his assigned waiting chamber.
The countdown had begun.
A deep, thrumming energy filled the air—the presence of the Nightmare Spell activating. A voice echoed in his mind:
"A second trial awaits… Enter the Nightmare, or be left behind."
Ash clenched his fists. The time had come.
Darkness swirled.
And the world vanished. Darkness swallowed Ash whole.
A familiar sensation of weightlessness gripped his body, as if he were plummeting through an abyss. His senses dulled, and the world around him twisted into an endless void.
Then—
BANG.
His feet slammed onto solid ground.
Ash exhaled sharply, regaining balance. The air was thick, carrying the scent of damp stone and something metallic—blood.
The second Nightmare had begun.
---
A New Battlefield
Ash scanned his surroundings. He stood in a vast underground cavern, its walls stretching high above, illuminated by flickering blue torches embedded in the rock. The ground beneath him was rough, uneven, and covered in patches of dried blood.
And he wasn't alone.
Figures stirred in the distance—other challengers. Some looked confused, others wary. But all of them shared one thing in common: they had survived a previous Nightmare.
A sharp chime echoed in his mind.
> [You have entered a Nightmare.]
Trial Objective: ???
Survive.
Ash narrowed his eyes. No immediate goal? That was new.
The others must've received the same notification because the tension in the cavern thickened.
Then—
A scream.
Ash's body moved before his mind could fully process it. He turned, eyes locking onto the source.
One of the Awakened had collapsed, their body twisted at an unnatural angle. Blood pooled beneath them, a grotesque contrast against the cavern's cold stone.
But there was nothing nearby. No visible enemy.
The others backed away, some drawing weapons, others activating their abilities.
Then—
Something moved.
A blur in the darkness, almost imperceptible. Ash's Observation Haki flared, catching the faintest whisper of intent—an instant before another person dropped, their throat slashed open.
An unseen predator.
Ash's heart pounded. A stealth-based enemy? No—multiple.
The realization settled in as more figures collapsed, struck down by something just outside their perception.
This wasn't a normal trial.
This was a slaughterhouse.
---
Unseen Executioners
Ash kept still, controlling his breathing. His mind raced through possibilities.
Stealth-type creatures? Assassins? A test of awareness?
His Observation Haki expanded, trying to catch the pattern in the unseen strikes.
There.
A flicker—just before a kill.
Something fast, almost imperceptible, like a shifting shadow.
He needed to draw them out.
Ash reached for his sword but stopped. No. A sword wouldn't work against something he couldn't see. Instead, he shifted his stance—unarmed combat.
He closed his eyes.
His ears picked up a faint distortion in the air, something moving faster than normal sight could track.
Then—a presence behind him.
NOW.
Ash twisted just as the attack came, his elbow driving into something solid. A sharp, inhuman screech tore through the cavern as an invisible figure flickered into view—a skeletal creature draped in tattered shadows.
Its clawed hand had been reaching for his neck. A silent execution.
But Ash's strike had disrupted it.
The creature recoiled, its form phasing between visibility and nonexistence. Its hollow eyes burned with a ghostly blue light.
The other challengers finally saw it—and panic spread like wildfire.
There were more.
Dozens of wraith-like killers emerged from the darkness, surrounding the group.
This wasn't a fight.
This was a hunt.
---
The First Kill
Ash didn't hesitate.
The moment his first enemy materialized, he attacked.
His fist shot forward, crashing into the creature's skull with a sickening crunch. It shrieked, phasing in and out of existence, but Ash's Abyssal Tyrant abilities anchored his strikes—making them count.
He followed up with a brutal knee strike, then grabbed the creature's bony arm and tore it from its body.
It collapsed into mist.
> [Enemy Defeated: Phantom Wraith]
+2 Agility, +1 Strength
Ash exhaled sharply. The stat absorption was in effect.
No time to process. Another wraith lunged.
He sidestepped, twisting mid-air and delivering a spinning kick that sent its head flying.
> [Enemy Defeated: Phantom Wraith]
+1 Dexterity, +2 Perception
The stats poured into his body, making his movements sharper, faster.
But the wraiths weren't stopping.
More of them poured from the shadows, closing in on the survivors.
And Ash?
He smiled.
Because this was exactly what he needed.
A battlefield to grow stronger.