Chapter 25 – The Threshold of Awakening
The air remained still, thick with the scent of blood and decay. Ash stood over the fallen corpse of the Shadowborn Predator, his body absorbing the last remnants of power from his slain opponent. The surge of strength was intoxicating, but fleeting. His mind remained focused—this was just one enemy.
There were more.
The Nightmare Realm was vast, and its horrors never truly ceased.
Ash took a slow breath, flexing his fingers as the new strength settled in. His muscles felt tighter, more responsive. His senses had sharpened, his blurred right eye still impaired—but Observation Haki was compensating, filling the gaps with instinctive clarity.
I'm close.
One more step.
One final push.
And he would break past Dormant and step into Awakened.
[The Path Forward]
A soft rustling in the distance.
Ash's grip tightened on his sword, his gaze flickering toward the shifting darkness. He wasn't alone. The Shadowborn Predator had been a dominant force in this area—but something else had been watching.
Waiting.
A subtle change in the atmosphere.
The ground trembled slightly.
Not just one.
Multiple entities.
Ash remained motionless. They weren't attacking yet. Which meant they were either observing him, or something bigger was keeping them in check.
That was concerning.
Slowly, he began moving forward, stepping past the Predator's corpse. His instincts urged him toward caution, but hesitation wasn't an option. If he stalled, whatever was out there would simply gain more confidence.
He wasn't about to let that happen.
He was the hunter.
Not the hunted.
---
[Abyssal Dominion – Active]
Ash's presence expanded.
A faint, invisible weight pressed down on the surrounding area—the remnants of his defeated foes amplifying his control. The weaker creatures in the vicinity recoiled, sensing the dominant aura spreading from him.
But the true threat remained.
Something didn't flee.
---
[A Challenger Approaches]
A low, guttural growl.
Then—a pair of glowing red eyes emerged from the darkness.
Ash's posture shifted subtly.
This one was different.
It was bigger. Stronger. The air around it was thick with malice. Unlike the Shadowborn Predator, which had been a master of agility, this new entity radiated brute force.
A Tyrant-Class Nightmare Creature.
Massive, hulking, with dark obsidian armor plating covering its muscular frame. Jagged claws extended from its fingertips, and its fanged maw dripped with a thick, tar-like substance.
A Darkrend Ravager.
Ash exhaled slowly.
This…
This was the final challenge.
If he survived this fight—if he slew this monster—he would break past his limits.
He would Awaken.
A slow smile crept onto his face.
"Let's get this over with."
The Ravager responded with an ear-splitting roar, its massive form lunging forward—the battle for Awakening had begun. The Darkrend Ravager stood before him, its massive frame barely illuminated by the faint glow of distant embers. A beast of nightmares, clad in jagged obsidian armor, its venom-dripping claws twitched as it locked eyes with Ash.
Tyrant-Class.
Even in the Nightmare Realm, this was an opponent that should have been far beyond his reach.
Yet he had no choice but to fight.
His heartbeat was steady, controlled—but his instincts screamed.
A test.
A threshold.
This was the battle that would push him beyond Dormant.
The Ravager let out a guttural snarl, its breath reeking of rot and decay. The ground beneath Ash's feet cracked under the sheer pressure of its presence.
Then—it moved.
Faster than something that large should be able to.
A blur of motion, claws slicing toward him like curved daggers.
Ash barely had time to react. Observation Haki flared.
Dodge left!
He twisted, barely avoiding the initial swipe, but the second strike followed immediately—unrelenting.
CLANG!
Sparks erupted as his sword intercepted the monstrous claws, the force of the impact sending shockwaves through his arms. His boots scraped against the ground, carving deep grooves into the cracked stone.
Too strong.
Even with his refined Dormant-level strength, he was barely holding his ground.
He had to be faster. More precise. More brutal.
The Ravager didn't stop. It pressed forward, relentless, a storm of razor-sharp strikes.
Ash gritted his teeth. His instincts sharpened.
There!
An opening—brief, but real.
"Phantom Rend!"
His sword flickered—too fast for the eye to follow.
A single, blinding draw-cut.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—blood sprayed.
The Ravager staggered, a deep gash running across its armored torso. The energy-laced Phantom Rend had managed to carve through its defenses, but it wasn't enough to bring it down.
Instead, it roared.
A deafening, rage-filled bellow that made the very air tremble.
Its muscles bulged. Veins darkened. The wound on its chest began to close.
Ash's expression darkened.
Regeneration.
Tyrant-Class… right.
This wasn't going to be a battle of endurance.
He had to end it now.
His mind raced. How do you kill something that heals faster than you can wound it?
Then, he remembered.
Abyss Fang.
The delayed cut—the fatal strike that lands when the opponent least expects it.
Ash exhaled, steadying his stance. This had to be perfect.
The Ravager lunged, claws raised. It was going for the kill.
Ash met it head-on.
He swung.
The blade passed through.
No blood. No impact.
It was as if the attack had missed.
The Ravager snarled in triumph—its claws descending upon Ash's skull.
And then—
The cut landed.
A split-second delay.
Abyss Fang activated.
A perfect, precise slash—severing the beast's throat.
For a moment, the Ravager froze.
Then, its head slid off its shoulders.
Thud.
The massive corpse collapsed at Ash's feet.
Silence.
Then—the surge of power.
A flood of raw, unfiltered strength coursed through his body, his very being trembling under the weight of the absorbed stats.
The limit of Dormant shattered.
A familiar chime echoed in his mind.
---
[RANK UP: AWAKENED]
---
Ash exhaled slowly, steadying himself. His entire body burned, every muscle trembling from the strain of battle and the influx of power.
But this was only the beginning.
Awakened.
A step closer to true strength.
And the Nightmare was far from over.
He had more to conquer.
More to devour.
And this time—he was ready.
Author Note:
If yall are enjoying the story so far please send me some power stones it motivats me to make more chapters