Ash exhaled slowly, his breath visible in the chilling air of the Nightmare Realm. His body still buzzed from the previous battle, muscles aching yet surging with energy. His stats had grown significantly, pushing him further into the realm of true combat monsters, yet with each step forward, the challenges only seemed to intensify.
He glanced at his system panel.
---
[System Status]
Name: Ash
Rank: Awakened
Strength: 56
Agility: 53
Constitution: 55
Perception: 51
Resilience: 50
Abilities:
Sovereign of the Abyss (Absorbs stats from defeated enemies over time)
Abyssal Dominion (Suppressive force in areas of conquest)
Predator's Conquest (Copies and perfects martial techniques)
Tyrant's Form (Temporary boost in physical abilities at the cost of stamina)
Devourer's Rebirth (Consumes energy to heal mortal wounds)
---
Ash clenched his fists, feeling the raw strength coursing through him. Not bad. But still not enough. The Nightmare Realm didn't favor the complacent.
The air grew thick with tension as a low, guttural growl echoed through the cavernous ruins before him. His Observation Haki pulsed, warning him of movement in the shadows. Multiple entities. Fast. Predatory.
More challengers? He smirked.
From the darkness, a pack of grotesque creatures slithered forth. Their elongated limbs twitched unnaturally, their eyeless faces locked onto him as though sensing his presence through some unseen force. Nightmare Beasts.
One lunged.
Ash sidestepped with inhuman precision, twisting his blade in a seamless arc. Phantom Rend! A streak of energy-laced steel carved through the monster's neck, severing it cleanly. Its body convulsed before crumbling into dust.
The others hesitated for only a moment before charging.
He welcomed them.
Ash's body moved on instinct, his copied martial skills blending into his unique swordplay. A brutal, precise dance of destruction unfolded as he weaved between foes, executing strikes that left delayed slashes in their wake—Abyss Fang! Another monster collapsed, its body cleaved apart moments after Ash had already moved on to his next target.
One managed to graze his side, its claws slicing through his reinforced coat. Pain flared, but he didn't falter. Instead, he activated Tyrant's Form. His veins pulsed as a surge of power erupted within him. His movements blurred. The monsters didn't even have time to react.
Slash. Step. Strike.
By the time he exhaled, the battlefield was silent, save for the fading echoes of his enemies turning to dust.
+3 Strength, +2 Agility, +3 Constitution
Ash smirked as his body adjusted to the newly absorbed stats. He was growing, adapting. But the Nightmare Realm wasn't finished with him yet.
A deep rumbling shook the ruins. Something big was coming.
He tightened his grip on his sword, ready for whatever was next.
The true challenge had only just begun. Ash steadied his breath as the echoes of battle faded. The eerie silence of the Nightmare Realm settled in, but his instincts screamed that it wasn't over yet.
The deep rumbling from earlier grew louder, vibrating through the broken ruins beneath his feet. He turned his gaze toward the shadows ahead, his Observation Haki sharpening as it detected something massive approaching.
A hulking silhouette emerged.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier as the beast stepped forward, its form finally illuminated by the pale glow of the Nightmare Realm's sky. Towering over Ash by several meters, it resembled a monstrous fusion of a gorilla and a reptilian predator. Muscles layered its grotesque body, and jagged obsidian-like scales covered its arms and chest. Thick, clawed fingers clenched into fists as it exhaled a deep, guttural growl.
[Nightmare Tyrant – Rank: Awakened]
Ash's expression didn't change, but internally, he analyzed every possible move.
Strong. Durable. Faster than it looks.
But it didn't matter. He had fought stronger enemies before.
The beast charged.
Ash barely had time to react before a massive fist came crashing down. He sidestepped just as the impact shattered the ground, sending debris flying. The shockwave nearly threw him off balance, but he adjusted mid-air, flipping backward to gain distance.
The Nightmare Tyrant didn't let up. It lunged again, its claws slashing toward him with terrifying speed. Ash twisted his body, barely dodging the razor-sharp talons before countering with Abyss Fang.
A flash of steel.
For a moment, it seemed like nothing happened.
Then, the delayed slash erupted, carving a deep wound across the Tyrant's chest.
The beast roared in fury, its crimson eyes burning with rage. It slammed its fists together, causing the air around it to ripple with force. Ash's Observation Haki flared—a warning.
Incoming attack!
The Nightmare Tyrant leaped. Despite its size, it moved with shocking speed, closing the distance almost instantly. Ash barely managed to cross his sword in front of him as a devastating punch connected.
BOOM!
The impact sent Ash flying. He crashed through a ruined stone pillar, tumbling across the debris before coming to a stop. Blood dripped from his lips. His arms ached from absorbing the force, his body already feeling the strain of the battle.
But he didn't falter.
Instead, he smiled.
He wiped the blood from his mouth, standing up as his body adjusted. His Sovereign of the Abyss ability was already working, the damage lessening as his resilience adapted.
This thing hits like a truck.
But now, it was his turn.
Ash activated Tyrant's Form.
His muscles surged with power. His speed doubled. His senses sharpened to an extreme degree.
He vanished.
The Nightmare Tyrant barely had time to register his movement before Ash appeared behind it. A brutal, precise slash carved through the monster's side.
The beast howled, swinging wildly. But Ash was already gone, reappearing on its opposite side.
Another cut.
Then another.
His Predator's Conquest kicked in, adjusting his movements with every attack, making his strikes even sharper, even faster. The Nightmare Tyrant stumbled back, its massive body bleeding from countless slashes.
It refused to fall.
With one last desperate roar, it gathered every ounce of its strength and unleashed a final attack.
Its entire body tensed before it launched forward, its claws glowing with dark energy.
Ash's eyes narrowed. His Observation Haki flared, predicting the exact trajectory of the attack.
He sheathed his sword.
The instant the Tyrant reached him, he moved.
Phantom Rend.
A blindingly fast draw-cut sliced through the monster's neck before it could react.
For a brief second, everything was still.
Then, its massive head slid off its shoulders and hit the ground with a sickening thud.
The Nightmare Tyrant collapsed.
Silence returned.
Then, his system responded.
---
[Stats Absorbed: +5 Strength, +4 Constitution, +3 Resilience]
---
Ash exhaled, feeling the surge of power coursing through him.
He looked down at the fallen beast, then up at the dark sky.
This was only the beginning.
And he would keep growing stronger.