Emptiness. That was the word I'd use to describe my soul sea—or perhaps, nothingness.
Not just for the lack of anything without being created by my will.
But it felt off. Just like the things I materialized here vanished into thin air after some time, it felt as if it ate everything.
Now with four cores, the feeling was stronger than ever.
It was as if it were a void, eating everything and anything it came to touch with.
Terrifying in its... magnificence.
Yes, magnificent, beautiful even. But the horrifying aspect of it was of course present as well.
Who wouldn't be scared to be turned to dust, not even that?
The knowledge of disappearing in one day, without a trace?
Everyone who had or would come against such a force would be afraid, run even.
I did as well, at the start. I ignored the feeling of my own soul, denied my own self.
But now, stronger than ever, I saw something more. Something useful. Something I could use to not just grow, but understand. Myself.
The armor vanished, revealing my figure clad in the [Assassin's Wear]. The crimson dagger hidden in the fake arm dissolves into nothing, the attire following suit.
Now naked, I stood silently, willing the Nightmre cores to drop from the sky.
They fell like meteors, the memories around them like miniature stars.
After a moment, the cores floated in the air, just a meter above the ground I stood upon.
I outstretched my hands forward, slowly and mechanically.
I don't know what I'm doing, nor what will happen.
It just felt... right.
My fingers brushed the outline of my first-ever core, and instead of stopping, went straight through.
I watched as my hand submerged into the darkness, as if it were just murky water and not a piece of my very soul.
Yet I didn't stop or waver, continuing to push my hand slowly in it.
Even as it reached further, the elbow now submerging, I didn't stop, stepping forward.
At once, I walked inside the core, everything vanishing from my limited sight.
There was a pause. Before a single brilliant star shone from high above.
With that, my consciousness faded.
***
My eyes opened, immediately realizing I was still inside my soul sea.
I let out a breath of relief, slowly standing up from my prone position.
The runes manifested at a simple thought, my eyes freely roaming through them.
Name: Apex.
True name: Apex Of Nightmares.
Rank: Awakened.
Nightmare core: Devil. [4/7].
Nightmare fragments: [280/5000].
Memories: [Assassin's wear], [Vampiric dagger], [Twilight bow], [Hunter's backpack], [Kingdom's Eclipse].
Echoes: [Darkened spirit].
Attributes: [Heir Of Nightmare], [Mark Of the -Unknown-], ["Perfect"], [Recovery], [Creature], [Spectral].
Aspect name: [Nightmare's Heir].
Aspect rank: [Unholy].
Aspect description: [Chosen by Nightmare to wield a fraction of "his" power, you bring not only chaos, but balance. You shift the space, the world itself. Into your own image.]
Innate ability: [One of their own].
Ability description: [As the Heir of Nightmare, no creature shall dare challenge you, unless you challenge them].
Dormant ability: [Warp].
Aspect ability description: [Warp the very space of the world. You are the Heir of Nightmares. You do not destroy space. You do not tear out the things occupying it.
You fill it. You add to its magnificence, you let it occupy you].
Awakened ability: [Fear].
Ability description: [All things fear Nightmare and "his" creations. You as one of them, and the Heir of Nightmare "himself" are no different. Wield the very fear that grips your enemies' hearts. The very fear that claws into their minds. Make their fears a reality].
Flaw name: [The "perfect" being].
Flaw description: [You are "perfect" and so a perfect being does not have a flaw].
I raised a brow. Nothing had really changed. At all.
Everything was as it used to be without a single change.
Strange.
I sighed, leaving my soul sea.
After all, a horde could be at our doorstep at any moment. It was best not to delay.
***
The once loud cheers on the battlefield fell silent, deathly so.
The people on the hill watched, their eyes wide.
And a few braver warriors were already running down.
What had they seen?
Joe casually dealing with the wave of creatures.
By now, after a week of him doing so, they were used to it.
What they weren't used to, was a giant ball of condensed flames that hit him after the wave was taken care of.
Joe himself, was hurled across the blood-soaked dirt and rocks, slamming into a boulder, shattering it into so much dust.
And then it came.
A ginormous shadow fell across all of them, forcing them to look up.
Their breaths hitched as they saw the giant body, the even bigger wings. And the intimidating head.
"TYRANT!"
No one knew who had screamed it, but they all scattered, rushing towards their posts.
Some climbed upon the siege machines, giant black bolts already being loaded.
Joe himself lay in a small crater, his armor fractured, some pieces even falling to the ground.
He looked around dazed, his mind swimming.
Two hands grabbed him, hoisting him up onto one of the large man's shoulders. It was Dex.
The man rushed away as quickly as he had appeared, Chloe already sniping at a few appearing creatures.
Rel materialized by Dex's side, daggers drawn.
She looked worriedly at the darkness-covered figure, noticing that an arm was torn off, the armor with it.
She paused at the lack of blood, but continued running nonetheless.
***
My mind snapped back into place, soul essence already being directed into fixing the armor.
Only for it to fracture even more.
I froze.
Shit.
I willed the armor to disperse around my legs and torso. Directing what I got from it into making an arm and repairing the helmet.
I jumped up from the ground, the crimson dagger reappearing in the fake arm, vision returning.
Noticing Dex swinging his greatsword in wide arcs, pushing away the numerous small creatures all around them.
Bugs.
Then I saw Rel, her small form rushing through the horde around them, slicing into the larger creatures.
I stood up slowly, the handle that I didn't disperse already being gripped in both of my hands.
I raised it, Nether materializing on my shoulders at the same time.
I didn't have enough darkness to make the blade, soul essence will need to suffice.
Dark motes gathered on the blade, and instead of a greatsword. A slim laser-like blade was formed, not entirely corporeal.
Then I surged.
With the terrifying power of the nightmare augmentations directed at my body and weapon.
I slice through a Fallen Monster with ease.
Yet no wound remained on its disgusting form.
The soul cores it just had were cut in half.
I stared at the blade for a moment, curious.
This was something new.
I jumped into the sky, and Nether released a giant wave of soul flames onto the battlefield.
And as usual, I ignored the scretches, howls, and roars of pain that followed.