[Prepare for appraisal...]
Zachary opened his eyes wide and quickly looked around. The last thing he remembered was the Heavenly Tribulation falling toward him, and just as he began to feel himself collapse, the Spell ended the Nightmare.
'I can consider myself lucky,' Zachary thought as he scanned his surroundings. He was in a space that was neither dream nor reality, but a gap in between. An infinite black void, inundated by a sea of stars, where countless weaves of light crossed the vast expanse, forming impossible geometry and divine patterns.
"So this is how the Nightmare Spell looks, huh?" Zachary said to himself. He had read descriptions of it in the novel, but clearly, they didn't do it justice. This breathtaking sight made him reflect on everything he had gone through—the transmigration, the Original One, The Witness—and the heaviness in his heart as he parted from those people. That's when the Spell spoke again.
[You have received a Memory: Witness' Testament]
The Spell returned to silence and continued appraising his performance. Zachary felt elated, but quickly sobered. Just like with Ender's Solace, this memory was proof of a life he had taken—a life that had not wronged him. Yet it seemed he wouldn't have time to mourn, as the Spell finished its appraisal.
The voice of the Spell didn't sound vague like the previous times. Here, in this dark expanse, its voice engulfed him.
[Aspirant! Your Trial is over.]
[A -unknown-. A Usurper. And a Fool. Despite being warned, he embraced sin. With everything against him, he still yearned for the undeserved. Through blasphemy, he defiled the sacred labor of the Witness, casting him into the role of a pagan. Yet even that did not suffice—he preached of a path to the heavens through self-enlightenment.
Claim your Name and defy the heavens! Your Name is both testament to the blasphemy you have incurred, and the ambition you pursue. The moment you claim it, you will stand against all Realms. Such a foolish challenge is worthy enough of a divine existence. And still, you proclaim that you will reach that realm by your hand alone.]
[You have defeated a trascendant human: Dahrio al'Zahard, Witness of the Oath.]
[You have broken the Oath.]
[You have condemned countless lives.]
[You have incurred the wrath of the Storm God.]
[You have defiled the Will of the Gods.]
[You have achieved the impossible!]
[Final appraisal: glorious. Your blasphemy knows no bounds.]
'Damn, that was a lot to take in. It seemed this Oath held far more importance to the Gods than I thought. And hell, my last words with the Witness really struck the Spell somehow. Now that I think about it more calmly, I definitely went a little overboard with that whole self-transcendence speech. In the heat of the moment, it felt necessary to convince the Witness... but apparently, it rubbed the Spell the wrong way, judging by how it's narrating my performance.'
Zachary thought as the Spell continued.
[Dreamer Zachary, receive your boon!]
[You have gained an attribute.]
Zachary arched an eyebrow, but the Spell hadn't finished.
[You have been offered a True Name: Heaven's Equal.]
[Do you wish to claim it?]
Wait, wait, wait, wait. A True Name? Okay, his performance was nothing if not extraordinary, so receiving one wasn't off the table. But being able to deny it? That was unheard of. Then again, the novel hadn't yet delved too deeply into the Spell's lore or the foundations of the Awakened. Still, remembering his appraisal, he knew that claiming this True Name meant there would be no turning back. And yet... the boon that came with a True Name was also hard to ignore.
'Can I like, you know, close the pop-up like on a computer? Without clicking anything?' Zachary thought. And, as if listening to him, the Spell continued.
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
What would happen if he said no? Zachary didn't linger on such a foolish idea. With the distinct feeling that the Spell had something against him, he quickly said yes.
[Dormant Aspect: Mundane Prisoner is evolving...]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Divine.]
Zachary wanted to jump from joy, but just as he was starting to grin, something happened.
[Aspect Rank correction...]
"..."
[...]
"..."
[...]
[Aspect Rank: Sacred.]
"Fuck!" Zachary shouted. He then remembered the last words of his appraisal: "Such a foolish challenge is worthy enough of a divine existence. And still, you proclaim that you will reach that realm by your hand alone."
Zachary could swear he heard a mocking "Tee-hee" ripple through the stars and weaves. One thing was certain now—The Spell truly had a beef with him.
"Fuck, there's no use crying over spilled milk," Zachary muttered, trying to regain his composure as he summoned his runes.
Aspect: [Samsara's Prisoner.]
Aspect Rank: Sacred.
Aspect Description: [You are a mundane being who dared to aim for that which you are unworthy of. Yet it seems there are no gods left to punish you. Though bound by the laws of the World, you foolishly preach a new path to ascension through self-enlightenment, even while imprisoned. Nevertheless, the first step to freedom is recognizing your cage.]
Innate Ability: [Cinder Eyes.]
Ability Description: [Being aware of your cage makes you able to sense more than you should be permitted to. But beware, for there are things that a mortal shouldn't witness.]
Zachary studied the runes carefully, but the same thought kept returning. 'Fuck! I really can't get over the fact that I just got denied the Divine Rank.'
He clenched his fists as his stomach twisted with rage and disbelief. The ability to form more Soul Cores drastically changed the game for the Awakened. He remembered how the Divine Trio in the novel held a massive power gap over the rest of the Awakened precisely because of it.
Sighing and closing his eyes with a frown, he continued listening to the Spell.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers...]
Zachary felt something shift inside him—and grow. He whistled as the energy flowed through him, reaching every corner of his body and elevating it to new heights. He knew this process from the novel, but experiencing it firsthand was something else. Through the Nightmare, he had pushed his body far beyond its limits. Now, with this newfound sense of power, he felt like he could go through it all over again without even breaking a sweat.
'Let's not jump to conclusions,' Zachary quickly cautioned himself. 'Despite this new strength, I shouldn't forget that I'm still just a Sleeper—the lowest link in the Awakened chain.'
As that thought settled, his vision brightened. And suddenly, he stood above a vast, calm sea.
His Soul Sea.
A bright sun hung over it, and the clear, still waters mirrored the sky above—a sky trapped in eternal sunset. Warm oranges streamed across the heavens, with hues of pink and violet drifting like brushstrokes on a canvas. But… something was wrong.
The sky was cracked.
The beautiful sunset shimmered like a broken mirror, fissures spider-webbing through it, revealing a yawning darkness beyond.
'Man, the novel described some unusual Soul Seas—like the Divine Trio's and Rain's—but nothing like this,' Zachary thought, gazing into the black void beyond the cracks. Half-expecting something to look back… but thankfully, nothing did. He considered every possibility: maybe his soul had been damaged during transmigration, or perhaps it had something to do with the unclaimed True Name.
But no plausible answer came.
With a sigh of reluctant acceptance, he shelved the questions for later and turned his attention to his Soul Core. The sun above him shone brightly—something considered normal in this world, unlike Sunny's Cores. Orbiting around it were two small orbs—his Memories.
Just as he was about to examine the newly acquired one, the Spell interrupted him.
[Awakening Aspect Ability.]
Zachary held still, waiting.
[Aspect Ability Acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Balance Control.]
Without missing a beat Zachary summoned his runes.
Name: Zachary.
True Name: Heaven's Equal. [Unclaimed]
Rank: Dreamer.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Soul Fragments: [600/1000].
Six hundred?!
Zachary couldn't believe it. Eyes wide, he rifled through countless ideas. 'Is this something like what happened with Wind Flower? A gift in light of a daunting mission?'
But he quickly calmed himself. No, it was simpler than that. If he remembered correctly, the Awakened had the trait of absorbing a portion of the essence of the Awakened they killed. And considering that he, a dormant human, had slain a transcendent one… this was to be expected.
'On the contrary, considering the gap between us, my Core should have long become full.'
Zachary concluded as he returned his attention to the runes.
Memories: [Ender's Solace], [Witness' Testament]
Echoes: ---
Attributes: [The Fool], [Mark of Sin], [Conqueror's Soul], [Blasphemer]
Zachary glanced over his new attribute. It appeared the Spell wasn't going to forget his words any time soon. With a sigh, he expanded the description.
[Blasphemer] Attribute Description: "You're hated by both the divine and the profane—the former for daring to stand on par with their glorious selves, and the latter for attempting what they failed to do. You'll be persecuted for as long as you bear your foolish name."
"Fuck!" Zachary screamed again. "How is it that, except for one attribute, the rest manage to hurt me in some way?!" he exclaimed, incredulous. With a resigned sigh, he pressed on.
Aspect: [Samsara's Prisoner]
Aspect Rank: Sacred
Aspect Abilities: [Balance Control]
Aspect Ability Description: [You're in your early steps toward enlightenment. You're foolishly attempting to change the world—but for that, you must first change yourself. Your being exists through balance. You're able to exert control over yourself.]
Zachary frowned, still bitter about the new attribute. The ability description was vague. 'Would it work as a passive ability? What exactly does it mean that my being exists through balance?'
His thoughts were interrupted once again by the Spell.
[All power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: Mara's Whisper.]
Zachary placed a palm over his face and sighed with a tiredness that made it seem as if he'd lived two entire lifetimes in a matter of minutes. He had a strong hunch where this was going.
Flaw: [Mara's Whisper]
Flaw Description: [The greatest enemy you will face in your pursuit of enlightenment is yourself.]
It remained vague—unlike the usual flaws, which were often more direct. Still, Zachary could more or less see where it was headed.
'Man, I hate to admit it… but despite the Spell being from another world, it's surprisingly well-informed about cultural variety.'
In the teachings of the Buddha, while Siddhartha Gautama was attaining enlightenment, the demon Mara came to tempt him—trying to lead him astray. 'So, the Flaw saying the greatest enemy will be myself… is it implying that I've been Mara all along? What a tremendous plot twist.'
Zachary couldn't help but laugh, defeated.
'Well… I'll have to experience it later to figure out how to work around it.'
With that thought, the Spell finally spoke again.
[Wake up, Zachary!]