Zachary woke up feeling tired on the morning of the 21st, as if he hadn't rested at all through the night. But thanks to his enhanced perception, he could tell this wasn't ordinary drowsiness. It felt as though something beyond him was urging him back to sleep, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly what. With a sigh, he went to the bathroom to wash his face, hoping it would help him wake up—though it did little.
Knowing it was going to be a long day, he decided to go to the gym. After a month of training, it had already become a habit.
After finishing his routine and washing up, Zachary made his way to the cafeteria. Every Sleeper was eating, but the atmosphere was gloomy. With a tired sigh, he grabbed his overflowing tray and a cup of black coffee, then headed over to sit with Cassie. The blind girl was eating with a blank expression, and Zachary decided to break the silence.
"Good morning, Cassie," he said in a weary tone.
"Good morning, Zachary," she replied flatly. Her expression gave nothing away, but Zachary knew—inside, the girl was suffering.
He wanted to offer her comforting words, but in the end, he chose to eat his breakfast in silence. He understood that nothing he said would truly ease her pain. Maybe, for now, she just needed quiet support.
After finishing his meal, Zachary stood up, deciding to say goodbye to his teachers. But after a moment of hesitation, he turned back to Cassie and said with quiet confidence, "I'll see you around, Cassie." Then he walked away, heading toward Teacher Julius. He might not be able to offer her comforting words, but just as Master Jet had done for him, he could at least leave her with confidence in the future.
Teacher Julius was the same as ever. In the few minutes they had together, he bombarded Zachary with advice and tips. With a mocking sigh, Zachary then went to see Eddard. He found the old man in the unkempt training room, as if he had been waiting for him. Zachary was about to speak when he noticed something: Eddard looked a little older than yesterday, as if his age had finally caught up to him.
Zachary decided to ask, his voice wary. "Are you alright, Teacher?"
But the old man dismissed his concern with a flick of his hand. "Bah, worry about yourself, Zachary. How are you feeling?"
Zachary let the question go, though a nagging feeling remained in his heart. "I think I'm alright. I won't say I'm confident, or that the Dream Realm should be the one preparing for me. It's more like… the weight of it all hasn't quite landed yet. But I know what I have to do—so I'll strive to do it."
"Good, good. That just means you're already ahead of the rest." Eddard sighed as he looked around the room. "I've never experienced the Dream Realm myself—just its inhabitants, and only the weakest among them. So I can't say what you'll face. Just... make sure you come back alive, Zachary."
Zachary nodded, warmth blooming in his chest. "Yes, Teacher Eddard. And you too... I might take a while to come back, so please wait for me."
"Bah, I won't promise anything. Winter's already hard enough on these old bones." But then he smiled at Zachary, soft and proud—the way an old man might look at a child who'd grown up before his eyes. "And call me Ned. That's what my friends call me."
Zachary could only shake his head with a low smile at his teacher's sarcasm. "Okay... goodbye, Teacher Ned."
***
Zachary remained in his room for the rest of the day, deep in concentration. He was revisiting everything he had learned—sharpening both his mind and body. Over the past month, thanks to Eddard's guidance and the constant training at the gym, Zachary could feel his Balance improving. It wasn't a monumental change, but each day he felt just a little stronger than the last.
As he studied his body in depth, he realized he could now freely access forty percent of his Body Potential. What he lacked was experience—something the Dream Realm would offer in abundance. His eyes opened with fierce determination as his communicator chimed with an alert. It was time.
Awakened Rock stood tall before the gathered Sleepers. He gave the same speech he had given in the novel in front of the Hollows, and then each of them was led to their assigned rooms. Zachary sat in the sleeping pod, staring down at his hands. His mind was blank, but his hands trembled faintly. His heart was beating faster than usual, and cold sweat dampened his back.
He was afraid.
With a quiet growl, he forced his hands to stop shaking. Then, with a deep breath and a resolute exhale, he entered the pod.
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Zachary!]
He was welcomed by cold water and the sound of crashing waves. The icy shock made Zachary's heart skip a beat, immediately clearing away the drowsiness that had lingered throughout the day.
'So it's really the Forgotten Shore. I was already expecting it, but having it confirmed doesn't make me feel any better.' With that thought, Zachary began to swim toward the surface—only to feel it.
{_^_}
{_^_^_}
{_^_^_^_}
{_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_}
Countless gazes from the deep fixed themselves on him, and Zachary froze in terror. The overwhelming sensation crashed into him, locking his limbs and sending a nauseating chill deep into his core. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
But just as suddenly as they had come, the gazes vanished—fading away as if losing interest.
Zachary didn't waste the opportunity. He forced himself to swim to the surface with desperate speed. Breaking through the water, he took a deep breath, eyes darting to take in his surroundings. A starless sky stretched above him. Endless black ocean surrounded him. Somehow, he could see clearly despite the darkness. His eyes had adapted, but he didn't dwell on the discovery. Something was coming.
He quickly scanned the horizon—and to his left, in the distance, he spotted a rocky platform. 'The statue!' The moment he recognized it, he felt a presence behind him, growing stronger with every heartbeat. He didn't turn to look. He just swam, fast and focused.
The presence grew heavier. Closer. Angrier.
And just as it was nearly upon him, Zachary reached the platform. With a final push, he scrambled up the jagged rocks and ran to the center without looking back. But he could feel it—whatever had been chasing him had tried to follow him onto the platform… only to be violently dragged back into the depths below.
He was about to let out a relieved sigh when something else emerged from the water. A dark, rough tentacle rose from the depths.
{_^_^_}
Zachary could feel its attention. He remained as still as possible, only relaxing when the tentacle slowly slipped back into the water after a few long beats. Finally, he could breathe again. He collapsed onto the rough platform, trying to calm his racing heart. With a flick of thought, he summoned the Witness' Trust, the heavy mantle draping over him with comforting weight. As the tension in his body slowly eased, a thought crept in:
'What the hell was that?'
Zachary shuddered as he recalled the gazes of the Deep Ones. If they hadn't withdrawn... his story would've ended before it even began. 'And... I can see in the dark?' he realized, blinking in mild disbelief.
'It must be [Cinder Eyes]. It enhances all five senses—and gives me something like a sixth one.' The discovery sparked a flicker of excitement, but he quickly reined it in.
"Yeah, great and all, but... what the hell was that at the start? Sunny didn't attract the Deep Ones the moment he arrived. What's different about me?" Zachary muttered aloud, only to answer himself with a snort. "What's not different might be the better question."
He exhaled deeply, eyes narrowing. 'I think I know why… vaguely. But I won't be able to confirm it until morning.' With a weary sigh, Zachary slumped back on the jagged rock. 'Alright, time to go over everything I know about the Forgotten Shore. That's my greatest strength right now.' He spent the next few hours mentally cataloguing every bit of information he had, methodically organizing it—until sleep finally claimed him.
***
He was woken by the thunderous sound of the sea. Zachary quickly stood and moved to the edge, watching as the waters receded. Knowing it would happen and actually seeing it were entirely different—what lay before him left him speechless.
Moments later, the sea was gone, revealing a labyrinth made of massive red coral.
Zachary stood in silence for a long time. Thanks to his Ability, he managed to keep his mouth closed, but deep inside, something in him had shifted. At the end of the day, his soul was still earthling. The most awe-inspiring sights he had witnessed in the other world were engineering marvels like skyscrapers. He'd once visited Zhangjiajie Park in China as a child, but even those towering peaks paled in comparison to the vista before him.
The thought that had long been growing in his heart finally settled: this was another world.
But the feeling didn't come from resentment. Zachary knew the labyrinth before him hid danger, yet he couldn't help but feel captivated by the sublime sight. [Cinder Eyes] allowed him to see farther into the distance than most, and even then, the coral reached all the way to the horizon.
With a sigh, Zachary finally returned to himself, committing the image to memory with care.
"Showtime," he said at last with a nervous smile, beginning his climb down the statue. Teacher Julius had taken special care in teaching Zachary how to traverse dangerous terrain—seems the comment Zachary made at the start of their classes had really inspired the old Awakened. And it certainly paid off.
The difference compared to his First Nightmare was night and day. Zachary's descent was steady and agile. The simulations he had gone through at the Academy, combined with his enhanced body control, allowed him to reach the muddy ground in just a few minutes. He let out a shaky breath as he turned his eyes upward, finally taking in the full might of the headless statue towering above him. And once more, since arriving in this world, a familiar thought crept in:
"Man, the novel's description falls short of the grandeur of this world." Zachary couldn't help but lampoon, knowing this same thought would likely return many times in the future.
He was standing on the west side of the statue. The coral didn't fully reach the colossus—there was an empty stretch between the labyrinth and the stone giant. So Zachary decided to explore the labyrinth a little today, before everything truly began the next day. But just as he was about to step into it, a sharp signal shot through his head.
{_^_}
Zachary instinctively stepped back, and the sensation stopped immediately. He frowned—this had never happened before. His new sense had activated countless times over the last month, but it had always come with a clear source. When someone focused on him. When that focus held hostile intent. When the person truly had the means to harm him. But this time was different.
With a curious frown, he arched a brow and took a small step forward again. Once more, the sensation surged.
{_^_}
Despite behaving similarly, Zachary instinctively knew this wasn't the same sense he felt when someone looked at him. It was something else… but he couldn't quite place it. With a tired sigh, he decided it was wiser to stay out of the labyrinth—for now. Instead, he began to circle around the statue quietly, moving with careful stealth, just as Eddard and Julius had taught him.
He had nearly reached the north side of the statue when he felt it—before he even heard it.
{_^_}
CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
That same eerie sense, unfamiliar yet familiar… accompanied by the wet, grinding sounds of chewing. Zachary pressed himself close to the statue in haste, trying to leave as little of his body exposed as possible. When nothing else happened, he slowly peeked in the direction of the sounds—and what he saw shook him deeply. What he recognized as a Carapace Scavenger was eating a fellow beast, munching trough its quiting without care, a pincer missing in a still bleeding wound.
But it wasn't the gore that shook Zachary—it was the feeling. This was the first Nightmare Creature he had encountered, and the danger it radiated overwhelmed his sharpened senses, paralyzing him for a moment. He ducked back behind the statue to calm his breath and slow his racing mind.
Once steady again, he cautiously poked his head out for another look. The beast paid no attention to Zachary, entirely focused on its meal. Zachary's thoughts raced and eventually settled. "Can I kill it?"
Zachary wondered. "It's missing a pincer and clearly distracted. If I approach stealthily, I might be able to wound it enough to make a proper fight viable… I've even had good training—something Sunny didn't have at this point."
Steeling his nerves and gathering his resolve, Zachary summoned Ender's Solace. The black sword materialized among sparks as he began creeping toward the Scavenger with silent steps. He made no sound. Closer and closer he drew. The beast remained unaware. But just as Zachary took another careful step, the Scavenger tensed. It stopped eating—and turned sharply in his direction.
With a screech, it lunged, eyes radiating pure madness.
"What the fuck—" Zachary's instincts kicked in, and he dodged left—toward the side where the pincer was missing. "How did you noticed me?! I didn't make a sound!"
He didn't have time to wonder. The Scavenger was already upon him again. He narrowly avoided another strike, always circling to stay on the beast's injured side. He didn't counterattack—not out of fear or hesitation, but because his sharpened senses told him this wasn't the moment.
And then, it came—the opening. The Scavenger charged, pincer extended. Trusting his instincts and body control, Zachary dove beneath the blow. As he slid under the beast, he spotted a wound at the joint where the pincer met the torso—a wound left behind by the now half devoured fellow.
Without hesitation, Zachary relaxed his arm muscles and executed a fast thrust—the kind Eddard had drilled into him countless times. The sword found its mark.
The Scavenger thrashed in agony but still tried to seize him with its remaining pincer. Zachary didn't budge. He pressed himself against the creature's side, clinging to the embedded blade. The beast couldn't reach him. And then… the thrashing stopped.
[You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.]
[You have received a Memory: Antlered Wrath.]
Zachary slipped out from beneath the creature just before it collapsed to the side. He dismissed his sword and planted his hands on his knees, breathing hard. "Fuck, that was scary. What the hell was that?!" Still shaken, he decided to head back to the relative safety of the statue—but not before grabbing something to eat.
****
Back at the top of the headless statue, Zachary was roasting monster meat using the techniques he'd learned from Teacher Julius. He seasoned it with salt scraped from the statue's stone walls. 'Man, I know the sea is supposed to be a Great Titan, but salt is salt,' Zachary thought as he took a bite of the cooked meat.
"Oh shit!" he blurted out before immediately taking another bite. "This bastard tastes like crab." He finished the meal in no time. There were still several portions left—courtesy of the two dead Scavengers—but he decided to save them for later. He didn't have any water, and it wouldn't be smart to eat everything without something to drink.
With a sigh, he sat cross-legged in meditation to practice what he had learned that day. Zachary control over his body normal functions wasn't absolute, it was not as if he could comand his heart to stop beating, this was an autonomous process, the same as his gastric process. But he could influence them.
It was something he discovered while trying to halt his... excretory process. He couldn't stop it entirely, but by guiding how his body absorbed nutrients, he could ensure that everything he consumed was used. By directing these elements to where they were needed, combined with his intense and painful training, Zachary had brought his body to peak condition in just a month.
"You can't poop if there's nothing left to poop," he muttered proudly, a smug grin creeping onto his face. He had successfully avoided his greatest concern—for now.
He was doing the same thing with the Scavenger meat—but that's when he noticed it. In addition to the usual nutrients, there was a foreign element: Soul Essence. The monster meat was rich with it. But contrary to what he had read in the novel, the essence didn't settle into his Soul Core. Instead, it followed the same path as the nutrients and nested in his muscles, tempering them with raw vitality. Zachary was astonished. He hadn't expected this to happen, but he didn't allow the surprise to distract him. He continued influencing his body, guiding the essence and nutrients, until nothing was left.
By the time he finished, night had already fallen. Off in the east, Zachary saw a flickering light. 'Nephis and Cassie…' he thought with a serious expression. Things were truly going to begin tomorrow. He needed to gather his thoughts while he could.
He sat cross-legged in the middle of the platform, and the first thought struck him. "That bastard… he noticed me even though I made no sound. How?"
But Zachary already knew the answer—he just didn't want to admit it. After a few seconds, he dragged a tired hand across his face. "So this is the [Blasphemer] Attribute, huh?" he muttered, recalling 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."
"Fucking shit. This is just an aggro beacon." It all clicked. The gazes from the previous night—most likely Corrupted creatures from the deep… or worse. Yet, they had dismissed him, like he was just a rebellious insect. "But the Scavenger had reacted, so it works on awakened creatures… His Intuition stirred. "And most probably Fallen. Fucking hell. This means the higher I climb the Path of Ascension, the stronger the monsters that will hate me."
Zachary let out another sigh before shifting his thoughts to the next problem. "Now, the thing from earlier… that sensation I felt when I tried to enter the labyrinth..." Zachary lingered on the thought, trying to finally put a name to it. That's when it clicked—the feeling that had radiated from the entire labyrinth was the same one he felt when facing a hidden threat, the same one triggered by the danger of an incoming attack.
"This... I'm not just able to sense danger or hostility aimed at me, like with Eddard or that Sleeper. I can sense danger in general!" He mentally retraced his steps. "Yes… the combination of my Intuition and the ability to detect harmful intent merges into something like… 'danger precognition.' I already knew the labyrinth had hidden threats, so it warned me even before I took a proper step. Jesus, [Cinder Eyes] is really a good Ability… but I can feel this isn't its limit."
Zachary internalized the discovery with a gleam of satisfaction. "What should I call this new sense… Spider Sense?" he said with a grin.
"No, no, no—let's avoid a lawsuit from Marvel and Stan Lee..." he lampooned to himself, then tilted his head thoughtfully. "Although… now that I think about it, does Marvel even exist in this ruined world?" He shook the thought off.
"Bah. Let's just go with something simple: Danger Sense."
With that, his thoughts finally turned to the last item on the agenda—his new Memory. He quickly summoned it.
To Zachary's surprise, a large warhammer materialized in his hands. The shaft was about 1.10 meters long, and the hammerhead was slightly wider than that of a construction sledgehammer. But what truly caught his attention was the back of the weapon: a sharp, pointed end—an armor-piercer.
"You know," Zachary muttered, tilting his head, "I don't know why, but I was expecting the same tachi Sunny got." With that thought, he quickly summoned the Memory's runes.
Memory: [Antlered Wrath].
Memory Rank: Awakened.
Memory Type: Weapon.
Memory Description: [The dragon fought valiantly, the dragon fought nobly, the dragon fought honorably. And the dragon died. Robbed of what he most desired, the stag rebelled and gave death to the dragon in a forking river… but his desire remained stolen.]
Zachary gave an honest whistle. "What a sick description, I must admit."
Then he turned to face east. The flickering light in the distance had vanished—they had probably already been attacked by whatever monstrosity had noticed them.
Zachary let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes with determination. "Tomorrow."
Tomorrow, things would begin moving forward.
And Zachary would be right in the middle of it.