Child Of Dreams

"So let me get this straight, the Colonel is trying to overthrow us because he thinks our leadership is bad.

So, he's been killing our soldiers and recruits. You found this information out because the Major had a change of heart and decided to give this information to us"

Hearing the commander's words, I nodded in agreement

"Yep, that's exactly what happened. Nothing else had happened"

"I see, now can you please tell me recruit, why I should listen to your words"

The commander questioned Max, Max looked a bit panicked. He was sweating all over and had an overall jittery look.

Max had a thoughtful expression. He was deep in thought before he answered

"Well, commander, if you don't trust me, I can't do anything about that. You'll just lose all your soldiers and probably die."

The commander pondered the validity of Max's words. He did consider them to be a bit true but he didn't know where the truth finished and the lie began.

"Well, you can retire to your dorm now. I'll see you in the morning. I'll assign a few of my trusted men to guard you."

Hearing his words, Max sighed in relief; he felt a lot of tension, and burden had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Thank you, commander"

Saluting, Max left the room. Max felt that his life was really hard in this world.

Even harder than his old world, although Max wanted to reincarnate into a world like this. Experiencing it is something different.

'It's not all rainbows and sunshine' thought Max

Retiring to his room, Max summoned up his runes

Name: Max Darholmes

True Name: -

Rank: Aspirant

Soul Core: Dormant

Memories: - [Silver Gladius] [Asclepius Bandage]

Echos: -

Attributes: [Ordained], [Mark Of Divinity], [Prodigy], [Child Of Dreams] [Manipulator]

Aspect: Mind's Veil

Aspect Description [ You are the incarnation of Imagination and Dreams]

Max was pretty disappointed after looking at his status. His aspect had no combat ability whatsoever.

No matter how much he looked at it. The only reason Max could get this far was because of his attribute [Prodigy].

Max was sure without his attribute [Prodigy] he would've died a long time ago.

Max's attribute had helped him learn different sword styles from the people he saw practicing, he picked up a lot of footwork and breathing techniques.

He still hadn't mastered them though, he was at an intermediate rank in them.

'Well, I should probably go to sleep'

Today had been a long day for Max. He had to rest to stop his injuries from getting worse.

Looking at his injuries Max sighed

Max's leg was pierced by a [Child Of Arachnid] while he was coming back, causing his thigh to have a gaping hole.

Even though the wound was bandaged it was still leaking blood, leaving the bandages crimson. Due to this he had a limp and stumbled a bit when he walked

His face was also marred by several deep cuts, leaving jagged scars across his cheek and jawline.

'I just hope these wounds go after I complete the nightmare'

But Max soon laughed; after all, he was facing an Awakened Terror, there was no guarantee he would make it out, even though both he and Sunny were in the same situation.

Sunny had a huge amount of plot armor, which allowed him to survive like a cockroach.

....

A fortress rose from a barren field, a stark and solitary figure against the bleak landscape. The ground was a mix of cracked, dry earth and patches of dark, withered grass, as though life itself had been drained from the soil.

Jagged rocks jut out sporadically, their sharp edges coated with dust and ash, remnants of some ancient devastation.

In the distance, gnarled trees with twisted, skeletal branches claw at the sky, their bark blackened and stripped of leaves.

The air was thick with an oppressive stillness, broken only by the occasional gust of wind that stirs the dust in spiraling eddies.

A low mist clinged to the ground, swirling in the deeper cracks of the earth, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

The sky above was a swirling mass of dark clouds, heavy and foreboding, casting long shadows over the field.

No signs of life, save for the fortress itself, seemed to exist in this desolate expanse.

...

Max awoke to the sound of screaming and the smell of smoke. The once peaceful fortress was now a chaotic mess of flames, falling debris, and panicked people

Through the haze of smoke, Max could see the massive black stone walls of the fortress cracking and crumbling, as if being torn apart by some unseen force.

In the distance, Max heard the roar of a monstrous creature, sending a shiver down his spine

'What in the name of Christ is going on'

Just as he was in thought, he soon saw the answer to his question

A massive spider, towering at 10 feet tall, loomed over the fortress with an imposing presence. Its body was covered in dark, mottled fur, with eight long, spindly legs that ended in razor-sharp claws.

The spider's head was encased in a hard, black carapace, with eight beady eyes that glow with an eerie yellow light. Its fangs, curved and glistening with venom, drip with hunger and anticipation.

The creature was a sight to behold, its sheer size and power striking fear into the hearts of those who witness it.

Moving in close, Max saw the army trying to fight what he now thought was Arachnid.

But even though there was a massive army of almost 300 awakened soldiers. Max knew it would be futile.

From the presence, he sensed this wasn't just an Awakened Terror

It was a Fallen Demon.

It took a few minutes for Max to process this, dropping down to his knees, tears started streaming down Max's face.

"Isn't this funny, getting to reincarnate in another by dying a horrible death, just to die another horrible death"

Max seemed to give up on completing the Nightmare. He couldn't do anything to it. And looking at the other soldiers who were also on the ground, he understood that no one here could take on something like this.

Just as he was about to give up on living. A hand landed on his shoulder. Looking up Max soon saw the face of his commander.

The commander smiled at Max, it seemed that he could understand what Max was going through. He then told Max

"We can not win this fight, yes, but are you going to give up? Resign yourself to your fate, go out without fighting dying a dog's death.

Or would you prefer to die an honorable death, going out after you've done everything in your power not to fail? Dying knowing you had done everything in your power. Dying a death you're proud of.

Which death would you prefer, know that I would not hold it against you, if you ran away. So which one is it"

Hearing his words, Max laughed. He than grinned and said

"I'll join you, even if I ran away I would still die, it's better to go out with a bang"

The commander showed a subtle smile before he immediately summoned his weapons and ran toward the monster

Max did the same. Summoning his Gladius, Max lunged at the monster.

Avoiding its claws, Max grabbed one of its legs and pulled himself up to its body.

Climbing slowly, Max found himself near the belly, taking his sword. Max tried to plunge it into the spider.

Only for it to rebound, at that moment, the spider seemed to have sensed Max; it used one of its claws to try and kill him.

Max barely managed to dodge, but he still got a scratch from it.

Looking up, Max saw one of it's legs heading toward him; trying to jump back, Max realized that he didn't jump far enough.

Right at that moment, a hand grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.

Looking up he could see it was the commander. He seemed to be in a bad condition. His right hand was separated, and half of his ear was gone.

Just as he was about to thank the man. A claw managed to hit him right on his chest, flinging Max away.

....

Max woke up to see a horrid sight. The bodies of soldiers were scattered around. The blood dyed the field crimson red.

The Fortress was completely demolished, there were only ruins left. Black stones scattered around.

Looking around, Max could see a legion of Beast's, Monster's and Demon's. And in the middle of it was Arachnid.

Just as he was about to get up, a hand grabbed his feet. Max almost screamed out loud but held his mouth.

Looking down he could see a bisected commander. He seemed to be mouthing a few words.

It took Max a few seconds to understand what the commander was trying to tell him

"Run, Find -"

Max couldn't hear the entirety of his words because, at that moment, the Demon had spotted him.

Max shivered looking at the Demon, its eight beady eyes seemed to be staring straight into soul.

Releasing a blood-curdling scream, it lunged towards him.

Although the distance between them both was around 7 kilometers. The Demon was closing the gap fast.

Looking around, Max could only find one place to hide, the forest.

Even though Max was weak and heavily injured, He still ran with all his might.

...

The mountain loomed tall and jagged, its blunt peaks shrouded in dense, swirling fog.

The air was crisp and biting, carrying a raw chill that seeped through clothing.

Sheets of rain cascade down the rocky slopes, turning the narrow, winding trails into slick, treacherous paths.

The raindrops are icy, stinging as they fall from a sky heavy with dark, stormy clouds.

'Am I going to die here'

Max had been running for almost 7 hours; his chest was burning, and he was cold, really cold.

It started raining from the time he started running. Somewhere along the line, the forest had ended, and instead, a mountain range had started.

He was clothed in tattered rags and with no food or water. He felt he would freeze to death before he died from the monster.

There were several times when he somehow lost the monster. But reeked of blood, causing the Demon to find him time and time again

Even though the rain could wash his scent away, it wasn't enough to completely hide him.

Max just wanted to sleep, he was already in poor condition before the fortress fell. But his condition had worsened a lot more.

The only reason he could still run was probably because of the adrenaline.

He didn't know if it was actually adrenaline or something else. But whatever it was, it was starting to run out.

Max couldn't continue anymore. He just wanted to lie down on the cold, snowy ground. His sight was becoming more and more blurry by the second.

Just as he was about to give up he saw a foggy construct a few steps ahead.

Max just wanted to give up, he just wanted the suffering to end. But, he needed to continue. No, he didn't need to continue, he wanted to.

The commander's words touched Max's heart. He wanted to die an honorable death, a death he was proud of.

To achieve that he had to survive, so he was never going to give up. No matter what.

Step, Step, Another Step

He had finally made it. A vast expanse of flat land covered the peak of the mountain. The land was covered by a small sheet of hail.

Looking at the construct, no it wasn't a construct. It was a temple.

In the center of the mountain, illuminated by moonlight, stood a magnificent temple. It was made of white marble.

The marble pillars were carved with intricate designs of flowing shapes—some resembling clouds, others hinting at eyes or faces that seem to watch or shift when viewed from different angles. It looked like the temple of a Warm God.

At least it did once. Now, the temple was in ruins: fractures and cracks marred the white stones, and parts of the roof had collapsed, letting in ice and snow. Its tall gates were broken as if smashed into pieces by the hand of a giant.

Finally, Max reached the steps of the temple. He started to climb up the staircase but noticed it was littered with thousands of bones. These bones once belonged to humans and monsters. All of them were killed by the invisible guardians still lingering around the temple.

As Max was climbing the steps, one of the shapeless guardians approached him. It was ready to snuff out the small spark of life that was burning weakly in Max's chest but then stopped, sensing a faint, strangely familiar scent coming from his soul. The scent of divinity. Sorrowful and lonesome, the guardian moved aside, letting Max pass.

Oblivious to all of them, Max entered the temple.

Max found himself in a grandiose hall, Cascades of moonlight were falling through the holes in the roof.

At the far end of the hall, a large altar was cut from a single piece of white marble. It was the only thing inside the temple untouched by snow. Forgetting why he came here, Max headed for the altar.

Just as Max reached the altar. He was stopped by a sudden noise coming from the direction of the temple's entrance.

He turned his head to look, not even a little bit curious. What he saw would have sent chills running down his spine if he wasn't so cold and tired.

The Arachnid was standing with all its eight beady eyes. She was massive and terrifying.

It opened its jaw, revealing its fangs coated with venom.

'What an ugly bastard,' Max thought and suddenly clutched his chest, convulsing in a fit of torturous coughing.

Bloody foam flew from his mouth and fell on the altar. However, the white marble soon absorbed it.

A second later, it was as pristine as it was before.

The Demon was just about to reach Max. It was already stretching its spindly legs to grab him.

'I guess this is the end,' he thought, resigned to his fate. Although, Max wanted to die a proud death.

He couldn't do much in this situation. His essence was exhausted, he had no stamina and he was just one touch away from death

But at the last second, suddenly, the voice of the Spell resounded in the ethereal temple.

[You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to the gods.]

[The gods are dead, and can not hear you.]

[Your soul bears the mark of divinity.]

[You are a child of dreams]

[????? God stirs in his eternal slumber.]

[He sends a blessing from beyond his seal.]

[Child of Dreams, receive your blessing!]

Under Max's astonished eyes, golden strings of fate emerged from the temple. They surged forward and grabbed the demon's legs.

The mighty demon struggled to get free. But it could not resist the power of a God.

The golden strings then snapped, and unexpectedly, the Demon didn't lunge at him like he thought.

It stayed there for a few seconds before the Demon's body started shattering like glass. This process left no remains behind.

The temple then grew silent.

And then The Spell said

[You have slain an Awakened Titan, The Arachnid.]

[You have recieved a memory]

[Wake up, Max Darkholmes! Your nightmare is over.]

[Prepare for appraisal…]