"A Nightmare That Felt Real"

Snake Calendar, Year 2025

??? Day of October, ???

Fifth-Level Dimensional Gate, The Ancient Ruin City

The treasure room was filled with ancient relics, golden artifacts, and mysterious items piled high across the vast throne-like chamber. Students, teachers, instructors, and elite adventurers had just started collecting these priceless treasures when a loud, urgent voice cut through the air.

"Move back! Everyone, get away now!" shouted an Elite Adventurer with an Archer Variation System.

Before anyone could react, a powerful presence emerged out of nowhere. A monstrous figure, clad in ancient armor, wielding a massive sword, stood before them. With a single slash, devastation followed. Five thousand students were cut down instantly—some bodies exploded on impact, while others had limbs severed in an instant.

Screams filled the air as blood splattered across the grand chamber. Instructors and teachers who tried to shield the students were struck down, suffering severe injuries. Even the elite adventurers, seasoned fighters, struggled under the overwhelming force.

An Elite Adventurer with an Appraisal Variation System quickly activated his skill to analyze the enemy. The moment his eyes landed on the stats, his face turned pale.

"It's over 10,000 system level...!" he gasped in horror. "All attributes—unknown! Everything is covered in question marks!"

The moment that realization sank in, hope faded from everyone's eyes.

The boss roared—a deafening, monstrous cry that shook the entire ruin. Without hesitation, it started slashing in all directions. Students were thrown against the walls by the sheer force of its swings. Accel barely had time to react before a powerful shockwave sent him flying. His back slammed against a crumbling stone pillar, and the next thing he knew, something sharp pierced his body.

Pain shot through him. His chest had been impaled by a jagged piece of rock. Blood dripped from his mouth as he struggled to breathe. His vision blurred, and he murmured weakly, "Am I... going to die here...?"

The scene before him was pure chaos. Students ran in terror, but the boss cut them down mercilessly. One by one, bodies dropped, filling the chamber with the stench of blood and death. Those who tried to retreat to the emergency stronghold made a fatal mistake.

The boss noticed the large cluster of survivors and lifted its massive blade. A huge, floating sword formed above the stronghold. With a final, devastating attack, it came crashing down. The explosion sent shockwaves across the entire area, creating a massive crater where the stronghold once stood.

Accel's vision darkened. The last thing he felt was his life slipping away.

Snake Calendar, Year 2025

??? Day of November, ???

The Inner City of Nova Asta, Inner Wellness Complex

Patient Room 7555 (Winchester Patient Room)

When Accel opened his eyes again, he found himself staring at a familiar white ceiling. The soft hum of medical equipment filled the quiet air. He blinked, trying to process what had happened.

"Where... am I?" he muttered weakly.

Before he could move, someone hugged him tightly. He turned his head and saw his younger brother, Liam, clinging to him. "Accel! You're awake!"

His second younger brother, Jacob, quickly called their parents. A moment later, his mother, Elaine, and father, Thomas, rushed into the room, relief washing over their faces.

"Thank the heavens... you're finally awake," his mother whispered, holding back tears.

"We were so worried," his father added, his usually stern expression softening.

Accel looked down at his chest, expecting to see a fatal wound—but there was nothing. No scars, no bandages. His heart pounded in confusion. "Wait... what happened? I was... I was dying. I felt it. The boss... the gate... everyone was being slaughtered...!"

Jacob exchanged a look with Liam before speaking. "Accel... you and everyone else who went into the Dimensional Gate have been in a coma for a month."

Accel's breath caught in his throat. "A... month?" His mind struggled to grasp the situation. "But... that's impossible. We fought. We ran. We saw everything. The preserved empire, the treasures, the boss... How could that be a dream?"

Jacob hesitated before continuing. "The Veilborn Covenant—those cultists—they sabotaged the Dimensional Gate. But they failed. Instead, something strange happened. Everyone inside the gate was suddenly ejected... and the gate disappeared. There's no trace of it left."

His father placed a comforting hand on Accel's shoulder. "Many of the survivors told the same story. The empire, the ancient treasures, the boss enemy, the massacre... but when the authorities investigated, they found nothing. No gate. No ruins. It was as if none of it ever existed."

"That's insane!" Accel's voice rose in frustration. "It wasn't just a dream! We all lived through that nightmare! I was there! I died there! How do you explain that?!"

Elaine gently stroked his hair, trying to calm him down. "I know, sweetheart. But many people outside the incident believe it was some kind of Nightmare Debuff. A mass hallucination. They think whatever happened inside the gate wasn't real."

Accel clenched his fists. It wasn't just him—thousands of students, teachers, instructors, and even elite adventurers had experienced the same thing. How could all of them have shared the exact same dream? It didn't make sense.

Jacob sighed. "Out of the 75,000 people who entered, only 25,000 have woken up so far. The others are still in a coma. No one knows why."

Liam spoke up, his voice small. "Some of the survivors... they lost their minds. They kept screaming about the boss, about the darkness... Some won't even talk at all."

A cold shiver ran down Accel's spine. He wasn't the only one who remembered the horrors of that place. But if the gate was truly gone, how would they ever prove that what happened was real?

His mind swirled with thoughts. The boss enemy. The empire. The cultists. The fact that so many people had been erased from existence without explanation. There were too many unanswered questions.

One thing was certain—whatever happened in that gate was no ordinary event. And Accel was determined to uncover the truth.

He looked at his family, took a deep breath, and whispered, "I need to find out what really happened. I won't let this nightmare be forgotten."

His father nodded solemnly. "Then we'll stand by you. But for now, you need to rest."

Accel laid back, staring at the ceiling. The scars of that experience weren't visible on his body, but deep inside, he knew they would never fade.