Chapter 24 – The Depths of Survival

The stench of blood clung to the air, thick and suffocating. Ash exhaled slowly, his breath coming out in steady wisps. Around him, corpses of slain Nightmares lay in grotesque poses, their twisted, inhuman forms riddled with deep, merciless cuts. His sword dripped with dark ichor, the eerie glow of the Nightmare Realm casting a sickly sheen over its bloodstained edge.

He had survived.

But the Nightmare wasn't over.

Ash slowly straightened, rolling his shoulders to ease the stiffness settling into his muscles. The battle had been brutal, but his body was adapting—faster than before. He could feel it.

He was getting stronger.

[Status Screen]

A faint glow flickered in his vision as the system overlay materialized. His gaze swept across the numbers, a familiar mix of anticipation and scrutiny settling in.

---

[Status]

Name: Ash

Rank: Dormant (High)

Aspect: Abyssal Tyrant (Divine)

Flaw: Vision Impairment (Right Eye – Blurred)

Compensation: Observation Haki (Dormant – Developing)

Attributes:

Strength: 29 → 33 (+4)

Agility: 30 → 34 (+4)

Endurance: 28 → 32 (+4)

Perception: 35 → 39 (+4)

Willpower: 34 → 37 (+3)

Abilities:

Sovereign of the Abyss (Passive) – Absorbs stats from defeated enemies over time.

Predator's Conquest (Passive) – Copies physical/martial techniques permanently.

Abyssal Dominion (Passive) – Enhances combat ability in areas where enemies have been defeated.

Tyrant's Form (Active) – Temporary stat boost at the cost of stamina.

Devourer's Rebirth (Active) – Can sacrifice energy for rapid healing.

---

Ash's gaze flickered over the stats. His growth was accelerating.

+4 across the board.

A month ago, gaining even a single point would have been a monumental effort. But now? He was absorbing stats at a ridiculous rate. His Aspect, Abyssal Tyrant, was truly living up to its name.

The stronger his enemies, the more he would take from them.

He clenched his fist, feeling the subtle shift in his body—stronger muscles, sharper reflexes, heightened senses. Every movement felt more efficient, more precise. The battle had pushed him to his limits, but his rewards made it all worth it.

A small smirk tugged at his lips.

He was evolving.

But his moment of reflection didn't last.

A shift in the air.

His instincts screamed.

Move.

Now.

Ash barely had time to react before something blurred in the shadows. A monstrous presence surged toward him, moving at inhuman speeds.

His Observation Haki flared—warning pulses flooding his mind.

Something fast. Something lethal.

His body moved on instinct.

A crimson blur.

Ash ducked, narrowly avoiding the swipe of razor-sharp claws aimed at his throat. He twisted his body, his sword flashing as he lashed out—only to meet empty air.

What?

His blurred vision barely caught the flicker of movement—his attacker had already repositioned.

Ash's grip tightened around his sword. This thing was different. Stronger. Smarter.

And it was hunting him.

A low, guttural growl echoed from the darkness.

Then, it charged.

Ash's heart pounded. This was a real fight.

No second chances. No room for mistakes.

And he wouldn't lose. The beast lunged again, a streak of crimson cutting through the darkness.

Fast. Too fast.

Ash had fought powerful creatures before, but this one was different. It wasn't just quick—it was unpredictable. Its movements were erratic, shifting between bursts of overwhelming speed and sudden stillness, waiting for an opening.

A hunter.

Ash narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on his sword. No unnecessary movements. No wasted energy.

The creature snarled, its form now fully visible under the dim glow of the Nightmare Realm. A monstrous, wolf-like abomination with elongated limbs, sinewy muscles, and hollow, sunken eyes. Its claws gleamed with a sickening sheen, coated in a substance Ash instinctively knew was venomous.

A Shadowborn Predator.

Ash had read about these types of creatures from his fragmented knowledge of Shadow Slave's world. They were elite hunters, evolved to track and exterminate prey mercilessly. What made them terrifying wasn't just their speed and strength—it was their intelligence.

And this one? It was watching him. Studying him.

A flicker of amusement crossed Ash's mind.

It thinks I'm prey.

How unfortunate.

[Observation Haki – Active]

The world shifted.

It was still faint—not fully mastered—but Ash felt it. The distortions in movement, the subtle tremors of intent. The beast's next move was already laid out in his mind, just seconds before it even made it.

The Shadowborn Predator crouched.

A heartbeat later, it pounced.

Ash didn't dodge.

He stepped forward.

The creature's claws slashed through the air—where Ash's head had been a fraction of a second ago. Instead of retreating, he advanced, his sword gleaming as he pivoted into an upward slash.

Abyss Fang.

A blur of motion.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—a delayed cut split through the Predator's side, carving deep into its flesh.

The beast howled in pain, stumbling as dark ichor dripped onto the ground. But it wasn't dead.

Ash clicked his tongue. Its durability was absurd.

But he wasn't done.

His footwork shifted—his next attack already in motion.

---

[Predator's Conquest – Activated]

Enemy technique successfully copied.

---

The moment the Shadowborn Predator recoiled, Ash used its own movement against it.

A sharp burst of speed.

His body flickered, his sword tracing an arc through the air—mimicking the creature's own predatory lunge.

The beast barely reacted in time.

It twisted midair, attempting to counter, but—Ash was already behind it.

A single, clean horizontal slash.

Phantom Rend.

A glint of silver.

Then, the Predator's head separated from its body.

The beast collapsed in a heap, its body twitching for a moment before falling still.

Ash exhaled slowly.

It was over.

---

[Sovereign of the Abyss – Absorption in Progress]

+6 Strength

+5 Agility

+5 Perception

+4 Endurance

---

Ash could feel it. His body subtly adjusting, refining itself with each passing second. His breathing steadied, his muscles loosening as the fatigue from the fight faded away.

His gaze lingered on the fallen Predator. A worthy opponent.

But in the end?

It was just another step forward.

---

[Status Updated]

Name: Ash

Rank: Dormant (Peak)

Aspect: Abyssal Tyrant (Divine)

Flaw: Vision Impairment (Right Eye – Blurred)

Compensation: Observation Haki (Dormant – Developing)

Attributes:

Strength: 33 → 39 (+6)

Agility: 34 → 39 (+5)

Endurance: 32 → 36 (+4)

Perception: 39 → 44 (+5)

Willpower: 37 (No Change)

---

Ash clenched his fists.

He was on the edge of evolution.

One more breakthrough. Just one more.

And he would reach Awakened.

But for now?

The Nightmare wasn't over.

And something far more dangerous was waiting for him ahead.