Bab 18: Ch 18:- Nightmare
The first-year students had gathered in the assembly hall as asked. There was chatter amongst themselves as there seemed to be no sign of any teachers and only the second-year students. It was easy to tell the difference between years with students, as there was a rank embed on their shirt that told the difference.
"Is everyone here?" Momo Asked.
"Yes, everyone from Del's class and the weapon's combat class should be here."
"Let's start the show then."
At that moment Momo pulled a piece of string pulling back the curtains revealing what was behind them. As the curtains were drawn, a badly beaten up Vorden was on display, tied to a large wooden plank.
Just then several of the second-year students pulled out carts that seemed to be filled with large black circular stones. Momo picked up one of the round balls and held it in his hand.
"This here is a metal ball that had been embedded with the power of a beast crystal." Said Momo, "When the earth had found a way to mix the beast crystal with our own weapons, it was a turning point in the war, but what they don't teach you as first years, is that beast weapons need to be activated with your ability. Once activated they can give out extra power. The higher the beast crystal used to make the weapon, the higher the power."
"So us second years have decided to give you from the beast weapons class and some of you other first-year students a shortcut. Today we will show you how to activate a beast weapon using these balls."
That's when a first-year student raised his hand to ask a question.
"Um excuse me, but does any of the teachers know about this?"
For a moment there was silence, even the first years couldn't believe why someone would ask that in this situation. It was obvious that this was being done behind the teacher's backs.
Then a second-year student had come from the side of the assembly hall and immediately punched the student who asked the question in the face. The second-year student repeatedly punched the person until he eventually passed out.
"Are there any more questions?" Momo asked.
The first-year students stood there silent in fear. They didn't want to say anything especially after they had seen what happened to the boy who had just asked a question.
"Good." Momo said before continuing, "Now to explain, these beast stones here were made with the purpose to help you activate your equipment so, to be honest, they're quite useless but they are handy for demonstrating. Just like when you activate your ability in your body, you need to concentrate on the ball in front of you. Think of it as a part of your body and focus your ability on it."
The stone ball being held in Momo's hand suddenly went from a black to a green colour.
"Now usually your weapons wouldn't change colour when activated but as I said earlier these balls are you just for the sake of helping you learn how to activate your weapons. Once the colour has changed that means it has been activated and its strength has increased. Now today we will be practising, target hitting."
The second-year students then moved Vorden down from the stage and onto the floor with the other first-year students.
"The boad here is special you see, even a bullet wouldn't be able to penetrate through it, only the power of a beast weapon can, so today's lesson is to throw the ball and hit the target. Simple right?"
"What, is this really allowed?"
"Won't we get into trouble for doing something like this."
"What do you mean, the teachers don't care when we got beat before why would they care about something like this now. The second years are doing this only because they know they can get away with it. They have been here longer than us."
'That was quite educational but what am I even thinking there is injustice happening in front of me and I can't tolerate such action I immediately need to inform the teachers right now. Was that a little bit cringe?' Rayne thought.
[Yes it is cringe. I sense host want to escape the situation.]
Rayne perspective of the world around him immediately shifted from normal to grid line with a path illuminated with green light.
[Please follow the path to escape safely.]
Reading the message Rayne complied with it and followed the path, which included sneaking behind some second-year crawling on the ground and using the crowd as cover to exit the assembly hall. After sneaking out of the assembly hall Rayne made his way towards weapon hall. Reaching there Rayne informed Leo about the event that was happening in the assembly hall, Leo hearing this thanked him for informing and asked him to show the path towards the assembly hall.
Reaching the assembly hall Leo immediately opened the door the sight that greeted them was a total chaos a battle had took place during Rayne's absence, several students were injured but Vorden and Quinn could be said were the most injured one's, Vorden hand was cut off from shoulder while Quinn was drenched in his own blood.
"I command everyone to halt this instant," Leo said, "If anyone does not obey this command prepare to be punished."
Meanwhile Rayne was trembling due to the scent of blood, the scent of the blood was so sweet and enthralling it was as if it was calling him, inviting him to become one with blood but Rayne immediately shook off the feeling.
"Are you feeling okay boy?" Leo asked because he just now noticed Rayne's aura behaving chaotically.
"Yeah I am okay just feeling a little nauseous," Rayne said.
"Good then help me to get those who are severely injured to the doctor office," Leo said.
"Yes sir," Rayne said.
Rayne entered the assembly hall and as the scent of blood started to become thicker he started to have flashes of picture in his mind about torn skin, fangs driven into the soft flesh, blood splashing at the ceiling, his face buried into the oozing, squishy depths drowning and getting drunk with the intoxicating crimson life fluid, the more Rayne stayed the more difficult it was becoming for him to hold back his throat was becoming dry and he was craving for blood like crazy so with each ounce of his will power he made his way towards Leo and asked if he could return to his dorm room to rest.
Leo didn't ask a question instead he said "Yes you could go and rest but before that I would like you to report to the office about what happened today."
Stumbling Rayne made his way out of the assembly hall, his conversation was noticed by a certain someone who was shocked as well as excited she was non other than Layla.
When Rayne was talking with Leo about his leave Layla noticed that Rayne eyes were glowing red and if she used her knowledge as a vampire connoisseur then she could conclude his red glowing eyes and stumbling even though he was not injured were signs of him being a newly turned vampire, but now the real question was who actually turned him or did he also become a vampire with the help of a book similar to Quinn.
'This is getting more and more interesting, I need to inquire Quinn if there was any second book or if he did turn Rayne into a vampire.' Layla thought.
After exiting the assembly hall he was feeling a little bit at ease with the scent of blood no longer corrupting the air, as he made way towards the office on his way he messaged Selene.
{Rayne: Hey I am not feeling good can I take a day off.}
Instantly, a reply to his message was sent.
{Selene: Yeah you could take a day off I heard what happened between your class and second-year.}
{Rayne: News sure travel fast and thank you.}
{Selene: Welcome and be well soon. }
After entering the office and recalling about today's incident to the investigators that is what he thought they were, he then made his way towards his dorm room after entering he made his way towards his bed and lied there for a couple of minutes before summoning his primary status screen.
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Name: Rayne Talen
Race: Fledgling
HP:[12/12]
Stamina:[10/10]
Vitality:15.2
Strength:10.9
Agility:10.9
Durability:10.9
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"Hmm"
After checking out his primary status he noticed that there wasn't much change other than his race.He then summoned his secondary status window.
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Name:Rayne
Blood Core: Dormant
Blood Fragment: [15/1000]
Attributes: [Ember of Divinity], [Child of Chaos]
Aspect: [Vampiric Sanguine]
Aspect Grade: Awakened
Aspect Abilities: [Blood Control]
Flaw: [Gluttony]
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Seeing his secondary status window he sighed.
"Let's see I can't use my soul essence until a full saturation, so what I can do right now is blood control, but what exactly is blood control?" Rayne said.
Sensing his confusion another window appeared this time describing the Aspect ability blood control.
Aspect Ability: [Blood Control]
Aspect Ability Description: [You could control your own blood.]
"That is a very vague description. "
After reading it Rayne decided against using blood control internally so he stood up from his bed and took out a sewing kit from inside his bag. He then took out a clean needle and gently pricked his finger with it, blood slowly started to come out of his finger he then started to concentrate on it, he felt a connection with his blood being established and subconsciously he willed it to float.
The blood slowly started to float above his finger until it gathered to form a small orb the size of a marble. Fascinated by the outcome Rayne started to play with the orb molding it into different shapes until eventually it became as natural as breathing to him. After playing with it for a while he settled on the shape of a bullet he then mockingly pointed his finger at the wall and mimicked shooting a gun but the next moment with a *BANG* sound the blood bullet hit the wall creating a permanent depression.
'What the F*** ! ' Rayne thought.
A system notification sound interrupted his thought process he willed the notification tab to open.
[Congratulations! On learning the skill blood bullet, it has been added in the blood arts skill tree.]
And right under it there was another message which was glowing ominous red hesitantly he opened it.
[You have done the impossible of becoming a awakened, you have been granted a reward.]
[Reward: Nightmare seed]
".... Ugh What is a nightmare seed exactly?"
[Nightmare seed is a gateway that transports your consciousness to a different realm known as the nightmare realm. It's a realm created by one of the dead lesser deity as a trial ************ Data is corrupted ]
[Restoring Data..... Error! Error!Error!]
[Restoring process terminated by unknown]
"That is not weird at all. So, just tell me what are the pro and cons of this reward."
[Pro: Transporting into nightmare will allow you to fully saturate your core. As well as completing the nightmare trial will allow you to ascend to the next rank and there is high chances of you getting another ability.]
[Con:If you die in nightmare realm you will also die in real world.]
"Hmm and what are the chances of me dying."
[66%]
"I see then it is not worth it."
[Sir, then also you will be transported to the nightmare realm without claiming the reward because it was set on timer as soon as you open the message after 15 minute you will be transported.]
"There is only 12 minutes left who set up this rule? aren't you supposed to be helping, then why are you trying to kill me." Rayne said panicking.
[This reward is given to you by unknown and I was just following your order.]
"Damnation! who is this unknown now and where is that damn god who said that he will help me." but this time the system didn't responded.
Rayne took deep breaths and calmed himself down then he started to think about all the possible things that could happen as he was drowning himself in deep thoughts, a system message suddenly appeared.
[Software update: UI version 2.15]
[Description: Boy I can't help you much but I have sent you a updated software it has voice function and I have also increased the system codex and the number of item that you could now store is infinite as long as you don't cross the weight limit which is 10 tonne. I hope you survive boy.]
Rayne bitterly smiled and said "Thanks".
[Initiating download 1% -->2%-->.....98%-->99%-->100% Download complete.]
[Rebooting..... ]
[Welcome host I am your new assistant from now on my name is Grace.]
This time a voice greeted Rayne it was neither a male nor a female voice but it was still pleasant to hear.
"Hello, Grace nice meeting you. I don't have time for this just answer this one question is time stationary in the inventory." Rayne asked.
[Yes]
'Okay let see let go to the cafeteria grab a bunch of food, some clothes and perhaps a knife I don't have much time left to go to the weapon hall and grab a weapon I only have 10 minutes left now.' Rayne thought.
Rayne hurriedly grabbed some clothes and a pocket knife that was in his bag and stored it in inventory although he thinks that the pocket knife will not be useful then also he took it, he then exited his room and made his way towards the cafeteria took his dinner and also ordered a bunch of food of high nutritional value and sneakily stored them in the inventory, What don't question his actions he doesn't have enough credits to buy food pills.
After returning to his room he brushed his teeth took a shower and got into comfortable clothes lied down on his bed and asked one last question to the system.
"While I am in nightmare realm how will the time flow in the walking world."
[As the name suggests it will be just like a dream albeit a very long dream but max is you will be in 10 hours comatose state if you spend 5 years in the nightmare realm.]
As the minutes slowly passed the system started to count loud for him to hear. As the count reached 0 his eyes grew heavy and his vision grew dark.
Rayne found himself standing alone in complete darkness, surrounded by utter nothingness.
In this nothingness, he heard the voice of Grace:
[Awakened! Prepare for your Trial…]
Grace then once again spoke in a thunderous voice, making him shiver.
[Brave on welcome to the Nightmare!]
'God, Jesus Christ, Zeus, all-father Odin, Vishnu, Allah I have only one wish and it is that I survive this nightmare,'
The darkness moved, turning into something else, something different.
However, Rayne was not paying attention instead he was praying to every god that he knew existed.
His vision soon cleared revealing....
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone