Capítulo 2: End of a Nightmare
I could feel the surge of temporary power, burning through my veins, enough to destroy everything in my path. The beast would regret crossing me—no, it would regret existing.
The 'dog'—a nightmarish abomination—tensed its legs and shot towards me, faster than I could anticipate. What's my response? The thought barely formed before the creature was upon me.
In that split second, I clenched my fist and swung with all my might. BOOM. The impact shattered the air, and the force of my punch collided with the beast's temple, sending it crashing into the ancient temple walls. Stone crumbled under the force of the impact, dust and debris erupting in a cloud. The temple itself shook, its walls cracking as the beast's body slammed into them.
The monster lay still for a moment, but I wasn't done. I stepped on its face, grinding my foot into its skull. "What's wrong? Weren't you barking earlier?"
The creature howled in fury, its roar reverberating through the ruined temple. It lashed out with its claws, raking the air with terrifying speed. I barely dodged, leaping away as the abomination tore through the temple's crumbling pillars. It was relentless, its eyes locked on me with an unyielding rage.
I turned and sprinted into the forest, the beast hot on my heels. The temple had been reduced to rubble, but the fight wasn't over. We would finish this in the wild, where it had no walls to hide behind.
The beast surged forward, smashing through the trees like they were nothing. I could feel the earth tremble beneath us, and the air hummed with the force of its power. I was running now, jumping from tree to tree, my breath coming in ragged gasps as the monstrosity tore apart the forest in pursuit of me.
I stopped suddenly, just before a massive oak, and waited. The beast charged, mouth wide, intent on swallowing me whole. But I was ready.
I tore a tree from the earth, roots and dirt flying as I hurled it at the beast. The impact didn't even phase it. The monster barreled toward me, faster now, its claws reaching for me.
With no time to think, I clenched my fists high above my head and swung them down with all my strength. The ground buckled beneath me, stone and dirt flying as the shockwave erupted outward. BOOM. The beast's skull slammed into the earth, but it wasn't dead. It didn't even pause. Instead, it swung its tail like a battering ram, slamming into my chest with a force that nearly crushed me. CLANG. My armor absorbed the blow, but the impact sent me hurtling backwards, the wind knocked from my lungs.
I recovered quickly, a dark hunger rising in me. The creature was no longer just a threat—it was prey.
It lunged again, claws extended, its mouth snapping shut just inches from my face. I was faster now, the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I dug my claws into its flesh, tearing through its hide with ease, the blood spraying out in thick torrents.
The beast shrieked, but I didn't care. I was beyond caring. I was a force of nature, a savage fury unleashed. The forest around us became a battlefield, the trees falling, the ground splintering beneath our feet as we tore into each other. It clawed, it bit, it tried to rend me apart, but I gave back worse. I didn't just fight back. I feasted.
My body began to change. With each bite, with each slash, I grew stronger. My muscles bulged, veins coursing under my skin like snakes. My armor, once battered, now hummed with newfound power, mending itself in anticipation of more blood. I was a predator, and this creature was nothing more than a meal.
But it wasn't finished yet. The beast's final act of desperation came when it launched itself at me one last time, jaws wide, claws aimed at my throat.
I was ready. I seized its mouth with my hands, forcing its jaw open, my claws sinking into its bone and flesh. My body expanded, the power swelling as I forced it back, tearing deeper. The beast flailed, but it was too late.
In one final act of savagery, I drove my fist deep into its skull, the bone shattering beneath my knuckles. CRACK. The beast's roar was abruptly cut off, its head split open, its blood spilling out as it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
[You have slain a Fallen Monster, Cursed Flesh Hound.]
I staggered back, breathing heavily, my body trembling with exhaustion. The forest around me was nothing but destruction—trees felled, the ground torn apart, blood staining the earth. I fell to my knees, staring at the mutilated corpse beneath me.
"Finally..." I whispered, my voice thick with weariness. "It's over..."
The world around me began to unravel, the edges of my vision fading to black. The battle had taken everything from me, and now, I could finally rest.
[Wake up, Ares! Your nightmare is over.]
[prepare for appraisal...]
waking up again, I growled, " I swear to god if I'm in that sea agai-" I couldn't finish my words as what I saw left me speechless.
All around me, was an endless space, there was nothing, but a boundless black void illuminated by a myriad of bright stars. Between those stars, countless strings of silver light were woven into a beautiful and inconceivably complex pattern. Glimpsing at the threads, it felt as if it hid a secret in its cosmic pattern that was so immense it could drive a person mad.
A tired sigh escaped my lips, from blood-red oceans to a dead forest and a frightening mist, to a temple of carnage and almost dying at the hands of a mass of flesh, I don't have my memory but I'm pretty sure I never had all of that happen to me.
Then that weird sound whispered again, this time from all around me.
[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
[a lost soul far from home, with no origin nor end, traversed the bloody oceans and the misty dead lands, fought dread, fear, and death, escaped from the jaws of the end, damaged but hateful, a fragment of [unknown] listened and answered his pain.]
[You have slain a dormant beast, cursed flesh]
[You have slain a fallen monster, cursed flesh hound]
[You have received a fragment of [unknown] blessing.]
[Final appraisal: Glorious, your hate truly knows no bounds, soul from another world.]
my eye twitched at its remarks, ' What use is hate if you're too weak'
[Dreamer Ares, receive your boon!]
even though I didn't understand what was happening, I got tense and excited.
[You have been bestowed a True Name: Scarlet King]
[Your aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve aspect?]
'I just want to get this over with' "Yes".
[Dormant aspect Blood Sacrifice is evolving...]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Divine.]
[Aspect Name: King inheritor]
'Divine aspect? It sounds good I guess, I was a sacrifice huh, no wonder I was naked' A chuckle escaped my lips, whatever told me all of this gave me an instinctual feeling on how to read my abilities so that was a bonus.
Following my instinct I concentrated on my aspect.
Aspect Description: [You are the inheritor of a once-great being, a small fragment of the [unknown] found you and gave you the chance to inherit its power, but beware of being weak, as it is only worthy for the strong.]
Innate Ability: True King
Ability Description: [As a true king, It is only natural for you to be respected and feared, the more you act like a King, the powerful you become.]
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers...]
Ares suddenly clutched his chest, he felt something burning inside him, but it was not painful, instead, it felt liberating, as if a power within him finally woke up, his emotions clearer and sharpening his senses, and then the brimming energy within changed his muscle fibers, bones, organs, his whole body was rebuilt stronger than ever, it was euphoric, millions of times better than whatever happened to him below that bloody well. He felt as if a star was formed in his chest, supplying him with strength and courage, he felt powerful, after being so weak from the moment he opened his eyes in that blood-red ocean, it was a changing experience.
The feeling stopped gradually, and when he opened his eyes again he found himself in a different place amidst the star-filled void.
A small smile appeared on my face, 'What a beautiful star', the ground beneath was red, and above him was a crimson sun, filled with power.
The voice then pulled him out of his 'inner world'.
[Awakening Aspect Ability]
[Aspect Ability Name: Monarch's Gluttony]
[All power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your flaw is: oblivion.]
he was confused at first, but a whisper told him what to do, "runes"
then a list appeared in front of him.
Name: Ares
True Name: Scarlet King
Rank: Dreamer
Crimson Core: Dormant
Destruction fragments: [14/1000]
Memories:--
Echoes:--
Attributes: [King's Road], [King's Instinct], [Monarch's Body]
[King's Road: the threads of fate bind all beings, but The King despises fate, and so he created his own. fate doesn't control you, but you make your own]
[King's instinct: all beings have instinct, yours is a step above.]
[Monarch's body: your eyes are more powerful, your heart is special, your blood is unique, and your soul is more vigorous.]
Aspect: [King's inheritor]
Aspect Rank: Divine
Class abilities: Dormant ability: [terror]
[Terror: upon use, Whoever glances upon you feels primordial fear.]
Aspect abilities: [Monarch's Gluttony]
[Monarch's Gluttony: you are capable of devouring other beings to get stronger.]
Flaw: [Oblivion: you are unable to gain memories.]
Aspect Legacy: [Bloodforged Aegis: A legendary armor crafted in the depths of an ancient, cursed forge, where molten blood replaced steel. It is said to have been created under the watchful gaze of a tyrannical god, imbued with the wrath and hatred of countless souls.]
Before I could make sense of what I was seeing, the voice spoke again, and the world was covered in darkness once more.
[Wake up, Scarlet King!]
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder