16 Chapter 16

[Welcome to the dream realm. Ariel!]

I felt the air breeze my hair to the point that it curtained around my face in a mess as I tried to comprehend my situation. And then I noticed it.

I was falling.

'Holy shit!'

I was falling fast, like a blazing meteor and after a few seconds of free falling. I was met with an expansive jet-black sea that went on and on for as long as my vision can see.

There was no land, only black water that seemed like it was waiting for me with its maw open, ready to devour me.

And the skies also looked blank, eerie. With no moon nor any stars. It was just a blank canvas of darkness.

'I really did end up in the forgotten shore, I mean that's a given. This was the only place I had in my mind, Though there was a small chance that I could've ended up in another region, now that's useless I guess.'

I don't know why I seemed so calm, what made me so calm. Nevertheless I was calm. Even in this situation.

*Splash!*

I landed in the water with a big splash, Going down some meters because of the force of my fall. After that it immediately hit me….

Darkness.

Not the kind of darkness that I adapted to, no. This was different, way way different. I couldn't see anything besides five-meters around me. It was like my senses got jumbled up the moment I touched the water.

'Unless I go into absolute domain.'

And I did just that. Just like a switch my surroundings brightened up and I could see a bit more clearly but not to the degree of seeing anything.

I was already adapted to breathing due to my training back at the academy, so I was able to stay in the water for as long as I like. Until some monstrosity catches me and chases me off.

I started swimming to a random direction, trusting my new sixth-sense to warn me before I fall into any danger. While also thinking about this hell that I've been brought to by whoever was the spell….

'The forgotten shore was an unexplored and an unknown region of the dream realm, it was said that this whole mirror like dark sea is actually…'

A nightmare creature.

Yes you heard me right. Its rank is a Great titan. Which means, I have to be of the Divine rank to be able to kill it easily. So killing this fucker is a no go until…. Well I don't know when.

But it will disappear once the artificial sun comes up in day time. If I recall, it was scared of the sun due to it dealing soul damage to the sea, so once day time arrives. We'll see a whole new world without the dark sea.

All I have to do was survive till the sun comes up….

Easy right?

And as if to mock me for my thoughts, My senses flared up like a fire alarm, Hammering my head with warnings.

So before I could react in any way, A gigantic black-tentacle slithered in the water like an abruptly fast snake as it coiled itself around my ankle with such a strong grip, that it made mine seem like a child's.

My mind drowned the warnings as my eyes widened In shock…..

'Fuck!, don't tell me this is the fucker that inhabits the dark sea, I think it was a Corrupted one but I don't know exactly which class.'

I instantly summoned my sword as I tried to slash at the tentacle that was now pulling me down deeper into the sea.

Though the water around me, made me lose a bit of power due to the side effects of fighting in water. But that's what I prepared myself for, I thought if I arrived here then I'll surely need to get familiar with having battles underwater. So that's why I trained underwater for days in one session.

However, even if I kept hacking away at the tentacle, It didn't do anything but hasten the process of me going into its stomach as a snack.

'Fuck! What do I do?' I hastily tried to think of a solution to my harrowing situation. Before it hit me, as I raised my sword and slashed it down on my leg, lodging the blade deep into my leg, But I didn't manage to sever it in one attack.

Prompting me to keep hacking away and away at my leg as flesh and blood floated serenely around me. And with one last strike I chopped it of with my ankle being rapidly pulled into the deep end of the sea in a blurring speed.

My attribute kicked in, as a new fully functioning leg regenerated in a matter of seconds. I then propelled off with the fastest speed that I could muster. Fleeing in what felt like a foreign emotion that I haven't experienced in a while.

Fear.

I knew I would have died immediately If I was brought to the source of that black tentacle. I could sense it in my bones that I wouldn't have survived for a single second. It brought a sense of awareness to my situation.

'I have grown complacent. The power I experienced in the academy has gone into my head and filled me with confidence that was almost bordering on arrogance. This is not a game Ariel! This is real life. And there's also my unpredictable [Anomaly] attribute.

Who knows what it entails or what it could do to fuck with me, maybe I'm already in an alternative dream realm where my actions could drive the story towards a different outcome. Becuase the one thing I've picked up in the novel. Is that the spell likes to make its users endure torture for what they want.

In my mind the spell's motto is 'Endure hell, get good rewards' it was as simple as that.

I slapped my cheek to get my focus straight, it only took one single encounter to get me back to my humble self.

'That fucking nightmare did something to my brain, it made me insane, I actually started thinking that I will just grit my teeth and endure anything coming my way when I know there are beings who can overwhelm my adaptation and kill me in a single attack.'

I furrowed my brows in doubt as a thought gnawed its way into my mind 'Maybe... Maybe I shouldn't have wished to not have a flaw. Maybe I should have gotten one, so that I do not forget that I have a weakness that can be easily exploited, in turn sharpening my mind and making me careful about any decisions I make. But whatever happened, happened. There's no going back now and this isn't a particularly good time to regret my actions.'

While I was lost in my thoughts. A rumble rang out throughout the whole sea, raising tumultuous waves of water as the sea began shrinking and lowering, Eventually my feet landed on real land as a pale artificial sun shone in the sky, its hue having an ashy mix to it that made the world seem grey in its presence.

And then I noticed something that I should have the first second I got here….

I was naked again.

Doesn't matter, everyone likes to be wild sometimes. Besides there's no one near me right now, so I'm good on that front.

As I was muttering nonsense to myself. The brown muddy ground shook, blood coloured vines sprouting from it chaotically, The vines had a coral like texture that made it beautiful and terrifying to look at considering they were growing in size by the second into what looked liked giant blood trees.

This happened for as long as I could see with my eyes that were capable of seeing for a long distance. While the trees eventually turned this place into a forest. An uncanny looking one to be honest.

I fought back the urge to touch them out of curiosity. In fear of eliciting some reaction from them. After all You never know what the dream realm has for you. Especially in an unknown region.

Although I couldn't see the labyrinth due to me not being at a good vantage point so that has to wait. I started walking in a random direction, Putting my senses in overdrive in case some type of behemoth tries to sneak up behind me just like before.

A good amount of walking later, my senses finally detected something...

A nightmare creature.

One that was the amalgamation of a crab, centaur and a nightmare. It had four crab like legs that ended in sharp, dangerous tips. It also had a human like torso. Standing ramrod straight with two chalked blades for arms.

(Image of nightmare creature).

I of course jumped towards it with an intensity of a predator. Cracking the ground in the process.

Slicing through the air like a bullet, I summoned my sword as it left a trail of white light in our path due to how fast I was.

It seemed like the creature was busy with something. It was prodding the ground with its sharp four limbs. And before it could sense anything. A flash of white light passed by in the blink of an eye.

When the nightmare creature saw the white light end up being a naked human figure it shrieked as it sprinted towards Ariel in an attempt to. Obviously kill him.

However its body froze when it took the first step. Its vision disoriented as suddenly the human figure was upside down looking at it with an amused smile on his face.

"You're a little late to notice things, aren't you?" And then darkness consumed its vision.

Ariel twirled his sword in his hand. Looking down at the severed head of the creature with a smile.

[You have slain an awakened beast! Carapace scavenger.]

"Ah, it's good to be back."

A/N: hope you like this ch. and send some stones!!!! Thank you guys for the support.