The sharp beeping of my communicator shattered the fragile sense of peace. I pulled it out, my stomach twisting as I read the alert flashing on the screen.
Nightmare Seed Outbreak Detected
Location: 1.5 km Southeast
Category: Three
A cold dread settled in my bones. A Category Three outbreak wasn't just bad—it was a slaughter. I didn't waste time. My legs moved on their own, and within moments, I was sprinting through the streets.
As I neared the location, the distant screams and crashing sounds painted a gruesome picture. Then I saw it.
The street was in chaos. Twisted, nightmarish figures poured out of a pulsating black fissure in the air, their grotesque forms a horrifying blend of Awakened and Fallen creatures. Civilians ran for their lives while a handful of Awakened desperately fought to keep the tide at bay, their efforts faltering against the sheer numbers.
Memories surged through my mind.
The Forgotten Shore. The last stand I made against an endless horde. The desperate battle, the crushing pressure of responsibility. The feeling of standing alone.
Then—
The second nightmare. The failure. The helplessness. The gut-wrenching realization that, even with all my strength, I hadn't been enough.
Doubt coiled around my heart, freezing me in place.
A monstrous shriek pierced the air as a jagged-limbed abomination lunged toward a mother shielding her child.
Move. MOVE!
I clenched my fists, shoving the hesitation away.
I had failed before. I won't fail again.
My voice rang out, clear and defiant.
"Come, abominations! Today, once again, I make my stand against you—and this time, I won't fail to protect those behind me!"
A pulse of power surged through me as I activated my Aspect. I also summoned my memories to attract the Nightmare creatures.
The creatures hesitated, their twisted minds ensnared by the memory, but the same time they moved slower and more sluggish, as if something was pressing them down. A moment later, their hesitation turned into single-minded hunger. They turned to me—drawn in like moths to a flame.
The first monstrosity lunged, its bladed appendage slashing toward my throat.
I dodged its strike and pierced through the first creature with Mount Tai Dragon Claw , then the next, moving with the brutal efficiency I had honed through endless battles. Each swing of my arms were precise, each kick with White Tiger Crescent Moon carving through bodies.
This was different from the Forgotten Shore.
Back then, I had been weaker, forced to use the nightmare creatures against each other. Now, I was the storm.
Blood splattered the pavement as I tore through them, their screams blending into the chaotic symphony of battle. Yet, even as I fought, I saw the Awakened struggling, some barely holding their ground, others injured or paralyzed by fear.
I bellowed over the cacophony.
"GET UP AND FIGHT ALREADY! PROTECT THE CIVILIANS!"
The command snapped some of them out of their stupor. Strength flickered in their eyes as they pushed themselves up, rallying around my defiance. My Aspect surged once more, its effect making the Awakened around me stronger and the nightmare creatures weaker.
It gave the others a chance.
The battle turned. Awakened warriors surged forward, cutting down the horrors with renewed vigor. Civilians found openings to flee as the once-overwhelming tide of monsters was held at bay.