Avner stood in front of the police station, his heart pounding faster and faster.
Whether it was fear or excitement… he honestly couldn't tell.
Here we go again.
"Hey, System," he murmured internally, "I'm actually not affected by the Nightmare Spell, right? So how is this supposed to work?"
[Host] You shouldn't worry about minor things. The Nightmare Spell cannot track us on its own.
That wasn't reassuring at all… but it would have to do.
Police Station — Third Special Directive Zone
The lobby was cold, brightly lit, and busy with officers in gray uniforms. A middle-aged policeman glanced at him, looking bored.
"You lost, kid?"
"No." Avner straightened his back. "As required by the Third Special Directive, I'm here to surrender myself as a carrier of the Nightmare Spell."
The officer froze.
Gone was the boredom—his face turned stiff, then pale.
"...What?"
"I started showing symptoms a week ago," Avner said calmly.
The officer's complexion drained to paper-white.
"A week?" he whispered. "Shit."
He slammed his hand against the wall comm.
"Attention! Code Black in the lobby! I repeat—CODE BLACK!"
Instant chaos followed.
Doors slammed shut.
Officers rushed around him.
Medics were called.
Someone swore so loudly that another officer yelled at him.
Avner waited silently.
It's been a week already. I finished all my preparations. My Inventory is a cheat anyway—I can bring real-world items into the Nightmare. Even in my first one.
He mentally reviewed his packed supplies:
Rope. Blankets. A compact knife. Battery-less flashlights.
Medical supplies. Energy bars. Canned meals. Dried rations.
Enough to survive a small apocalypse.
A few minutes later, several policemen were busy securing restraints around his wrists—not painfully, just firmly.
One of them, a weary-looking man, crouched to his eye level.
"So, what's your name, kid?"
"Avner."
"Do you want me to contact your family?"
"Don't bother. There's no one."
The officer paused, then sighed softly. "Alright, Avner… how long can you stay awake?"
"Minutes, I guess.
He studied Avner carefully.
"How much do you actually know about the Nightmare Spell?"
Avner didn't reply.
Instead, he spoke silently, inwardly:
System… just start the nightmare
[Host] Nightmare will begin in five seconds.
5…
4…
3…
A cold shiver spread through his spine.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Challenge. Prepare for your First Trial…]
Darkness swallowed everything.
.
I woke up under the pale moonlight.
The first thing that hit me was the cold.
A sharp, merciless chill tore through my clothes and straight into my bones. My breath fogged instantly, and my fingertips were already stiffening. If I stayed like this, I wouldn't last an hour.
"Tch… great start."
Avner forced himself to move.
The freezing air burned against his lungs, but he pushed through it.
First priority—warmth.
He pulled out a battery heater from his Inventory, followed by layers of clothing.
All of it still perfectly preserved.
The only cheat he had in this damned place.
After searching a bit, he found a half-collapsed stone alcove, shielded from the wind. It wasn't much, but it was enough. He set up the heater, wrapped himself in thick fabric, and let the warmth slowly return to his body.
Only once the shaking stopped did he speak again.
"Survive the cold… check. Next—runes."
He took a breath and focused.
According to the novel, the more one defied fate, the higher their Aspect ranked.
The original owner probably froze to death here… or was ripped apart by Nightmare creatures.
So all I have to do is survive longer… and kill everything I can.
Unlike other Aspirants, he couldn't absorb Soul Shards.
But his System rewarded him with System Points instead—his own unique route to power.
A translucent window opened in front of him.
[System Status – Nightmare Spell]
Name: Avner
True Name: —
Rank: Aspirant
Soul Core: Dormant
Memories: —
Echoes: —
Attributes:[Anomaly],[Dreamspawn],[Void's Gaze]
Aspect: [Rift]
Aspect Description: [There is a rift between you and the world itself.]
Avner blinked
"…Void's Gaze? Something related to the Void, I guess."
He rubbed his temples.
"And Rift… whatever that means."
No point wasting time guessing.
He needed strength, not philosophy.
"Hunting fir
st. Questions later."
He tightened his gloves, grabbed his compact knife, and stepped out into the moonlit frost.
"Let's earn some System Points."