[Prepare for appraisal…]
Ghost found himself in a place between dream and reality—an endless black void illuminated by countless stars. Between those stars, innumerable threads of silver light wove a beautiful and impossibly intricate net, creating constellations and nexuses. It was breathtaking.
But Ghost hardly appreciated the beauty of the Nightmare Spell. The past few days had been exhausting.
This was different from the hardships of the slums. At least in the slums, things were predictable; outcomes could often be guessed.
But the world of the Awakened was different. Take the lord of Brimholt, for example.
Normally, someone infected would lose control within three days at most, but the lord had been different.
He had remained sane despite the abomination's infection.
Yes, it ended well, and Ghost had managed to kill him—but even such small miscalculations could be deadly.
What if the lord hadn't been weakened? What if the abomination had completely failed to control him?
There were too many "what-ifs," too many unknown possibilities.
'I need to abandon this mundane mindset…'
[You have received a Memory: Sword of Despair]
[You have received an Echo: Zombie Parasite]
"Hmm... The sword probably came from the lord—the same sword I used to kill him. And the Zombie Parasite... clearly from the parasite inside the lord."
[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
[A treacherous slave betrayed his companions, leaving them to die. With cunning, he deceived the guards, the lord, and his assistant, entering the city and bringing ruin upon it. In the end, the traitorous slave slew the lord of the dead city, erasing Brimholt's legacy.]
[You have defeated a dormant beast: Zombie Human.]
[You have defeated an Awakened Human: Name Unknown.]
[You have defeated a dormant beast: Zombie Parasite.]
[Your achievements are remarkable!]
[Final appraisal: Brilliant. Your evilness is unrivaled.]
"What does that even mean?"
The appraisal system of the Spell remained a mystery to humanity. Unfortunately, Ghost lacked the information to even form a theory, let alone unravel the mystery.
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
Ghost inhaled deeply. The next message from the Spell would shape his future—for better or worse.
"Yes."
[Dormant Aspect War Slave is evolving…]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Transcendent.]
Ghost's eyes widened in shock.
[Aspect Name: Caulborn.]
'H-how? This makes no sense.'
He couldn't understand how he'd achieved a Transcendent rank. He was certain it wasn't because of those he'd slain.
Thanks to his government connections, he knew many Awakened with greater achievements who'd still received lower ranks.
Additionally, it was widely known that simply killing powerful beings wasn't the primary factor determining appraisal, though the actual criteria remained a mystery.
Ghost took a deep breath, recalling every detail of the nightmare…
Suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
"The dream! The nightmare ended exactly as the initial dream did."
The dream had concluded with the city becoming a land of the dead—exactly how his nightmare ended.
"But that doesn't fully explain it... If the appraisal depends on matching the dream, shouldn't my rank be even higher?"
It was a huge contradiction. The only difference between the dream and nightmare had been the abomination's survival. Perhaps that had lowered his rank, though Ghost doubted it.
The main theme had been clearly centered around the city. The abomination was barely present, shown only briefly being carried in.
Even if the abomination died, it shouldn't have significantly impacted the appraisal…
'The abomination is still alive...?'
Ghost's eyes widened further.
"W-What if the reason I got a Transcendent Aspect is precisely because the abomination survived?"
No matter how he thought about it, the theory made little sense.
'Was the dream a hint? Does the Spell show us the future so we might alter it?'
It was a wild idea but plausible—just like his other theory. Yet he lacked evidence to confirm either one.
Ghost sighed, summoning his runes:
Aspect: [Caulborn].
Aspect Rank: Transcendent.
Aspect Description: [You are a being that thrive on blood; those you kill become your strength, and those you devour become part of you.]
Innate Ability: [Devourer].
Ability Description: [By killing a pure—uncorrupted—being, you absorb some of their soul essence. The stronger they are, the more you absorb—but you cannot absorb essence from profaned beings.]
The innate ability wasn't inherently good or bad—just balanced. He could fill his core quickly by killing Sleepers, but that would be difficult. Sleepers were often protected by clans or the government and could easily overpower him.
But in a war, his ability would shine—he could fill his core rapidly. Thus, the ability was neither exceptional nor terrible, simply balanced.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers…]
Ghost braced himself. He knew what would follow, yet it was impossible to prepare. He clenched his teeth, clutching his chest. The feeling wasn't physical—it came from something deeper, unfamiliar.
A strange new energy surged through him, burning like the sun itself. Under its intense heat, his bones, muscles, organs, and blood vessels were rebuilt and revitalized. It felt like rebirth—strength and speed surged within him.
"Phew..."
The searing heat faded, replaced by a soothing coolness spreading through his body and mind, reaching his eyes.
His vision doubled strangely.
He still saw the void of endless stars, but he also saw something else: he stood atop a dark red sea beneath a white star. Around that star orbited a single sphere of light—his lone memory.
He recognized the sea beneath him immediately: blood mixed with water.
Seeing nothing further of interest, he left his soul sea.
[Awakening Aspect Ability…]
Ghost remained silent, waiting.
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Gluttony.]
Frowning slightly, he summoned his runes again.
Name: —
True Name: —
Rank: Dreamer.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Soul Essence Devoured: [114/1000]
Memories: [Sword of Despair].
Echoes: [Zombie Parasite].
Attributes: [Freewill], [Heaven Curse], [Unbreakable].
Ghost stared at the Soul Essence number. He ignored the name; what mattered was the quantity.
'That's a considerable amount from a single kill…'
All that essence had come from the lord, the only uncorrupted being he'd slain.
"Filling my core might not be as difficult as I thought," he muttered.
Satisfied, he continued reading.
Aspect: [Caulborn].
Aspect Rank: Transcendent.
Aspect Description: [You are a being that thrive in blood, those who you kill will be your strength and those who you devour will become part of you.]
Innate Ability: [Devourer].
Ability Description: [By killing a pure — uncorrupted being, you can absorb some of their soul essence. The stronger they are, the more you can absorb — but at the price of being unable to absorb the essence of a profaned being.]
Aspect Abilities: [Gluttony].
Aspect Ability Description: [Devouring the dead allows you to gain their memories.]
Ghost sighed. His aspect wasn't particularly powerful—it could even be seen as weak.
Yet it had immense potential—it was practically designed for cheating.
Imagine a master swordsman who trained all his life. By devouring him—or however the Spell defined it—Ghost could inherit all his skills and experiences.
The ability had countless other uses, like gaining crucial information.
While not ideal, Ghost remained satisfied.
[All power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: …]
As the Spell revealed his flaw, Ghost's expression shifted from disbelief to resentment, then fury.
He clenched his fists, striking the ground beneath him with all his strength.
"This world won't stop tormenting me!"
Flaw: [Death's Breath]
Description: [Every time you become stronger, you draw closer to death.]
It was a death sentence.
From the moment he was infected, Ghost knew he'd be forced to become stronger to survive. In this cruel world, strength was the only salvation.
Now, even that hope had been stripped away.
Ghost stared at the flaw in silent rage—and then he laughed. His laughter echoed loudly in the endless void.
"Hahaha… Do you think this will stop me? Never. I'll keep growing stronger! I'll survive! No matter what fate throws my way, I'll rip it apart! If surviving means defying death, so be it! I'll become immortal, surpassing even the gods!"
"I will live! I will survive! I'll break this curse by any means!"
[Wake up, Aspirant!]
Then everything faded into darkness.
***
Finally man, I swear it took me more than four hours writing this chapter. I hope you really liked Ghost Aspect, and his flaw especially. I'm really satisfied with it and I hope you too.
Leave a review on this fanfic, chapter and some power stones, so more people can read it.
And see you again tomorrow.