[Nightmare]

Helix stared at his interface with disbelief.

—

Name: [Nightmare]

Description: The genesis [Nightmare] wielded by Elise, the god of Myriad.

Allows the user to create illusions that bring nightmares to life.

Skills:

Nightmare [Level 1]:

Allows the user to summon a non-lethal illusion of the greatest known fear of their enemy.

Duration: maximum of one minute.

Cost: 50% of the user's spirit particles.

Cooldown: None.

Limitations: The skill must be active for 15 seconds before releasing it.

[All other skills are locked]

[User must discover further skills]

[Criteria for unlocking Nightmare-related skills: unknown]

—

"I'm so fucked." Helix thought aloud with cold sweat dripping from his shoulder blades.

"What is it, boy!" Macron roared angrily.

Helix snapped out of his trance.

"It's called [Nightmare]." Helix whispered just loud enough for the man to hear him.

Macron's eyes widened with shock.

"Are you sure, boy! I'll kill you where you stand if you're lying to me."

Helix raised his hands as a sign he meant no harm.

"I'm not lying. Can… we talk about this somewhere else?" Helix asked with pleading eyes.

He wasn't about to disclose that his power was wielded by the god of Myriad—especially when he was certain to face death if others challenged him.

Macron looked at Helix with a complicated expression in his eyes.

"Yes. Come with me." He ordered.

"Titus, take over the ceremony until we return." He instructed as he walked away with Helix.

Helix sighed as he weaved through the other [Knights].

Their faces were plastered with envy and bitterness as they looked at him.

'You're envious of the wrong skill.' Helix asserted bitterly.

'Anyone that gets this skill is walking straight into a death sentence.

That witch made it seem like she would be evil by giving me an insane strength stat.

But that blind strength is a prerequisite for surviving this skill.'

The more Helix thought about it, the more depressed he got.

'Couldn't [Level 1] be summoning a clone or a pack of wolves or something?' He lamented.

'Or could she have given me at least another skill?'

"I'm not sure why you're so depressed, boy.

But I can say you're right to be wary of that Nightmare." Macron asserted while leading him through a marble-lined corridor.

"Do you have personal experience with this skill?" Helix asked with a serious tone.

"No. Every record of that skill somehow erases itself from existence.

There are only two things we know about it." Macron explained with a serious expression.

"Here, enter this room, and we'll talk about it." He said while opening a door within the walls of the coliseum.

After leading Helix to a couch, he sat on the other side of him.

Between them was a luxurious wooden table.

"There are only two things we know about that skill." Macron continued.

"The first thing we know is that the god of Myriad wielded it in ancient times.

It's a Nightmare that all other Nightmares derive their name from." He explained.

"And the second thing?" Helix asked.

"Everyone that has wielded Nightmare has died within the first month of acquiring it." Macron said with a serious expression.

"We don't know why. Everyone who hears about the skill receives a curse that prevents them from speaking about it after the wielder dies."

Helix laughed bitterly.

Macron looked at the boy with contempt in his eyes.

"This is serious, boy. If you don't treat it that way, I'll snap your spine and prove that Nightmare leads to quick deaths." He growled.

Helix stopped laughing and locked eyes with Macron.

"I [am] being serious." He replied with a serious tone.

"I can tell you why everyone who receives this skill dies a quick and gruesome death."

Macron looked at Helix with a baffled expression.

"Why?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

Helix pulled up his interface and selected the share option so Macron could see what he was looking at.

After reading the description, Macron looked at Helix with a complicated expression.

"I don't understand why this skill translates to certain death.

It seems extremely powerful.

While your enemy hallucinates and faces their worst fears, you can easily kill them." He reasoned with a suspicious expression.

Helix let out a deep sigh.

"It's not that simple." He asserted while shaking his head.

"Here's a [long] list of reasons I'll be killed right after using this skill for the first time."

After outlining his reasoning to Macron for a few minutes, the two sat in silence for a solid minute.

"You're right. That skill is a rolling dumpster fire packed with explosives." Macron declared with a grave expression.

Helix gave him a wry smile in response.

"I don't know how to handle this." Macron said while rubbing his temples.

Helix stayed silent while the man contemplated the situation.

"I suppose we'll just have to pray that your stats are high.

Then we can train you in combat with private lessons." He thought aloud.

Helix closed his eyes with a bitter expression.

Macron narrowed his eyes.

"Do you know something else?" He asked with a penetrating gaze.

Helix sighed inwardly.

"My stats are likely to be near the bottom." He replied bitterly.

"All of you Earthians have strong stats.

That's why our kingdom has summoned you.

So why do you sound so confident, and why do you sound like you know so much?" He asked with a suspicious gaze.

"Unless…." He thought with wide eyes.

"You said that you were chatting with your system, didn't you, boy?" He asked in a demanding voice.

Helix gave him a wry smile.

"I'm guessing that's not common?" Helix asked.

"Not at all. This is the first time it's happened since I've been alive." Macron replied with a stern gaze.

Helix sighed audibly.

"These systems are derivatives of Nightmare, the power that was used by Myriad's god, correct?" Helix asked.

Macron narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, that's correct."

"Myriad's god is connected to the artifacts you've been handing out.

She communicated with me directly." Helix confessed with a defeated tone.

"What!?" Macron roared while slapping the table with his hands and standing up.

Helix raised his hands in surrender.

"Look, it's not like I asked to receive her Nightmare or speak with her.

If you ask Kylon, I didn't even want to come to this place." Helix responded cautiously.

Macron understood Helix's point, but his rage prevented him from being calm.

"I don't give a fuck. Speak before I prove my threats aren't fake." Macron demanded while gritting his teeth.

"She asked me to accept the official title of [hero] to lead the charge to fight her." Helix confessed.

He was too embarrassed to tell the man the true title's name.

Macron's eyes widened with bewilderment.

"Wait, what did you say?" He asked.

"She wanted to pump me full of stats and this Nightmare to lead the charge to fight her." Helix reiterated.

Macron's suspicious expression grew.

"Did you accept?" He asked.

Helix shook his head.

"No, I refused." He replied.

Macron sat down with a complicated expression on his face.

On the one hand, he hated Elise with every fiber of his being.

On the other hand, he was tempted by the prospect of someone receiving her power to fight her.

It was a perplexing turn of events.

"Why would you refuse the power to defeat her?" He asked in a composed tone.

Helix laughed with a serious expression on his face.

"Where do I begin?" Helix asked rhetorically.

"The title wasn't for the person chosen by a god to fight the mad god of Myriad.

She offered me the title to the person chosen to fight her.

Who gives someone the power and tools to kill them?" Helix asked with a penetrating gaze.

Macron chuckled with an understanding expression.

"Second, who accepts their enemy's guidance and path, let alone a mad God?

I assumed from the beginning that she was the person you sent us here to kill.

So why would I play into her plans?

That's just absurd.

She was certain to unload countless lethal trials so I could level up and kill her.

I'd be begging for a life of constant death threats. It's suicide." He scoff-laughed.

"Third, nothing in this world comes for free.

After turning her down enough, I learned that she planned to elevate my stats high enough that I would have accidentally killed everyone else in the arena in a mock battle.

The action would have sent the kingdom into disarray, would it not?

Even if she was exaggerating and I only killed one, I'd be in hell from day one." Helix chuckled bitterly.

"Lastly, the title would put a target on my back, and all the Knights will secretly plot to kill me.

I'm not sure you know what type of people you recruited.

But I assure you, they'll get irrationally jealous if they're not the hero of Myriad."

"I see…." Macron replied while stroking his chin.

"I don't regret what I did because I believe it was the best decision.

However, I turned her down three times and sacrificed all of my stats, and now I'm under suspicion.

If that's not funny, I don't know what is." He concluded with bitterness in his eyes.

Macron's eyes widened in shock.

"Wait, you're telling me that you willingly sacrificed your stats to turn down the power she offered you?" He asked.

"Yup." Helix chuckled.

"I turned down a heaven-defying harem, sacrificed my stats, and pissed off the most powerful enemy in Myriad.

Then I was rewarded with a Nightmare specializing in killing me, jealous peers, and suspicion.

At least it's better than the alternative." Helix laughed while staring at the ceiling.

"Haaaaaaah. You even turned down a harem?

You must be joking with me, boy.

I admire your resolve but also believe you lack your manhood." Macron laughed.

"Reward number four, ridicule." Helix chuckled bitterly.

After a moment of light laughter, he continued.

"Seriously, though. That harem stat could've attracted nobles, royalty, wives, servants, and girlfriends.

I kept declining mindlessly after reading that."

Macron's eyes widened in shock.

The ramifications of the latter alone would've been devastating.

He was impressed that Helix discerned the reality of the situation on the spot.

"You're a bigger man, kid…." Macron chuckled nervously.

"If I was offered that, I would've died…."

Macron was sweating, and Helix knew it.

So he gave the man a slight smile before playing it off.

"Jokes aside, I've been informed that I'll be given rock bottom stats.

In short, I'm defenseless with a pack of immature, overpowered teenagers who have experienced their first taste of sex and power.

Things aren't looking so hot for me." Helix reasoned with a slight smile.

Macron's face turned grave again.

"First, I'd like to commend you for turning down so many tempting offers from the Mad Queen." Macron said with genuine respect in his eyes.

"I've already been informed that you were one of the people that didn't want to come here.

So my respect has only increased."

Helix nodded in response.

"I regret to say this, but I have no idea how we'll deal with this situation." Macron stated with a wry smile.

"Private lessons will help, but they aren't going to keep you alive in this world.

You haven't seen them yet, but the Nightmares in this world are brutal, and your peers' stats make sword mastery useless.

No matter how masterful you are, you can't strike someone you can't see."

Helix sighed.

"I know. That's a serious problem."

Macron stared into Helix's pitch-black eyes.

"You're a smart boy, Helix.

I can tell from this interaction alone.

Your foresight and judgment in this situation are of the highest caliber.

I can't say with confidence that anyone I know would turn down the offer you received today." He claimed with a serious expression.

"For that reason, I'd like to ask you what you would do to approach this situation.

If it's reasonable, I'll request aid from the kingdom to help you."

Helix's eyes widened with astonishment.

He wasn't expecting to receive resources and support.

"I appreciate your generosity, and I'll gladly share my thoughts." Helix replied.

"First, I have a small request."

Macron nodded.

"I'm willing to listen at the very least." He replied.

Helix nodded.

"I would ask that Emilia receive some form of protection.

She's an innocent and defenseless party in all of this.

She's likely to be targeted by those that try to harm me." Helix reasoned.

"Consider it done. I'll work something out." Macron replied without the slightest bit of hesitation.

Helix sighed a breath of relief.

"Okay. In response to the current situation, this would be my strategy."

—

[A/N: Does anyone still think Helix is edgy or paranoid? My guess is yes.

Well, Helix doesn't. That's what matters. ;)]

Disclaimer: Grammatical mistakes and minor inconsistencies = more content. Thank you for reading!