Author Note: I have changed Mc title at the leader of the Revolutionary army from "X" to "Ghost" this will not change anything in the last chapter, so you don't need to read it again.
The reason is because it's hard to write a 3rd pov Fanfic/Novel without a name.
I hope you enjoy this chapter, and sorry for the inconvenience.
***
The nameless man dreamt of a city.
A city clearly past its prime. Its walls were rusted, with parts of them destroyed.
Inside those walls, houses were half-crumbled, their residents dying.
From outside, an army of humans approached the city. On one of their carts lay the corpse of a grotesque creature. It had fly-like wings, tentacles emerging from its lower body, and mantis-like claws protruding from its disgusting chest.
The city welcomed the army with cheers and joy.
Time passed in a blink for the nameless man. The city, which had celebrated a festival for three days, was now silent. Its residents were dead. Only dead humans walked its streets, devouring each other.
Time slowed, stopped, and then reversed.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]
Ghost took a deep breath and looked around.
First, he realized he was riding on a horse. Second, he noticed a collar with runes around his neck.
Around him, six other men were in the same situation.
Another man rode behind them, but unlike the other six, he had no collar around his neck.
The man glanced at Ghost, their eyes briefly meeting. Immediately, the man's gaze turned to disgust.
"What are you looking at, you filthy slave?!"
Ghost quickly bowed and apologized. "I'm very sorry, my lord. Please have mercy on this lowly slave."
The man spat in his direction. "If it wasn't for the lord's orders, I'd cut your head off right now!"
Ghost bowed again, thanking the man. He then turned his gaze away from the slaver toward the other slaves beside him.
They looked at him sympathetically, but Ghost didn't care what they felt.
'First things first…'
He focused, summoning his runes. Shimmering letters appeared in front of him:
Name: —
True Name: —
Rank: Aspirant.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Memories: —
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Freewill], [Heaven Curse], [Unbreakable].
Aspect: [War Slave].
Aspect Description: [Born in a Kingdom that lost the war, you were taken as a slave the moment you were born.]
[Freewill] Attribute Description: "You are a being with an unknown fate. You cannot be controlled nor ordered. If fate couldn't control you, who dares to try?"
[Heaven Curse] Attribute Description: "Born with an unknown fate, the world sees you as an anomaly. It will do everything to kill you."
[Unbreakable] Attribute Description: "Your mind is like a flawless sword—unbreakable and unbendable. Your mind will always seek the best course of action."
'Hahaha…' Ghost laughed inwardly. Not even in his wildest dreams had he imagined that everything he'd told the old man was true.
At that time, he had been a child—more mature than others, but still a child. Children had wild imaginations, especially him, influenced by the old man's "legendary tales" from before the Nightmare Spell era.
Sighing, he examined his attributes again. Since his Aspect was useless, he focused on the attributes.
'[Heaven Curse] and [Unbreakable] are self-explanatory, but [Freewill]…'
He reread the middle part of the description carefully. 'Cannot be controlled nor ordered… does this mean the slave collar can't affect me?'
'This changes things significantly…'
Unsummoning his runes, Ghost looked ahead, acting as if nothing had happened.
After a while, both he and the other slaves noticed movement in the forest beside them.
The slaves gulped nervously. The slaver behind them ordered silence.
Ghost looked toward the movement. There, he saw extremely pale humans, their bones clearly visible. Other abominations wandered among them, creating a sight difficult to bear.
He'd seen abominations before—those who had failed their first nightmare—but seeing them moving alongside humans? That was incredibly rare, perhaps even unprecedented.
Ghost tightened his grip on the saddle rope, suddenly turning his horse around and ordering it to run.
Seeing this, the other slaves and the slaver behind them panicked, fear filling their faces.
The forest movement paused briefly, then the sound of countless footsteps charged toward them.
All seven panicked. The slaver first ordered the six slaves to fight the abominations to buy himself time to escape, but before the slaves could react, the abominations descended upon them.
Their flesh was devoured in a frenzy. None of them could even scream, their voices silenced as their throats were torn apart.
Meanwhile, Ghost continued urging his horse to run faster, but the horde of abominations and pale humans steadily gained on him.
Ghost cursed inwardly.
He hadn't betrayed the others without reason; they'd been sent on a suicide mission.
The pale humans in the forest were identical to those in his dream's city. He guessed that the grotesque abomination had spread a virus, controlling the infected humans.
He was certain these pale humans were controlled, unlike the ones he'd seen in the dream city, which were merely mindless, leaderless beasts after the abomination's death.
Glancing back, Ghost cursed again as the horde drew even closer.
He steered his horse sharply toward the forest.
If his theory was correct, the only way to survive was to become one of them.
If his [Freewill] attribute functioned as described, he wouldn't become controlled.
Of course, his plan had plenty of risks. If he wasn't controlled, would those under control still attack him? Would the virus kill him instantly, slowly, or not at all?
It was dangerous, but it was his only option.
While galloping, he spotted a small group of pale humans ahead.
Ghost drew his dagger and, upon reaching them, plunged it deeply into one zombie's skull.
[You have slain a dormant beast, Human Zombie.]
With the dagger still embedded, he urged the horse to move faster.
After several minutes, he jumped off the horse and looked at the fallen zombie—or whatever the Spell called it.
Removing the dagger from its skull, he sliced open its stomach and lifted the corpse above him, allowing its blood to drench him.
Some of the blood entered his mouth and nose.
After finishing, he threw the body aside and turned to face the approaching horde.
"Moment of truth," he muttered.
The horde rushed past him, completely ignoring him.
'Hahaha… It worked!'
Ghost grinned widely, turning toward the city in the distance.
***
Author Note:
I'm not sure if the nightmare spell can show you the future or not since Sunny first nightmare showed him the past then time the present not like Ghost, so it might be a plot hole, but tbf I really don't care.
Leave a review on this fanfic, chapter and some power stones, so more people can read it.
And see you again tomorrow.