20th Day of the month of Emerald Moon, Year 1238
The month of the Emerald Moon brought cold winds from the east every year. It was merely a month and fifteen days before winter would arrive.
Yet that year, the atmosphere simmered with unnatural heat—an effect of the ever-rising smoke spewing from the countless factories now harvested by the Holy City.
But Jay slept like a baby, wrapped snugly in the cocoon of his comfortable blanket. After all, the Nameless Domain existed separately from the Holy City, thus untouched by its burgeoning pollution.
Though the domain mirrored the day and night cycle of the real world, it bore no sun to herald dawn nor moon and stars to grace the night.
And yet—light still came. And the night. And so, the morning.
Another morning where Jay slept peacefully—after a very long time. The last time he had felt such comfort was the day he first arrived in the Nameless Domain. Although brief, it had been serene.
The dark circles under his eyes had finally begun to fade. He was even putting on a bit of weight at last.
Thanks to Luke's assistance, he now managed to eat both lunch and dinner daily.
Upon waking, he completed his usual routine and dressed himself.
But today, it wasn't his usual attire. Instead, he donned the gear he had acquired from the Global Market.
Today marked their first day of training service.
He wore a white robe layered over his light armor. The robe had been modified per the rules—now bearing the Mark of Sunset, the symbol of the Awakened, and then embroidered with the emblem of a single-petal flower, indicating his status as the lowest-ranking Mage: a Level 1 Awakened.
All Awakened were categorized into ranks based purely on their level—a system distinct from the bronze, silver, and gold rankings, which were earned through experience.
Jay hadn't received a combat rank yet, as he had not undergone the examination. That was still over a month away.
Jay felt a flicker of nervousness—but calmed somewhat upon learning that Luke was a high-ranking Mage, a Level 8. That alone was reassuring. And then there was Jin, currently in a state of Deep Sleep, yet with far more experience than even Luke—making him an even more dependable figure.
The Mage rankings began from Level 1, the lowest ranking. The rank where Jay was. Then followed by Levels 2 to 4 were considered low-ranking, 5 to 7 mid-ranking, and Levels 8 and 9 high-ranking. Level 10 was known as the Mage King.
Now that he thought about it… Jay was undoubtedly the most useless member of their group. With his unimpressive level and almost nonexistent control over his spiritual energy, he couldn't even properly perform a single Art. He had no skills—his Paths remained unidentified.
Especially the Paths—which determined one's affinity with a school of Arts.
Jay gripped his new staff, put on Mr. Hank's rounded sunglasses, and cast aside his negative thoughts.
He walked through the corridor and descended the creaky wooden staircase. As he reached the hall, he spotted his new friend Luke, gracefully sipping black, sugarless coffee.
Every time Jay observed Luke's elegant, composed demeanor, he found himself in awe.
He truly did envy him.
Catching Jay's stare, Luke gestured for him to come and eat.
Only then did Jay's eyes wander further—and to his surprise, he saw someone else.
Unlike usual mornings, when only he and Luke dined together, today Jin was present as well.
Jin's graceful raven-black hair and deathly crimson eyes always awakened the dormant fanboy inside Jay's heart.
Then his gaze shifted—to Albedo, seated at the head of the table in the seat of honor. His scarlet hair was tied in a perfect knot behind his head, and with his refined, almost feminine features, he looked celestial. It was truly a divine blessing to witness such beauty as the first sight of the morning.
Albedo sat calmly, reading a newspaper—a form of news-sharing that had endured through time. Even in this era of industrialization, no medium had surpassed the humble newspaper.
But then—Jay's eyes drifted further.
To a seat beside Albedo.
At the vast dining table sat a woman with dark skin and ashen hair. There was a rugged sharpness about her—but she also exuded the quiet authority of a scholar. Jay's long-lost shyness returned with sudden intensity.
Cheeks flushed red—almost as bright as Albedo's hair—he bowed awkwardly and said, "G-Good morning, miss."
Then he turned an even deeper shade of red—realizing, for the second time, that he had forgotten to greet the most important person in the room first.
Hurriedly, he corrected himself. "Ah—sorry, Lord Albedo. I meant, good morning… sir."
"Hehehe… don't worry, I don't mind," Albedo chuckled. "Oh—and this is Miss Mira, the final resident of this house. Be respectful... even I'm scared of her."
At that, Mira shot Albedo a deathly glare.
Now Jay understood exactly what he meant.
"So... you'll be my student," she finally said, after a long, unreadable stare that only made Jay more anxious.
"Ah—what, student…"
"Hmph. I preferred someone a bit cuter. But you'll do for the training."
'What kind of training requires a cute person?' he grumbled silently in his heart.
"Well... whatever."
Her eyes narrowed—and in that moment, a crushing wave filled the room.
It wasn't physical. Nor was it spiritual energy. It was a wave of pure, unfiltered fear.
It swept over Jay—and even over Luke, who had been minding his own business quietly.
Only Albedo, with his immense strength, continued calmly reading his newspaper. And Jin—well, Jin didn't seem to know what fear was.
'Interesting… he truly don't felt fear,' Mira thought. 'But didn't Lord Albedo say his emotions were buried deep? Awakening them won't be easy.'
Then her gaze returned to Jay—the one being tested. She hadn't used much force. Just enough to see if he could regain mental control within five minutes. Her objective was simple: observe his reaction under prolonged exposure to fear.
Albedo had told her that it was Jay's fear and helplessness that had triggered the summoning of that thing that day.
It was crucial to understand Jay's limits.
What she hadn't anticipated was the risk of destroying the mansion again—a risk that haunted Albedo the most, as he silently calculated the cost of reconstruction. Mira could already foresee the long lecture that awaited her.
After a few moments, Luke overcame the pressure and returned to his usual noble elegance.
But Jay had not.
All his attempts to resist had failed.
Fear devoured his mind.
His thoughts fragmented—until only a dark veil remained in his consciousness.
"I… don't want to…" he murmured faintly, before collapsing into a deep sleep-like state.
And in that dream—or perhaps a nightmare—he faced the darkness once again.
***
I was floating in what felt like an endless abyss.
It was dark-darker than anything I'd ever known, a darkness that seemed to swallow the very concept of light. My eyes were closed, yet I could see everything.
Then, from the depths, an even greater darkness emerged, taking the shape of a colossal hand.
It moved toward me, dividing as it advanced.
One hand became two, then ten, then a hundred, then thousands-until countless hands of endless shadow reached out, wrapping around me.
They enfolded every fragment of my shattered body, as though trying to keep it from falling
apart.
I cried, but no tears came.
I screamed, but my mouth wouldn't open.
I was scared, but felt no fear.
Slowly, the countless hands receded, revealing a path before me-illuminated by pure darkness.
On either side, shadowed figures bowed deeply as I passed.
My body was dull, ashen, and pale. My blood... it was rotting in my veins. I had no eyes, yet I saw everything.
A path paved with corpses stretched before me, leading to an iron throne shrouded in mist and mystery. A hundred steps away.
With each step, my mind grew sharper. With each step, my understanding of this place
deepened.
But suddenly, the world around me trembled, shattered, and dissolved into nothingness.
Once again, I had failed to reach the throne.
But now, I understood.
I am the nightmare.
***
"Jay, hey! How long are you planning to sleep?"
Luke shook him firmly, trying to bring him back to consciousness.
Jay jolted awake and tumbled backward off his seat, hitting the floor with a dull thud.
"Boom!"
"Ouch…" he groaned, rubbing his lower back. "What… just happened?"
"You passed out in the middle of my test," Mira said, her voice laced with visible disappointment.
"Test?" Jay mumbled, still disoriented.
"So, what did you see?" Jin asked abruptly, interrupting Mira before she could scold him further.
"Oh, right... my nightmares," Jay muttered.
Then, with a somber tone, he recounted the vision: a vast realm of darkness, filled with countless shadowy creatures—each one kneeling in reverence before him.
And then… a throne. Forged from iron. A hundred steps away.
Jin's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
'He really possesses a nightmare,' he mused. 'That must be his innate world. And those hundred steps… that's his path to Divine Ascension.'