Chapter 14: The Land of Dreams and Nightmares (2)
Akasha took a deep breath, the thick, cool air of the Dream Land heavy in his lungs.
The soft ground shifted slightly under his feet as he stepped forward, crossing the shimmering barrier into the first battlefield.
The moment he did, a new status window appeared.
[0/25,000 Dreams]
[0/25,000 Nightmares]
All around him stretched an endless chaotic plain.
BOOOOM!!!!
BOOOOM!!!!
CLANGGG!!!!
Countless beings—some resembling ordinary humans, others terrifying demons—clashed violently.
Blades rang against claws, as fists thudded into bodies with bone-jarring force, and cries and roars rolled through the thick swirling mist.
Blue-marked figures battled red-marked foes in an unyielding cycle.
And it was clear at a glance to Akasha... no one here truly stayed down—the fallen would glimmer faintly, their forms knitting back together before hurling themselves back into the fray.
Akasha paused, taking a moment to absorb everything around him, a slow smile curling across his lips.
"How do I want to fight from here on out?" he wondered, realizing he had never fought a day in his life.
"Hmm, I’m not sure, but sword users are pretty cool," he mused, recalling the things he’d read about swords, spears, and other weapons, though the sword had always held a special place in his mind.
Still, he couldn’t say for certain if that would be his first choice or not.
In this moment, he began to channel one of his innate powers—only for Yume’s voice to suddenly echo urgently in his mind.
[Master, you don’t have to use Dreams Realization here,] she said.
[That power is for the waking world only. Inside this realm, anything you create will currently manifest at the Above Origin Tier 21 level—the universal peak.]
Hearing this, Akasha paused to process her words.
He then asked a question in his mind for Luna, before he began to jump to exaggerated conclusions.
’Is there anything I need to know about fighting before I begin?’ he asked carefully.
Luna, hovering beside Yume in the sky, replied simply.
’Well, you should create your own battle style. It’s something that will change the very way you move. If you learn that first instead of starting from the absolute basics, you will grasp fighting way faster.’
Akasha nodded before speaking to Yume.
"If I dream my own battle style at the Above Origin Tier 21 level..., will I instantly gain the knowledge while in the Dream Land?"
It was clear he had something specific in mind, but Yume couldn’t quite grasp the hints in his questions.
Without a moment’s pause, she nodded in agreement.
[Yes, Master... anything brought into existence in the Dream Land belongs to you. In truth, you already hold dominion over it.]
Akasha’s smile spread wider, the effort to conceal it nearly gone. He then went again with one last inquiry.
"Is there any chance I could lose the knowledge I’ve gained here once I leave?"
Yume’s eyes narrowed in puzzlement, but she answered.
[No. There is no way you will lose the knowledge....]
In that instant, realization struck her.
"Pfft.... HAHA!"
Akasha erupted into wild laughter, the sound rolling across the mist-shrouded lands. For a fleeting moment, the clash of steel and distant roars seemed to fade, swallowed by his voice.
By the time Yume realized where his questions were leading, it was already too late.
Akasha completely abandoned the idea of using a weapon.
Instead, a wide, predatory smile spread across his face.
"I’ll become a master of fighting in every aspect."
With that in mind, he walked a short distance deeper into the battlefield and sat down cross-legged at the edge of the chaos.
The soft ground yielded under his weight as the endless war surged around him—yet none of the Dreams or Nightmares seemed to notice him at all.
Luna and Yume hovered nearby in the sky, watching quietly.
While in this place, he felt no need to question how the power of dreaming worked, as he instantly knew it was all about his imagination.
So, Akasha closed his eyes and let his mind take over.
HUMMMM!!!!!
One by one, shimmering tablets began to appear out of thin air, stacking themselves into orderly glowing piles around him.
Real-world styles appeared first—boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA—followed by Pantheos-born arts: fluid deceptive movements, brutal overwhelming power, adaptive environmental techniques, and countless others forged over eras.
HUMMMM!!!!!
Then as he continued a larger, more radiant tablet formed in front of him, hovering slightly.
It represented a complete, unified battle style that encompassed the core fundamentals—movement, breathing, timing, footwork, balance, and adaptability.
Akasha opened his eyes... then with a single touch, each tablet dissolved into shimmering motes of light that flowed effortlessly into his mind.
And... all the knowledge settled cleanly, layering perfectly without conflict.
Yume stared in wide-eyed shock. She had never witnessed anything like this—a virtual loophole in some of the few foundational rules of Pantheos she knew.
When the final tablet disappeared, a new prompt appeared.
----
[You have mastered an Above Origin Ranked Battle Style.]
[Eternal Foundation Arts: Eternal Battle Style (Tier 21/21) – This Battle Style is the Universal Peak of basic fighting and combat. It represents the perfect synthesis of body, will, movement, and intent.
Abilities: Perfect Equilibrium (Passive) — Your balance and stability are absolute. You cannot be knocked down or thrown unless you allow it.
Instinctive Adaptation (Passive) — Your body automatically adjusts to any fighting style or rhythm you face after observing it for a short time.
Foundational Strike (Passive) — Perfectly executed basic strikes that carries amplified force. +2 BP.
Flowing Transition (Passive) — Movement between any form of attack or defense is seamless and near-instantaneous.
Resilient Foundation (Passive) — Your foundational stance rapidly recovers minor injuries during combat.]
Akasha stared at the prompt, a slow, excited smile spreading across his face.
"Hell yeah..."
He rose to his feet, the thrill sharp in his blood-red eyes.
Without hesitation, he broke into a run, bare feet pounding against the yielding ground as he charged straight into the fray.
RRRROAAAARRRRR!!!!!!
In the same instant, his passive abilities immediately began to work as a massive, red-marked demon-like beast lunged toward him with a deafening roar.
Akasha leapt with uncanny hang time, twisted through the air, and seized both of the beast’s arms in an unbreakable grip.
Riding the force of his motion, he drove both feet squarely into its chest.
BOOM!
The kick landed with devastating force.
The creature’s chest caved in completely, ribs shattering as the impact obliterated its torso in a violent spray of distorted dream essence and red light.
A final warped scream tore from its throat before the entire being dissolved into shimmering particles.
[1/25,000 Nightmares]
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