Location:- Nightmare Dream
Place:- Unknown Deity Temple
Yuuta’s crimson eyes widened as the scene before him slowly came into view.
"...What is this place?"
His voice echoed softly throughout the enormous chamber while his eyes wandered across every corner of the ancient structure. Standing before him was a gigantic hall unlike anything he had ever imagined.
Massive stone pillars stretched toward a ceiling so impossibly high that it disappeared into darkness, making Yuuta feel no larger than an ant standing inside the remains of a forgotten civilization.
The entire temple carried an indescribable pressure, one that couldn’t be explained with words alone. It felt ancient... far older than anything humanity should have been capable of building.
After gathering his courage, Yuuta slowly stepped inside.
His footsteps echoed throughout the silent hall as he carefully observed his surroundings. The stone floor beneath him was covered with countless cracks that stretched in every direction. Some sections had completely collapsed while others looked as though they had been crushed beneath an unimaginable force.
The deeper he looked, the more obvious it became that this wasn’t the result of age alone.
A battle...
A terrifying battle had taken place here.
Yuuta slowly approached one of the towering pillars standing nearby. Unlike the others, its entire side had been split apart by a single enormous slash.
He instinctively reached out and placed his hand against the damaged stone, quietly tracing the edge of the cut with his fingertips. The surface remained unbelievably smooth despite countless years having passed, as though an unimaginably sharp weapon had sliced through the pillar in one clean motion.
"...An axe?"
Yuuta whispered to himself.
The mark was simply too wide to have been created by a sword. Judging from its shape alone, it looked more like something had swung an enormous battle axe powerful enough to cleave through solid stone as though it were paper.
His gaze slowly drifted downward.
Near the base of the broken pillar...
Dark stains covered the cracked floor.
Yuuta crouched slightly.
Although time had long dried them, there was no mistaking what they were.
Blood.
An enormous amount of it.
His breathing unconsciously became heavier.
Someone...
Had fought here.
And judging from the amount of blood staining the ancient floor, whoever it was hadn’t simply been defeated.
They had died.
A slow chill crept up Yuuta’s spine as countless possibilities flooded his mind.
What kind of creature possessed enough strength to leave scars like these throughout an entire temple? What sort of monster required a battlefield of this size? The more he looked around, the more insignificant he felt standing inside the abandoned ruins.
Shaking those thoughts away, Yuuta forced himself to continue walking deeper into the temple.
Every step echoed through the endless silence while his eyes carefully searched every direction for movement. He couldn’t understand why such an enormous structure even existed.
The temple itself was larger than most buildings he had seen back on Earth. If something truly lived here...
How large would that creature have to be?
"Is this really another nightmare...?"
The question quietly escaped his lips.
Ever since his experiments began, Yuuta had suffered countless nightmares.
Sometimes he found himself reliving the torture inside the laboratory. Other times he was forced to run endlessly through places he had never seen before, chased by faceless monsters until he woke up drenched in sweat.
Every nightmare followed the same pattern. He was never truly in control. His body always moved on its own while he simply watched everything unfold without the ability to resist.
This place...
Was completely different.
Yuuta slowly raised one hand before his face.
His fingers moved exactly as he wanted.
He clenched his fist.
Opened it again.
Every movement responded perfectly to his thoughts.
"...I can control my body at my will."
His expression gradually became serious.
The feeling was almost identical to the Soul Realm he had entered before. Nothing about this place felt like an ordinary dream. The cold air brushing against his skin, the rough stone beneath his feet, even the sound of his own breathing felt unbelievably real.
Yuuta silently pushed those thoughts aside.
Standing here and questioning reality wouldn’t change anything.
The only way to uncover the truth...
Was to keep moving forward.
After walking for several more minutes, another enormous structure slowly emerged from the darkness ahead.
It was another stone gate.
Although slightly smaller than the colossal entrance he had opened earlier, it was still large enough to tower over him several times over. However, unlike the previous gate, this one possessed a far more terrifying appearance.
Its entire surface was covered in gigantic stone spikes.
Hundreds of them.
Each spike stretched outward like the fangs of some ancient beast, covering every inch of the gate. Despite being carved entirely from stone, their tips gleamed beneath the faint light filling the Dungeon, looking sharp enough to pierce flesh with the slightest touch.
Yuuta slowly walked toward the enormous stone gate before coming to a complete stop. His crimson eyes carefully scanned the surroundings, searching every corner of the chamber for another passage.
He looked to his left first, then toward the right, hoping to find a hidden corridor or another doorway concealed within the ancient walls.
Several moments passed, yet no matter how carefully he searched, the result remained the same.
There was no other path.
"...So this is the only way forward."
Yuuta instinctively glanced behind him.
His expression immediately stiffened.
The corridor he had walked through moments ago had completely disappeared. Just like the endless staircase that had mysteriously vanished earlier, the passage behind him was now nothing but endless darkness.
It was as though the temple itself was erasing every route he had already taken, silently forcing him to continue moving deeper inside.
"...You’ve got to be kidding me."
A bitter smile appeared on his face before his attention returned to the stone gate standing before him.
Unlike the previous gate, this one looked far more dangerous. Hundreds of gigantic stone spikes covered its entire surface, each one long enough to impale a person with ease.
Even though they were carved from solid stone, their sharp tips reflected the faint torchlight around the chamber. Yuuta couldn’t understand how something made from rock could appear so unbelievably sharp.
"...How am I supposed to open this?"
He slowly circled the gate, carefully examining every inch of its surface. There wasn’t a handle. There wasn’t a keyhole.
He couldn’t even find a small crack that suggested the gate could move. Everything about it looked completely sealed.
"If I try pushing it..."
Yuuta stared at the countless spikes covering the entrance before immediately shaking his head.
"...I’ll probably end up bleeding before it even opens."
Giving up on forcing the gate open, Yuuta decided to inspect the surrounding walls instead. A few steps away from the entrance stood another ancient stone statue, almost identical to the one near the previous gate.
The weathered figure held a burning torch in both hands, its eternal flame continuing to illuminate the silent chamber despite the countless years that had passed.
Yuuta slowly walked past the statue, allowing his eyes to wander across the surrounding walls.
"Hm...?"
Something immediately caught his attention.
Carved into the stone was a large mural that hadn’t been there before.
Unlike the strange symbols covering the previous gate, this one looked more like a story frozen in time. The carving depicted a human-shaped figure standing with one arm raised toward a large circular object suspended above him.
The circle itself contained dozens of smaller patterns engraved inside it, although years of erosion had made most of the details difficult to recognize.
Yuuta’s crimson eyes widened slightly.
"...A clue?"
He stepped closer, studying the mural with far greater attention than before.
"If this temple is filled with puzzles..."
"...then this has to mean something."
His eyes carefully followed every line carved into the ancient wall before returning to the mysterious circle above the figure’s hand.
"...A circle..."
Yuuta quietly muttered to himself.
"Then I should start looking for something shaped like a circle."
"If this is a puzzle..."
"...there has to be another mechanism hidden somewhere in this room."
Yuuta slowly circled the massive gate once again, carefully examining every pattern carved across its surface. His fingers traced the ancient engravings one by one, hoping one of them would reveal some hidden mechanism, but no matter how closely he looked, he found nothing.
The countless stone spikes completely covered the entrance, leaving no visible keyhole, switch, or movable section. Even after inspecting both sides of the gate, the result remained the same.
"...Nothing."
He let out a quiet sigh before walking toward the nearby statue once more. Just like the previous one, it stood silently while holding a burning torch that somehow continued to burn despite the countless years that had passed.
Yuuta carefully searched around its base, pressed against the surrounding walls, and even examined the floor beneath it, yet he still couldn’t find anything that resembled the circular pattern carved into the mural.
"...Where is that circle?"
He frowned in frustration.
His eyes instinctively returned to the mural for what felt like the tenth time. This time, however, he didn’t focus on the circle itself. Instead, he carefully observed the figure carved into the wall. The more he stared at it, the stranger it seemed.
The stone figure wasn’t simply raising its hand. Its head was tilted upward at an angle, almost as if it were looking toward something positioned above the gate.
Yuuta slowly narrowed his eyes.
"...Above?"
Without thinking, he copied the figure’s posture and lifted his own head.
His gaze slowly climbed toward the top of the enormous stone gate.
Several seconds later...
"...There."
Something was hidden above it.
Thick layers of ancient spider webs covered the upper section of the wall, making it almost impossible to notice at first glance. The webs concealed what appeared to be a circular object embedded directly into the stone.
Only a tiny portion remained visible through the tangled silk, but it was enough for Yuuta to recognize the outline.
"The circle..."
His eyes immediately lit up.
"So that’s where it is."
A second later, the excitement on his face disappeared just as quickly.
"...Wait."
His expression became awkward.
"How am I supposed to reach that?"
The object was positioned several meters above his head. Even if he jumped with all his strength, he wouldn’t come close to touching it. He looked around for another staircase, a ladder, or even a loose pillar he could climb, but the chamber remained completely empty.
Yuuta clicked his tongue in annoyance before looking back at the mural.
"If I can’t reach it..."
"...then how did this person activate it?"
His eyes carefully studied the carved figure once again.
Only now did he notice another small detail.
The figure wasn’t merely pointing upward.
Something appeared to be extending from its hand toward the circle.
At first, Yuuta assumed it was simply part of the carving.
Then...
His mind suddenly connected everything.
"...Wait."
His crimson eyes widened.
"That isn’t throwing something..."
"...It’s releasing power."
His heartbeat quickened.
"Aura..."
He immediately looked down at his own hands.
"Do I have to use my aura to activate the mechanism?"
The more he thought about it, the more everything began making sense. The previous gate had opened simply by making contact, but this gate was clearly different. It wasn’t meant to be opened through physical strength. Whoever built this temple expected the person standing here to possess aura.
A relieved smile slowly appeared across Yuuta’s face.
"So that’s the puzzle."
"I finally figured it out."
The only problem remaining...
Was how.
Yuuta slowly looked toward the hidden circle above the gate once again.
"I’ve barely learned anything about aura."
"I don’t even know if this is possible."
He remained silent for several moments before scratching the back of his head.
"...Well..."
"I’ve never tried before."
Taking a slow breath, Yuuta closed his eyes.
"If this place really works like the Soul Realm..."
"...then maybe I should think about it the same way."
He emptied his mind.
Instead of forcing the aura to appear, he simply tried feeling it.
The next instant...
A familiar warmth surged throughout his body.
Yuuta’s eyes snapped open.
He immediately looked down at his hand as faint streams of aura quietly gathered around his fingertips.
"...Yes."
A smile spread across his face.
"It worked."
The worry lingering inside his heart finally disappeared. For a brief moment, he had feared that because this was a nightmare or perhaps another dream his aura might not respond at all. Fortunately, the energy flowing through his body felt exactly the same as it did inside the Soul Realm.
Yuuta slowly clenched his glowing hand before looking back toward the hidden circle.
"...Now comes the difficult part."
"I have to send my aura all the way up there."
His eyes remained fixed on the mechanism hidden beneath the spider webs.
"...But how?"
"The target is too far away..."
"...and I don’t even know if aura can leave my body."
He quietly scratched his cheek before letting out a helpless laugh.
"I seriously should’ve paid more attention during the basics."
Yuuta slowly raised his hand toward the hidden circle above the stone gate before taking a deep breath. If the mural was correct, then all he had to do was release his aura and send it toward the mechanism. It sounded simple enough in theory.
He focused on the familiar warmth flowing through his body before attempting to push it out through his palm just like the characters in countless anime and manhwa always did.
Nothing happened.
"...Huh?"
Yuuta frowned before trying again.
This time he stretched his arm forward dramatically.
"Kamehameha...!"
Silence.
Not even the faintest spark appeared.
His aura obediently flowed inside his body, yet the moment he tried forcing it outside, it refused to move any further. No matter how many ridiculous poses he copied from the shows he had watched back on Earth, the result remained exactly the same.
"...Damn."
"This is way harder than it looks."
He let out a long sigh before scratching the back of his head.
"I really should’ve asked Grandpa Isvarn to teach me the basics."
His gaze wandered across the chamber in frustration until it landed on a small stone lying near his feet.
"...Wait."
A thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"If I can’t shoot my aura..."
"...then what if I put my aura inside something first?"
He immediately crouched down and picked up the fist-sized stone.
"If I can fill this rock with aura..."
"...then I can just throw it at the circle."
The more he thought about it, the more reasonable the idea sounded.
"Yeah..."
"Maybe that’ll work."
Without wasting another second, Yuuta closed his eyes and slowly tightened his grip around the stone. The familiar warmth flowing through his body answered his call almost immediately, gathering around his arm before converging inside his palm. This time, instead of trying to release the aura into the air, he carefully attempted to guide it into the stone itself.
The instant the aura touched the rock.
Crack...!
Yuuta’s eyes instantly snapped open.
"...What?"
He slowly opened his hand.
The stone had completely crumbled into fine dust.
Tiny fragments slipped through the gaps between his fingers before scattering across the ancient floor.
Yuuta stared blankly at his empty palm.
"...Wait."
"...Am I that strong?"
He couldn’t hide the surprise on his face.
"I didn’t even squeeze that hard..."
For a brief moment, excitement appeared in his eyes.
Then it quickly disappeared.
"...No."
"This isn’t something to celebrate."
"If the stone breaks every time..."
"...then I still can’t activate the mechanism."
Determination quickly replaced his disappointment.
He picked up another stone.
Then another.
Then another.
Every single attempt ended exactly the same way.
The moment he tried pushing his aura into the rock...
Crack.
It shattered.
Some crumbled into dust.
Others exploded into several smaller pieces before slipping through his fingers.
Yuuta refused to give up.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Time slowly passed inside the silent temple.
The pile of shattered stones beneath his feet continued growing larger while his frustration increased with every failed attempt.
Almost an hour later...
Yuuta dropped another handful of dust onto the floor before letting out a tired sigh.
"Why...?"
He rubbed his forehead in frustration while staring at the countless broken stones scattered around him.
"Why can’t I push my aura inside?"
"There has to be something I’m missing."
He slowly leaned against one of the ancient pillars before closing his eyes.
"I seriously should’ve asked Grandpa Isvarn."
"Even a single lesson would’ve helped..."
The moment Isvarn’s name crossed his mind...
Yuuta suddenly froze.
His eyes slowly opened.
"...Wait."
He straightened his back.
"Grandpa..."
A memory surfaced inside his mind.
During their training...
Isvarn had transferred aura directly into his body more than once.
Not only that...
He had done it without injuring him.
"Grandpa never forced his aura into me."
"It simply flowed."
Yuuta’s pupils gradually widened.
"That’s it..."
"I finally understand."
A smile slowly spread across his face as every failed attempt suddenly began making sense.
"I’ve been forcing it."
"I was trying to shove my aura inside the stone..."
"...instead of letting it flow naturally."
Excitement returned to his eyes.
Without wasting another second, Yuuta bent down and picked up the final intact stone lying near his feet.
He gently held the stone in both hands before taking a slow, steady breath.
"This time..."
"...I’ll succeed."
Yuuta slowly closed his eyes.
Instead of trying to force his aura into the stone like before, he emptied his mind. He stopped thinking of the rock as an ordinary object lying in his hand.
Instead, he imagined it as an extension of himself, no different from his own arm or fingers. He didn’t reject the stone anymore.
He accepted it, allowing his consciousness to slowly embrace it as though it had always belonged to him.
The warm current of aura responded almost immediately.
Rather than crashing against the stone with overwhelming force, the aura flowed gently from his palm like water finding its own path.
The rock didn’t resist this time. It quietly accepted the energy, allowing Yuuta’s aura to seep deeper and deeper into its core.
One second passed.
Then another.
Nearly a minute slipped by in complete silence.
Yuuta remained perfectly still, patiently maintaining the connection between himself and the stone. Gradually, he felt the flow of aura slow before reversing direction. A faint sensation returned through his hands, as though the rock itself had acknowledged his presence and answered him.
His crimson eyes slowly opened.
The once ordinary stone now emitted a faint crimson glow.
Thin streams of aura gently surrounded its surface before quietly settling inside it.
Yuuta stared at the rock in disbelief.
"...I..."
His lips trembled slightly.
"...I did it."
For a brief moment, he simply stood there, unable to believe what he was seeing.
Then a wide smile spread across his face.
"I did it..."
"I actually did it!"
After failing for hours, after turning countless stones into nothing more than dust, he had finally succeeded. The excitement rushing through his chest was impossible to describe. It wasn’t because the technique itself was extraordinary.
It was because he had learned it.
By himself.
Yuuta tightly gripped the aura-infused stone before lifting his gaze toward the hidden circle concealed behind the ancient spider webs high above the gate.
"...Here goes."
He took a deep breath.
Steadied his stance.
Then, with every ounce of strength he could control, he hurled the stone toward the mechanism.
The crimson projectile shot through the air.
Whoosh!
A heartbeat later
Clang!
The aura-infused stone struck the hidden circle with perfect precision.
The ancient temple trembled.
A deep rumble echoed through the endless halls as countless years of dust rained from the ceiling. One by one, the mysterious patterns carved across the stone gate began to glow with an eerie crimson light, spreading like veins throughout the entire entrance.
Yuuta instinctively took a step back.
"...It worked."
His voice barely escaped his lips.
But before relief could settle in...
Crack...
A sound echoed from the other side of the gate.
Not the sound of stone.
Not the sound of gears.
It...
Sounded like footsteps.
Heavy.
Slow.
Deliberate.
As if something that had slept for countless ages...
Had just awakened.
To Be Continued...
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