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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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At World's End Entry 29
Two weeks had passed since Thea’s death.I got discharged from the clinic and was awarded 100 achievement points for defeating the Nightmare trial.For context, achievement points was the means used to grade Explorers.To graduate the academy and become a real Explorer, I needed to amass 500 achievement points.Which basically meant that I had to repeat the feat of the first trial four more times.Worst part was if I failed a trial, 50 points was deducted.If you are wondering why it’s half the attained sum, well that’s because the other half goes to acting as recompense for the amount of time the candidate stays in the clinic.Ugh, this is messed up.I knew the academy would be dangerous but… someone died!And it didn’t look like anyone took it as a big deal.In fact, the instructors and candidates went about their daily activities casually.Worst of all, the trials were still ongoing.The fifth batch got sucked in last night and based on what I heard… none of them passed.“What’s on
At World's End Entry 30
Reginald suddenly stepped forward and walked up to me before bowing slightly. “Thank you. If not for your actions, we might have ended up in worse conditions.”I couldn’t refute his words since Roberts had made it clear that clearing the trial saved the candidates.When it came to the Nightmare trials, there were only two outcomes.Passing or failing.If one passed, depending on the order of the trial, then that’s fine.For a solo trial, it was simply a matter of one candidate defeating the trial.A group trial however, it was harder to decide on how each candidate was graded.Depending on their actions and how much contribution they made to the scenario, they were awarded.Of course, this was reliant on the one that beat the trial.If he said it was a solo win and the others were baggage, it would be hard to refute.If he said it was a win for a few and mentioned those that helped, then that would be taken as the basis on which rewards where given.Anyway, passing a trial would mean
At World's End Entry 31
Stigmas were markings given to those that passed the Nightmare trials.According to what Roberts told me a week after I was discharged from the hospital and felt curious about the symbol that was basically a black line around my wrist, the Stigma wasn’t as simple as it looked.For context, I’d have to explain just like he did.So apparently, the Dreamer hunted humans by pulling them into dreams and killing them by sucking their life essence.Which meant that even if you didn’t die immediately in the dream, chances were you’d die due to a prolonged period in the nightmare.Anyway, those that managed to escape the nightmares were most times marked by the Dreamer.This marking came in the form of a tattoo.Depending on the type of nightmare, the tattoo would have a different design.Of course, during that period, the tattoo wasn’t known as a Stigma.Instead, they called it a Curse.Anyone that managed to escape the Nightmare would be cursed by the Dreamer in two ways.One, whatever happe
At World's End Entry 32
Silence.My body felt heavy and I couldn’t breath properly.Did something happen?Ugh, why do I feel so uncomfortable?Suddenly, a certain smell bombarded my nostril.It was a familiar smell since it was the one that hit me the day dad left me.A fire!Opening my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar location.It was mostly dark but I could just about make out a few things due to the little flames engulfing a few areas in the room.Of course, I had to close my eyes and open them again to get accustomed to the low light and even then, I ended up squinting.A burned room with shelves piled over each other and debris all over the ground.Looking back, instead of the bed I slept on, it was a slab of broken concrete.Ugh, no wonder I was so uncomfortable.I was laying down on stone.In any case, what’s going on?Where am I?... Wait a minute.Is this a trial?It happened so soon?... This is unexpected.Looking down at my body, instead of my sleeping attire, I wore a leather jacket with jean
At World's End Entry 33
A Zombie.Yeah, that’s the name I came up with for the Otherworldly I just murdered.What?... It’s actions reminded me of the weird stories Leila used to tell me of undead monsters that sort to eat brains.At that time I wondered how such monsters could threaten humanity, but if they were like this?... Damn, I was tripping.Anyway, from our little scuffle, I was able to make out a few things.Basically it’s attributes which included an impenetrable skin and it’s weakness which was it’s inside.I should say this is welcome progress from last time when I was completely out of it.Then again… I can’t believe I killed it.That was kinda scary.I guess I should be thankful for the class I had this morning concerning the Explorers guide to surviving in the fog.When dealing with Otherworldly, it was important to first determine its abilities and weakness before attacking.Blindly rushing in would lead to death on more occasions than one.Of course this didn’t mean that the Otherworldly woul
At World's End Entry 34
Thinking back now, it’s been a little over 7 weeks ( 70 days ) since I became a cadet in the Academy.During this period, I’ve experienced combat training, backbreaking exercises and problems with keeping focus.Through it all, I wouldn’t say I was a full fledged Explorer.Nope, I’m a long way from that.But there was a difference and I was thankful for that.Maybe it was a little irresponsible though to suddenly put us into such situations where we were forced to take on monsters that we’d normally never have a chance against.Roberts said something peculiar.That the suppression used by the examiners was strong enough to ensure that the monsters we faced in the nightmares were never stronger than we could handle.But that was bold of him to say considering they don’t have a say in the scenarios each nightmare is set in.How are they so sure that the monsters are being suppressed?What if it’s just the Dreamer playing a game.That thought process was forced to come to a halt however
At World's End Entry 35
The Fog was an important part of why humanity was forced to live in a tower like rats.It emerged out of nowhere one day and engulfed the world in terror and destruction.Out of it, unspeakable entities emerged and devoured humanity.It was our greatest enemy, greater than even the monsters that was borne from it.All my life, I always wondered what it looked like and seeing it now… I didn’t know how to feel.This was a nightmare, yes and I had already convinced myself of that, yet the Fog appeared.Roberts and the captain never said anything about this.Which was why so many questions popped up in my mind as I watched the thick white mist enter the storeroom.Why would the Fog appear in a nightmare that was supposedly suppressed by the examiners?What was the creature it came with?Would we be able to escape it’s grasp?These questions and more flooded my mind and momentarily, I blanked out.“Brother Jerry!”Lincoln’s fear filled voice snapped me out of my reverie and it was then I s
At World's End Entry 36
Ugh, what happened?My head hurts.Why can’t I move my body?Am I paralyzed?Am I dead?No, stop panicking.Take deep breaths.Hmm, okay let’s try to recall what happened.The storeroom, zombie, then… Ugh, it hurts!Fuck!Gritting my teeth, I force my eyes open and I’m greeted by a night sky…. Wait what!The shock of what was before my eyes allowed me forget the temporary paralysis I felt as I bolted up.Unbelievable.Is this what the sky looks like?I’d never seen it before but dad always said it was one of the wonders of the outside world.So much space.I could hardly breathe at what lay out there.Of course, this sky was without the stars and clouds that dad spoke about but that should be because this is just a nightmare.“Brother Jerry!”I look over to find Lincoln rushing toward him.He looked quite haggard, to the point where a simple thought came to mind.Mad man!Ahem, anyway.“It seems like we survived. Did you just wake up?”Lincoln shook his vigorously. “Not at all.”It wa
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- At World's End
Entry 174
The clash was like no other.After learning about the Headmaster coming for them, Jason and Philip prepared an ambush.The Headmaster was right when he said Philip had absorbed the essence of the Dreamer.Due to that absorption, he had shed his mortal coils and embraced his monstrous side without any fear.The Dreamer was a creature capable of pulling humans into dreams but for Philip it was slightly different.He was able to rewrite the fabric of reality, blurring the lines between the dream world and reality.A terrifying power he used to the best of his ability at this point.Using the tunnels as a backdrop, he created a maze with an elaborate structure and advised Jason to have the Vampires hide in wait for their prey.A brilliant plan, considering they had the upper hand.They would be able to spot the humans from a distance considering they’d be moving with torches but the Vampires managed to blend into the darkness.All that was required now was to wait and all would work out w
- At World's End
Entry 173
It was the first time Vampires became a thing.Once Creatures of folklore told around campfires in the old world, these creatures were tame compared to what was before them at this very moment.A few reasons remained as to why the Otherworldly abomination was called Vampire but two stood out.One was because these monster feasted on blood and the second was that they had insane regenerative abilitiesMore than that, the third and last one was their dislike for light.They thrived in dark place as the mines and even the entire tower was meant to be.It’s quite understandable why the higher ups wouldn’t want the Vampires reaching the heart, now, no?Unlike normal Otherworldly that just don’t like light, the light for Vampires was a lethal weapon that could deal incredible damage in proportion to the intensity of the light.Which meant if they got to the Heart and by some stroke of luck, succeed in destroying it, that would mean the entire tower would be destroyed without a chance to sav
- At World's End
Entry 172
There were many things to consider when it came to leadership.Both for those that sought to be leaders or those that searched for a leader.It was no easy task, rather daunting enough for those that dared to take the post of leader to actually do what they were meant to do.For Heralds, their leadership was absolute as long as it with the squadron they commanded.Before any other position, a Herald was considered first when a Squadron was to move out.The squad members of a particular squadron have the right to listen to their Herald over a captain or commander or even General.This was because the Herald was not just a simple position.One wasn’t just a leader, nay, they were also family.Such sense of camaraderie helped squad members look out for one another but also brought fierce competition as there were hardly squadron’s that listened to the Captain’s, commanders or Generals over their Herald.A position where one held the life or death of so many people.There had never been a
- At World's End
Entry 171
The All-seeing Eye would have never believed it would come across the Void Wanderer again, after all, ever since that day, the Void Wanderer was pronounced dead.It should have died but even in death, it seemed as though it wouldn’t rest until it had done what it wanted which was to cause chaos amongst them.You will never get away with this!... Your kind is already doomed!... Do not waste your time fighting against the inevitable. What you should do is swear your allegiance to the one who watches and accept his reign.[Bold of you to assume that I would waste my time having a conversation with you. Please… enough with the noise.]The All-seeing Eye wanted to say but before it had a chance to, space about it began to constrict, growing tightly about it until it could barely move in any direction.No!... You cannot do this!.... You cannot do this!Unfortunately, Lord had no more words to share with him and a moment later, his body exploded like a watermelon that received the full brunt
- At World's End
Entry 170
The Otherworldly were graded according to a system created by mankind after constant bouts with them.From E, it ascended thusly; E, D, C, B, A, S, SS and lastly Godspawn.Two things were used in the grading process.One was the destructive capabilities of said monster while the second was the utility of their ability.Which meant a flame monster could be lesser than a monster that can’t be seen simply because the monster that can’t be seen won’t be easily beat.For the flame monster, there would surely be ways to counter since it’s seen but the other… the first step would be to see it no?Other criteria was put into consideration as well, like how hard was it to kill one or like how fast were their regenerative capabilities.Of course this applied to most Otherworldly.Yes, most.The SS and Godspawn were different.They were a class that defied natural laws and created conundrums that defied everything humanity had come to understand.The difference between an SS and a Godspawn was t
- At World's End
Entry 169
It was a simple plan with a simple purpose in mind.Reginald, Veronica and Jeremy.These three had abandoned the pain and suffering from that time during the newbie massacre to come together for a singular reason.What was the reason you might ask?... It was purely revenge.Revenge for their fallen comrades that had died unjustly at the hands of scheming bastards that hid within the shadows.The fact that they had found out whom the perpetrators were made it all the more better.At least they wouldn’t move like headless flies.Now they could move with the desire to kill the one that caused them the grievance they were still suffering even as they sat in Jeremy’s room, talking with smiled on their faces.Leah hadn’t been fooled when she saw them smile and laugh so energetically.It was most likely because they didn’t want her to worry.Unfortunately, she no longer had eyes that could be deceived.Leah only listened to the hearts of those she communicated with and currently, as she list
- At World's End
Entry 168
Veronica sighed as she rose from her bed and walked over to the door to open it only to find her father standing outside.“Dad, you?” Veronica said.Her father nodded. “Were you sleeping?”“No… not yet.” Veronica shook her head in response.“I thought as much. Alright, let me come in first.” With that said, he casually entered without giving Veronica much of a choice to refuse or anything of that sort.She watched on as he sat on her bed and made himself comfortable before tapping on the bed.“Come sit.”Veronica pursed her lips before letting out a sigh. “still as intrusive as ever.”Sitting beside her father, she waited for him to talk.He pondered for a bit before he spoke. “how are you feeling?”“Fine.” Veronica replied.Her father glanced at her and after a bit of scrutiny, shook his head. “that’s a lie.”“If you already know, then why ask?”“To know if you are willing to tell yourself the truth.”“…The truth is too painful to accept.”Her father stared at her solemn face and aft
- At World's End
Entry 167
It all happened so suddenly.One moment, the thugs were trying to take down Jeremy and Marcus to take away their belongings and the next moment, they were writhing on the floor like worms that had salt poured in them.As they groaned and gasped for air, Jeremy looked on with an expressionless look on his face.Meanwhile, Marcus was somewhat terrified.Just what power had Jeremy used?He couldn’t even begin to fathom it.But then he wondered. If he had such an ability… wouldn’t Ria still be alive now?Wouldn’t he have been able to save Ria and ensure nothing happens to her?As that thought came, Marcus found himself pondering on it more and more until he could hardly think of anything else.Then he heard Jeremy’s voice. “This not power you should hope for.”His voice snapped Marcus out of his reverie, causing him to realize that he had Ben staring off into nothingness for a bit too long.Then he glanced at Jeremy who was staring intently at him.“how did you do that!” Marcus immediatel
- At World's End
Entry 166
“You heard about the fire?” Jeremy inquired with a raised brow.Reginald nodded. “It was a dangerous affair after all. It’s one of the few times when an entire floor was threatened. If anything had gone wrong, we would have seen casualties in the thousands.”“I agree. And that was just a side effect.”“A side effect, you say?” Reginald raised a brow.Jeremy replied. “Yeah. Apparently, Marcus only had to kill some mafia leader that had his hands on the black market on that floor, engaging in unsavory activities including drugs, prostitution and slavery.”“that… wait, you said the orb is a Vestige?” Reginald asked.Jeremy nodded. “it is.”“so how did he use it?... Aren’t Vestiges objects that only react to variance?... So how did he activate it?”“I have no idea.” Replied Jeremy in all honesty.He was also quite curious to figure out how it happened.It was a known fact that even ordinary Explorers could not use Vestiges because of their lack of variance.But Marcus managed to do so des
