NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44: Power System
The Nightmare Spell:
The Nightmare Spell has a tendency to infect those who are close to adulthood. For humans, that range would be 15-18. This also applies for the age equivalent of other races. There are exceptions, with young children and preteens sometimes being infected.
Once infected by the Nightmare Spell, the carrier would be put into a state of forced sleep, in which they must face a trial known as the First Nightmare. The First Nightmare contains a singular Nightmare Creature, which must be slain in order to escape the Nightmare. If the carrier dies within the Nightmare, the Nightmare Creature incarnates into the carriers body, entering the real world.
By passing the First Nightmare, the carrier unlocks their Aspect, which provides them with special abilities. Every Aspect is unique, and is dictated by the personality, desires, and circumstances of the carrier's life. These Aspects can grow more potent by increasing the Aspect Rank, which can be done by performing well within the Nightmares.
After passing the First Nightmare, the carrier becomes a Dreamer. Once the Winter Solstice arrives, all Dreamers are transported into the Dream Realm, in which they must locate a gateway in order to return to the Waking World. Once they do so, they become Awakened.
After becoming an Awakened, the carrier can then choose to increase their Rank by challenging the rest of the Nightmares.
Tools Provided by The Nightmare Spell:
1. A clear way to view one's Aspect, Abilities, Attributes, True Name, and other information.
2. A simple method of increasing the Rank of one's soul (In the Dream Realm's past, there are Awakened that do not have the Nightmare Spell. The process to grow stronger is much more convoluted without the Spell, but much safer than challenging Nightmares.)
3. Provides assistance for certain Aspects. Aspects related to creating weapons would automatically turn those weapons into Memories, while divination Aspects that could view others abilities would simply show the runes.
4. Provides Memories and Echoes.
Memories and Echoes:
Memories are items with mythical qualities that are usually granted by the Nightmare Spell. Echoes are a soulless copy of a slain enemy, and can use all their abilities. These can both be created by certain Aspects.
Path of Ascension:
This is the progression path of humans and Noble Creatures. It is currently unknown how to increase in Rank without the Nightmare Spell.
Please note that the gap between Ranks grows larger with each step.
Dormant: Ranges from normal humans to Dreamers. Dreamers are not much different from normal humans until their soul cores are relatively saturated, delving into the realms of superhumans. Dormant Abilities do not require essence, as they don't have the ability to use it.
Awakened: Implied by the name, this is the awakening of one's soul. Even the weakest of Awakened can display impressive feats of strength. They gain the ability to control soul essence, and obtain an Aspect Ability that requires it.
Ascended: This is the merging of the body and soul. Generally referred to as Masters, their ability to control essence becomes much more precise. This is the only known rank in which Aspect Abilities don't follow a pattern.
Transcendent: Also known as Saints, they are the champions of humanity. Their soul stretches into the world itself, creating a connection with a specific element. This element is based on their Aspect, and can range from something simple like fire, to something conceptual like longing. This source element provides the Saint with spirit essence — the essence of the world. This essence is then converted into soul essence. These individuals are akin to Demi-gods, some of them being able to destroy planets.
Supreme: Unknown.
Sacred: Unknown.
Divine: Unknown.
Aspects:
Aspects are the expression of the soul. Every Aspect is unique, and is dictated by the personality, desires, and circumstances of the carrier's life. These Aspects can grow more potent by increasing the Aspect Rank, which can be done by performing well within the Nightmares. Aspect Ranks follow the same rules as the Path of Ascension, going from Dormant to Divine.
Divine Aspect holders gain the ability to create multiple cores, and this has an affect on their Abilities.
Every time a carrier increases their Soul Rank, they gain a new Aspect Ability. Aspect Ranks effects both the potency of these Abilities along with the effectiveness of them when in tandem with another Ability.
For example, Sunless, who has a Divine Aspect, has two abilities as an Awakened. Shadow Control and Shadow Step. Using the first ability, he can move his shadow to a different location. He can then use the second ability to teleport to the shadow's location.
If his Aspect Rank was lower, the only thing that would change is the potency of the Abilities. However, if he were to have an Aspect of the Dormant Rank, his Awakened Ability would change into something that wouldn't work as well with his Dormant Ability.
Essentially, an Awakened would only have an Ascended Ability with good synergy if their Aspect Rank was at least Ascended. The same applies for all other Ranks. As such, the Dormant Ability does not change unless the Aspect Rank is Divine. This gives the Dormant Ability a special function which is related to the ability to have multiple cores. For example, whenever Sunny gains another Shadow Core, he gains another Shadow Helper.
Attributes:
Attributes are the inherent traits of an Awakened, given during the First Nightmare. These can be seperate into multiple categories:
Innate: These are Attributes granted from birth.
Aspect-Related: These Attributes are given during the First Nightmare, and are connected to the Aspect of the carrier.
Lineage: These Attributes are hereditary, and are obtained by either consuming a Lineage Memory or by accomplishing great achievements. The former are related to Divine beings, while the latter is related to the feats performed by the Awakened.
Soulbound: Certain Memories can be linked to an Awakened's soul, becoming an Attribute that grows alongside them.
Miscellaneous: The Nightmare Spell sometimes displays occurrences to the Awakened. The most common form is special attacks from Nightmare Creatures, such as mind hexes.
Paths:
Aeons are mysterious entities that embody a singular concept. Pathstriders are those that can draw power from these paths, while Emanators are those that have gained permission from an Aeon to do so. The former is quite common, while the latter has just as much potential as a Divine Aspect holder, and are almost as rare. Emanators always have Sacred Aspects that are deeply entwined with their Path.
Path of Corruption:
The Rank of a Nightmare Creature does not have any specific meaning outside of their overall strength. The Class is what changes them on a more fundamental level.
Ranks: Dormant, Awakened, Fallen, Corrupted, Great, Cursed, Unholy.
Classes:
Beast: Animalistic tendencies. Does not have any special abilities.
Monster: Has a rudimentary intelligence, and are more devestating than Beasts.
Demon: Has a sinister intelligence that is sometimes even higher than humans.
Devil: Gains frightening, yet strange abilities. Nightmare Creatures always have abilities that are used to kill their prey, unlike Aspects.
Tyrant: Gains command over Nightmare Creatures, thralls, or other things.
Terror: Can influence their surroundings in strange ways. Can be considered as a large scale evolution of Devil abilities.
Titan: Exact effects are unknown, but they have a tendency to be large in size.