Reborn As A Ghost: Time To Build My Undead Army!

-----

"This is incredible, Maria, you can even create Dream Weapons from nothing?!" Sofia asked.

"Not exactly from nothing, I used a lot of materials we've been harvesting," I said. "At least a few thousand Nightmare Beast corpses were used. If we didn't hunt a lot beforehand, it wouldn't had been possible."

"Still amazing!" Emily said. "I feel kind of stronger, and more protected…"

"Yeah, just think or say out loud "Nightmare Armor Activate" and then see the magic," I said.

They looked at one another, and then Alma suddenly was covered in a translucent, pink and purple armor covering her entire body.

"Woah?! What's this? It's amazing!"

"Your accessories combine to create a powerful magical armor to repel nightmare power, it should also help you against Nightmare Authorities," I said. "With this, they won't be able to easily trap you inside a Nightmare Realm too."

Then, everyone else tested the armor and were quite surprised it worked pretty well. The armor changed form and shape to adjust to their body type.

"Also they cost some of your energy, so only use them when you see necessary… If you get attacked by a powerful Nightmare Power, it will automatically activate," I said with a smile. "With this we can at least ensure you can survive a few attacks."

"Once we get inside we might get attacked from every angle or even get separated…" Said Jonathan. "I fear we might be forced to fight alone."

"I understand that fear well," I nodded. "Don't worry, Jonathan. I've already connected my Shadow with everyone's shadows, with this, I'll be able to instantly drag you back to me."

"Eh? Really?! That sounds sweet!" Alma said. "Maria, you really thought about everything… if you could ever show the people outside these rings, society could grow a lot, I mean. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could get more Dream Weapons?"

"I think so too, but there's some risks and so on," I said. "I feel like it would be better if people discover and create these things on their own rather than to rely on me…"

"A-Ah, yes, I do… I guess I agree with that," Alma nodded. "So, are we going yet or…?"

"Yes, it should be about time then," I nodded, looking at the black sphere far away. "Our element of surprise depends solely on if we are not seen once we get there. So I'll quickly take everyone inside my shadows and also turn into one myself, camouflaging as a mass of nightmare energy."

"Can you do such a thing, Maria?" Nia wondered, surprised.

"Do we really need to go that far?" Arthur asked me.

"Yeah, I can, don't worry about it, Nia," I winked at her. "And yes, we need to go this far, Arthur. For us, it's all or nothing, alright?"

"I guess it can't be helped then," Arthur sighed. "Big sis, I'm ready."

His spectral familiar, Igris, emerged around him, protecting him. Good, good, there'll be a big battle ahead, we might have to fight thousands of nightmares if the eggs hatch too.

It's going to be hard, but we're going to get through this, and end this nightmare once and for all.

Once the week finally comes to an end, Blue Star will no longer be destroyed, and no more loops will happen.

This will be the last loop.

Whoever has been constantly creating a temporal loop every week, you don't have to worry anymore.

Thanks for all your efforts, you've bought enough time for us to arrive.

Now, please, leave it to us, and rest…

"{Shadow Realm}"

FLUOSH!

My shadows expanded everywhere, and then, everything and everyone around me disappeared instantly, in an sea of pure darkness that then was retrieved back under my dress.

"System, thanks for all the help in this world so far… Or should I call you Michael?" I said with a smile.

[I no longer have a name. I've been stripped of everything that once made me who I was. You can call me whatever you want… I don't care.]

"Come on now, you can't just say that…" I sighed. "We're partners here, right? Not even Tyr can come this far with me, you're the only one I got in this journey there."

[…]

"Hm?"

[Good luck, you'll need it. Whatever is over there, it's stronger than anything you've faced right now.]

"The Demon King?"

[He's probably strong too, but… no, something else. That Entity that failed to forcefully take control over you.]

"I see… Well, thanks for the advice, I am well aware it will be a great challenge. But once I evolve, I don't think it'll be too hard."

In a second, I moved from where I was all the way towards the farther swamp, within a shadow created by a huge stone.

Alright.

I encompassed my body with nightmare power, resembling a little nightmare specter, a small entity, one of the many that exists within that void.

And then, I floated there, reducing my true self to a minuscule core that couldn't be easily detected.

And once I was ready, I touched the void.

TRUUUMMM!!!

"Ugh?!"

I felt my entire body twisting and constantly getting sucked by an immense amount of power and gravitational pressure.

SPLASH!

And before I could make sense of what was happening, I ended up falling into an endless ocean of darkness, a black mud so heavy that I could barely move through it.

It weighed over me like thousands of tons, and it felt like it was distorting and warping my own self, trying to break me down to pieces.

But I perseverated.

It's not over yet after all.

Not over yet!

SPLASH!

I leaped out of the sea, glancing down and realizing half of my body had disappeared, a few seconds more, and I would've died right there.

But the Shadow Realm, despite getting half of it eaten, was fine, and it rapidly began regenerating to normal.

Phew…

I quickly began to regenerate my body feeding off souls from the many Nightmare Beasts we've hunted, I had a huge stash of them.

Naturally, even now, eating souls helps me get stronger and heals me a lot.

That sea…

I looked down, realizing that I had landed into the Nightmare Void Sea itself, a liquified form of pure Nightmare and Void, a dangerous place where anybody would die instantly, even Nightmare Demons.

Damn, I'm really strong if I could survive that for as long as I did, huh?

Now…

I'm finally here, the Nightmare Void Dimension.

And it is… pure darkness, just like I remember it was.

-----