"Fear is a blessing… but it's not always the right choice."
Neuvillette's eyes, while seated on a poorly crafted wooden chair, were fixed on a creature devouring a corpse—whether it was once human or not was unclear. Surrounding it were other mangled bodies.
The stench was vile—so putrid, you'd want to wash your body before even letting your nose process it.
Its appearance was both strange and terrifying. It wore a long black coat, and its head was made of swirling black smoke filled with holes, like an ancient steamship's exhaust.
Neuvillette gasped softly in fear, placing all ten fingers over his mouth as he observed in cold silence.
'A monster eating a corpse? Was it a mistake to enter the Abyssal Nightmares? Did my arrogance drive me here just because I possess a magical hand?' Neuvillette muttered internally, his eyes never leaving the creature.
'Should I draw my sword? Wrong move… What if another group appears and surrounds me? What would I do then?'
He slowly moved his head, scanning his surroundings… There were no windows, only wooden walls enclosing the space, dimly lit by a fire that provided both light and tension.
'Not even a single window to escape through… and that bastard keeps eating the corpse without stopping.'
'I don't know what to do… Should I use my hand and release the Black Scythe to cut him down? Or should I wait for him to leave?'
As he wrestled with his thoughts… the black bandage on his hand moved and spoke loudly:
"You cowardly fool… Were you pretending to be strong in front of the Organization? Are you going to die here, even though you have everything?"
"Just like you used to beat people, go beat this damn monster."
Neuvillette was shocked, unable to find words. His face was seized by disbelief. He raised his finger to his lips and whispered:
"Shh… this isn't the time to talk."
But it was too late… The monster had stopped eating. Neuvillette looked at it in fear as he gripped his sword. The creature slowly rose to its feet, turned its head, and looked straight at him.
A sword was embedded in its chest… eerie whispers swirled around it, chilling to the core. A name appeared next to the monster in a mix of black and blood red:
Abyss Intries…
Intries pulled the sword from its chest, revealing a blade that flowed like a raging gust. It made a sound like snapping bones as it moved its arms like a puppet.
Neuvillette rose from his chair, pulling out his sword with trembling hands, staring at Intries who walked slowly toward him—the smoke above its head growing thicker.
"You idiot, charge him… You're an Akuma, and he's an Abyss… the Abyss fears the Akuma, you fool!" the hand yelled sharply, mocking and encouraging at once.
He glanced at his hand, then his sword… and spoke in a somber tone:
"Right… If I waste the blessing she gave me, that means I'm wasting her sacrifice—or at least, how I imagine it."
He gripped his sword tighter, his gaze locked onto Intries, and continued:
"If she's living in bliss, that makes me happy, even if my place is in the deepest depths of the Abyss… I'll sacrifice myself the way she did for me."
Intries charged forward with a devastating attack. Neuvillette barely dodged, but the monster was clever—it struck him in the stomach with its foot, slamming him into the wall of the hut.
"Ughhh…"
Neuvillette clutched his stomach in pain. He slowly raised his head—Intries was already swinging its sword toward his face.
Neuvillette turned his head to the side just in time, clenched his right fist, and struck Intries without hesitation in the stomach, causing the creature to stumble backward rapidly.
He quickly stood back up, locking eyes with the monster… It roared furiously, the sound of grinding bones growing more aggressive.
Even the smoke around its head turned blood-red. It rushed at Neuvillette again—but he raised his sword and blocked the incoming strike.
They clashed fiercely with their blades. Neuvillette quickly retreated, then hurled his sword toward Intries.
The monster dodged it—but Neuvillette suddenly appeared beside it and landed a punch so hard that the smoke in its head flared into several colors before it crashed into the chair, then the wall.
"Looks like you're getting used to it… Now you've come back to your senses," the hand said in an encouraging tone.
Neuvillette glared at it and said:
"There's no room for fear in this place… I need to bare my fangs."
Intries stood again, emitting a disturbing whisper—as if it were preparing something dangerous. The hand spoke with excitement:
"Looks like this bastard needs something stronger… Show him what you've got, you idiot!"
"If not for the vow, I'd cut you off and toss you in the trash," Neuvillette muttered, casting a mocking glare at his own hand.
Intries suddenly launched a flurry of black holes—but Neuvillette swiftly dodged. He stood near the broken chair and hurled several wooden shards at the creature.
Intries dodged them all—but when it looked again, Neuvillette was no longer in front of it.
He was below—sliding across the floor, slashing at its legs. Intries collapsed, but fired a small black hole that struck Neuvillette's shoulder, sending him to the ground.
Intries continued firing small black voids, but Neuvillette evaded them while analyzing the monster's form:
'I've noticed something important… In Abyssal Nightmares, traditional methods don't work to kill enemies. They each have a weakness. But what's this one's weak spot?'
He stared intently and saw something glowing purple inside the smoke. Neuvillette realized something—and smiled faintly.
He darted in a zigzag, dodging the black holes… then slid across the floor again, raised his sword horizontally, and thrust it straight into the smoke—aiming at the glowing spot.
Intries froze. The black smoke around its neck vanished, turning into violet ash. A glassy object dropped onto the pile of ashes.
Neuvillette lay on the floor, panting from exhaustion, fear, and mental strain. He smiled while placing his fingers over his eyes:
"Oh… I killed one of the Abyss… My god, I didn't think I could do it."
"Hahahaha! And of course, it was all thanks to me. Without me, you would've frozen in fear," the hand boasted arrogantly.
Neuvillette pushed himself halfway up, staring sarcastically at his hand—then noticed something lying in the ashes.
He picked up the glass object and stared at it, confused:
"What is this? It was never mentioned or hinted at."
Suddenly, a phrase appeared beside the vial, written in slanted gray text:
Elixir Noobxix
And additional information appeared:
This is your first gift in the Abyss for overcoming your fear… You have earned it, Akuma.
"Most likely, these are potions that enhance strength or abilities," Neuvillette said, placing a finger under his chin.
"Why don't you try taking a small sip?" the black hand suggested.
Neuvillette gave it a sarcastic look…
"What? Better drink it. You don't think I'm trying to trick you, do you?"
"After what you just pulled… Anyway, I'll take a small sip." Neuvillette gripped the bottle tightly and pulled off the brown stopper.
He raised the vial to his mouth, but hesitated slightly… He muttered softly to himself:
'I don't know why I'm hesitating… I came here for this. To prove I'm capable and dependable.'
'Man, life is one chance—and I have to take it…'
Neuvillette drank every last drop of the potion, surprising even the black hand.
The vial slipped from his hand and hit the floor. He grabbed his head in pain… It was sharp and brutal—like someone was smashing his skull with an iron rod again and again.
'Horrific pain… I want to breathe, but I can't—damn it.'
Both the black hand and the sword began glowing after he drank the potion… Neuvillette steadied himself slightly and placed his right hand against the wall, staring into a hanging mirror.
His hair was now long, white, and messy, reaching his shoulders. His eyes were a deep blue consumed by hidden despair. Black eyeliner streamed down one cheek, and a joker-like symbol was drawn under his right eye.
He wore a long black coat with uneven sleeves. Underneath it, a black shirt tinged with crimson. A belt wrapped around his coat held a sheathed sword—oddly long, emitting a faint violet aura.
Neuvillette slowly touched his face and spoke to himself in a confused voice:
"When did I start looking like this? The eyeliner, the joker mark, and the white hair… Probably changed when I entered the Abyssal Nightmare."
The black bandage moved as if observing him, and said mockingly:
"You look more handsome than before, haha."
He looked at his hand with an unamused expression and said:
"Haha. Hilarious… Phantéom."
Someone knocked on the door three times, followed by a chilling whisper:
"Don't stay too long in the same place… the Disasters will find you."
Above the door, dark dripping numbers appeared—though no droplets fell. A countdown began to tick:
20… 19… 18…
"We better get out before something happens," Phantéom said quickly.
Neuvillette ran to the door, but before leaving, he grabbed a lantern that glowed with violet light…
"I don't know why I took this, but… it's cool." Phantéom sounded confused by the impulse.
Neuvillette grasped the door handle and rushed out of the hut… He stood firmly on his feet, catching his breath. Then he raised his head and opened his eyes—stunned by the sight around him.
A pure black sky lit with countless stars and galaxies… The moon radiated with breathtaking beauty. Islands, kingdoms, even entire cities floated in the sky above.
Towering mountains, buried in snow, hid the stone they were made from. The ground was all white—snow covered everything. And yet, snow fell without a single cloud in sight.
"My God… is this really the Abyssal Nightmare? Or just some twisted, terrifying masterpiece?" Neuvillette was stunned by the surreal beauty of the place.
A glowing phrase appeared in the air in front of him:
Welcome to the Throne of the First Disasters… The Continent of Iskanian.
"Continent of Iskanian?! What a name—"
Phantéom didn't get to finish his sentence… A shadow loomed.
A loud, piercing screech tore through the air, so sharp it felt like it reached the dead themselves. The sound came from behind.
Neuvillette slowly turned his head… His eyes widened in horror as he saw a colossal being—mountain-sized—glaring down at him with glowing blue eyes.