Nightmare System

Safe Zone

"Alright, Vaun. I suggest you don't get caught by the police and perhaps carry that dude's gun on you at all times, just in case. So I'll just go now," Hell said without much of a care.

He would still be summoned by the system even if he was caught, after all, Hell didn't need him to go scot-free.

"Should I call you, like, master?" Vaun asked.

"What?" Hell almost burst out laughing. "No, just call me Hellebore or Hell." I suggest you go back to your house and sleep."

"I… alright," Vaun said. "I'll do that."

Vaun stayed there motionless for a while and broke into a run as soon as he saw a cougar sneaking closer. It must have smelled the blood. More animals would soon creep up to them. Hell laughed at Vaun running with his tail between his legs.

Hell then also took off with his weapons, hoping the sub-par cops of this town wouldn't really create problems for him. But he felt it would be alright, and just risked it. How he felt about anything usually turned out to be true, so he let it be, trusting his instincts.

He went back home right after. It was a good investment, focusing on his strength after all. He probably at least needed that much. There was still quite some time until he would sleep again. He thought of working out to up his stats if possible, but thinking back on it again, it would take an immense amount of time, probably.

Killing to level up seemed much easier. He was a lazy man after all. Taking a shower first and changing his clothes, Hell figured he would skip work today and go out to buy a tool bag to store the Clairvoyant Gun there, as well as the 9 chips the gun used as bullets. The gun itself was small enough, the phone would also fit properly without a hassle.

He hoped the system would let him keep the tool kit he would wrap onto himself since there were items inside. He thought he'd leave the glaive at his house. As long as he could summon Imp Needle had the bows and arrows with him, he'd have received an immense boost to his strength.

His only problem was his inexperience with weapons. Melee weapons were of no problem as his speed and strength allowed him to use them efficiently enough in a fight. He would only have a problem if his enemy had similar speed.

He went out and drank some delicious coffee, looked for a tool belt or something similar and found the perfect item. He found a triple tool bag with suspenders. This would be great, he was thinking and he bought it without hesitation. He already had the quiver from the last Nightmare, but he looked for something more convenient as well, unfortunate as it is, he found nothing proper for it.

He went back home afterwards to prepare some food before his little brother came back. He thought he would make something good and cook beef tips with rice. Both him and his brother liked it, should be fine. He washed his clothes, made food and watched some series as he waited for his brother.

"How was school, you d**k?" Hell yelled when he heard the door to the apartment opened. There was no answer. Hell got up and looked for his brother in the corridor. He was just putting his backpack down and changing his clothes in silence.

"Hey!" Hell yelled again. "Bloody answer me, will you?" He said, placed his hand on his shoulder and turned him. He felt the blood rushing his head all of a sudden, his anger filling his mind, but he managed to momentarily calm himself and ask: "Did you get into a fight?"

Hell tried to calmly gaze at his brother's beaten up face. The anger dwelling in his heart was eating him up. "Why?" He asked in his heart. He didn't want to hurt anyone, he just wanted to be let alone with his brother and go on with their lives. Surely his little brother also didn't hurt anyone.

"No," Devlin said. "I kind of tried to intervene with these thugs who were asking money from a kid. I guess-" Devlin suddenly stopped talking and had a closer look at his big brother's face. "Are you… high?"

Hell was taken aback. "What?"

"Uh, it's your eyes. Actually, my bad, I thought you had this thing… You know when people are high their eyes dilate?"

"What the f**k are you talking about?" Hell said. "Get back to the story."

Devlin sighed and continued. "That's about it. I guess I rubbed them off in the wrong way when I asked them f they could just leave the kid go. They got aggressive a bit and you know how these people can be."

"I see. Well, wash up your face properly then. By the way, where did this happen again?" Hell asked. "Also, what were these people wearing?"

"Brother, I honestly think you shouldn't face people like them, let's just forget it."

"Well, I think it's our duty to at least report this to the local police, don't you think, they may hurt other people." Hell rapidly got the words out.

"You know," Devlin said. "You are awfully calm about this. I thought you'd go bat-s**t crazy again."

"Well, we're no longer children, are we? That's not how adults handle business."

"I guess so." Devlin said with a giggle as he held his cheek In a slight pain afterwards, and continued: "It was near the Limbo Cinema, in the parking lot. They all wore similar hoodies of red colour, I am not sure if they were trying to be a gang."

"Anything else?"

"That's about it, I didn't think I'd give a statement, there were also 3 of them, if that's necessary."

"Well, beef tips with rice is ready, wash up and eat that. Also, get some frozen beef from the fridge and put it on your chin, cheek… well, just all over your face." Hell forced a slight laugh and took his jacket.

"Are you going now?" Devlin asked.

"No, I just love touching my jacket at all times," Hell replied sarcastically.

"Asshole." Devlin half-smirked and held his chin in pain again. "Don't take too much time, then."

"Sure," Hell said and left the house, rushing toward the forest in all his speed again, avoiding the area he killed those guys before. He found a secluded place and started yelling, unleashing the rage he had been holding in.

He felt his mind go blank as he yelled: "You dare hurt my brother?! Puny f*****g creatures hurt someone close to me?! I will love torturing everyone you have ever loved in front of you before ripping your throat out motherfucker!"

He felt his chest burning as he felt the rage sweep over him thoroughly and he punched a tree with all that adrenaline rushing up. His wrist was broken, but his punch had gone halfway through into the tree as well. He held his hand in pain, leaving the place and to the parking lot. Surely enough, he saw the people described by his brother. Holding his wrist, he went up to them, perspiring as his adrenaline rush went away.

"Hey, no c***k here, junkie. Piss off," one of the men said, seeing Hell coming up to them.

"Piss off. Didn't you hear me?" the man said again right after, seeing Hell was coming their way still.

He then went up to hit him, only to be hit back in immense force, causing him to fall on his back on the ground. He got up slowly after a few moments clutching his chest.

"The fucker hits hard," he said, a warmth washing over his insides along with a sharp pain.

"I'm asking just in case, but did you try to rob a kid today and beat up the young man that came after?"

"So f*****g what? Are you a cop?" another man stepped up. "I beat him myself. Why? Was he-" the man was cut short and sounds of gurgling ensued as Hell promptly summoned Imp Needle, slashed open his throat as it materialized but one moment after the man admitted to his crimes.

Hell then threw Imp Needle to another one of the men, piercing his heart by luck as he only aimed at his chest in general, killing him. He then employed Short Distance Warping and Rapid Move one after another, suddenly taking the life of the remaining guy before they realized what was happening.

"Worthless bastards. I couldn't even enjoy this with my wrist so f****d," Hell said and looked at his arm.

He didn't know what to do with his arm as such. It was already evening at this point, he would try to get his arm fixed at the hospital before going back home. Just because he was tortured in his dreams and was used to enduring pain didn't mean he had pain immunity. Everything still hurt.

Luckily there wasn't any blood from them this time around and saying that it was an accident, doctors and nurses didn't ask many questions and he could soon after get home without any trouble.

"Did you report it to the police?" Devlin asked.

"Well, yeah. Turns out, they were already caught after trying to rob that kid. I reckon that wasn't their first crime."

"Oh, awesome. Wouldn't want this town to turn into such a lawless place," Devlin said. "It would be chaos otherwise."

"Yeah, and that would be great, feeding my evil intentions further!" Hell raised his voice sarcastically.

"Funny, I'm being nice here and you're there being a d**k still."

"Well, awesomeness comes at this cost," Hell said, hearing a giggle from Devlin in return and he added: "You don't really have to go to school for a few days, stay at home and heal up."

"Yeah, I'll take you up on that. Tomorrow's Friday anyway, I'd have a whole 3 days to myself."

"Sounds good," Hell nodded. "How was the food?"

"Awful as always."

"Glad you liked it. I'll eat some and turn in after a few hours of watching series. You need anything?"

"I'm good."

"Alright, then."

"Sleep well."

Hell went back to his room, sighing as he managed to hide his broken wrist from him by staying behind the door during their chat. He didn't want to make up some explanation for his brother yet. He was really mentally exhausted at this point.

He could perhaps sneak out early and come back with a cast that way. That would pass better as an excuse, he thought.

"Should heal fine as long as I don't try to…" Hell stopped his murmur, his eyes twitching. "…fucking scratch my arm. God, I want to scratch it so bad," Hell said as he took out an arrow and used its rear side to scratch it.

"Well, that deal about hurting your arm further is probably bogus anyway. Can't believe I did this to myself."

He then watched his favourite series after sneakily getting his food without being seen by Devlin. He sort of wondered if Devlin had gotten any levels for killing those goblins back then. He was proud of his little brother.

Devlin was a good person. His favourite TV show also had a pair of brothers. He liked the camaraderie between them. The show had gone on for more than a decade now, but he would watch it for a couple of key characters. Thinking his life was now turning into something as such as well, although he figured he wouldn't be fighting in the same arena as almighty beings as the ones on the show.

The night would soon arrive again. "I could probably sleep earlier," Hell said to himself. "Oh well." He closed his eyes after holding onto the glaive, albeit saying he wouldn't take it earlier, he wouldn't want to be unarmed if he couldn't summon Imp Needle.

[Nightmare System Stage 1-Level 3]

*The player will participate, or fail.*

*The punishment wheel will be spun for failure.*

"Sure love, I'll participate," Hell replied.

*There aren't any predetermined enemies in this level*

*Survive until the conditions are cleared*

*Safe Zone is initiated*

"Huh?" Hell was surprised. "Holy s**t. I have a safe zone, as well?" He exclaimed as he was thrown into a place full of people, right in the middle of two people fighting. He felt attacks coming from both sides and used Short Distance Warping, getting out of their way as their punches landed both their faces.

"What the f**k?" Hell and the two men exclaimed at the same time, but the men continued fighting soon, seeing Hell didn't engage with them. This place seemed like a city by itself. There were people and tents all around. Some of those tents even seemed like shops with some wooden signs In front of them.

"Cool move. Is that some sort of teleportation or some movement skill you got there?" A soothing but musical voice lingered in Hell's ears, but before he could answer he could even answer, there was a thud as Vaun materialized in the Safe Zone as well.

"Hey, I was wondering when you'd come!" Hell exclaimed.

"I was just watching TV, what-"

"Shut up," Hell told Vaun, turning to the woman speaking. She looked absolutely stunning, her azure eyes outshining Hell's as her clothes accentuated her curves perfectly. She looked perfect coupled with the demeanour of a lady.

"Can't I be just that quick?" Hell said.

"I very much doubt it. You'd probably have to invest all your stats into Dex, then." The woman said.

"What do you mean?" Hell asked, curious.

"Everyone you see here is a player. Some of us have been here for weeks, looking for a party. That's the condition to clear this place."

"I'm Hellebore. Call me Hell."

"I'm Ada, and that's a weird name."

"Hey, come on, it's a good name. I like it." Hell said with a smirk while Vaun stood there, silent.

"Who is your friend?"

"This is Vaun. He just hangs around me."

"What's your level?" Ada asked without any reservation, Hell figured she was probably also looking for party members.

"What is yours?" Hell asked with a smile.

"12," Ada said.

"Oh, we are almost the same level, then!" Hell suddenly perked up. "I'm level 13."

"What's your class?"

"What class?" Hell asked, curious, suddenly met by a scoff from Ada.

"I hate liars the most." She said and sent a punch forward, wearing a frown after Hell's response. The punch seemed to be both strong and fast, however not even getting close to Hell's speed nonetheless. He had managed to double his stats after spinning the wheel. He felt good about his strength, too, after seeing how weak other players seemed to be.

Hell nimbly dodged out of the way, but she followed with another punch right after. It felt so slow even compared to imps, he dodged with extreme ease, but he hadn't expected some hidden crossbow under her hand to shoot as well. He was almost hit. Surely enough, there were people here who completed 2 levels of the Nightmare System, just as himself. They would have some items with them.

"Yo, what the f**k was that?" Hell asked.

"Sorry, I thought… you were just lying as some others. So, I-" Ada became apologetic, seemingly surprised by her own attack as well.

"So you meant to kill me?" Hell said as his hands began itching to strike.

"No, I have a healing item even if things went bad, it was just instinct. You wouldn't expect a low-level player to be that quick, really."

"Identify," Hell said, pointing at her.

*A player has been identified.*

*Ada Nelion. Randomly selected by the system to take part*

"Ada Nelion. That's your name, you were randomly selected by the system. It doesn't tell me much else for now. Convinced? You get to identify things at-"

"…level 13." Ada finished his sentence. "I apologized, alright? It truly was a mistake!" She seemed flustered. She was only level 12 herself.

"Fine, I'll forgive you if you do me a favour," Hell said as he got close to her with each word.

"What do you want?" She asked. This was a place isolated from the outside world, the strong was the law here. There were women around as well, but some were worse than the men here. People here weren't quite the upstanding citizens in the world, that's what she understood at least.

"Show me around!" Hell yelled into her ear, much to her shock.

Ada laughed and looked at him again, at least her opinion of him had improved somewhat. He suddenly didn't seem like a bad person after all. She, of course, still kept him at an arm's length.

"Sure." She said. "Do you have anything to sell? There are shops around."

"All I have is this glaive you are seeing."

"Let's get it appraised. We can get your arm fixed if we can get you some money."

"Fantastic," Hell said with a smile beaming on his face. "Vaun, follow us."

"Of course," Vaun said as he followed, wearing a stupefied expression. He didn't know if he could ever escape from him. He was unhumanly strong, witnessed in the exchange earlier.