Nightmares

For similar terms, see Nightmare (Disambiguation).
The *Nightmares'* are trials the Spell created. They are populated by both monsters and humans, which are considered to be illusory. Each Nightmare contains a central conflict that has to be resolved for the Nightmare to end. These conflicts are believed to be reconstructions of events from the ancient history of the Dream Realm.

## Challengers

Those who had conquered a Nightmare of a particular Rank could not enter any Seed of the same Rank again. For example, a Sovereign wouldn't be able to challenge a Third Nightmare.

## The Nightmares

* First Nightmare
* Second Nightmare
* Third Nightmare

### First Nightmare

Once infected by the Nightmare Spell, that person will experience constant fatigue and sleepiness and eventually will fall into an unnatural slumber, with no sign of waking up. When the infected die in their sleep, their dead bodies will turn into monsters called Nightmare Creatures.

The **First Nightmare** is the first trial prepared by the Nightmare Spell to test the chosen *Aspirant*. First Nightmares are unique because each of them is tailored individually. That's why only a single Creature can appear. This single creature is usually a Beast or Monster. Rarely, does a Demon mixed in, and never anything stronger than a devil appear in it.

The Spell did not randomly choose the role an Aspirant would play during their First Nightmare. It was apparent from the fact that the bodies they inhabited in it, while different, were very close to their real ones. However, the actual principle of how the Spell chose these roles and the events of the Nightmares were largely unclear.

The first thing one must do once inside the Nightmare is to check the Attributes and Aspect.

#### First Nightmare: Seed

The First Nightmare is similar to the other Nightmares. It is also born from a Seed. The only difference is that the seed does not grow in the Dream Realm. Instead, it develops within a human's soul. Every Aspirant who fails their First Nightmare becomes a *miniature* Gate, allowing a single Nightmare Creature to enter the waking world. That is why their corpses turn into monsters. They are classified as *Gate of the First category*.

### Second Nightmare

Starting from the **Second Nightmare**, things become much more dangerous. These Nightmares are not tied to an infected person. Instead, they are born in the **Dream Realm**. While the **Seed of Nightmare** is growing, any number of Awakened can attempt to conquer it. Conquering the second nightmare will give the successful challenger another Aspect Ability. These awakened are titled **Masters** from then on until they conquer their Third Nightmare. *No Awakened of the Ascended rank is allowed to challenge these Nightmares*.

**Second Nightmare Seed**: Category Two Seed *(Refer to Seed Category)*

### Third Nightmare

Just like the Second Nightmare, any number of awakened can challenge it. Similarly, *no awakened at the level of **Saint** can challenge it*, however, **Awakened** rank carriers can also challenge it. The Spell rewards these challengers considerably, even turning these awakened straight into Saints. Normally, awakened would fill up their soul core more before they challenge a nightmare. Due to this, Saints who skipped becoming a Master are usually physically weaker compared to other Saints. So far, humanity has managed to conquer the Third Nightmare.

**Third Nightmare Seed**: Category Three Seed *(Refer to Seed Category)*
## Comparisons

Between First and Second NightmareThe Second Nightmare is a lot like the First, but at the same time very different. The Spell will send the Awakened cohort into an illusion of the past, one centered around a central conflict. To conquer the Nightmare, they will have to resolve that conflict one way or another. There is no right or wrong way to do so.
* **Second Nightmare will be larger, longer, and harder than the first one.** The Nightmare Creatures populating it will be of higher Ranks and Classes, usually either Awakened or Fallen. Unlucky ones might meet a Corrupted.

* **Unlike the First Nightmare, the Second Nightmare won't be tailor-made for an individual Awakened.** The Spell will try to find a body that closely resembles the Awakened, but since it is not tailor-made for an individual, it might not be as similar as what one might expect. The Awakened will certainly be of the same Rank and their build will be more or less the same. However, if one isn't quick enough or couldn't adapt to the sudden changes in their body and be unprepared in a fight, they might die.

For a fighter, their body was like a well-oiled machine that they knew in and out. They knew every detail about it, how it moved, how it performed in any given situation, what it could accomplish and what was beyond its ability. All battle techniques were finely tuned for that precise machine. Changing its parameters was like throwing a wrench into the mechanism, potentially causing its collapse.

* **There is no one way to conquer the Nightmare**, which means that some solutions can contradict each other, and people participating in the trial are not forced to aim for the same result. It rarely happens but not all challengers have to be on the same side.
Between Third Nightmare and First/Second NightmaresThe Third Nightmare differs from the First and Second Nightmares. The challenger would be entering the trial with their physical bodies because there is no distinction between the waking world and the Dream Realm once one becomes an Ascended.
## Connection between the Nightmares and the Dream Realm

Nightmares were almost certainly simply recreations of the past of the Dream Realm. Logically, the appearance of Awakened from the Waking World should have completely changed the course of events that had happened in the past but had not.

There are two explanations that were listed based on the events inside the Nightmare:

* **This was a simple case of knowledge of the future informing one's actions in the past**. Since they know what happens in the future before going into the Nightmare, the cycle had been complete without any ominous reasons and just due to a logical connection.
* **Fate had a pull on all things, had influence over all of existence, and pushed everything in a certain direction or conclusion**. So the details of what happened could potentially change, but the end would inevitably, and inescapably, be the same.

## Knowledge

The Awakened knowledge and experience from their Nightmares were more important than their power and abilities. Legacy clans, particularly those ruled by Sovereigns, were particular about which Seeds their scions challenged. Valor and Song must have accumulated extensive knowledge, but it was not accessible to everyone. After all, knowledge was the origin of power.

## Trivia

* The nature of the Nightmare that one can challenge determines the knowledge and secret one can glean. The lessons humans can learn from the decrepit ruins in the *Dream Realm* are not as profound as the stories people bring back from their Nightmares, so powerful Legacy Clans select the Nightmares for their members to challenge carefully.
* The more unique the Nightmare one challenge certainly pose more risk but also promise a greater boon.
* Jet emphasized the importance of years of preparation, resources, and a cohesive cohort for survival in the **Third Nightmare**. Jumping into a random Seed can lead to death.
* Nephis is the first human in history to conquer the Second Nightmare as a Sleeper, thus jumping Ranks, and returned to the waking world unscathed.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chapter 0 The Nightmare Spell
2. ↑ Chapter 1289 Crown of Twilight
3. ↑ Chapter 1 Nightmare Begins
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 23 Dreams and Nightmares
5. ↑ Chapter 4 Mountain King
6. ↑ Chapter 218 Shadow Dance
7. ↑ Chapter 2 Slave Caravan
8. ↑ Chapter 793 Memories of the Future
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Chapter 559 No One Path
10. ↑ Chapter 1230 Hell is Empty
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chapter 677 Current of Fate
12. ↑ Chapter 1297 Where Nightmares Come From
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Chapter 458 Shackles of Hope
14. ↑ Chapter 757 Professional Sensibility
15. ↑ Chapter 766 Making History