The figure of the [Hatred Demon – Nightmare] had fully manifested now.
It stood not far from Alex, its twisted body flickering like dark waves, completely forged from shadows.
Although it was identical in shape and design to the original Hatred Demon, the same hulking frame, same jagged horns, same clawed arms that pulsed with hatred, the way it moved was utterly different.
Its body flowed like liquid darkness, constantly shifting, as if the shadows themselves were struggling to stay together in its monstrous form.
Alex didn’t say much.
“…Ah, shit.”
He knew right away what this meant.
He wasn’t stupid, if something like this appeared in the [Depths], then it meant one thing, he would have to face it.
There was no room for discussion, no chance of fleeing.
It was here, and now he would be forced to fight.
And if this nightmare version had even half the power of the original Hatred Demon, then he was in serious trouble.
Nightmare versions were always stronger. That was the rule.
They weren’t just corrupted copies, they were enhanced by the domain, empowered by the [Depths] in every way that mattered, speed, strength, abilities, instincts.
And now, staring into the cold, glowing white eyes of this thing, Alex wasn’t sure if he could even win this time.
If this was anything like the real Hatred Demon, then he was likely already dead.
Still, he readied himself to fight, instincts sharpening.
But just as he braced, preparing for the first attack,
Fwish! Boom! Boom!
Multiple bursts of shadow energy exploded across the circular temple platform.
Alex’s body turned slightly, his eyes scanning the surroundings rapidly, and what he saw made his stomach drop.
From behind the ten statues surrounding the temple, more figures were emerging.
Their bodies twisted into form, growing out of the shadows like monsters returning from hell itself.
And when they fully stepped forward, Alex immediately recognized all of them.
“…No way.”
He took a step back, his mind racing.
One nightmare was already overwhelming, but now there were six.
Standing beside the [Hatred Demon] were five more figures, each cloaked in swirling shadow aura and each just as terrifying in their own right.
[Hell Abomination – Nightmare]
[Isolde, Grand Mage Master – Nightmare]
[Varyn, God of the Abyss – Nightmare]
[Xyrran, Primordial Space and Time Dragon – Nightmare]
[Undead Lord – Nightmare]
Alex’s eyes stayed locked on each of them for a moment, slowly analyzing what he saw.
He had expected to fight more nightmares, yes, but not all at once.
He had thought he’d have to search the [Depths] more, wandering from place to place, waiting to encounter each echo one by one.
But clearly, by reaching the [Nightmare Temple], he had unknowingly triggered something.
Now, instead of tracking them down, the remaining six had spawned together, waiting for him here, convenient in one way, and utterly disastrous in another.
Alex had also assumed that only enemies he had personally killed would appear as Nightmare Echoes, but now, looking at two of them, [Xyrran] and the [Undead Lord], he realized how wrong he was.
He hadn’t killed either of them.
Hell, Xyrran wasn’t even dead.
That meant these echoes weren’t limited to just the dead.
They were shaped by memory.
These entities had left a mark on him, had challenged him, terrified him, and now the [Depths] had twisted those impressions into these enhanced forms.
Each nightmare was already terrifying in their original form, and now they were walking toward him, slowly, silently, their shadow auras bleeding into the space between them.
The [Hell Abomination] was a disgusting, rolling mass of twitching human bodies and tentacles, endlessly shifting and pulling itself forward.
Isolde’s figure remained elegant, cloaked in mage robes, staff in hand, her white eyes shining like twin moons beneath the darkness.
Varyn’s scythe rested against his shoulder, his tall, muscular frame bathed in abyssal shadow.
Xyrran, the massive space and time dragon, was gliding with his claws spread, dark fire already trailing from his open mouth.
And finally, the [Undead Lord], the skeletal king of the Undead Lands, walked with his heavy, rusted sword dragging behind him, his every step shaking the platform.
All of them stared directly at Alex. All of them looked like they wanted to end him.
But Alex didn’t panic.
He didn’t scream. He didn’t try to flee.
Because in a situation like this, where the enemy was too strong, where the odds were stacked beyond what could be overcome through tactics or power alone, there was only one thing he could do.
“…Here goes.”
He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes.
The six nightmares were still approaching, but Alex didn’t move.
Instead, he activated his strongest skill.
WORLD CLEAVER!
In an instant, his consciousness shifted.
His vision went blank for a moment, and he found himself in that familiar mental space once more.
His inner world.
White and calm, at least, it had been before. Now, more than half of it was covered in a thick red mist. Hatred.
That ominous red aura was spreading fast, much more than the last time.
But he ignored it for now.
Standing before him was the [Blade of Destiny].
He grabbed the hilt without hesitation.
The moment his fingers touched it, the skill initiated.
Now all that was left, was to wait.
“Please hurry,” Alex whispered, not to himself, but to the [Angel of Destiny], the being who would arrive once the skill completed.
Then he blinked, and his vision snapped back to reality.
The nightmares were attacking.
The [Hell Abomination] charged first, its mass rolling toward him at unnatural speed, tentacles flying in every direction.
Alex immediately dodged, jumping backward while activating his [Universal Orbs].
Ten glowing orbs surrounded him, each humming with elemental power, ready to be used at a moment’s notice.
But he didn’t get long.
BOOM!
From above, a massive [Shadow Comet] struck his position, fired by Isolde before he could move.
His body was instantly blown to pieces.
[You have died.]
Destiny Shift!
[Reviving…]
He was back again, already mid-dodge, avoiding both fire from Xyrran’s mouth and skeletal hands erupting from beneath the platform.
His breathing was sharp.
He was using energy like crazy.
And it was only getting worse.
Slash!
Without even seeing the movement, his body was split clean in half.
The [Hatred Demon] had moved.
Too fast. Way too fast.
[You have died!]
[Reviving…]
He knew this wouldn’t work.
He couldn’t just keep dying and reviving endlessly.
Even with his capped [Destiny Points] at 200, this wasn’t sustainable.
So he started throwing orbs.
He hurled the [Orb of Thunder] and activated it.
Lightning tore through the air, slamming into the [Hell Abomination], then bouncing between the others like a living storm.
For a brief second, he thought he might’ve bought time.
But then…
[These entities cannot be stunned.]
His stomach sank.
“…Shit.”
They kept advancing. No hesitation. No sign of slowing. He launched more orbs.
The [Orb of the Mountain] split the platform beneath them, but they just floated or adjusted their footing, and even the tendrils simply phased through them.
The [Orb of Dominion] sent out chains of divine power, but they phased right through their bodies like mist as well.
Even [Flames of Oblivion] did nothing, they either dodged, blocked it, or simply walked through.
The [Depths] had played him.
The first four nightmares were weak.
Just bait. A trap.
They wanted him to think he had a chance.
And now the real fight was here, just to crush that belief completely.
Still, Alex gritted his teeth.
He had seven [Universal Orbs] left.
And more importantly, all he needed was time.
Just enough time for the [Angel of Destiny] to descend and finish the battle.
Everything depended on that now.
He just had to survive. For one more minute. For one more second.