Shadow Slave: Prince of Fiction

Elias' eyes snapped open, and the cold, hard ground beneath him only seemed to worsen the pain in his back. He found himself in a massive, gloomy arena, shrouded in mist and a haunting, ghostly atmosphere. The sky above was pitch black, streaked with crimson lightning. The distant rumble of metal clashing and the clinking of chains filled the air.

"The Dream Realm… so this is where I have to survive," he muttered as he pushed himself up, taking in his surroundings.

"Why does this feel so familiar?"

"Ah, isn't this just like the coliseum from Sunny's third nightmare?"

His thoughts were interrupted by the loud creak of a massive door opening at the far end of the arena. A gigantic, skeletal figure stepped into the arena, its flesh made of blackened bones, with glowing red eyes and a massive battle axe in its hands.

"I can finally try out my new ability. All Fiction: the power to alter reality. Or rather, it's better to say that it negates reality. That means even if I lose an arm or a leg, I can just undo it using All Fiction. This is so overpowered.

"Let's give it a shot."

Elias closed his eyes, feeling a strange power rise within him, and called out firmly: "All Fiction!"

"I erase you!"

With a small gesture of his hand, the Bone Gladiator vanished from the arena instantly. Nothing remained of it, not even ash. It was as if it had never existed.

"Haha, I erased it! Just like that!"

The feeling of omnipotence was intoxicating, the sensation of being able to do anything.

But… something was strange. There was no notification, no confirmation from the Nightmare Spell, nothing. No reaction at all.

Elias quickly sobered up and collected himself.

"Shit, so this is what the god meant by losing yourself. I need to be more careful."

"But… why is nothing happening?" he wondered. "Why is there no notification?"

Before he could think further, the door opened again. This time, two flickering, ghostly wolves with blazing red eyes stormed into the arena. Their howling barks echoed through the darkness.

"Damn it, I can't afford to get distracted," Elias muttered, his heart pounding. He knew he wouldn't die easily, but he couldn't help feeling a little afraid.

Who wouldn't be? Just a few hours ago, he was an ordinary human being who had never fought or killed anything in his life.

Before Elias could react, the wolves charged at him. The first, a massive, ghostly beast, lunged at him in a powerful leap. Elias dodged skillfully and tried to use his ability.

"All Fic—"

But the second hound was faster. With a feral howl, it attacked from the other side. Elias rolled on the ground to avoid the strike, but the wolf caught him by the shoulder and tore his arm clean off. A sharp, searing pain shot through him, and he rolled on the ground, clutching his shoulder—or what was left of it.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!"

"FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!! THIS FUCKING MONSTER!"

The pain tried to paralyze him, but Elias forced himself to stay lucid. He knew he couldn't give up.

Because giving up meant death.

He looked around with burning, furious eyes. The two wolves were dozens of meters away, watching him intently. They didn't take their eyes off him.

Elias could have used All Fiction again to erase both wolves, but he didn't want to.

"I'm not giving you an easy death. You're going to suffer before you die."

Elias stood up, staggered back a few steps, and wiped the cold sweat from his brow while keeping his gaze fixed on the wolves. The pain in his shoulder throbbed like a raging drum, but he knew standing still meant death.

The first wolf began its attack, a massive shadow of fiery rage leaping at him. Elias felt the rush of wind as the creature's claws missed his face by mere millimeters. With reflexes honed from years of Aikido training, he threw himself to the side, rolling across the hard ground and narrowly escaping.

But the second wolf was already upon him. Elias' eyes widened as the beast lunged at his unprotected flank with a vicious speed. He managed to turn and deflect the attack, but the impact sent him crashing into the arena wall. The collision knocked the wind out of him, and for a moment, stars danced in his vision.

"Focus, damn it!" Elias shouted as the first wolf charged again. This time, he didn't just duck—he lunged forward, grabbing a loose stone from the ground and smashing it against the wolf's snout.

An ear-splitting howl filled the arena as the wolf staggered back, but Elias had no time to celebrate. The second wolf was already on the move.

Elias knew he couldn't afford a single mistake. His right arm was gone, and the weight of its absence dragged on his strength. But he had no choice.

The second wolf sprinted toward him with inhuman speed, its glowing eyes locked on its target. Elias watched the creature's movements closely. In the past, he had often practiced Aikido—not as a combat art, but as a defensive technique. And right now, that instinct was his only weapon.

As the wolf closed in, Elias sidestepped, grabbed the beast's extended foreleg with his remaining arm, and redirected its momentum. The creature's weight carried it forward, and Elias used the opportunity to slam his knee into its side. A dull thud echoed as the wolf hit the ground hard.

"Come on, is that all you've got?" Elias shouted, more to hype himself up than to intimidate his enemies.

The first wolf, recovered from the stone strike, charged again. This time, it moved in a semi-circle, searching for an opening.

"I need to be faster than you," Elias muttered, retreating to the center of the arena to keep both creatures in his sights.

The two wolves attacked in unison now. The first charged head-on while the second flanked him. Elias knew he couldn't dodge both attacks, so he did the unexpected: he ran toward the first wolf.

With a loud cry, he leapt up and kicked the creature's head with all his weight. The wolf yelped and fell to the side, but the second wolf was already upon him.

He felt its claws rake across his ribs before he saw them. The pain was like fire coursing through his body, but Elias gritted his teeth. He grabbed the wolf's head and shoved it away with every ounce of strength he had left.

Blood soaked through his clothes, and his legs trembled, but Elias stayed on his feet. "I'm not planning to die here!" he screamed, his voice filled with determination.

The first wolf rose again, its maw bloody from a tooth Elias had knocked out. The creatures weren't invincible, but they were strong—and relentless.

Elias grabbed another stone, this time a larger one, and positioned himself between the two wolves. He watched their movements intently, waiting for the perfect moment.

When the first wolf attacked again, Elias ducked, spun around, and slammed the stone against its lower jaw with all his might. A loud crack echoed, and the wolf collapsed, too weakened to move.

But the second wolf was still standing. Elias knew he didn't have the strength for a prolonged fight. So he used the creature's aggression against it.

As the wolf lunged at him, Elias let himself fall and grabbed a jagged bone from the first wolf's carcass.

With a swift motion, he plunged the bone into the second wolf's throat. A gurgling noise filled the air as the creature crashed to the ground, blood spraying from its wound before it finally stopped moving.

Elias collapsed to his knees, his chest heaving, and the pain in his body overwhelming. But he had done it.

Suddenly, the monotone voice of the Nightmare Spell echoed in his mind:

[You have slain two awakened beasts, Ashfang Hounds.]

Elias let himself fall onto his back, his lungs burning, a faint smile spreading across his face.

"I did it," he whispered.

But he couldn't rest now. He had no idea what nightmare creature would come next—or how many there would be.

He forced himself to his feet and steadied his trembling legs. But instead of the gate opposite him opening, the one behind him creaked open instead.

"Huh? Is it over? Should I go through there?"

He didn't know what to expect, but he didn't care anymore.

Elias clutched his remaining hand to his chest and walked toward the exit on unsteady legs.