???: Hello there
A man in all black with a black robe and a cross on his neck, but it would be upside down, he greeted them with a smile. He had short blonde hair gelled up, blue eyes, and a pale white face.
??: Hello there, children. May I help you?
Anima: Uhh, we were here just... here to, uh, visit.
Elio: Yeah, right... guys
Everyone: Yehhh
Vera: So sir, you're a priest, right? Mind if I ask your name? You know, I'm very religious and pray to God a lot, and I would like to ask you if I could... ask you if I could actually sign up and volunteer in this church, if you don't mind.
Vera says this with a face with a huge smile.
Anima whispering to Vera with a frustrated looking face:
Anima: What are you doing here? This guy is obviously super creepy and weird, and his cross is upside down for God's sake.
Vera quickly kicks Anima in the ass.
Anima says it in a squeaky voice:
Anima: Owwwwww---- what the hell was that?
Eros: Please shut the hell up, dumbass.
Alexander: Sooooooooo... so where's the entrance?
???: Please, please, please stay. I would love for everyone here to stay and to answer your question. My name is Christian St. Marcus, and I'm the priest of this church... or at least, I would call this church.
Elio: And what do you mean by that?
Christian: Well, you see, I believe in a different god.
Eros: Like the one in the circle of gods?
Christian: Oh no, I'm talking about that clown circle of gods. I'm talking about a different "True God."
Vera: And what the hell is that meant to be mean?
Vera stared at him with a murderous face.
Christian: Oh little girl, please calm down. I can feel your disgusting bloodlust on me. Lower it down.
Anima: Damn you, let's get out of here.
Eros: Anima, stay calm.
Eros slowly drew his sword, but
Something would appear that would grab his attention. The wall would change, and some sort of image would appear.
Christian: This is what I wanted to show you.
Everyone looked in shock as they stared and what was shown to him.
Some sort of diagram with 7 sections and multiple names on it. 5 for each section except the last 1, which had 3 names on.
Eros: What the hell is this?
Anima: "Reverse world."
Christian: That's right. The reverse world is something our so-called church has been looking at for long, but we wouldn't really call ourselves that, more like a group of people.
Alexander: What would that group be called?
Eros: And what "common goal" are you talking about?
Alexander: Our group is called the Nightmare Standers.
Anima: "Nightmare Standers"... you're kidding me, right?
Anima whispered to Eros:
Anima: I thought that was an inside joke that you made.
Eros: That's what I thought so too... Loser.
Christan: See this picture you've been looking at on the wall. It's a group of names. They're ordered weakest to strongest from their respective tiers, kind of like the dream walking system, but these beings are suspected to be called cosmic nightmares. Powerful cosmic entities that even surpass the gods and people that -
Elio: You're saying too much. What if I just beat your ass?
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Christian chuckles a bit.
Elio: HEY! What's so funny? Do you know who I am?
Christian: As I was saying, they even surpass gods and people that are above the leveling system. We as Nightmare Standers are basically the opposite of dream walkers. Even though we do dream walk, we use to stand still and focus on the darker part of minds and access the dreams from there, hence the weird chants. But we do this so we can get the attention of cosmic nightmares and hopefully get the attention of one in particular.
Vera: And who would that be?
Christian pointed at a name at the very top but below two other names.
Christian: The Dreamer, but do you want to know its real
Christian: But do you want to know its real name. Vigil.
Everyone looked shocked.
Anima: The first murderer...?
Christian: No, what he's most famously known for.
Eros: Vigil. First dream walker.
Alexander: You're telling me Vigil, the first dream walker, is some cosmic nightmare now?
Christian: Do you know why he became the first dream walker?
Eros: And why is that?
Christian: You see, before he was the first dream walker, he was known as the first murderer when he killed his brother. Some say God cursed him in an eternal slumber that would make him loop the same dream over and over again. Some say he's still stuck in this dream loop, but subconsciously he started to dream walk in his dream loop, making him the first dream walker. His power is connected to every dream walker across the entire microcosm of the entire cosmology. His includes entire universes, all 7 layers that exist, every higher dimensional structure, every phase, everything.
Anima: And what the hell is your goal with this?
Christian: I plan to awaken him, of course! Once he wakes up, he will stop dreaming. He will stop walking. His dream walking is the reason why you guys can even exist in the first place. You guys will stop dreaming and just be gone. He wasn't born with a dream core. He is the dream core!
Everyone had disgusted faces.
Vera: Why would you want to do something like that?
Christian: Why? Who wouldn't want to be truly human? Every dream walker is corrupt. I mean, think with your brain. Every passing second you slowly become less human. Every time you level up, you become more and more monstrous. They're forcing you into this! Dream walking is a curse, not a blessing. I'm trying to save you all. Can't you see! But don't worry, I extend my hospitality to everyone who joins Nightmare Standers. I have a way to make you human, truly human, and you won't die to Vigil the dreamer. The cosmic nightmares. Vigil waking up would cause such an event, the "Last dream" as they call it. Everything would fall apart if he woke up.
Christain: Your name is Anima, isn't it? I can see your name above your head. Oh wait, I knew that name. You're a Soulani child, aren't you?
Anima: You...
Christian: Now come to think about it, your dad wasn't born with a dream core. He's considered an "Anomaly," correct? Now come to think of it, don't "Anomalies" get executed on birth? I wonder how he slipped b-
Before Christian could finish his sentence, a knife would be held up through his throat.
Anima: YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP! DO NOT SPEAK ONE WORD ABOUT MY DAD!
Christian chuckles.
Christian: Oh well. But I will tell you something. Did you know your mom has been visiting your dad every night, but you have had no clue for the last 15 years of your existence? How sad and pitiful is that? Always yearning for your mother and her love yet she never seen you.
Anima: What did you just say?
Elio: Enough chit chat. Let's beat this guy's ass!
Alexander: I agree.
Eros and Vera both nodded.
Elio would rush towards the man and proceed to kick him on the left of his head, but it wouldn't connect.
Christian: Your ability is to adapt, correct? Trust me, you would not be able to adapt to what I am.
Anima and Elio would be sent flying back.
Vera caught Anima, and Eros caught Elio.
Elio: This fucker.
Vera: Anima, you okay?
Alexander would proceed to flick a coin with high mass and scrape Christian's face. He would bleed from his right cheek.
Christian seemed completely shocked.
Alexander: What was that one saying again? If it bleeds, then we can kill it.
Chirstan: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA! You're an interesting one.
Christian: What did your bald-headed friend say again? "He would kick my ass." Then let's see you try to kick my ass.
Christian had a large and devious smile on him.
4 long and large crosses came down from the sky.
He aimed it at the group.
Christian: I will use these crosses and kill you with them. Then hang your bodies on it and deliver it to your families' front doors!
Christian: I put myself in this human form on purpose. The truth is, I'm a Level 1 Dream walker of the phoenix pathway! Now come to think about it, your dad wasn't born with a dream core. He's considered an "Anomaly," correct? Now come to think of it...
Anima: Shit.
Before Christian could
Before Christian could shoot the crosses, some sort of black portal would open in the space. Someone walked out.
He wore a black bomber jacket, was 6 feet 9 inches tall, wore a black hoodie, had white shoes, had black pants on, but had bandages covering his hand and his face wrapped all around it with both his hands in his pockets.
The 4 crosses would be instantly destroyed.
Everyone had a shocked expression.
Anima: Malachi...?
Eros: Let's go.
Vera: Oh my goodness, he is here.
Alexander: Damn dawg, that was unexpected.
Elio: Please don't slap my ass again.
Malachi: Oh well.
Suddenly, a black bubble of energy would wrap around Anima and his friends.
Anima: Hey, what are you...?
Malachi: Don't worry, this is for your safety.
All of Anima's friends would be wrapped around this black bubble. Malachi would then make it as small as an atom. He would then use his thumb and his other finger to make this small black square and put the atomized bubble in there.
Christian: What's with all this mana coming towards you?
Malachi: You're level 1, correct?
Christian: You're also level 1, but you're so young. That's impossible for what I can see. You're only 3 years older than Anima.
Malachi: You would be correct on that.
Christian: Who are you, and you're part of the Basilisk pathway as well?
Malachi: Enough talk. Shall we?
All of a sudden, a purple aura was around Malachi, and he suddenly started transforming.
He would transform into a large black serpent with white eyes. The serpent would look a bit like a dragon.
The Basilisk would destroy the church's roof.
Christen: A Basilisk!
Christian: FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE! FINE! THIS IS SO FINE!
All of a sudden, white light started cracking from Christian's body.
Christian had a sinister laugh.
Christian: HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!
Christian's body would explode with light, and he would turn into this phoenix that was made out of what seems to be white light.
The dazzling phoenix would stare at the huge Basilisk.
Malachi: SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!
Christian: YES! YES! YES! YES! THIS SHALL TRULY BE A BIBLICAL FIGHT!
Chapter 18 end