Book of Nightmares Page .1
He came to me at night without warning.
We had just finished pushing the demons back into the Eastern Abyss from whence they came, bringing an end to the Fourth Demon–Elf Wars.
Our men were tired, as was I. It is not every day that one gets to fight a demon prince.
I am just a warrior. Such duties should never have fallen upon me, but alas.
That night, before returning to our city, we rested at our camps.
I enjoyed the comfort of my wife, Ersalia, who fought by my side. We made love for hours and eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.
Then, I woke up. Or at least, that was what I believed.
Everything seemed as it was. I lay in my tent, with the sounds of the night creeping in from outside. But when I looked down at my wife, who was meant to be beside me, she was not who I found.
Instead, it was the God of Nightmares, resting in my arms with its grotesque form.
I screamed and tried to run, but my once-nimble feet moved in slow motion.
I reached for my longsword, but as I did, it crumbled away like sand.
My last hope was to call for help, but no one was there. Only me and the god.
It had its way with me in the tent, killing me and bringing me back to life over and over again. It felt like years that I had spent with it, trapped with nothing else to do.
Eventually, I was released, but my body was never the same. I had only been asleep for a week in the real world, but who knows how long I spent in the nightmare.
Ever since, I have never been the same. I couldn't speak or move for years, and only now, as an old man, am I able to write these words in the Book of Nightmares to shed light on the capabilities of this despicable god.
If we succeed in trapping the god within these pages, do not open it. Not without the guidance of the True Creator.
I would give anything to prevent others from enduring what I once did.
Ferlen, The Great Elf. Year 1432 of the Elven Calendar.
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When the shadows began to engulf Enoch's room, his first instinct was to run. He wished to get up from his bed and sprint to the door, sealing it shut behind him.
But he knew that would only lead to his demise.
The God of Nightmares was an ancient god whose powers could follow him even into dream world.
That made running useless.
So instead, he stood there, waiting.
The shadows in the corners of the room began to leap about, and the lantern lights flickered.
The windows creaked open, allowing a cold breeze to blow into the room, sending chills down Enoch's spine.
He wanted to reach for his sword, which always rested by his bedside, but he knew that would be of no use.
There was only one weapon he believed could work against a god of such power.
The Divine Devour.
Eventually, the room went still, returning to normal and leaving the space in eerie silence.
Enoch stood there, eyes darting around, wondering whether the God of Nightmares had, for some reason, decided to leave him be.
Then suddenly, a whooshing sound came from the window.
Enoch turned to find a black, shadowy blur larger than a human, dashing towards him at incredible speed.
He stumbled backwards at first, before swallowing hard and standing his ground.
The God of Nightmares seemed enraged and wasted no time with words. It aimed to enter Enoch's soul immediately and haunt his dreams.
But the Godeater would not allow it. He couldn't allow it.
As the blur closed in, only a few metres away, Enoch activated his skill, Divine Devour.
The sound of shattering glass filled the room, and he felt his body overcome by a foreign power that threatened to tear him apart from inside out.
A red aura began to emanate from him, engulfing the room and everything within it; even the black blur, which hesitated to continue it's attack against the mortal.
Enoch felt his mouth begin to open against his will, the corners of his lips tearing into grotesque proportions until his jaws were the size of a horse's, begging to devour whatever divine being was nearby.
The red aura grew stronger, and the essence of the black blur was drawn towards his mouth.
It struggled, trying to flee, but there was no escape.
Enoch's SSS-Grade Class ability was too strong. It began to consume the god as if it were a mere source of nutrition.
After a minute of struggle, the black essence entered his body and moved painfully towards his stomach, where it would be broken down and successfully consumed.
Enoch collapsed to the floor as both his body and the room returned to their normal states.
It took a moment before his system finally responded.
And then...
[Hvadis, God of Nightmares, has been eaten!]
[32% Consumption Efficiency]
[Memories of the God of Nightmares will enter your mind now.]
[3 Skills Acquired]
[2 Passive Effects Acquired]
[1 Title Acquired]
[1 Affinity Acquired]
[1 Magical Item Acquired]
---
Enoch felt his mind threatening to shatter into a thousand pieces.
He fell to his knees as he had during his awakening, though this pain was far worse.
He clutched at his dark hair, watching as it crumbled in his hands, replaced by new strands of snow-white.
His mind reeled, filling with forbidden knowledge. Dark secrets and memories that only a god should possess flooded into his meager being.
After ten minutes, Enoch finally relaxed.
He lay on the floor of his chambers, staring at the ceiling. A smile crept across his face as his mind cleared enough to focus on the changes in his body.
A knock came at the door, followed by the voice of Gabriel, the librarian.
"Prince Enoch, is everything all right?"
Enoch waited before speaking. He had to control his voice, as his throat threatened to utter words in an ancient, foreign tongue.
"Everything is fine," Enoch managed, his voice deeper than he remembered. "You may leave."
"B-but, I heard—"
"Leave."
His voice came harsher than intended. A moment later, he heard Gabriel's footsteps hurrying down the hallway like a scared child.
Enoch pushed himself up into a seated position and took a few deep breaths. To his surpsise, he found himself calmer than he had expected, considering the events that had just taken place.
He knew that after what had just happened, he would never be the young Prince that he once was ever again.
He had consumed a god that had once brought calamities onto the world. A god who many of the mightiest men and women had fallen to, without standing a chance.
And he had done it without even having to put up a fight.
"Okay. Hvadis, God of Nightmares," he said in a quiet, sinister tone that sounded nothing like his previous voice. "Let us see what gifts you have brought me."
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