F-Rank Soul Eater

Chapter 226: The Wrong Starts With My Everything

Boom.

A figure rushed past him. The Nightmare creature.

Soren turned to look.

Cynthia was at the other side.

He frowned. ’So that’s how it works. If I don’t engage with the illusion, it will not move forward.’

Unlike the last time, Soren did not sat ’Hi’ to Cynthia—it was not the real her.

He went back into his room, and sat on his bed to think.

From what Polystar said about the nightmare creatures, he had yo break away from the joy they provided, so that he could break away from feeding them his despair.

However, if Soren was being totally honest, despair was not the emotion he was experiencing.

The entire method of the Nightmare creature’s feeding included giving joy, abd then seizing it.

Therefore giving despair.

With his ’party’ wining the winter games, he could see how that was giving him joy.

But the despair aspect flew through his head.

Maybe something scary was supposed to happen after winning.

Or maybe like a meteor shower from spa e or something.

Soren could not help but sit cross legged and think.

He shook his head. No... that can’t be. Because I already know the world is not real, the idea of despair should come from the inability to escape.

This was the solution that Soren arrived at.

Of all the possibilities, this was tgd mosy reasonable one.

After all, a normal person would scream and cry in sheer desperation from such a prison.

But... not Soren.

By now, he was used to looping. Because of Chronovore, he had reached the point of despair before—and long overcame it.

A day, two days, or several years... it was all laughable.

When it came to looping, he had incredible patience. The only problem was that he had no idea how long the Nightmare creature might keep this up.

Still, he smirked at the thought of it. "If its my despair you are after, then you might starve to death."

Soren chuckled.

—And so he went about his day like he normally would.

He stepped out of his room, not caring what was happening around him.

Instead, he walked downstairs and went straight to the cafeteria.

Surprisingly, the cafeteria was still operating as it should.

Even though they were cadets fighting Nightmare creatures all around, the staffs still operated as usual—further cementing Soren’s guess that he was stuck in a nightmare.

The day went on as it did the last time. Except anytime Soren did not engage with the predetermined storyline, the characters would not move.

And of course, the day ended with his team winning.

Again and again... and again.

This went on for days to months. But there was no change.

Soren himself was starting to get tired of this nightmare.

The worse part of it was that because it was a loop inside a nightmare, even the people were not real, amd he could not have a straight conversation with any of them that did not further the plot of the nightmare.

At least during the loops that Chronovore put him in, the people were still real, and many times, it was conversing with them and feeding off their wisdom that had helped him overcome the challenge.

But not this time. This time, he was completely alone.

Soren even tried going to the library, but the pages were empty.

Even the Discipline of Sorrow that he kept by his bed side was the same thing—blank.

Anything that did not progress the story was useless.

His wristwatch was useless, and if he went far enough from the perimeters of the location the story was to occur, he woukd find himself reappearing where he should in the storyline.

Essentially, there was no way out of it.

However, Soren remained patient. He was going to wait it out.

And so he did. Months became a year.

And a year became two, and then three and then four, and on the fifth year, something unexpected happened.

Soren opened his eyes like he normally would. To his side was the Nightmare creature—tongue stuck in his ear.

By now, Soren no longer bothered battling it. He had long understood that if he did not fight, no matter how much the creature thrashed around, it would not kill him.

As it was his morning routine, he stretched, then he went to brush and shower—all while the creature screeched at him, trying to get his attention.

However, he paid it no mind.

When he was done, he dressed up, and then just as he was about to walk out the door, the world froze.

—and it happened at the exact moment the creature cynthia threw would slam into the wall.

Soren cracked a faint side smile. Then he turned around.

"I see you are finally willing to turn a new leaf."

For the first time in five years, the creature spoke, and it was not the screeches which surprised soren.

"Please... okay. I give up. I give up." The Nightmare beast had a frustrated look on its three faces.

Although it looked female, its voice was deep and masculine, and it echoed faintly.

"I have not had anything to eat all night. Can’t you just feel some kind of despair?"

Soren raised his head to it. "No... I can’t."

"But just a little. I promise, I’ll go once you just feed me."

"No... but if you choose to get the hell out of my head, then I’ll consider giving you a quick death."

"Death...? Do you think I am so weak? Just... Just remember that you are in the dream... my realm. In here, Ten years can mean a minute in the outside world."

"Oh... it can? Then why do you look so desperate?" Soren smirked.

The nightmare creature’s expression changed.

Soren took notice. He was right.

No matter the specie, hunting took energy.

A cheetah had to burn reserve energy to catch an antelope for dinner.

In the same manner, the nightmare creature had been burning through its soul energy in an attempt to create the perfect conditions nessary to feed it.

But Soren, he was like an antelope with extra thick skin. And right now, the leopard was both exhausted and frustrated.

"Since you are not ready to get out of my head, then I’ll just continue enjoying myself. Besides I was about to head downstairs for breakfast.

I must say, you got a lot of things wrong with this dream, but the food, absolutely genius...Chef’s kiss." Soren kissed his fingers.

And then he proceeded to leave.

"Wait... wait. I’ll let you go. But please. Don’t harm me, okay?" The Nightmare creature pleaded.

"I can’t promise that. But I’ll give you a head start."

—

Instantly, Soren woke up from the dream. This time around, it felt... different.

He looked at his hands. They indeed felt different...real.

"I’m back."

Then he turned to his side. There was a tangled vine branch.

It seemed this was what was connected to his head.

Then he looked all around.

His room was covered in the branches. He immediately rushed for the door—and out his room.

The world was filled with these green branches that snaked nearly forever around the corridors.

He activated his Blackfield, and it spread around him like a stone dropped in water.

What he felt shocked him. He grabbed jis chest, knees falling to the ground.

"How are they... everywhere?"

Instantly, he rushed out of the building, and then he saw it. A creature as huge as yhe dormitory.

The Nightmare creature.

Just one humongous one.

And from it came many tangled messes... vines that spread all round.

Soren looked at it— shocked.

Where is everyone? This question was more to himself that the Nightmare creature. It stared at him with that signature huge smile.

Soren thought the Nightmare creature agreed. He thought it got fed up after five whole years of repeating the same damn day.

But this creature? It was annoyingly tenacious.

Even soren, with his outstanding endurance was starting to get frustrated.

He had to get out of here. He had to get out of this messed up world.

Grabbing his dagger from his waist, he activated his Soul energy.

But just as he took a step forward...

Something responded from within him.

Dum Dum.

He paused.

Dum Dum.

Of course... in such a messed up world, how could he have forgotten the one and only true familiarity?

All this time, he had been trying to reach outward for a solution—forgetting that he could reached inward.

Although not the best idea, considering he did not have the best relationship with his Shade.

Also...Maybe it was because Chronovore had not responded to him since healing from that injury, but still.

The dagger fell from his fingers as his mind abandoned the Sight of the Nightmare creature that had lunched itself mouth open to swallow him.

BAM...

The mouth closed.

However, Soren’s mind was already in that world.

The cocoon Chronovore had formed was bigger now.

But most importantly, it was pulsating.

And soul energy like fine dust seemed to slowly rush into the cocoon.

"What are you doing...?

Wait... are you feeding?"