34 Chapter 33

A long hour passed. An hour that Ariel was busy staring at the sun, still feeling dull from the previous experience. He couldn't rid the two heads with carved out smiles out of his head. Even now, he felt like he was being blamed by their eyeless sockets.

"Honoured One..."

"Honoured One..."

The whispers resounded in his ears. Casting his true name with care and warmth. Serving as a reminder that he was not alone.

His true name.

That was what saved him from falling deeper into the terrifying coldness. It held him down like an invulnerable anchor, saving him from truly losing himself.

It did say in the story that true names are mystical in origin. Their purpose was to help you understand yourself better. To anchor you, thus preventing you from losing yourself. Those with true names will be closer to the mystical world than any other awakened.

Speaking of true names…..

Ariel's eyes shone, as if reminded of something.

It has been a while since he last fully observed his status.

He immediately summoned the runes consisting of his aspect and attributes. The runes shimmered in the air, radiating an ancient aura.

…

[Name]: Ariel

[True Name]: The Honoured One.

[Rank]: Dreamer.

[Class]: Demon.

[Divergent Core]: (3/8)

[Adaptibility Fragments]: (168→330/4000).

[Memories]: [Steeless Sword], [Mahoraga's Sash], [Father's Love].

[Echoes]: .....

[Attributes]: [Superior Physique], [Anomaly], [Immortal].

[Aspect]: [Perfect Adaptation]

[Aspect Rank]: [Unknown]

[Aspect ability]: [Counter]

[Immunity]: <Fate >, <Pain >, <Mind control>

…

Ohhhh…The adaptability points have risen considerably, there's a lot of information that I was unaware of regarding how the adaptability framgments and my aspect worked in tandem. For one, it seems achieving immunity to something is harder than it looks, or maybe my aspect was so fixed on adapting and finding a way to resist the mind fuckery, it was lacking in the other departments.

I mean it makes sense. During the month in the academy, I went without food and water for 20 days or so, expectant to find out if it had elicited a reaction from the aspect or not. And unluckily, nothing new came up. I was sure in the show, mahoraga adapted to different circumstances or attacks just after being exposed to it for a bit, or in the case of attacks, being hit with them for a few times. So me not gaining immunity to hunger and fatigue was very strange. I was adapting but I wasn't gaining immunity anytime soon. Which frustrated me to no end. In the nightmare it was different, I was occupied on surviving only, so my mind didn't think such things were strange.

Ariel's blue eyes shone in annoyance. His brows furrowing by the second.

To think that fucker playing with my mind would have such consequences on my growth, my limit was thourougly capped because of one motherfucker. For fuck's sake, do you even know what pain I went through in the nightmare?! How many times my limbs were torn off?! Even my fucking dick was bitten off by one sneaky asshole.

Ariel's eyes suddenly blinked, the frustration and annoyance vanishing instantly.

Pain…How the fuck did I gain immunity to pain? Maybe the fucker couldn't tamper with my mind in the nightmare? But it still doesn't make sense, I was repeatedly injured, wounds covering my body every single moment of that hellhole. So why didn't I get immunity to such things?

For a minute or two, Ariel sat on the marble floor, deep in thought. Looking for an answer in his mind, an answer that made fucking sense.

Then it hit him like a lightning bolt.

Pain…What does pain cover in general? Besides feeling it. Bodily harm? Ripped of limbs? Dripping blood like a waterfall? Getting a disease? A fever? Or just basic wounds and scratches? Perhaps my aspect strays towards adapting my body to a more general concept than one small thing. All of the words above go into the category of either pain or feeling uncomfortable. Mind control too, it means I should be immune to anything that goes into the concept of sabotaging with the mind. No matter in what form or source it comes from. The fucker only made me forget my memories, which falls under the category of mind control. So my aspect worked on adapting to it. Same with the pain. And because the source of the 'mind control' was something way out of my league. It took more than a month to get me immune to it. And if I'm on the right track. Me not being immune to everything is because of my adaptibility fragments. If I don't have anything to adapt to, how will my core ever get to a higher rank? It works perfectly with my aspect.

Ariel covered his mouth in joy, proud of himself for coming to that conclusion.

It really is different from the anime counterpart, it actually feels like a little flaw in my perspective. The things I am immune to are good, but nothing beats being immune to literally everything that changes or damages you in any way…Fuck! Now It definitely sounds like a flaw. So I can't get immune to my limbs being torned off? Hah…What a waste. No I shouldn't just decide what it can do. After all I didn't even know any of this until now. It's better to push my negative thoughts away. Learning all this taught me one thing. Doubt everything, nothing ever seems to be what it looks like. My power still has a lot of mysteries behind it. That's what my gut is telling me.

Ariel smiled contentedly, satisfied. He laid down his head on the smooth platform, looking up towards the sun before allowing his thoughts to wander once again while waiting on the two women to wake up.

Hah… All of this thinking is melting my brain, but I did find out about a fuck ton of things. So it was worth it. And that fucker, now I know what his limits are.

Ariel's smile widened in malicious glee.

His power can't affect me in the nightmares, meaning it can't bypass the spell. And there's also the fact that I was literally playing a soldier in the past of the dream realm. As they say, the nightmares are the manifestation of the dream realm's past. So the fucker targeting me doesn't have control over time, or he doesn't have any way to affect it. That's good. After all I don't really know what he's capable of. But it's apparent the reason he couldn't manipulate me was mostly the spell.

Was he the one who reincarnated me?

At the last thought. Doubt flickered in his blue orbs. No, it was his instincts informing him, saying that he was on the wrong track.

Nah, if it wanted to control me in the first place, it should have refused my choice of power immediately. A being that could make me forget memories without even me knowing it occurred, wouldn't have made such an idiotic mistake of giving me adaptation. So no, it wasn't the one who reincarnated me. Though I do wonder what's the deal with that guy.

With that final thought, Ariel truly blanked out his mind and closed his eyes. Submerging himself in the pale light of the sun. Before the light didn't arouse any emotion in him, but after that. It made him feel warm whenever he laid his eyes on it. As if reuniting with a friend that you haven't seen for years but you two were still comfortable with each other even after all the time apart.

…

…

…

Fear.

Fear was coursing through every cell of her body. Fear, so ancient, so terrifying. Smashed against her head.

She saw it.

The future.

She saw herself, Sunny and Nephis. Being ripped apart to pieces by a single appendage. She saw how their flesh was torn apart, she saw how the bones turned into ash under the crushing force of the monster.

Then she heard it.

The screams of agony, the screams of despair. Of the unwillingness all humans had when facing certain death. It rang out through her very soul. Emptying her mind and body from its strings. She didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit.

Why was this happening to her?

What has she done to deserve this?

Then she felt it.

The pain of being crushed and ripped apart, the pain of being at the mercy of a beast, the pain of her head being pulled off her body forcefully. She couldn't handle it anymore.

Her vision, bloodshot. Tilted. She saw her headless body swaying to the side before dropping with a thump. Her mouth gurgling with the amount of blood in it. She was drowning. Her vision was slowly being blurred by darkness.

The one name on her mind through all of this was Ariel.

She was confused why she couldn't see him at all.

She knew her powers weren't absolute, but she didn't think they were that weak.

She had her suspicions about him when she couldn't see him in any of her visions no matter what. And the thought only cemented itself when she couldn't see his future, even a blurry version of it.

Oh, how she longed for his voice. She longed so much to feel his warm body. She longed for his gentle fingers combing through her hair time to time as they slept.

Even in her last moments. The Oracle, Cassie could only weakly mumble one name that she won't ever forget.

A-Ariel.

Please help me.

…

…

…

A screech resounded. A screech so raw, it startled both Ariel and Sunny into standing up.

Both of them snapped their eyes into focus. Hurrying over to side where the two ladies were strewn across the floor.

There, Cassie was twitching on the ground erratically, her eyes closed shut, her mouth opened only to close several times. No sound coming out of it. Only the sound of her body trembling on the surface rang out.

Ariel, without saying anything went down and hugged her tightly, pressing her head to his chest. While his hand started to carefully rub her back. Being as gentle as he could. His eyes turned soft and pitiful at the sight of her, knowing the cause of this but not having any way to stop it made him feel guilty.

The situation prompted a bitter sigh out of his mouth.

It doesn't matter. I will get her through this. I will force her character development arc and make her the most badass bitch to be ever seen in the history of the spell.

An amused smile crept up his face at the thought before it turned warm, very warm. As he looked at her with familiarity.

Now I know why i remembered someone when I laid my eyes on my wife. Cassie really resembles her. Especially her smile. They are practically identical. No wonder I held a soft spot for her and I will continue to do so.

Cassie's body stopped its shaking abruptly. Her breathing returned to normal as she visibly relaxed. Leaving her body to Ariel.

Sunny who was watching from the side. His eyes blank, wondered awkwardly.

Why am I even here?

A/N: I hope you guys like my idea of his aspect. I hope I have covered all of the plot holes. Hopefully. And I know some of you will be like. Why is he getting nerfed and stuff. Look he'll be way too op if he was like the original. He is already op enough. Besides if he gets immunity to everything then what will he grow with?. Anyway if you have a question. Just ask. Also send me those lovely stones of yours.