The Dreamer's POV

<Day 6 of the Tutorial>

[12:52 AM, Friday 5th of May, 2024]

The moon hung low in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the desolate city.

The streets were deserted, save for the lumbering Demons that prowled about, and an unsettling stillness blanketed the air.

Among the several buildings in a particular street stood a small drugstore, its windows dark and silent, as if awaiting the first light of day to bring it back to life.

Inside, the drugstore lay empty, the last remnants of its daily operations left abandoned until the morning. Rows of empty hangers swayed gently in the stagnant air, while shelves stood tall and bare.

The iron sheets bolted tightly to the entrance, serving as a barrier of protection against the outside world, giving the illusion of security.

Suddenly, a low rumble filled the night, vibrating through the stillness.

The ground trembled as a monstrous creature approached, its heavy footsteps causing the very foundations of the building to quake.

Shadows danced outside the drugstore, cast by the beast's enormous form as it drew nearer.

"ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRRR!!!"

With a tremendous roar, the creature slammed into the iron sheets covering the entrance, its raw power unleashed upon the unsuspecting barrier.

~BAM!~

The metal groaned and protested, but it was no match for the creature's relentless assault.

~WHAM!~

Piece by piece, the iron sheets began to buckle and bend, surrendering to the monster's insatiable strength.

~BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!~

As the last remnants of the barrier gave way, the creature burst through the entrance, a terrifying force of nature.

It stood tall, towering over the drugstore, its massive frame casting a dark shadow that swallowed the store's interior.

"GRRRRRRRR..." A chilling growl escaped its monstrous maw, reverberating throughout the walls.

The creature moved with a sense of purpose, its primal instincts guiding its every step.

Empty hangers swung violently in its wake, their metal clanging against one another, as if protesting the intrusion.

Shelves, stripped of their merchandise, shuddered and crumbled under the weight of the monster's fury, collapsing like dominos.

The creature prowled the aisles, its eyes scanning the remnants of the store, searching for something that only it seemed to understand.

Its massive claws tore through shelves, leaving trails of splintered wood and shattered glass in its wake.

Amidst the wreckage, the creature's growls echoed, a haunting symphony that resonated with the desolation it left behind.

The air became heavy with the stench of the creature's despairing presence... but also with something else.

The Collosal Demon sniffed the air in an attempt to recognize the smell that overpowered its senses, but its primitive brain could not comprehend it.

Whatever it was, though, the stench pervaded every single object in the room.

"GRRRRRR...??"

Feeling the wetness of the ground, the massive creature once again felt overpowered by the horrid smell the liquids gave off.

Just what could it be?

~SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~

... It was unfortunate that the beast would never be able to find out.

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!~

The entire drugstore erupted in flames, shockwaves tearing through the silence of the night.

The sparks of fire spread across the streets, sending the surrounding Demons in a panicked frenzy.

Plumes of smoke and flames rose to the sky, staining the cool climate of the night.

And as for the fate of the giant monster that ventured within the drugstore...

"..."

... It didn't come back out.

********

"I-I did it?!"

My eyes widened in both relief and surprise as I watched the explosion of my former base from my safe distance.

I was currently in the boutique at the opposite end of the pharmacy, and I using the trail of gasoline I had set up not too long ago, I was able to generate a line of flames that ultimately led to the pharmacy, who h was chock full of all the gasoline I could find from the pharmacy, and also the areas around.

'There are some flammable products, like certain sprays, so I used those as well.'

The plan took very long to execute, and I almost ran out of time before everything was set up.

Thankfully, I managed to pull through somehow.

What worried me the most was the intensity of the blast, and whether it would be enough to finish off the Collosal Demon or not.

'Looks like my worries were misplaced.'

There was no way I could have stood a chance against something like that, so I had to use this roundabout approach to kill it.

There was one major issue with this method, though.

'Since it's an indirect kill, will I be rewarded for it? Or...?'

~DING!~

'Looks like I will be rewarded, after all.' I smiled in.relief upon hearing the glorious chime of the System.

<You Have Leveled Up>

<You Have Leveled Up>

<You Have Leveled Up>

<You Have Leveled Up>

"H-huh? Four at once? That's insane!" I quickly hushed my voice so as to prevent any Demon from hearing me.

'This place isn't as secure as the drugstore, but I'll just have to manage for now.'

I couldn't stop thinking about the four Level Ups I just received, though.

'Was the monster that strong?!' A bead of sweat formed on my face as I watched the flaming drugstore.

It was a good thing I prepared myself beforehand, then.

"With this, I'm currently in Level 8..."

It was an awesome feat. Especially because it placed me in an even better position than I remembered in my dream.

'I was around Level 6 when the Collosal Demon attacked the first time.'

My <Dream> Skill didn't just let me correct my past mistakes, but it granted me the chance to create even more opportunities.

"System Window."

[STATUS WINDOW]

- Name: Mikey Rael

- Race: Human

- Level: 8

- Life Force: 2/2

- Energy Level: 1/1 (+1)

- Combat Ability: 2/2 (+2)

- Stat Points: 21

- Currency: 400

- Role: <The Dreamer>

- Authority: <Dream/Nightmare>

- Titles: <Visionary>, <The One Who Saw The End>, <Chosen One>

- Skills (Exclusive): <Dream>, <Nightmare>

- Skills (Non-Exclusive): <Nil>

- Items Equipped: <Rock>, <Enchanted Rock>

- Alignment: Neutral

[Additional Information]

You can see the future and past by living it. It is a coveted power worthy of desire, but a scary one to possess.

"Hmm..."

With my current Level, I should consider myself around average, maybe? Since this is already bleeding into the sixth day, this much should be normal.

'My initial goal was to reach Level 10 at the very least before the Tutorial ends, but now... maybe I can raise the bar even higher.'

It was at this point that I finally decided within myself to surpass my limits

"Alright! Let's reach Level 15 before the Tutorial ends."

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[A/N]

Looks like we're finally getting to the good bits! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I got contracted, so please send me your Golden Tickets and Gifts.

I'll soon upload Character Arts, so stay tuned for that.