Nightmare (Black Steed) · Shadow Slave · Wiki

For similar terms, see Nightmare (Disambiguation).

Nightmare, the Black Stallion, was initially the Awakened Terror that had once been Shadow Lord's steed and companion.^[3] Sunny received this Shadow after killing it.^[4]^[5]

Appearance

The stallion was tall and graceful, his coat as black as night and his eyes burning with menacing crimson light. Lean muscles rolled under his skin with each movement, making it glisten with dark luster. His hooves seemed to be forged out of somber adamantine metal, as were his curved horns and sharp, terrifying fangs.

The tenebrous steed seemed to be surrounded by shadows, his silhouette cloaked in their dark mantle. He was as beautiful as he was terrifying…

— Sunny's description of Black Stallion,
Chapter 642 Rude Awakening

A beautiful black steed, tall and graceful, with a lustrous jet-black coat and lean muscles rolling under the skin. Its mane was long and luscious, and its tenebrous eyes glowed with fearsome crimson flames. The courser had two long horns and a mouth full of sharp fangs that resembled that of a wolf. The horns, the fangs, and the hooves were all forged out of a strange black metal that seemed to be able to compete with the impenetrable onyx of the Mantle of the Underworld.^[6]

In his true shapeless form, he was a vast shadow.^[3]^[7]

After Ascension, Nightmare's outward appearance did not change much, only the red glow of his ferocious eyes seemed brighter.^[8]

Personality

The black steed was as resilient, stubborn, willful, and ruthless as Sunny was. It endured the endless stream of wounds and deaths that was delivered upon him with unbreakable determination, his hatred and murderous fury only growing stronger. The courser possessed an evil will and a devious mind of his own. He was ready to suffer terrible torment for eternity, as long as it meant destroying his enemy over and over again.^[9]

As Sunny patted his muzzle, Nightmare pressed it against the calloused hand and looked at his master with a pale, distant hint of recognition. The crimson glow of his eyes ignited with a new intensity, and the black steed snorted, its voice full of quiet affection.

— Chapter 655 Nightmare

After the black steed was reborn, it was still the same being, but also renewed by the purifying darkness of death. The madness was gone from the stallion's crimson eyes, and so was the burden of hundreds of years of sorrow and loneliness.^[6]

It seemed that Nightmare did not like the Imp as it snorted in calm agreement when Sunny told him he had permission to eat the Imp if it did something stupid.^[10]

Runes & Progress

Shadow: [Nightmare].
Shadow Rank: Supreme.
Shadow Class: Terror.
Shadow Description: Shadow Description: [This beautiful steed was tamed by the treacherous Lost From Light in the depths of a harrowing dream. The two Shadows battled across countless nightmares, shattering them all apart; neither was willing to give up, so in the end, the nightmares did.]
Shadow Attributes: [Swift], [Dark Destrier], [Dreadlord], [Dreamwalker].
[Swift] Attribute Description: "This Shadow is especially swift and enduring."
[Dark Destrier] Attribute Description: "This dark horse was meant to be a shadow warrior's steed, and accompany its rider into battle. It is fierce, loyal, and knows no fear. Its speed, strength, and resilience grow when surrounded by darkness and shadows."
[Dreadlord] Attribute Description: "This Shadow's might grows the more he is feared."
[Dreamwalker] Attribute Description: "This Shadow can travel through dreams."
Shadow Abilities: [Flowing Shadow], [Mantle of Fear], [Nightmare], [Dream Curse].
[Flowing Shadow] Ability Description: "This steed can dive into shadows and move through them with incredible speed."
[Mantle of Fear] Ability Description: "This Shadow is capable of delivering a continuous mind attack around it that infects its foes with crippling fear."
[Nightmare] Ability Description: "This Shadow can create and subjugate nightmares. The more nightmares serve it, the more powerful it grows, both inside and outside dreams."
[Dream Curse] Ability Description: "This Shadow is a master of a lesser dream domain. It is capable of lulling living beings to sleep and imprisoning their souls in a labyrinth of nightmares. The souls destroyed within the nightmare maze feed the Shadow; the more powerful the Shadow grows, the faster and further the dream curse spreads."

Note: Summary of current runes can be seen by hovering over the scroll icon (web mode only).

View Runes
Click here to view the Shadow Runes & Progress

Ability

Nightmare's ability as a terror was similar to that of a tyrant. In his case, instead of corporeal minions, the stallion accumulated literal nightmares, and the more of them he ruled, the more powerful he became. The dark destrier was supposed to eventually unlock his final ability, [Dream Curse], by assembling an army of a thousand nightmares.^[11]

Dream Curse

[Dream Curse] was described as an insidious and terrifying power that made Nightmare a master of a lesser dream domain, capable of lulling living beings to sleep and imprisoning their souls in a labyrinth of nightmares. Souls destroyed within that maze fed the Shadow, allowing Nightmare's power to grow stronger and the curse to spread faster and further.^[12]

The Dream Curse spread like a plague, consuming its prey and subduing even beings stronger than its source, as it could subtly influence victims until their defenses weakened and they could no longer resist. Once lulled to sleep, the victims were trapped in inescapable nightmares, unaware of the attack until it was too late. Nightmare planted the seeds of nightmares into the hearts of living beings, harvesting them to create his own minions and build a legion of dreadful dreams to contain his victims. However, there were limits to this power, as Nightmare, being a Transcendent Terror, could not easily subdue or maintain control over all enemies indefinitely.^[12]

The Dream Curse was referred to by the Spell as a lesser dream domain. The souls destroyed within the Shadow's dream maze were consumed, making the shadow stronger.^[13]
The Dream Curse was a terrifying and insidious power that spread unseen, infecting those who contracted it. Its influence was subtle and insidious, and by the time it was ready to cause nightmares, it was too late to resist.^[14]

Nightmare Accumulation

There were two ways for Nightmare to accumulate nightmares: either create his dream minions or subjugate them.^[11]

To create his minion, the black steed had to sow a seed of terror into an enemy's soul. If the enemy escaped and the seed took root, they would be haunted by the memories of the dreadful destrier and see him in their dreams.^[11]

The weaker the victim's will, the more opportunities for the nightmare to grow and become more powerful. A brave person, on the other hand, would cause the seed to wither and die. Eventually, if the nightmare fully formed, the stallion would be able to use his [Dreamwalker] Attribute to harvest it.^[11]

To subjugate a nightmare, the Shadow had to defeat it in battle inside the dream, which meant at least an Ascended in waking world.

The black steed could travel into the dreams of powerful beings and subjugate their own nightmares. However, the more powerful the dreamer, the more powerful the nightmares haunting them were.^[11]

Nightmares

Debut

Show/Hide Nightmares

Chapter	Nightmare
634	A world destroyed by a god
635-636	Death of Aidre
636-637	Penitence of the Sun Prince
638	Last Moments of Shadow Lord
639	Different Nightmares of a person... Tied to a stake and burned alive while being watched by his friends and neighbors with demented glee. Being eaten alive by a monster. Bled to death on a battlefield and crows tearing at his face with their sharp beaks. Watched his entire family be executed and hanged from the walls of a somber fortress. Thrown into the boundless darkness of the Sky Below by his heartless mother. Killed and turned into a wooden doll by a vengeful sorcerer. Heart pierced by an obsidian knife. Cleaved apart by the blade of a giant warrior in a red tattered robe in an ancient theater. Crushed down into bloody paste with his comrades by the foot of a metal colossus.
639-640	A mundane swordsman protecting a young girl being pursued by an armored rider with a mighty black stallion.

Current

Dormant nightmares: 287^[13]
Awakened nightmares: 252^[13]
Ascended nightmares: 455^[13]
Transcendent nightmares: 6^[13]

Background

Centuries ago, on a deserted island, where the Shadow Lord said his last goodbye to this faithful steed and rode across the night skies. After his lord took his own life, the black steed wandered across the ruins of the Kingdom of Hope, mournful and lost, and then returned to the now-empty fortress that had once been his home, his master's home, only to see it be overtaken and desecrated by marauding strangers. He felt a deep, maddening rage, and gave in to the madness, letting it consume him.^[4]

The black steed was an ancient and powerful Shadow and had experienced centuries of bloody battles.^[4]

The black steed had been a Shadow created by one of the Chain Lords.^[5]

History

Nameless Temple

The Great Nightmare Creatures, slumbering under the temple, tried to destroy the walls of the dream prison, as Sunny had done in the Kingdom of Hope. But Nightmare conquered more nightmares, collecting new ones of terrifying power. However, it was a daunting task to lull a Cursed being to sleep. The Cursed One resisted for a long time, but eventually, the Dream Curse seeped into its mind, body, and soul, causing it to grow sluggish, doze off, and eventually fall asleep.^[14]

Trivia

The black steed was killed by Sunny due to a shattered spine and was awarded to Sunny as a Shadow. The Spell called it an Awakened Shadow, Nightmare.^[4]
Sunny ordered a custom-made saddle from an exclusive leather work boutique and turn it into a memory to be used on Nightmare.^[11]
Sunny has grown accustomed to sleeping peacefully ever since he got Nightmare. The black steed usually guards his dreams.^[15]
After Ascension, Nightmare's aura of fear became stronger that even Sunny with his high level of resistance to mental attack felt a hint of dread.^[8]
In Chapter 1462 when Effie called Nightmare a pony, the red flames burning in Nightmare's terrifying eyes quivered.
Nightmare had to feed on powerful creatures' dreams, subjugating them and consuming them to reach a higher rank, despite the slow and dangerous process.^[11]^[16]
In Chapter 2597, according to Jet, Nightmare is looking funny at her.
In Chapter 2829, Nightmare appeared beside the Dream Gate of the Lord of Shadows in the underground chamber beneath the government complex. He bore a familiar iron locket hanging on a black leather cord around his neck.
It was confirmed by Sunny in Chapter 2839 that he left Nightmare to guard Effie and Bastion. That is why Effie was able to summon Nightmare from her shadow and tied the locket around his neck, ordering him to bring Little Ling to the Forgotten Shore and deliver him to Aiko without being seen in Chapter 2830.
In Chapter 3152, Sunny liberated Nightmare (became True Shadow Creature) for Fifth Nightmare preparations. (Refer to Status of the Shadows)
It was mentioned in Chapter 3155 that Nightmare had gone to Bastion to haunt its dreams.