Chapter 6
It took nearly two hours for Garretts body to calm down from the experience of being possessed by a nightmare. Two hours of shivering on the floor despite the warmth of the light that radiated from the chair in the middle of the room. Two hours before his body would listen to him well enough that he could get up. When he finally could control his limbs, he pushed himself to his feet and sat down in the chair. At the last moment his limbs spasmed, as if trying to throw him across the room, but with a terrible cry he gripped the armrest of the throne with all his strength, forcing himself to remain on it.
The burning he had felt when he fell into the room returned with a vengeance, this time centered around his heart. Unbelievable pain shot through his chest, causing him to black out, mercifully falling unconscious as his body, which had appeared fine moments before, began to sizzle. One after another, eyes began opening across his body, erupting like crimson sores that bled out black blood. As quickly as they appeared they were turned to ash, revealing unblemished skin behind. Completely oblivious to all that was going on, Garretts thrashing body should have fallen out of the glowing throne, but a mysterious power held it in place and the light continued to pour through him, burning away the impurity.
At long last his chest split open, revealing a large bloodshot eye that looked around wildly, as if trying to see everything in the room. Yet no sooner had it appeared than the throne pulsed and the warm light shone bright, dyeing everything in the room a gleaming gold. The terrifying eye seemed to sense its imminent destruction and power surged through it, creating a crimson shield that blocked out the golden light. For a moment the two lights fought for supremacy, but the golden light could not be stopped, and after a moment of futile resistance it burned away with a soundless scream that shook the Dream.
This time Garrett woke up in the real world, wrapped in sweat-soaked sheets, his chest throbbing as if the eye was still implanted in him. His gaze was grim, but there was a certain level of schadenfreude as well. He wasnt sure how hed known that the nightmares possession was hiding deeper inside his body, or what had possessed him to sit directly on the Dreamers Throne, but it had been as effective as hed hoped. The only problem that remained was the terrifying window that popped up in front of him.
You have wounded [???????], Crimson Eye of Shalmoroth, destroying one of her seven baleful eyes and forming an irreconcilable hatred. Read latest chapters at nov(e)lbin.com Only
You have fulfilled a hidden condition, opening up a precarious path for your future.
EXP gain from the destruction of a baleful eye blocked due to your current path.
EXP: 6/10
You have observed [???????], Crimson Eye of Shalmoroth, one of the Great Rulers of the Dream. You have gained 10 EXP.
You have observed the Hidden Eye, one of the seven baleful eyes of the Crimson Eye of Shalmoroth. You have gained 8 EXP.
You have witnessed the power of the Dreamers Throne. You have gained 3 EXP.
EXP: 27/10
[Congratulations! You currently have enough experience points to level up. Would you like to level up to level one?]
Tentatively nodding his head, Garrett saw the windows hovering in front of his vision shift, transforming into something that looked like a tree diagram. A blinking light indicated where he currently was, and dim paths led to two different options. Each of those options further split into a web of additional options, and it wasnt hard for Garrett to figure out he was about to start determining the direction his life would take.
[Each time you level up, you will be presented with the choice of acquiring a new ability or increasing the skill level of an existing ability. Please choose which of your skills you will level and then choose your first level advantage.]
Another window popped up in front of the tree diagram, showing Garrett the skills he already possessed, Whisper of the Dream and Observe the Dream. Focusing on the first of the options, Garrett saw the window morph again and a description of the ability appeared.
Whisper of the Dream
You have gained the ability to communicate with those who can walk the Dream.
*NEW* You can now initiate communication without touching your target. You must be able to see the target.
Skill Level: 1 > 2
Even though hed never used this ability before, Garrett could immediately understand the advantage that leveling it up would bring. The Dream was a terribly dangerous place, so anything that would allow him to communicate remotely would be tremendously helpful. As tempted as he was to immediately select it, he resisted the urge and opened up the other skill description for Observe the Dream.
Observe the Dream
You have gained the ability to see the Dream clearly.
*NEW* The energy cost of activating this ability has been reduced.
1 EXP - Observation Seed
2 EXP - Communication Seed
[Other types of seeds locked]
Skill Level: 1
Information about the ability rushed into Garretts head, helping him understand how to use it and cementing his belief that hed made the right choice. Eager to try it out, he hurried to enter the Dream, only to stop when he appeared on the Dreamers Throne.
STATUS
NAME: Garrett Klein
PATH: Path of the Watcher
LEVEL: 1
EXP: 17/20
ABILITIES: [3/10]
Whisper of the Dream [1]
Observe the Dream [2]
Dream Seed [1]
[To open your status in the future, concentrate on your soul spark and say status.]
There wasnt a whole lot to see on his status, but he did notice the numbers under his abilities, which got him wondering if he would only be able to get a total of ten abilities. Considering he got a new ability with every level, he could only assume he would have the option of replacing existing abilities. Unless, of course, ten levels was the maximum he could get. His first level had required ten experience points, while the second required twenty, which could mean that the experience required for each level would either be the level multiplied by ten or double the number of experience points of the previous level.
If it was the latter, then getting to level ten would require nearly eight thousand experience points, an unimaginable number. Even observing a Great Ruler of the Dream had only given Garrett a measly ten experience, and it had nearly killed him. With a sigh, he closed the window and stood up, intending to walk out the door into the hall, but as soon as his hand touched the handle of the door he stopped, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Staring down at his trembling hand, Garretts eyes narrowed, able to feel the two personalities his body possessed struggling against each other. The young noble in him wanted to stay in the room where it was safe, while the cold, ruthless personality he had brought from Earth demanded that he go out, a complete change from the last time hed tried to walk out this door.
Rather than give in to either, Garrett closed his eyes and activated Observe the Dream, causing his vision to rise up into the air. He could see the entirety of the room he was currently in, along with the closed door he was holding onto and a bit of the empty hallway outside. With a thought, he moved his view, trying to see more of the hallway. Like a camera sliding along a rail, his view shifted out to the hallway until he could only see the closed door of his room. Not seeing anything dangerous, he shifted his view again, trying to go out of the window at the end of the hallway, but nothing but gray fog filled his view, so he soon came back in. Next, he tried to check beyond the doorway he hadnt yet entered, but again the same thing happened and all he could see was the thick gray haze.
Hmm. Is it because I havent been into that room yet? Can this remote viewing only see where Ive already seen? Maybe I need to actively remove the fog before my Observe the Dream ability will work. Ill have to test that.
Normally Garrett would have already fallen unconscious, his soul spark completely drained, but thanks to the upgrade hed gotten the ability barely used up any energy. Pulling back into the hall, Garrett moved to look at the office, the only other room hed entered while in the Dream. Sure enough, the haze that covered the office was largely gone, allowing him to see the desk and the area around it. There were two figures in the room Garrett easily recognized as Henrick and Gorn, who seemed to be discussing something. Just like the last time hed seen them in the office, both Henrick and Gorn had shining lights set in their chests that Garrett immediately recognized as soul sparks.
Neither one held a shape, which meant they were both still in the lighting stage, but Henricks soul spark was considerably brighter than Gorns. Focusing his view down on Henrick, Garrett couldnt help but frown as the view started to distort, almost as if static was being introduced into it. The closer he got to Henrick, the greater the disruption, and he quickly realized that his soul spark was starting to dim. Pulling back out, everything went back to normal, causing his frown to lighten. Trying it with Gorn, he found that the distortion still appeared, but it wasnt nearly as strong.
It must have something to do with the strength of their soul sparks. I wonder if the same will be true for different classes of nightmares? I bet the same will apply to my other abilities as well, though I guess I could just test it.
Zooming in on Gorn, Garrett activated his newest ability, Dream Seed, only to find himself stymied from the outset.
[You have not yet unlocked the ability to plant Dream Seeds without line of sight to your target. Level up in the path of the Watcher to unlock this ability.]
