Chapter 040

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‘ ‘ for thoughts.

“ “ for speech.

* * for actions.

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Warning: May contain mature content (18+) of an adult nature. Read at your own risk.

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Instead of sticking to the dirt paths, Jack decided to travel through the woods to reach Houndborough. It gave him the opportunity to grind his Survival and Free-running skills. He was also anxious to try out his new spell Ravaging Prison. While practicing on a (now weak) lv20ish pack of wolves, he confirmed few things.

His spell caused a wolf to be completely immobilized leaving it unable to even stand on its four limbs. The wolves had very little HP due to their low level, and thus a single cast of Ravaging Prison immobilized and killed it within 15 seconds.

When one wolf was under the effects of Ravaging Prison and not yet dead; he tried casting it on another. On doing so, the spell would end on the first wolf and affect the latest targeted wolf. This confirmed that though the spell had no cooldown, it could affect only a single target at a time. Recasting it on another target, cancelled its effects on the previous one!

After about one week of travelling through the woods, his enchanted canteen was nearly empty of water. He was a bit distressed at this. While due to his trait “Iron Stomach” he could drink the blood of animals to satiate his thirst; his companion couldn’t do so.

Jack: “My water is almost over. So unless you want to stay thirsty after a couple of days, we should find a source of water.”

Bob: “Don’t you mean ‘we’? You are here too...”

Jack: “I have a couple of skills to eat and drink almost anything without too much of an adverse effect…unless it is highly poisonous. In that case I would need to use some healing potions or cast regenerating infusion.”

Bob: “Well, if you are running out of water, there should be a water-source to our east, near that rocky hill in the distance. It should be less than a day’s walk. Once we get nearer, I will be able to find it with more precision.”

Jack: “How did you know that? Do the forests speak to you?”

Bob: *chuckles* “It is easy to look for it if you know the signs. “

Jack: “Can you tell me? It will at least pass the time. There are no reasonably challenging monsters nearby…”

Bob: “Very well, pay attention then. There are many subtle clues to the location of water in forests…”

Jack then heard Bob’s lecture and practical demonstration over where to find water. Animals always know where the water is, so he should be on the lookout for wildlife or animal tracks. Lush green vegetation is also a sign that water is nearby. Swarming insects may be a hassle, but they also signal that a water source isn't far away.

Bird flight paths in the morning or evening can also point someone in the right direction. While pausing to rest, one should use their ears -- rivers can be heard in quiet woods from great distances. Water always flowed downhill, so low-lying areas and valleys were a good bet.

After hearing a crash course on finding water in forests, Jack browsed his notifications. He didn’t learn any new skill, but his Survival skill had gained proficiency due to absorbing the knowledge of his companion’s lecture.

After almost eight to ten hours of searching, they came to a small lake. It was near a cluster of large moss covered rocks. Jack filled his enchanted canteen to the brim with water and quenched his thirst. After drinking the water, he felt somewhat lazy and leaned against the moss covered rocks.

He felt a comfortable scent invading his senses. It smelled of crushed juniper and mulberries. He felt mildly drowsy and felt like taking a nap. Beside him, his companion Bob also had a drowsy look on its face. He immediately recognized that something was not right.

Jack: ‘When did Bob ever start to be so comfortable? Something is not right. I should try to stay awake.’

He resisted the urge to sleep, but the more he fought…the more insidious was the desire for rest. He speculated as to why it was so. Was it some status effect by a monster? Or was it something in the water? With his last remaining ounce of willpower, he turned and saw that Bob was already fast asleep as he succumbed to his desire to sleep.

Jack regained consciousness near the lake. He observed that everything was a dreary shade of black and gray, with hardly any color. His companion was nowhere nearby. In the center of the lake, there was a pitch black whirlpool. He looked at his surroundings and saw that farther and farther away from the lake, everything became more translucent shade of grey, almost transparent.

Jack: ‘So I am in a pocket plane, I guess? Strange though…there is no color. That black whirlpool seems to be the focus. Might as well venture there, or who knows how long I will be stuck in here…’

He then got up, and walked towards the lake. As soon as he stepped on the dark grey waters, instead of sinking, a paper thin bridge formed beneath his feet leading to the whirlpool. He chuckled at the welcome, and followed the path.

Though it looked fragile, it supported his weight without any problems, and soon he appeared near the whirlpool. From the center of the whirlpool, a sinister looking jet-black portal appeared. Cracks and tremors passed through it like lightning. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he stepped though the portal.

He felt a gut-wrenching sensation, a tugging behind his navel. He felt as if he was about to puke. After a few seconds, the sensation passed, and he found himself on all fours, staring at the grey-black floor. The floor had fantastic geometric shapes etched in it.

He could identify a few fractals on it. The more he observed, the more details he could find in it. As he was absorbed by the mathematical beauty of the fractal patterns etched on the floor, he heard a chiming voice interrupt his thought. It almost felt as if small prayer bells were ringing in harmony…;yet he felt a dangerous undertone to it.

Chiming Voice: “Fascinating, is it not; Spirit Eater?”

Jack snapped upwards and noticed the surroundings. He was in what seemed an infinitely large hall. It was so vast that he couldn’t see any walls which marked the boundary. He gazed upwards and found that the ceiling was too far above to make out any details.

All around him, there were thin yet intricate pillars made out of what looked like grey granite. The only color in the place was thin psychedelic veins covering the grey pillars. They pulsed and throbbed gently to an enigmatic rhythm. He turned ahead to see the source of the voice.

Just a few meters ahead of him, was a large circular floating cushion. On the cushion, sitting cross-legged was a black indistinct figure. It looked as if black smoke had taken a humanoid form. On the figure’s face, there were two radiant eyes which seemed to shimmer and throb with various colors.

He couldn’t make out any other feature except the radiant eyes. The whole sight was awe-inspiring and he felt a deep shiver pass down his spine. According to his crude estimations, this being was someone who rivaled Irfit in power! He had to tread carefully and not make the entity in front of me annoyed.

Jack: “Greetings to you, oh mighty spirit! How may I address you?”

There was a chuckle from the powerful entity in front of him. It sounded as if a thousand bells were incessantly ringing. The intensity was so that he almost had a headache.

Chiming Voice: “Very Polite. We guess we should repay your courtesy. Even we do not know our true name, Spirit Eater… but most address us as The Dreameater.”

Jack: ‘The Dreameater? Sounds ominous and what is with his referring himself as we? Sound sliek some pompous royalty. But I guess he can afford to do that. I bet he could curb stomp me without lifting a finger.’

Jack: “Might I know your purpose in summoning me Dreameater? And very forthright of you to admit you don’t know your true name. Although I am not sure about it, but aren’t names extremely important to spirits?”

The Dreameater: “All are welcome to try and find our true name and use it; doing that will allow us to gain that knowledge and exponentially increase our already considerable might. But our existence is a huge taboo spirit eater, not unlike your own before Irfit chained you. As for our purpose to invite you here, call it a coincidence?”

The Dreameater: “We were just trawling the prime material plane for interesting dreams, and found your soul somewhat unique. Curious, we invited you to our domain… and it turns out to be a spirit eater shackled by Irfit. It was too interesting to pass, and hence we were a bit forceful to bring you here. Now that you are in our domain, I suggest a deal.”

Jack: “Like a spirit pact?”

The Dreameater: “Maybe. Why not we have a conversation and see what it leads from there.”

Jack: “In that case, why is your existence a taboo?”

The Dreameater: “What others call us should be hint enough. But let’s just stay that everyone would rather pretend that we don’t exist. As long as we aren’t too overbearing and behave, it is going to stay as such.”

The Dreameater: “Let’s talk for some time. While we do travel through dreams; having a conscious conversation partner is oddly refreshing. Sometimes in a single dream we have devoured, mighty kingdoms rose and fell in the span of a single night; all in the dreamer’s psyche. What do you think are dreams Spirit Eater?”

Jack: “Who knows? Perhaps they are just a peek into our true being. An illusion our mind shows us, so that we may know ourselves better?”

The Dreameater: “Let us take the previous example. To the citizens of a kingdom in a dream, all they do is real. What is reality, then?”

Jack: “That’s uhh deep? I would be lying through my teeth if I even said I understood that question. After all to travellers like me, the whole existence of Terra is like a shared dream.”

The Dreameater laughed loudly at that. Its bell like voice was resonating with a multitude of tones. Due to his laugh, near him a warping could be seen. It was as if the power of his laugh was distorting this plane itself! Jack felt terror in his heart as he witnessed The Dreameater’s powerful laugh. After a while, The Dreameater regained his composure and addressed him.

The Dreameater: “Interesting answer, Spirit Eater. To all of us, the planes here are our realit which has existed for aeons. But in the world of your travelers, this is just a shared dream? That answers a lot more of my musings than you could guess, Spirit Eater.”

Jack: ‘Opps. Informing an in game NCP that it’s just simulated might not be the best course of action. But I though anything which clashed with the in-game residents is censored to all but players? So terms like real life, NCP, log-off is automatically screened from the in game residents. I might have found a loophole… at least The Dreameater seems amused.”

The Dreameater: “The nature of Terra’s reality is what grants us powers comparable to Spirit Monarchs. But I do ask you Spirit Eater, what if your reality is nothing but a shared dream?”

Jack: ‘Is it saying that we live in a Matrix?’

Jack: “While it may be impossible for me to confirm, in my world many great minds have had similar thought. Because the more we learn about our reality, the more questions it raises.”

The Dreameater: “We do not know about your reality Spirit Eater, but this reality is malleable. In your own words, this reality is nothing but the collective dream of those who experience it. Our conversation enlightened us to quite a few things, so we will give you a reward. Do you accept?”

Jack: “What is the reward, Dreameater?”

The Dreameater: “We allow you to devour one of us, and gain a bit of insight we have accumulated. What you make out of it, is dependent on you.”

Jack: ‘So more unique abilities and a chance to devour a spirit? Yes please!’

Jack: “I would accept your gift with gratitude, Dreameater.”

Out of the Dreameater’s figure a black incorporeal shadow appeared. Like the Dreameater, the shadow had two eyes full of color, in contrast to rest of it which was black. The eyes on the shadow however, were a lot less intense than The Dreameater’s.

The shadow floated in front of Jack and compressed into a black baseball sized object. Out of the black baseball, two multicolor eyes stared at him. He assumed that he was supposed to devour it. He tried to manifest his abomination to devour it, but he unexpectedly felt a deep fear in him.

Jack: ‘Is my abomination actually scared of this thing? Even in Irfit’s domain it manifested without hesitation at the prospect of a meal. What is this Dreameater exactly?’

The Dreameater: “Ah our apologies. We should suppress our presence, otherwise your abomination will never have the courage to show itself, much less devour one of us!”

The scene in front of Jack’s eyes changed substantially. Everything was painted in a myriad of crude watercolors, and the pillars stopped their psychedelic pulsation. Everything had more color, yet he felt that something was muted. Shrugging, he manifested his abomination.

Grey monochrome tentacles enveloped the baseball with glowing eyes and it slowly sank into its palm. In his body the black baseball with glowing eyes broke through the abomination’s tentacle and dived towards his Mana Center near his heart. A stream of visions passed through his eyes, of which he couldn’t comprehend a thing. A slight jingling voice erupted in his mind.

Jingling Voice: ‘Just endure for now Spirit Eater. I, one of The Dreameaters will stay with you and lend you my power. It is time for you to leave my domain. Keep me entertained now, will you.’

Jack blacked out and woke up with a cold sweat. He saw that his companion Bob was awake and he had returned to the principal material plane of Terra. It was the first time he had slept in game, and he wasn’t sure what he had experienced. He quickly browsed his notifications and learned that The Dreameater had granted him a trait. He bought out the description of the trait he gained, nd didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Skill Name:Skill Rank:Skill Level:Skill Experience:The Dreameater’s Gift: SolipsistTrait------

Reality is nothing but the collective dream of those who experience it and nothing exists out of the mind’s ability to perceive it. This is the foundation of The Dreameater’s power and it has granted a sliver of these insights to you. This is a dangerous realization and you must guard your thoughts, lest you come to believe reality exists only within your mind.

These insights significantly alter the way the world interacts with you. A portion of all HP damage and HP healing you receive goes to your PP, depending on your Void affinity. If your PP is below a certain threshold, you suffer penalties to all your stats. You may unlock new sub-skills if certain special conditions are met.

Current Effects:

20.8% of all HP damage and healing is redirected to your PP.

If your current PP is less than 20.8% of your max PP, you suffer a 10.4% penalty to all your basic and special stats.

Jack: ‘Dangerous realization indeed. On one hand, it ties up my HP and PP, so theoretically HP healing can be used to recover PP! But the vice versa is also true. If I take too much damage in a short while, I lose HP and PP. If my PP gets too low…I am basically fucked with penalties. Furthermore I am sure the damage/healing transfer and stat penalty both will increase with my void affinity. Should I actively seek to increase it, or refrain from using Void altogether?’

Bob: “Are you alright? Your face looks strange. You took quite a long nap btw… I tried to wake you up a couple of hours ago but you didn’t respond.”

Jack: “I am, at least for now. I just realized that a gift is not always a good thing…”

Bob: “…”

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Sorry for the late chapter. Due to RL factors, my releases will become sporadic. Treat of it as a semi-hiatus. I don’t want to promise anything but I will probably write one chapter every two weeks to a month for now (probably till November end). Not getting dropped however.

You might have noticed that the Donation thingy has been removed, I requested for it. But I do appreciate all the (only) donations I got till now, Mr. T of Germany! Thanks a lot!!

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