Nightmare Realm Summoner

Color traced through the nothingness and a ripple passed out from beneath Alex's feet. He stood on the surface of a dark lake. It stretched out in every direction, just barely visible. An old stone basin rested just before him, covered with dust and cracks. It rose up to his chest in height and was about three times as wide as it was tall. Above it was a huge ball of glittering blue mist. It spun like a globe, sending shimmers of light dancing as they reflected off the surface of the dark water.

Alex stared up in mute awe. Despite everything he'd already seen today, his mouth fell agape.

"Where am I?" he breathed.

It was a supremely strange feeling. Cold stone pressed into his back from where he sat back in the Mirrorlands, and yet all his other senses told him he was standing in a lake. Alex knelt and touched the chilly water.

He rubbed his fingers together. There was no doubt that it was wet. His mind was completely convinced that this place was real. As far as he could tell, it was. He was just simultaneously existing in a spot in his own mind as well as the Mirrorlands.

Given everything that had happened today, it really wasn't that much of a stretch.

"I'm meant to condense this swirly blue stuff somehow?" Alex asked himself, looking up at the churning orb of cyan energy. A faint pressure roiled off it like a gentle sea breeze. He reached up and brushed a hand through the wispy smoke.

A cool chill ran down his arm. It carried a sharp spike of energy along with it, like the world's strongest shot of coffee. He drew in a breath and pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers and shaking his hand off.

Alex hesitated for a second, then stuck his hand back into the energy. He scooped a small portion of it free and it pooled in his palm. Electrifying lines coursed down his arm and into his body.

He pressed the pool of mist between his palms, trying to squeeze it down. It squelched out and swirled up into the air.

"Okay. Maybe it isn't that simple," Alex muttered as the wisps of blue light rose back to rejoin the teeming mass of power above the basin.

"What an astute observation."

Unfamiliar words rang through Alex's mind and he spun toward their source. A dour-faced man wearing a tailored velvet suit stood across from him. He was as thin as a rake and his face was creased with the first lines of aging. His full head of sleek black hair had been combed back to reveal slightly pointed ears.

Alex barely even registered all of those features. His gaze was instantly drawn to the man's eyes — or rather, the lack of them. Two pitch black voids had taken their place, swallowing all the light that dared grow near the man's face.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my mind?" Alex demanded, taking a step back and searching for some kind of weapon.

"Our very short relationship is going to go poorly if you're always this pushy," the man said, adjusting the gloves on his hands before letting his arms drop back to his sides.

"You need to have a relationship in the first place for it to go poorly," Alex said, watching the man through narrowed eyes. "And I think it's pretty fair to ask why someone's strolling around in my head. Did the System put you here?"

The man's lips pursed in distaste and he ignored Alex's question completely. "Your complete lack of a Mind Palace and stark incompetence would imply that you are either the most useless creature to be graced by the System or were only recently inducted into its loving embrace."

Something about the way the man spoke told Alex that, despite his words, he didn't care for the System in the slightest.

"The latter," Alex said. "What are you? The Class Guide I didn't get?"

"You seem to misunderstand," the man said. "I will not be answering random questions."

"Then get out of my head."

"No."

They stared at each other.

"Why—"

"I am not here to answer random questions," the man repeated. He snapped his fingers, then nodded to the swirling ball of blue illuminating them both. "I am here to aid you in dealing with this. Nothing more. Nothing less. I will not interfere in your life. I will not answer your questions, nor will I hinder or aid you in any way, shape, or form. We will complete this task and then I will leave. That is all."

Alex reached for the sensation of the stone pressed against his back and focused on it. The world around him shuddered, then collapsed in on itself as his eyes snapped back open.

Claire blinked in surprise. "You're back early. Really early."

"There was a creepy guy in my head," Alex said. "Why the hell is there someone in there? Is it normal?"

"Oh, your guide?" Claire asked. "I have no bleeding clue what they are, but mine never led me astray. Didn't lead me much of anywhere if I'm being completely honest. Just demonstrated how to do a few basic things and then vanished. The System told me their memories would shatter, so you don't have to worry about revealing anything to them. Everything you say will disappear when they do. Mine wasn't creepy, though. That's on you."

"Ah. Thanks," Alex said.

He closed his eyes and sank back into his mind once more. The dour faced man was still standing by the basin where he'd been before, a scowl on his features.

"I'll thank you not to drag this on any more than it needs to be," the man said.

"If anyone just sits around and listens to what random people popping up in their head tell them to do, they're an idiot," Alex said. "I was just checking to see what you were on about. So what is it that you are here to do?"

The man's lip curled up in what might have been a smile. He splayed his fingers out before him. "First, you must properly refine the energy you have into the basin of your Mind Palace. Then—"

"That's the second time you've said Mind Palace," Alex said. "What is that?"

A flicker of emotion passed over the man's face. It might have been surprised, or it might have been annoyance. It was impossible to tell which. "Disregard that. Simply condense your energy."

"How?"

"If you cannot follow the instructions left by the System, then you are completely hopeless. Figure it out so I can be done with this."

Be done with this? He's stuck here? Is it some kind of weird punishment by the System? And is it for him or me?

"I'd be thrilled to. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten shit for instructions." Alex matched the man's glare. "I'd gratefully accept any suggestions you have, though. I want you in my head even less than you want to be here. I can assure you of that."

The man's head tilted to the side. "You did not receive instructions?"

"The only thing I've gotten is you, and I'm hoping the System has a good refund policy. We're going to be here a really long time if you aren't answering questions."

"Your state of mind is what compresses the energy," the man said after a long pause. "Use your breathing to control your consciousness. You are not enlightened enough to do it with mere intent alone. Will the energy together and into the basin."

I guess the meditation bit was more literal than I initially thought.

Alex inclined his head in appreciation and sat down. It was a bit odd to be sitting in the exact same way in two different places, but his mind quickly forgot about it as he directed his attention to his breathing.

The empty-eyed man didn't say a word as Alex sank into his second layer of meditation. He focused on the rise and fall of his chest. And, as time started to slip by, he became increasingly aware of the tingling energy floating in the air above him.

It was surprisingly easy for him to will the energy to move. It transformed into a streamer and swirled through his mind at his command before returning to its original spot.

"Don't play with it. Form it," the dour-faced man said.

Alex's eye twitched and he nearly lost his sense of peace. Fortunately, meditation seemed far easier than it ever had before the System had arrived. It wasn't like he had all that much experience doing it back in school.

I bet it helps a lot that I'm literally already in my mind. A lot of meditation is supposed to be connecting the mind and body. That bit's done.

He increased his attention on the mist, trying to wrap it up with his mind. He felt it tremble and start to condense, but large swathes of mist swirled out from his mental hands and curled into the air.

Alex focused on the bits of smoke that he had gathered and didn't waste any attention on the bits that swirled back to rejoin the sphere. His lips pressed thin as he pushed the energy in on itself like he was wringing the life out of a lemon.

A single droplet of brilliant blue energy dropped from the sky and splashed into the bottom of the basin. A shiver of energy raced through Alex and he drew in a sharp breath. His eyes snapped open.

He rose to his feet. The droplet rested in the basin, just like he knew it would have — and yet, his eyes had been closed.

How did I see anything?

"You are inside your own mind," the man said dryly. "Anything that happens in this space is known to you, should you have the awareness to perceive it."

"Don't tell me you can read my mind."

"Only what you physically show me." The guide gestured to the empty black lake around them. "Which is nothing. Now complete your task so that I may finish mine."

Alex looked up at the ball of energy. He'd barely put a dent into it. A grimace crossed his lips and he sat back down, refocusing himself.

This is going to take a while.

***

Alex didn't actually know how much time had passed when he finally squeezed the last droplet of energy into his basin. He'd lost count of the droplets as well, but when he rose to check on what his labors had reaped him, he found that the basin had barely been filled. The amount of energy within it felt pitiful at best.

"Okay. I did it."

"So you did," the eyeless man said. "Now use it."

"I'd be thrilled to if I actually knew how," Alex said, a note of exasperation entering his tone. "Trust me, I don't want to be wasting time here. I'm sitting around surrounded by a bunch of creepy monsters waiting to rip my throat out. I need power."

"Your attempt to wring information from me that the System did not give you is clever, but I was not born yesterday," the man said with a sigh. "I will not humor you any further. I will grant no inspiration."

"What, you think I'm lying? Why would I lie?" Alex asked, throwing his hands up. "Just tell me exactly what the System told you, then. That wouldn't give me any inspiration or whatever. I just want to get the shit that everyone else got."

The man's eyes narrowed. "You are committed to this. Did you truly not get guidance from the System?"

"Be honest with yourself. Does it look like I'm enjoying this? I want to get to the fun bit, and you're in the way."

To his surprise, a smirk passed over the man's face. "That is quite apparent. Very well. Perhaps you are an apt liar, but you have my curiosity. I will retract my words and oblige this request. Drink from the well and let the energy in your mind merge with your body. You are Novice 1, so you have yet to reveal all of your Auxiliary Skills yet. You have two more."

"Which I get at 2 and 3."

"I am in the presence of an untold genius."

Alex bit back a snarky remark. "So I only ever get three Auxiliary Skills?"

"And a human only ever gets 5 senses." The man tilted his head from side to side. "It would be apt to say you get three pathways, and each one is endlessly versatile. Can a sword do nothing but cut? There are an endless number of movements and blade techniques that can be learned and mastered. Your abilities are no different. The initial Auxiliary Skills are nothing but a single step onto a path. A hint at the power that lies beyond. I would advise you to look to the future when choosing and envision what may be, not what is. Their potential is limitless, but only if you can advance far enough to grasp it."

"What about my Soul Manifestation?" Alex pressed his luck with just one more question.

The worst that could happen was that he would be told to get lost. It didn't seem like he could leave, after all. A flicker of irritation passed over the eyeless man's features, but he blew out a sigh.

"It is the core of both you and your class. Your Soul Manifestation advances every full Stage you complete, though its true strength depends on your Mind Palace. If you make it to the Third stage, your Manifestation will evolve into a domain. And before you ask — the first six stages are Novice, Initiate, Adept, Expert, Master and Grandmaster. You can figure the upper ranks out if you make it that far. Now—"

"Wait. Just one more. Please."

The man's empty eye sockets bored into Alex. His lips pressed thin, but his head inclined slightly. "Ask."

I lied. I've got a whole lot more than just one more. My Soul Manifestation depends on both my Stage and my Mind Palace? What does that mean? And how does it work? I want to know so much — but I'm running this guy's patience thin. I need to prioritize.

"What's the point of all of this? The System. What does it want? Why is it doing this?"

The man's mouth curled up into a smile. "That is a very good question. Not many enjoy the answer."

"You know it, then?"

"I know a portion of it. There are few who can claim to truly understand the System. It seeks to grow, and to grow those within its reach. The System expands endlessly throughout the universes and changes all in its wake. I have heard it called a virus and a blessing alike. It is a subject of great debate as to what its ultimate purpose is. Many have come to simply view it as a natural law."

"Is that how you view it?"

His lips pulled apart even further. Whether it was a smile or a sneer was entirely up to interpretation. "You are inquisitive. That will serve you well. The System encourages the ambitious. I will not be answering that question. If you seek to discover the System's purpose, then seek it yourself. Now, I believe you were doing something."

Alex had more questions than he could possibly fit into an hour, much less a few minutes, but he pushed them to the side. He'd already gotten some useful information and it was abundantly clear that pressing the man further would take him nowhere. Alex walked up to the basin and lowered his head into it, drinking the blue liquid within.

It flowed into his mouth, seemingly of its own volition. Icy chills raced through Alex's chest and extended their tendrils throughout the rest of his body. Violent prickles bit at his insides and he took a step back from the basin, his entire body buzzing.

He doubled over, heaving, as the liquid pushed its way out of his mouth and back into the basin. It crackled as it splashed against the sides of the stone. But, this time, instead of remaining pooled within it, the blue energy sank into the stone.

The cracks sealed and knitted themselves shut as the stone itself lightened. Years of age washed away until the old basin looked new. It was still plain, but it looked refreshed and whole.

"What was that about?" Alex demanded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"A hammer in the hands of a monkey is nothing but a stick," the man replied. "If you wish to grow strong, you must act with understanding. Intent is just as important as power."

Alex looked back down to the basin. A small amount of the blue energy still twinkled in its base, but far less than there had been before. The man was clearly waiting for him to say something.

And, more importantly, there was an unspoken challenge in his words. The man was telling Alex to try and figure out what the point of drinking the liquid was. Alex chewed his lower lip and drummed his fingers on the edge of the basin.

"Is it about the way I think of the magic? This is all kind of meditation, so was it some form of body-soul connection you were trying to make me think of?"

A flicker of surprise passed over the man's features. "That… is not an inept guess. It is far from the whole, but you are correct. You and your class are one and the same. Your soul is an extension of you. When you look around your soul, what do you see?"

"A lake and a basin."

The irritation on the eyeless man's face told Alex that he hadn't gotten the right answer this time around.

"Think," the man ordered. "I have given you all the information you need. Use it. If you cannot, then dip your hand into the water that remains in your basin and will yourself to advance."

If the man had been trying to make sure Alex refused to so much as budge a step from where he stood, he'd succeeded. There was already a hint in his last answer. He'd said something accidentally.

He mentioned a Mind Palace. What is that, though?

Alex cast his gaze around his soul. It really was empty. The only thing in it was the basin that was before him. Confusion knit his brows and he dug deeper. It wasn't like there were a lot of options. This had to have something to do with the basin.

He'd drank the liquid and the basin had repaired itself and grown… more whole, for lack of a better word. It was stronger and more resilient. Alex's eyes narrowed.

Is the basin literally the palace? Or part of it? If I filled it up before it was whole, the magic water stuff probably would have started leaking through the cracks. By drinking it, I guess I patched the damage.

"Is it the Mind Palace that I'm missing?" Alex tried. "I need to build it so I can contain the energy… or something like that."

"If nothing else, you have proven the System indeed did not tell you anything," the eyeless man said. "That was the first piece of information it should have told you, and I refuse to believe a lesser being would be able to lie this well. You are mostly correct. A Mind Palace is the foundation of your soul."

"So drinking the water helped me visualize a connection between myself and my soul and also… what, reinforced my soul a bit at the cost of my power?"

"Very good." There was a note of genuine approval in the eyeless man's eyes. "You are correct. Congratulations. You now know what every other sentient being in the System knows. It is my turn for a question."

Alex blinked in surprise. "What is it?"

"How is it that you came to have no knowledge of this? The System does not allow any free of its grasp."

Claire did say that anything I tell this guy will vanish forever when he fulfills his purpose. Getting more information out of him is worth the risk.

"I fell between the cracks in the world and landed in a place called the Mirrorlands before the System Initialization completed in my world," Alex said. "You don't happen know how to get out of here, do you?"

The eyeless man let out a burst of laughter. "Truly? You begain Intialization on your homeworld and finished it in the Mirrorlands? Now that is quite interesting. Perhaps you will become someone of worth. Perhaps not. Should we ever meet, call me by the name Meiderly. I will be curious to hear of what you have learned."

"Didn't we just meet?"

"I meant my true form, not this mere fragment of energy. I do not know how long I laid dormant in the Mirrorlands, but I will return to my true self once you have finished here. No memory of our conversation will remain. I would suggest you keep record of my name and utilize it if the time comes. Should we meet unnanounced, I would be likely to kill you."

Alex blinked. "What? Why?"

"Because you are not the only Anomaly." Meiderly's lips parted in a toothy smile. He lifted a hand and twisted it to the side, his fingers closing into his palm as he grasped the air. A mote of white light dropped from Meiderly's palm and fell into the water at their feet. A ripple passed through the darkness before sinking into its depth and fading from view.

"What was that?" Alex asked.

"The price of my curiosity. A sliver of intent," Meiderly replied. "Seek entrance to the Empty Court. Should you grow near one of their passageways, my gift will help guide you for a short period of time. Do not let it go to waste."

Alex opened his mouth to ask a question, but the eyeless man lifted a finger before it could form. "No more. I will give you a final gift of knowledge, one that the System does not distribute freely. Your Mind Palace is not merely a basin to hold power. It is you. Do not allow your Soul Manifestation to advance until you have grown your Mind Palace until you can push no farther. It is far more than what it appears. Now drink. My energy grows thin and I will speak no more."

Alex squinted at the eyeless man, then lowered his hand into the thin pool of energy rippling at the bottom of the basin. Cold blades pierced into his fingertips and he stiffened in surprise. A spike of ice drove through his heart and the liquid drained away, flowing into his palm and vanishing.

Gold letters traced through the darkness before Alex.

Your Stage has advanced to Novice 2.

Please select your second Auxiliary Skill from the following options.

[Mirrormancy] — Gain limited control over the medium in which you bind your monsters. This ability can influence any materials with the properties of glass or mirrors.

[Monster Medley] — Combine an existing monster with the energy gathered in your Spatial Mirrors. The results of this combination are variable and depend on the quality of the monster and energy as well as their synergy.

[Shimmering Shadows] — Gain limited understanding illusion and the reflective properties of the Mirrorlands to the point where you can manifest images entirely from your will.