Master Of Astral Summoner-Chapter 158: Inside mind

Shaan’s words suddenly made the figure turn around, and it turned out to be Robin Hood. He smiled and slowly walked towards Shaan, who looked at him with a confused expression.

[Hello, Shaan... It’s nice to meet you. Here.]

"W-wait, what’s really going on?"

[Calm down, this isn’t the afterlife] Robin Hood laughed mockingly. [Right now, we are inside your mind, and I am only a small part of the image of your imagination]

"Interesting. I had no idea about that. " Shaan slowly stroked his chin.

[So, tell me. Why did you call me?] Robin Hood asked as he walked around the room.

"Ah, I was just practicing meditation with Dr. Marshal," Shaan explained. "I want to prepare myself before the Lunaris Revia event."

[Lunaris Revia?] Robin Hood stroked his chin. [Ah, the event to hunt down those dark creatures, right?]

"Huh? How do you know about that?"

[Well, all the daemons talk about it while they stay in the containment space. Honestly, it caught my interest.] Excitement filled Robin Hood’s expression. [I really want to test my strength—and defeat as many dark creatures as I can.]

"Hmm... Robin Hood always with - " Shaan stiffened. "Huh? Wait—why does my inner voice echo in here?"

[Shaan, listen to me carefully.] Robin Hood sighed and shook his head. [This place exists inside your mind. Of course, every thought you have will echo clearly here. Got it?]

Shaan slapped his forehead. "Ah, so that’s how it is."

[So, do you know what kind of dark creature we’ll face later?] Robin Hood crossed his arms and waited for Shaan’s answer. [We might need to prepare a solid plan if we want to defeat as many dark creatures as possible.]

Shaan nodded. "Oh, right—about the dark creature we’ll face. Dr. Marshal told me that this creature excels at hiding, and one of the ways to locate it involves meditation."

[Hmm... that’s true.] Robin Hood nodded, then slowly raised one hand. [Now, place your hand on mine so we can synchronize our power.]

"Alright."

Shaan walked closer to Robin Hood and followed his instructions. Within seconds, he felt a warm sensation flow through his body. His vision blurred, darkness swallowed everything around him, and his consciousness faded away.

***

Shaan jolted awake, his breath catching in his throat for a few seconds. His heart pounded wildly, racing like a runner who had sprinted hundreds of miles without rest.

[Your bond increases by +10]

"W-what just happened?" Shaan said breathlessly. "I was just in—"

"Shaan, listen to me." Dr. Marshal gently patted Shaan’s shoulder. "Control your breathing first. Everything is fine."

"O-okay."

"You just strengthened your relationship with your daemon through your subconscious, and that’s good," Dr. Marshal said with a smile. "As I said before, the stronger your social link, the more your instincts will improve."

"But I don’t feel anything," Shaan said. "Everything feels normal for me."

"The effects will be felt when you come face to face with creatures of darkness," said Dr. Marshall. "Trust my words."

"I-I understand." Shaan nodded his head. "Thank you, Dr. Marshall."

"Glad to help, Shaan."

Dr. Marshal’s expression then grew more serious. "However, we must keep a close watch on your insanity level. Make sure it never crosses the limit, because that can severely affect your bond with your daemon."

"I understand."

Dr. Marshal slowly stood up and walked toward the kitchen. "You know, Shaan... I once went through the same thing you’re experiencing now. But my case was far worse than yours."

"What do you mean, Dr. Marshal?" Shaan asked, frowning. "I don’t understand at all."

"When I did something similar back then, I even ended up vomiting," Dr. Marshal said with a laugh as he walked out of the kitchen, holding a glass of water. "Here, Shaan. Drink this. It’ll help you feel better."

"Okay." Shaan immediately finished the drink in one gulp. "Ah... this feels much better."

"Haha, good. At least it’s nothing serious."

"Uh... Dr. Marshal, there’s something I want to ask you," Shaan said hesitantly. "If... if you don’t mind."

"Just ask, Shaan. I’ll answer it as long as I know the answer."

For some reason, doubt crept into Shaan’s mind. ’Why am I suddenly hesitating? He shook his head slightly. ’This feels personal. I don’t want to offend Dr. Marshal. Maybe I should just drop it—’

"Hey, Shaan, what’s wrong?" Dr. Marshal snapped his fingers, his face looking confused by Shaan’s words. "What exactly do you want to ask?"

"Uhm... well... it’s just..."

"Relax. Don’t hold back," Dr. Marshal said reassuringly. "Say it. I won’t get angry."

"O-okay." Shaan took a deep breath, gathering his courage before speaking. "Uh... you once said that you used to trust someone... but now you don’t anymore." Shaan looked at him with clear curiosity. "What actually happened?"

"B-but if you don’t feel comfortable talking about it, I won’t force you—"

"No, no, Shaan. I don’t mind telling you now," Dr. Marshal said as he let out a deep sigh. "This is about my former wife. She suddenly left me—without any word, without any clear reason."

Dr. Marshal lowered his head, his voice growing heavy. "I tried to find her, but... she vanished completely. I started to think that maybe she had someone else, and she chose to live with him instead of me."

’My God... so behind Dr. Marshal’s warm smile lies a tragic marriage. He’s been hiding this pain all along.’

"I trusted her with everything I had," Dr. Marshal continued, shaking his head slowly. "But..." He scoffed bitterly. "I still don’t know what that damn woman was thinking. She was always strange."

Not long after, a knock echoed from outside the house. Dr. Marshal stood up and opened the door. Mr. Courier appeared, accompanied by Nalira and Chelsie, grocery bags in hand.

"Oh, hello, Shaan. Good to see you." Mr Courier smiled, placing the brown bag in his hand on the table. "And what are you doing on the floor?"

"Ah, Dr. Marshall was teaching me how to meditate using the breath grounding technique," replied Shaan. "And it seems I’m starting to understand the technique."

"That’s good, so at least you won’t—"

’Knock! Knock! Knock!’

"Huh?" Chelsie looked toward the door, her face showing confusion. "Uh... Dr. Marshall, it seems like you have a guest.

"A guest?" Dr Marshall frowned."I’m not expecting anyone. Wait a moment—I’ll check."

Dr. Marshall slowly opened the door and saw two men in uniform standing in front of the door, one of them carrying three white envelopes in his hands.

"Is this the residence of Mr. Shaan, Ms. Nalira, and Ms. Chelsie?"