The Dreamer's Epilogue-Chapter 15: Gift

Chapter 15 – Gift

Emrys felt like his body was being unraveled like a ribbon.

The process of awakening altered his whole being. GeumGeum, the essence of power, penetrated deep inside his Self, transmuting everything into something greater; something more akin to the brain’s wondrous plasticity:

Adaptability at its best.

His bones cracked, muscles shredded, organs and cells were torn apart like bedsheets, causing Emrys to lose consciousness numerous times during the process.

He truly experienced the act of rebirth in its most base and profound form.

Moments later, the exact time unknown to Emrys’s numb mind, his consciousness began to stir groggily, sensing the ending of the process.

That was when the GeumGeum shuffled its way through his brain — the last spot to transmute.

Emrys’s eyes snapped wide open at that moment, his previously black eyes glowing with an intense grey light for a brief instant, feeling something inside his brain shifting.

His eyes began to bleed. His nose followed, before finally his mouth and all his orifices.

Emrys yelled, the sound like a beast about to be slaughtered, his face twisting in unbearable agony.

A gurgling sound escaped his throat, and Emrys curled upon himself like a balloon, seeking solace that refused to come.

Yet instantly, everything halted abruptly and a healing light graced Emrys.

The {Mother} chimed.

{A Unique Condition has been detected inside your brain.}

{Condition: Late Stage Schizophrenia. In simpler terms, an intrusion of the dream state into the waking state.}

Then the {Mother} paused.

And Emrys felt a strange power slithering through his brain, connecting to the rest of his body through the invisible pathways of neurons and cells.

{Congratulations, Emrys Frost, you have awakened a Gift.}

{Gift: Dream.}

Just like that, the awakening process ended, leaving Emrys breathless.

He lay on his back, absolutely naked, his body as pristine as ever despite the previous horror.

Closing his eyes to forget the horrible experience just now, Emrys began to feel a strange power coursing inside his body.

"GeumGeum..." he whispered, his voice raspy and weak.

{You have successfully awakened.}

{Mother} interrupted his dazed state.

{To inspect your status, you can simply wish so.}

Emrys didn’t hesitate despite the phantom pain shivering his body.

He immediately willed it.

[Name: Emrys Frost]

[Age: 18]

[Rank: Mortal Self – Floor 1]

[Class: —]

[Bloodline: —]

[Blessing: —]

[Gift: Dream]

[Affinities: Dream, Lightning]

STR: 16

CONS: 10

AGL: 8

PER: 10

GG: 9

CHAR: 7

[Skill Slots: 0/3]

<No skills yet.>

Emrys looked at the interface, puzzled, unable to comprehend some of it.

Without hesitation, he asked questions to the {Mother} about anything he struggled to grasp, earning rough but useful explanations.

{You have 3 skill slots in your current rank. Once you fill them with skills, you can no longer learn other skills until you rank up.}

Emrys subtly nodded.

{To rank up to the next rank, you will need to complete the test of Floor 25 and obtain additional materials. Each completed floor increases your strength depending on your success evaluation.}

’What?’ Emrys’s eyebrows knitted together at the material requirement. However, the {Mother} didn’t stop her explanation.

{You will receive a selection of Classes after you have successfully completed your tutorial floor (Floor 1). Be careful what you do.}

{As for the Gift...}

Here, the {Mother} slowed down.

Instantly, the tension became more solemn.

{The Gift is a rare aspect, found only in one being among trillions. There is no rank for a Gift, but some Gifts are not Gifts.}

{You obtained one.}

After that, {Mother} fell silent, explaining nothing else about the stats.

Emrys didn’t need her to. It was easy to understand already. Even GeumGeum (GG) was simple to grasp. It was the essence of power upon which skills depended to be used.

Emrys tried to know more about the materials required to rank up.

{Mother} was once again vague.

{Refining a metal requires materials during the process. Refining your Self into a higher Self requires the same.}

Emrys rolled his eyes in frustration, barely understanding. He shook his head, deciding instead to inspect his Gift.

[Gift: Dream]

[When you sleep, you do not dream. When you dream, it is never your own.]

’Huh?’ Emrys’s eyes dilated slightly, trying to make sense of what he was reading.

But that luxury was no more.

{Beware...}

His head jerked up at the strange tone of the {Mother}.

{The enemy of memories isn’t time. The enemy of memories is other memories.}

{Beware of that.}

And then,

{Brace yourself, Emrys Frost.}

Emrys stopped abruptly in his thoughts, watching as his body began glowing with a grey light.

He exhaled through his nose, confused by the last words of {Mother} and already knowing the destination.

{You are being transported to Floor 1 of the Tower.}

{May your Prologue not be your Epilogue.}

Just like that, Emrys disappeared from the white place.

...

Thud—!

Emrys suppressed a yelp of curse as his ass slammed onto a hard stony ground. He instantly snapped his eyes open, looking around in haste.

His heart skipped a beat.

Around him were pale-skinned humans, their blank white eyes staring deep into him so intensely it felt like his soul was being seen.

Beside him were two other people — an old man and a young woman with a snarling black hound — looking as surprised as he was.

In their dazed state, the system chimed.

This time, not {Mother}.

[The Tower of Self is situated in the World of Premier, playing also the role of its gateway.]

[And the first Floor is the Class Awakening floor for everyone.]

[Succeed in the tutorial and enter Premier with your head high and the power to protect your frail ass; or fail the tutorial and you will wish for death that might not come. Not in the way you want, at least.]

A pause, then...

[Floor 1 Test of Zone 1: Protection]

[Each of you has been transported in groups of three inside a Tribe. Don’t be a fool and attack them. If you already have, you certainly already received a good goddamned punishment, idiots.]

Emrys looked around at the other two, sighing in relief that they didn’t attack. They were also looking at him.

[Your task is simple. Protect the Tribe you found yourselves in against enemy attacks. You fail when all the tribesmen are dead. And depending on the number and condition of those alive, you will be allocated an Evaluation of Success for the Floor.]

[Now that’s not all, folks. Each group has a key-shaped artifact. Not to say to gather them, but don’t you know the saying: The More The Merrier?]

[One last warning for the brain-dead people: Do not attack your own tribesmen.]

[May Your Stories Be Entertaining.]

[Time until end of the Test: 7 days.]

The system notifications disappeared, and a dead solemn silence bloated the room Emrys found himself in like a heavy blanket.

He locked his eyes on the blank, cold eyes of the pale, lithe tribesmen in front of him and cursed.

’Fuck!’

—End of Chapter 15—