Dreamer's Throne

[Congratulations! You currently have enough experience points to level up. Would you like to level up to level three?]

Nodding, Garrett saw the windows popping up and looked over his options.

[Each time you level up, you will be presented with the choice of acquiring a new ability, and increasing the skill level of an existing ability. Please choose which of your skills you will level and then choose your third level advantage.]

Reading over the skills he currently had that could be advanced to the next skill level, Garrett checked out what new feature each would get.

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.

Skill Level: 1 > 2

Whisper of the Dream was still at level one, and even though Garrett wanted to increase its level, he found it to be slightly redundant. The Dream Seed ability allowed him to communicate remotely with those who carried its flowers, making a skill like Whisper of the Dream somewhat lackluster. Its primary use would have been interacting with other dreamers, but Garrett had yet to find anyone who walked in the dream the way he did. Everyone he’d run across so far was either a nightmare, or he had pulled them into the Dream through the application of a Dream Seed. Shaking his head, he put Whisper of the Dream aside and looked at the next ability.

Observe the Dream

You have gained the ability to see the Dream clearly.

The energy cost of activating this ability has been reduced.

*NEW* You may now use your other abilities while using Observe the Dream.

Skill Level: 2 > 3

Once again, Garrett had to resist the urge to select the upgrade immediately. He used Observe the Dream constantly, and being able to affect territory he wasn’t physically in would not only provide a way for him to gain new experience points, but would also increase his ability to plan tenfold. It had been Observe the Dream that gave him the confidence to plan the encounter and counter-ambush against the Swamp Sharks. Being able to do things like plant new Dream Seeds while using Observe the Dream was a tremendous upgrade, and Garrett could see himself using it constantly. Given how powerful this upgrade was, Garrett could only assume he was going to be in for a difficult choice this time. With a sigh, he pushed the notification to the side and looked at the next one.

Dream Cloak

You have gained the ability to use the Dream to cloak your presence, reducing the likelihood that you will be seen.

*NEW* Your Dream Cloak grows stronger, allowing you to hide more efficiently.

Skill Level: 1 > 2

Just like Whisper of the Dream, this ability was good but also redundant. If Garrett hadn’t had Dream Seed and the ability to influence the flower carriers, this ability would have been a must. Ever since getting Dream Seed, however, Garrett had begun to adopt a more passive style, where he sat back in the relative safety of the Dreamer’s Throne while his agents went out. So far, his single level in Dream Cloak had enabled him to hide from all the nightmares he’d encountered, including the terrifying spider with the baby face on its body. Since it was still working, and he wasn’t going out much these days, he put Dream Cloak at the bottom of his mental list. With three of the four abilities out of the way, Garrett looked at the last, and strongest of his abilities.

[Dream Seed]

You have seized one of [???????], Crimson Eye of Shalmoroth’s abilities, Dream Seed.

1 EXP - Observation Seed

2 EXP - Communication Seed

3 EXP - Loyalty Seed

6 EXP - Guardian Seed [0/1]

[Other types of seeds locked]

You can now plant seeds anywhere in the Dream and nourish them yourself.

*NEW* You can now set your Dream Flowers to the following states:

Defend [Default] - Dream Flowers will actively protect their hosts, or locations, from nightmares.

Hunt - Dream Flowers will release spores to attract nightmares with the intent of consuming them.

Growth - Dream Flowers will absorb the mental energy of their host or any creature that enters their location with the intent of growing stronger.

Skill Level: 2 > 3

Letting out a groan, Garrett could only shake his head. As much as he wanted to improve Observe the Dream, Dream Seed was just too good. It was clear to him that not all abilities were created equal, and he had lucked out tremendously by acquiring Dream Seed. Being able to set the state of his flowers was a huge boon, but what really tipped the scale was the new type of seed he could plant. Observation Seeds let him share experiences, Communication Seeds gave him the ability to pass commands, and Loyalty Seeds increased the chance that the commands would be followed. Following this same line of thought, Guardian Seeds would likely transform the host into a Guardian, someone who would protect Garrett implicitly. Though it looked like there was a limit to the number of Guardian Seeds Garrett could plant, it was possible that number would go up as he leveled up, allowing him to gather a group of people who would keep him, and consequently the inn, safe.

It didn’t take him long to make a decision after weighing the pros and cons, and with a shiver, Dream Seed leveled up.

[Congratulations! Dream Seed has risen to level three. Please select your new ability.]

The tree diagram appeared in front of Garrett, showing the abilities he could choose. Illusory Dream was still an option, but he was more interested in the other abilities that had branched out from Dreamer’s Cloak. There were two different abilities that had become, and both of them leaned toward a stealth playstyle.

Dream Walk

You have gained the ability to slip between the cracks of the Dream, allowing you to traverse great distances without being detected.

Skill Level: 1

Dream Walk was a powerful ability, though considering Garrett’s plan to stay at home as much as possible, it wasn’t particularly useful for him. Had he not been playing a castle strategy, the ability to move long distances would have been amazing, but he wasn’t sure how much he would actually use it.

Vanishing Touch

You have gained the ability to erase any sign of your existence within Dream, allowing you to remove any trace that you had once been present.

Skill Level: 1

Just like Dream Walk, Vanishing Touch had the potential to be useful, though less so given Garrett’s current situation. Disappointed in the new ability options, he checked Dream Seed and was surprised to see that the crimson line had grown even stronger, splitting to reveal two different abilities. Full of anticipation, he opened up the first one.

Guide Growth - Beautiful Bewitchment

Your Dream Flowers grow, guided by your will to become objects of supernatural beauty. Those who look upon them cannot help but become enthralled.

Modify Dream Seed: Increase the bewitchment ability of Dream Flowers, strengthening your influence on hosts.

Skill Level: 1

A shiver ran down Garrett’s spine as he read the ability’s description. The enthralling ability of the Dream Flowers already set his teeth on edge, though he hadn’t shied away from using the ability to its fullest extent in the recent ambush. Garrett found himself of two minds about the ability, as the idea of controlling others was simultaneously offensive and tremendously practical.

So far he had managed to justify his use of the ability because it didn’t seem to remove free will from the Dream Flower’s host, but after reading this ability Garrett could only imagine he would be flirting with that line. At the same time, given his current objectives, increasing the enthralling effect of the Dream Flowers was by far the best option. Tearing his eyes from the description of Beautiful Bewitchment, Garrett looked at the other option presented.

Guide Growth - Spirit-sucking Thorns

Your Dream Flowers grow, guided by your will to become fearsome predators, hiding sharp thorns under their beautiful petals.

Modify Dream Seed: Increase the attack strength of Dream Flowers by improving their ability to consume the mental energy of their hosts and enemies.

Skill Level: 1

Spirit-sucking Thorns was a much more standard ability, and one that would increase both his offensive and defensive ability directly. Garrett hadn’t expected there to be any contention in terms of usefulness, but both abilities were very attractive, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

The smart thing to do would be to focus. The abilities clearly become more powerful as they grow in strength, so diversifying into other playstyles is going to become a real problem in the future. I don’t know how many levels there are, so I should really be picking a path and sticking with it. Given my current approach, it doesn’t make sense to try to move into an aggressive path. Instead, I need to be shoring up the flowers I’ve been growing, which means taking Beautiful Bewitchment is the right choice. I have no desire to grow my flowers at the expense of their hosts, so Spirit-sucking Thorns doesn’t seem great. Besides, I have a feeling the Guardian Seed ability is going to make my choice for me.

Firming up his conviction, Garrett made his selection and watched as his status window shifted.

STATUS

NAME: Garrett Klein

PATH: Path of the Watcher

SUB-PATH: Dream Gardener

LEVEL: 3

EXP: 3/80

ABILITIES: [5/10]

Whisper of the Dream [1]

Observe the Dream [2]

Dream Seed [3]

Dreamer’s Cloak [1]

Beautiful Bewitchment [1]

He had made sure to collect a few more experience points than he needed, since each Dream Seed he planted still required experience points, as did creating objects in dreams, but what he was most excited about was the ability to draw others into his dream. A being’s ability to influence the Dream was limited, but Garrett had noticed that whoever owned a personal dream had significantly more sway. So far he had only been able to go into other people’s personal dreams, but by bringing in all the people he’d planted Dream Seeds in to his own dream, he should be able to get at least one more experience out of them. Whispering a soft apology, he got up from the throne where he’d been recharging his soul spark and walked over to where Ryn was sleeping. Reaching out to touch her forehead, he heard the system’s voice.

[Target is currently dreaming. Would you like to enter the target’s dream, pull the target into your dream, or link your dream with the target’s dream?]

Selecting the “link” option, Garrett saw a top-down view of Ryn’s dream, complete with the pouring rain and everything. Surrounding the room and street outside was thick black fog that surged whenever Garrett looked at it.

[Please select the entrance to your dream.]

Bemused, Garrett pointed at the door to Ryn’s room and saw the hazy fog evaporate, creating a passageway. A moment later he was standing in a dark space at the end of the dark hall that had just been created. Instinctively understanding how to make changes, he waved his hand to form a simple room. Shelves covered the walls and a desk sat in the middle of the room in front of a large blackboard. In between the desk and blackboard was a lectern carved from wood that sported a dozen Dream Flowers.

Garrett had modeled the room off of the classroom he’d spent most of his time in while studying with the now-deceased prince, though a few things, like the large standing globe in the corner, had been added from his days on Earth. Looking around, Garrett nodded happily and began to walk down the hall toward the door leading into Ryn’s dream. He could hear the faint sound of the music box playing, as well as mumbled letters and words as Ryn practiced her reading. A small smile crossed his face as he listened to her earnest work. Reaching up, he made sure his mask was properly in place and then rapped softly on the door.

“H… hello?”

“Ms. Ryn, it’s time for your lesson.”

Hearing the sounds of footsteps approaching the door, Garrett stepped back, making sure to give the door plenty of room. With a creak, the door opened up a crack and Ryn’s dark eyes stared out at him. Dressed in clothing completely foreign to her, with both a hat and a mask, Garrett could only imagine the shock Ryn was currently experiencing as she stared at him. Bowing his head slightly, he spoke in a calm, soothing voice.

“You’ve been practicing your flashcards, is that correct?”

“Y… yes?”

“In that case, it’s time for your lesson. I’ll be waiting in the classroom.”

Straightening up, Garrett walked back to the classroom he had created. As soon as he stepped from the hallway into his own dream, he could feel the level of control he had over the space increasing. Any change he wanted to make in another person’s dream typically cost experience points, or energy at the very least. Here, however, there was no noticeable energy expenditure. While he would still have to use experience to create items that would stick around after this dream collapsed, creating objects inside the dream instance was effectively free.

It was a few minutes before Garrett heard Ryn coming, so he waited patiently as she crept down the hall. She had the music box in one hand and carried her dagger in the other, her eyes darting this way and that as she scanned for threats. Garrett could see the two Dream Flowers that had settled in her waving happily at him, and for a moment his mood sobered.

“Please, sit.”

Cautiously taking her seat at the desk, Ryn looked around in wonder. She had never been in a classroom, much less a room like this with so many books, and from the way her shoulders shrank it was obvious she was intimidated. Turning over his hand, Garrett held a simple rod that he used to tap on the lectern, drawing Ryn’s attention to the front of the room.

“From what I understand, you’re making great progress with your flashcards and your list of sight words. Well done. From here, we will continue your education by practicing reading and exploring basic math concepts. I expect you to take these classes seriously, and if you don’t, I will no longer waste my time with teaching you. Do I make myself clear, Ms. Ryn?”

“Y… yes.”

“Please sit up and speak with confidence, Ms. Ryn. The classroom is no place for shyness.”

“Yes!”

“Thank you. Now, let us begin.”