"I was able to come here for my 4th class advancement. But that silver and black script seems really far off, at least according to your words. Will I be coming back here for my next advancement? And if I do, will I be required to comprehend that silver script?"
Dream spoke his concerns over the future. He really did desire the information contained within the silver script, but if it really was capable of driving him insane, then he didn't know when he would be ready to read it. Would going to the end of the 4th class really be enough?
'Besides, my level is probably going to skyrocket once I go back. There may not be that huge of a gap between then and 5th class. Will that be enough to prepare me?'
He frowned as he thought. After a few seconds, the Keeper spoke.
{The way the universe works now is different from the time of the Archons, but it is not totally changed. Your 'classes' go according to a certain system of evolution that was dominant during the time of the Archons. However, unlike then, the Record now has a hand in the evolution process, making it easier for individuals to travel down their path.}
"Easier?"
{Yes. Back then, there was no guide. There were no levels, classes, and abilities that would be given to you. Everything you did was blind and according to your own power. That has changed now. However, you are a special case.}
"Why am I a special case?"
{You were born in a space that was not under the influence of the system. This means it will be more difficult for you to evolve as the system has less of a hand in your evolution process. As for the person who put you where you are now... Well, I suppose this is already too much information.}
"What? No it's not. Come on, keep going. Who's that person who moved me?"
Dream perked up and encouraged the Keeper to keep going. However, he just shook his head firmly.
{I cannot speak further. We have a certain agreement, and until you are mature enough, you cannot know too much.}
"So what? I'm just being groomed like some kind of test subject? I don't enjoy being on the receiving end of experiments, not unless I'm the one experimenting anyway."
{Do not be too eager to attain this information. It is for your own good, and when you come to understand everything, you will be thrown into a universe of chaotic causality. Enjoy where you are now, and continue growing. You will need to for the sake of your future.}
"...Fine. Now what about my previous question? You can at least answer that, right?"
Dream sighed and didn't try to pry anymore. He trusted the Keeper, and more than ever he understood the impact of information.
{You will come back here during your next class advancement. Of course, there will be a prerequisite, and until you meet it, the option to come here will be closed off to you.}
"What's that prerequisite?"
{I do not know. That 'person' determines when you are fit to come here. I have some advice for you, though. Do not be rushed to perform your class advancements. You evolve under a different system than others, and your power isn't simply determined by levels, classes, or stats. Those are just numbers, and real power comes from your knowledge and comprehension.}
"...Okay. I guess that makes sense."
Dream nodded in understanding. His power really was dynamic and couldn't simply be measured by his stats. That was especially true considering how the stats couldn't measure the full extent of his power anyway. The gray mist seemingly couldn't have its effects read by the system, for whatever reason.
And since much of his power resided in his creations, it was difficult to find his limit. If one gun didn't work, he built a thousand. If a spell wasn't strong enough, he made it bigger. The only limit to his power was his imagination and materials. And now that his mind was broadened, it was hard to say how far he could go. Anyone would be hard-pressed to even scratch him, let alone kill him.
"Well, then I don't think there's much more to do here, Keeper. I've already spent a lot of time here, although I can't tell how much."
Dream let out a deep breath as he thought about going back. He had completed his tasks, did a once and twice over of all the script in his mind, and contemplated the future. Now, there really wasn't anything else more to do.
{When you're ready, just declare your completion, and you shall be ju-}
"Actually, there's one more thing I wanna do."
Interrupting the Keeper, Dream suddenly thought of something and spoke.
He smiled broadly as he approached the Keeper and stood in front of him.
{What is it?}
"That thing in your chest. It's a star, right?"
{That is correct. It is my eternal power source for magic.}
"A star can provide magic power?"
{It can. When you come back to read the silver script, you will understand the workings of this mechanism.}
"So matter can affect magic. I knew it, but I don't entirely get it. The gold monoliths only touched upon the subject... Anyway, I wanna touch it."
{You want to touch the star?}
"Yes. For research purposes."
{...No.}
"Why not?! Come on, just a finger. I don't care if I get hurt. I wanna touch a star!"
{I will not allow you to defile my power source with your mortal han-}
"Sike!"
Suddenly, Dream shot out his finger with a maniacal grin in an attempt to touch the star. It was wide open, and his finger got really close.
However, there was no way that he could surprise the Keeper in any way. The Keeper was way too far above his power level and could squash him like a bug. But Dream didn't seem to care about that as he pushed forward with the valiant and shameless spirit of a scientist.
Looking at Dream in frozen time, the Keeper felt a headache coming on. He had been perfectly fine all alone in this legacy space, and then Dream came along. While he was happy that the legacy would be acquired after so many eons, he frequently questioned the integrity of this man who was no more than 30 years old. This scenario is one of the main reasons why, that and his incessant questioning and babbling nonsense when bored.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
However, Dream had gone and impressed the Keeper slightly, albeit he had to disregard all the social downfalls. He took in all the information from the monoliths and seemed to have comprehended it all. And then there was his image, which was one he had only seen a few times before in his extremely long life during the reign of the Archons. Obviously, he was quite talented. He definitely wasn't average.
'But then you go and do this. I worry for the people around you.'
Sighing, the Keeper activated his power for the first time in countless years.
The next moment, Dream was not only frozen in the Keeper's vision, but in real time. Dream felt himself lose control over his body and soul, and the Keeper's power pressed into him and his mind.
Before he could even apologize, Dream suddenly felt a searing pain in his mind. The reality-shattering power that he had experienced when comprehending the trial washed over him once more, and he could feel his thoughts being thrown into chaos.
Dream observed his mind. Within it, a large silver ring appeared. It looked exactly the same as the silver script on the forbidden monoliths, and it was the source of the chaos in his mind.
'Is he trying to kill me?!'
{No.}
The Keeper responded to his barely coherent thoughts. Moments after, Dream felt the pressure on his mind increase exponentially, and he felt as if he was going to shatter. However, before he could pass out, more words entered his mind.
{Don't disappoint me.}
With that, Dream's mind seemed to shut down, and his body collapsed with it. The world went dark.
...........
........
.....
"Huuhh!!"
Taking in a sharp breath, Dream opened his eyes. His mind spun quickly and he processed his situation.
"Am I dead? Am I insane? Where... Where am I?"
Dream looked around him. Currently, he was on his back laying on something. The surroundings were gray though, and the lack of stimuli and sense of direction disoriented him.
"Am I in space? Wait... The legacy! I remember- Whoah!"
*Thud*
Suddenly tipping over, Dream fell off of the thing he was laying on and the gray surroundings shattered. Light streamed into his eyes, and he looked around.
"So you're finally awake."
A voice came from near him. It was a familiar one.
Dream looked over. He found that he was back in the factory, and the voice was from Luna. She was looking at him curiously from a chair. Iris was in her lap in fox form.
"You guys... So, I'm back."
"You never left."
"...That's both true and false."
Dream shook his confused head as he climbed to his feet.
When he looked down, there were shattered remains of something gray all around him on the floor. Whatever it was, it had encased him.
"That gray stuff went and surrounded you after you fell asleep on the couch. It was like some kind of cocoon, and we just left it be."
"...Interesting."
Dream tilted his head as he picked up a fragment. It wasn't that strong, and it seemed to be made out of gray mist. After exerting some power, the fragment dissolved and streamed into his body.
"...So I succeeded. That damn Keeper. Was he trying to drive me insane?"
"Keeper?"
"It's nothing."
Dream shook his head again. At least the fact that he remembered everything meant that he had succeeded. The first part of the legacy was completed.
After calming himself, Dream focused his attention inward. He looked at his mind and body.
'Universe body: check. Monoliths in my mind space: check. Silver ring that almost killed me: check.'
Dream frowned as he looked at the final 'gain' from the legacy. The Keeper had forced this silver ring into his mind, nearly shattering it again.
It was really just a silver ring. Not the kind you wear, but a line of script whose ends were connected. It floating in his mind space, and even after prodding it with his influence, it did nothing. Eventually he just left it there.
'It's probably something good. Or something that's going to be a problem in the future. Either way, nothing I can do now.'
He sighed, but then smiled. Thinking about the other gains got him excited.
Dream reached out his hand toward the shattered remains of the cocoon he had been in, and they all dissolved and streamed into his body. The energy filled him a bit, although compared to the gray fluid inside the legacy space, it was a bit lacking. That stuff was potent.
After getting rid of the cocoon, Dream continued to look himself over and feel the changes. Being back in the factory was very different compared to being in the legacy space. When he was there, everything felt ethereal and he was stripped down to his most basic form. While he got used to it, being there made him feel very vulnerable.
But here, he had everything. Aegis and the heart, the vessel that contained the girls' powers, and Sophia.
'Where is she anyway?'
Dream scoured his soul after remembering about Sophia. It had been a really long time since he had any interaction with her, at least for him.
And as if that thought was the trigger, notifications suddenly popped into his vision.
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[Legacy trial completed.]
[Class advancement success.]
[New class applied. Cutting connection to Title: [Origin Seeker]]
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[Ugh! I hate that!]
After the notifications ended, Dream heard an angry shout in his mind. He smiled when he could feel her connection again.
'Hey Sophia. Long time no see.'
[What do you mean long time? In fact, the advancement was surprisingly... fast...]
Sophia went quiet as she scanned Dream's body. Seeing the baffling changes, she couldn't say anything for a while.
Dream smiled. Her marvel over the fruits of his labor made him feel proud.
'I'll take your silence as a compliment.'
[...What the hell even is this? Your body isn't material. In fact, it looks just like Aegis's heart and the girls' spectral bodies. Your soul changed its skills drastically, and your mind space is filled with weird monoliths and scribblings. And what is that language you're speaking to me with? I can understand you, but it's a different form of communication. More than that, how can you communicate with a language using your thoughts?]
'There's a lot we need to talk about. But first, I'm gonna prepare myself for what's to come.'
[What's that?]
'My level ups.'
Dream smiled bitterly as he thought about the backlog of experience waiting for him. He didn't know if it would hurt or get him drunk on power.
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"Oh jeez."
Seeing the notification from the system itself, Dream plopped down on the couch. Luna looked at him oddly.
"Dream?"
"Hang on. My levels are coming in."
"Oh. Right."
Nodding in understanding, Luna just smiled and watched. Iris also heard him and perked up, anticipation and excitement in her eyes.
More notifications started to appear in his vision.
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<[Arcana] has leveled up!>
<[Arcana] is level 90>
<[Particle Manipulation] has leveled up!>
<[Particle Manipulation] is level 57>
<[Translate] has leveled up!>
<[Translate] is max level!>
<[Translate] has evolved.>
<[Universal Language] is level 25>
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With one notification after another, Dream was told about many of the changes to him and his skills. After them though, the result of all the changes, especially to his main level, poured through him like a flood.
"..."
Dream silently looked off into the distance as the experience poured in. Surprisingly, it didn't bring him any weird sensations like he thought it would. Maybe because of the knowledge he had gained, the broadening of his mind, or perhaps his body, it didn't make him lose control of everything. In fact, it gave him a peek at what experience was.
Like he had seen from the script, experience, or Divine Light, was the foundation of a person, their essence or Logos if you will. At any point in time though, the gain of experience usually wasn't ever large, so nobody would ever notice the changes or the gain of it. All they would see was a notification if they hit a certain milestone of experience aka levels.
But now, with Dream having gained insight into the true nature of experience and an utterly massive influx of it pouring into him, he was able to get an extremely small glimpse of what exactly it was.
Deep in his soul, possibly in a higher dimension even, Dream could 'see' and feel the experience. He could see the boundless light peek through to him, and with it came a ripple of power that strengthened his soul. All his soul strings were seemingly filled as if they were skinny twigs being nourished for the first time in months.
Despite the boundless power flowing into him though, Dream wasn't focused on the feeling of strength. His mind was pulled toward that light that had shown itself. Through it, he felt like he could see a higher plane of reality. He felt like he could see himself more clearly. He felt like he could understand more about the world and the concept of intelligence.
But the window of enlightenment was only open shortly. Just as fast as it came, it disappeared, as did Dream's euphoria. His focus snapped back to his body, and the sudden feeling of understanding vanished from his mind.
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