Nightmare Realm Summoner [STUBBING IN 1 DAY]

Chapter 175: Strats

“You’re using your blood?” Finley asked, squinting at Alex like he was an idiot. “That won’t work. You need a Visualization in your bloodline to activate the scroll. Unless you’re descended from some ancient civilization and lying about being a Nativeworlder, that isn’t happening.”Alex just shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got a plan.”hing that’s a constant in the entire universe, it’s that. What kind of—”

“Long,” Alex said.

Finley stared at him.

“Long,” Alex repeated. “Really, really long. I’m really trying to get the best bang for my buck here, you know. Especially if it only works once.”

“Yes, I go the idea.” Finley’s gaze bore into Alex’s. He waved a hand through the air and a single, large Memory Crystal shimmered to life before him. The light within it was not particularly bright. “Keep in mind that Crystals with larger memories are also considerably more expensive. Not stronger. Just more expensive.”

“I don’t need the judgement,” Alex said crossly. “How much is it?”

“Ten Credits,” Finley said. His voice made it abundantly clear that he did not think much of Alex’s shopping habits. “For something that, I remind you, will improve your combat abilities in any manner whatsoever. It will, however, be long. And immeasurably infuriating.”

“Perfect,” Alex said. “And you just use it by breaking it?”

“Yes,” Finley said through another sigh.

“And how long do you think this will last? How long would I have in the real world as well? Is it going to end up using like a whole hour or anything crazy like that?”

“You have an entire Town depending on you. A Region Boss breathing down your neck. And you are concerned about this?”

“Just answer the question,” Alex said. “You’re a terrible merchant, you know. You’re supposed to want to sell things to me.”

“I would be considerably happier doing it if I had more customers!” Finley snapped. “Damnation. No, the memory will not last an hour in the external world. Perhaps five minutes at most. It will be longer for you, though. I trust that is sufficient?”

Alex grinned. “Perfectly.”

He extended his hand.

Finley stared at it like he was being offered a rotting fish. Then, reluctantly, he reached out and shook. Alex’s hand heated as more Credits left his spatial ring and entered the merchant’s.

He extended his hand, gingerly taking the Memory Crystal from Finley. Then he squinted at it for a moment. He couldn’t put it into his own ring. The Crystal was magic. It could explode.

“Err… do you have a spatial ring that can hold magic items? I need to put this somewhere.”

“At least you aren’t going to use the damn thing in front of me,” Finley said flatly. “5 Credits. It’ll be the same size as your current one but stabilized so magical items can remain within it. Just don’t put anything too powerful in or it might eventually break.”

“Perfect,” Alex said with a grin. “That leaves me with 15 Credits, too. Let me get the ring as well as four of the big domain-related Memory Crystals and three of the small ones.”

Finley shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he extended his hand one final time. Alex took it and the two of them shook. His ring heated, then cooled as the last of his Credits were siphoned away.

A pitch black ring shimmered to life before Finley. It was joined by a small hill of Memory Crystals as the rest of his purchases floated over to him.

Alex plucked the ring from the air and slipped it onto a finger.

Stabilized Lesser Spatial Ring (Rare)

Bonded Effect:

“Perfect. How do I send the Memory Crystals into…” Alex started. No sooner than the thought passed through his head did every single one of the Memory Crystals before him flit into the ring. He blinked. “Wow. That was easy. Nice.”

He sent the metal tube into the ring with another thought.

Finley just shook his head again. “Well… I can’t complain too much. That was a lot of Credits. Enough to pay off my most pressing debit. I trust you’ve got at least something of a plan to deal with the Region Boss? I’m going to need you to spend a whole lot more Credits in the future, so getting yourself killed now would be incredibly problematic.”

“I’ll do my best not to disappoint too hard,” Alex said with a chuckle. He held a hand out and summoned the Visualization Scroll with a thought before vanishing it again. The ring really was quite easy to use.

Finley ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s just get it on with. I hate this place. Lead the way back to this town of yours. I will follow.”

Alex grinned. “One moment. I’ve got to do something in my soul first. Keep an eye on me, would you?”

The command was more for his monsters, who still stood flank around them, than it was for Finley.

Nonetheless, the merchant’s eye twitched.

“You’re going to do it now?”

“Don’t worry,” Alex said with a grin as he lowered himself into a seated position and braced ‘his arms against his legs. “You said it shouldn’t take too long.”

“You’re hopeless,” Finley said. “And I am cursed. How are the one I have to rely on?”

Alex didn’t bother gracing that with a response. He was already sinking into his Mind Palace. The faster he did this, the less chances there would be for something to go wrong.

Darkness stretched out around him as the lake that was his soul appeared beneath his feet. His basin still rose in its center, no power remaining to harvest within it. Three pillars loomed around him, two of them flanking the gate to his Domain.

And, between the other two, was Berith. The chained demon lounged against the massive white restraints, boredom evident in his posture.

Alex ran his thumb over the new Spatial Ring. It was still there… and he could feel the faint magic within it. The ring would work in his soul just as well as it would outside it.

“There is nothing for you to do here,” Berith said. “Why are you here? Have you come to bargain?”

“No,” Alex replied. He approached Berith until he was a dozen paces away from the demon. Alex took extra care to make absolutely sure he was well outside of striking range. He really wasn’t going to want to be disturbed once he got things started. “I know what the cost of that will be. Not interested.”

Berith snorted. “Then leave. I am bored.”

“Don’t worry,” Alex said with a grin. “I’ll take care of that for you.”

He extended a hand. And, with a thought, he activated the Spatial Ring on his hand. A Memory Crystal materialized in his hand. A large one that promised a particularly extended, pleasurable experience.

An experience that he strongly hoped would be long enough for his purposes.

“What are you doing?” Berith asked, his eyes narrowing.

Alex reared back.

Then he threw the crystal at Berith with all his might.