7 Nightmares

Back in the orphanage, Sister Tully gets lunch for all the kids. Aser finishes eating quickly, excusing himself and going back into his room. Changing out of his good clothes into his usual outfit, Aser sits down on his bed and starts talking with Ashes.

"Hey Ashes, I think it'll be a good idea if I understand the [Mind's Eye] skill myself, don't you think so?"

[I can do that for you Aser, you don't have to practice it since I can instinctively use it all the time.]

"I know, but wouldn't it be better if I can use it whenever I need? I can use it to learn about the world better. Let me try it out!"

Aser exclaims, ignoring Ashes and closing his eyes. Sitting cross legged, he selects the [Mind's Eye] skill. As the skill activates, he notices the world around him even with his eyes closed. He can see 5 feet around him as clear as crystal. While looking around and getting used to the feeling of using the skill, he notices streams of light fleeting to and fro in his field of vision. Imagining himself gathering the streams of light, a sudden surge of information flows into his mind.

Visions of different people that he had no idea about, multitudes of echoing voices, the sounds of beast howls and clanging steel, all flit across his mind. The large amount of information starts giving him a dull throbbing headache, intensifying each second. Gritting his teeth to endure, Aser tries to sort the information, but fails to make any headway. There was just too much in this single stream of [Essence History], every single second feeling like as if years went by, until his body starts sweating and heaving.

Suddenly, all of the information goes away, and Aser opens his bloodshot eyes, throwing a coughing fit and trying to breathe.

[I disabled the skill forcefully Aser. I highly suggest you to not use [Mind's Eye] like you did, it is exceedingly dangerous and you won't be able to process the large amounts of information.]

Catching his breath and laying down on to the bed, he asks, "How do you process it then Ashes?"

[I'm different from a person. I'm a System, we were born to process information. What seems messy and incoherent to you is clear and organized to me. When I read the [Essence History], I categorize the information and sift through it as fast as the streams of light. Due to how an Unknown body is structured, with you not even being an Unknown 1 even, there is no way for you to read the [Essence History] by yourself. The most you can get out of the skill is that it will allow you to sharpen your mind whenever activated and sensing the area around you.]

Listening to Ashes explanation, Aser lets out a long sigh and a bitter smile. He understands that what she said is safe for him, but he wants to be able to read the information for himself and understand the world around him. Suddenly, an idea occurs to him. If he can't read the information directly for now, why not let Ashes compile it for him into something like a book he can access in his mind? Feeling as if he had a moment of brightness, he proceeds to ask his suggestion to Ashes.

[That is possible to do Aser, but can you tell me why you want to know the information yourself? As you know, any time you have any questions, you can just ask me. Is it worth the effort to go through reading the information yourself?]

Hearing her question, Aser stays silent for while, and finally replies. "Ever since I've been able to talk, I don't remember what happened to me or my parents before Sister Tully found me. She said that she and Grandpa Ruth(Sister Tully's father) had found me adrift on some broken debris near the coast, wearing nothing but rags. Living and growing up in the orphanage, I've seen other kids with worse situations than me, where their parents just left them at the doorstep, or even some that have been living on the streets ever since they were babies. But all these years, I've never told anyone about this. Sometimes, I get these nightmares that seem so real, like I'm watching a past life. I hear murderous yelling, loud thunder and can even smell this horrible stench in my dream. And every time I wake up from it, I feel so helpless and confused, like there's a dark veil covering my eyes. I can't understand why I have this continuous nightmare, and why I feel as if I'm missing something I should know. That's why, I promised myself that I will do all it takes to have everything in my grasp, and to never be in a situation where I don't know something crucial. If I don't know it, I need to learn it, be able to figure it out, understand it and finally explain it to myself. I can't know the reason behind my nightmare, or my past, and it haunts me. So I'll do whatever it takes to know about everything that I can."

"I feel like I've lost something important that I should know Ashes, and I don't like this feeling"

Listening to his explanation, Ashes started feeling confused. She was just a System, a part of Aser, so she couldn't explain what Aser felt. For her, everything is organized, and she believes that Aser's past is inconsequential. Thinking about the gap in memories Aser felt, she started investigating the status of his mind, but didn't see anything unusual.

[I understand Aser. I've investigated your mind again, and can't find any hidden memories. Perhaps something happened to you that I can't find out, but I'll be here for you with whatever you need me for.]

Hearing her assurance and concern, Aser got out of his somber mood. "Thank you Ashes. Please help me learn as much as possible from the [Essence History]."

[I will Aser.]

Collecting himself once more, Aser looks out the little window, watching the sun sinking below the horizon of the metropolis. "I think I should cultivate again, I feel like I haven't reached my limit with just an hour." Sitting up and getting cross-legged on the straw bed, Aser starts his Essence Cultivation again according to what Ashes had instructed him with.