The mysterious wanderer

Another Death Nightmare lay before Xander. And if Esther's nightmare was anything to go by, it wasn't going to be easy.

To close the portal connecting the real world to the Nightscape, Xander needed to travel to the cultist's nightmare and find his Last Memory. However, he had learned his lessons from his previous visit to the Nightscape.

Xander knew it would be foolish to rush in without preparation, so he first opened his system profile to view his skill tree. Reaching level 4 had opened plenty of options for him. He now had two extra skill points that he could use to upgrade his basic skills or unlock something new.

To keep things simple, Xander focused on his level 1 skills. Carefully viewing his skill tree, he decided to use the extra skill points for two basic card upgrades.

[Skill upgraded successfully!]

[Card Collector level 2: The Dreamwalker can store ten cards in his deck.]

[Skill upgraded successfully!]

[Dealer's Gift level 2: The Dreamwalker can carry five cards in his set.]

With the upgrades out of the way, Xander took out his recently acquired dagger and spoke to his system. "I need a relic description."

[Relic equipped: Dagger of Diminishing.]

[The Dagger of Diminishing is a cursed relic that can allow the Dreamwalker to weaken his enemies. Once used, the dagger loses its magic potency and becomes dormant. To awaken the relic again, the Dreamwalker must dip it in a Well of Despair.]

"Well of Despair, huh? Doesn't seem like it can get much better than this," Xander chortled sarcastically. Though the dagger could prove useful against tougher Ethereals, awakening it was going to be a pain in the arse.

Xander walked up to the portal and smashed the crystal ball into the ground. However, this time his soul didn't split into two halves.

The wall separating the two worlds had been ruptured by the cultists, creating a tear in the fabric of reality. And this rift allowed Xander to simply walk through the portal and enter the void in his corporeal form.

[The Infinite Void welcomes the herald of Mordred]

[Rest your weary feet and embrace the gift of darkness,]

[For the journey never ends.]

The ominous words floating before his eyes made Xander feel uneasy.

Inside the portal, Xander found himself facing a shattered glass mirror. It was so fogged up that he could barely make out his face. As he tried to touch it, the glass turned blood red and sucked him inside.

On the other side, he opened his eyes to the familiar sight of the infinite space decked with stars. Just like before, there were three paths before him—one leading to the statue of Amara, another leading to the gilded chest, and the third ending in front of a sandstone arch.

Since Xander already has his weapons on him, he walked up to the statue of Amara and uttered the incantation to access his deck of cards.

Now that he could carry five cards with him, he no longer had to choose the best ones. Instead, he was able to add his whole deck to his current set.

Having restocked his cards, Xander jumped onto the path in the middle and took it straight to the arch. As he stepped in through the fog, a frantic scream reached his ears.

Once the fog cleared away, Xander's eyes beheld a most peculiar sight. In front of him lay a confusing world that left him puzzled.

Xander was standing in the middle of a desert with tumbling red sand dunes stretching out as far as the eye could see. The arid landscape was dotted with black cactus plants and thorny red bushes.

The sky overhead was a depressing shade of gray that made it impossible to figure out whether it was night or day. The only sources of light in this vast desert were the fireflies twinkling in the hazy darkness.

As Xander took his first steps, a powerful gust of wind slapped him on the face, showering him with sand. He instinctively closed his eyes and shaded his face with the back of his palm.

The winds blew from the east leveling the smaller mounds of sand, but died just as quickly. When the Dreamwalker reopened his eyes, the sky had changed drastically. It was now glittering with stars as far as the eye could see.

Strangely enough, the fireflies had all disappeared without any trace. It was as if the wind had blown them away along with the clouds.

There were no unique landmarks in the desert. And the only thing which offered some sense of direction was Xander's Chronica. Its hour hand pointed at two and its minute hand was stuck on twelve.

Xander was about to open his system panel when something else caught his attention. He saw a shadowy figure approaching from the distance.

Expecting to encounter a hostile Ethereal, Xander pulled out his revolver and took a defensive stance.

As the hazy silhouette came near, Xander saw that it was a man dressed in fine muslin, riding a camel decked with precious jewels.

Judging by the man's lofty silk turban decorated with rubies and emeralds, it was easy to mistake him for an exiled king. However, the heavy sacks hanging from his camel suggested otherwise.

"Greetings, traveler. How goes the night?" the man asked, bringing his camel to a halt a few paces away from Xander.

"Who are you?" Xander questioned back. "You don't look like an Ethereal."

In response, the man removed the black veil covering his face and smiled politely.

Xander panicked as he saw that the man's face was wrapped in rolls of brown cotton. Pointing his gun at the camel rider, he shouted, "Who sent you here?"

At this, the man's eyes flashed green for a moment and his voice turned coarse and grainy just like the sand around him. "I know no master. The Nightscape is my home, and all travelers are my friends."

"We are inside a Death Nightmare. It's not exactly the right place to be making friends," Xander mocked, aiming for the man's head. "Who are you? And what do you want from me?"

"I am just a wanderer of these sands. And I offer my services to all Dreamwalkers who can afford my fees," the stranger answered.

"Your services?" Xander asked, a bit confused. "Are you some kind of mercenary for hire?"

The stranger grinned at this. His voice became dreamy and soft as he continued, "I am known by many names, Dreamwalker. Some call me the Merchant of Fate while others address me simply as the Whispering Wanderer."

"The Whispering Wanderer. It really rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?" Xander snickered. "You said you're a merchant. What are you selling?"

"Everything," the merchant whispered back. "Cards, weapons, relics, and even enchantments."

Xander had heard tales of a mysterious trader peddling his fares in the Nightscape. However, he had always dismissed them as rumors. So far, he had never encountered any Ethereals that fitted the description. Even after hearing everything, he remained wary of the stranger.

To put the Dreamwalker at ease, the man in the turban climbed down from his camel and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a glowing yellow panel opened mid-air with smoky red letters running from left to right.

[Welcome to the Store of Fate.]

[Everything can be yours for the right price.]

Xander knew he could use some new cards and weapons, but he wasn't really sure about the payment.

The mysterious merchant read his thoughts before he had the chance to speak. "Coins for the weapons, and shards for the cards," he whispered and clapped his hands twice.

Immediately a selection of all available items appeared before Xander.

There was one Nightmare Card for sale, along with two Dream Weapons and a mysterious relic. However, the prices were too steep for him.

[Demonic Grasp (Nightmare Card). Price: 5000 Nightmare Shards]

[Emperor's Blade (Dream Weapon). Price: 5000 Dream Coins.]

[Divine Serpent (Dream Weapon). Price: 3000 Dream Coins.]

[Medallion of Fear (Legendary Relic). Price: 5000 Nightmare Shards + 5000 Dream Shards.]

"Access inventory," Xander spoke to his system.

[Dreamwalker's inventory is open for perusal.]

[Cards remaining: 5.]

[1.Eye of Truth (Dream Card)]

[2. Oracle's Protection (Dream Card)]

[3. Destiny's Child (Dream Card)]

[4. Beast Companion (Dream Card)]

[5. Arctic Kiss (Dream Card)]

[Nightmare Shards collected: 500.]

[Nightmare Coins collected: 350.]

[Dream Shards: 0.]

[Dream Coins: 0.]

[Extra Skill Points: 0.]

It was just as Xander had guessed. He didn't have enough to purchase any new items. However, there was still the option of buying enchantments.

"I clearly don't have enough to afford anything shiny. But I'm still interested in your enchantments."

"Of course, Dreamwalker. I can enchant your weapons for a modest fee of one hundred coins. The cards, however, come at a dearer price. Five hundred shards for each card."

All Xander had on him at the moment, were Dream Cards, but he had no Dream Coins saved in his inventory.

"I guess the cards will have to wait," Xander mumbled to himself before addressing the merchant. "I need you to enchant my weapons."

"As you command, Dreamwalker. Hand over the weapon you wish to be enchanted."

Xander didn't feel too good about handing his weapons to a stranger in an unfamiliar Nightscape, so he held on to his scythe and only gave the merchant his revolver.

"Ah, the Eyeless Watcher. A fascinating weapon!" The merchant exclaimed in a thrilled voice.

Taking the gun from Xander, he started writing something on it with a golden paintbrush. Glowing red symbols appeared on the revolver's barrel and then faded just as quickly.

The squirming black strands covering the weapon gradually turned red and its barrel elongated by an inch.

"It is done. Time to collect my payment," the merchant said, handing the weapon back to Xander.

Xander pulled out a pouch of coins from his inventory and tossed it to the merchant. The man didn't bother counting it, but just put it close to his right ear and jingled it twice.

"Thank you for the coins," the merchant said with a graceful bow.

[100 Nightmare Coins removed]

[Nightmare Coins remaining: 250.]

[Eyeless Watcher re-acquired.]

[Dark enchantment added.]

[Slay Ethereals to empower the weapon.]

Xander was impressed by the merchant's work. He was still staring at his enchanted revolver when the stranger spoke again.

"I must go now. There are more riches to be acquired."

"How do I find you again?" Xander asked, looking up.

The merchant climbed back on his camel and replied, "I am a wanderer, Dreamwalker. You cannot find me. No one can. But if fate chooses, our paths shall cross again."

With those prophetic last words, the merchant turned into sand and was blown away by the whistling wind.