The stench of the Wailing Mire still lingered on Jimmy's boots as he and Lana returned to the city. Night had already descended, but the streets of Venon were still alive with flickering lamps, merchants closing their stalls, and the distant clamor of drunks and beggars.
Jimmy ignored it all.
He had tasted power in the Mire—dream residue, mind-bending monstrosities, and the thrill of control. But he wanted more.
Much more.
He turned to Lana, who walked half a step behind him, head bowed in submission but senses alert as always.
"We're not resting yet," he said. "Take me to the Alchemist's District."
Lana blinked. "At this hour? It'll be closed—"
Jimmy's silver eyes glinted. "Not to me, it won't be."
---
The Alchemist's District was a secluded, eccentric part of the city—a crooked cluster of twisted chimneys, bubbling cauldrons visible through high windows, and the occasional muffled explosion. The streets here were littered with broken glass, half-alive slimes, and the smell of sulfur and herbs.
They stopped before a strange wooden shop twisted with vines, its door etched with glowing runes.
"Potion Garden," Lana read aloud. "This place is run by a half-elf alchemist. Reclusive. Weird. But powerful."
"Perfect," Jimmy grinned, stepping inside.
---
The interior was a swirl of colors—bottles glowing in every hue, caged fairies fluttering above bubbling flasks, and shelves filled with ingredients that seemed to twitch or whisper. The scent was overwhelming: lavender, blood, ash, and something vaguely metallic.
From behind the counter emerged a woman.
She was stunning—tall, silver-haired, her green eyes glowing faintly under her spectacles. Her pointed ears marked her elven blood, while her exposed midriff and curve-hugging robes marked her confidence.
"Customers at this hour?" she said lazily. "Brave… or stupid."
Jimmy stepped forward, activating [Charm] instinctively. "A bit of both, perhaps. I've heard your alchemy is legendary. I'm here to commission something… experimental."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And you are?"
"Jimmy. Adventurer. Dream Walker." He let those last words hang in the air like a threat.
She chuckled softly. "A child playing at power, are we?"
His grin widened. "Play? I've made assassins kneel and monsters scream in the dark. I'm not here to buy health potions. I want something rare. Potions that affect the mind. Hallucinogens, enhancers… or anything that can push my abilities beyond mortal limits."
For a moment, silence.
Then she leaned over the counter, eyes locked on his. "Most who ask for such things either go mad… or become monsters."
"Lady," Jimmy murmured, "I already am."
---
After a tense silence, the woman motioned them to the back. Lana remained at the door like a loyal hound as Jimmy followed the alchemist down into a secret cellar lit by blue flame torches.
"This," she said, gesturing to a table, "is Syrenthia's Mind Bloom. A flower that grows only in cursed lands and blooms in nightmares. Brewed correctly, it can grant psychic resonance, enhancing mental magic."
"And the cost?" Jimmy asked.
"Half of your current mana. And you'll have to endure its hallucinations without breaking your mind."
Jimmy didn't hesitate. "Do it."
---
The preparation was swift but complex. The alchemist ground the flower into a silver paste, mixed it with a black ichor from a dreaming salamander, then stirred the concoction in a swirling flask of mercury-like liquid.
When it was ready, she handed him a shot-glass-sized vial. "Drink. And pray your mind is as strong as your smile."
He downed it without a word.
The effect was immediate.
His vision blurred. The world melted into color and chaos. Lana's voice faded. The alchemist's room became a cosmic void.
And then—he was inside his own mind.
---
> [System Alert: Dream Realm Breach – Internal]
Voices echoed. Faces twisted from his past. Women he had corrupted. Victims of his powers. Their cries morphed into laughter. Into temptation.
He saw himself—naked, drowning in shadows, staring into a mirror where his face twisted into something… alien.
A creature of eyes, whispers, and desire.
"Do you accept your nature?" the reflection asked.
Jimmy grinned in the hallucination.
"I am my nature."
> [New Trait Acquired: Mind Dominion – Mental attacks have increased potency. Targets with low willpower suffer hallucinations.]
> [Dreamweaver Skill Upgraded: Now able to induce false memories in weakened targets.]
---
When Jimmy snapped back into the real world, sweat poured down his brow, but his smirk was wider than ever.
"Success," he whispered.
The alchemist stared, genuinely impressed. "You're insane. But… promising."
He turned to her, eyes still faintly glowing. "What's your name?"
"Maelis."
"Maelis," he repeated. "You'll be seeing me again."
Before she could respond, Lana opened the door. "Master… we have company."
Jimmy turned sharply.
Outside, a squad of armored knights was approaching the district—emblems of the Church of Sanctity gleaming on their chests.
"Looks like someone's sniffing around for anomalies," he muttered.
Maelis frowned. "If they catch you using mental manipulation magic—"
"They won't."
Jimmy's eyes gleamed as he activated Dreamwalking.
A tear in space opened—a shimmering door of swirling mist.
He grabbed Lana's hand. "Time to disappear."
They stepped through—vanishing into the void between dreams.