Nightmare Paradise : Starting as a Doctor

Eeeeek!

A high-pitched squeak suddenly pierced the oppressive silence, reverberating faintly off the cold, barren walls. The sound was sharp and startling, like a pinprick in the dark stillness.

It had come from a small, shadowy figure darting across the floor—a rat.

In an instant, slender white filaments sprang to life, entangling the rodent and swiftly encircling its body and limbs in a constricting cocoon. Letting out another squeal, it thrashed in vain, unable to escape the binds.

"False alarm,” Lynn quietly sighed, calming his heart, which leaped at the sudden noise. He regarded the captured creature pensively, his head tilting to one side. This could be an opportunity to test some things.

With subtle gestures, he slowly retracted the cage back towards himself, bringing the struggling animal directly in front of where he sat. The beady eyes darted around frantically, desperate to escape.

Watching impassively until it was within arm's reach, suspended in mid-air before him, he extended one finger and gently stroked the top of its head. At the same time, a hypnotic glow emanated from his gaze.

Immediately, the rat went still, its panic quickly fading. The eyes took on a vacant, glassy appearance as the ability effect took hold. The frantic thrashing of its limbs ceased completely.

"You've come at the right moment," he remarked in a low voice to the entranced rodent. This was the perfect test subject to practice utilizing some techniques he recently learned.

Since his return from the dungeon, his free time in the past two days had been filled with intense study and practice. Much time was dedicated to absorbing and decoding more knowledge from the tamer manual.

He carefully released the restrictive binds, allowing it to scamper down and perch atop his outstretched palm. Its tiny claws grasped his skin for balance as its blank stare remained fixed ahead.

The hypnosis had been a success. Now it was time to take things a step further by attempting to establish a spiritual connection through which he could exert influence and control.

Closing his eyes, Lynn visualized his inner energy flow, guiding it along intricate pathways that he had painstakingly memorized. Delicate streams of spiritual light circulating within him came together to form runic symbols.

As the ancient script slowly emerged, he channeled his focused intent into each graceful stroke. The runes seemed to hum and vibrate, resonating in response to the power channeled into their designs.

This technique was very complex, far more intricate than anything he had attempted before. The runic sequence seemed to be composed of parts from multiple simpler abilities. 

After all, it was one of the fundamental things anyone aspiring to undertake the awakening ritual of the tamer class had to learn. Serving as the initial step, it allowed establishing a deep bond with a creature.

However, what Lynn was using now was merely a weaker version of the full technique. He had neither the material nor the intention to establish a permanent connection with this rodent.

From his other hand, blood slowly welled up. Crimson beads glinting with spiritual energy formed upon his outstretched finger. By infusing this vitality into the rat, he would form a temporary link.

When these droplets touched the creature's skin, they instantly disappeared, absorbed into its body. At the same time, he felt a peculiar sensation in his mind as if a thread of consciousness had extended from him to the animal.

Through it, he could vaguely perceive the creature's primitive thoughts and instincts. More importantly, he now had a channel to influence and control its actions more efficiently.

But this thread was very fragile and would only last as long as his blood and spiritual energy remained in its system. When they were fully consumed, the connection would break, and his control would vanish.

Until then, he should be considered as a half-tamer. Focusing his will, Lynn commanded the entranced rodent to walk along his outstretched arm. Obediently, it began to scamper up.

The tiny claws tickled his skin as the animal moved up his arm, following his mental order. He observed its movements closely, feeling the subtle shifts through the fragile connection they shared.

It was a strange sensation, almost like an extension of himself, yet distinctly separate. With each step it took, Lynn could sense its intentions, its desires, and its fears, all mingling with his consciousness in a curious dance.

As the rat reached his shoulder, he considered what to try next. There were limits to what simple commands could do. Maybe it was time to attempt using basic tamer skills that were now accessible to him.

Flipping open the aged leather tome in his lap, he focused on an ability that could potentially cover one of his weaknesses - the lack of scouting abilities. Every time he gathered information, he was putting himself in danger by venturing out personally. 

The beady eyes suddenly took on a faint glow, and his vision also immediately shifted. While the normal sight remained intact, an overlay of another perspective appeared in his mind. 

The room underwent an abrupt transformation as if expanding before him. The ceiling seemed distant and the walls now appeared to stretch high. Most importantly, he could see his own face staring back at him.

Everything the animal sensed and saw was now being transmitted directly into his mind. When it twitched its whiskers, he felt the phantom sensation. This dual sensation was disorienting at first but gradually became more natural.

Although the rat's senses were far inferior to his enhanced extraordinary perceptions, observing the environment from this alternate low vantage point provided an entirely new experience.

"Incredible," he muttered under his breath, marveling at this simple yet extraordinary phenomenon. Just this basic skill alone could provide invaluable strategic advantages if utilized carefully.

Over the next few hours, he dedicated himself to experimenting with the new tamer abilities available to him, carefully testing various skills and techniques to better understand their intricacies and limits.

His enthusiasm and curiosity demanded satiation. This was the first real chance to apply the extraordinary knowledge absorbed from the ancient tome. The temptation was too great to resist.

Time seemed to lose meaning as he immersed himself in this trial-and-error process. Even when the rat regained autonomy, scampering away into the gloom after severing the temporary bond, he didn’t stop.

This testing approach yielded valuable experience and highlighted the differences between extraordinary skills learned and practiced versus those granted directly by the nightmare paradise’s system.

Skills from crystals imparted proficiency instantly, bypassing countless hours of rigorous training. But those manually learned through practice offered deeper wisdom and flexibility

That’s why Lynn delved deeper into the manual, absorbing its profound content. His unique talent was activated from time to time to accelerate the intake of information, scrutinizing page after page with unwavering focus.

When he was exhausted, he sank into a meditative state to recover or studied the documents provided by boss Reggie about the central district. That’s how he spent the remaining 24 hours.

After an indeterminate period, he opened his eyes as his reserves attained saturation, his senses felt perfectly sharp once more. Glancing outside, the first pale rays of dawn peeked over the horizon.

However, he didn’t move from his seated position. Grabbing a nutrition bar from his inventory, he ate the bland ration mechanically, more for sustenance than flavor. A bottle of water helped wash it down.

Many hours remained before the central district would open its gates. So, he just continued to sit there, repeating the previous process in silence as the sun gradually ascended to its zenith.

As the day progressed, the angle of light streaming through the grimy glass gradually shifted. The bright beams that had illuminated the manual's pages began to slowly fade.

The noise outside steadily increased as the afternoon wore on. Rowdy shouts and drunken singing echoed up from the streets below, filtering faintly through the apartment's cracked window panes.

Lynn quickly noticed that and deduced it was the opening time. It seemed many shady characters were already gathering in anticipation. Their raucous voices added to the growing din permeating the abandoned district.

Safely storing all his belongings back in his inventory, he stretched his sore muscles, joints popping pleasantly. He finally rose from his seated position, a sense of anticipation building within him.

Through the window, he peered out at the crowds jostling down the narrow alleys. The area was virtually unrecognizable compared to its normally subdued atmosphere. He had never seen it so lively.

Like moths to a flame, the crowd gravitated towards the high concrete walls separating the two zones. The fortified boundary loomed large over the surroundings, dwarfing the ramshackle buildings crammed along its perimeter.

But before joining the excitement outside, Lynn had to do some final preparations. This chaotic gathering could easily turn volatile, and he wanted to be ready for any situation that might arise.