Norris kept on punching the dark tendrils surrounding the memory scape. Obviously the dark tendrils represented the influence of the chaotic forces.
It felt like Norris was doing nothing. Whatever Norris had managed to chip away came back to normal immediately.
Norris though continued to do what he was doing. While doing this, for a while he couldn't hear his creation voice again. He hoped it could talk to him so that he wouldn't feel lonely.
This didn't stop him though. It'll come around too chat when it wants or maybe need to.
He stopped and started to dissect the scene. "Sigh, no information of what to do to affect this stuff can be currently gleaned. The impact caused by my fist though managed to deplete it".
"This is good news. What the earth lacked the least were weapons capable of causing high impact".
Somehow he knew that he could create with imagination. His trip down the memory lane, affected time itself so he should be able to master creation. He successfully created a gun through manipulating the mindscape with imagination and fired.
Evaluating the scene, Norris mused. "Well either things made from imagination don't hurt it much or it's the guns, Hope it's imagination".
He talked himself while rapidly moving like The Flash from DC comics. Going around, he went to a gun store and got a gun.
With the gun in hand, he fired the dark tendrils and he observed it,
"It does more than the imagined gun, so most likely imagination has little effects", he noted this reaction. Then he imagined a nuclear fission bomb and sent it there.
The sky fractured, and the ground liquefied, swallowing buildings and streets. Everything was wiped out. But the dark tendrils disintegrated, only to regrow and pulse with chaotic energy.
The people though being memory-projections of Norris's past flickered and dissolve. Their faces blurring and identities erased. Their voices lingered, echoing in the radioactive wind.
The bomb's crater sealed, and the tendrils returned, thicker and darker. The scape restored itself, but with a colder, hollow feel.
Norris knelt, touching the sterile asphalt in tears. "It's not real,".
He had been trying not think about it. The people around, laughing, talking. They aren't real people, they are just projections of Norris memories.
***
Norris conducted more tests physical test. Like using bombs, machine gun.
Then he tries to use magic relying on novels he read. He had forgotten how to cast magic. By imagination and through the guidance of the subconscious, he did "rise undead", then his smile became stiff.
"I wasn't a fan of necromancy on earth so I won't subconsciously do this. It can only be from my current life", Norris really couldn't think of how that will be possible, he couldn't help but despise himself.
"What will make me go study necromancy. Can't you see all the protagonists from the Earth in otherworlds enjoying their lives. Slaying gods and demons. But I, who doesn't normally like necromancy, goes to study it. Instead of something cool and niche like space, illusion, dream. Then my life must be very tough", Norris face palms then shrugged with relief, "At least I know I'm not giving the protagonist template."
Just then the sky turned red. That was impossible. In the Earth the sky doesn't turn red. That's against the core rules of this memory.
While looking at the sky with surprise, he saw something from the corner of his eye.
He saw the undeads that he had summoned. Now they really didn't look like undead though with tentacles and tendrils growing on them. They tried surrounding him. He ran like the Flash, to the arsenal of weapons and he quickly used the weapons to finish them off.
This is one of the reasons he will never introduce guns in the otherworld till he was strong enough. Who knows if this will unlock inspiration of the natives to create crazier weapons.
The world swiftly became normal after the corrupted undeads were eliminated.
Norris tried organising his thoughts on what just happened, "That should be erosion. Even my dream realm can be eroded. Guess I'm not that safe. I'm guessing it needs a medium. it needs to have something it understands like magic.
So magic weakens the defense of my memory scape since it's an alteration of the rules. It can use this as a medium to infiltrate the mind scape.
Well I don't really know magic right now so it doesn't matter. I just wanted to feel magic though I know once I get my memory back, I will be able to cast spells again.
Well, I guess I'm so used to magic, I subconsciously use it even without my memory. Well I'm a mage, that should not be a problem". Though after the self delusion, Norris decided to reduce the use of magic.
Hopefully, he doesn't lose his memories of this time. "Speaking of memories, memories can also be jumbled up which means even in this memory scape, there might be some mediums that are used to corrode it silently."
Norris immediately became alert," The entity could be using it as a way to parasitize. Let's try God mode. Imagine myself as the core of the memory scape. It should also conform to the rules. So what would be the definition of a God. Well controlling the four fundamental forces that governed the universe according to earth science is what a God is.
In this memory scape, I will create a zone where the memory scape can use to purge concepts out of its understanding or out of its core rules in this place."
Norris felt his consciousness rising higher. He became one with the world. Gravity, electromagnetic force, quantum? They were all just concept to manipulate and toy with.
Easily, he sensed the discordant places in the memory scape and pulled them. He saw the through face of the memory scape. A subplane to the dream realm.
Weak but with potential. He should stay like this. Grow stronger with the help of his new boss, the dream realm.
Emotions are unnecessary.
When he was about to continue this train of thought and completely become like a God, a phenomena, the photo of his mom came like an anchor trying to drag him from his high realm back to the mortal world.
Norris was in a dilemma, that was in itself, not what a phenomenal should have. Slowly, like something was unlocked, different emotions began returning like a flood.
Except for lingering fears, Norris wasn't affected much by this incident. It just reinforced his humanity. He felt proud to have emotions and weaknesses. It defines him.
***
Norris revved the engine of the Abrams tank, its steel hull vibrating with the hum of artillery strapped to its sides. Before him, a jagged portal pulsed like an open wound, spewing tendrils and tentacles, signature of chaos.
Behind him, the memory scape and outside? His memories, taking and corrupted by the entity," he muttered, slamming a fist onto the control panel.
The tank's cannon roared, obliterating a wave of clawed shadows.
It's time to get back what's his.