Lumian was guided to the southern part of the academy by a staff member. In that area, surrounded by training fields and parks, there was a low, modern building constructed with reinforced materials, like most buildings in the academy.
Notably, most of it was hidden underground, leaving only a couple of floors above the surface.
After a few minutes of walking through the pristine hallways, Lumian arrived at a large room where other Sleepers who had survived their first nightmare, just like him, were gathered.
The induction ceremony hadn't started yet, and Lumian looked around with a feigned expression of curiosity.
He could see that some were tense, nervous, and excited.
Lumian recalled that since the winter solstice was approaching, the academy had begun holding inductions once a week. Luckily, he had awakened only a few hours before the new batch of Sleepers arrived.
Curiously, Lumian wandered around, observing the Sleepers. They were all well-dressed and carried a suitcase, a canvas bag, or at least a backpack with their personal belongings—unlike Lumian, who only had his police tracksuit.
The academy would provide clothes with its logo in cases like his, when someone came from the outskirts or was poor.
Regarding the Sleepers' appearances, Lumian was a bit puzzled: most, if not all of them, were handsome, dazzling, or both.
Lumian wisely kept moving, avoiding unnecessary conversations; however, he still overheard things out of curiosity.
He learned that in this generation of Sleepers, several belonged to Legacy clans: the Valor clan or the Song clan. There were also many children of wealthy families who had hired private Awakened tutors to train them so they could survive.
However, Lumian inevitably ended up making small talk now and then—though he kept it as dry as possible.
"I killed an Awakened beast to pass my nightmare! I even had an enchanted robe. Want to see it?"
"No."
"I became an incredible blacksmith who fought in an army against nightmare creatures. I even killed three Sleeping beasts! I bet no one's ever done that."
"Actually, I killed a Fallen beast while I was relaxing in a river."
"You killed a Fallen beast?! That's impossible!"
"I think it was two, actually. The other one died from my fury."
Within minutes, Lumian had received the nickname "The Liar." A title he didn't care about at all.
Of course, if the protagonist heard that, he'd turn green with envy.
Finally, Lumian found a quiet spot where he sat down, relaxing. He activated his Aspect; he felt the same sensation as when he was at the police station. His hearing sharpened, picking up the countless conversations happening around him. It was overwhelming, but he was slowly learning to limit himself to only what he wanted to hear, and ignore the rest.
He also sensed the variety of scents coming from the Sleepers: some sour with sweat, others sweet, others mixed with perfumes and hair products.
Lumian turned off his Aspect. He soon felt brief disorientation before returning to normal. There was nothing truly interesting to listen to.
Besides, the instructor was only seconds away from arriving to begin explaining the nightmare realm.
Lumian yawned, looking at the stage just in time to see a tall man in a dark blue uniform enter. The man was broad, almost bear-like.
Broad shoulders, athletic build, chestnut beard; calm, serious eyes.
After a few seconds, he spoke. His voice carried through the entire space.
"I am Awakened Rock. Sleepers, welcome to the academy.
"In less than two months, you will be summoned to the realm of dreams…"
Lumian tuned out the rest of the speech. While the Awakened droned on with the classic: "It's dangerous, death, more danger, death, and again, death," and all that…
Lumian focused instead on observing the Sleepers, noting their features and quietly guessing who would survive and who would die, with unsettling calm.
His gaze fell upon a male Sleeper: he had light brown skin that looked healthy, blond hair, and amber eyes. Lumian noticed a strange aura around him.
Activating his Aspect, Lumian sniffed the air; he noticed that Sleeper's scent was odd—like a storm. It startled him for a moment.
The Sleeper, sensing Lumian's stare, looked in his direction, eyes fixed.
Lumian simply waved before turning his gaze back to Awakened Rock, who was explaining the difference between reality and the nightmare world.
However, he could still feel the Sleeper's stare drilling into the back of his neck.
Eventually, Awakened Rock finished his long introductory talk. Lumian remembered he had been given a phone, though they called it a communicator—but it was basically the same thing, with better functions.
Lumian noticed that everything was in English. And he could understand it perfectly. The nightmare spell had a translation function that allowed everyone to understand one another without needing to know their partner's language.
After checking the information on his communicator, he reached one of the lower floors, where he found a private room.
The room was large: it had a bed with a soft mattress, a table, a wardrobe, and even a private bathroom. The materials were new and aesthetically pleasing; the air was fresh and clean.
Lumian also noticed the protective screen on the wall that imitated a window showing the outside.
There were also several free sets of clothing with the academy logo.
Lumian looked at himself in the mirror; his new face was still somewhat unsettling, though he would get used to it eventually.
He stopped staring at the mirror. He decided to summon the memory he had obtained to examine it more closely.
---
Memory: [Fisherman's Suit]
Memory Rank: Awakened
Memory Level: IV
Memory Type: [Armor]
Description:
[In a cabin lost deep within the forests lived a man devoted to fishing. He loved the river, the silence… and his family more than his own life. One day, he took his wife and children to fish. But in those waters dwelled a monster that devoured them without leaving a trace.
Consumed by rage and grief, the fisherman abandoned his trade and began hunting every beast that inhabited rivers, lakes, or coasts. From his prey, he forged a sturdy suit, hoping for the day he'd find the creature that had taken his family.]
Bluish sparks appeared around Lumian's body, flowing over him like a liquid mantle. The lights moved across his limbs, shoulders, torso, covering him completely… and then faded away like foam carried by the wind.
Lumian lowered his gaze.
He wore a dark blue tunic, deep as a stormy ocean. Over it, plates hard as reinforced coral protected his chest, arms, and legs. His waist was covered with fragments resembling crafted scales.
Unlike when he was a beast, the suit had changed. Now it fit his human form; he felt how the durable deep-blue fabric brushed against his skin softly without being uncomfortable. It also kept him cool at all times, allowing him to rest even in unbearable heat.
Discarding the memory, Lumian forced an amiable smile onto his face—or at least tried.
Leaving his room, he headed to the cafeteria. Tomorrow would be a long day.
Do I reveal my true name? Lumian wondered.
If he revealed he had a true name, he'd become well-known, drawing attention from high-ranking individuals. He was certain the Song clan would at least try to recruit him due to his Beast lineage.
Not wanting trouble for the moment, Lumian decided to hide his true name until he became an Awakened. That way, he would have three options:
Go with the government, join the Valor clan, or the Song clan—depending on the pros and cons, he'd choose one of the three sides. There was also the House of the Night, but they were more about travel and sea-related things, so he dismissed it.
When Lumian snapped out of his thoughts, he realized he had reached the cafeteria. The food was delicious and there were no limits on how much one could choose. Lumian grabbed a tray and piled it high with food.
Something he had noticed about his Aspect was that it consumed a lot of energy, meaning he needed to eat more than a normal person; but he didn't care.
Taking the first bite, Lumian's eyes widened.
He took another spoonful, then another, before frowning.
I can't taste it, he thought, shocked. Lumian took a sip of his drink—it was supposed to be sweet, but it tasted like nothing. Like drinking water.
Lumian felt like crying, but his defect erased the urge. He didn't even feel upset.
Cursing silently, he ate with less enthusiasm. After stuffing himself, Lumian checked the time on his communicator, noticing his counseling session would be soon.
When he arrived, the staff offered psychological counseling, but he shook his head.
Finally, they began asking questions about his abilities, giving enough room for him to feel comfortable.
"Would you mind telling me what type of Aspect ability you received? Combat, sorcery, utility?"
"I received a combat ability," Lumian replied.
The examiner nodded slowly, writing in his report.
"Are you able to cause direct damage with your ability?"
Lumian thought for a moment.
"I guess so. I haven't tested it yet."
Lumian finally left after answering all their questions. In the end, his answers placed him among the top ten, with his Aspect clearly related to frontline combat.
As for his true name, he didn't give it; he would wait until he became an Awakened or a Master. He also wanted to see how his Aspect would evolve once he awakened.
Lumian returned to his room, and after a shower, fell asleep instantly.
---
Early in the morning, after a shower, Lumian arrived at the cafeteria and took plenty of food. Even if he couldn't taste anything, he could still fill himself.
Finding a quiet spot, he sat and began to eat, wearing a fake smile.
As Lumian ate, he heard footsteps. Looking up, he noticed the interesting guy from yesterday, who stopped at his table.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked.
He looked around with feigned curiosity.
"Do you see anyone else sitting here?" Lumian asked, amused.
The Sleeper smiled at the joke and sat in front of him. His tray was also piled high with food.
"I noticed you were staring at me during Awakened Rock's speech," the teenager, around sixteen or seventeen, commented.
Lumian nodded.
"I was. You seem strong," he said, boosting the Sleeper's ego.
The boy grinned widely and laughed loudly.
"I like you. My name is Asael," he introduced himself.
"Lumian, a rat from the outskirts," Lumian said with his fake smile, waiting to see Asael's reaction; however, he only saw surprise and amusement—not the disgusted look one would give a leper.
"Oh, so you're from the outskirts of NQSC? What's it like?"
Lumian blinked.
"Shouldn't you say something like 'trash, half-breed,' and stuff like that…?" Lumian asked.
"Why would I?" Asael asked, crossing his arms. "If you survived your first nightmare, you're stronger and luckier than those who didn't. So why would I look down on you?" he added.
Lumian didn't know what to think of this weird guy. He couldn't read his emotions at all.
"I'll take it as a compliment," he said, not entirely sure.
Soon, commotion filled the cafeteria as Sleepers gathered before a large screen showing the ranking of the strongest to the weakest based on the interview results.
Lumian narrowed his eyes, searching for his name.
Huh? Third place? he wondered when he saw it.
Above him was another name:
Eva.
And higher still, in first place, was Asael. Lumian blinked when he read what was beside the name: it was a true name.
[The Sky Shatterer]
Sky Shatterer, Lumian read mentally. His eyes shifted to Asael; he now understood why he smelled like a storm and why he had such a strange aura.
Lumian was about 20% sure his Aspect was at least Sacred, 1.5% Divine, and the rest either Supreme or Awakened. But he leaned toward Sacred or Divine.
The spell granted true names to the most exceptional: those who had diverted fate during their trial.
An example was Lumian, who prevented the ritual from being completed in the nightmare version of the Forgotten Shore, killed several Awakened and Sleepers, and finally killed one of the Nine. For all those impossible feats, he received a Divine-rank Aspect.
"Wow, so you're third. Impressive," Asael said, looking away from the screen.
Lumian didn't respond, still deep in thought.
Once he snapped out of it, he returned to eating his tasteless food. Several minutes passed, and Lumian could feel many pairs of eyes on him, curious about the newcomer who ranked third.
Some even whispered that he must have lied during the interview.
Lumian didn't care; he focused solely on his meal.
"By the way, Lumian," Asael said, making Lumian look at him.
"What class did you pick?"
Lumian chewed, swallowed, then spoke.
"Wilderness survival and combat training," he explained. Lumian knew how to throw a punch and a kick, and even dodge, but nothing complex like real combat tactics.
His reasons were simple: first, to learn about runes; second, to learn how to fight.
"Oh, so we'll be classmates. I picked those two as well," Asael said.
Lumian narrowed his eyes slightly. Too much coincidence… or destiny.
However, he needed to check something to be sure.
"Aster son vale," he said quietly so only Asael could hear. He watched his reaction, and the boy simply blinked, confused.
Lumian relaxed.
Well, that confirms he's not a reincarnator like me, Lumian thought. Or at least it seems so—but I'll still keep an eye on him.
"What was that?" Asael asked. "What did you say?"
Lumian faked a carefree smile and shrugged.
"The title of a song my mom used to sing to me when I was little," he lied effortlessly.