After breakfast, Lumian and Asael arrived at a classroom labeled "Survival in the Wild." Upon entering, they noticed it was tastefully decorated and completely empty—except for the older man sitting behind a wide wooden desk.
"Come in, young ones!"
The old man was lively; if Lumian had to describe him, he would say he possessed that energetic elder aura that many lose with age. Lumian noticed his thick eyebrows, which seemed almost alive with how much they moved.
"I am Julius, an Awakened. You may call me Master Julius. Take a seat. What are your names?"
Lumian sat in the front row, in the middle seat, while Asael took the one to his right, leaving an empty spot between them.
"I'm Asael," Asael said.
"And I'm Lumian," he introduced himself, faking a polite smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"What peculiar names. Especially yours, young Lumian."
Lumian shrugged.
"I suppose," he replied—he really didn't care about his name.
"Master Julius, aren't there any other students?" Asael asked as he looked around.
"Oh, someone else is still missing. There should be three…" Just as he finished speaking, the door opened, letting in a figure.
Lumian turned his head to see who had arrived. It was a sleeper girl, roughly his height and slim. By her appearance, she seemed his age or perhaps a year older. Her eyes were red like rubies—or pools of blood—and her expression held a faint irritation and anger. Her hair was a deep, starless-night black that reached her neck.
Like Lumian, she wore academy-issued clothing.
"Sorry for being late," she said. Her voice was soft, but also cold.
Interesting, Lumian thought.
"Oh, it's fine. Sit down—we're introducing ourselves," said Master Julius.
The girl sat to Lumian's left, again leaving an empty seat between them, placing Lumian squarely in the center.
"Well then, once again. I'm Julius, an Awakened, but you may call me Master Julius," he repeated.
"I'm Asael," Asael said, crossing his arms.
"I'm Lumian," he repeated, leaning on the long polished wooden table.
Finally, it was the girl's turn.
"Eva," she said simply.
Lumian blinked, as did Asael. Somehow the top three students of their generation had all chosen to take the Survival in the Wild class taught by Julius.
"Master Julius, there won't be another student coming, right?" Lumian asked.
"No. No one else is coming. Those brutes only care about swinging their fists or swords. Very few are smart enough to understand the value of knowledge…"
Lumian made a mental grimace. Knowledge was power in this world, but it also made you vulnerable. There were things better left unknown—and unfortunately for Lumian, he knew far too many secrets.
"Tell me, young ones… why did you choose Survival in the Wild among all possible courses?" Julius asked the room.
Asael answered first.
"My instructor told me that there's no point in wielding a sword if you die from lack of food or because you don't know how to survive in different environments."
Julius nodded.
"A very wise piece of advice. Your instructor must be a clever man."
Eva spoke next.
"Surviving in a place like the Dream Realm is more important than wielding a sword."
Julius nodded again.
Finally, it was Lumian's turn.
"The Awakened who monitored me during my first nightmare, Master Jet, advised me to study this above all else."
"A wise recommendation. That teacher really knows what's importan—wait. Did you say Jet?"
Lumian pretended to smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.
"Yes."
"Soul Reaper Jet? That savage killer?! Hm. Who would've thought a barbarian like her understood the value of knowledge?" Julius said.
"Professor, you know Ascendent Jet?"
Julius stared at Lumian for a moment before responding:
"Who doesn't know the Soul Reaper? She may not be the strongest Awakened alive, but she is certainly one of the most feared. Her aspect abilities ignore the flesh and strike directly at the soul's core. That means no armor, no physical protection, and no damage resistance can stop her."
Julius leaned forward, catching the undivided attention of the three sleepers.
"The only good thing is that she's young, and it's unlikely she'll become a Saint anytime soon… or ever. Luckily, the chances are extremely low."
Just wait until the chain of nightmares begins, old man, Lumian thought, amused—until his defect erased the emotion instantly. He cursed internally, but that anger too was wiped away.
Lumian sighed mentally. His defect was a real problem.
"Why, Master Julius?" Eva asked.
Julius looked at her, her expression curious. His own face seemed to ask how she could be so clueless.
"Because of her problematic personality, of course! Who would want to help a psychopathic killer become a Saint? You need a reliable and exceptional team, and a lot of support, to attempt conquering the Third Nightmare. Soul Reaper Jet is not—wait!" Julius cut himself off, frowning.
"Why am I gossiping with you? You're still too green to know these things! And it's not in my nature to bad-mouth others behind their backs!"
Julius cleared his throat to return to the main topic.
Eva looked mildly dissatisfied at not receiving more information, while Asael seemed amused by the professor's attitude.
As for Lumian, he yawned.
"What other courses are you taking?"
"Combat," Lumian answered.
"Same," said Asael.
"The same as them," Eva replied.
Julius nodded.
"Excellent. During the next few weeks of classes, I will make you immortal…" He gave a wide grin. "Let's begin."
For the next several hours, Lumian, Asael, and Eva were bombarded by an enormous and overwhelming flow of new information Julius unloaded onto them.
Lumian, even using his aspect, could barely keep up and understand everything. When something confused him, Julius explained it—or one of his two companions did. Sometimes he was surprised by how much basic knowledge he lacked.
Lumian explained he came from the outskirts, something Eva and Julius understood.
The hours were divided into various small and large blocks, giving them the necessary information.
However, most of the last stretch was devoted to ancient runes and their different meanings.
Finally, after twelve hours of suffering through knowledge, Julius dismissed them.
Their next course was about to begin, and it was more physical than mental—something Lumian appreciated.