Magister Insanity

My eyes fluttered open, and the familiar ceiling of the dormitory came into view.

My dormitory? How did I get here…? No... when did I get here?

Groaning, I reached for the lamp, its surface etched with sorcery runes, and switched it on. Then I grabbed my communicator.

Six a.m., huh?

Honestly, the darkness hadn't bothered me. It felt soothing, almost like a second skin. Still, out of habit, I turned on the nearest source of light. The sudden brightness stung my eyes, forcing a brief wince, but it was the far corner of the room that immediately drew my attention.

My shadow stood there, arms crossed, radiating displeasure. If it had a physical form, it would have been tapping its feet rapidly and have a face full of pure annoyance.

I scratched my head sheepishly.

"Heh… sorry. Looks like I went all out yesterday. But can you really blame me?"

The shadow balled its fists and gestured angrily, like a scorned housewife catching her husband in the act.

Why was it angry?

Yesterday's memory resurfaced. After finishing the Boundaries of the Silver Void encyclopedia, I had moved on to a few more books: Introduction to the Supernatural, which outlined the basics of Blasphemers, History of the Soul Realm, and several others.

Needless to say, it had taken the entire day to read and memorize everything. I was beyond exhausted — not physically, but mentally. Somehow, my body felt fine, but with every page I turned, I felt drained, sucked dry by the sheer weight of the knowledge. Eventually, I could read no more and had returned to my dormitory then passed out at once.

Was it the effect of my Divine Legacy? I had pondered this the other day, back before arriving at the academy, when I realized I no longer felt the need for sleep.

I pressed a hand to my temple, fatigue mounting as I tried to soothe the nagging ache of hunger.

"Right… sorry. I'll get you something to eat soon… just hang on a little longer, okay?"

My voice seemed more weary than usual, but beneath it flickered a spark of determination.

Glancing around, I let out a soft sigh before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. After drying off and changing into something presentable, I reminded myself that training started today, so I needed to make a good impression by arriving early.

Just then, my communicator buzzed with a new message:

[To all Sleepless: proceed to the Central Plaza to check your evaluation!]

I froze for a moment, tilting my head in confusion.

Evaluation?

Then it clicked. Ah… that must be it.

The realization settled in. Yesterday, all Sleepless had visited the administrative wing to meet with the assigned worker, sharing their experiences, the appraisals, and the abilities granted by the Murmur. Today, it seemed the ranking for the Sleepless had been processed and displayed.

'I wonder what place I got. Though I shouldn't be expecting anything noteworthy since I didn't reveal my real abilities... or the Shadow, of course.'

Thinking that, I slipped my communicator into my pocket and made my way out of the room.

The corridors were quiet, most Sleepless still lingering in their dorms, nursing their morning grogginess. Fortunately, the Dormitories was in close proximity to the Central Plaza, positioned at the southwest corner of the campus, so it was within striding distance.

As I stepped outside, the plaza stretched before me, bathed in the pale light of early morning. A low hum of murmured conversations filled the air; groups of Sleepless had already gathered, casting curious glances at one another. Some whispered about abilities, others about rankings.

Moving at a steady pace, my eyes noticed the shadow trailing closely behind, now behaving obediently, though I noticed its usual faint aura of displeasure. Perhaps it, too, was curious about the Sleepless rankings.

Just then, a sudden commotion drew my attention.

'What's going on?'

A crowd had formed around a massive floating screen dominating the center of the plaza, its surface shimmering faintly with advanced technology. People back home would have called it a "holographic projection." On it, a list of names was displayed, ranking the new batch of Sleepless from weakest to strongest, presumably based on yesterday's interview results.

But the noise from the crowd seemed disproportionate for a simple ranking. Clearly, something else was fueling their excitement. I lingered at the edge, peering over shoulders, careful not to reveal my curiosity.

"W-What… am I seeing this right?"

"Snows. H-His last name is Snows… Could it really be a coincidence?"

"You fool! How many people do you think have that last name?!"

Narrowing my eyes, I took in the names occupying the second and third highest positions.

†

Name: Shura

Mythic Code: [Chained Seer]

†

Name: Viper Lancer

Mythic Code: [Serpent Slayer]

†

'W-What? Two people with Mythic Code?'

Naturally, I was surprised. After poring through several tomes from the Library of Souls, the significance of a Mythic Code became clear.

In essence, Mythic Codes (灵名) were unique names bestowed by the Murmur. On their own, they didn't do much, but they could serve as powerful anchors for various opportunities and could be applied within the three classifications of Sorcery: Spell, Runes, and Alchemy.

Simply put, these special names represented one's true identity within the Silver Void and carried tremendous weight. However, not everyone could receive one. Only extraordinary individuals, those who had accomplished great feats and were touched by fate, were worthy.

To receive mine, I had to evade a Fallen Nightmare and its minions for several days, ultimately defeating them indirectly through a ritual... or at least, that was my understanding. Eldritch Creatures were ranked by their Tier of evolution, from weakest to strongest: Fiend → Terror → Beast → Hellion → Tyrant → Nightmare → Giant → Leviathan → Devil.

In addition, they were classified according to the density of their Soul Core, which they used to accumulate reishi and evolve. The hierarchy went: Dormant → Waking → Forsaken → Fallen → Corrupted → Cursed → Unholy → Great → Blight. For instance, a demonic beast in its early stages would be called a "Dormant Fiend," its next evolution a "Waking Ghoul," followed by a "Forsaken Beast" to "Fallen Hellion," and so on, until it reached the peak of its profane evolution: the "Blight Devil."

So yeah… if, for some unknown reason, I had grown desperate or insane, and tried to confront that Hollow Knight back then, I doubt there would have even been a corpse left to bury.

Ahem. Surprisingly, Lancer had taken third place, while someone named Shura ranked above him.

Someone outranking an Imperial? That should have been an interesting topic of discussion, yet the Sleepless seemed uninterested. Their attention was fixed elsewhere.

On the mysterious individual who had claimed first place.

†

Name: Gundric Snow

Mythic Code: [Sword of Nine]

†

I blinked.

Then again and again, until I finally snapped out of my stupor and tilted my head.

Even though this individual who had taken first place was another person who had received a Mythic Code from the Murmur, my focus was entirely on his given name, more specifically his last name.

Snows

Was that not the last name of the Great Imperial Clan, the House of Snows?

Hold on, this does not make any sense.

I rubbed my eyes.

It could be a coincidence. Any phenomenon could be a coincidence, and the same went for misfortune. But if my memory served me right, the inherent physical traits of the Snow Clan were their golden hair and the family crest of Nine. He bore the Mythic Code Sword of Nine, and he also happened to have the last name Snows.

All of this could not be coincidences!

Something still did not add up. The ruler of the House of Snows, Celestial Wing, was barren as a result of his curse. That meant he could not have children, even if his performance in bed was "extraordinary" or "spectacular."

What did this mean? Only one possibility came to mind.

This fellow was a bastard child. Conceivably, Song of Heaven must have indulged in some forbidden pleasure elsewhere, and as a result, this child had been born. By common sense, a bastard could never be heir to a throne. But everything changed when the king had no legitimate children. In the end, the grand title of heir would fall to the bastard.

No wonder everyone was so disoriented. Someone lucky — or perhaps unfortunate — had just become royalty!

The plaza around me buzzed with murmurs. Sleepless were looking at the screen with different eyes: some fear, some admiration and some disgust. Perhaps they had come to the same conclusion as i did. Regardless, it was a complicated situation.

What would the other Imperial Clans think about this? And more importantly, where was this so-called mysterious number one anyways?

"..."

Gradually, the crowd's attention slowly converged on one person. A young man with hair like molten gold, eyes to match, and attire embroidered with radiant patterns. It wasn't hard to deduce his identity. His presence alone set him apart, radiating a knightly aura.

His expression was unreadable, his gaze distant and serious.

Then, with a sharp tilt of his head, Gundric's stern voice broke the air:

"What are you lots staring at?"

Silence fell over the plaza. His words weren't shouted, but the weight behind them pressed down like a hammer. A few Sleepless flinched, others quickly averted their eyes, and the crowd's collective energy wavered.

'So that is Gundric Snow, the so-called Sword of Nine.'

I narrowed my eyes, studying him more closely. His golden presence was overwhelming, but it wasn't just his appearance. It was the way he carried himself, like someone born at the peak of existence, looking down at the world beneath his feet.

No wonder the plaza was shaken. He wasn't just another Sleepless. He was royalty, a living embodiment of the Imperial Clan's lineage, bastard or not.

"Arrogant bastard," someone muttered under their breath. The words were swallowed instantly by the heavy atmosphere, but Gundric's eyes flicked in the direction of the speaker. A cold gleam flashed across his golden irises, and the unlucky Sleepless immediately shrank into the crowd.

I felt my lips twitch. He hadn't so much as lifted a finger, yet the entire plaza had fallen into silence. Was this what true intimidation looked like?

'How unlucky.'

My gaze drifted back to the holographic screen, and soon my own position came into view.

[Fifty.]

Higher than I expected. Considering I hadn't revealed anything noteworthy to the administrative worker, this result made no sense at all.

Honestly speaking, I was expecting to be ranked last. Instead, I had somehow taken that middle-position.

There had to be a misunderstanding. I wasn't that strong, certainly not strong enough to quiet a crowd with nothing more than presence or a glance. It would have been great if I was.

How… tragically unfortunate, indeed.