Magister Insanity

「 In order to kill another person, one must first know themselves. 」

A wise man had once said this… or so I claimed. Truthfully, no one had ever spoken these exact words. I had pieced them together, borrowing from the wisdom of Sun Tzu's Art of War and Musashi's Book of Five Rings.

At its core, the meaning was simple: to step into battle, one must first understand their own strengths and weaknesses.

And yet, I had barely scratched the surface of my own. I didn't even know the full extent of what I could or couldn't do.

Yes, I was stronger than the version of myself who had set foot on the Forbidden Isle, certainly stronger. But just how strong was the current me?

Luckily, the Imperium Academy possessed a proper training ground, not the combat hall reserved for Sleepless classes, but a dedicated facility designed for testing Abilities and Echoes. Situated on the southeast side of the campus, it stood adjacent to the Sanctuary Grounds, offering a space where one could hone their power without interruption.

The walk there was short, and upon arrival, the structure came into full view. It resembled a colossal stadium, its oval silhouette rising high above the surrounding buildings. Inside stretched a vast arena-like space, lined with rows of training dummies and specialized equipment, including a strength-measuring device designed to gauge raw power of Sleepless with precise accuracy.

Theoretically, such devices weren't all that difficult to construct. But considering most Sleepless possessed Legacies that enhanced their strength or agility — or were simply naturally powerful — the engineering team had to account for those extremes. After all, becoming a Blasphemer was nothing less than striving to climb a hierarchy.

Even so, the mere existence of a machine like this stood as proof of Niflheim's technological sophistication.

Mounted above the measuring device was a display board, its glowing letters showcasing the feats of Sleepless who had tested their might.

The ranking read:

[1: Zarugan — 30 ]

[2: Shura — 25 ]

[3: Gundric — 18 ]

[4: Lancer — 16 ]

[...]

Most results hovered between ten and fourteen tons: a range considered excellent, far beyond anything an ordinary human could ever hope to achieve. Of course, many Sleepless managed it thanks to their enhancing Legacies.

But... what the hell am I looking at?

Lancer at sixteen tons. Gundric at eighteen. Fine, impressive enough. This much was expected, considering they were both Imperials.

But someone... no, two someones... had scored twenty-five and even thirty, ranking above them!

What kind of monster could produce that kind of strength?!

Compared to them, even extraordinary people like Gundric and Lancer looked like nothing more than warm-up acts.

Wait a minute... were those two demonic species? Yes, that had to be only plausible explanation. It would make sense why they were produce that kind of power. They were completely unnatural.

"Monsters. Everyone here is monsters. What am I supposed to compete against that?" I clicked my tongue, feeling bitter and disheartened.

Glancing down, I caught my shadow making a gesture, as if to say they weren't all that impressive.

A sigh escaped.

I clenched my fist and took a stance. What was the important thing when it came to punching? Naturally, technique.

The way one positioned themselves determined overall power and how body weight was delivered. That was what made boxers so dangerous in a fight. Street fights claimed otherwise, but in the end, it all came down to technique.

"Alright, here I go!"

With a battle cry, I drove my fist forward.

The impact wasn't subtle. A resounding crack split the air as my knuckles collided with the device's reinforced plate. A dull vibration shot up my arm and bones hummed from the recoil.

The machine whirred. Gears spun, lights flickered, and the display board above began to calculate.

Finally, the glowing numbers appeared.

[10.2.]

... Ten?

My hand trembled as I pulled it back. That wasn't weak. In fact, it was already leagues beyond what an ordinary athletics could dream of. But within Blasphemers standards, it was a painfully average reading.

I clenched my jaw.

"Not enough."

The words slipped out before I realized it.

Not nearly enough.

How am I going to survive in the chaotic Phrases with that kind of strength? For that matter, how am I even supposed to claim my priority targets?

「 I need more power. 」

Feeling determined, I clenched my fists and drove them into the reinforced plate again. Pain shot through my knuckles, but in the end, the same score flashed across the display.

"C'mon, damn it!"

It seemed I was destined to be a weakling.

But that was only true if I wasn't someone capable of wielding supernatural power (神权).

"Should I give that a try?"

Just as despair threatened to set in, a memory resurfaced:

「 You can freely control the Soul Devouring Shadow and wield it as both a blade and a shield. 」

Wasn't that possible?

If the shadow could passively sharpen my senses, then logically, it should also be able to reinforce my body.

To test the theory, I willed the shadow to coil around me. Obediently, it stirred from its slumber, rising up and draping itself across my body.

No..."hugging" wasn't quite right. The sensation was closer to being submerged in living darkness.

Clenching my fist, I felt a new sense of strength. It was deeper and primal like the shadow itself was fusing with my muscles and bones.

A faint tremor ran through me. My heartbeat echoed louder, steadier, each pulse carrying a surge of unnatural vigor. The shadow wasn't just wrapping around me… it was inside me, weaving through the cracks of my body as if stitching something broken back together. I felt more... complete if that makes sense.

I exhaled slowly, forcing my stance to remain grounded. No good getting carried away.

"Alright… one more time."

My fist struck the reinforced plate again.

This time the impact roared. The sound reverberated across the arena. The vibration that shot back into my arm was stronger, but somehow instead of pain, I felt… resistance. Support. The shadow absorbed the recoil, diffusing it through my body, acting like a second skeleton.

The machine stuttered. Lights blinked erratically before the display finally steadied.

[21.4 tons]

... Twenty-one.

Wasn't that twofold of the last result?

I stared at the displayed number for a long time without moving. Then, a wide grin appeared.

"Yes, that's what I'm talking about!"

Just as I suspected, the reinforcement worked and my score even surpassed that of the golden boy!

Well… not by much. Only three points and it couldn't be compared to the results of the demonic species. But still, it was something at least.

'Hold on…'

The smile that had crept onto my face slowly faded.

Why? Because the truth hit me all at once.

Having a reinforcement ability was fine and all but how useful would it really be in an actual fight, especially when I had no real combat experience?

Strength was good. But knowing how to use it was far better.

For instance, someone with less strength but greater skill — someone who truly understood their ability and had experience wielding it — would easily outmatch a brute with raw power and no experience whatsoever.

"Now this complicates things… Is my current strength lacking? Not necessarily, but my lack of experience is more concerning. What to do? Ah, I know. What if I make up for my inexperience with weapons and terrain advantage."

Muttering to myself, I realized my arsenal hadn't even been fully explored.

With that thought, I dismissed the shadow reinforcement. The shadow obeyed, crawling down my body before pooling beneath me once more, returning to its original state as a formless blob of darkness.

The sensation was creepy but I ignored it nonetheless.

Summoning the runes, my gaze fixed on the ones detailing my Echoes.

†

Echo: [Survivor's Shroud]

Tier: Dormant [★★★]

Type: Armor

Description: [A lightweight armor capable of withstanding decent punishment, fitting for the lone survivor of the Forbidden Isle.]

†

Echo: [Silver Casull]

Tier: Awakened [★★★★]

Type: Weapon

Description: [A semi-automatic magnum pistol that fires explosive shots. Comes with three free silver howling rounds. Beware: its recoil is tremendous.]

†

Echo: [Jingle Bell]

Tier: Dormant [★★]

Type: Utility

Description: [A sinister bell that lures nearby monsters. Its toll can be heard from miles away.]

†

Huh. So these were my Echoes.

One was defensive, the second clearly offensive and from the looks of it, a pistol. The last one, though… an Echo that attracted monsters?

Seriously, what was I supposed to do with something like that?

'I'll think of something later. Let's take a look at this.'

Without delay, I summoned the Survivor's Shroud.

The echo formed over me piece by piece. Covering the black layered shirt with a high collar was a grey weathered vest that looked durable and lasting. Straps tightened across my chest, and a single shoulder guard locked into place with a metallic snap.

My right arm was wrapped with rough bracers and the boots were old and heavy, fitted with bent clamps that clinked faintly as I shifted. Truthfully speaking, the armor didn't look like it was meant to protect but one that was meant to last and ensure the wearer's survival.

I flexed my arm, testing the fit. The armor was far from elegant but the protective weight was reassuring at least.

"Well... It's not bad, better than being unprotected. Isn't that right?"

My shadow seemed indifferent to my thoughts and just shrugged as if it didn't care.

Yeah, thanks for nothing.

Letting out a sigh, I summoned the Silver Casull next.

In the blink of an eye, the weapon appeared in my hand. A silver semi-automatic magnum pistol, 335mm long, with a long heavy slide and a black handle.

Giving it a glance over, the pistol didn't seem all that impressive apart from its unusual appearance.

"Let's see what you can do."

I raised the pistol toward a reinforced target dummy at the far end of the arena. My shadow twitched underfoot, almost like it was curious too.

Click.

The chamber rotated with a smooth, mechanical finality.

BAANNG! The shot roared like thunder. The recoil slammed into my arm, nearly ripping the gun out of my hand. The sound echoed through the arena, shaking dust loose from the rafters.

Smoke trailed from the barrel.

As for that dummy... well, it certainly wasn't seeing the light. The explosion had torn it apart, reducing it to twisted fragments scattered across the floor.

"Holy…"

I lowered the Casull, my ears still ringing from the blast. That single shot had more destructive power than a cannon blast. No wonder it was rated Awakened. The only problem was obvious.

My hand trembled violently. The recoil had left it numb, and black blood beaded where the grip had dug into my skin.

"One shot, huh? That's about all I can handle…"