Magister Insanity

After leaving the Ways of Survival class, I headed straight to the cafeteria to grab my food and leave. Crowded spaces were something I had to avoid.

Who could say what might happen if I sat down to eat there? With so many Souls gathered in one place, each one radiating its own mouthwatering allure, carrying a sweetness I could almost taste, tragedy would be inevitable.

So, I kept my head lowered and quietly made my way back to the male dormitory.

By this point, I, Sleepless Sonny, had already informed Instructor Irene about my peculiar condition. When I explained the situation, she frowned briefly, studying me from head to toe, before giving a slow nod of understanding. Perhaps my vampire-like appearance had done most of the convincing.

GRRRK!! A deep, guttural growl tore from my stomach, accompanied by the familiar agony as though something was eating it from the inside.

Clutching my abdomen, I clenched my teeth and forced myself to keep moving.

Truth be told, the situation was dire and time was no ally of mine. The shadow hunger had swelled to a point that was becoming truly dangerous. Worse still, it was beginning to gnaw at my sanity.

If nothing was done soon, the inevitable would come crashing down.

What to do? What to do? This is really disturbing. And I can't think straight because of this relentless hunger. Damnit. Should I target someone else?

I shook my head.

No. That won't do at all. What if I killed someone who had a useless ability? If I'm going to kill, then I must make it worthwhile. Therefore, I have to keep to my original targets. But...

My eyes narrowed.

How am I going to kill them? I can't use any weapons and I don't even have any melee Echoes. Moreover, fighting them is out of the question. So I must think of an indirect method to kill them but I also have to make sure it doesn't trace back to me. How am I going to do this?

Countless ways on how to kill a person crossed my mind, and I slowly filtered them out one by one.

Killing a Sleepless Blasphemer was different from slaying an ordinary person.

Simply put, most methods wouldn't work on them. Even ordinary poison would not be effective.

...Wait.

As that random thought surfaced, I inadvertently paused.

Couldn't I just use poison? Of course, the poison in question couldn't be ordinary poison.

The poisonous materials within the Soul Realm were several times more dangerous than those on Earth due to the influence of spirit matter. Sometimes one could find such materials randomly, or if they searched hard enough.

Either way, using poison to kill a Sleepless was an easy method that did not involve fighting or mortal combat. More importantly, if done correctly, it wouldn't even be traced back to me.

Though only one problem remained: how was I going to find or create such a fast-acting agent?

Giving it some thought, I slowly realized that it would be as difficult as I imagined. Therefore, with a determined heart, I dragged my body in the direction of the academy's Library.

After walking a fair distance, the Library finally came into view.

Crack! With a resounding echo, the two massive doors swung open at once, unveiling the vast interior within.

I stepped inside, greeted by the familiar sight of towering shelves stretching toward the high ceiling, books stacked in endless order, and floating platforms drifting lazily through the air. I spared them little attention as my feet carried me forward, stopping before the reception desk.

Behind it sat the lavender-skinned succubus, her eyes absorbed in the pages of a book with a rather peculiar title.

Two Shades of Crimson? What kind of title is that? Is it something like the fifty shades of grey?

My mind lingered on the strange book for a moment before I shook the thought aside. Clearing my throat, I straightened and offered a polite greeting.

"Good afternoon, Miss Brynlee."

"Ah—!"

Startled, the succubus snapped the book shut and hastily tucked it out of sight. A faint flush colored her lavender cheeks as she forced a smile.

"G-Good day to you as well, Sleepless Sonny. W-What brings you to the Library today?"

Her eyes narrowed as they took in my appearance. With a frown, Brynlee asked,

"Hey… you don't look so good. Are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded. "Yes. Just a little under the weather, that's all."

"You don't look a little under the weather," she said, voice tinged with concern. "You look like you just had your blood drained by a Bloody Lilitu!"

"Hah! Isn't that an exaggeration? You really know how to tell good jokes."

A nervous laugh escaped me, though it didn't reach my eyes.

Brynlee continued to study my face, clearly unconvinced.

"You don't need to push yourself beyond your limits. If you're feeling unwell, just rest in your dormitory. No… this has passed the point of rest. Have you been to the infirmary?"

Of course not! Why the heck would I go to the infirmary?

If this were a normal sickness, I would have gone without hesitation. But this… this was far from normal, and I couldn't afford to let anyone detect the truth. Who knew what would happen if a healer examined me and noticed something off with my body?

In the end, a little white lie seemed the safest course. I forced a calm expression and said,

"Actually, I'm just coming back from the infirmary after picking up my medicine. I'll start taking it tonight, so I should be fine and back to full health in a few hours."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm absolutely certain."

If you think about it in a sense, killing people and feeding their souls to the shadow was medicine that restored me back to full health.

And it was also true that I was planning on doing so tonight, so yes... I have not said a single lie.

"..."

"..."

Brynlee narrowed her eyes, as if trying to burrow into my thoughts, while I gave a wry smile, masking my unease.

A few seconds passed before she sighed and adjusted her glasses.

"Well, if that's the case, I'll have to take your word for it. Now… which book are you interested in reading today?"

Good question.

I paused for a moment, weighing my words, then shrugged lightly.

"Nothing too complicated. I'm just looking for a book on Potion Brewing."

† †

An ancient act of mysticism tracing back to the Old Emperor's Era. In those times, the number of Echoes provided by the Spire — or accessible within the Soul Realm — was severely limited. Thus, the most practical and affordable solution was the crafting of potions.

Consider, for instance, one who was gravely injured or born without an Echo capable of healing or recovery. How could they endure such misfortune?

The answer is simple: without potions, they were utterly doomed.

For this reason, certain people who called themselves "Alchemists" rose to prominence. They were not warriors, nor did they possess remarkable Echoes, yet their knowledge of ingredients and formulas made them indispensable. In every city, no matter how small, there was always demand for their craft.

The strongest cultivators and the weakest beggars alike relied on them: one for survival, the other for profit. It was even said that an Alchemist with enough rare reagents could rival or surpass the performance of a high-tier Echo.

Whether it was true or not didn't matter. What mattered was that I intended to use this method to craft a deadly poison.

Still, it would look strange for a Sleepless, especially one preparing to challenge the Phrases generated by the Murmur, to take such a course. Potion Brewing was normally studied only by those Sleepless who had abandoned the path of Blasphemy and chosen a mundane life to earn a living.

On top of that, there was no guarantee the Phrases would contain sufficient resources, making the timing of this study seemingly pointless. Fortunately, when the Librarian grew suspicious and pressed me for my reasons, I already had a convincing excuse ready.

"I was recommended to learn Potion Brewing by my Ways of Survival instructor."

Funny enough, this was actually true. Instructor Joel had suggested I learn the basics of Potion Brewing some time ago. His reasoning made sense: knowing how to craft medicine from available components was a fundamental aspect of survival.

Sensible indeed.

When Brynlee heard this reason, she was puzzled for a moment before she finally became convinced and directed me to a section in the library.

After a short search, I finally found the book I'd been looking for and settled into a secluded corner before beginning to read.

But...

What to do? What to do? Which one should I use?

While reading The Basics of Potion Brewing, the thought surfaced inadvertently, and I frowned upon realizing I had stumbled into yet another predicament.

Which poison should I choose?