Magister Insanity

Following that, the atmosphere around the table turned uncomfortable and heavy, thick with unease. Lancer, who only moments ago had spoken so eagerly about the term "Vampire", fell silent as though his voice had been stolen. Across from him, Gundric's glare lingered.

The truth was obvious.

Lancer had let slip something he should never have spoken.

What exactly did he say? More importantly, why had it been filtered out?

Curiosity stirred within Sonny, but he held his tongue. He already knew Lancer would never repeat what had slipped from his mouth. Pressing further would be meaningless.

Still, he had managed to acquire quite the handy full of information.

'Kabbalah, the soul-level of God. And the concept of Vampires. It seems like the two of them are connected.' Sonny wondered inwardly.

Vampires, it turned out, were not truly a species at all, but a symbol of immortality. No one had ever seen one, including humanity. Perhaps, as with all myths, their existence was whispered into being through those who delved into the study of Kabbalah. In other words, vampires were less a reality than they were an idea, a 'concept.'

Come to think of it, wouldn't "he" be considered a vampire?

Excluding the fact that he was unaffected by sunlight and couldn't be killed by a stake, Sonny stalked others during the night, devouring both the blood and souls of his victims. By day, he blended in, indistinguishable from any ordinary person. Moreover, he existed without an Origin Sea and could wander without his shadow. All of these were the traits of a so-called bloodsucking devil.

So, by definition...

No! Don't think about it that way!

Shaking his head, Sonny interrupted that line of thought from being completed. To call himself a vampire felt too simple and shallow. It was like trying to define an ocean with a single drop of water.

Perhaps that was the danger of it.

How could he ever be certain he was truly immortal, that nothing in this world could bring about his end?

Pride was a perilous sin. The moment he believed nothing could kill him, pride would take root. From pride would sprout arrogance, and before long, he would find himself foolishly attempting to slay Fallen or even Forsaken Beasts.

No matter how immortal one claimed to be, it wouldn't stop them from ending up as a creature's meal and he doubted anyone could return from the depths of a monster's belly.

In the end, Sonny decided not to think about it and continued eating, not addressing the mysterious distortion too.

The atmosphere remained unchanged; the three of them simply kept eating, as if too afraid to disturb the silence. Thankfully, the mood did not linger for long.

After a while, a presence drew near their table.

Sensing the aura, Sonny turned his head and quickly recognized the newcomer as one of Lancer's meat-worshippers... or, more accurately, one of the jackals that clustered around him.

The young man hesitated before finally forcing out the words:

"Lancer, we need to talk."

Lancer lifted his head, his brows knitting into a displeased frown.

"What is it? Didn't I tell you not to bother me while I'm eating?"

The fellow gritted his teeth.

"It's Zephyr. This morning... he has been confirmed deceased."

The moment those words left his mouth, the surrounding air completely changed and deepened. Perhaps the young man had spoken louder than he intended, for the nearby Sleepless turned their heads toward the table.

Soon after, whispers began to ripple through the cafeteria.

Lancer's expression darkened. He slowly set down his spoon, the scrape of metal against the wooden bowl sounding far louder than it should have.

His frown sharpened into something dangerous, almost lethal, and his voice dropped to a low growl.

"He's dead? Are you certain? Wasn't he just missing?"

The timid boy trembled under the intensity of Lancer's gaze.

"He was reported missing at first. But upon deeper investigation… it was discovered that Zephyr wandered into the outskirts of the Eldergrove Forest."

Lancer's eyes narrowed.

"But that alone isn't enough to confirm his death. Doesn't he usually roam there to hunt Lesser Fiends and disappear for days at a time?"

The boy swallowed hard.

"I… I don't know. But his communicator and traces of blood were found at the scene. Most likely, he was attacked by an Eldritch Creature. According to academy officials, the assailant was identified as a Waking Terror."

Listening attentively, Gundric narrowed his eyes and murmured,

"A Waking Terror? A Sleepless was assaulted by a Waking Terror and in the outskirts no less? This doesn't add up. Unless.... no, it couldn't be that time of the year."

Confused, Sonny turned to him.

"What do you mean by 'that time of the year?'"

Sword of Nine glanced over, hesitation weighing heavily in his pause. Finally, he sighed and spoke.

"Monsters of Waking rank or higher usually avoid the outskirts due to its low essence concentration. They prefer the middle or inner sectors, that's why the outer sector is dominated by Lesser Fiends or the lots. Occasionally, during mating or hibernation seasons, they might venture out to hunt Lesser creatures. But that time of year hasn't arrived yet, which makes this… highly suspicious."

His eyes hardened.

"You might not realize it, but it's rare for an Imperial to fall to a Waking Terror. With the vast resources and instructors at their disposal, they're more experienced than most individuals. They're trained in combat even before they can walk. And this individual in particular… he was from the Sky Wind Clan. He should have been able to handle a Waking Terror without much difficulty."

Pausing briefly, Sword of Nine continued, his voice grim.

"The only scenarios where an Imperial could be defeated by a Waking Terror are if they were already weakened, or if they were overwhelmed by multiple Waking Terrors. That leaves two possibilities here: either the mating or hibernation season has somehow arrived, which it hasn't... or a new higher-class creature has been born, disrupting the ecosystem."

This logic applied on Earth as well. If a Great Predator suddenly entered a foreign environment, the balance of the ecosystem would be thrown into disarray. In such a situation, the bottom feeders would be forced to scatter and seek shelter somewhere else.

However, this wasn't the true cause of Zephyr's demise. Monsters had struck him down, yes, but someone else had been there that fateful day.

The true culprit was sitting among them, hidden in plain sight, though none of them realized it.

What an interesting development. So the academy has finally decided to come clean about Zephyr's death. Inevitably, I suppose. It's almost impressive how long they managed to keep it hidden. Perhaps the pressure from the Sky Wind Clan has finally gotten to them.

Sonny thought inwardly, skillfully suppressing his emotion. Maybe it was due to Starfallen's indifference that he was able to remain detached, observing everything without letting his thoughts betray a hint of reaction.

He noticed the spearman's shoulders trembling slightly, though the Imperial had mastered the art of masking his true thoughts.

Taking a steadying breath, Lancer spoke in an uncharacteristically calm tone:

"Very well. This is truly an unfortunate loss. We should offer our condolences to his family. As for the creature responsible, the Imperium Academy will ensure it is hunted down."

Sonny sneered bitterly.

Of course, how could I forget? The academy won't sit idle when one of its students dies. Pride alone will drive them to exact justice, and the poor creatures beyond the walls will pay the price.

How inconvenient. I had even planned to try my luck hunting a Lesser Fiend using Starfallen as backup, but that plan has gone up in smoke.

Tsk. How utterly unfortunate. Could I really risk going back there now? No. Why would I want to return to the scene of the crime?

Truly, it would be far too suspicious for a Sleepless to wander the Eldergrove Forest after another had fallen there.

Perhaps he should have acted before Zephyr was killed, but it was far too late for regrets now.

Concluding that line of thought, Sonny shifted his expression to one of concern.

The boy glanced around nervously before speaking.

"Actually… there's something else."

A hint of surprise crossed Lancer's face.

"Wait, there's more?"

The boy nodded, falling silent for a moment as if collecting his courage. Then, finally, he dropped the final bombshell:

"It's Kael. He's gone missing too."

Lancer's eyes widened, shock overtaking him.

"What?!"