Magister Insanity

Following the conclusion of the runic study class, I guided Starfallen with a thought, commanding him to return to the male dormitory.

Once he entered my room and locked the door, I approached the bed where my true body lay sleeping. With steady focus, I drew my consciousness back into it.

My eyes slowly opened.

"Well, that was certainly an experience. I still can't shake the strange sensation of transferring my consciousness back and forth through the Mirror Bond."

Raising up, I stretched my limbs slightly, then winced.

"And just how long have I been out? My body feels stiff."

Of course, whenever my consciousness transferred over, my main body inevitably fell into a state of inactivity. It was only natural that certain parts would grow stiff.

That thought lingered for a moment before I sank into deeper contemplation.

Over the past few days, I've learned much; whether from the library, the Mirror Bond, or the instructors. Each of them brought their own expertise, shaping different aspects of "me." The most noticeable change was in my physique. The Way of Survival course was essentially a physical regimen, which was aimed at strengthening the body. Instructor Joel referred to it as "hammering the body." Some of the training, however, had to be carried out within virtual reality simulations.

Yes, you heard that correctly.

Through Sorcery, it was possible to construct an artificial space. The process began by designating the chosen room as a temple. From there, runes acted as regulators or rather, frameworks that adjusted the temple's settings and held the structure in place. The task was far from simple. What you created was, in essence, a new world. At first it was blank, an empty canvas, and it had to be filled with information.

But no one could replicate the countless laws that governed reality. Instead, the creator had to decide the scope of this new space: its size, its rules, and what could exist within it. In other words, each world was a manual arrangement of scenarios and possibilities.

All things considered, this would be called a "virtual dimension." It was similar to the virtual reality on Earth, but instead of relying on machines and code, it was shaped through Mystery.

The similarities ended there. Unlike the fabricated illusions of Earth's VR, this dimension was tactile. The ground had weight, the air carried temperature, and if one willed it, even pain could be simulated. Such fidelity made it an invaluable training ground. In fact, most survival simulations were conducted in these fabricated dimensions rather than risking lives in the real world.

Of course, everything came with its flaws. A dimension was only as stable as the runes and knowledge underpinning it. Too vague, and the space collapsed. Too rigid, and it strangled creativity. There was also the spae of the supposed "temple" to consider as well, which was the virtual reality sector was positioned underground beneath the Imperium academy.

Nonetheless, it was still a testament to Niflheim's ingenuity.

Because of this, my body had never been in better shape. More specifically, the peculiar ritual had reshaped both my body and essence. Normally, when a person conquers their First Phrase and becomes a Sleepless, the Dreadspire enhances the potential of their body, pushing it to its absolute peak. In my case, however, the change went further. Not only was my physical potential amplified, but a deeper transformation had occurred.

Fatigue barely affected me, and I no longer required sleep or food, granting me seemingl inextinguishable stamina along with accelerated regeneration.

Simply put, I could be considered an anomaly.

Not that it was something I liked to brag about. When I first realized the changes in my body, I went through a brief existential crisis.

I was human, yet I was not.

I was monster, yet I was not.

I was both of them, yet none of them at the same time.

How could one be two things and not be either fully?

There was no clear answer. Most likely, I had become something in-between, or perhaps beyond. Even the Spire could not categorize me. This became evident when observing the Mirror Bond, which was classified as a Monster with the rank Lesser, while I was labeled a Blasphemer, despite supposedly being the same.

But even more strange and mysterious was the case Soul Devouring Shadow.

The entity operated independently, capable of scouting on its own without any direct command. It slinked through corridors, eavesdropping on conversations and observing classes where the Sleepless demonstrated the sequence abilities of their Legacies.

Its behavior was peculiar, bordering on perverse. It seemed particularly interested in spying on young women. Perhaps "curiosity" was a more accurate description of its nature than anything else.

Recalling the times the shadow had sneaked off into the female dormitory, I let out a sigh and scratched the back of my head.

Come to think of it… where is the shadow now?

A few seconds later, my gaze fell on the mass of darkness sprawled across the bed. Apparently, the shadow hadn't moved at all while I slept. For that matter, the mysterious entity seemed completely still.

It was as if it had transformed into nothing more than an ordinary, inert blob of darkness.

My eyebrow flew up.

Is it sleeping? Hold on, is it even possible for a shadow to sleep?

Originally, shadows were nothing more than the outlines of objects cast in light. In other words, they were not alive. This shadow, however, defied that logic. Like any living creature, it could move, eat, hear, see, and even possessed a personality of its own. In short, it was alive.

And the most fundamental trait of all living beings was that they needed to sleep at some point.

Shadow of the Dream God, huh?

But wouldn't such a god more accurately be called a God of Slumber? After all, with "Dream" in its name, the deity must revolve around the flow of dreams, accessible only through sleep. In that case, it must be a Sleeping God.

Yes, that made sense.

My mind lingered on the thought briefly, but I decided not to dwell on it.

"Alright, let's try this out."

Today's experiment was all about practicing the new rune I had learned. To be honest, I was genuinely excited. So far, the runic study class had been purely theoretical, with Instructor Irene insisting we memorize the runes and their meanings before attempting any practical exercises. I had already mastered the various runes in theory; the only reason I hadn't tried this experiment earlier was because I had been focusing on my swordsmanship.

But there was only so long one could postpone something.

Sensing my intent, Starfallen handed me a piece of chalk he had brought from the runic class. Technically, anything could be used to draw runes. In fact, there was even a special kind of pen that allowed runes to be drawn anywhere, regardless of the surface.

Of course, something like that would come at a price — not exorbitant, since it wasn't even an Echo — but I had no money, so it was out of my reach.

Without wasting any time, I began by drawing a hexagon at the center of the room. Its six sides weren't just geometric; each line had to be precise in length and angle, as even a minor deviation could disrupt the flow of energy. Hexagons were favored for binding runes because their symmetry allowed mythical forces to circulate evenly, stabilizing the ritual.

Once the hexagon was complete, I moved on to the inner layers of the binding rune. Concentric circles followed, forming a layered barrier that would trap and regulate the energy within. Between the circles, I etched a series of intricate runic glyphs carefully chosen to define the rune's purpose.

Next came the connecting sigils, tiny arcs and lines that linked the hexagon's vertices to the circles inside. These acted as channels, guiding the flow of energy around the structure rather than allowing it to stagnate or leak.

Finally, I inscribed the activation marks. These were smaller, almost imperceptible runes that would allow the binding to awaken once the intended target or object entered its influence. I traced them carefully along the inner circle, chanting the silent syllables that infused the chalk lines with Mystery.

I stepped back and examined the rune in its entirety. Satisfied, I whispered to myself,

"Now, let's see if this works."