I walked toward my destination with lighter steps, my chest tightening with anticipation.
Circling around the chair where Luminary—the owner of this dream—was still sound asleep, I finally saw it.
A small, artificial structure, almost like an altar, stood in the center of the dreamscape.
And resting on top of it… was what I had been searching for.
A palm-sized orb that glowed with a brilliance so vivid it almost seemed alive.
At last.
This was what I came all this way to find.
The Dream Orb.
An item said to exist only in Arcana, born from the surge of chaotic magic within dreams.
Ordinarily, this would still be an undiscovered secret, hidden from the world. But thanks to my knowledge of the future—knowledge I carried from the webtoon—I knew exactly what it was, and more importantly, what it could do.
The Dream Orb had many abilities, but for me, there was only one that mattered.
"Create."
The word left my lips as I poured mana into the orb.
It pulsed in response, light flooding outward until it consumed my vision.
And when the glow subsided, something cold and solid rested in my hand.
A dagger.
I raised it, running my fingers across the hilt.
It was identical to the blade I had used in my fight with the Warden earlier. Same shape, same edge, same weight—even the balance was flawless.
I let out a low whistle.
"This is broken. Completely broken."
When I read about it in the webtoon, I thought it was overpowered. But holding it myself, feeling the steel's perfect weight, I realized… it was far beyond what I'd imagined.
The Dream Orb.
A sphere with the power to create objects out of imagination alone—an ability almost unheard of, even in this world.
In the story, it had belonged to a villain. A man who, blinded by arrogance, never unlocked its true potential. Because of that, he was easily defeated and discarded, just another stepping stone for the protagonist.
But me?
The moment I remembered that I'd be able to access Arcana during the entrance ceremony, I made up my mind.
I wasn't going to waste this chance.
And now, with the Dream Orb in my possession, my plan had finally begun to take shape.
Of course, the Dream Orb isn't omnipotent.
It has its limits—anything it creates will only last as long as I supply mana.
And it can't conjure up artifacts or other special items.
Still, the ability to instantly produce ordinary objects is enough to change the tide of a battle.
Just imagine it: someone rushing toward you barehanded, only for a sword to suddenly appear in their grip. That single surprise could decide everything.
And that's not all.
The Dream Orb hides other functions too—ones that demand certain conditions. Unlocking them won't be easy… but they're challenges I can tackle one step at a time.
For now, my business here was finished.
I turned back toward the chair, where Luminary still lay sound asleep, her chest rising and falling in quiet rhythm.
"…It's time to wake up from this dream."
Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the small water bottle I'd prepared in advance.
Climbing up onto the chair, I carefully tilted it to her lips and poured the potion into her mouth.
Her throat moved faintly as she swallowed.
And then—
Light spilled from her body, soft at first, then blazing brighter and brighter until it seemed to swallow the entire world.
--....--
When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the auditorium.
Blinking away the dizziness, I looked around. The other students wore the same expression I probably had—confused, dazed, like they had no idea what just happened.
Quietly, I slipped the orb in my hand into my pocket before anyone could notice.
"Young master!!"
Berno's voice cut through the noise. I spotted him barreling toward me from across the hall, his face pale with worry.
"Are you alright?? Are you hurt anywhere??"
"My head feels like it's going to split open, so shut up for a bit, Berno."
"Did you hurt your head…?"
I irritably shrugged him off as he fussed around me. I knew he was just concerned, but at the moment, it was too much.
My whole body ached. Ugh. I really overdid it.
It had seemed so simple in theory, but actually pulling it off was something else entirely.
I sighed, deciding that maybe—just maybe—it would be smarter to live quietly for a while.
And then—
"Ah! You!"
A familiar, sharp voice stabbed at my ears. I turned my head reluctantly, and the first thing that filled my vision was a flash of red hair.
What? She's also an Academy student?
A bad feeling twisted in my gut. I immediately turned my head away, pretending I hadn't seen her.
"Why are you ignoring me?!"
"Because it seems like you'll be troublesome."
"What??"
As expected, she puffed up like a firecracker, her voice rising louder and louder.
"Give me back my wooden sword!"
"Did you leave it with me? How about asking more politely?"
"No way!"
I clicked my tongue. Honestly, I'd been planning to give it back. But after hearing her shameless tone, I changed my mind.
She abandoned it. I picked it up. By any reasonable logic, that made it mine now.
No matter how I looked at it, I wasn't in the wrong. If anything, she should be thanking me for sparing her when I could've done far worse.
Besides, I wasn't even sure what kind of magic had been attached to that wooden sword in the first place.
I glanced at her name tag out of the corner of my eye.
Clarisse Puraine.
Of course.
Ignoring her increasingly loud complaints, I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked out of the auditorium without looking back.
****
"That man…"
Elnoa's eyes lingered on the back of the figure slipping out of the auditorium.
Just moments ago—
She had been dragged into a strange, unfamiliar space.
And there, before she could even gather her wits, a monster appeared. Its towering shadow swallowed her whole, and her legs locked in place. No matter how hard she tried, her body refused to move. Her magic wouldn't answer her call.
She could only stand there, trembling, as the monster's massive hand reached down to crush her.
But then—
He appeared.
The man with white hair.
He had stepped in as if it were the most natural thing in the world, intercepting the monster before it could touch her. And in the very instant his hand met the creature's, the entire scene shattered.
When Elnoa blinked, she was back in the auditorium as if nothing had happened.
Her heart still pounded, and her thoughts spun wildly.
Who was he?
Who would risk their life like that for someone they didn't even know?
And how could he look so calm—so unharmed—after facing something like that?
Her lips pressed together as questions stacked higher and higher in her mind.
Then—
"That white-haired guy. Isn't that Louis from the Vermoore Count family?"
"Ah, that half-wit? I knew he was the same age as me, but I didn't know he enrolled in the Academy this year."
The low voices came from two male students seated nearby.
Their tone was mocking, dripping with disdain, and Elnoa's brows knit in irritation. She disliked people who gossiped so thoughtlessly about others.
But she didn't interrupt.
Because their words gave her the answer she sought.
Louis.
Louis Vermoore.
Her gaze returned to the place where he had vanished, her expression unreadable.
So that's his name.
Quietly, she etched it into her memory.