Fang Yuan had to find a cohort until he can 'plunder' enough people, while plundering he had to choose the best of the best knowing plundering not only damages his soul it also takes away ten years of his lifespan.
He was quite sure that Sunless would have a bright future ahead and naturally wanted to benefit from it.
Jet coughed, "It is not the time for jokes Fang"
Fang Yuan chuckled while sunless kept staring at him with barely hidden resentment.
"Anyways surviving in the unique environment of the dreamrealm is not something outskirt rats like us know of, so don't think you will be safe if you kill a nightmare creature if you don't know how to cook it." Jet said as she stopped her PTV.
"This is as far as I go," she said, looking cheerlessly at the walls of the Academy. "I've already notified them. Someone will come fetch you in a while."
Fang Yuan instantly saw something dark in her eyes, it would have sent a chill down his spine if he was not a 500 years old demon himself.
"What's the third advice?"
Master Jet glanced at him, then sighed.
"Remember: no one can survive in the Dream Realm alone. That's not an opinion, that's a fact. Try to get along with your peers, even if they don't treat you well. It might save your life."
Then she suddenly smiled and patted him on the shoulder.
"You've done well to survive until now. Make sure to keep yourself alive in the future, too."
Fang Yuan nodded, he was an exception as of himself but Jet had not said anything false. Unlike gu masters in his old world, awakened have a single enemy here, clearly dividing the line of enemies and friends.
Of course this is not that simple, the awakened have legacies and ordinary people, there are three major clans under friction and many other things which can easily make humans enemies.
Then she got back into her PTV and drove off. Just like that, she was gone.
***
The end of the metal bridge hit the special grooves in the ground and stopped moving after a set of loud clicks.
The Sleeper part of the compound was relatively small and situated in the southern part of the Academy, surrounded on all sides by training fields and parks.
It was a low, modern building constructed with reinforced materials. Like the majority of buildings in the Academy, most of it was hidden below the ground, leaving only a couple of floors above it. With its white, pristine alloy walls and wide windows, it must have looked beautiful in the summer, contrasted against all the greenery around.
Inside, the building was spacious and well-lit. Fang Yuan and Sunless along with the third girl were taken to a large hall where a hundred or so of young men and women — Sleepers of the same unfortunate timing as the two of them — were already waiting for the beginning of the induction ceremony. Most of them were nervous, tense and excited.
Logistics of the Academy were a constant headache for the administrators since the rate at which the Spell infected people was always chaotic. There was no way to orderly structure for batches of Sleepers to undergo any type of standardized education on a shared schedule: some of them had a full year to prepare for the Dream Realm, some only months, some even mere days.
That's why these induction ceremonies were held each month at the beginning of the year and then every week once the winter solstice began to loom near. Some of the Sleepers in the hall had to wait days to be inducted,
Fang Yuan and others were just a few hours short of the event. Fang Yuan, Sunless and the white haired girl were outliers due to their lack of possessions and police clothings.
"Sunless, I will help you out." Fang Yuan whispered into Sunless's ears
"Call me sunny, and how exactly will you help me" Sunless was still somewhat resentful and annoyed at Fang Yuan.
"I will stick close to you, if someone asks anything to us I will answer on your behalf."
Sunless's resentful expression slowly softened as he smiled "You will?"
"Only if you help me out later." Fang Yuan's expression was sincere and lovely as Sunless nodded.
Fang Yuan did in fact help him, slowly gaining his trust. Most conversations went like this.
"Look at all these young people. How many do you think will return from the Dream Realm? How many will perish? What do you think our own chances of survival are?"
"Well if we help each other out we can make sure most of use survive right sunny?"
"Yeah"
Or
"I even received an armor-type Memory in my Nightmare. It's an enchanted robe. Would you like to see?"
"Yes sure sister"
Or
"Then those lowlifes began to rob the bodies. It was disgusting! They even took their shoes! What kind of degenerate would take a dead man's shoes?"
"Yes, that is so horrible!"
Fang Yuan laughed to himself inwardly as he imagined the sleepers' faces if they knew that he had killed his entire clan and did many inhuman and unspeakable things.
However as much as Fang Yuan helped Sunless, they quickly became outcastes because Sunless was extremely quiet with him answering any question as if it was a joke and Fang Yuan refused to let Sunless fall aside.
This made Sunless get somewhat subdued and submissive towards Fang Yuan unlike his previous resentful self.
They were standing in the corner of the room where no one wanted to go, Fang Yuan guessed it was because the sleepers standing here were already presumed dead by others either due to their flaw or mental injury in the first nightmare.
There was a blind girl standing beside them, while others believed her to be dead meat Fang Yuan was wary of her. He had understood that the spell was fair, Fang Yuan's strong aspect was compensated by a brutal flaw; if her flaw was blindness how scary would her aspect be!
Everyone gathered around the legacy and made smaller friend groups too, Fang Yuan was invited there but he declined and went to the blind girl.
"I have a memory which allows one to sense magical items, would you like to try it?"
Unbeknownst to him, The girl was already aware of his true demonic nature and was scheming against him!