The three left the police station building after a short while and headed toward Jet's personal transport vehicle. The sleek black vehicle was waiting quietly by the curb, its streamlined body reflecting the dim streetlights.
Jet opened the side door with a quick gesture.
"Get in."
Sunny entered first and sat in the back, followed by Rimuru who sat beside him quietly. A moment later, the doors closed smoothly, and the vehicle moved through the street.
Sunny didn't talk much during the ride.
He stared out the window in silence, watching the city pass by quickly outside. The lights, the tall buildings, the metal bridges… everything seemed slightly different when seen from inside a personal transport vehicle.
In fact, this was the first time he had ever sat inside a PTV.
Most people in the city couldn't even dream of getting a license or owning such a vehicle. Their entire lives depended almost completely on public transportation.
Sunny had ridden in the back of a police car once or twice… but this was a completely different experience.
Beside him, Rimuru was leaning back against the seat.
He was also looking outside, but not with the same interest. In truth, he seemed to be staring at the scene just to pass the time. His golden eyes followed the movement of lights and buildings with clear indifference, as if his mind was somewhere else entirely.
Several minutes passed in silence.
Then Jet glanced at the front mirror, her eyes settling on the two young men in the back.
She said calmly:
"Since both of you are from the outskirts like me… I'll give you three pieces of advice."
Her voice was practical and direct.
"Whether you listen or not… that's up to you."
Sunny immediately turned his head toward her.
As for Rimuru, he slowly shifted his gaze from the window, attentive without looking particularly interested.
"First. Once you register at the academy, they'll offer you psychological counseling again."
She paused for a moment.
"And there will also be a valuable reward for sharing your experiences in the nightmare and the details of your evaluation. You might receive a soul shard… maybe more."
Sunny frowned slightly.
"Are you trying to convince me to see a therapist again?"
Jet shook her head.
"No. I'm telling you to refuse."
Sunny raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"Why?"
A brief silence filled the vehicle before she answered.
"In the Dream Realm… nightmare creatures are not the only danger."
The road lights reflected through the glass as she continued.
"Once you become strong enough… humans will become an equal threat."
"And the less they know about your Aspect… the better."
She let out a small sigh before continuing:
"The easiest way to defeat a powerful Awakened is to exploit their flaw. That's why foolish kids at the academy are encouraged in different ways to share details about their Aspects."
"I'm not saying the government will leak your information. But once two people know a secret… it's no longer a secret."
Sunny nodded slowly.
"That… makes a lot of sense."
Then he said sincerely:
"Thank you, Ms. Jet."
She gave him a slight nod.
"Second. There will be many courses to choose from. Combat training, studying nightmare creatures, basics of sorcery, artifact studies…"
Sunny swallowed.
In truth, he had already been thinking about what weapon he should train with.
But Jet interrupted him before he could finish his thoughts.
"Forget all that."
Sunny blinked.
"What??"
She said without hesitation:
"The only course you have time to attend… is wilderness survival."
Sunny looked at her in confusion.
"Survival?"
She replied calmly:
"It's different for city kids. They learn useful things in schools and from their teachers."
"But we didn't have that advantage… did we?"
She went silent for a moment before asking:
"Tell me. What was the most dangerous thing you faced in your first nightmare?"
Sunny thought for a moment.
On the surface, the most dangerous thing he faced was the tyrant… or maybe Auro of the Nine.
But in reality…
He finally said:
"The cold."
A small smile appeared on Jet's lips.
"Smart."
"You only know how to live in the city."
"But the Dream Realm is mostly wilderness."
"Do you know how to start a fire? How to find food? How to build shelter?"
Sunny didn't answer.
"Fighting monsters is important. But it won't help if you die from hunger or freezing."
"Trust me. I learned that the hard way."
Sunny nodded silently, slightly annoyed with himself.
Then suddenly, Jet turned slightly toward the back seat.
Her gaze settled on Rimuru, who had been silent throughout the conversation.
"And you?"
She paused briefly.
"What was the most dangerous thing you faced in your first nightmare?"
Rimuru looked at her calmly.
He stayed silent for two seconds… then tilted his head slightly as if thinking very seriously.
"Hmmm…"
He raised a finger as if trying to remember something important.
Then he said in a completely sincere tone:
"Honestly… I don't think I faced anything dangerous."
Sunny blinked.
Jet stared at him for a moment.
Rimuru continued after a short thought:
"There were some creatures… but they weren't very scary."
Then he added seriously:
"Maybe the most annoying thing was that the place was a bit boring."
Silence filled the vehicle.
Sunny slowly turned to look at him.
"Boring…?"
Rimuru shrugged simply.
"Yeah."
Then he added after a moment:
"I expected the first nightmare to be… a bit more exciting."
Jet stared at him through the mirror for a few seconds.
Then she finally said in a neutral tone:
"…I see."
It wasn't clear whether she believed him or not.
As for Sunny, he kept looking at Rimuru as if trying to determine whether he was joking… or actually serious.
Of course, he was joking, since he hadn't even gone through the first nightmare yet
But he knew that even if he did, his answer wouldn't change. After all, he was the strongest.
At that moment, the vehicle gradually slowed down.
Then it stopped.
The side door opened silently.
Jet stepped out first.
Sunny followed, then Rimuru stepped down calmly.
Sunny raised his head… and froze for a moment.
In front of them stood massive metal gates, stretching several meters into the sky. Behind them were vast grounds and large buildings illuminated by cold white lights.
This was…
The Awakened Academy.
Sunny kept staring at the place for a few seconds before regaining his composure.
He turned toward Jet.
But she was looking at the academy walls with a faint smile.
"This is where you'll be going."
She said calmly.
"I've already notified them. Someone will come to take you shortly."
There was something faintly dark in the depths of her blue eyes.
Sunny suddenly felt a slight chill run through his body.
Then he asked:
"What's the third piece of advice?"
Jet looked at him… then at Rimuru.
She sighed quietly.
"Remember this."
She paused briefly before saying:
"No one can survive in the Dream Realm alone."
Her voice was very calm.
"This is not an opinion… it's a fact."
"Try to get along with your peers. Even if they don't treat you well."
"It might save your life."
Then suddenly she smiled and patted Sunny on the shoulder.
"You've done well to stay alive this long."
Then she looked at Rimuru for a brief moment.
"You too."
After that, she returned to her vehicle.
She closed the door.
And the vehicle drove away down the street….
Sunny and Rimuru stood silently in front of the academy's massive gates
The tall metal walls rose before them like a barrier separating two worlds. Behind them stretched the wide academy buildings, covered in a cold white light that reflected the strict order of the place.
Sunny kept staring at the gate for a long moment.
It wasn't just curiosity… but a heavy feeling that was hard to explain. This was the next step in his life, the place every new Awakened was sent before facing the Dream Realm again.
As for Rimuru…
He didn't share that heavy silence.
He stood beside him with his hands in his pockets, looking at the area ahead with an almost empty gaze, as if he was simply waiting for time to pass.
Then Sunny noticed something.
There was a girl standing not far from the gate.
Her hair was short and silver-white, shining under the dim lights, and her gray eyes were half-lidded behind her strands. She wore a sports jacket and large headphones resting over her ears.
She seemed completely still.
As if the world around her didn't matter.
She was just standing there listening to her own music.
Sunny's gaze fell on her unintentionally.
Maybe because her appearance was different… or because her calmness was strange in this place filled with new Awakened.
Either way, his eyes lingered on her for a few seconds longer than they should have.
Rimuru noticed that easily.
He followed his gaze.
Then he smiled slightly.
He leaned a bit toward him and said in a low voice:
"Sunny."
Sunny didn't look away immediately.
"What?"
Rimuru said in a calm, questioning tone:
"You're staring at her."
Sunny stiffened slightly.
Then he sighed.
There was no reason to deny it.
"Yeah."
He answered simply.
He looked at the girl again before adding honestly:
"She caught my attention."
Rimuru smiled immediately.
"Ah… so you admitted it."
Sunny frowned slightly as he looked at him.
"Why do you sound like you were waiting for that answer?"
Rimuru shrugged.
"I was just making sure."
Then he added in a calm, mischievous tone:
"I was wondering if you fell in love at first sight."
Sunny froze.
Then he slowly turned toward him.
"What??"
His voice carried both annoyance and confusion.
Rimuru chuckled lightly.
"Relax. I was just joking."
But Sunny's face had already turned slightly red.
He quickly turned his head away from Rimuru.
"That's not funny."
He said coldly.
Rimuru kept smiling silently for a moment.
Then he also looked at the silver-haired girl.
She was still in the exact same spot.
She hadn't moved… hadn't looked at them… as if their existence meant nothing to her.
"Looks like she's in another world."
Sunny didn't respond.
At that exact moment…
A low mechanical sound echoed.
The massive academy gates began to open slowly, releasing a deep metallic creak.
The gate split into two, revealing the wide path leading inside the campus.
The new Awakened began moving inside gradually.
Sunny and Rimuru exchanged a brief glance.
Then they walked with the others.
They passed through the wide courtyards and stone paths until they reached the residential building designated for new students.
Shortly after, one of the academy staff came to guide them through the long internal corridors. The place was simple and clean, more like an organized barracks than a comfortable residence.
They were given two adjacent rooms on one of the floors.
The rooms were small but sufficient for one month.
After receiving their entry cards, everything ended quickly.
Sunny opened his door first.
He stood at the entrance for a brief moment, then sighed quietly and entered his room.
Rimuru remained in the corridor for a few seconds.
Then he opened his own door.
The room was quiet.
A simple bed… a desk… and a small closet. One window overlooking part of the illuminated academy courtyard.
He closed the door behind him.
Slowly walking toward the bed.
He sat on the edge for a moment, then threw himself onto the mattress, staring at the plain white ceiling.
He stayed there briefly before exhaling softly, then raised his hand slightly.
Summoning his runes
Name: Rimuru Tempest
True Name: Creator of Chaos
Rank: Dreamer
Void Core: Dormant
Void Shards: [0/1000]
Memories: [Elvis], [Divine Clothes], [Imaginary Sword]
Echo: ____
Attributes: [Void], [Fateless], [Infinite Regeneration],
[Pain Resistance], [Great Sage], [Predator], [Divine Soul]
Aspect: Void God Azathoth
Aspect Rank: Unknown
Innate Ability:
[Void is the origin that precedes all existence. As its controller, you can, by your will, erase any phenomenon, force, or effect within your field of vision as if it never existed at all.]
Aspect Ability:
[Void energy responds to you naturally. You can freely direct it to enhance your body, heal your wounds, form devastating attacks, or create defenses that protect you.]
Flaw:
[You are a being without flaws]
Rimuru kept reading the runes silently.
There was nothing truly new… but he was reviewing them carefully, as if reorganizing his thoughts.
Then he narrowed his eyes slightly upon realizing something
"Ciel."
"Can you replace the [Infinite Regeneration] attribute with something that focuses more on increasing power?"
"I don't see much use for it."
His Aspect ability already gave him the power to heal himself and even others. It was much weaker than the attribute… but to him, that difference wasn't significant.
Power would be more useful
"And also… make the body's properties exactly like a human's."
"It would be strange if I didn't bleed… or if I didn't need sleep or food."
As soon as Ciel finished speaking…
The change began.
It wasn't painful.
But a strange sensation spread through his body, as if something inside him was being quietly reshaped.
Moments passed…
Then he felt something completely new.
Beats.
Steady beats inside his chest.
Rimuru raised his hand and placed it over his heart.
He stayed silent for a moment.
Then he smiled slightly.
It was a strange feeling indeed.
This was the first time he had a real body with internal organs like humans.
He needed some time to get used to this new sensation before looking back at the runes in front of him with curiosity.
Attributes:
[Void], [Fateless], [Universal Perception], [Dragon Heart],
[Pain Resistance], [Great Sage], [Predator], [Divine Soul]
Rimuru blinked slowly.
"Two attributes?"
"Ciel… didn't I tell you to change only one attribute? Why did you add another one?"
Rimuru kept looking at the runes for another moment.
Then he shrugged simply.
"Alright… it doesn't matter"
"You usually know what I want better than I do."
"Let me see their descriptions now"
[Universal Perception]
Your perception is comprehensive, allowing you to perceive everything around you within an extremely wide range
[Dragon Heart]
Your body overflows with the power of dragons, granting you a significant increase in strength and speed
Rimuru kept reading the descriptions silently.
Then he murmured
"Hmmm…"
He smiled slightly.
"[Universal Perception] will be very useful."
But his gaze stopped at the other attribute.
"[Dragon Heart]… so it grants a significant increase in strength and speed. I wonder how much of an increase it gives."
"Anyway… I'll find out soon."
The runes slowly disappeared.
Rimuru sat on the bed, then stretched his body slightly.
At that moment…
His stomach made a faint sound.
He looked down.
Then sighed.
"Well…"
He muttered in a resigned tone.
"Looks like I'm hungry… I'm starting to regret my decision."
He stood up from the bed and quickly changed his clothes.
Then he left the room, heading toward the cafeteria.
As he got closer, the sounds grew louder.
Voices… the clatter of dishes… the noise of new Awakened.
'Did you hear about that pervert?'
'Yeah, the one claiming he killed a tyrant Awakened in his first nightmare'
'Man, that's hilarious'
'Poor guy, he lost his mind after finishing his first trial'
Rimuru listened to the Awakened talking as he walked, recognizing who they were referring to, but he ignored it and continued on his way
He entered the large hall, took a tray from the table, and began filling it with different kinds of food without much thought.
He was almost trying random things.
Some meat… bread… vegetables… and other things he didn't even know the names of.
But it didn't matter.
He just wanted to feed this body.
After finishing, he carried his tray and started looking for a place to sit.
He scanned the hall briefly.
Most tables were full.
Some students sat in noisy groups… others observed the place cautiously.
Then he spotted someone familiar.
Sunny.
He was sitting at a table a bit away from the noise.
But he wasn't alone.
Across from him sat a girl with long blonde hair falling over her shoulders.
Her blue eyes were calm… and her small face had soft, innocent features.
Rimuru smiled slightly.
He recognized her immediately.
Who else could it be?
Cassia.
The blind oracle
[2795]word