Shadow Slave: Endless Souls

Do you know what rivalry is right? When two people of similar status compete with each other over the same objective or for superiority in the same field. You might not know but not every rivalry isn't intentional some just form on their own or formed because they simply want to. This is the case for Edward and Caster the scion of the Han Li Clan.

Edward remembers Caster, he was foreshadowed as someone important to the plot during the early chapters, because he doesn't know the chapters behind the paywall which was most of the chapters he can only speculate his role from the scraps of info revealed during the early chapters. His best guess is Caster will be Sunny's love rival in the future.

Anyway because his villain-like reputation was falsely created by the students and Caster's friendly reputation formed from his likable personality which screams good guy they become bitter rivals somehow. This development of the events made even Edward dumbfounded making him check his system status window a few times.

***

Host: Edward Lancer

Souls: [Warrior Soul], [Cowardly One].

Memories: [Silver Bell].

Echoes: None.

SP: 510]

'Hmm, is it all because Twilight Giant Pathway leads to the divinity of Eternal Darkness?' 

Currently, that was his best theory, all this misunderstanding because the pathway his chosen soul walks leads to Eternal Darkness. He glanced at Caster who made the same too, both of them looked at each other. He smiled at Edward but there was clear coldness behind his eyes that implied inside his mind he wasn't exactly smiling.

Perhaps elitist? That seems a rather common settings for the characters like him.

'Sigh, I hope he will be redeemed in the future.'

He also glanced at the white-haired girl who was called Nephis he thinks. Then he looked at Sunny whose honest and not-so-polite words caused his reputation plumber to be the worst of the worst.

Soon the inevitable happens when he and Caster clash, because his Flaw Sunny told the truth, every word he uttered was the truth without falsehood in it. Well, it wasn't exactly the full truth either making it deceiveful as any lies.

Say the truth if he didn't know he was telling the truth Edward too would have thought he was telling a lie too. Sometimes the truth is more nonsensical than the lies after all.

Soon he somehow managed to escape from the crowd reaching to the corner where other Sleepers didn't want to approach. Only one girl was sitting quietly on the bench.

The quiet girl was delicate, demure, and very pretty. Her clothes were tidy. They weren't very expensive, but still rather tasteful. With her pale blond hair, big blue eyes, and exquisite face, she looked like a beautiful porcelain doll.

She was subtly breathtaking.

However, there was something wrong with her. Her empty, expressionless stare without containing any emotions simply stares at the air as if dazed. She was blind that was the result of her Flaw.

Edward didn't care about that he simply sat at the other end of the bench with a calm look on his face. Luckily Edward didn't have Nightmare Spell so he didn't have anything like Flaw when buying [Souls]. Well, of course, there are minor problems like not being able to enter Dream Realm without using others as parasites but he can take care of that easily since he is in the Academy.

Oh right, the girl's name was Cassie, and she had character cards just like Nephis and Sunny. He smiled at the girl and tried to start a conversation after all she is blind so she must not be afraid of him besides she must be a pretty famous character. 'I hope she wasn't famous because she died that would be unlucky.'

"A hero need not speak. When he is gone, the World speaks for him."

For some reason, this quote comes to his mind when the possible death of this character.

But his attempt to start a conversation ended once the familiar young man walked towards their corner. "Hey, Sunny."

"Hey..." Sunny becomes silent for a second before saying. "Edward." he probably was going to say something rude, wasn't he? Sunny lets out a sigh before sitting beside him and then looking at the girl.

Soon, a tall man in a dark blue uniform appeared on the stage. Not only was he tall, he was actually almost a giant. Sunny even wondered if the man's mother had sinned with a bear… okay, he wasn't lying when the guy was huge in the original book.

The giant man had wide shoulders, an athletic build, and a gorgeous brown beard. His eyes were calm and serious. After reaching the center of the stage, he gave Sleepers a long look. When his gaze reached the deserted corner, Sunny beside him suddenly stiffened. Soon his gaze returned to the front row of students.

"I am Awakened Rock. Sleepers, welcome to the Academy."

Everyone listened without making a sound.

"In less than a month, you will be summoned to the Dream Realm. Some of you might think that you are well prepared. You're wrong. The Spell is merciless and cunning. The moment Awakened begin to think too much of themselves, they die. I've seen countless Sleepers like you lose their lives. I've also seen experienced Masters lose theirs. Even Saints are not assured to survive."

"In the following four weeks, we will do everything in our power to increase your chances of survival. You will receive training from the best instructors in the world. However, don't be misled by their fame: in the end, whether you return from the Dream Realm alive depends only on one person — you. The responsibility to survive is yours, and yours alone. "

Except for the Legacies, Sleepers were looking at each other with growing fear in their eyes. Awakened Rock continued:

"You are not children anymore. It's a shame because you ought to be. But the Spell has decided otherwise. You have been to the First Nightmare, so you already know what it's like. Your parents, your teachers, and your friends can't help you anymore…"

The speech was similar to one from many other novels. Where the instructor had to make the younger generation afraid because fear was the only thing that would keep them alive.

Finally, the speech got to the important part. Awakened Rock paused, giving the kids listening to him a few moments to digest his words. Then, with a short nod, he continued:

"Now we will talk about the difference between Nightmares and the Dream Realm. Most people are aware of what Nightmares are — because they have an impact on the real world and their lives. All of you have been warned before entering the First Nightmare that, should you perish there, a Nightmare Creature would be allowed to cross the threshold and enter reality."

"First Nightmares are unique because each of them is individual. That's why only a single Creature can appear. However, starting from the Second Nightmare, things become much more dangerous. These Nightmares are not tied to an infected person. Instead, they are born in the Dream Realm. While the Seed of the Nightmare is growing, any number of Awakened can attempt to conquer it."

"Should they all die or fail to find the Seed before it matures, a Gate will open in the real world, letting through countless monsters. You all know the consequences. Other Awakened will be forced to withstand the onslaught on this side, but then there can be massive destruction or losses among the civilian population."

Opening Gates was something that every person on the planet feared. It was also the second disaster brought upon by the Spell after the initial appearance of the Nightmare Creatures. The main difference was that, in that initial wave, there were only dormant beasts. However, Gates had ranks of their own, and any type of Creature could potentially step through. It's a pretty common concept really, a rift between realities that connect to one filled with monsters.

"Simply put, the Dream Realm is a world. It is vast, mysterious, and mostly unexplored. It is also dead. There is no life out there except for the Nightmare Creatures, corrupted ecosystems… and now us. But it wasn't always dead. We can tell that once, a long time ago, the Dream Realm was home to several primitive civilizations. There are a lot of ruins buried in its soil."

Awakened Rock's voice grew solemn.

"So it is not wrong to say that the purpose of the Awakened is to enter the Dream Realm, seek out maturing Nightmares, and close them before any harm could befall the real world. From this, you can see that the Dream Realm and the Nightmares are connected, but are not one and the same. If Nightmares are the destination, then the Dream Realm is the road. But it is also so much more."

"We don't know if the Dream Realm exists inside the Spell as one of its illusions, just on an unimaginably larger scale, or if it's real, with the Spell only serving as a pathway between two realities. However, we do suspect that the illusions conjured up inside the Nightmares are based on its history. They are replicas of past events, somehow reconstructed from the depths of time."

"There are four main differences between the Dream Realm and the Nightmares. Firstly, it doesn't have a "story". There is no predetermined conflict you are forced to resolve. You can move freely and explore, provided that you have the strength to stay alive in the wilderness. Most people tend to stay close to one of the human Citadels."

"Secondly, as I have already mentioned, there are no people in the Dream Realm except for those who came from the real world. There are only monsters. Some of them can mimic human appearance, though, so be mindful of that."

"Thirdly, unlike the First Nightmare, no Nightmare Creatures will appear in the real world if you die in the Dream Realm. It may sound cruel, but that's a good thing. Awakened forces are already spread thin. If we had to monitor every Sleeper, we wouldn't have resources to handle more important matters."

"And lastly, and most importantly. Unlike Nightmares, which are bound by the rules of fairness, there is no limit to what kind of Creature you can meet in the Dream Realm. During its trials, the Spell won't pit a dormant human against an opponent many ranks above them…"

"... But in the Dream Realm, no such restrictions exist. Theoretically, you can stumble upon an Unholy Titan and die before even realizing what happened. So be careful and stick to the regions with enemies on par with your own rank. It's not an ironclad guarantee, but at least there will be less of a chance of you biting off more than you can chew."

"When the solstice comes, you will be drawn into the Dream Realm. The exact location of where you will appear can't be predicted in advance, but there is a high chance that many of you will find yourselves near each other. Band together and proceed to the nearest human Citadel. Each Citadel is built around a Gateway. Once you reach it, you will be able to return."

"If you can't locate or are unable to reach the nearest human Citadel, search for an unclaimed Gateway. It will usually be inside or near the most prominent landmark of the region. Work together to defeat its guardians and come back alive."

"That is all for today. Next, follow the instructions sent to your communicators to find your assigned dormitory. Once settled, you may proceed to the cafeteria for some late supper. There will be a round of interviews after that, to prepare your suggested curriculums. Get a good night's rest. Your training starts tomorrow."

He wasn't sure if Sunny had some kind of self-reflection like the original but Edward sure didn't have one. For him, it was a very long and boring speech that he almost dozed off. Luckily Rock didn't notice him otherwise things might not have been easy for him.