The Academy and Experiments

As they drove to the academy, Tyrel thought about his future.

"Master Jet. Do you come from the outskirts, too?"

Master Jet turned in his direction.

"Yes. I am."

Tyrel smiled. "Um, since we're both from the outskirts. Is there any advice you could give?"

"There are three things. First: once you're registered in the Academy, they'll offer you psychological counseling again. There will also be a valuable reward for sharing your experiences in the Nightmare and the details of your Appraisal. You'll be able to receive a soul shard, maybe even several of them."

Tyrel smiled. "I'll refuse the offer. Secrets are meant to be secrets. Knowledge is power."

Master Jet smirked. "I'm glad you have the right idea."

Master Jet paused for a moment and continued.

"Second: there will be a lot of courses to choose from. All types of combat training, deep dives into Nightmare Creature categories and vulnerabilities, basics of various types of sorcery, artifact study, and so on."

'I wonder if there is a class based on fighting Nightmare Creatures. Maybe I can develop trapping and information-gathering skills. And the bonus of learning how Necrotic Fragments work and gaining them.'

Master Jet smiled.

"You can pick what you like, but wilderness survival should be among your choices."

Tyrel asked. "Why? Is it because the environment is dangerous?"

"Yes. Learning how to survive in the wilderness is a great skill."

The car stopped in front of the gate. Master Jet walked out, and Tyrel followed her.

"We have arrived, Tyrel. I have informed them. Someone will be out in a few minutes."

Tyrel nodded and asked. "Am I the first sleeper here this school year?"

"For a hour or two perhaps. However, many more will come as the year progresses. Speaking of this, get along with your peers even if they don't treat you well."

Tyrel asked. "Why?"

"No one can survive in the Dream Realm alone. That's not an opinion. That's a fact."

Tyrel nodded but thought. 'I'll be a lone wolf, though. I don't want to be killed in my sleep.'

Master Jet pats Tyrel's shoulder. "You're a good kid. Survive."

Master Jet returned to her car and left.

Tyrel looked at the academy, and his eyes widened. The grand scale of it made his jaw drop in awe. The red gates towered above him. It was built like a fortress, with a high wall made of hard alloy, a deep moat, and numerous large-caliber turrets, which were placed in certain positions to create a deadly air-suppression dome.

Strangely, no snow covered the ground.

'Hmm. If I have a year before the winter solstice, that means today is December twenty-second.'

The gates opened as a metal bridge descended. It latched onto special grooves on the ground.

Tyrel entered the gate and was taken to a large hall. Strangely, it was empty except for him. As time passed, a few other students entered the room. A while later, a tall man entered the room. He wore a dark blue uniform.

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 them a long look.

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

Tyrel looked at Awakened Rock.

"In a year, you will be summoned to the dream realm. You may think you are well prepared. You're mistaken. The Spell is ruthless 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 year, 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. "

"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, teachers, and friends can't help you anymore…"

Tyrel tuned out the rest since he already knew the introduction. When it finished, he received the instructions of where his room was in the dormitory. He followed them and entered his room.

He had a queen-sized bed with a mattress. It had blue sheets, pillows, and a blanket. The room also had a table, dresser, and a bathroom.

He walked to the dresser and opened it. A few sets of clothes with the academy emblem were inside.

'I guess these clothes are now mine. My new life begins here. Before I go to the cafeteria, I need to enter my soul sea.'

Tyrel entered his soul sea. He looked at the white sky and the black depths. The blazing green sun burned valiantly.

He summoned the Nebulous Fox's runes.

Echo: [Nebulous Fox.]

Echo Type: Devil.

Echo Core: Dormant.

Echo Attributes: [Nihlic Absorbtion], [Stagnant Essence Regeneration], [Mark of Divinity].

He looked lower, and his eyes widened.

Dormant Devil Abilities: [Shape-shifter], [Battle Armament], [Telekinesis].

'Woah! She has three Attributes and three Abilities?!' Tyrel smiled and summoned the runes for each Attribute except Mark of Divinity.

Nihlic Absorption Attribute Description:

[The Nebulous Fox will absorb and assimilate the soul cores and the mental capacity of anything it kills. The Nebulous Fox can't rise in rank or class without outside intervention due to this ability.]

Stagnant Regeneration Attribute Description:

[The Nebulous Fox's soul essence will regenerate at the same speed no matter how much soul essence it obtains.]

'Woah! Those Attributes are insane!'

Tyrel smiled and looked at the abilities explanations.

Shape-shifter Ability Description:

[The Nebulous Fox can shape-shift into any form it can think of. It can create simple clothing to cover any humanoid form.]

Battle Armament Ability Description:

[The Nebulous Fox's humanoid form can summon armor with shape-shifting abilities. It also can summon a Lance.]

Telekinesis Ability Description:

[The Nebulous Fox can do many actions with their mind. However, the more strenuous it would be for their body, the more soul essence and mental capacity it will require.]

Echo Description: [An ancient noble creature of great power served humanity for centuries before being exiled to a distant land. Its power grew in exile, as did its loneliness. It saved a pitiful man and took care of him. Putting his needs before its own. In the end, it selfishly forced him to take its life so it could protect him in the future.]

He willed Saphira's Echo to float toward him. It did and hugged her. "I miss you, Saphira."

Abruptly, the echo picked Tyrel up and hugged him against its chest. It silently rubbed his back.

[Transform Echo into a Necrotic Gaurdian?]

'Yes.'

A green beam descended from his soul core and hit the echo. Slowly, it began to change. Its frame began glowing in a dim green hue. Its eyes, once lifeless, now had a spark of sentience within them. The glowing faded, and strangely, she returned to normal.

The spell's voice emanated from above the soul sea.

[You have created a Necrotic Guardian: Nebulous Fox.]

[You have bestowed two Attributes on your Necrotic Guardian.]

Tyrel smiled and looked for any new runes.

[Dormant Necrotic Core: 0/1]

Tyrel's eyes widened. 'Do I have to sacrifice my Necrotic Core to increase its rank? That's so expensive! I'll have to be a monster in rank, at least. Wait if it requires a dormant core now. It'll require an awakened core next time. Flip.'

[Necrotic Fragments: 0/500]

'I have a theory on how to raise its class.'

Tyrel shook his head and spoke. "Saphira?'

The Necrotic Gaurdian smiled. "Hello, Tyrel. I'm so thankful I'm here with you."

Tyrel cried into her arms. "Saphira."

Saphira smiled. "There, there. I'm here now."

For a bit, Tyrel talked to Saphira about the earth and his past life. He also told her how long it was since she died and the Nightmare Spell.

"That's all about my past and the world we're now in."

Saphira sighed. "Thank you for telling me this."

Tyrel spoke. "You're welcome, and you're my Necrotic Guardian. Um, I have a way to let you rise in rank and possibly class."

Saphira's eyes widened. "Really?"

Tyrel nodded. "Yes, but I have an Aspect ability that allows me to. Also, I have a ability to fuse an echo into you if you want. The echo is the Amorphous Knight. You would gain it's abilities."

Saphira paused for a moment before smirking. "Go ahead. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you more."

Tyrel nodded and willed the Amorphous Knight's Echo to come down. It did and kneeled before Tyrel.

[Will you fuse Echo into your Necrotic Guardian?]

'Yes.'

Tyrel asked. "Saphira, can you put me down?"

Saphira did so as the Amorphous Knight turned into sparks of light. The sparks entered Saphira, and her appearance began to change. Her skin, tails, hair, and fox ears turned silver and metallic. Her pupils turned red.

[Your Necrotic Gaurdian is strengthened.]

Tyrel looked up her Attributes.

[Nihlic Absorbtion], [Stagnant Essence Regeneration], [Mark of Divinity], [Necrotic Healing], [Necrotic Frame], [Devious Tenacity], [Flesh Rending Field].

'So many. Wait, she gained my Necrotic Healing. She won't need to recover in my Necrotic Core! That's so awesome!'

Saphira looked down at Tyrel and knelt.

"I'm grateful for the second chance at life, pup. I'm grateful for the strengthening and the opportunity to protect you." Saphira teared up. "I'm sorry for forcing you to kill me."

Tyrel looked into her eyes. "I forgive you, Saphira. But, please don't make me do that again."

Saphira smiled. "I vow to never to do that again. Come into my arms."

Tyrel ran into her arms and clung to her. Strangely, she didn't feel like metal.

"That's it. Relax Tyrel. I'll always be here for you."

Tyrel closed his eyes for a moment and spoke. "Saphira. I need to help you rise to titan within a year. You may be unconscious for vast amounts of time."

Saphira shook her head. "No. I don't want to leave you alone. I can protect you in the real world, too."

"I'm fine in the real world, I believe. What is dangerous is the dream realm. I don't know where the Nightmare Spell will send us. I can't grow stronger quickly, but you can."

Saphira sighed. "Okay. Let's begin."

Tyrel willed 500 of the Ossified Bolt memories to come to him. They quickly arrived and orbited Saphira and himself.

"Saphira, can you take these bolts?"

Saphira nodded, and she walked around, touching each memory. They were destroyed when she did, and the Necrotic Fragment count increased by one for each memory.

Once all of them were up, the spell whispered.

[Evolve Nebulous Fox into a Tyrant? Or evolve it further?]

Tyrel smiled and spoke. "Further."

[Necrotic Fragments: 500/1100.]

Tyrel smiled and willed 600 more Ossified Bolt memories to him. They quickly arrived and were sacrificed.

[Evolve Nebulous Fox into a Terror? Or evolve it further?]

Saphira spoke. "Tyrel. Are you sure you want me to jump multiple classes at once? That's never happened before."

Tyrel nodded. "Yes. Perhaps you'll get an extra ability for it."

Saphira chuckled. "Okay."

Tyrel smirked. "Evolve further."

[Necrotic Fragments: 1100/1800.]

Tyrel willed 700 more Ossified Bolts to come down. They were sacrificed.

[Necrotic Fragments: 1800/1800.]

[Evolve Nebulous Fox into a Titan?]

"Yes."

Abruptly, Saphira put Tyrel down before her tails wrapped around herself. She smiled and said. "I'll see you soon."

Tyrel smiled and looked at her runes. At the bottom were new ones.

[...The Nebulous Fox is Evolving.]

'It's a good thing I have the Tendon Ballista, or I wouldn't have been able to evolve her class. I'll look at my new memories runes when I finish eating.'

Tyrel left his sea of soul.