Rudger gritted his teeth at the sudden ringing in his ears and headache.

'Oh, damn it.'

He checked above his head in the confusion, but there was no sign of a door opening.

Nevertheless, the fact that he could hear voices meant that the beings beyond had reacted strongly to something.

'It's that thing stuck in the stake.'

The being impaled on the stake was also staring at Rudger with its eyeballs.

The space that had simply been a transposition of a dream scene had now synchronized with the actual deep layers of the Dreamland.

-Rumble rumble.

The massive stake vibrated.

When the being impaled within tried to move, the entire Dreamland shook as if hit by an earthquake.

Rudger calmly manipulated his magical power.

Thanks to the seal remaining intact, the headache quickly subsided.

The piercing ringing in his ears also faded away like the ebb tide with a beeping sound.

Perhaps due to the sound fading, the creature that had been rolling its eyeballs began to slowly close its eyes.

Nevertheless, its impact was not small at all.

Even though it moved just a tiny bit, the entire Dreamland vibrated.

This was clearly unprecedented.

"How, how did this happen......?"

Even Clara Cowen seemed to be experiencing this for the first time, unable to hide her bewilderment.

Her disbelieving gaze turned to Rudger.

Rudger, still frowning as if his head was still throbbing, was staring intently at the being impaled on the stake.

From his actions and gaze, it was impossible to shake off the feeling that such a being was familiar to him.

Given his desire to explore the depths of Dreamland, Clara thought there might be some connection there.

Child. What exactly are you?

"......Let's go back for now."

Clara said, suppressing the questions rising in her mind.

* * *

The room's appearance changed back to the original starlit night sky.

"Go on out. I need to go back into the dream."

"The way to the deep layers......"

"Don't be hasty. I'll send someone soon. Right now, confirming the anomaly that occurred in Dreamland takes priority, so I hope you understand my position."

"......I understand."

"I'll fall into a deep sleep after a long time."

Clara said this as she curled up again.

Her body floated up and drifted like a jellyfish submerged in water, just as when they first met.

Rudger watched her for a moment before going outside.

Zantman and Julia, who had been waiting, asked Rudger.

"What happened in there?"

"All the magicians from our school who were sleeping outside just woke up in a panic."

"Everyone woke up?"

Rudger reacted questioningly to Julia's words.

"Some senior students who had fallen into deep sleep all woke up startled. I heard they felt a massive tremor from the very depths of Dreamland."

"......"

So that wasn't just a simple illusion after all.

Rudger carefully managed his expression and claimed he didn't know much about it.

What he had just seen wasn't something he could tell anyone about.

Even if he did, they probably wouldn't believe it anyway.

'Even I don't know what this is about, so there's no point in telling anyone.'

Rudger sighed.

He had come to learn something about Dreamland, but it felt like he'd gained an unnecessary complication instead.

"What did the Master say?"

Julia asked Rudger.

The Master she referred to must mean Clara, the school head.

"She said she'll send someone soon regarding the way to the deep layers."

"Well, that makes sense. It's too unprepared to send someone right away."

"Is there something needed to go there?"

"You know how the deep-sea exploration department wears diving suits when diving into the sea? Dreamland is the same. Experienced Dreamwalkers can enter the upper middle layer just like that, but to go deeper, thorough preparation is needed. Since you lack experience, teacher, naturally there will be more to prepare."

"I could provide money if needed."

"If the Master said she'll send someone, it's safe to assume this side will handle all the preparations. It seems there won't be much for you to do, teacher."

"Is that so?"

"Still, it's surprising. Even though the Master is known to be kind, she's usually very strict about these things."

Although Julia brushed it off, her observation was quite accurate.

After all, Clara had made a deal with Rudger.

'In the end, is waiting all I can do to reach the deep layers?'

It was a natural measure since something seemed to have gone wrong with the entire Dreamland.

Time was also needed.

For someone who wasn't a Dreamwalker to enter the deep layers, even more thorough preparation was necessary but what bothered Rudger most was that being in the deep layers.

The monster impaled on the stake.

No.

It wasn't something like a monster.

It definitely wasn't a demon either.

Rather, something far stronger and more transcendent, a being whose years and capabilities couldn't be measured.

Because Rudger had heard many conversations and attention from such beings, he could tell.

'That thing impaled on the stake.'

It was clearly a god.

A god worshipped by heretics who were all said to have disappeared or been banished except for the chief god Lumensis.

One of them was now sealed at the bottom of Dreamland.

* * *

Time flowed like sand.

The happiest vacation for students has finally come to an end.

Some came back with satisfaction while others with regret as Theon welcomed the second semester.

"Everyone, long time no see! Have you been well?"

"Wow, where did you go during vacation? Your skin is all tanned."

"I traveled a bit. To an island in the south."

"I'm jealous. I spent all my time just studying magic at home."

Students who met in the classroom each bloomed with their own stories.

Students were either curious about where others went and what they did during vacation, or proudly talked about what they had done.

Flowers of laughter and conversation blooming everywhere.

-Screech.

Some of that commotion had to pause briefly when a new guest arrived.

"Oh, isn't that...Aidan?"

"Is that Aidan?"

Flesh-colored hair with glasses, somewhat kind-looking impression, that's what Aidan was like when they saw him before vacation.

But how should they describe Aidan who just walked in now?

"Somehow, hasn't he become sturdier?"

"His clothes seem to fit tighter."

"I feel like there's some wild charm to him."

Whatever happened to Aidan during vacation, his image was quite different from before.

Even though there was a perception of him as a strong but foolish person before.

Now his shoulders were broader, and he seemed more grown up, you could say.

Even his gentle eyes behind the glasses had become unusually sharp.

He looked somehow unfamiliar.

While harboring such impressions, some female students couldn't stop glancing at Aidan.

It was because Aidan's changed appearance had greatly increased his charm as a member of the opposite sex.

The other friends who entered with Aidan had changed as well.

Leo, Tracy Priad, and Iona O’Valley, the group of four who often hung out together had clearly changed from before vacation.

The external change was obvious only in Aidan but how should we describe the rest, their atmosphere and pressure were completely different.

Like a chrysalis shedding its shell and metamorphosing into a butterfly, Aidan's group had matured more strongly.

They looked like people who had gone through harsh training in some remote mountainous area.

"The stares feel quite sharp."

Aidan smiled awkwardly as he sat down.

Though his outward appearance had become sturdier, he still had his characteristic silly smile, and the subtle stares from the students felt quite burdensome to him.

In the past, he wouldn't have noticed such stares, perhaps because his senses had become keener.

It felt like some slight inconvenience had been added to daily life.

"Well, though not unrecognizable, you've changed quite a bit."

"Really? My clothes do feel tight. Leo, how about you? Did you grow too?"

"......Are you picking a fight right now?"

Leo reacted sensitively.

While Aidan might still be in his growth period as he grew a bit taller during vacation, Leo had no such changes.

Leo was still small and delicate in build.

If anything had changed, it was that the light in his eyes had settled more profoundly than usual.

It was evidence that he had overcome a wall as a magician.

The same was true for Tracy and Iona.

"Well, it's not surprising considering what we went through during vacation."

Aidan recalled what happened during vacation with a hearty laugh.

Invited by Iona, they visited the Beast-folk Tribal Union and met the tribal chief there.

But the timing wasn't good as there were disappearances occurring nearby, and conflicts with humans had reached their peak.

How much trouble did they go through after getting caught up in that.

"Yeah. It was truly one hell of a mess."

Tracy slumped onto her desk as if still tired just thinking about that day.

Her red hair had absorbed even more intense magical power and had become much redder than before.

The parts touched by sunlight even had a faint vermillion glow.

It was the manifestation of her deepened magical power showing through her hair.

"Disappearances, then Outsider attacks."

Just thinking about what happened on their first day going to the Beast-folk Tribal Union still sent chills down their spines.

Aidan's group had taken a train running through the wilderness of the frontier zone.

The frontier zone was so vast that travel by regular vehicles or carriages was impossible.

So they operated trains with stations at various points, but an incident occurred on their very first day of visit.

The Outsiders' attack.

Beast-folk wearing ponchos and wide-brimmed hats, riding horses and carrying long rifles, attacked the train.

"When they tried to destroy the rails with dynamite, I really thought it was all over."

"Fortunately we stopped them. Otherwise we'd all be dead."

After defeating the Outsiders and visiting the tribal union, the great tribal chief, Iona's father, wouldn't even meet them.

The surrounding beast-folk were even wary because they were human.

If they hadn't come with Iona, things could have gone wrong right there.

Then they encountered the disappearance cases, and while wandering around with various beast-folk, they discovered a suspicious group.

They secretly followed them and found a hidden secret laboratory, almost getting killed after being discovered there.

Especially that unidentified golem made of liquid that magic didn't work on, what even was that.

If the 6th Circle magician Iron Mask Lord Rotheron hadn't appeared then, it wouldn't have been strange if someone had died.

"Looking back now, we were lucky to come back alive."

After meeting Lord Rotheron, they also encountered mysterious masked men and women whose identities were unknown.

One was a giant man with a mountain-like build, while the other was a small child-like figure.

They weren't enemies, but they weren't allies either.

But since they had to deal with the mad scientist conducting human experiments in the secret laboratory at the time, they ended up working together.

The two were quite skilled, especially when the giant man threw punches or kicks, the air would explode and everything would shatter.

How surprised they were when they learned that was achieved purely through physical ability.

Then the experimental subjects in the laboratory went berserk, and the mad scientist who led all those experiments escaped.

Plus the conflict with the Outsiders who intervened in between.

"Leo, you almost actually died too."

"......Whatever."

Leo brushed off Tracy's point.

Indeed, Leo had been severely injured trying to protect Iona during the fight.

Fortunately, a renowned shaman of the tribal union healed him with spirit power, otherwise he might have really died.

A playful smile formed on Tracy's lips.

"So when's the wedding?"

"......!"

Leo's shoulders jerked as his face was flushed red.

In contrast, Iona's expression remained emotionless, but her amber eyes didn't leave Leo.

There had been significant progress in their relationship during this vacation.

Perhaps the decisive factor was Leo throwing himself to save Iona.

Even Iona's father, the great tribal chief, acknowledged Leo's spirit and permitted him to be with his daughter.

"......That's none of your business. Rather, why don't you try being more honest yourself?"

Leo counterattacked pointedly.

At those words, Tracy's smiling face stiffened.

While Leo had grown closer to Iona, Tracy hadn't made any notable progress with Aidan.

Moreover, after Aidan lived with the beast-folk, explored the wilderness, and grew stronger.

She was desperately busy trying to block the beast-folk women who actively courted Aidan.

Leo watched this from a third person's perspective.

"That idiot will never know unless someone tells him directly."

"Hm? Know what?"

When Aidan asked curiously, Leo brushed it off saying it was nothing.

Look at that innocent face.

That fool even tried to accept everything when the beast-folk women approached him, thinking they just wanted to be friends.

The problem was that his stupid response even worked.

The beast-folk had a culture that permitted polygamy.

-I like how manly you are! Live with me!

-Yeah! Sure! Let's get along well!

-Oh! Such a spirited answer!

They were even moved by Aidan's spirit.

What an open-minded human! Suitable for our beast-folk warriors!

Some beast-folk warriors who had been hostile to Aidan widened their eyes at his energetic response, then nodded saying they had to acknowledge him - it was quite a spectacle.

That was part of it, but Aidan playing a crucial role in saving the beast-folk from the crisis was also a big factor.

How much they had to sweat trying to persuade and stop all that.

Even Iona let out a laugh of disbelief when recalling that moment.

"Well, it was long."

"Yeah. Really long."

If they were to unfold everything that happened during vacation into a story, it would make quite an epic narrative.

The conflict between humans and beast-folk, the secret organization caught in between, and mysterious helpers.

If published as a book, wouldn't it make a series split into volumes?

"And now, here we are in the second semester."

"It's not bad though. I've been wanting to attend classes again."

"Only an idiot like you would like that. Just thinking about the assignment hell starting again gives me a headache."

Just then, the main door opened with a sliding sound and all the chattering students closed their mouths.

-Tap. Tap.

The man who stood on the podium with his footsteps hadn't changed at all from before vacation.

Still noble and still intense.

Just standing still, his presence dominated the entire classroom.

Suddenly, everyone in the classroom had the same thought.

It felt like they had returned to the day when they had just entered Theon and attended this lecture for the first time.

"Let's begin the class."

Hey, teacher.

Are we starting class right from the first day of the semester?