Shadow Slave

Teacher Julius was just the same, but Sunny's perception of him had changed. Not only because of how instrumental the things he had learned from the old instructor turned out to be for his survival, but also because of the history books he had just read.

'How old is Teacher Julius, anyway?'

Sunny had never thought about it, but after learning more about Immortal Flame and the first generation of the Awakened, he couldn't help but see his mentor in a new light. Teacher Julius must have been if not of the same age as those legendary figures, then at least of the same generation. Those people had lived through much darker, much more violent times.

They had survived the end of the world, and built a new one from the ruins.

"...Sunny, my boy!"

Before Sunny could react properly, he was subjected to a passionate hug. Then, Teacher Julius unceremoniously pushed him to the nearest chair.

"Finally, you're back! I never doubted that you would return, not even for a moment. No student of mine would allow himself to die easily, you know! Wait, what am I talking about… of course, you know. You're one of my students yourself, after all!"

Sunny couldn't help but smile while listening to the excitement in the old man's voice. Before coming here, he was slightly worried that Teacher Julius would not even remember him.

Despite the fact that his course was not the most popular at the Academy, the eccentric instructor must have mentored thousands of Sleepers throughout his career. What was one more?

But, luckily, Sunny had been wrong.

"But, my boy… a whole year! Did you like it in the Dream Realm so much that you didn't want to return? Did you not think that your old teacher would be worried sick? In the name of the gods, what happened?"

Sunny hesitated a little, then said apologetically:

"Well, Teacher Julius… you see… I ended up in an unexplored region of the Dream Realm. And the only Gateway there was guarded by a Fallen Terror…"

The old man blinked.

"Heavens! How horrible. So what did you do?"

Sunny shrugged.

castle, spent a few months exploring a cursed city, went on a long and arduous quest to find a magic crown, killed a devil, helped a princess become

listened to him very carefully, then

Just as expected from

old man's eyes suddenly shone

say something about an unexplored

smiled, then

things I have seen, fought, and discovered there. Would you like

Julius looked down with

report? Oh, you shouldn't have… you must

As soon as he started reading,

to include citations in the original runic? That's my boy! Marvelous! Huh… well-preserved ruins? A whole city?! Is there a… there is!

***

Throughout the whole process, he continued to mumble under his

to the Third Wandering Archon?". Or: "Which era of the Babel Script would that correspond to?". Or: "Rats! That'll show that smug bastard

gradually grew wider

a looked at Sunny

happy! I can name at least a dozen theories that can be expanded, confirmed, or refuted thanks to all the new data you provided. And that's just off

Teacher Julius smiled proudly:

ability to venture into the deadly expanse of the Dream Realm and not only come

He sighed.

at us with very little regard, but it is only because of us that they know how to hack and

He just wrote down his findings about the Forgotten

What do you

glanced at him with a humorous spark

his own student of the reward. I'll help you bring this paper to a proper state free of charge. I don't even need to be put

blinked a couple of times. His heart was