Surviving at the Magic Academy

---

“`html

The axe was flying around like a madman, slicing up soldiers left and right. The soldiers tried to stop it, but the axe, filled with powerful magic, swung ferociously, cleaving them apart.

After a cacophony of destruction, the area fell eerily silent. It was clear that all the soldiers had been taken down.

I stole a glance at the axe. The magic swirling within it was astounding. It was undoubtedly derived from a treasure. She wielded it with such ease.

How could she manage that? Treasure magic was notoriously wild. I could only pile it up and use it for magic occasionally.

To wield it so skillfully could only mean two things: she was born from that magic or she was the owner of that magic.

So, before entering this dream, I pondered their true identities. Could they be the tether that the treasure planted in me? That thought crossed my mind.

But that wasn’t possible. They were at the very core of my dream, acting as anchors. That clearly meant they were deeply connected to me.

An anchor in a natural dream is not the same as in a play. In a play, you force an anchor to construct a dream, but here, that anchor naturally emerges.

And there were around fifty such anchors. That number matched the count of treasures connected to my bulletin board.

I lightly stroked my chin. If they weren’t the manifestation of the treasure, then what on earth were they?

Now I could find out for sure. After all, in the midst of this crisis, I had the chance to meet them. I slowly composed myself and started walking.

“Massacre! Massacre!”

I saw the Rabbit Professor, who had cute bunny ears, aka ‘Rabbit,’ putting down the axe and picking something off the ground. I briefly glanced at what she was picking up.

It was a small orb. The way the blurry energy twinkled within it felt strangely familiar, as if I had seen it somewhere before.

Where had I seen this? After a moment of thought, I nodded. It looked similar to the dream orbs that Koit used to eat.

She had found two orbs while rummaging through the ground. The rabbit paused for a moment, then popped one into her mouth.

She started sucking on it like it was candy, and I could see her eyes sparkling with delight.

“Massacre!”

She raised both hands high in the air. Those bunny ears were spinning around, clearly showing she was in a good mood.

The Sister approached the bunny and chuckled a bit as she patted her head.

“As I’ve said many times, you shouldn’t eat that! It’s not good for your health. Now, spit it out.”

The Sister gently tapped the Rabbit’s head and extended her hand toward her. The Rabbit Professor glanced at her cautiously.

For a moment, the Rabbit, who was mumbling the orb, seemed to sulk, then she spat it out. She began wiping it on her furry outfit.

Once she regained the orb’s original appearance, the Rabbit looked down at it with a disappointed face and handed it to the Sister. She checked the orbs and nodded her head.

“With this wish orb, we’ll make sure you get to eat something delicious. So don’t be too disappointed.”

She said this while lightly stroking the Rabbit’s head, taking the orbs into her arms. Wish orb, it seemed that was the name for those orbs.

The Rabbit perked up and lifted the axe. The Sister watched her and casually waved her hand.

At that moment, magic swirled at her fingertips, and a light mist began to rise. It lightly swept through the area.

I stole a glance at the mist. As I felt before, she seemed to have power derived from Mira. Even Mira found that amusing.

One reason I didn’t suspect these beings to be the treasure’s tethers was that Mira wouldn’t leave me such things.

The mist emanating from the Sister was similar yet slightly different from Mira’s. It felt more subtle, perhaps. But there was no doubt that it originated from Mira.

“There’s nothing left around here. I didn’t expect to meet a lamb here. What brings you here this time?”

She gazed at me as she gathered the mist around her body again. A small smile appeared on her face.

I slightly bowed my head. Though she handled Mira’s powers, she wasn’t Mira. Since I couldn’t be certain of her true identity, I had to remain cautious.

But there was no need to show such feelings outwardly. I raised both hands and crafted a bright smile on my face.

“I came to meet you all.”

“Us?”

She tilted her head slightly. I cast a quick glance at the top of her head, where a large sun was shining.

She followed my gaze up to the sky but only scanned the air as if she couldn’t see the sun. Was it because it was an added option?

“Yes, I have something I want to ask.”

I shrugged my shoulders lightly, speaking. She gently stroked her chin and seemed intrigued.

Just as she was about to say something, she paused for a moment and started scanning the surroundings. A killing intent had begun to ripple in the distance.

The intense killing intent that dispersed from afar hit me strongly. Perhaps the Rabbit felt it too, as she tightly gripped her axe.

The Sister confirmed it and lightly nodded at me. Then she gestured for silence by placing her index finger to her lips.

That killing intent brushed past us. It carried the familiar metallic scent from the soldiers we faced earlier. I sighed quietly. It seemed I hadn’t been detected.

“Before we talk, we should move to another spot. Something else will draw near soon.”

The Sister spoke and began to turn, walking away. I saw the sun quietly hovering over her, casting dark light.

She didn’t stop walking until quite some time had passed. That was likely the signal that we had arrived.

I glanced around. But all I could see was the wasteland. Nothing special was in sight. While I was thinking, the Sister lightly tapped the ground.

After repeating this a few times, she took an extra step forward. Suddenly, a building began to rise from the ground. The shape of the building was reminiscent of the one seen in a previous dream.

I slowly approached the building. Upon getting closer and inspecting it, I found it to be surprisingly small.

“Alright, you may enter now.”

The Sister opened the door and gestured inside. The Rabbit followed her gesture, humming a little tune as she headed in. I too cautiously entered.

Upon seeing the interior, I blinked in surprise. It was a small room. A tiny altar occupied the center of this room.

“Hehe, this is a bit different from the last dream, isn’t it? We couldn’t help it. The last place we met was the center of the dream. This is our humble abode now.”

The Sister spoke while extending a small cushion. I slightly bowed my head and sat on the cushion. She laid a worn wooden table in front of us.

It seemed to be an item collected from somewhere within the dream. While leaning against that table, the Rabbit lightly tapped her axe and sparkled with excitement.

“Massacre!”

She tapped the table eagerly. The Sister smiled softly while pulling out an orb from her pocket. It was the wish orb she had just collected.

She concentrated slightly and placed it on the table. As soon as she did, it transformed into food.

It was a plate of steaming fried chicken. The Rabbit raised both hands high and began to grab and eat.

“How is that possible?”

I asked the Sister, watching the scene. She chuckled lightly at my question.

“Sometimes when you capture those soldiers, such items drop. They grant the user’s wishes. Of course, there are limits, though.”

I nodded quietly, scratching my nose. Such items existed too? Just how bizarre was my dream world? It was filled with things I could hardly comprehend.

“Then let me treat you to some tea.”

Saying this, I stood up. I lightly cast magic to prepare tea. The dream powder I had prepared mixed in slightly, beginning to emit a fragrance.

I laid it out in front of them. The Rabbit, attracted by the scent, paused her fried chicken and took a sip of the tea.

After sucking it for a moment, she seemed to feel its sweetness and relaxed her body. The Sister too enjoyed sipping it, wearing a gentle smile.

“Hehe, this is delicious. We know a bit of magic too, but the flavors in what we make don’t quite match this. Your skills are quite unique, really. Should I call you the original?”

She muttered, shooting me a sideways glance. A slight grin escaped her lips.

“So shall we continue the conversation I began earlier? You mentioned you had a question.”

“What should I call you?”

I opened my mouth towards her. Now that I thought of it, I hadn’t even introduced myself properly. First things first, I needed to clarify that title.

“Call me whatever you’d like. Given my current attire, you can just call me Sister. I don’t have a proper name to refer to myself.”

The Sister laughed lightly. Sister, just as I had thought in my mind all along.

I nodded slightly and placed my hand over my heart. My heartbeat was absent as expected in a dream. Yet, the pulse of the tree beyond was strikingly clear.

“My obsessions in my heart are growing stronger, and I wish to eliminate them. But to do that, I must understand their cause. I thought you might know the reason, Sister.”

I glanced at her. The figure that resembled my professor so closely was enough to make one believe they had truly brought her to life.

She was undoubtedly linked to my obsession. I had thought so while witnessing how my dolls so easily tainted themselves with the Magical Heart in Rumira’s dream. The Magical Heart is akin to desire.

They became infused with the Magical Heart and changed accordingly. So, in my dream, what would the entity that represented that desire look like?

It would undoubtedly be in front of me right now—the shape resembling my professor. It was clear these mysterious beings were deeply connected to me.

While I didn’t precisely know their origin, they surely knew more about my dream than I did. They still functioned as anchors in my dream even now.

There was every reason to seek answers from them. Surely the Sun had led me to them.

“The reason for the obsession, you say?”

At my words, she sank into thought. Touching her teacup and closing her eyes, she soon nodded.

“I do have some educated guesses.”

“What are they?”

I leaned slightly toward the Sister, filled with anticipation. Was it this easy to find answers? But she leaned back slightly.

She placed her hand over her chest. As her fingers gently tapped over her heart, she looked at me and beamed.

“It’s a secret.”

I couldn’t help but blink at her response. A secret? The Sister took a sip of tea and smiled slyly. I noticed the same mischievousness in her as I had seen in Mira.

Looking at her, I spoke.

“If that’s the case, do you have something you desire? If you answer my question, I’ll help you with it. To the best of my ability.”

At my words, the Sister’s eyes sparkled. I could see genuine interest flickering in her gaze. After pondering for a moment, she slightly shook her head.

“Hehe, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s just that you need to figure it out by yourself. Even if I tell you, the dream will prevent those words from reaching you.”

She uttered this while opening her mouth, but what she said breezed past my ears and vanished. Just as she said, the dream was suppressing those words from reaching me.

Why was this happening? I frowned slightly as she began enjoying the tea. After savoring the flavor, she nodded lightly and continued speaking.

“But I can offer you a little assistance. You wanted to know the source of that obsession, right? To find it, you’ll need to travel to the end of this world.”

To the end of the world? That meant heading to that abyss. I waited patiently, wanting to hear her further elaboration.

“This is the inner world of the lamb. As you reach its end, the purest form will emerge—the essence of your soul. So if you touch that, you’ll know immediately.”

The Sister smiled lightly as she said this. Well, the journey would be tough, wouldn’t it? she added, half-closing her eyes.

Why did she know such things? I set that question aside for a moment. Regardless of her true identity, it was evident she was helping me.

Right now, I was gathering information. Judgments could come afterward. I stroked my chin. To the deepest places, I glanced at the Sister.

“Is there a specific reason why the path is so arduous?”

She added that it indeed wouldn’t be easy. There must be a reason for that. The Sister glanced outside the building when I asked her.

“You’ve already encountered them, so you know, but those soldiers are really skilled hunters. As you approach the end, there will be even more of those soldiers swarming.”

She said this while letting out a grin. Soldiers, I scratched my head slightly.

“I wonder why they are so filled with animosity. It felt a little different from other memories.”

Even though it was my past life, I hadn’t properly recognized it. Just fragmented scenes occasionally popped up.

At that, she placed her finger on her chin and tilted her head slightly. After thinking for a moment, she spoke.

“Well, it’s probably okay to tell you this much. They desire to become one with us. Their animosity is an expression of that instinct.”

“One, you say?”

I tilted my head thoughtfully. They were the memories of my past life. Why would they want to become one? I looked at the Sister.

In my case, it made sense. After all, I was the product of that past life. However, their animosity was directed not only at me but also at these beings.

That meant these beings, too, were probably linked to my past life. I carefully kept that clue to myself.

Though I kept looking at her, she simply smiled gently and did not elaborate. She sipped her tea, giving me a soft smile.

At that moment, the black sun that had been hovering above her began to stir. I felt the sunlight slowly retreating through the building’s ceiling.

I glanced outside the window. The sun was naturally distancing itself from me. It moved away from the Sister’s head and was heading deeper inside.

I nodded slightly. It meant that what the Sister had told me was indeed true. The black sun always headed for a clear destination.

I glanced at the Sister again. Although I still didn’t quite know her true identity, it made sense that everything she said was accurate.

To know even that much, my curiosity about her true identity grew. However, I still felt it would be prudent not to press for details just yet. I needed to gather more information.

I sought advice and, through it, found a new destination. Now, all that was left was to move. But there was one issue. I fiddled with my teacup.

The path toward that destination was genuinely perilous. According to her description, there would undoubtedly be a ton of soldiers along the way. Remembering their power made me grimace.

Having confronted one squad, I had no choice but to run away. No, I didn’t even escape properly. Had it not been for their help, I would have died right there.

I sighed softly. My strength lay in my dolls. It would be hard to face them with simple magic. If I only had my Turtle, it would be enough. What a shame.

Yet, I couldn’t create dolls here. The surroundings were nothing but wasteland, completely lacking the materials I needed.

I wished for some being that could be my arms and legs. Someone I could rely on. With that thought, I rubbed my chin.

I looked at the Sister and the Rabbit sitting around the table. I was powerless. Yet, beings far stronger than me were right before my eyes.

If I could utilize them, perhaps I’d reach the world’s end. I didn’t know what they were, but given that they had assisted me, I could give them passing marks.

At the very least, they didn’t seem intent on killing me, unlike other memories. I cleared my throat and gathered attention. I locked eyes with the Sister.

“Then, could you help me a bit?”

The Sister tilted her head. After lightly savoring the scent of the tea, she squinted her eyes at me while watching closely.

“Help, you say?”

“Yes. You mentioned the journey would be dangerous, and I need your help. I can’t manage it alone.”

I nodded firmly. By revealing my shortcomings, I could naturally invoke a desire to help.

She laughed lightly at that. I could see her taking on a tone of amusement. She rested her chin in her hand, gazing at me.

“Is there a compelling reason that we should?”

Since we were already inundated with danger, I noticed her subtle hints of wanting something when I had asked her about it earlier.

She clearly had something she wished for. It would be wise to pry into that.

“I’ll make my earlier proposal again. Is there something you desire, Sister? If you assist me, I’ll do my utmost to ensure you get it.”

“Hmm, can you perhaps bring me into the real world?”

The Sister lightly tapped on the table and asked playfully. I had to pause for a moment at that. The real world? I looked at her in surprise.

A vibe that felt half like my professor and half like Mira radiated from her. She was an anchor of my dream, a being of that dream. Was that why she craved to step into reality?

Lost in thought for a moment, I nodded. If a being from the real world could enter my dream, surely a being in the dream could escape it somehow. It should be possible.

“I can’t guarantee it, but I believe it’s possible. No, I’ll make it happen. So there, should I call you Rabbit, or would that suffice? What about you, Rabbit?”

“Massacre?”

The Rabbit, who seemed completely uninterested in our conversation, lifted her head at my words. A chicken bone flopped out from her mouth.

“Can you help me, Rabbit? I’ll deliver whatever you desire.”

At my question, the Rabbit began to ponder. Soon she took a sip of tea and brightened her eyes, making circular motions with her hands—definitely a sign of affirmation.

“Massacre! Massacre!”

She flailed her teacup about. That was her way of asking for another cup of tea. I nodded while pouring more tea into her cup.

She too seemed to convey her wish to see the real world. Being a dream entity, their desires were roughly the same.

Now I had secured agreement from one. I turned my gaze back at the Sister. She smiled softly and nodded.

“Hmm, since the lamb came down into the dream, this lengthy dream ought to find its conclusion somehow. Hehe, how fortuitous. I was getting quite bored. Alright then, shall we go together?”

She added that promises ought to be kept. With a pleasant smile, I nodded. If I were to utilize their power, fulfilling those promises would be a piece of cake.

With that, we confidently set out on our journey. Before long, we returned to the building we had originally come from.

I began to feel a biting pain across my chest. I felt the bruise from where a bullet had struck me. It was the route I’d fled to dodge the soldiers.

I glanced at the Sister. She too bore marks from bullets graze her body. She met my gaze and offered me a soft smile.

“Oh dear, it seems we really can’t manage it alone. We’re outmatched.”

After that, we faced the same situation multiple times. The defenses constructed by the soldiers grew thicker, and we found ourselves constantly running.

“Massacre! Massacre!”

The Rabbit swung the axe wildly. Her cheeks were puffed up, showing her frustrations at having to flee.

But there was no helping it. A far greater number awaited us, blocking our path. Confronting them could put our lives at risk.

Not their lives, but mine. There was no way I could die here again. I never thought their powers alone would be insufficient. That was unexpected.

It seemed we had really been fighting for a long time. Now I could tell why the soldiers had become so accustomed to handling magic; they had fought against beings like these for ages.

I chuckled bitterly, recalling how the soldiers faced off against the Sister and the Rabbit. And before long, I remembered that there were about fifty others resembling my professor wandering through dreams.

If we continued to battle them all, anyone would be bound to adapt to that fighting style. The Sister had said those entities were a kind of colony, and they likely shared their experiences.

“So, what should we do?”

The Sister placed her hand on her chin, tilting her head slightly. The Rabbit leaned against her and slumped down.

I folded my arms and looked at the Sister. I fingered the orb nestled between my fingers. I never thought it would feel this inadequate.

The difference in numbers was an obvious issue. Regardless of how powerful we were, we couldn’t cover ourselves against every surrounding threat. That meant we needed to increase our own numbers.

“It seems like it’s time to utilize this orb. I should summon others.”

I stated this, raising my hand. The orbs in my possession began to emit a fuzzy light. The Sister cocked her head inquisitively at that sight. I smiled at her, showing confidence.

“You mentioned that this place is too vast, and other beings can’t come here. Then we’ll just summon them ourselves. In a way, it’s a lottery.”

These orbs were said to grant wishes. From what I had verified, that power was indeed real. So perhaps I could make use of this. I had been fiddling with it continuously.

Having achieved some success, I glimpsed at the magic circle laid upon the ground. It resembled a summoning circle. It was something I had painstakingly crafted through thought. It had the functionality of forcibly pulling associates into this location.

In dreams, there were no spatial constraints. Thus, whether or how far they were, it was feasible to forcefully lock them in this spot. If I combined the powers of this orb and the magic circle, perhaps I could pull the anchors of my dreams here as well.

“A lottery, you say? But I doubt the power of those orbs alone will be enough.”

I nodded lightly. She was right. Even attempting to summon with this would likely yield nothing worthwhile. The inherent wish power was incredibly faint.

It was certain that things I didn’t expect would pop out. But if one time didn’t yield results, I could just try it dozens of times. Eventually, maybe I’d strike something lucky.

Once I finished explaining, the Sister burst out laughing, as though she found it amusing. I could see her eyes sparkling with delight.

“Hehe, this takes me back a little. I once got swept up in something like this too. It’s nostalgic.”

What could that possibly mean? I cast a brief glance at her. She waved her hand lightly, indicating it was a mere idle thought. She wore a faint smile while shaking her head.

I stared at her, then nodded slightly. For now, I needed to focus on this new magic rather than her.

I gently closed my eyes and began to infuse intent into the orb. The power of the orb was incredibly feeble. If it were solely to summon by this, there was no chance it’d work.

Yet, this orb was merely for searching for beings connected to me. The task of bringing them here was for the magic circle, which I flooded with power.

At that, the magic circle radiated a clear light, starting to enclose the orbs within its circuit. In the center of that magic circle, a small door began to appear.

Looking at that door, I swallowed hard. The results of my first summoning awaited beyond. As the door received enough magic, it began to open slowly. I could see a blue light seeping out from the gap.

“`

 

---