He walked straight to his room.
The corridors felt different now.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Inside his palm rested the metal canteen.
Even through the sealed lid, he could smell it.
Rich. Warm. Powerful.
His throat felt dry.
The moment the door slid shut behind him, Caspian locked it.
He stood still for a few seconds.
Then he moved to the small table near the bed and placed the canteen down carefully, almost reverently.
He unscrewed the cap.
The scent intensified instantly.
It wasn't metallic like ordinary blood. It carried something deeper. Dense. Alive. Potent.
His pupils dilated.
Slowly, he poured a small amount into the attached cup.
The liquid shimmered dark red, almost black in the artificial light.
He stared at it.
This is the first Saint's blood he was about to taste after the nightmare.
Velpam's voice whispered in his mind.
"Careful. You might get addicted to greatness."
Caspian ignored him.
He lifted the cup.
For a moment, he hesitated — not from doubt, but from awareness. This was a line crossed. A new step.
Then he drank.
The effect was immediate.
Heat exploded down his throat.
Not burning — not painful — but overwhelming.
It spread through his chest, into his veins, into his limbs.
His heart thundered once.
Twice.
Then steadied — slower, stronger.
Power surged beneath his skin.
His senses sharpened violently. He could hear the faint hum of electricity in the walls. The distant echo of footsteps floors above. The subtle rhythm of heartbeats in nearby rooms.
He clenched his fist.
Strength answered.
Not explosive, not uncontrollable — but deep. Anchored.
A steady well of force.
He exhaled slowly.
"That" he murmured "should last a few days."
Velpam hummed approvingly.
Caspian sealed the canteen and stored it away.
Then he lay down.
The mattress was soft.
The sheets were clean.
The pillow cradled his head perfectly.
For the first time since the First Nightmare, he allowed himself to relax fully.
His body felt warm.
Safe.
His last thought before sleep claimed him was simple.
I'm not weak anymore.
He slept like a child.
---
He woke early.
Very early.
Energy flooded his body like sunlight through glass.
Caspian showered, dressed in his uniform, and glanced once at his reflection.
His eyes looked sharper today.
Brighter.
He smiled faintly and headed to breakfast.
The cafeteria was crowded.
Louder than yesterday.
Groups of Sleepers filled the long tables, talking animatedly.
Caspian filled his plate generously — meat, rice, fruit, bread. His appetite was stronger than usual.
Then he noticed something.
One table.
Slightly apart from the others.
Alice sat there.
Sunny sat there.
And the blonde girl.
They weren't alone — but they might as well have been.
No one else sat with them.
No one approached.
It was subtle.
A line drawn without words.
Caspian walked over and sat down without hesitation.
"Good morning, Alice! Good morning, Sunny! Good morning, blonde girl!"
Sunny blinked.
Alice gave him a brief nod.
The blonde girl tilted her head slightly.
Her eyes were unfocused.
Milky.
Caspian froze.
Blind.
A flicker of pity crossed his expression before he could stop it.
Of course, he thought. No wonder they keep their distance.
He opened his mouth to ask her name—
A sudden wave of noise cut him off.
"What's going on?"
He turned.
Most of the cafeteria had gathered around a massive screen mounted on the wall.
Excited murmurs filled the air.
Caspian stood and walked closer.
On the screen, a list of names scrolled downward.
Rankings.
From weakest to strongest.
Most likely based on their interviews.
His eyes went to the bottom two.
"Name: Sunny."
"Name: Cassia."
Cassia.
He glanced sideways at the blind girl.
So that was her name.
Caspian's gaze moved upward.
Mid-tier.
Alice.
Higher than he expected.
He smiled faintly.
Then—
The top.
Third place: Caster.
Ah.
The polite noble boy Sunny talked to before the introduction.
Second place—
"Name: Nephis."
"True Name: Changing Star."
Caspian's eyebrows rose slightly.
Another one.
So he wasn't alone.
He wondered what kind of First Nightmare forged a title like that.
And above her—
His own face.
"Name: Caspian."
"True Name: Moonlight Deliverer."
The air shifted.
He felt it immediately.
Dozens of gazes.
Some filled with awe.
Others admiration.
Some skepticism.
Whispers erupted.
"A Sleeper with a True Name? And not only one sleeper— but two?!"
"It's technically possible. Smile of Heaven received hers in the First Nightmare…"
"Maybe they lied in the interview?"
"Are you stupid? If it was that easy to deceive the administrators, that crazy pervert from yesterday would be first place!"
"Let's ask them!"
They looked at him.
But no one approached.
Caspian sighed inwardly.
Fine.
He stepped forward slightly.
"It wasn't easy" he said calmly. "I had to assist a Transcendent human in killing a Corrupted Tyrant. Nothing special. By some twist of fate, I landed the final blow. The Spell counted it as my kill."
Technically true.
Gasps.
A ripple of disbelief.
Then—
Chaos.
They surrounded him.
Questions flew from every direction.
"How strong was it?"
"How did you survive?"
"Did you really fight alongside a Saint?"
Overwhelming.
Caspian answered what he could. Vague where necessary. Honest enough to satisfy curiosity without exposing too much.
Then, mercifully, someone said:
"But what about that Nephis girl? Shouldn't we ask her too?"
Silence fell instantly.
Heads turned.
Nephis sat alone at her table, sipping coffee.
She felt their attention eventually and raised her eyes.
"Mmm. What?"
After a tense pause, Caster approached her and bowed slightly.
"Lady Nephis. I am Caster of the Han Li clan. I see that your trial went well?"
Nephis blinked, considering.
Then smiled lightly.
"It is what it is."
Caster returned the smile awkwardly.
"I'm very glad you returned unharmed. Not that I doubted your abilities."
She nodded.
"Thank you."
Then resumed drinking her coffee.
Conversation over.
Or perhaps she simply didn't realize it had begun.
The cafeteria remained quiet for a moment longer before noise slowly resumed.
Caspian watched her thoughtfully.
What a mysterious girl.
Velpam hummed softly.
"Oh… she is dangerous, don't get your hands too close to the fire or it will burn you."
Caspian smiled faintly.
Good.
So was he.