Shadow Slave: Flaw of Gods.

He looked at his body and entered it with the intent not just to wake up, but to occupy every cell of his consciousness. It was an extremely strange sensation, as though he was simultaneously flowing in a current and controlling that current.

To his surprise, he succeeded— and most importantly, this time there wasn't the same pressing issue he had encountered with the pencil. It made sense: he wasn't inhabiting just anyone, but himself.

Eventually, he felt all the weak spots in his body: the tension in his neck, a slight pain in his lower back, and heaviness in his legs. But along with this came a strange feeling: he knew he could improve himself. The last time he hadn't dared to enhance the pencil, but now he felt he could do it. And he did.

When he opened his eyes, the world before him was still blurry. It was as if he was still asleep, but now his body was controlled by the part of him that always stays awake at night.

"Does this mean I don't need to sleep?"— this thought flickered in his mind, filling him with excitement. This was incredible! History was full of examples where people had been killed in their sleep. Now, that wouldn't happen to him. Not to mention the enormous amount of time he would save.

He got up from the bed and felt much more energetic and stronger. About one and a half times stronger. He tried to jump — and for a moment, he practically flew! But the joy was short-lived; he hit his head on the ceiling.

No, he couldn't fly. His body had simply become so powerful that a simple effort could lead to such consequences. And now he had a bump on his forehead.

The most important thing... Veil smiled broadly. He felt sturdier. Stronger. The weakness that had pressed him for so long suddenly receded. This meant a lot to him.

He turned around and thought. Essentially, he should be sleeping now.

But why?

Veil decided that he would study during sleep and attend introductory combat training courses during the day. After all, learning anything during the day was impossible due to his flaw, and there were no night-time combat lessons.

But for now, he simply wanted to take a walk around the academy. He left his room and headed for the elevator to the upper levels.

When he exited the building, Veil was stunned: a breathtaking view of the starry sky spread before him. The lights were off, lending everything a mystical atmosphere. The academy grounds were vast, resembling an entire city.

He decided to explore the complex from all sides. On the surface, it looked like a low, massive building made of dark materials. Everything seemed simple from the outside, but underground lay the core of the complex. It was all designed for maximum security.

However, the sleepers rarely left their rooms. Everything they needed was inside the complex: courses, cafeterias, living spaces — everything within walking distance.

Returning to the complex, Veil headed for the library. Before him stood high shelves filled with books, and he froze, unsure where to begin. A faint scent of dust and worn leather covers filled the air.

Veil wandered between three sections: "Survival in the Wilderness," "Information on Deities," and "Anatomy and Weaknesses of Nightmare Monsters." Finally, he chose a couple of books on survival and took them back to his room.

***

He read until dawn. Tired, but satisfied, he went to breakfast.

As before, he grabbed a tray of food and sat next to the silver-haired girl. She remained silent, and Veil didn't break the silence either. He liked this place because he was avoided. They greeted each other, and he began eating.

However, before he could fully dive into his meal, a sudden noise caught his attention.

"What's going on?" he muttered to himself.

Veil looked up and saw a crowd of sleepers gathered around a large screen on the wall of the cafeteria. Their faces were tense, some whispering excitedly. On the screen, a list of names appeared, ranked from the weakest to the strongest. It seemed to be the results of their recent interviews.

Not particularly interested, Veil quickly found his name. It was at the very bottom of the list. The only one deemed less likely to survive than him was a blind girl named Cassia.

But the crowd's anxiety wasn't just caused by the list. People around were visibly disturbed.

"How... how is this possible?!" Veil heard an astonished voice.

"Am I imagining things?"

"What kind of monster is she?!"

Veil raised his gaze. In second place was Caster, and above him was the portrait of the silver-haired girl he had just sat next to. Beneath the portrait, two lines were written:

"Name: Nephis" 

"True Name: Changing Star"

Veil froze. Changing Star?

He cautiously turned his head toward Nephis. She remained calmly drinking her coffee, seemingly oblivious to the commotion around her, lost in her own thoughts. Her gray eyes were serious and distant, but behind that coldness, there seemed to be something more.

"A sleeper with a True Name? That's impossible!"

"Technically, it's possible. If I'm not mistaken, the Smile of the Heavens received her True Name in the First Nightmare. But I doubt that..."

"Maybe she lied during the interview?"

"Are you stupid? If it were that easy to deceive the Academy, that insane pervert from yesterday would be in first place!"

The insane pervert. Which incident were they talking about? Veil had no memory of anything like that. Had he missed something? Or had someone deliberately erased part of his memories?

"Then why not just ask her?"

Veil frowned. Did they really think she couldn't hear them?

Suddenly, a heavy silence fell in the cafeteria. Following the suggestion, the sleepers fell silent and turned their heads, staring at Nephis. Yet no one seemed brave enough to approach her first.

Finally, feeling something was off, she looked up with mild surprise and glanced around.

"Mmm. What?"

Even the blind girl Cassia, sitting in the corner, turned in the direction of her voice, listening intently.

A few moments later, a handsome young man suddenly stood up, approached Nephis, and bowed slightly. His movements were confident, but his gaze betrayed hidden tension.

"Lady Nephis. I'm Caster from the Han Li clan. I take it your trial went well?"

"Lady?" Why is he addressing her like that? And he had to introduce himself... so they weren't familiar? Interesting.

Nephis seemed a little puzzled by the question. Her brows furrowed for a moment, before she thought a little and gave a radiant smile, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, it turned out that way."

Caster smiled awkwardly in response. His hands trembled for a moment, as though he was trying to conceal his emotions.

"Glad to hear you're safe and sound. Not that I doubted your abilities."

Nephis nodded.

"Thanks."

After that, she returned to her coffee, signaling that the conversation was over, or perhaps simply not noticing the attention of everyone around her.

Veil sighed bitterly, watching the turmoil unfold.

"I guess I really need have to find a new place to eat in peace."