"Instructor, someone has… has fallen asleep!" a panicked voice cut through the air, causing several gazes to land on a young lady with dark circles under her eyes. She looked drowsy, and the bite marks on her lips revealed how she had been able to stay awake for so long.
Matthew's thoughts shifted, and he immersed himself in the narrator's perspective once again. Staring through the fourth wall, he began to speak in a voice only certain groups of people could hear.
In the Origin World, once a Sleeper awakens their Origin Path, they enter a state of drowsiness. They must fall into a deep sleep within a few days and survive the horrifying trial that awaits within. If they succeed, they awaken with their respective abilities.
Power systems are divided into nine ranks, ascending from Rank 9 all the way to Rank 1—the level of a true god within an Origin Path. When a Sleeper reaches the peak of Rank 9, they must undergo another trial to ascend to Rank 8. They enter a dizzy state once more, and only by surviving the next trial can they evolve their abilities and break through.
Of course, should they fail at any point, they become creatures trapped in the dream world, and their physical bodies die in the real one. This is why the Sleeper Origin Path is the rarest… but also one of the most powerful.
"Why didn't you tell him to hold on just a little longer!?" Instructor Silas shouted angrily at the girl. He rushed toward the boy who had already fallen into a deep sleep, placed his hand gently on the youth's forehead, and scanned him with his Origin sense.
A moment later, he shook his head and muttered, "It's too late… his trial has already begun. We can only pray he's lucky enough to survive."
Matthew watched everything with a neutral expression, but deep inside, a lump formed in his throat. After all, the terrifying Origin Path that had claimed countless lives… was created by him, the author of the novel.
What's this? Just as he was feeling a pang of regret, Matthew noticed his vision blur. Suddenly, he could see the internal state of the sleeping youth.
Staring into the young man's core, all he saw was a pitch-black light. Matthew was stunned. The black glow writhed and morphed into different forms. He began counting—one… three… five… seven. After the seventh form, the mysterious black light returned to its initial shape and began the sequence again.
He was shocked—but the light felt strangely familiar. His thoughts raced as he quickly recalled some information. Is this… his Origin Path?
Matthew could hardly believe it, but he remembered: when writing about the Sleeper Origin Path, he had noted that their crystals shimmered with a black light.
Can I change the movement of my Origin patterns to match his? What would happen then? Matthew was stunned by the idea. Then the description of his own ability echoed in his mind: Origin Path – allows the user to embark on a Origin path.
At first, he had thought it was an ordinary ability—but now… Could I copy his Origin Path?
Without hesitation, he began studying the movement of the black Origin light, then altered his own multicolored Origin patterns to follow the same rhythm. The shift was slow but steady.
Soon, his vibrant Origin light dimmed into a deep pitch-black hue.
Matthew's heart pounded with joy. I finally… have a chance to survive in this chaotic world!
"Settle down for the lecture," Silas's voice rang out, snapping Matthew back to reality. He turned and noticed a few other instructors had appeared at some point. They approached the Sleeper and quietly carried him away.
Matthew watched them leave in silence. But he no longer needed to observe the Sleeper—because now, his Origin Path had turned pitch-black.
At that moment, a yawn escaped his lips.
Axel, seated beside him, nudged his arm. "What? Already sleepy from watching someone else sleep so peacefully?"
Matthew shook his head but yawned again. His eyes grew heavy, and he struggled to keep upright. Clenching his fists until his nails dug into his palms, he barely managed to resist the urge to sleep.
He glanced at the instructor, who had resumed teaching after the Sleeper was taken away. However, he could barely hear what Silas was saying. Silas's figure appeared somewhat hazy in his eyes.
Silas also noticed Matthew nodding off and assumed he had spent the night crying after awakening such a trash ability. He didn't say anything and allowed Matthew to do as he pleased.
Matthew didn't feel the passage of time. All he could do was fight to stay conscious as the lecture dragged on. Fortunately, after a few agonizing hours, the class finally came to an end. Silas gave a few parting words of advice before quickly leaving the hall.
Matthew stood up, swaying slightly. Just then, a firm hand landed on his shoulder. He turned to find Axel beside him, supporting him.
"Hey man, next time you're going to spend the whole night crying, at least tell me so I'll keep it in mind," Axel joked, even in the serious moment. Ignoring the stares of the other students, he helped Matthew back to the dorm.
"Get some sleep, man. Don't torture yourself like you did last night," Axel said, patting him on the back before walking off in his usual carefree manner.
Matthew barely heard the words. He rushed into his room, took a quick shower to refresh himself, then stumbled out. But despite the water's relief, his eyes remained heavy.
How do I tell the academy that I'm now a Sleeper? Do I say I awakened a second Origin Path? Matthew's thoughts churned as he weighed his chances of surviving after taking such a deadly risk.
Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him, and his mind faltered. Whatever clarity the shower gave him disappeared instantly. He couldn't even muster the strength to stay standing.
He collapsed onto his bed, too weak to resist anymore.
I have to tell the instructors… I can't enter the trial… Not yet… I'll die… Survival rate: zero…
Those were Matthew's final thoughts before his consciousness slipped away, falling into the Dream Dimension.