Chapter 26: Misunderstanding

My life was more ordinary than anyone else’s.
No outstanding qualities, no rough edges.
Just a simple life, making ends meet day by day without bothering anyone.
Now that I think about it, how did I even start playing this game?
If I hadn’t started playing, I wouldn’t be stuck in this game world, struggling to survive.
But then again, I sometimes think…
At least here, where I desperately fight to survive, it feels more like living than that damned reality.

“Luke…”
In my hazy state, I hear a familiar voice.

“Luke… hi…”
A bright, cheerful, and refreshing voice.
Whose voice was that?
It’s definitely not Stella.
Then, who else could it be…?

“Luke Richter!!!”
At the sound of someone calling my name, my heavy eyelids slowly lifted.
Through my half-open eyes, I saw familiar faces.
Selena and Angela.

“Why are you seniors here…”
I stopped mid-sentence, swallowing my words.
It wasn’t because of Selena and Angela’s unusually serious expressions.
Nor was it because I was surprised to find myself still alive.
It was just the translucent notification window in front of me that left me speechless.

———————————————————

[Synchronization Rate: 10% achieved!]
[Achievement Reward granted!]

———————————————————-

I couldn’t make sense of it, blinking in confusion while still sitting.
Selena and Angela aren’t the priority right now.
What the hell just happened?
The last synchronization rate I remember was definitely 5.1%.
After that, the Sleepwalking skill only activated once.
Is it even possible for it to increase by more than 5% from just that one time?

——————————————————————————

[Rewards]

• #1 Synchronization Rate 5% achieved: Completed

• #2 Synchronization Rate 10% achieved: Completed

• #3 Synchronization Rate 20% achieved: Incomplete

• #11 Synchronization Rate 100% achieved: Incomplete

——————————————————————————–

It’s definitely good news that I can claim the second achievement reward.
But thinking back to the situation before Sleepwalking activated, I can’t help but feel uneasy.
The Necronomicon definitely fell into Karon’s hands.
Then I fell asleep due to his spell.

‘How the hell am I still alive?’
Karon isn’t the type to leave loose ends.
There’s no way Selena and Angela could have stalled him.
In other words, it means my Sleepwalking state managed to completely overwhelm Karon.
Which probably means I used high-tier magic.

‘I’m screwed.’
Is the academy still intact?
I have no idea what kind of havoc I wreaked while asleep.
First, I need to assess my current state.
Planning comes after that.

‘Status Window.’

————————————————————

[Status]
Name: Luke Richter
Lv: 68
Gender: Male
Mana: 10,550
<Synchronization Rate: 11%>

————————————————————-

Lines of floating text hovered before me.
Seeing the shocking numbers, my jaw dropped.

“What the hell…”
Selena and Angela kept calling my name, but I couldn’t respond.
I just sat there, barely moving, my eyes darting around.
Before falling asleep, my level was definitely 43.
But now it’s suddenly 68?

There’s no way defeating just Karon could boost my level that much.
This is more like the experience you’d gain from wiping out a whole demon army.

‘What the hell happened?’
No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t find an answer.
I had no choice but to check my memories from when I was asleep.

“Um, seniors.”
“We’re listening.”
“Yeah! What is it?”

First, I need to get rid of the interruptions before I review my memories.
I need to figure out what’s going on so I can decide how to deal with them from now on.

“I just want to be alone for a while. If that’s okay…”
“Got it… No, I mean… Sure. See you later.”
“W-Wait! Sis! Watch your words!”

Did she just speak politely?
More than that, Angela telling someone to mind their language?
I was about to ask why, but they quickly hurried out as if fleeing.

Thud!
With the door closing, I was left alone in the empty infirmary.

“What the…?”
I was bewildered, completely at a loss.
But I couldn’t waste time standing around like this.
Before reviewing my memories, I had to check something first.

“Second achievement reward.”
The second achievement reward appeared with the 10% synchronization rate.
I immediately opened the achievements window.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

[#1]When the Sleepwalking skill activates, you can observe from a third-person perspective

[#2]During observation, you can regain consciousness once for up to one minute.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

The reward far exceeded my expectations.
No, calling it outstanding is an understatement—this reward is insane.
The biggest drawback of the Sleepwalking skill is losing consciousness.
But this reward completely negates that downside.
On top of that, being able to regain consciousness for a whole minute?
The strategic potential is truly limitless.

‘This reward is nuts.’
A grin spread across my face.
Now there’s no need to shun the Sleepwalking skill.
Most importantly, it frees me from the anxiety of completely losing consciousness.
Ideas for practical use already started popping into my head.

————————————————————————————————-

[Memory #4]

Viewing Progress: 0%

Time Limit: 10 minutes

—————————————————————————————————

I’ve checked everything I needed to for now.
The only thing left is to review the memories that vanished.

Flash—!
A familiar, pure white light burst from the status window.
My consciousness faded away.

Footsteps—
I walked toward the principal’s office.
Through reviewing my memories, I discovered a few more facts.

First of all, I’m strong in my Sleepwalking state.
Not just strong—ridiculously strong.
When I first reviewed the memory, I felt an eerily familiar sensation.
It wasn’t just about the raw power—it was in the combat style.
At a glance, it might look like I’m just spamming magic.
But the order of spells, the way they were linked, and how attributes were utilized—
Everything resembled the way I used to play the game.

Of course, seasoned players often have similar playstyles, but it still felt odd.
But that’s not the important part.
Since it’s an unconscious manifestation, I guess it just happens that way.

The real issue is how to deal with things going forward.

‘I can’t believe the Necronomicon was connected to the Sanctuary.’
The Sanctuary, also called the Demon Realm.
To put it simply, it’s a high-level hunting ground that veteran players visit to grind.
Most demon extermination battles also take place in the Sanctuary, and many of the early and mid-game rifts are linked to it.

The reason I gained such an absurd amount of experience from just one Sleepwalking activation…
It’s because my Sleepwalking state went on a demon-hunting spree in the Sanctuary.

‘Now what do I do…?’
Selena, Angela, and even Stella—
Three main heroines witnessed the whole scene.
From their perspective, not knowing about the Sleepwalking skill, how would they perceive me?
Honestly, I have no clue.

The biggest problem is Stella.

Selena and Angela can be dealt with by bluffing, but Stella is a different story.
‘Sigh, I’ll just have to meet her and see.’
I need to meet her in person to gauge her reaction.
Then I’ll retrieve the Necronomicon from her.
‘I have to get the Necronomicon no matter what.’

In the game, it was just treated as a material for summoning the Demon God.
But who knew it would actually be a magical book connected to the Sanctuary?
With the Necronomicon, I can activate Sleepwalking as much as I want.
Irresponsible pleasure and the massive leveling that follows.

But the problem lies in how to activate the Necronomicon.
‘Demonic energy…’
First, I need to be able to handle demonic energy.
Demonic energy is a type of power that completely contradicts mana.
There are two ways to unlock demonic energy:
One, make a pact with a demon from the Sanctuary.
Two, learn it from Stella.
The second option is practically the standard since achieving a certain level of favorability with her naturally leads to the related quest.

Secondly, I need a Return Stone.
The [8-Star Magic: Return] spell cannot be used without this essential medium.
The problem is that Return Stones are incredibly hard to obtain and outrageously expensive.
‘I’ll just have to try my luck.’
Once both conditions are met, I’ll enter the Sanctuary and use Sleepwalking for power leveling.
It’s a perfect plan.

Knock, knock!
I knocked on the office door painted in a tawny color.
“Come in.”
Stella’s voice came from beyond the door.
Without hesitation, I opened it.

Creak—
As I pushed the door open, I saw Stella lounging on the sofa, her back to me.

“Finally awake? You were sleeping like a log.”
“Ahem…!”

I coughed awkwardly at her question.
Her attitude towards me seemed the same as usual.
Is she deliberately pretending not to know?

“What brings you here?”
“I’m here to retrieve a book.”
“That forbidden book?”
“Yes.”

Her question and my nonchalant answer.
It felt oddly peaceful considering the topic of a forbidden book.

“It’s over there. Take it.”
“…You’re just giving it to me like that?”
“What, not happy to get it for free? Fine, then.”

Stella’s response was unexpectedly casual.
But then, she revealed the reason.

“If a dragon needs it, there’s probably a reason.”
“…? Wait, what did you just say?”
“Seriously, what’s with the dragon sneaking into the academy? What’s the deal?”
“Dragon? What nonsense are you talking about?”

A dragon? What is she even saying?
But Stella’s attitude remained consistent despite my denial.

“Oh dear. I won’t interfere with your games. The Guardian of Balance surely has their reasons.”
“No, I’m telling you, I’m not a dragon!”
“I must be out of it. Didn’t notice at all… Polymorph, huh?”
“I’m human, not a dragon!”

Pfft—!
Stella suddenly burst into laughter.
She laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes before continuing.

“Hahaha! Haven’t laughed this hard in ages. A human? You? Nice try, you scaly lizard.”
“S-Scaly lizard?”
“What, don’t like it? Still, it’s good to see you. I thought you all went extinct since I hadn’t seen one in a while.”

Somehow, I ended up being labeled as a dragon who enrolled at the academy for amusement.