"Now that I've explained a little about how you got your abilities and how you use them, I'll talk about the topic that's sure to be on all your minds, how to improve them." The forthright man continued, eliciting excited murmuring from his students.
This sentence startled Jacob somewhat. Until this point, he had believed that abilities were simply gained and then used. Any improvement would come from the person figuring out a better way to use their ability.
Of course, that might be what the professor was referring to but for some reason he doubted it.
Judging by everyone's excitement and the tone of his teacher's voice that information was just his own misconception.
"As some of you may know the connection a dreamer has to the dream realm isn't just used to draw mana from the realm, it also allows a dreamer to revisit the realm in an effort to grow stronger."
"The method of growing stronger can be simple or complicated, it differs for each dreamer. That may seem like a confusing way to start this explanation but that's because the method does indeed vary depending on the person, the method is to complete quests."
"Of course, this isn't a videogame or anything similar, it just so happens that the term fits well enough that it was generally adopted and used to the point it became commonplace."
"These quests are not arbitrary ones decided by yourself but ones that are prompted intrinsically."
"Each of you should have felt that sensation of direction or a feeling of understanding your objective in your trial. For example, some of you may have had a survival-based trial where you had to survive on an uninhabited island, or to prove your worth by collecting an artifact located at the top of a mountain or in a ruin" the Professor paused, allowing the students to think back.
Jacob had indeed experienced this, he distinctly remembered feeling as if the gateway requiring three keys was somehow what he was supposed to achieve. He had attributed it to his experience as a gamer back then, but it turned out to be something more complex.
"That was your first encounter with the 'Quest System' as it is commonly called". He continued using air quotes with the words quest and system.
"The principal is simple, after entering the realm a new dreamer will land somewhere within the vast realm, and with a little luck they will quickly be able to orientate themselves with information from their clan. If they are less fortunate then all they will have to go on is a vague feeling of direction to lead them to their objective."
"Each quest can have different conditions as well as different results depending on how it is finished. The important thing to note is that the manner and skill in which the quest is completed will affect the ability granted as a reward. The only real steadfast rule for the rewards is that they generally complement or accent the first ability, building from it like a foundation."
"For example, an individual with the ability to manipulate gusts of wind may gain the ability to summon a tornado, or one using with the ability to clad themselves in defensive energy may gain the ability to summon steel to surround their body."
"It should also be noted that each completed quest will also largely increase the dreamer's mana capacity."
"That's why the first ability given to any dreamer is so important and why we will do as much as possible to understand and develop your abilities this semester."
"Now I know what many of you are thinking, 'If all I need to do is complete quests then I'll have dozens of abilities in no time'."
"Unfortunately, that is not the case."
"As I mentioned earlier time is a large factor and after completing the initial trial your trips to the dream realm will no longer be instantaneous, each subsequent quest tends to take much longer than the one before it. While the first quest should have lasted maybe a month for some of you the next can take up to 6 to complete, the next over a year and the one after a couple of years. By the fourth quest, it can take nearly a decade, not to mention the difficulty also increases with each quest, especially during the third." The professor warned.
This gave Jacob a start, for one thing, his first quest was completed in a matter of hours, not weeks. Did this mean he had a fundamentally different realm than the others or was there some other reason for his speed?
One thing was for certain, he would definitely do some research before he carelessly mentioned this to anyone.
Before he could mull over things further the professor continued "I should mention the three key differences between the first encounter with the nightmare trial and subsequent journeys to the dream realm."
"I actually already mentioned the first point earlier, time. Time passed within the dream realm will no longer be instant like the first occasion, it will instead flow at the same rate as reality. This means your body will be lying asleep for the entire time that you are within the realm, luckily your body will also enter a sort of stasis which means you won't require food or water or even oxygen for the duration of the dream."
"The second thing I have to mention is much more serious. From the moment you enter the dream realm, you can die." This sentence caused a tense silence to fall within the room.
"In the initial trial, if a person is to fail or die, they simply wake up with little or no recollection of the experience. Much like a dream, or more accurately a nightmare."
"Funnily enough, quite a few movies and books have been based on these experiences but I'm getting sidetracked."
"Each and every time you enter the dream realm from this moment forward you are gambling your life. Remember that." The Professor stated solemnly, leaving an appropriate pause for his students to understand the gravity of what he was saying.
Many students looked to the floor, considering if risking their lives was worth the power given by the dream realm.
"You'll be thankful to hear that I've saved the only good news for last." He followed up, attempting to reinvigorate his students. He succeeded as those who had bowed their heads in deliberation looked up once again.
"The good news is that you won't necessarily have to do your quests alone, others from the same dream realm will often get similar or overlapping quests which means you'll often be able to cooperate and rely on others, unlike your first trial."
"This leads me to a phrase you will most likely have heard quite a bit until now, Clans."
"Even I mentioned it earlier when speaking of finding landmarks within the dream realm."
"Put simply clans are groups of people who belong to the same dream realm and share similar powers, but of course, there's more to it than that."
"Some of you may not know as you would be outsiders, but many dreamers are born within clans."
"For a reason we have yet to comprehend descendants of dreamers tend to become dreamers themselves at some point, not only that but they are vastly more likely to 'inherit' their clan's dream realm."
"This means that all of the 5 Great Clans consist of many relatives whether distant or close. Of course, not every descendent of a dreamer becomes a dreamer, but the majority do. I myself am a descendant of the Dempster clan."
"It also means that the vast majority of dreamers in general belong to clans and have been brought up with an understanding of dreamer society. Those that 'awaken' randomly like all of you are in the vast minority."
"For reference, we call those who are born into dreamer families and brought up in dreamer society 'dream born'. Those who awaken have a few names and I won't bother to list them as many are derogotry."
"Now you just heard me mention the 5 Great Clans, a simple but effective name for the 5 most powerful clans in dreamer society. Each with its own realm and resources competing with each other to be the best."
"Luckily, since most of the resources necessary for each clan are located within their respective dream realms, there has never been an outright war and The Order has managed to keep a tense truce between all the clans."
"Any conflict is typically resolved through the Dreamer Tourneys by their champions or challengers."
"What this means in essence is that even if you do not wish for one, you all have a connection to the clan associated with your realm. For those of you unlucky enough to be connected to a realm outside of the clans, I wish you luck. Since the amount of assistance you'll have access to will be little to none."
'And that's just the start of it' The professor mumbled under his breath.
"For those of you who are a part of these clans, I recommend going to the library and familiarising yourself with the available maps of your dream realm. That way when you next arrive in the realm you can quickly make your way to a stronghold and attempt to join or form a team to complete your first quest."
"After all, the only other company you'll find in the dream realm is that of maddened beasts and monsters." The professor warned.
This information was a blow to Jacob, prompting him to ask a question.
"Sir, what about ghosts and spirits?" He asked, trying to give an impression of pure curiosity rather than his real intent.
After all, he had encountered more than just beasts and monsters, he had seen spirits of the dead, supernatural creatures, and mutated humans, the chef's grotesque appearance wouldn't leave his mind anytime soon.
"Well, that's not a bad point" The professor replied, interested that the same student who questioned him earlier was raising another point.
"There have been rare reports of some vengeful spectres in the various realms and the spirits of the Azan clan that act as mediums for their abilities are generally friendly."
"However only a very select few have any real intelligence and none that can speak a systemic language have been identified."
"Therefore, in terms of companionship, I would still recommend other living humans rather than attempting any seances young man" the Professor joked, warming to the inquisitive young man.
The joke about sentences didn't seem that funny to Jacob considering he had literally verbally jousted with a demon possessing the husk of a mad cultist butler who had attempted to sacrifice a child to gain ultimate power.
Not only that but pretty much every spirit in the mansion was capable of some kind of communication and definitely had some level of intelligence. Even the maids had managed to tell him the story of the place through pictures within the looping hallway.
In fact, it could be said that the entire trial was an exercise in determining Jacob's ability to think and comprehend various clues while under pressure. He wouldn't go so far as to say that the demon he had faced was the apex of cunning, but he hardly needed to be.
Most people in his situation would have never taken a second look at the clues like he had, it was only a combination of his attention to detail due to his interest in games and his habit of rethinking the events of a story to uncover plot holes that allowed him to do so.
This led him to one conclusion, his nightmare trial and therefore his dream realm may be more unique than he had guessed.