Changes in the Consciousness Space

Right now, within the consciousness of Nagumo Amayuki.

The scenery here was completely different from what he had first beheld when he arrived.

Today, his space of consciousness had transformed into a vast, seemingly endless grand hall.

Nagumo Amayuki stood right where he was, lifting his gaze upwards.

The entire hall did not follow any known architectural style of human civilization.

It lacked the upturned eaves and interlocking brackets of traditional Eastern structures, nor did it possess the solemn majesty of Western vaulted domes; instead, it felt like something belonging to an independent civilization existing entirely outside this world, forming a system of its own.

Is this?

Nagumo Amayuki stepped forward involuntarily.

As he walked, he glanced down at the floor.

The pavement of the hall was composed of some unknown black-and-gold flagstones, polished to such a mirror-like smoothness that it reflected his own figure.

He took a few steps forward, his tread so light and airy that it did not produce the slightest sound.

Moreover, hanging high above within this hall was no ordinary large chandelier of the crystal variety, but rather a floating 'pocket watch' that provided illumination for the space.

In appearance, this pocket watch was nearly identical to the one Nagumo Amayuki had previously ignited.

Nagumo Amayuki felt deeply bewildered by the transformations within his sea of consciousness.

He remembered that the initial "Hall of Consciousness" had possessed neither boundaries nor shape.

Yet its current appearance could hardly be called "consciousness" anymore; it resembled some kind of "connection terminal," linking him to... a colossal, unknown entity.

What on earth is going on...

Thoughts swirled within Nagumo Amayuki's mind.

Guided by the illumination cast by the 'pocket watch,' he surveyed the surroundings of the hall.

Countless scrolls of paintings hung upon the four walls.

The first depicted a white dragon bound by copper pillars, sinking into a frozen sea. The surface of the ocean was covered in thick ice, while beneath it, the dragon's body pressed downward, its form seemingly still struggling.

The second portrayed a Bronze City, excavated thousands of meters underground to reveal a massive red dragon skeleton, winding and coiled deep within the ruins.

The third showed a scene of storm and tsunami. At the crest of a gigantic wave stood a silent shadow, its garments fluttering in the wind, looking down upon the mortal world below.

...

These were merely the most representative paintings. Alongside them were numerous other similar pieces, varying greatly in style and depicting entirely different subjects, standing in a dense, somewhat disorganized array.

Nagumo Amayuki walked past them one by one, gazing at the scenes depicted upon them.

At this moment, his thoughts seemed to have frozen, leaving him only able to passively look upon the contents of the artworks without generating a single thought of his own.

He swept his gaze in a full circle, and finally, unconsciously, walked toward the very last wall.

Only a single painting hung there.

Upon the canvas, a gigantic black dragon was nailed firmly to the summit of a mountain, iron spikes piercing through its skeleton, blood cascading down the rocks like a waterfall.

Yet at the foot of the mountain, a crowd of humans as tiny as ants was cheering, as if celebrating the twilight of an era.

This painting stood lofty and unyielding, as though embedded directly into the skeletal framework of the space itself.

Nagumo Amayuki stared at the painting, and instantly, millions of streams of information flooded into his consciousness simultaneously, rapidly occupying his brain.

He tried to look away, only to find his vision pinned relentlessly to the painting by some invisible force.

His consciousness was torn apart in that fraction of a second.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Scene after scene flashed before his eyes.

Glaciers, the Bronze City, a subway station, a storm, towering mountains, a metropolis...

A vast amount of unknown elements mingled within the torrent of consciousness, violently crashing against him.

Nagumo Amayuki staggered a step backward and pressed a hand to his forehead.

Only then did he realize that the scenes he had witnessed upon first arriving here had all been the scrolls within this hall.

His thoughts felt chaotic, resembling an unfamiliar language incessantly arguing beside his ears.

Nagumo Amayuki gritted his teeth and endured.

After an indeterminate length of time, he finally recovered, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.

Simultaneously,

within the Hall of Consciousness, the floating lamp shaped like a pocket watch went out.

The world plunged into darkness.

"Hah..."

Nagumo Amayuki attempted to float his consciousness upward, then opened his eyes.

Swish—

The light from the fluorescent tubes on the classroom ceiling mingled with natural sunlight falling upon his face, while wind rustled the leaves outside the window, producing a soft, rustling sound.

His head still felt somewhat dazed. Looking down, he saw the textbook from the previous class still resting on his desk; he had no idea how long he had been asleep.

"What time is it now?"

Nagumo Amayuki looked toward Wakaba Mutsumi beside him. Her desk held a geography textbook.

At this moment, Mutsumi was staring right at him, which was why she hadn't yet managed to switch to the textbook for the next class.

"So the second period has already ended."

Only then did Nagumo Amayuki realize how long he had slept.

"Two classes... I suppose I didn't sleep for too long."

He felt the sense of strangeness dissipate, and his body returned to its normal state.

Before Nagumo Amayuki's eyes, a pale blue interface naturally popped up:

【Progress toward unlocking the 'Sanctuary of Fallen Gods' (2/6)】

【Current Fire of Words: 1】

...

More comprehensive than ever before.

Nagumo Amayuki's consciousness stirred, and he clicked on 'Current Fire of Words,' revealing the rest of the interface contents:

【'Precept'】

【Forbidden Domain: LV3】【Abyssal Heart: LV2】【Candle Illumination: LV2】

【Genesis: Not yet unlocked】

【Current Available Skill Points: 0】

Beneath the Fire of Words of 'Precept,' there was another section:

【Other Specialized Skills:】

【Novel Writing LV5】【Guitar LV4】【Cooking LV4】

"I didn't expect that, apart from the skill specializations related to the dragon race, the rest would be placed at the bottom."

"However..."

Nagumo Amayuki looked at the contents above, pondering silently:

"The Fire of Words, the Sanctuary of Fallen Gods... there is still much to unlock ahead."

"Speaking of which, tomorrow is the music festival. I wonder what Crychic will turn out to be like with my existence factored in."

As Nagumo Amayuki was thinking this, Mutsumi saw that he had woken up, stood up from her seat, and walked over to his side:

"Saki..."

Toyokawa Sakiko?

Nagumo Amayuki hadn't expected that the moment he woke up, Mutsumi would once again suddenly bring up Toyokawa Sakiko to him.

Had something else happened?

He glanced toward Sakiko's seat.

Right now,

Toyokawa Sakiko was slumped over her desk, her head buried in the crook of her arms, her long blue hair cascading down her body, obscuring her face from view.

However, within Nagumo Amayuki's perception, Sakiko showed no signs of losing control.

No, wait.

Nagumo Amayuki suddenly recalled the flash of gray mist he had seen passing over Toyokawa Sakiko's body the last time 'Precept' was unlocked.

"Wakaba Mutsumi's Word Spirit is 'Baku,' and last time she happened to be in a state of loss of control."

"Legendary creatures like the 'Baku' naturally store human 'nightmares,' and these nightmare fragments only overflow upon death or loss of control."

"Could it be that because her Word Spirit suddenly ignited, it caused some of the nightmare fragments to leak out?"

Nagumo Amayuki gazed at Toyokawa Sakiko's back, speculating inwardly.