Chester sat at the corner of the room with crossed arms and a sour look on his face. He was beyond tired, but the thoughts in his head didn't allow him to go to sleep. He glanced over at the door, cracked open slightly to reveal Alvis resting on a mattress, tucked in and breathing evenly.

Lola had treated him and said he'd make a full recovery within the week if things went well. It was only through sheer dumb luck they came across the one person who could help them in the city without bleeding them dry. She turned away any method of payment and even threatened Chester with a beating if he kept pestering her.

Damien had fallen asleep, crying his heart out and staying amongst the children. Without his armor, and that serene look on his face as he slept, the vampire looked completely at home amongst the other orphans. It was difficult to tell he was any different from them. And that made the illusionist grit his teeth and turn away.

'I'm weak. If I were just a bit faster, a bit stronger...None of this would've happened.'

Chester felt immense guilt for blaming the boy for their troubles. Was Damien in the wrong for pushing them away? The illusionist thought so, but it was only in their interest. He'd been shouldering so much responsibility, afraid to delegate to others, it wasn't much of a suprise considering what happened during the One-Day War at Welton.

He could see the boy hesitating whenever Chester offered his help. The discomfort on his face was clear as day. Perhaps the only reason Damien even accepted his support was because they've known each for so long.

It led Chester to realize that maybe if he'd been more active with his training, Damien would've been more comfortable having him at his side, gathering information. Then that rat bastard with the tattoos wouldn't have found them out, or better yet, they could've killed him before things escalated.

The man bit his lips hard enough to draw blood. He cursed his own weakness. That feeling of helplessness as the flames intensified while the orphans screamed for help, it was something he would never forget. The fact he couldn't deal with the two shitheads that prevented him from getting to the burning building ate away at him. They weren't strong by any means. In a regular fight, he would've dealt with them quite easily. But he couldn't. And that minute or so he spent fighting them could've been used to save the children ea-

'No. Fuck these what-ifs and buts. I can't stay like this if I want to protect other people.'

It was an odd statement to make. But Chester knew those days where all he had to worry about was himself were long gone. In Welton, he nearly died protecting Alda. Before that, he learned how to work as a duo with Damien, helping the people of Stillwater. The last time he would be considered independent was during his time in the forest.

"Man, I miss those days...Fuck. Being a good person sucks." He ran his hands through his head in an irritated manner. "I'm fine on my own. But if I have to worry about these little shitheads..."

He glanced at the group again. Bentham was sprawled out, arm across Damien's chest as he snored away. Sheila clung to the vampire boy's arm as she slumbered as if he were going to disappear the moment she let go. The other orphans all grouped up together, forming a pile of human bodies away from the children who originally belonged there.

Chester knew deep down that he couldn't go back to that solitary life he lived. He needed to do better. Be better. For their sake and his.

He heard a small tap and looked to his left, coming face to face with a set of piercing, iridescent eyes that almost seemed to glow in the dark.

"Jesus-!" The man flinched and quieted upon realizing it was the blonde girl who acted as Lola's assistant. He resisted the urge to tell her off for being so quiet, but he was a guest and wanted to be polite. "Oh. You're...Eli, right?"

Eli nodded in response, carrying a warm cup of something in her hands. She offered it to Chester, and he gingerly took it and peered within. Before he could ask what was inside, she told him what it was.

"To help sleep."

It was a very pointed answer to an unspoken question. It smelled of ginger and chamomile. The girl has a cup of her own, so she had made the second for Chester's consideration. He was the only one awake, after all. Everyone had gone to sleep after such a harrowing day. He sighed and took a sip.

It was delicious.

"Thank you."

She gave him a curt nod and returned back to her corner opposite to where Chester was, sitting in a tiny chair and staring off into the distance.

Apart from her slightly unsettling presence, the calming effect of the tea seemed to take effect almost immediately and the tension slowly released from his shoulders. It was a little too effective in his opinion, as his eyelids were beginning to feel like they weighed a ton.

'Shit, I'm going to pass out. I needed to think of ways to get stronger!'

Troubled by his current conundrum, Chester came to an epiphany that would allow him to sleep and think at the same time. Readying his backpack as a pillow, he cast one of his favorite spells.

"Dream," The tendril of mana he conjured allowed him to fall asleep with no worries, and he entered the familiar white expanse that was his dreamscape.

"Now I have all the time to think! And I can get some ideas while I'm here too."

The Dream spell was one method he had to get stronger. But it was entirely too slow in comparison to old-fashioned training. He could access parts of his brain and summon many memories with ease in here, but Chester knew that's all it really summed up to. Reviewing his knowledge and experimenting with his skills without limit. But all he primarily used it for was entertainment and as a way of extending the amount of sleep he got.

'Man, if only I could extend the time here. An extra four hours only adds up after like what, a decade? I need a hyperbolic time chamber like Goku.'

He pulled up his skill list. But for a moment, he froze. An idea sprouted in his head. One that he thought of once, but never delved into because of how ridiculous it sounded considering the limitations of the spell in its present state.

'What happens if I use the Dream spell in here? Would the time perception effect stack up?'

Chester gave it a few seconds of thought before trying to put the idea into action. He conjured up the tendril of mana like he did in real life, and connected it to his avatar in the dream state. Contrary to his expectations, nothing happened.

He realized imediately what was wrong.

Cerebella had told him that everything here was a figment of his imagination. Including his avatar. Although there was some promise to the idea of training skills here, the fact of the matter was that everything from his skill list and the energy he used to activate them were not real.

Although one could reach a deeper level of understanding of their skills here, it posed some challenges especially when it came to the usage of spells. He had a basic understanding of mana, how to shape it, how to transform it, but he didn't really know what it was. How it acted. How it behaved under certain circumstances. When he experimented with something unknown, his mind would fill in the gaps left by his knowledge, leaving him with an inaccurate representation of what some skills do and what skills don't.

"Damn. But what if I...?"

Chester wasn't discouraged so easily. Once he had an idea, he refused to let go of it. He sat down and imagined the Dream spell every step of the way. The system always helped activate the skill without much thought on his end, but he knew how it worked in theory and application.

'A dream within a dream. Inception. But unlike those guys, I'm doing it without any fancy tech. Just me and my brain.'

With a sigh, he turned his attention to the imaginary mana that floated around him. It was his mind, his mana, so he should be able to bend it to his will, right?

Looking closer, he saw the mana in his dream state was different. Less tangible. More of a concept than anything else. It was a mirror of his understanding of mana, and right now, it wasn't enough. He needed to understand it better.

"Mana," he murmured the word a mantra as he reached out to the glowing tendrils in his mind. They fluttered like ribbons in an invisible wind, ephemeral and untouchable.

But he was determined. He was an illusionist, a manipulator of mind and energy. And he was not going to give up so easily. Closing his eyes, he focused on his memories of real mana – the pulsating energy, the vibrant life within it, the sense of raw power and potential. He replayed every time he had used mana, feeling it surge through him, bending to his will.

Then he reached out again.

This time, the dream mana responded. It flickered and shimmered, becoming less like an echo of reality and more like reality itself. Chester grinned, the thrill of his success sending a rush of exhilaration through him. His imagination had created this world, but it was his will and determination that would reshape it.

With newfound confidence, he once again conjured the Dream spell. The spell itself was a familiar one; he had used it countless times before. But this time, he wasn't just activating a skill; he was pushing the boundaries of what he thought was possible.

Mana began to wind around him, forming intricate patterns in the air, each one a testament to his determination and persistence. It hummed with energy, vibrating with the same intensity he felt surging through him.

Slowly, methodically, he began to weave the spell into existence. He mentally connected the conjured mana to his dream avatar, his mind laser-focused on the process, running through every step, every tiny detail that he had memorized from casting the spell in the real world.

For a moment, nothing happened. But Chester didn't give up. He urged the dream mana on, his thoughts becoming more forceful. The air around him seemed to tremble, matching his intense concentration.

And then it happened. A ripple spread outwards from him, like a pebble thrown into a pond. The mana twisted and swirled around him, condensing into the familiar form of the Dream spell. His heart pounded with anticipation as he watched his reality warp around him, his mind echoing with the echoes of a second dream within a dream.

You have created a new skill. This will replace your Dream skill. The experience built up in the Dream Spell will

Nested Dream (Level 1)

Harness the power of the subconscious to manipulate and layer realities within realities. Targets are enveloped in an exponentially slower perception of time within each nested dream and are subject to the laws and rules imposed by the user, but cannot be physically harmed. If targets are killed in the spell, they will be removed from the dreamscape. Those with mental fortitude (MNT = (END+INT)/2) surpassing the user's can resist the spell. Being touched in the physical plane will interrupt the spell.

Maximum time elapsed in spell: 24 hours per nested layer

Activation: 1 minute per nested layer, -500 MP per layer.

Congratulations! You are the first to accomplish such a feat. New perk unlocked - Eidetic Dreamweaver

Eidetic Dreamweaver - The power of the mind is as vast as any universe. You have pushed the boundaries of what is possible within the dreamscape, and you are rewarded for this feat. As an Eidetic Dreamweaver, you are able to manipulate your dreamscape with a more nuanced understanding and with more realistic details than before. +10 to INT

Chester couldn't suppress a triumphant grin. He had done it. He had taken the first step towards breaking the rules, towards exploiting the system that governed this world. And the possibilities now seemed endless.

Warning: Due to the nature of your spell, it may cause unexpected effects. Tread carefully.

He glanced at his avatar. It felt more real. He touched his skin and he could feel it on his fingertips. The border between reality and imagination was more blurred now. Chester saw the warning and heeded its advice, interpreting it the best way he could.

"They're warning me because they don't want me to bug the system out again, eh? Well don't mind if I do!"

He activated the spell again, and again, and again.

With the unspoken promise of another glitch in the system, he delved deeper into the Nested Dream for the chance at a power-up. The idea of getting another perk like the one that doubled his stat points drove him further than before.