Chapter 78: Nightmare Syndrome
"Everchanging Form—"
Before Lilith Mage could shift her gaze, a crisp and accurate chant suddenly rang out, successfully diverting her attention away from the few potion-addicted apprentices.
"Janna! You..."
Vivian, who had been preparing to try the [Elementary Transfiguration Spell], suddenly felt a strange wave of magical energy ripple from Janna beside her.
It was like a breeze of early spring, carrying the scent of renewal—just a gentle touch on the cheek was enough to make one feel the rich presence of life.
But such an aura should not have appeared on an apprentice, especially a First Tier apprentice who had not yet condensed a Law Seed...
...
"Inhale—exhale—in—out—"
Just like in deep meditation, steady breathing continuously flowed from Janna’s nose and mouth.
As she prepared to transfigure the magical plant on the podium, an odd dreamlike scene engulfed her awareness.
In the instant she completed the [Basic Transfiguration], Janna's consciousness once again sank into a dreamlike trance.
At that moment, she seemed to become once again the colossal tree from her dream—vast and boundless. Her roots stretched into every corner of the earth, and every pulse of natural life resonated with her call.
Janna felt everything become so intimate, so relaxed...
"Return to consciousness! Wake up at once!"
The voice was like a thunderclap—shattering the dream.
As her vision returned to darkness and she opened her eyes again, Janna found herself surrounded by an empty vacuum.
Scattered tables and chairs had been knocked over, and the surrounding students had stepped back to a two-meter distance.
Only Lilith Mage was pointing her wand at Janna, her eyes filled with both complexity and intensity.
"How are you feeling now?"
Feeling?
Hearing Lilith Mage's question, Janna didn’t feel anything unusual.
The only odd part was that she seemed to have blacked out for a moment when she cast the [Elementary Transfiguration Spell].
"My magic is abundant, and I feel mentally refreshed... I feel fine."
"Is that so?"
Hearing Janna’s response, and confirming there were no other issues, Lilith Mage lightly waved her wand to restore the scattered furniture around Janna to its original positions.
"You looked like you had an episode of Nightmare Syndrome just now. Remember to rest early tonight and don’t exhaust yourself too much."
Nightmare Syndrome?
Another strange term. But seeing the concerned expressions of the other apprentices, Janna still stood up and gave a slight bow.
"Thank you, Professor, for your concern. I’m very sorry for disturbing the class. My apologies."
"It’s nothing major. The rest of you, return to your seats quickly."
Seeing this, the apprentices around Janna returned to their seats. However, their gazes still lingered on her, either intentionally or unintentionally.
"Janna, you scared me to death! I thought you were going to mutate or something!"
Looking at Vivian’s anxious face, Janna felt even more confused.
"What exactly happened to me? Why did you all leave your seats?"
"You really don’t remember? When you cast the [Elementary Transfiguration Spell], your whole state was very strange. There were lots of bright green particles swirling around you... and you completely turned into a tree! You kept sprouting branches and shoots, almost reaching the ceiling of the classroom! Luckily, Professor Lilith Mage used [Soul Summon Spell] to wake you up—otherwise, you might’ve had to pay for ceiling repairs..."
"You said green particles?"
"Yeah, Professor Lilith Mage said it was a case of magic leakage from a nightmare episode... Honestly, have you not been getting enough rest? Having a Nightmare Syndrome episode during class..."
Nightmare Syndrome—commonly known as sleepwalking.
For ordinary people, it just meant wandering around aimlessly. But for wizards, it could cause magical leakage and even unconscious spellcasting.
It wasn’t considered an illness, but if unconscious magic use damaged public property, it could become a real nuisance.
"Quest Panel."
【Daily Quest: Successfully perform a real Transfiguration (Completed);
Quest Reward: 100 Talent EXP, 500 Skill EXP, Spirit Power +0.1.】
Seeing the "Completed" status on the Quest Panel, Janna understood that she had indeed completed a true transfiguration. However, the target wasn’t one of the magical plants on the podium, but a massive tree form she hadn’t anticipated herself.
"So, the form most suitable for my transfiguration... was a tree?"
A towering, sky-covering, endlessly growing tree, its roots stretching across the earth.
"Logically, with my current amount of magic in my mana circuits, even transfiguring a non-magical plant should use up quite a bit. But I don’t feel any magic drain at all—on the contrary, my mind feels sharp."
Janna had no explanation for this strange phenomenon.
Though she really wanted to test it again, she knew she had to wait until she was back at the dormitory to try.
"I did it!"
Just as Janna was lost in thought, a delighted shout rang out from an upperclassman seated diagonally behind her.
"Professor Mage, I really succeeded!"
He waved his hands high in the air, trying to get Lilith Mage’s attention.
"Rain... Rain..."
"Why are you pulling me?"
Feeling his arm being tugged repeatedly by his friend, the upperclassman named Rain impatiently yanked his arm free.
"Look carefully at your hand—you didn’t succeed at all..."
"How could that be? Can’t you see the scales on my hand? I did it..."
"Return to consciousness! Wake up at once!"
Before Rain could finish, Lilith Mage—already used to this kind of situation—cast the [Soul Summon Spell] again to pull the apprentice out of the potion-induced illusion caused by overuse of the [Sensory Link Potion].
"Professor..."
As the illusion faded, Rain’s expression shifted from excitement to disappointment.
"Potions are just a support method. Overuse will have negative effects. However..."
Seeing Rain’s downcast expression, Lilith Mage’s tone softened slightly.
"I sensed a trace of spiritual power from you just now. Maybe you’re not far from reaching the threshold of the Transfiguration domain."
"Th-thank you, Professor Mage!"
"You’re welcome. I sincerely hope that one day, a true Transfiguration Master will emerge from among you."
As she spoke, her gaze unconsciously shifted to the front row where Janna sat deep in thought.
"Perhaps... it really might happen..."