NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37
I slowly opened my eyes. Sunlight was pouring onto my face through the window.
It was morning.
The surroundings were filled with dolls. I was collapsed right in the middle of them. My body felt like a heavy sack of fatigue; I couldn’t even muster the energy to move my magic. It was clear I had passed out from working all night.
Thinking about it, it felt like ages since I had last laid down like this. I couldn’t even remember the last time I was in bed. I took a quick glance at the clock. It hadn’t even been 30 minutes since I collapsed.
I wanted to enjoy this honey-like moment just a little longer, just a bit more. Even though I had things to do, this dreamlike rest held onto my body and wouldn’t let go.
Hmm, maybe I should just push everything I had to do today to tomorrow. I just wanted to fall back asleep like this. My future self could handle the consequences tomorrow. So let’s rest a little more for now.
Just as I attempted to close my eyes again, I heard the door open and the sound of a bell ringing. Someone had definitely come in. I silently screamed. No, my short rest is slipping away!
“Excuse me, I came to ask about modifying a doll. Are you not here?”
It was a familiar voice. I raised my hand slightly. Even that took a tremendous amount of effort. My hand trembled so much I thought it would fall off any moment. The visitor came closer, perhaps having seen my hand. It was a woman with a blank expression.
“Shall I help you up?”
She leaned over me, speaking with a friendly tone. The distinct metallic smell of a swordsman wafted over. I weakly nodded my head. Without a hint of hesitation, she exerted her magic and forcibly moved my body. I instantly stood upright, and my whole body screamed in pain.
But the pain was just enough to help me regain some focus. Delay what? I had an entire mountain of tasks piling up right now. Tomorrow’s tasks were already stacking up like a mountain too. I clutched my knees with both arms, bracing myself so I wouldn’t collapse.
Gradually, I regained a little strength. Using my trembling hands, I wiped my face and brushed off some of the fatigue. The woman was just staring blankly at me.
“Thank you, Kashian.”
When I first learned who this woman was, I was quite shocked. She was that crazy girl who destroyed all my dolls when I was in my teens. She did look familiar after all. Of course, now she was just a customer visiting my shop.
I slowly dragged my body to the reception desk. Leaning my upper body on it made it a little more bearable. When I gestured to her, she placed a doll on the counter. It was a gigantic bear doll.
The bear doll filled the entire reception desk. It looked just like an ordinary doll, drained of all magic. Come to think of it, I had forgotten to imbue magic into the dolls today. I hadn’t even thought about it all night while working.
Now I had more work added to my plate. I sighed, holding my head. While I was mentally sorting things out, Kashian fiddled with the doll and opened her mouth.
“Anyway, sir, I’d like to modify this one.”
“Sure. What kind of modifications would you like?”
“Could you please remove the functions I previously requested? It’s a bit annoying since it tries to hug me all the time.”
My eyebrows twitched. Just a month ago, she was begging me to make it just like that.
To think she got bored with it so quickly. I had struggled so hard to squeeze that function into the already packed doll.
But putting those feelings aside, I wore a kind smile on my face and proposed a compromise.
“Hmm, how about we reduce the number of times it reacts instead of completely removing it? Or I could make it so it only hugs you when you want it to, paired with a specific action.”
She continued to ponder but eventually shook her head.
“Just take it out. But I want the doll’s eyes to show emotions. And can’t we change the scent it gives off? I’m getting tired of it. Oh, it’d be nice if the scent changed depending on the emotion too.”
“Please do that.” She said in a bright tone, looking down at the doll with trembling eyes. Did she really ask me to add such complicated features to something that was already packed with capabilities? It was an impossible task. What did she think of me to make such a request?
“It’ll be perfect, right?”
“Of course. Just visit me tomorrow.”
Before scores, nothing seemed impossible. I wrote down her requests without hesitation. Limit? What’s that? I’ll just keep working until it’s done.
“Here.”
She handed me a ring. The moment she gave me the score, she left the place.
As I stroked the ring, it hit me like a ton of bricks. What was I doing? I was already overloaded, and here I was taking another order. I lost my sanity over the score.
Even the cost for modifying the doll she requested had already exceeded four thousand points. She was the only one who threw that many points at a doll. How could she afford to spend so recklessly?
I placed my trembling hand on the doll. It was one I had painstakingly made. The various functions within it had made the doll more natural and perfect.
I had created it, but it was a beautifully designed piece without a single flaw. The problem was adding more functions to it now.
I channeled my magic into the doll, reviving it. It absorbed my magic greedily as it rose up. The various spells and functions within it began to operate, fueled by that magic.
It followed my will deep into the shop. After threading through the dolls, it reached the workbench. I laid it down on there and slumped into a chair like a ragdoll.
It seemed I was completely worn out. No, I was definitely worn out.
My body was proving it. The sprouts I squeezed power from every day were slumped over just like me.
Two years since I came to the university, it was just another ordinary morning.
My shadow quietly rose and patted my shoulder. It looked just like me.
Over the past two years, the harder I worked, the more it grew. Supported by it, I shut my eyes for a moment.
How did it come to this? It surely wasn’t like this at the start.
I tried to trace back to the beginning.
This all started from there, that’s for sure.
It was after the first lecture had ended.
As the tower’s zone opened, many people flocked to the place. The number reached a staggering two hundred. Usually, enrolling in a lecture means seeking improvement, but there was also the purpose of utilizing the tower.
So typically, students didn’t take more than two lectures. Once they got into a lecture, they would stay in the tower where it took place and train. If I were in their shoes, I’d do the same.
The magic piled up by the professor was more pure and powerful than anything. Training there would undoubtedly be incredibly efficient. That’s why every student crowded around the tower every morning. The first floor was vast enough to accommodate them all.
But then the problems began. Since the opening hours were fixed, they came at the same time every day, often running into each other.
And many incidents and accidents occurred. Arguments, duels, even assaults. The animosity built up while searching for treasures exploded. They formed groups and began to occupy rooms one by one, turning hostile towards outsiders.
The professor, watching all this, seemed pleased. She opened up the second floor to them as well. The magic on the second floor was thicker and stronger than on the first. It was only natural that the strong would gather there.
They turned the tower into a battlefield, fighting over territories. The professor found it entertaining, but I was the only one suffering amidst it all. Mediating their conflicts, repairing the damaged furniture.
There were far too many inquiries for the reception dolls I had placed in advance to handle. And the amount of people visiting with suggestions was overwhelming.
Just dealing with these students was exhausting, and I had even more to do.
I had to check the tower daily. The tower’s magic was so powerful that it created strong distortions. These annoyingly picky spells would create anomalies in the tower if not checked daily.
At first, I didn’t realize this. So the accumulated distortions eventually tore apart the space. The sensation of an eerie eye appearing inside was unforgettable.
The unknown entity tried to seep into the tower. And it was snuffed out by the professor’s hand when she discovered the anomalies in the tower after the management had become careless. I also ended up being a casualty after failing to manage things well.
From then on, I checked the tower’s magic every single day. From the 6th floor onward was the professor’s territory, so I didn’t need to go there, but the first to fifth floors were all my responsibility.
Just checking the magic each day drained me completely. Most of the spells were ones I didn’t even know, meaning I had no choice but to experience the magic myself to check it.
Even while managing the tower, I had to prepare for my lectures as well.
The lectures occurred once every three months. But during my first lecture, all my dolls were wrecked. I was almost out of materials to collect for dolls after a month. I definitely needed to prepare and prepare even more for the following lectures. The professor would surely torture me further now.
In the case of Professor Heisen’s lectures, it wasn’t too demanding, simply needing to amplify the shadow. The shadow copied my actions and grew steadily by feeding off my magic. It would surely grow adequately just like that.
But even so, I had to visit his tower. It was the best place for growing shadows, after all. Just wandering through various locations in that shadow world allowed it to grow immensely.
But getting there was a hassle, and coming back was just as much of a chore. And upon returning, there would be a mountain of tasks waiting again. Time flew by as I tried to tackle the tasks ahead.
Whenever I tried to take a break, something would happen, and as I dealt with that, another issue would spring up. It was a continuous stream of events. And after handling all of those, I would crash and sleep, leaving no time for training.
If this goes on, I’d be stuck in this hellish cycle for a hundred years.
I need to reduce my workload. This thought came to me four months after entering university.
It was after the second lecture ended.
No one gained anything from Professor Ilian’s treasures, but others competed and grew within that lecture.
They also grew through training utilizing the tower’s magic.
But I couldn’t even dream of such things. I was suffering endlessly, buried under countless tasks.
If I can’t resolve this situation, I will have no future.
With that thought in mind, I started mass-producing dolls. After all, making dolls was what I excelled at.
I poured nearly all my points into making these dolls.
I even ventured into the city to purchase materials for the dolls and left requests to gather more diverse materials. Thus various woods and minerals began to accumulate in the tower.
And pouring all my magic and spirit into refining those dolls began. These dolls made using the tower’s magic had performance that exceeded my expectations.
I distributed those dolls to every student, not just simple minor copies like the reception dolls but rather higher-level serving dolls with the judging and actions of a butler serving a professor.
They did their best for the students they were designated to. They recognized every little habit of theirs, providing better convenience and autonomously mediating disputes among them.
Soon, the number of visitors coming to me dramatically decreased. It was a success. Overwhelmed with relief, I smiled.
Of course, I still needed to continually charge the dolls with magic. My magic was what allowed my dolls to move.
But compared to before, it was an incredibly simple job. I just needed to charge their magic before opening the tower and have them waiting at the entrance.
Only now was I able to experience what could be called rest for the first time. It was nearly the first time since the lectures started.
I leaned back in the chair, shutting my eyes. Why hadn’t I thought of this method earlier? My fear of wasting points had bound me to hardship all this time.
Points that just piled up were as good as dead. Only by using them and enjoying them could I truly call them mine.
Sure, all my points were drained into making the dolls, but just the fact that I could savor this moment of happiness felt utterly worth it.
With the students who had caused most of my suffering finally quieted down, I could now focus on my training. I was thinking that until she showed up.