NOVEL NEXT Chapter 42
I sat down and slowly browsed through my past research results.
Looking back now, it was just a jumble of clumsy and ridiculous guesses and experiments. Some were directly discovered through trials, and there were quite a few plans that ended up being tossed aside. It was only thanks to these messy researches that I managed to get to where I am today.
First experiment. Yeah, back then I had some hope that I could quickly overcome this crisis. At that time, I wanted to overlay other shadows onto the doll. I thought, in my simple mind, that the more shadows I shoved into the doll, the more power it would have.
However, the moment the shadows seeped into the doll, it slipped out of my control. The shadows clashed with each other, trying to consume the doll’s essence, and within that chaos, the doll’s form and circuits were horrifically warped.
Ultimately, the argument between the shadows and the doll’s rejection caused a massive explosion. Both the doll and the shadows were shattered to pieces in that blast.
After several repetitive experiments, I realized that seeing shadows as mere tools of power was flawed.
So, I decided to explore the shadows in two different directions. One was to connect just a single shadow to the doll, while the other method was to merge all shadows into one massive chunk.
And both failed.
The attempt to connect a single shadow failed amid the doll’s fierce rejection. No matter how many times I tried, it was the same. Through this, I discovered that a single being could only host one shadow.
Each doll had its own attached shadow. But when I tried to forcibly overlay different shadows, an immediate backlash occurred, resulting in an explosion.
It was completely unexpected. It was a result that shook my future experiment plans. All the shadows I had prepared were charged with strong magical power.
These shadows were crafted with great effort to reduce the magical energy consumption of the doll, yet they remained unusable. Disappointed, I tried the experiment a few more times, but the outcome was the same.
In the end, I had to admit that the act of implanting different shadows onto the doll was fundamentally flawed.
Thus, merging the shadows also had to take a different approach. I scrapped the plan to replace the doll’s shadow and switched to a method of weaving shadows around the doll’s shadow.
These shadows connected with each other, forming a stable structure and efficiently supporting the shadow of the doll at its center. Through this connecting structure, the shadows were exuding even more magical power than before.
If this works, I can’t fail, right? I thought. But the moment the doll and shadow connected, the original shadow of the doll became unstable in an instant. Consequently, an imbalance arose within, and the doll couldn’t withstand the shadow’s power and collapsed.
I tried to gather the fragments of the doll to find the cause, investigating for a while. It took repeating the same experiment several times before I could figure it out.
This was because I hadn’t properly grasped the inherent nature of shadows.
Every shadow seeks to resemble its master. Thus, it always tends to maintain itself in an imperfect state. This trait influenced the structure of the shadow connections and ultimately led to the catastrophe.
Conducting and analyzing these experiments took five months.
Based on this, I tried again. That was the third experiment. I couldn’t help but smirk at that painful memory.
I first aimed to create a Magical Heart made solely of shadows. Since I couldn’t append multiple shadows or use different ones, I attempted to imbue the doll’s own shadow with magical energy.
This was fairly successful. But after doing so, the doll and shadow began to reject one another.
This was because their magical energies had changed. Ultimately, the shadow lost its Magical Heart under the pressure from the doll and turned back into a regular shadow.
Next, I tried splitting the shadows into very small entities to mix with the magical energy. I anticipated that while the energy would be lacking, it might aid the doll.
Just as I expected, the doll moved using the power of the shadow, reducing its magical consumption. It looked very successful. But the problem occurred when the magical energy flowed within the doll’s Magical Circle.
The moment the shadow met the numerous spells existing inside the doll, the magic showed extremely violent resistance. This caused the circuits to tangle, and the magical energy and shadows separated, resulting in the doll itself exploding.
When I told Maira about this, she laughed, saying it was an interesting dilemma.
Now, I was preparing for the next experiment. As she advised me, I had seen and experienced much in the realm of shadows, returning with plenty of insights.
As I reviewed my past research results, I couldn’t help but smile confidently. The me from before and the me now were completely different. This experiment was bound to succeed. I could be certain of that.
And then, I failed.
The explosion was immense. If I hadn’t felt the ominousness and activated the protective barrier, I would’ve been swept away as well.
“What’s the problem this time…”
I sighed and released the layers of protective magic. Approaching the place where the doll had been, I touched the remnants of the explosion. Even the shadows had been caught in the blast and vanished without leaving a trace.
Still, I thought this experiment had progressed quite stably.
Previously, I believed that the shadows’ autonomy was the unstable factor in their union with the doll.
So, this time, I aimed to minimize that autonomy as much as possible. This was a direction I gleaned from observing the shadows melting into magical energy in the shadow world.
Much like the massive flow of magical energy created by the dead shadows that lost their will and tangled together, I aimed to dissolve the doll’s shadow itself to weaken its autonomy.
This was quite similar to the direction taken in the last experiment since I had spotted potential there.
In that earlier experiment, the shadows flowed well with the magical energy. If magic hadn’t resisted, I was certain we could have achieved significant results.
Hence, I gathered the doll’s shadow and transformed it into a kind of liquid magical energy. I then placed it inside the doll.
This time, I made sure the paths were different from where the magical energy flowed, to prevent direct friction with the circuits. I aimed for the shadow to function almost like blood flowing inside the doll.
But it failed.
The shadow I liquefied, dims his traits, immediately regained its autonomy the moment it connected with the doll.
The shadow strayed from the path I intended and sought to touch the doll’s magic, resulting in an explosion from the magical rejection.
Why did this happen? No matter how many different conditions I experimented with, the same outcome kept surfacing. Just like now.
I sighed. Through these repetitive experiments, I had realized something. The autonomy of the shadow equates to its dependency on its master.
Every shadow excludes everything except for that which it connects to at the moment of connection. No matter what it is. Thus, it vehemently resists my magical energy.
Therefore, the ‘dead shadows’ I saw in that world were things that couldn’t exist in reality. Shadows without masters had no place in this world.
The reason it was possible in that realm was that it was an interspace created by Professor Heisen. With laws and properties that deviated from reality, it was a miracle.
I could feel my confidence swiftly diminishing. I thought this would undoubtedly succeed. I unfolded the scroll and slowly began to document this experiment.
More than ten of the unique materials used to liquefy the shadows were consumed. Together, they amounted to over five hundred valuable items.
Including other items, even more were sucked into funding this experiment. Why does it feel like no matter how much I earn, it’s never enough? I thought as I rubbed my face in frustration.
There was no time to rest. I slapped my face and focused again.
I needed to prepare quickly for the next experiment. I had worked tirelessly for the past month to create today. I couldn’t waste the precious time I had earned through postponing everything.
My shadow, which had been waiting, quickly brought the next doll. It was about the size of my upper body. Identical dolls filled one side of the workshop wall.
I placed it on the stacked Magical Circle. This circle existed solely for one purpose: to perfectly block contact with the outside.
The doll had no visible shadow. I had already removed its shadow and stored it separately. My shadow offered a glass vial marked with the number 25.
Inside, a mist-like substance swirled gently. This was the doll’s shadow.
I smiled as I handled it. Still, this experiment yielded some results. Shadows are always connected to their master, after all.
Thus, I would scrap the previous plan to eliminate autonomy. I would need to proceed in a different direction.
I had already considered this in advance. I watched my shadow manipulate the Magical Circle, moving this way and that. It was an idea that had dawned upon me while observing it.
For this, I first needed to lessen the shadow’s rejection of my magical energy. Every explosion originated from the clash between the shadow and my magic. Without resolving this issue, I couldn’t move forward.
I carefully began to infuse magical energy into the glass vial in my hand. The magical energy flowing from my seedling filled the vial at a consistent concentration, seeping in following the faint strands the shadow possessed.
As I confirmed the shadow accepting the magical energy, I cautiously added more. The magic inside the vial eventually started overflowing. I directed all of that flow into the shadow.
The magical energy filled the interior of the shadow, gradually forming a specific flow, and, in the process, natural circuits began to carve themselves within the shadow.
This circuit resembled an upturned tree. The concentrated magical energy began to emit an independent vitality, almost identical to the circuitry my shadow first showcased when it gained self-awareness.
Yes, success. I sighed as I relaxed my tensed body. This was something I had theorized, but it was my first time actually putting it into practice.
It was the result of continuous improvements made throughout the previous experiments. Thankfully, it was maintaining a stable form.
I opened the vial lid and carefully set it down at the doll’s feet. Initially dazed, the shadow within the vial quickly sensed its master and began to gather around its feet.
I swallowed hard. Now was the crucial moment. I cautiously infused magical energy into the doll. Its Magical Heart pulsed vigorously, spreading magic throughout its body. I carefully manipulated it.
One step, two steps, three steps.
No issues regardless of how many times I moved. The magical energy circulated normally through the doll’s circuits, and the shadow exhibited no anomalies.
Is it a success? A smile began to bloom on my face.
But it was too soon to relax. My aim in merging the shadow and doll was for the shadow to control the magical consumption.
I discreetly let the doll’s magic flow into the shadow. The moment I did, the shadow began to react. It climbed up the magic, starting to root itself within the corners of the doll.
After confirming that connection stabilizing, I tried moving the doll again. Success. The doll barely used the magical energy contained within it. Instead, the shadow started to move it with its own energy.
What I had been dreaming of was happening right now!
And then it exploded.
In an instant, the magic surged back, and via that connection, it impacted me as well. I spat out a mouthful of blood. My seedling experienced a slight tremor too.
What the hell just happened? I was sure it worked. Completely baffled by this, I placed another doll down and attempted to replicate the process I had just performed. The doll exploded into smithereens once again.
Was it the magical energy? I pondered adjusting the volume of magic. I adjusted the doll’s spells too. Was it the circuits of the doll? With that thought, I made a new doll to test out.
But the outcome was the same. The shadow suddenly burst forth and destroyed the doll.
After reviewing the countless reactions, I finally realized. The Magical Heart the shadow formed was unable to sustain itself, naturally crumbling apart.
This instability stemmed from the fact that it was an entity without form.
I looked at my shadow. Then how did it maintain its circuits? I continued trying to discern the differences.
It wasn’t until I exploded my thirtieth doll that I finally caught on. My shadow must have also possessed this instability. It still does, even now.
However, it had self-awareness. It possessed the most basic origin of holding onto and maintaining its Magical Heart. It was swallowing my magic, forming its own shape around that self-awareness.
In that way, it resembled me but had become a different being. An ordinary shadow without intellect couldn’t accomplish this.
I sputtered blood and slumped down.
Finally, I realized the uniqueness of my shadow. This was the reason upperclassmen flocked to Professor Heisen’s lectures.
This shadow was unlike any common shadows. Born from the professor’s hand, this shadow was akin to an independent living being with its own self-awareness.
Yet it carried the traits of a shadow. Always connected to its master and growing alongside them. For mages who trust nothing but themselves, acquiring such a servitor is certainly a rare opportunity.
Yeah, it was a truly precious existence.
Something I couldn’t dare to create.
I had to form a self-awareness in the doll’s shadow to succeed in this experiment. But how could that possibly be done? If I could do that, I would have already utilized it when crafting the doll.
I failed again in this experiment, and this day’s work ended here. From tomorrow, I would have to address all the tasks I had been putting off.
Who knows when I’ll be able to create time again? I took a deep breath and sighed.