NOVEL NEXT Chapter 47
As I quietly drummed my fingers on the table, I found myself lost in thought. Having roughly sketched a map in my mind, I realized I no longer needed to venture outside. After all, I couldn’t possibly explore that vast area all alone.
The monsters continued to charge towards the circle that surrounded us. Yet, none could breach the peculiar ring hovering in the air. Without a sound, they simply split apart and fell.
Inside this ring, there was only silence. The rhythmic tapping of my fingers was the only sound echoing around. Kashian took a sip of tea, savoring its aroma with her eyes closed.
I slightly raised an eyebrow at the sight. There was something subtly off about it, but I kept my thoughts to myself and spoke up.
“Have there been many visitors here lately?”
She set her teacup down and crossed her arms. After contemplating for a moment, she snapped her fingers.
“In the last two hours since the old man left, around thirty people showed up. Seems they came following some path.”
I exhaled a sigh of relief. I thought we might have struck out, having seen only a few leave last time, but thankfully it seemed we had succeeded. It felt as if the lengthy efforts of the past were finally bearing fruit.
The mist consumed everything within it. The contents were entirely devoured, leaving behind shells that helped chase away other things while assisting in the mist’s feast.
In the struggle against the shells, if I ever let my guard down for even a moment, I found myself losing a handful of memories. About three years’ worth of memories had slipped away from me just like that. Since then, I had been on high alert, never letting my defensive magic falter.
Nevertheless, while dealing with those shells, I noticed a pattern. They didn’t seem to pay much attention to things that didn’t move. If it was lifeless, even less so.
So, during my last ten round trips, I followed the path the turtle moved along, leaving traces behind. I had ground down some of its shell and various materials to form a sort of trail.
This was a particularly sturdy object, crafted with care to avoid breaking under the weight of the monsters. I couldn’t be certain whether the path would function properly, but I proceeded with the assumption that it likely had a good chance of working.
If people followed that path, it meant I had been successful. That would make things a bit easier.
“Where did they go?”
“Uh, they just looked at me and left.”
“I see.”
I clicked my tongue in disappointment. She gazed intently at me. Suddenly, a light thought crossed my mind.
“Kashian, are you planning to seek treasure?”
I asked her. She tilted her head in that trademark blank expression of hers.
“If it’s there, I’ll take it. If not, oh well. That’s about it. How about you?”
“Same here.”
My fingers tapping on the table began to pick up speed. If our intentions were aligned, things would get easier. Pushing aside my brief contemplation, I continued speaking.
“What if we opened this place up to others?”
“Are you trying to gather people, old man?”
She crossed her arms and said. Her dark eyes, appearing detached, radiated a dull light. Nodding, she took another sip of her tea.
“Yes. From what I’ve observed from the lectures so far, it’s impossible to acquire treasure with just one’s own strength. We need to gather people together to have any chance at securing it.”
She quietly nodded. With a faint frown, she surveyed the bear doll. It was hugging the turtle’s legs with a baffled expression.
The doll seemed utterly devoid of worry. Its resolve was the same. Looking at it, I spoke again.
“The reason people are cautious of one another is that they can’t guarantee even a minimum level of safety. Memories are stolen, and the sensation of their minds melting pushes them into crisis. Right now, the survival rights of students aren’t being adequately protected. Thus, external logic has started to dominate this space instead of the laws of the university.”
It felt all too familiar. The air was thick with discomfort. It was a scent I could have sensed any day up until just three years ago. You know, that unique stench of betrayal, deception, and violence.
In this situation, I couldn’t possibly score any points. Most of the students were growling in the wilderness, relying solely on their own strength. In this state, my strengths wouldn’t shine through, and I needed to guide them back into the civilization of the university.
“You professors really know how to orchestrate these shady dealings.”
I remarked with a sly smile. The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. She didn’t respond to me, instead finishing her tea in one go. I glanced at her.
“In any case, it crossed my mind that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to offer this place as a base camp for others. What do you think, Kashian?”
“Do you think they’d want to stay here? As I mentioned earlier, all those who came have left.”
“I thought that if we provided them with at least some justification, they might feel that this place is safe.”
I moistened my lips with tea for a moment and continued.
“I think I have some credibility among everyone, so I’ll tell them I built this place myself. For a certain fee, they can come inside.”
I pinched my fingers together to form a circle and showed it to her.
“Let’s say around two hundred points? Asking for that much would actually make them feel more at ease. They’d perceive this as an extension of the university.”
A hint of interest sparked in her eyes.
“Points, huh.”
“Yep, that entry fee can all go to you, Kashian. You’re the one keeping this place running after all.”
I scanned the surrounding circle. The ring had a diameter of about a hundred meters. It was massive. Even the turtle couldn’t cover half of this huge circle.
It was hard to believe that I could maintain this. Of course, with that kind of talent, it was no wonder she reached the second floor in just a year.
Now I’d heard she was preparing to head to the third floor. I could hardly dream of such a thing, since I hadn’t even made it out of the first floor yet.
“Then it sounds good for me. How about you?”
“I’ll just sell them dolls as always. That’s all I’m capable of doing.”
She nodded lazily. I stood up with a smile.
“Then I’ll work on sprucing up this area, so we can welcome those who come.”
“Got it.”
She finished her tea and returned to the bear doll. The bear, fidgeting with the turtle, sensed her presence and curled up. It was the most comfortable position for Kashian to have it in.
I watched them for a moment before leaving. There was a lot to do. I needed to neatly divide the inside based on this circle.
The idea of operating this place as a small base for points meant that groups formed in the tower would also regroup.
If I divided the areas haphazardly, conflict would undoubtedly arise among them. Even if not everyone was satisfied, I needed to make delicate adjustments to ensure no one felt slighted.
Let’s split it into three sections for now.
There were no individual mages left in the tower. They had all formed their own groups and turned hostile to others. Many groups had flourished and faded, but only three had survived through ten lectures.
First, the members of the great clan. They’d need the largest area assigned to them. Unlike others, I was certain that Hongryeong and the other four would definitely reach this place.
Next… the swordsmen. This area would be maintained using Kashian’s magic. Whether it could even be called magic is up for debate, though. Still, as fellow swordsmen, they deserved a large space too. Plus, their strength couldn’t be ignored. They occupied a substantial part of the second floor, similar to the great clan’s group, so I had to consider that while deciding the space.
The remainder would be for the mages on the first floor. Jun’s group. He had surprisingly absorbed a group of individual mages, expanding his influence enough to even claim part of the second floor.
There was no need to give someone with that kind of prowess a space that was too small. It needed to be a bit larger.
With that, I began to outline the areas for each faction. It would only be a space to spend half a day at most, but I needed to present it as neatly as possible. It should be satisfying for all who stayed.
So what kind of design should I aim for? It would be best to first erect a wall that could be recognized from a distance.
A wall that wouldn’t be easily breached by monsters or magic. I needed the turtle. It had waddled its way close to the thin line forming the circle, observing the monsters.
It gingerly touched the line and once its front leg got severed, it hurriedly retreated. I felt a bond with that little creature and it responded to my signal, moving in closer.
I summoned magical energy and floated in the air, gently stroking its shell. There’s no better material than this. The wood trembled sadly, sensing my thoughts.
It was a feeling I was familiar with. Somehow, it seemed like I had frequently used this shell as a material. But what could I do? It was that excellent of an item.
With just that, I poured my magical energy into its shell. Suddenly, it began to morph. It flowed like a liquid and flew towards the inner side of the circle.
And then it started forming a wall inside that circle. I figured about five meters high would suffice. That height would serve well as a barrier to protect this open field. If it got any taller, it would be too thin; this height was just right.
Thus, the wall was roughly completed. Now I just needed to create an entrance and some stairs.
I clenched my fist tightly. I didn’t use any magic. In the past, such a large-scale construction would have required a considerable amount of time and magical effort. But now, even a mere flick of my magical energy was sufficient.
The turtle let out a sad whine, barely having any shell left, revealing its plump body. I shrank it down to hang on my chest, petting it a few times. Now it was time to decorate the inside.
I took my time ornamenting each zone. I invested generously from the materials I had brought to make dolls. After all, these simple things clearly wouldn’t matter much here.
A makeshift place for a brief stay, a bit of space for strolling around, lookout towers to gaze at the area beyond the wall, and so on. I paved the paths to complement the buildings.
Beginnings of a base began to take shape in this desolate open field. At the center, I established one large open space. If there was something to discuss, everyone would likely gather here.
And then, one by one, people began to arrive following the path. I welcomed them inside, collecting points as they entered. Some left with skepticism, but I didn’t hold them back. Surely, they would return after some time.
I prepared several guest dolls to greet those visiting the base. As they enjoyed refreshments and witnessed cooking demonstrations, their faces began to relax. Of course, I did receive the corresponding points for that.
Thus, one by one, more people joined. Some chose to stick around the area and carve out their own territory without entering.
I didn’t mind that much. Even if they didn’t come in, their intrinsic wildness had been mostly eliminated. Now was the time to take advantage of opportunity to score points. Those who had joined might have loosened up, perhaps spending more than usual.
With glimmering eyes, I welcomed them.
And so, ten hours slipped away. Treasure was nowhere to be found.